2011 Palm Coast to Miami

Palm Coast, Florida to Key Biscayne, Florida – 11/26/2011 to 12/17/2011:

11/26/2011: Palm Coast to Daytona, FL 27 NM

11/27/2011: Daytona to Coco Beach, FL 56 NM

11/28/2011: Coco Breach to Melborne, FL 18 NM

11/29/2011: Melborne to Vero Beach, FL 30 NM

12/04/2011: Vero Beach to Hobe Sound, FL 41 NM

12/05/2011: Hobe Sound to Lake Worth, FL 15 NM

12/12/2011: Lake Worth to Ft. Lauderdale, FL 47 NM (and 24 bridges)

12/17/2011: Ft. Lauderdale to Key Biscayne, FL 44 NM

12/20/2011: Key Biscayne to Coconut Grove, FL 03 NM

Total Miles To Date: 848 Nautical Miles

“You Are a Risin' For a Fall...”

When I was a little boy and “got too big for my britches.” My Mom would say to me “Boy,.. you are a risin' for a fall....” and that usually meant the “fall” was going to be provided by her or (god forbid) my Dad. It seems we never get too old for our ego to get a little adjustment.

Oconee and I had done real good this year. We made it thru Shallote Inlet and Lockwood Folly in North Carolina without once running aground or even coming close. Tiptoed thru the 15 miles of 7 to 6.5' water around McClellansville, South Carolina, without a hitch. Greased right thru Fields Cut at dead low tide and was spit out like a watermelon seed into Georgia's Savannah River current (and they said that could not be done) and never saw less than 7.5' of water to boot. Oconee and I transited Hell's Gate, Little Mud, and Jekylle Rivers in Georgia at mid-tide with not a problem. We easily put the Amelia River and Matanzas Inlet behind us in Florida with not even a “ooze” into a single mud bank. All the bad spots on the ICW were behind us and not a single grounding. Old Vic was getting' pretty “cocky.” He didn't know it but he had also put all his “risin'” behind him and his “fallin'” was coming up fast.

As we eased into Vero Beach's mooring field things were a mad house at the marina so I “volunteered” to raft to Bob and Penny Kingsbury on “Pretty Penny”, a 50 foot powercat on mooring ball 50 way up toward the end of the mooring field next to a small mangrove island. Oconee motored slowly up the channel next to the western border mangroves, turned thru the field of moored boats and took a course about 20 feet off their sterns parallel to the line of moored boats that “Pretty Penny” was in and ran solidly aground. Oconee backed off the shoal, picked another approach, and turned in for another try. That did not work either but this time I was hard aground in the mooring field and had just become the “cruiser entertainment for the day” as a swarm of dingys off other moored boat came to our rescue. After about 20 minutes Oconee was free again, went back to the channel off the bow of the moored boats and was soon along side “Pretty Penny” safe and sound or so I though – after all my keel was in 7 to 8 feet of water.

Next morning, Oconee's keel was still in 7' of water but her rudder was in 3.5 feet and taking the weight of both “Pretty Penny” and Oconee – not good. Bob and I put our heads together and decided to pass the mooring pennant to Oconee and he would go to another mooring and that would at least take his displacement off Oconee's rudder. As booth Bob and I walked forward and a I took the pennant Oconee slid into deep water. After moving to another mooring and diving the rudder it appears Oconee is OK and has survived another round of abuse under Vic's command.

But my “come-upins” were not yet complete by a long shot – the gods were not finished with old Vic. To jog your memory the ICW rule is “Red marks are on the right side of the boat headed South on the ICW.” The first mark after passing under Vero Beach ICW bridge is “red.” Why I do not know but at the time it seemed perfectly acceptable to take that red mark on the left hand side of Oconee. Wham! Oconee ran straight into a shoal that brought her up all standing. The ground comes up quick around here and Oconee had hit a “wall” of sand. I backed off with another dent in my ego and none in Oconee.

That would have been bad enough but Gigi was on the head at the time. I “de-throned” her in a manner she will never let me forget knocking her completely off the head and landing her in the shower. I am hoping that my “fallin'” is over for the present and I have a little “risin'” in my future. If not, I'm sure Gigi will bring up the “head” incident again....and take over my ego adjustment where the gods left off.

Bridges, More Bridges & Northern Cuba...

