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Tropic of Cancer

Log: 3441

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Location: Stella Maris Marina, Long island, Bahamas

Total Trip Distance: 802 Nautical Miles

We talk about the sun “moving” but we all know that it’s apparent daily “movement” across the sky is caused by the rotation of the earth while it’s apparent annual movement north and south is caused by the tilted earth’s orbit around it. Anyway, by this common usage, the furthest north that the sun gets in our summer is called the Tropic of Cancer while the furthest south that it travels in our winter is called the Tropic of Capricorn. Technically, the location of the Tropic of Cancer varies slightly each year. However, it is commonly agreed that latitude 23 degrees, 27 minutes north is called the Tropic of Cancer.

In about a month, around March 21, the sun will cross the equator on it’s trip north. This is called the Vernal Equinox and is commonly considered the first day of spring. Three months later, the sun will reach the Tropic of Cancer on around June 21, the summer solstice, commonly called the first day of summer.

Yesterday, the Lovely Laura Lee and I crossed the Tropic of Cancer. I think the name has to do with astronomy rather than what the sun here does to your skin. There is some kind of homage that should be paid to Neptune on such ocassions but we are not sure what it is. Our failure to salute the gods would prove to be a serious omission. Anyway, briefly today, we were in “The Tropics”.

The last few days have been mostly delightful, with a few harrowing moments thrown in for good measure. We had a great time with Bonefish Bob and the Dahling Ashley. After our bonefishing expedition Saturday, we mostly hung around at Emerald Bay enjoying the amenities of the Four Seasons Resort there. We tried to set out one day for an excursion to Volleyball Beach for lunch at the Chat-N-Chill, but the seas were rough and we returned to Emerald Bay. Bonefish Bob briefly became Bouncing Bonefish Bob as he made a heroic leap from boat to dock in an effort to get us tied off in high winds. Other than a skinned knee, we believe he will recover. I had him sign a waiver of liability before he left as he is a noted litigator.

After our guests departed Tuesday, the Lovely Laura Lee and I took off Wednesday for another try at Georgetown. This time, we went to a far less-populated anchorage called Red Shanks, a little further from town but protected from wind on all sides. Compared to the two or three hundred boats anchored along Stocking Island, we found only two sailboats in the Red Shanks area. Red Shanks is home of the tongue-in-cheek Red Shanks yacht and Tennis Club and is known for a degree of eccentricity. Sure enough, as we rounded the corner into the anchorage, we found a man walking around the deck of his sailboat “au naturale”. Didn’t bother us in the least. In fact, we returned the favor by bathing off the back of the boat that afternoon.

We took the dingy into Georgetown Wednesday afternoon for some supplies, had a drink at the Peace and Plenty Hotel bar, and ordered some lobster tails from the beauty shop in town (where else?). After grilling chicken on the boat, we were treated to a total eclipse of the moon starting around 8:30 pm. When the moon was totally obscured at about 9:30, the stars were magnificent in the dark sky. Yesterday, after a quick run into town to pick up the lobster tails, we set out for Long Island on a sparkling southern route across the banks, keeping us from the rough seas in the open Exuma Sound.

The trip across was incredibly beautiful and we were headed for a great-sounding marina which we had read about near the Simms community, right on the Tropic of Cancer. Alas, perhaps because we had not followed proper ceremony crossing the Tropic, we were destined for one of those strange Bahamas “parallel universe” experiences.

The ad in our cruising guide for Alligator Bay Marina Village is a full-page spread with pictures of docks, sport-fishing boats, beautiful condominiums, etc. It promises a 50–slip “Mediterranean Style” marina 25 miles southeast of Georgetown on Long Island. It says it will accommodate yachts to 120 feet with a 13–foot draft. Amenities include a gourmet provision shop, dockside bar and grill, gourmet dining at “Yuma”, rental cars, wireless internet, and concierge services. Beyond the marina, there are dockside residence suites and one and two-bedroom villas, fully-furnished for rent or sale with prices starting at $395,000. The marina listing in the guide backs this up with details about the facilities.

It sounded too good to be true, and it was. We are used to marinas falling short of expectations but this one simply doesn’t exist at all. There is a natural little harbor and a few construction shacks. We found out later that some work had been done there but that it had simply stopped. Classic Bahamas. In fact, there are half-finished houses and other projects throughout the Bahamas. We are told that people cannot get mortgages so they simply work on a house when they have money, and then stop until they can afford it again. The good news is that there is no sub-prime mortgage crisis here.

