Great Stirrup Cay to Vero Beach, FL

April 25, 2020 to April 30, 2020

As we left Great Stirrup Cay Harbour we noticed eight cruise ships anchored on the North side of the cay.  I was wondering where all the cruise ships would be stored during the pandemic.  Four from Norwegian Cruise lines and four from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines were here in the Berry Islands.

Eight cruise ships were anchored
off of Great Stirrup Cay.

Since we left our anchorage at noon on Saturday we were expecting to get to Ft. Pierce between 7:00 am and noon on Sunday.  However, the weather gods fooled us again.  Not only were the winds stronger and the seas higher than expected we apparently had something on the propeller that was keeping our boat speed between four and five knots even with the jib out.  This is considerably slower than we had planned on.  The speed was so troubling that Bob encouraged me to go below the boat and check for grass around the propeller shaft.  At first I refused  (it was pitch dark), but once I thought about it I realized it was the only solution to our speed problem.  I donned my bathing suit and snorkel mask and got into the pitch black water.  I felt around the prop with my feet and found the grass.  After rigging a rope around the prop to guide me down to the problem I went below the boat and wrenched the grass free.  It was definitely a scary swim.  Unfortunately, removing the grass didn’t help our boat speed much. Finally, about 40 miles out of Ft. Pierce the boat speed picked up.  Something must have jarred whatever else was on the prop loose.  With all of these issues going on we didn’t get to Ft. Pierce until after 5:00 pm.  We were able to get fuel and ice (oh, by the way, our fridge stopped working again) and were eating dinner in our anchorage by 7:00pm.  Bob and I have totally sworn off nighttime passages.  

We slept like logs and awoke to a cool day (high was 72).  We weighed anchor and caught the 9:30 opening of the North Ft. Pierce Bridge.  We had a short trip to Vero Beach where we were in our slip by noon.  I went to get the rental car and stopped at the Burger King drive through on the way back to the boat to pick up our lunch.  Impossible burgers never tasted so good.  That afternoon we did some grocery shopping and stopped at the liquor store to provision.  The Bahamas did not consider liquor stores as essential businesses so we had gone through most of the wine, beer and liquor aboard in our two months of sheltering in place.  We were happy to see almost everyone here wearing face masks and gloves and practicing social distancing in the grocery store.  We will have to make one more grocery run before leaving Vero Beach.  

After being so isolated for two months, it is unnerving to be in a town with so many people. We actually hadn’t left our marina on Great Exuma for two months.

On Tuesday the refrigeration guy came in the afternoon, fixed some freon leaks, evacuated all of the freon, and refilled the fridge with freon.  Thank goodness, again it was an easy fix.  Next step was cleaning out the bottom of the fridge (remember the mayo jar that came open in the bottom of the fridge).  After reloading all of the food the fridge continued to cool down properly.  

Wednesday I did laundry and helped Bob with some jobs around the boat.  I finally got to take a nice long walk, too. I walked to the beach and observed several groups of people on the beach.  They were staying at least six feet away from each other ( the groups that is), but I still don’t think it is wise to have the beaches open just yet.

Thursday, we provisioned for the ten days we will be anchoring out so as to avoid going ashore as much as possible.  Our next provisioning stop will be in Beaufort, SC. 

Stay safe and well.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Marina at Emerald Bay to Stirrup Cay

April 19, 2020 - April 23, 2020

We got up at 6:00 am on Sunday hoping to get out of the marina by 7:30.  After final showers, we readied the boat for taking off.  One glitch in our plans was that we weren’t able to get the ice we needed for the trip until 7:45 am.  One of the dock hands helped us push off at 8:00 am.  It was a long hot day.  The wind was behind us and at approximately the same speed as we were motoring.  Consequently, no refreshing breeze.  In the afternoon Lola started panting regularly which worried me, but she seemed to be okay.  We anchored off Big Major Spot Cay (remember the pigs)  at 4:00 pm.  Bob grilled some red snapper we had gotten in our grocery order and with sides of peas and rice and cole slaw it was a perfect Bahamian meal.

Rocky islands line the channel
through Galliot Cut which takes
us from the Exuma Sound to the
more protected Exuma Bank.

On Monday we hauled anchor at 7:00 am. Not being allowed to get off the boat at any stop and only being permitted to stop at designated marinas to re-fuel on weekdays made us anxious to get back to the US.  Our schedule gets us to a refueling stop it Port Lucaya on Thursday night just in time to refuel the next morning.  Obviously we can’t take the trip slow and easy.  The wind was stronger than predicted which gave us a cooling breeze but also big swells that rocked the boat uncomfortably.  Occasionally, there were seven foot swells. When in the trough all you saw was water and on the crest all you saw was sky. It was a little unnerving to say the least.  We made it to our anchorage off Highbourne Cay at 2:00 pm. While anchoring My hand accidentally got caught in the chain stop and I suffered a big scrape on my left index finger that bled profusely.  We finally got the injury under control with lots of gauze and bandage tape.  Hope it heals well.