The ICW run from Lake Worth to Ft. Lauderdale is a sailboat's nightmare – 47 miles and 20 bridges. There's Flagler Memorial Bridge – opens on the quarter to and quarter after the hour, Royal Park Bridge – on the hour and half hour, Southern Blvd. Bridge on the quarter to and quarter after, Lake Ave. - on demand, Lantana Bridge – on hour and half hour, and blur of 16 more frustrating bridges. You get the picture.

Most bridges open on a timed schedule and a pitiful few open on “demand” (read request). Bridges don't open on “demand” by-the-way. I was taught that many years ago by the bridge tender of the Titusville Bridge while bring a boat North with my good friend Mike Yount. I called the bridge and asked if he “opened on demand?” He courteously replied, “ No captain, I don't open on “demand,” but I do open on “request.”” I replied, “May I have an opening when we get there please” (I was a quick learner in those days). He came back, “Bring it on Captain. I'll have it open when you get here.” To this day I always “request” an opening and never fail to thank the bridge tender after we pass thru...even if he was one of the few true assholes Florida has employed as bridge tenders. Most bridge tenders are quite professional.

There is a bit of skill (and luck) involved with bridges. First, because they are timed you have to time your arrival at the next bridge as close to it's opening time as possible. That means you are constantly adjusting speed to coincide with the next bridge. If you miss your time and are early you have to hold the boat in place and wait while dealing with other boats doing the same thing while all the time the bridge tender keeps reminding us “bring it up close.” It's not like a car pulled up to a stop light. For example: Imagine if you will you stop your car at a light but you keep drifting into the intersection, or the wind decides to turn it sideway, or current keeps you headed straight for the bridge, or the car beside you wants to pass and go thru the light first (he is a faster car), or the brakes don't work and you need to throw the car in reverse to keep it from running the light. ...And you have to remember to “call” the light or it will not turn “green.” If you are late for a bridge that almost guarantees you will miss the next and end up waiting half and hour to an hour for the next opening. And if the bridge for one reason or another does not open, the whole deal is shot to hell and may not get back on schedule. Now add to that the “macho Florida crazies” that have no respect for anyone except themselves and you have a day on the water filled with tension, exasperation, and a touch of anger. Now you beginning to get the picture. Bridges are a bit of an art form with a huge dollop of luck thrown in for good measure.

By the time we reached Middle River in Ft. Lauderdale we were exhausted and strung tighter than a Mark O'Connor string. That run is my least favorite part of the waterway. Gigi put it best, “Think I'll have 3 glasses of wine tonight.”

Key Biscayne:

South Florida is not the United States it is really “Cuba North.” From Ft. Lauderdale South English is a second language as is evidenced by the TV Channels. We don't have cable or satellite TV on Oconee just a simple antenna. In Frenandian we picked up 28 channels – two of which were Spanish speaking. In Ft. Lauderdale we got 36 – half of which were Spanish speaking. In Key Biscayne we get 32 channels – 6 of which speak English and 2 of those are infomercials. Here you can even watch NFL games in Spanish. Spanish language or not, Cubans one-on-one are very nice folk just don't put them behind the wheel of a car or boat. Do that and you better get out of the way or their “macho” butt will run over you.

We are currently anchored off Key Biscayne in company with our friends Jim and Barb Thompson & Missy (their ancient pup) on “Skat.” It looks like there will be little hope of making the Bahamas by Christmas so we will make Christmas here. This year we are lucky we will have our friends Jim, Barb, and Missy to share Christmas dinner with. I wish you and yours a heart warmed by the love of friends and family, good food (of course) and a healthy and fun filled New Year.

Fairwinds and Rum Drinks,

Vic & Gigi

2011 Toms Point, SC to Palm Coast, FL

10/30/2011 Tom's Point Creek to 11/18/2011 – Palm Coast:

11/6/2011 Tom's Point Ck. To Beaufort, SC 40nm

11/7/2011 Beaufort To Herb River, GA 43nm

11/8/2011 Herb River to Wahoo Ck., GA 43nm

11/9/2011 Wahoo Ck to Lanier Island, GA 43nm

11/10/2011 Lanier Island to Fernandina, FL 35nm

11/13/2011 Fernandina to Pine Island, FL 42nm

11/14/2011 Pine Island to Palm Coast, FL 33nm

Total Miles to Date: 565 nautical miles

“Ten Pounds of Sugar in a Five Pound Bag”

When I moved aboard 12 years ago it was not much of a shock to my system. After all, I was moving aboard “Oconee” - a floating palace with copious storage and all the amenities. However, going from 2000 square feet of living space to a home with less space than an average walk-in closet can be a bit of an adjustment especially for a lady (and consequently for me). It was and is an adjustment even for a remarkable lady like Gigi that had already shed most of her worldly possessions to pursue the cruising life and run of with an old “Creek Curmudgeon” like Vic.

