More in Monday or tuesday

Hi. This is short toilet you know more is to come. This week we have had fun mixed with learning about going aground, seeing iguanas again, we saw sharks swimming with us!, stingrays and other stuff. Of course ben has pictures I'll post. More later. Pam

all clean and ready for guests

Before I add to what we have done.  I've had a few questions about my toe.  Thanks for asking.  Well it was just an ingrown toe nail that made my big toe all red and pussy underneath... I scraped under the toe nail on the side, then I lanced it.  I was happy to have ice.  the first one hurt until I used ice! Maybe I should get those "cold-packets" for emergencies at times when we don't have ice. It was so worth the poke to get that out!!! Ahhhhh

After our friends left we have 2 days to get this list done:

Change Oil in the Engine… now you may think that is a simple task? But it’s not.  Ben had to walk to 3 marine stores to find an oil filter that we thought we had on board.  Both him and I could have sworn it was on board but they were fuel filters – which we have 2 fuel filters and one looks like an oil filter.  Tricky! He did an excellent job.  It is a tiny working space you need to contort your body into, plus oil is never clean, it spills and runs and is just plain messy.

Sew the top of the main.  Now that should have been easy too! it is only One inch long and maybe 20 stitches that needed to be repaired.  But I had to be hoisted up on the swing… The material and thread is so hard to get through that it takes a pliers and all of pam’s strength to poke it thru and a pliers to pull it out on the other side. Meanwhile your butt is so sore from that flat uncomfortable swing-chair.  Oh and when you poke your needle in – the boat sways with the waves and you miss.  It’s done and I’m proud.  Oh and while up there you forget things that I had to have Ben Run and get for me.

Under the Navigation station is all our charts and we have accumulated many charts! We also have all of our manuals, receipts, etc for all our equipment on board. It is a disorganized mess.  So that is all gone through. We had old files of equipment we had to go through and then file the new ones.

Ben filled up all the water tanks, He washed down the deck of the salt. Our boat looks like someone came and took a salt shaker and salted the boat with coarse salt.  Not good for the varnish at all but then again we are hoping that this weather will strip some of our varnish off so when we revarnish we don’t have to sand as much.

I did laundry for our guests and for us, but mostly for our guest.  Ya-know clean sheets are probably a good idea.

I had some accounting and wifi to do.  We had a group staff meeting. That was a great meeting.  We are kicking butt at work.  Or I should say my staff is kicking butt at work and I am cheering them on. Go-team-go!  I am so proud of each one at work.  They all contribute so much to work that it doesn’t become work but one happy family.  Well as happy as families go.  Probably better than some families, I’m sure. Thanks everyone, I appreciate each one of you: Anne, Becca, Damon, Erin, Jacquie, Jason, Katie, and Melissa. (that was alphabetical so as to not upset anyone.  Ha ha ha)

I read through all my taxes and that is a lot to read through.

Now this morning I sit at the dock in the cockpit We are going to clean up the mess.  It is easy to get a mess cuz everything is so small.  On the other hand it is all easy to pick up cuz everything has a place cuz if it does not have a place then it can’t come.  Everything is battened down, lashed to the deck, tucked in a locker, secured by other means… but all-in-all it has to fit somewhere.

           

So the poop pumper… Ben is quite the McGyver with the pooper… he has gone all over looking for bits and pieces to make it work and tada… we think it works!  Good thing he has a brown shirt – and for those of you visiting you will get to wear that brown shirt as you take a turn once a week to poop out the crap. Ha ha ha

Now we are waiting for Connie, her son Josh, and his daughter Victoria!

I will try to send short iphone updates if I can.

Smile

Pam

Pictures!! of Feb 12-19th No words needed

These are amazing pictures from Ben!!

the week of Feb 12thru19

Feb 19th Happy Birthday Paul Wellumson! You are getting old!

Our first week with guests is now history and I am reminiscing of this past week…

Today is a day of rest…

Sunday…

but let me go back in time to feb 12th...

We just had our first shake down crew aboard the Cricket.  My dad continued on and then we had Darrell and Nancy, our sailing mentors, came from CT to visit us for a week of sailing.  The winds have been NE 15-23k all week and even more at some times.  It was a Very pleasant week with company and conversation.

Here are some highlights:

First I have not talked about my dad enough… He has been busy doing this and that, he has fixed a few facuets, going fishing, puttering here and there, he supplied the poop pump, sailing at the helm, pulling in sheets, making coffee, etc… it has been a great 3 weeks of father daughter bonding.

Darrell and Nancy were great sports. It’s fun to have fellow sailors along like them and dad cuz they know that sail boats tip and lean over.  We sailed in a little rough seas but it all went well. We ate well most of the meals were provided by Chef Captain Pam. We played music one night, we had the boat Rockin’!.  We have a keyboard and 2 guitars, penny whistle, harmonica, things to bang on for percussion etc.  pretty much we have our own band aboard now we just need people to come and be band members. Darrell plays a mean piano! We have games and played dominos. Nancy trounced us with her mad math skills in dominos.