With it nearing dark, Alligator Bay not existing, the wind picking up, and no good anchorage in sight, we headed a few miles north to the Stella Maris Marina, one of our least-favorite places. We had been assured that we could get in the channel with our six-foot draft at half tide or better, but that was not the case. After bumping the sand and anchoring several times to wait, we finally literally dragged the boat across the sand to get in by 9 pm, just a half-hour before high tide. We shall read up on how to properly invoke the good wishes of Neptune before we cross the Tropic of Cancer again.

We are laying over at Stella Maris tonight and will have dinner at the beautiful Stella Maris Resort. Tomorrow, at high tide, we will dash back to Emerald Bay to receive our friend Loti Woods who flies in tomorrow night.

Bonefish Bob and the Darling Ashley

Log: 3375

Emerald Bay Marina, Great Exuma Island, Bahamas

Sunday, February 17, 2008

When last I wrote here, we were being buffeted by high winds and seas at Volleyball Beach near Georgetown. Wednesday, we retreated to Emerald Bay Marina to celebrate Valentine’s Day, clean up the boat, and await our friends Bob and Ashley Spotswood from Birmingham.

We spent Thursday and Friday cleaning and provisioning, had an elegant Valentine dinner Thursday night at the Four Seasons Resort, and met the Spotswood’s upon their arrival Friday evening. Darling Ashley arrived nursing a cold and exhausted from the stress of an opening displaying her artwork at a gallery in Birmingham Thursday evening. See http://www.activeculture.info/eventsDetails.asp?ItemID=11627 and http://www.ashleywiltshire.blogspot.com/. Bonefish Bob, on the other hand, arrived pumped up for a day of bonefishing he had arranged for all of us Saturday.

Saturday morning, we arose early and met our guides Reno Rolle and Garth Thompson at 8:00 am at the Peace and Plenty Hotel. The ladies took off with Reno while Bonefish Bob and I headed out with Garth for a day on the flats. The weather was spectacular, the water sparkling, and the scenery beautiful. Garth proved his worth by finding plenty of fish for us and Bonefish Bob earned his nickname by hauling in four Bonefish. I hooked three, lost one early, got one close to the boat, and landed one, my first Bonefish. The ladies were not as fortunate finding fish, but each landed one to make the day complete. Actually, Bonefish Bob and I could have caught at least six each, but it is easy to make a slight error in casting or setting the hook. Bob and the ladies were all using flyrods, giving them an additional handicap, while I, for my first bonefishing trip, stuck to a rod and reel.

We celebrated with a drink at the Peace and Plenty and had dinner by the pool here at Emerald Bay. All in all, a good day. 

Weather

Log 3,363

Total Trip Distance: 724 Nautical Miles

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Location: Anchored off Volleyball Beach near the Chat & Chill, Georgetown, Bahamas

It is incredible how weather can completely make or break a trip. I have been in this area by boat twice before for extended periods at the same time of year and never even checked the forecast. We never had high winds or rain and we moved about freely from one anchorage to another without concern. But not this time.

After the Lovely Laura Lee arrived here Saturday, and after her luggage arrived Sunday morning, we departed from the beautiful, sheltered Emerald Bay Marina and headed about 10 miles south to Georgetown. The winds picked up all day and by dinnertime, our anchorage was getting uncomfortable. We had planned on dinner in Georgetown at the Peace and Plenty Hotel so we set out in our dingy in the dark with howling winds and choppy waves. What a ride!

We arrived at the hotel battered and wet and tried to tie to their dock which was open and exposed. Worried our dingy would be beat to death, we moved it around to a more protected area and walked the block back to the hotel.

Not only was the weather uncooperative, but Georgetown and the Peace and Plenty have gone noticeably downhill since our last visit four years ago. My son Daniel commented on the phone today that it would be hard to go downhill from where it was, but it truly has. Many of the businesses in town are shuttered. At the hotel, the outdoor bar we loved is closed after 5 pm now because they say it’s either windy or buggy outside. The little inside bar was overcrowded so we took a seat in the restaurant. While the service was terrible and the cocktails were watered down, it was the lousy food that really made the evening. Or was it just the weather affecting our mood?