One of my all time heros, Dick Bradley, said moving aboard a boat after years as a “dirtdweller” was like tryin' to put “Ten pounds of Sugar in a Five Pound Bag.” There's a lot of truth to that statement especially when one of the ones doing the movin' is a lady.

Men are simple. Take clothes. All my clothes fit in the small hanging locker and a couple of small “stuff-in bins.” Shoes? I got 2 pair of sandals (one lives in Mule just incase I forget to put on my good pair before leaving the boat for shore) and one pair of real leather shoes (worn 3 times in the past 5 years – should leave them in the boot of the car shouldn't I?). Sox ? I got 2 pair just incase my feet get cold going down the waterway in the fall – one to wear one to wash. Two that is, if you don't count the 30 odd sox I use to keep my rum bottles from “bruising.” In truth I could get rid of half what I got and still have plenty of clothes. We want talk about “undies” - who needs 'em anyway.

Gigi on the other hand, like any good “Admiral,” has the large hanging locker with extra shelves in back, 2 drawers, and miscellaneous hidy-holes for her stuff. Truth be known, she could and would fill 3 times the locker space if she had it. But then clothes are as necessary for a lady as tools are for a man (I'll admit to having way too many...but I ain't getting rid of any either).

Shower stuff is another deal. Me? I got soap, a scrubby, and a towel. No shampoo you might ask? Nope, I figure if it's good enough to wash my ass it's good enough to wash my head. You could lift my shower bag with one finger. Gigi on the other hand, has a black bag full of stuff that must weigh 10 pounds that she lugs to the shower each and every time. What's in it and what its contents are used for are a mystery to me as I'm sure it would be to most men. But it does keep her clean and seems to keep her quite beautiful...at least in my eyes.

Then there is spare parts, food, toilet paper (lots and lots), rum (a must), beer (beer is $50 a case in the Bahamas), TV, movies, CDs, computers, paper, books (every nook and cranny has a book or two), and a bunch of stuff we just could not do without but have little if any use other than emotional and physical “comfort.”

Get the picture? Oconee is full to the brim but not just full of stuff. She is as full of life and living as she is of ships stores. Cruisers tend to fill that “five pound bag” to the bursting point with ten pounds of experiences. The next bend in the river, the next anchorage, the next destination brings new friends and unexpected living. All you gotta' do is jump in with both feet and hang on.

Just this year we have picked persimmons and made jam with Matt and Diane Zender. Been visited by pods of dolphin that seem to love to swim with Oconee ever single day. Why I don't know but this year seems to be the year of the dolphin. Seen a real 50 foot tugboat named “Timothy Too” outfitted like “Little Toot” of children's book fame complete with orange ball-cap and moveable eyes built by some crazy mariner from Nova Scotia. But then I'm being redundant, all us cruisers are just a little above “abby-normal.” But then, “Normalcy is in the eye of the beer holder,”as I like to say and way over rated.

One more thing that 5 pound bag is full of and it may be the best thing in the bag – a renewed faith in people, their simple kindness, and humanity. Because we have little in the way of transportation, other than our “feet” and a good dingy, we have to rely on the kindness and generosity of friends and perfect strangers. Everywhere we go people are willing to help us find a way out of the mess we have got ourselves into or just to the store for more beer. Our friends, Matt and Diane Zender, loaned us their dock on Toms Point Creek, ferried us everywhere, and allowed us to stay while GG when back to Raleigh for a pre-oral surgery checkup. Debbie at Palm Coast Marina found a way to get us into an already full marina so GG could return to Raleigh for her surgery. Tom & Olga Cook and Steve and Aggie Knox have taken me everywhere without the first complaint. Buck & Vicki Dawkins and Muril & Mike Doster have taken Gigi under their wing and taken care of her while she is in Raleigh for surgery. And around the next bend, someone else will step up to the plate and save our sorry ass...again.

In truth I think it gives people joy to help their fellow human beings (I know it does me). It takes a while to get used to the ideal that by letting folk help you we actually help them. Once you learn that lesson that “five pound bag” fills up fast.

Yep. Us cruisers are lucky folk we get “10 pounds of sugar in a 5 pound bag” anyway you cut it. ….And to boot, we have a sunrise with our coffee and a sunset with our “toddy” almost everyday. Man, that's living.