On Tuesday the weather was much calmer by mid-morning. The winds were light but still provided us with a cool breeze.  Our destination was Rose island which is just east of Nassau.  We were avoiding traveling through Nassau Harbor because that is where all of the Coronavirus cases have been diagnosed.  We anchored at 4:00 pm in a lovely deserted anchorage and spent a restful night.

We left our anchorage early on Wednesday, around 7:00 am. We made it past the small islands around New Providence headed to the Berries which ( according to our auto pilot) was eight+ hours away.  The countdown to anchoring dragged on and on as we took our one hour shifts at the helm.  We reached Great Stirrup Cay at 4:00 pm and anchored in a sandy patch amongst the sea grass.  We experienced significant boat motion all night, but still got some sleep. 

The sunrise as we prepared to leave our
anchorage at Rose Island was spectacular!

We passed the huge Atlantis Resort on Paradise
Island just across Nassau Harbour.  This is a
totally different side of the Bahamas than 
 we experience in the out islands.

In the morning Bob and I discussed our options for travel.  He was concerned that if we continued as scheduled we would find a rage condition in the seas around the entrance to Port Lucaya since the winds would increase as the day continued.  We decided to move the boat to a more protected area and remain in the Stirrup Cay Harbour until noon on Saturday and then make an overnight passage across the Gulf stream to Fort Pierce, FL. So we have a couple of days without traveling. The islands near our anchorage are used by different cruise lines for passenger excursions.  On one island I can see what looks like elaborate play equipment.  On the bigger island there are buildings that may be kitchens to provide a beach buffet. 

In the afternoon we transferred all of the diesel fuel in the jerry jugs to our auxiliary tank in preparation for our 24 hour journey starting Saturday at noon.   

Hopefully, my next blog will be posted from Vero Beach, FL.

Stay safe and healthy!

Thank you for reading my blog.

The Marina at Emerald Bay, part ten

April 12, 2020 - April 17, 2020

Easter Sunday started out as usual, Bahamian coconut bread French toast for breakfast and my morning walk.  We decided to have lobster tails (from last weeks grocery order) for lunch and we thought peas and rice would make a delicious side dish.  We had been sent two cans of pigeon peas accidentally in one of our grocery orders.  I looked up a recipe for Bahamian peas and rice and got to work right after my walk. I’m glad I started early because as it was we didn’t have lunch until 2:00 pm. Although it seemed like it would be simple to make there were many ingredients and several steps to preparing the dish.  First, I minced a small onion and bell pepper and sauteed them along with a small piece of ham which I chopped up.  Next, I added tomato paste, chopped tomato, thyme, salt, pepper, water and pigeon peas.  This I simmered for an hour.  I added the rice just before I started to boil the water for the lobster tails.  I was nervous about how the peas and rice would  turn out, but they were delicious.  Of course, the recipe made enough to feed an army so we will have a ready made side dish for many meals to come! 

We had been noticing an abundance of marine growth on the rudder.  On Monday after my walk I put on my bathing suit in preparation for cleaning the rudder.  It was Bob’s idea that I sit on the lowest rung of the swim ladder and scrub the rudder with the long handled brush.  Once I got the hang of it the marine growth came off easily.  We supposed that the boat bottom was covered with the same type of growth (this happens when we sit in a marina for two months).  Since the growth was easy to get off the rudder we are hoping that the growth on the bottom will come off easily once we are under way again.  Since I was already in the water, and enjoying myself, I brushed the growth off of the water line, too.

The water was a perfect temperature.
I hadn't been in the water for over a month.

The weather has been getting hotter and Wednesday morning was no exception. If it weren’t for a breeze we would be sweltering outside.  On my walk I always take note of the sea state, which depends on the direction and the force of the wind.  Some days the waves roll gently into shore, but today they were crashing onto the sand and the rocks making a delightful sound. Even though the sea seemed a bit angry the sound of the waves never ceases to calm my spirit. That afternoon the grocery truck got to the marina early (1:30).  I was walking back to the boat from taking a shower when it pulled in.

Even though we order our food and pay for it I still
feel like a refugee getting my food out of the back of a truck. 

New restrictions came from the government on Wednesday, also.  Foreign boats were encouraged to leave, but would not be allowed to stop anywhere and go ashore on their trip home. Certain marinas where designated as refueling stops during passage through the Bahamas.  We still hoped to stay at the marina until mid May and Bob emailed a request to extend our stay.  However, that evening we talked about the possible outcomes of the situation and decided to prepare for departure on Sunday, April, 19, even though we were still anxious about the covid-19 situation in the US. Our major concern was that restrictions would continue to get stricter and if the Marina was required to close we would have to leave on short notice.  Plus, hurricane season is quickly approaching. We will miss the clear water, our resident nurse sharks, sea turtle, sergeant majors, friendly marina staff, and the relaxed atmosphere of the Bahamas.