Monday, it rained off and on all day and the wind and waves continued to make the anchorage uncomfortable. We again ventured into Georgetown in another unforgettable dingy ride and wandered around the town looking for a few supplies we needed and for internet service to check our email. After a wet bouncy ride back, we settled in, watched a movie, and the Lovely Laura Lee cooked a fine dinner. Yesterday, the sun came out but the winds are still relentless. We moved the boat to a slightly more sheltered location, went to the Chat & Chill for lunch, and had dinner and an hour of internet service at a little resort called St. Francis.

This morning, the wind continues but has shifted more to the south where we have less protection. It is expected to calm down through the day and tonight, but then another front is leaving the coast of Florida and headed this way. And so now, it is decision time. Anchoring out in this area can be fun and adventurous, but everything is always slightly difficult even when the weather is perfect. In the kind of winds we continue to experience, the slightly difficult becomes nearly impossible. We have guests arriving Friday for a long weekend. Picking them up in town with luggage by dingy would probably require two trips in the best of weather. In this kind of chop it will be two long wet trips only to find ourselves bouncing around in an uncomfortable anchorage for three days. I’m not at all sure we want to put them our ourselves through such an ordeal.

On top of the weather, we have a problem with battery power. Normally, when anchored for extended periods, it is only necessary to run the generator for a few hours each day to keep the batteries charged. The rest of the time, the batteries run an inverter keeping essential things like refrigerators running. It could be that the batteries are getting weak or that we have increased the load too much for our batteries, but we are finding that the inverter can only keep things going for about five or six hours. After that, the inverter shuts down and things begin thawing out. With only one generator, we cannot run it all the time, so extended anchoring out has become problematic.

Our best option at this point seems to be to take advantage of decreasing winds today to head back to Emerald Bay Marina. It is expensive and not very adventurous, but it is probably the best place to have guests and spend a little time in this kind of weather. I plan to propose this plan to the lovely Laura Lee when she wakes up this morning. I’ll let you know where we end up.

Getting Old I Guess

After getting up at 4:30 am yesterday to get Early Uncle Randy off in his taxi at 5:15, my plan was to get some things done and be ready to depart Emerald Bay this morning to anchor out off Georgetown and await my lovely bride. I failed to realize the amount of work that needed to be done and just how exhausted I was after the long slog down here.

I did laundry, changed the oil in the generator, gave the outside of the boat a quick washdown, and started cleaning house, changing sheets, etc. I fell in bed at about 8:30 last night and awoke this morning dreading hurrying to buy groceries and setting out to sea again. I think I’m just getting old. So I simply made an executive decision to stay here anther two nights. I’ll have more time to clean up and get provisions, I’ll be better rested, and the Lovely Laura Lee can see this beautiful place and have an easier transition from civilization to living anchored on a boat. 

I rented a car today to drive down to Georgetown and get a few supplies I needed from the hardware store. The town looks about the same although the marina there is more run down than ever. I stopped by the Peace and Plenty Hotel which looks the same as always. I kept the car and got some groceries late this afternoon. I’ll be able to meet Laura Lee’s flight tomorrow night and get her back here for dinner beside the pool. I’m feeling better already.

There won’t be many blog postings for the next few weeks. Perhaps if I find an internet cafe or we are back in Emerald Bay, I’ll post a quick note. Otherwise, we’ll be anchored out enjoying these incredibly beautiful waters. 

Finally, to Great Exuma Island

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Location: Emerald Bay, Exumas, Bahamas

Log: 3350

Miles Traveled today: 17

Total Trip Distance: 711

There are times when I really question why I own a boat. Yesterday was one of those times.

We had spent Monday night at the dock at Little Farmer’s Cay. I awoke around 4:00 am because the boat rub rail was making all kinds of noise against the dock piling. When I came up to have a look, it was clear what had happened. The wind had picked up and was screaming from the east southeast. Needing to get Early Uncle Randy to his flight Thursday, we left around 7:00 am hoping to get to Georgetown about 40 miles to the southeast.

It was not to be. We encountered one of the worst days at sea I’ve ever experienced. It was right up there with trying to head up the California coast or helping James Abele cross the Gulf of Mexico on his boat Beauty. A nearby boat with an anenometer confirmed that winds were howling at 25 knots. Seas were four to six feet but they were right on our nose and very, very steep.