Fairwinds & Rum Drinks,

Vic & Gigi

PS – Gigi is recovering nicely and should be back aboard just before Thanksgiving.

Cedar Creek to Dewees Creek: 2011

Cedar Ck to Dewees Ck, South Carolina: 10/20-27/2011

10/20/2011 Cedar Ck. To Morehead City Yacht Basin: 16nm

10/21/2011 Morehead City to Mile Hammock's Bay: 37nm

10/22/2011 Mile Hammock's Bay to Wrightsville Beach: 35nm

10/24/2011 Wrightsville Beach to Southport Marina: 23nm

10/25/2011 Southport Marina to Barefoot Landing, SC: 39nm

10/26/2011 Barefoot Landing to Butler Island, Waccamaw River: 38nm

10/27/2011 Butler Island to Dewees / Long Ck: 52nm

Total Miles To Date: 248nm

Things that Go “Bump,” Skinny Water,” and Nature's Beauty....

With the rising sun, the tide began to spill over into the marsh bring life giving water to the shallow ponds of the interior. The sun meant warmth to the caldrons of life within the marsh. The sun's first rays also meant “beauty” as she painted the marsh with her colors of reds, magentas and golds. Fishermen glided thru the marsh in waders in pursuit of “red fish” as their fellow anglers enjoyed their pursuit by boat. A barge came to a complete stop in the ICW and a six pronged buck bounded up the bank and sprang thru the shallows with falls of water streaming off his hoofs. Flocks of white ibis etched against the green of the marsh settled into the dark treed islands. Trees that now sparkled like peaceful Christmas trees with “white ornaments” as the ibis settled in for a roost before returning to forage on the turn of the tide. This is a place of peace. A place for quite reflection. My place – Dewees's Creek.

We are anchored in Long Creek actually, a small tidal creek off Dewees Creek, within 15 miles of downtown Charleston. Yet it feels like a you are in complete isolation from the hustle and bustle of modern life. This is perhaps our favorite anchorage on the whole ICW and Oconee can not pass it by without at least one night here. Our plans are to stay a couple of days before moving on to Tom's Point Creek for a visit with Diane & Matt Zender, the people that sold me Oconee 14 years ago. But I guess I've gotten a little ahead of myself....

Things that go “bump” - 10/20/2011

Let's just say the trip did not have a auspicious beginning. We left Cedar Creek with the intention (and reservation at Caspers) to make Swansboro. The wind was blowing, but it was supposed to back down by late morning...it didn't. We stuck our nose out into the turning basin in Morehead City, it was blowing 25 with gusts to 30, and we were taking water over the bow. We gave Morehead City Yacht Basin a call, they had room, and we turned back. Life is good.

I made the turn into our assigned slip with 25 knots of wind behind me, hit reverse to slow the old girl down, and had her on a good line for the slip. But, I forgot one thing... that damn dingy. Mule caught the piling, turned Oconee into the floating dock with a bang, a bump, and a bit of a screech. My pretty top sides now had new “beauty marks.” Luckily Mule came off without a scratch. My ego however, was not so “unscathed.” Well I got my “screw-ups” out of the way early...I hope.

The rest of the trip down the ICW thus far has been pretty much without instance. We spent a couple of days in Wrightsville Beach - collected our Robert's Grocery chicken salad and visited with Jim McNeil and his daughter, Samantha. Then moved on down the Cape Fear to Southport on a glorious day. Then down what we consider the worst part of the waterway (or so we thought) to Barefoot Landing the next day. Lockwoods Folly Inlet and Shallotte Inlet are always shifting and shallow. Not this time we went thru at an hour before low tide and found plenty of water. Just before Barefoot landing is a section of the ICW known as the “rock pile.” It is narrow and cut out of rock. There are some sections where 2 large vessel can not pass. If you are a prudent mariner (and we are), you announce that you are entertaining the “rock pile” on the VHF radio and give other boats a chance to let you know if they have some “concerns” before you are committed. Oconee is always glad to get out of there.

From Myrtle Beach south to the Georgia line, is arguably one of the most beautiful and varied section of the water on the ICW.. and my favorite. The Waccamaw River is old, meandering, deep, tea colored and beautiful in her fall plumage. She is surrounded by cypress swamps, tall aging tupolo poplar, and water plants and wild flowers of all kinds. Navigation is easy and there are plenty of anchorages – all beautiful. It is 30 miles of welcome relief from the stress of the rest of the ICW. The Waccamaw's gift is stress free time, time to enjoy her beauty. We anchored behind Butler Island and were gifted with a fall sunset, set to the harmony of the red glow of a cypress island, the song of the redwing blackbird in the marsh, and rum to close the day.