On Thursday we started preparing to depart.  I inventoried all of our food stuff and assured Bob that we had plenty of food to get back to the US.  Bob started plotting our route and determined that it would take us seven days to get through the Bahamas, cross the Gulf Stream, and anchor in Fort Pierce, FL. Of course we would stop each night and anchor away from shore.  We converted two gasoline jerry jugs to diesel jugs and filled them, giving us enough fuel on board to make it to Port Lucuya for refueling.  We will try to sail as much as possible, but we had to make provision just in case we had to motor the whole way.  

On Friday, I washed and polished the windows of the enclosure, filled the sun shower, cleaned and reapplied bug repellent to all of our hatch screens, and made two pizzas (one will be for lunch on our first day out). I finally found an easy way to make face masks without sewing (thanks Nancy).  Saturday, will be taken up with final preparations.

My next blog will be when we are on our trip back home.  Stay safe and well!

Thank you for reading my blog

The Marina at Emerald Bay, part nine

April 3, 2020 - April 11, 2020

Our daily routine here in Emerald Bay Marina has been to get up between 7:30 and 8:00 AM. We each have a cup of tea or a cup of coffee—I almost always have two cups of coffee. While Bob is drinking his tea, he reads the news (from 3 or 4 different sources) on his iPad. I play games (designed to keep my mind sharp) on my iPhone. Then we have breakfast onboard which varies daily between French toast, whole wheat pancakes, eggs, oatmeal, and cereal. At this point, I usually take a walk around the marina property (maybe 45 minutes) while Bob works on the day’s blogpost. Around noon or a bit later we have lunch onboard, our primary meal for the day—what we have for lunch varies widely too. We’ve been searching online for new recipes. After lunch, we usually go up to the marina lounge where we can use their free WiFi—we spend a couple hours there each day. We generally take showers every other day, usually in the afternoons. We typically start our Happy Hour at 4 PM with some light snacks (carrot sticks, pieces of cheese, crackers, or popcorn) to accompany our (alcoholic) beverages. When the sun goes down, Bob usually goes to bed (and reads for a while in bed). I sit on the port settee for a couple more hours and do jigsaw puzzles on my iPad or read my current kindle book. Once a week we have been getting groceries delivered.  The day varies according to when the fresh produce boat arrives in George Town.

The best part of my day is my walk for the following reasons:

• It builds my stamina. 
• I get off the boat.
• It prevents victim D deficiency.
• The sound of the waves feeds my soul.
• I have alone time to pray for the safety and health of my family.
• I can appreciate the turquoise water of the ocean and the emerald water of the marina.
• I get to observe wildlife. 
• The physical exertion helps me sleep better.

The sound of the waves each
 morning calms me.

I can't walk along the golf course
anymore, but it is beautiful.

The color of the water is
always so beautiful.

This might be the best beach picture
I have ever captured.

The restrictions on movement in the Bahamas have been extended until after the Easter Holiday weekend with a further rule requiring everyone to wear masks when they leave their residence. Fortunately, the marina grounds are considered part of my residence so I still have the freedom to walk everyday. I have also started to wear gloves when I pick up our groceries and sanitize everything before bringing items onto the boat.  I am taking this extra precaution because all provisions come through Nassau where the outbreak of the virus occurred.

Thank you for reading my blog.

The Marina at Emerald Bay, part eight

March 29,2020 - April 2, 2020

The restrictions due to the coronavirus  have been extended to April 8 here in the Bahamas, which I think is a good thing.  There are still only four confirmed cases, but there are ten people in a quarantine facility.  All of these cases are more than 100 miles away from us and, thankfully, all of the people at the marina are taking the restrictions seriously.  We will get our second grocery order delivered today from Exuma markets.  We are thankful we can still enjoy cooking and eating good meals.  

The truck arrived around 4:30 pm with everyones
grocery orders packed in large blue storage containers.

I have always been excited about seeing marine animals in the wild, but it has become an even more exciting event when I encounter a sea turtle swimming in the marina on my daily walks. Many reef fish live in the marina as well.  It seems that the concrete supports for some of the piers have started to grow coral and it has attracted sergeant majors, yellow tail snappers, spotted grouper, and we have a resident nurse shark. A couple of days ago we had a green heron land on the boat for a short visit. I miss swimming and I may even start cleaning the bottom of the boat just to have an excuse to get into the water.  

Some pictures I captured this week:

I found pink coral growing on the cement pier.

I often see this sea turtle in the
marina on my morning walk.

Our resident nurse shark

Sea gulls are not a common sight in the Bahamas.
A small flock has decided to live at the marina.

The greens of the golf course I walk by
each morning have to stay green.

One of the villas next to the golf course has
a very unique pool that encircles an island.

This view of the above pool shows the
lounge chairs that are sitting in a
shallow pool of water presumably
to keep the sun bathers cool.
That's the guest house in the background.

It is such a blessing to hear the
ocean on my morning walk.

Some flowers along my path.

m/y Entourage is the largest vessel
in the marina. I think it is 150 feet long.

Than you for reading my blog.