Unprepared for anything so bad, we had left all kinds of things out on the kitchen counter. At one point the coffee maker crashed to the floor, spilling grounds and the remaining coffee all over. The rack of knives also slid off, scattering kitchen knives all over the boat. During the worst conditions of the day, I heard some crashing around from the upper deck. I went up to look and found the strap holding down the dingy had simply snapped. The entire dingy was sliding around on the deck, off of it’s chocks and hanging off the back deck, perilously close to falling off the boat. With Randy’s help, when we crashed forward off the next wave, we heaved it back on board and managed to get it’s bow line tied to a rail. It was wedged in between the chocks and a railing so it was reasonably secure for awhile. We had to slow the boat down to dead idle to avoid crashing down from the top of each wave.

After five hours, we had covered less than 19 miles, an average of less than four knots. Studying the charts, we discovered we could cut in just north of Lee Stocking Island for a reasonable spot to anchor for the night, and we did. We had a fine gourmet dinner of sardines, crackers, and a fine white wine. As the wind continued last night, we looked at our options on the charts. We decided to head for Emerald Bay, a new resort and marina about 12 miles north of Georgetown, but on the same island. From here, Randy can get a taxi to the airport for his flight tomorrow. This morning seas were bad, but slightly improved from yesterday. We made 17 miles in just over four hours, again averaging four knots into the still steep head seas.

So, we’re here. Early Uncle Randy flies out early, as always, tomorrow and the Lovely Laura Lee joins me Saturday. Weather forecasts show that I should be able to get down to Georgetown for her arrival. If not, she can join me here.

Little Farmer's Cay

Monday, February 4, 2008

Location: Little Farmer’s Cay, Exumas, Bahamas

Log: 3313

Miles Traveled today: 55

Total Trip Distance: 674

Having completed a couple of repairs yesterday afternoon, we had a nice dinner on the boat last night prepared by someone called “Cool Runner” on the VHF radio. We chose our dish and spoke to him during the day and it arrived at about 6:30. Since we cannot get network television on the boat, we spent about an hour trying to receive the Super Bowl on sideband radio, only to discover that we could hear the game, but not see it, on the NFL network on DirecTV.

This morning we got off around seven for a long slow day into head seas. We only made around five knots most of the day to avoid pitching too much. Seas were steep and right on the nose, making for a long uncomfortable day.

We are now tied up at Little Farmer’s Cay, a place I visited about 10 years ago. The “yacht club” here is run by a gentleman named Roosevelt Nixon. This is where we had planned to attend the five-F festival (First Friday February Farmer’s Festival) last Friday, but weather delayed our arrival. It’s a shame we were late because I had entered Early Uncle Randy in the “Best Buns” competition. Perhaps another year.

We’re within 50 miles of our final destination at Georgetown. We’re planning to get there tomorrow night but I’m afraid we’re going to have another rough day at sea. However, we shall plow ahead as Randy is scheduled to fly out early Thursday morning.

Saturday the Lovely Laura Lee joins me for a three-week visit. She will be accompanied by the Lovable Loti Woods who will join us for a few days. Our friends the Spotswood’s from Birmingham will be down the following weekend and then we’ll be joined by my entire family at Cape Santa Maria at the end of the month. I’m looking forward to completing the “delivery” portion of the trip. However, I am mindful that inviting friends to vacation on Steel Magnolia is like having a house party in a small mobile home. I hope everyone will enjoy the tight quarters.

A Short Day

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Location: Highbourne Cay, Exumas, Bahamas

Log: 3258

Miles Traveled today: 6

Total Trip Distance: 619

We blew a fuse on the anchor windlass this morning when the chain stuck in the opening through the deck. After hand winching the anchor the rest of the way up, and finding out that seas were rough and it would be a long day, we decided to turn in to the Highbourne Cay Marina after about an hour of travel. We needed some time to fool with the windlass and determine what it needs and we’re hoping for more gentle seas tomorrow.

We may miss the Super Bowl tonight as there is no TV here for guests. We’re still receiving satellite TV but we do not get the regular networks on the boat. We have heard that there is a “camp” for the employees here that has a TV and might get the game. We may wander there this evening to see if we can watch it. Meanwhile, we’re going to work on repairs. 