Skinny Water – The “Low Country”

Out of the Waccamaw you enter Winyah Bay – a wide open body of water that is a commercial route to the open Atlantic. Ten miles down the Bay you take a hard right and enter the “Low Country” of South Carolina. The ICW here is as different as different can be from the Waccamaw. Oconee wound her way across tidal creeks and rivers with salt marsh as far as the eye can see on either side. I've never understood the currents here. We were pushing current all the way to the turn and I just knew we would have it “sucking” us when we left Winyah Bay...NOT. At the junction of every river or inlet I would say to G, “well we will get a little help from the current now.” But we didn't. And G would say, “Well I'll trade deep water for speed any day” (at the moment we were running in 15 feet of water). At McClellanville everything changed. We got speed and no water..and it was not low tide. Oconee ran in 7 to 9 feet with us “lookin' water” for the next 20 miles all the way to Whiteside Creek. The tide had another 1.5 to 2 foot to drop. I don't think Oconee could go thru there at low water.

We can live with the stress and constant fear of running aground because it is so beautiful and full of wildlife in the “Low Country.” There is no telling what you will see around the next bend. We have encountered bobcat, bald eagle, alligator, deer (both in marsh and swimming the ICW), and flocks of an almost infinite variety of water bird. I think my favorites are the little “kingfisher” with their outsized heads jealously guarding their section of the waterway and the “great blue herons” almost motionless in their fishing the reeds that line the banks.

Eight miles out of Charleston Harbor is Dewees Creek and that brings us back to the ending.

Fairwinds and Rum Drinks,

Vic & Gigi

PS – New photos have been posted after much pain and suffering – my computer programs are giving me fits.

...of Batteries, Babes, & Passing Shipmates - 10/19/2011

...of Batteries, Babes, & Passing Shipmates - 10/19/2011

10/18/2011 Matthews Point Marina, Clubfoot Creek to Cedar Creek, NC: 9.3nm

Total for Voyage: 9.3nm

The morning broke bright, clear, warm, & (more importantly) with enough water in the creek for Oconee to get out of her slip. The old girl plowed her way to deep water, eased out into the Neuse River, we set the jib to 5 knots of wind, and breathed a sigh of relief – a perfect way to start this year's voyage. As Oconee drifted down river at a reflective 2 knots I join her reflection. My mind drifts back to the not so leisurely events of summer.

First, it was time to clean the winter grunge off Oconee, then design a new battery box and install new batteries, become a Grand Father (Malo Dillard Copelan was born to Noel and Celine in mid June), totally rebuild the steering system (referred to by me as the job from hell), visit shipmates Mac & Shirley McVean in Hollywood, FL (Miss Shirley was fighting cancer with a will beyond what most of us can imagine), install a new GPS and depth sounder, visit my new Grand Son in Iowa and hold him in my arms for the first time and heart forever, again fly to visit Mac & Miss Shirley, continue lavishing lots of effort on Oconee fixin' the things she broke in “spite” for leaving her behind last winter (and it was a significant list), and in my spare time get back together with Gigi and visit with her new grand babies (Triplets no less). Throw in a visit along the way with friend, doctors appointments, and life in general and brother you got a full summer of memories and “a pot stirred fully” with little room for much else.

Then there was Irene. For those of you that have heard all there is to hear about how bad she treated the northern states, Irene was probably the worst Eastern NC has seen and an untold story. There were homes around the Pamlico that were just plain gone, washed away, nothing left. My friend Mike Yount had water in his home and is doing his 3^rd rebuild....and he lost his beloved Moonraker – washed off her stands in Capt. Sam's Boat Yard and totaled by the insurance company. The docks at Matthews Point took significant damage for the first time. Thanks to the super human effort of Jet Matthews, the owner, they were back in one piece and ready for boats within 2 weeks. He, his dockmaster Paul, the construction crews, and volunteer efforts from friends did an amazing job. If Irene was a cat. 1 (and most believer she was not) then god help us if a Cat. 3 ever hit us.

In August our Shipmate Shirley Mac Vean gave up her fight for life. She was at peace for the first time in 2 years. Mac, here's to you old friend. No one could have done a braver, more loving job of caring for your lady. You folk that are reading this join Gigi and I in a toast to “Shipmates Past” - we all have them and miss them. Miss Shirley will remain in our heart forever.

