Starting off the New Year

Once again, there were New Year’s festivities at Staniel Cay.  The annual Pirate Party brought out the motley assortment of pirates and wenches..

 

Dawn and Brooks

Connie and Croc (Dundee)

And who are those wild girls dancing on the bar??

The local community throws a free fish-fry/barbecue with open bar for everyone!

Chris, Connie and Croc

Sarah, Chris and Paul

And then, of course, there is the Staniel Cay Yacht Club regatta.  All are welcome, and T-shirts and prizes for everyone.

On a more sobering note, a week earlier a Haitian sloop had gone aground miles away on the banks.  The 130 people aboard fared poorly after spending many hours in the water, and suffering from dehydration and exposure.  There were some fatalities, and the local Staniel Cayans fed the remaining desperate Haitians before the government shipped them back to Haiti.  This type of occurrence is all too frequent in these waters.  A sharp reminder of the plight of this poor country.

Amazing that so many people were crammed on this vessel

Note the sail sewn from scraps and assorted rigging

The last event is the cruiser’s regatta; any sailboat in the harbor is encouraged to race.  

Crewing Different Drummer

 Our man Pete was on the race committee this year, kudos, for a job well done!

Debi & Bruce accepting award from Brooks

Awards, speeches and Bahamian barbecue.

Quite a kick-off to a great year!

New Year Reflections

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

A beautiful day begins in Staniel Cay, Bahamas.  This day which marks the ending of a span of time, a span of life, which we (humans) have somewhat arbitrarily designated in the specific increments, which allow us to measure our activities, our progress… our lives.

 I continue to feel blessed, and try to suppress the feelings of guilt, which often arise at my continued good fortune.  The year 2013 has been a mixed one.  There have been losses and illness.  Most notably, I will forever miss my beloved brother who left us all with so much left to give, and so very much given and received from him.  Paul was the ultimate giver, a provider to all he knew of his talents, abilities and enthusiasm.  His family is greatly enriched for the presence of his generosity in their lives.

Even heartbreak brings fortune, as I found when spending time in the bosom of Paul’s family and welcoming the special and lasting ties that are bound from experiencing shared loss.  

My fabulous parents continue to be an inspiration and a guide to living this life with honor, compassion and acceptance.  Is it the luck of birth, to enter into a loving, supportive and wise family?  My fervent wish, if I could only have one, is that every being be raised with these loving traits, and most of all acceptances of our differences. 

Could we learn then, to get along, and end the animosity, fear and radical reactions of violence?  This year was filled with seemingly random acts of obscene gun violence, including very young and innocent victims.  In the political power plays, and fear of losing perceived power, the gun-restriction debate continues.  What will it take to curb this senseless attack on society?  In 2014, let’s think outside the box, and find a way to support mental illness, and keep the populace safe from easy access to deadly force.

2013 had many joyous personal moments.  Family from both sides gathered at our home for plenty of festive talk and food preparation and sharing.  Weddings were celebrated, and we marveled at births, and growing families.

Friends, both new and old are an immensely important part of our lives, enriching, sharing and giving us love and laughter.  Our cup overflows with the rich and loving relationships we have formed as we continue on our life’s voyage.  Yes, we are extremely thankful to be right here, right now and happily look forward to the year to come.

Bless you all!

Windy Days, or How to Avoid Winter in the Snow

 
Lucky for us, we spent Thanksgiving with some very good friends, and although the strong winds kept some of the guests away, we certainly enjoyed the feast at the sweetest cottage ever on Big Sampson Cay.  Thank you Croc and Connie.

We had some nice weather to take us fishing back up to Hawksbill Cay, but alas, except for one hit, those fish were not taking our lures.  Once inside the Park boundaries, it is a no-take zone so we were quite content to do a drift dive (snorkel) and spy the underwater wonders.  Turtle, several different types of grouper, and many reef fish and pretty corals.

When the wind picked up, there were several very happy kiters, and a windsurfer who made use of the empty and open anchorage.

The arrival of the next front, shifting the wind around west sent us all back to Big Major's behind Staniel Cay.  Surprisingly, the anchorage remains relatively empty.  The sunsets from here are spectacular, and the small beaches allow us to throw together a Happy Hour.

Debi, Kristina and I have been busy in the mornings with various Betty Boot Camp activities.  If anything will get me in shape, these girls will!

When the wind is right, the kiters load up their gear and head out to Sandy Cay for some clean, good wind.

I'll stay back on Independence, for a little quiet time, and time to be productive.

Stormy Weather

Independence, and her cruising pals departed the lovely northern anchorage at Hawksbill Cay a few days ago, in order to find a safe, protected anchorage from the predicted 30+ knot winds, (higher in squalls) headed our way.  The front was to last a few days and clock around southwest and west, before settling back to strong NE winds.  This called for all around protection.

Mattina opted to check in at Compass Cay Marina for a few days, where they would be able to get off the boat with Farley and take some walks.  Independence followed Different Drummer’s lead, anchoring between Rat Cay and the Mice—2 small groups of islands nestled in Pipe’s Creek.  