Allen'sCay

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Location: Allen’s Cay, Exumas, Bahamas

Log: 3252

Miles Traveled today: 39

Total Trip Distance: 613

We had an incredible day today. We left Nassau at around 9:00 am under clear blue skies and traveled for just under five hours southeast to Allen’s Cay, the first nice anchorage at the northern end of the Exumas. Although my journey is not complete, I felt a great sense of satisfaction at reaching the Exuma Islands after some 600 miles of travel from Savannah, Georgia.

The anchorage here is beautiful, although crowded, as always. We launched the dingy and took the obligatory trip ashore to see the iguanas. This has become a popular tourist attraction with day boats full of tourists visiting to feed the enormous number of iguanas on the beach here. As a result, there are hundreds of fat, spoiled iguanas standing on the beach all day waiting to be fed.

It is windy tonight and slightly rolly as an anchorage. We ended up a little closer to the rocky shore than I planned, but the anchor seems to be holding well, and I think we will be OK for the night. The sky is clear and full of stars, spoiled only by the distant lights of Nassau reflecting off the sky. It will only get better and more beautiful as we travel south. We dined on lasagna, salad, and red wine. Early Uncle Randy has gone to bed early, as usual.

Years ago, when I first brought a boat to the Bahamas with my kids on board, we began referring to the Bahamas as a “parallel universe”. Because of some cultural or body language differences, we often found ourselves sitting in the same place with Bahamians but seemingly in another dimension. My favorite example was an evening at the Guana Beach Resort in the Abacos. We all went to the restaurant for dinner, found a table, and sat down to await dinner. For a period of about 15 minutes, waiters and waitresses walked by and simply refused to look at us. We held up our hands and waved, but no one seemed to acknowledge our presence. Finally, I got up and walked over right in front of a waitress. I said, “We’re sitting right over there and we’d like to get menus and order dinner”. “Oh,” she said, “you want to have dinner?” Why else would we come into a restaurant at 7:00 in the evening and take a seat? “Yes,” I said, “Of course we want to have dinner.” We were right there in the restaurant with waiters and waitresses walking by us, but we seemed to be in a “parallel universe”.

I often try to convey this strangeness to friends with some difficulty. Therefore, I was delighted last night when Early Uncle Randy got to experience this “parallel universe” for himself. We walked from the boat over to the incredible Atlantis resort and casino. We wandered through the place, walked through the underground passages through the giant aquarium, and then headed into the casino area to find a spot for a cocktail. The first bar we went to had bartenders and waitresses and we asked for a drink. “We’re closed,” they told us, and we were referred to the next bar along the way. It was open and fairly busy, but we found two open seats at the bar. It was a large circular bar and the two bartenders were at the far side, out of our sight. We waited, and we waited, and there was no way we could get a bartender to come to our end of the bar or even notice that we were there. Finally, after about 15 minutes, we simply left.

We  wandered outside and around the “marina village” where we finally located a restaurant named Carmine’s. We were seated and we waited and we waited and, finally, after about 15 minutes, I got a waitress’s attention. “We’ve been here about 15 minutes,” I said. “We’d like to order a drink and get some dinner.” She appeared surprised and took our drink orders and said she would pass them along to our waitress. After another 15 minutes and asking several people to check on our drink orders, a woman brought the glass of wine I had ordered. She said that Randy’s martini would be along. I drank the wine and we waited and we waited and we asked several people about Randy’s drink. A totally new waiter appeared and said he would be our waiter and asked if we would like to order a drink. We told him we had ordered and would he please bring Randy’s drink. Finally, a waitress appeared and said there was a problem with finding a glass for Randy’s martini.

The menu had an extensive list of “specialty drinks” including all kinds of martinis. However, the bar was apparently out of martini glasses. Randy had ordered a Bombay martini with a twist. He finally got a wine glass about half full with straight gin. No twist, lukewarm, no vermouth. Very strange.

After another long wait, a waitress appeared and asked us if we were familiar with the restaurant’s “concept”. I started to say that yes, we understood the concept of ignoring customers, but I held my tongue. She explained that each item on the menu was a large enough portion for four people. That is why salads cost $36 and entrees were in the $50 range. Of course, there were only two of us so we ordered sauteed chicken breasts and nothing else. It was enough for four people but there was no salad, vegetable, or even garnish. Just a plate with four chicken breasts. We ate what we had and left after spending $75 for chicken breasts, wine, and a glass of warm gin.

It’s a parallel universe.