It is funny. Up and down the water way the people we meet that are “dirt dwellers” always ask the same questions when they learn we live on a boat and are headed South. High on that list is, “How long does it take you?” My stock answer is, “about 2 months.” However, the real answer is, once the dock lines have been taken in and Oconee is free, we are already “there.”

Fairwind & Rum Drinks,

Vic & Gigi

PS – Those of you that want a good Miss Shirley story go back and read the blog on “Bitch Wings.” Yep. She was “that” Miss Shirley.

Now for Something Different...

Now For Something Different....

January 31, 2011

Nassau to Sampson Cay – 2011

1/11/2011: Nassau to Alan's Cays – 30nm

1/12/2011: Alan's Cays to Emerald Rock (Wardwick Wells) – 31nm

1/15/2011: Emerald Rock to Sampson Cay – 17nm

1/24/2011: Sampson Cay to Staniel Cay – 4nm

1/25/2011: Staniel Cay to Big Major Spot – 1nm

1/26/2011: Big Major Spot to Cambridge Cay – 15nn

1/29/2011: Cambridge Cay to Sampson Cay – 13nm

Total Miles To Date: 1095nm

We made landfall in my beloved Exumas at 2:00 PM on the 11^th of January and dropped the hook just off Alan's Cays (actually 3 small Cays). I was home. The Exumas, their varied Cays, and their people make up (to me at least) one of the best places to cruise on this old earth.

The Exuma chain of Islands run like a string of conch pearls roughly North / South. With prevailing winds out of the East anchoring is simple – just snuggle up to the West side of a Cay and drop the hook. That leaves you with and nothing but the horizon between you and some of the most beautiful sunsets this old boy has ever seen. Every sunset and every sunrise is unique to the point it will take your breath away. While at Sampson we have seen 2 “green flashes” (yes they do exist – see photos), a double rainbow over “Gigi's Island” and more beautiful sunsets than you can imagine.

The people...Oh the people. Sampson Cay, Staniel Cay, Compass Cay, Black Point Settlement folk remind me of the “Old South.” You are welcomed like the prodigal son when they see you coming. Genuine smiles of kinship and, “I knew you come back Mon” or “I make chicken souse for you tomorrow for breakfast Mon.” I feel at home here as much as I do in North Carolina.

Then there is the peace of dawn over the Cays and what the morning light does to the clouds.... Which brings me to the “something different.” I decided

to take a shot a poetry. Like it or no here it is.

Caribbean Dawn

The sun clears the cay

and paints the new day

with brilliant reds, yellows,

and splashes of blue.

As clouds come ablaze with the

hues of morning gray-green

water stirs to life

with gifts of the sun.

The sun climbs the sky and

the waters of the banks shoulder

off their muted night cloak of gray.

Slowly at first a hint of green lights

the waters that yield to vivid transparent aqua.

The dark blue, emerald rimed,

waters of the deep shout,

“You are safe here..Safe Here!”

The yellow-green of the skinny

water bathes the sight. Navigable

only by skiff, offering conch,

shelling, and other hidden treasures.

The midnight black of the coral shows

her heads so clear. “Don't tread on me,”

she says but adds, “Life here, Life here.”

Clouds shield sun's light

and lie water's faithful colors

hiding waters true nature

from the sailor sight.

Stay the course but be aware.

Magenta, gold, and bluebonnet clouds,

Coffee.. reflective coffee, and another

Caribbean dawn greets the Soul.

We are off tomorrow to deliver our school books to the All Age School at Black Point Settlement (and have pizza and visit friends). I expect Gigi will “have to” get a “do” at Ida's Laundromat and BeautyParlor before she will let us leave. Until next time.

Fairwinds and Rum Drinks,

Vic Copelan

PS – Then there was this one party at Sampson Cay Club for “absent shipmate” Shirley & Mac....

Ft.Lauderdale to Nassau - 1/5-6/2011

The Crossing - Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau: 1/5-6/2011

• 1/5-6/2011 Middle River Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau - 169 nm / 28 hours.
  

Total Miles to Date: 981

We are in Nassau and will move over to the Exumas probably on Tuesday 11, 2011 after a mostly easy crossing. I say "mostly" because the first 6 hours were like being in a washing machine (take a look at the series of photos in the web photos album). The rest of the trip was drop dead beautiful. The banks were calm, the "Tongue of the Ocean" gave us a little sail with flat seas and we were in and tied up by 3:00 PM at Nassau Harbor Club.

Fairwinds and Rum Drinks,

Vic