Due to the narrowness and strong current, this requires deploying 2 anchors, which are strategically at least 90 degrees from the vessel and each other.  Situating the anchors and confirming that they are really “dug” in, with sufficient scope, and anticipation of turning room as the wind shifts, is the beginning of storm preparedness anxiety.

That afternoon the wind began.  Not too bad.  As the evening progressed, and wind picked up, we watched anxiously, as the boat swung on either anchor with tide changes and gusts.  By dinner and early darkness, we decided to watch a DVD to help pass the time.  Of course, the strongest winds always seem to come at night.  Later, lying in bed, with no light, no movie for distraction, the loudness of the wind buffeting our boat and rattling the frame of the bridge enclosure and flapping the canvas became very unnerving.

Paul will state that worrying is my favorite pastime, and he’s not wrong.  Although I don’t enjoy it, I just can’t help myself.  My stomach was knotted like a fist, and I tried to breathe deeply and calmly with great difficulty.  Finally, I spent the night tossing & turning on the salon couch, watching DD’s anchor light swing in and out of view, as waves rushed under our bow and wind howled all around.

By morning, the wind was letting up, and of course the sun puts a whole bright aspect on a new day.  Knowing that your anchor can drag, or your dinghy can snag or break loose, or the boat can slip back onto the jagged iron shore, is just too much to put into my imagination in the dark of the storm.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss. 

Let the fun begin--  kiting, wind-surfing and a birthday beach picnic for Matt is a prescription for making it all better!

Matt living his birthday wish

Paul harnesses the wind

The Mattina's & the Different Drummer's

we liked "Happy Matt" better than "Happy Birthday"

The Exumas

Since we are lucky enough to have a terrific internet connection, this post is heavy on the photos and lighter on the copy.

By the Light of the Moon

By Sunday morning we had all the assurances we needed that wind and seas would settle down to provide a great crossing opportunity to reach not only, Nassau, but be able to continue on to the top of the Exuma chain.

Monday morning, loaded to maximum with every nature of possible provisions, Independence, our 42 foot Grand Banks trawler that is home for six months, headed out Government Cut at Fort Lauderdale heading east.  Almost immediately we encountered a sinister shark circling just off shore.  We left the shark, and a beautiful rainbow behind and set our course direct to North Rock buoy at Bimini Island.

Ft. Lauderdale to Bimini, across banks to New Providence I. (Nassau)

The initial bumpiness of the seas, residue from a week of intense wind and squalls, gradually subsided throughout the day, so that the dreaded crossing of that great river, The Gulf Stream, was benign.

We passed our first waypoint at Bimini at 4pm, having seen not a single other vessel heading our way—quite unusual.  Early sunset means longer cruising at night.  This night was blessed, however, with a spectacular rising, full, orange moon an hour after sunset.  Soon the bright orb was shinning our way through the night waters, and led us to our midnight anchor stop on the banks.

Morning Moon

 

Sunrise on glass water

Sunrise, anchors aweigh, for the third leg of the journey.  We abruptly leave the banks we had traversed all night, and entered into the phenomena, which is the Tongue of the Ocean.  Viewed on a chart, this body of water stretches like a tongue from the turquoise shallows into dark depths- too deep to measure.  Again, luck and weather was with us, and this normally rough body of water was glassy calm, with a light swell.

Arrived Nassau (or in Bahamian, we done reach) at around 3pm.  Tired but ready for tomorrow to Highborn Cay in the northern Exumas!

Gearing back to Independence

OK
Responding to requests for updated posts (do I still remember how to do this?), here's an attempt to catch up.

It is important to acknowledge the significance and fulfillment of our land-based, seasonal existence in our magnificently beautiful and relatively unspoiled North Fork home.  The roots Paul and I have put down here the past close to 40 years have fed a lasting network of wonderful friends, neighbors and colleagues.  Returning to our "real home" is always a rewarding and anticipated reunion.

This past summer we have enjoyed the company of old friends, and played host to family members and friends from afar.  As far as relationships go, "our cup runneth over".  My beloved partner, and truest companion honored me in June with a surprise party hosting a fraction of those amazing friends in one place at one time-- mind numbing!

There were weddings, as far afield as Los Angeles, and short visits to Block Island, Boston, New York and Lenox.  A brilliant summer!

Then, the season of change-- beautiful Autumn in the Northeast, leads us to organizing, packing, closing up house, winterizing, and focusing on maintenance and repairs on our winter home, Independence.

It is difficult to say goodbye to beautiful, mornings like this.

But, then, we arrive to sunsets like this.

So, Independence is once again, in the water at Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart, Florida.  We are well into the provisioning process.  (one day I will remember to photograph the chaos that is the boxes and bags of non-perishables finding their way into every nook and cranny that will hold them).

Our "Cruising Friends", yet another treasure-trove of loving relationships, are all gathering in the general vicinity processing the exact same tasks that we are--  engines tuned & oiled, water-makers checked and primed, hinges, paint, varnish, canvas, any general repair work.  And, of course, provisioning.

So till the next gathering, and update-- hope your Halloween was spooky and sweet!  Boo!