People we have met…

            Sailing should be how life is… you go when the winds are right… you meet people that you know God has sent to you (and there is no doubt He has sent them),             Here is a story about Marshal and Judith.  We were docked at Nassau Yacht Haven and we were docked next to Marshal and Judith.  They said, “Have you been to the straw market or down town?”  “Nope.” He said, “We are going there today you just take a public bus through the rough parts of town and you get there.”  I yelled back across the ocean wind noise and the noise of the squeaking riggings on boats, “Can we tag along?” “SURE”

            The seven of us hopped on the public bus… the music on the bus was loud gospel music and we clapped and sang as we went down the small narrow broken roads.

            What a fun adventure that was… It was all orchestrated by divine happenstance.

            The next we we were going to shove off and Marshall yells over, “Where you going?” “Don’t know, where you going?” “we are heading to Allan Cay to feed the iguanas!”  “Great we will see you there.”  Sure enough we went there.

            We fed the iguanas and went snorkeling in wavey windy strong current area. It was very sandy so not much reefs.

            Next we followed them to Shroud Cay.  That is the beginning of the Exuma Water Park where we took a long dinghy ride that was cut through mangroves and super clear water to the ocean side. We would have no idea it was there but that Marshal and Judith told us about it.

            We sailed and kayaked then ate some more… and the week had slipped away.

            Back to a different dock this time Nassau Harbor Marina Club. Much better showers. I judge a marina by the pressure of the water in the shower to get my hair clean. When we came into the dock, the owner helped us dock.  I was a little nervous but was concentrating so hard on the tasks at hand.  When you have more people… you have more people to get distracted by or more people to get nervous or more people to direct.

            (before I say our entrance… I forgot when we left Nassau I had a rough exiting the dock! I thought it should be easy. We are being blown away from the dock.  I had all the dock hands ready, I grabed the helm went to go back and the wheel would not turn!! I looked down and I had forgotten that dad tied the wheel to the post last night so the rudder would not swing back and forth – something I have never done but a good idea – now the wind caught the boat as I rushed to untie the knots –I thought “(*#$@*%#*(#” but kept my composure. I was too busy trying to get the boat in the direction I wanted it to go but too late.  Luckily Marshall and Judith had already left cuz my boat swung into their slip. It is hard to explain but all-in-all it worked out.

            So this time I went to dock the boat… I looked at Ben and he read my mind… You are the guy that will jump off the dock and set the spring line! He knew exactly what to do! So as we came into the dock – the owner was waiting for us – it was a perfect landing! Phew! The owner said it was the best landing that had seen in the past 3 windy days.  I was happy to be docked.

Now for technical stuff…

            Our electrical I am happy to report is working well! We even have a refrigerator working!

            Ben is diligently working on SSB modem. We got the unit but it did not come with the correct cords and plugs.  Grrrr…

            Our VHF had transmission problems.  We could hear everyone but we could not transmit! Our back up hand held was too low on batteries. (note to self: keep it fully charged) We have to call Nassau Harbor Control…what to do??? Luckily we have a phone and I called 4 different numbers to get the right place. Phew!

            Then we met Walter and Connie. He helped us trouble shoot the VHF and eventually we found out it was just a corroded connection. That problem took Ben most of the day to find. I was supportive by washing dishes… finding the manuals for this and that… then I took our walkie talkie with our handheld VHF then I walked a mile away and I could hear him loud and clear.  Then there was a boat that was leaving the harbor and we called them each hour and we heard them 18 miles out!!! It works!! Way to go Ben!

            Our poop story is a problem still.  Well remember last year we had problems with the head not being full but then the black water is running out the vent.  We thought we had it fixed but nope.  Then we got a pumper from Dad! The first pump out into the ocean miles out went well!  It was exciting that we can pump out! Cuz a full head is not fun! It is not the best fitting poop pump but it worked!  So the second time we pumped out… it would not work!! So now we have a full crapper and no way to pump out.  So Ben and I went to the marine store to jerry-rig something to fit. (yes like father like daughter I can Jerry-rig with the best of them.) The story is still out on that. We will work on that tomorrow.

            I have to sew the top of the main sail plug back to the hardware that slides inside the mast. I don’t know the name of it. There is also a slight rip in the cover to the jib.

            We had laundry and grocery shopping to do.

So much to talk about and so much to do.  I better get work done too today.  We were invited to go to church with Walter and Connie this afternoon at a local church it should be fun!
 smile Pam
peace to you all and warm winds to you all!

           

entering Nassau

These next blogs will not be in the best order.  There is so much to blogg about... I will try to iphone my blogs so I send out short ones more often than one big one at the end of the week.

Nassau 2-12-11

Just a short note on our entrance to nassau.

When you enter and exit Nassau you must call Nassau Harbor control… We tried to hail them on VHF channel 9.. like we are supposed to. Nothing.  I hailed about 4 times.  We were getting closer and closer.  Finally they answered, “Harbor control – what is your document #?”  since we just came from customs I thought they meant your document papers from customs So I gave them that number, “Thank you” was their response. “where are you going?”  I had been hailing a few different marinas and none answered so I said, “Nassau yacht haven”  which we did end up staying. Phew!    Then when we left Nassau I hailed them to say we are exiting and what are plans were. Then she said what is your vessel document number? Oh no this is where I realized I had given them the wrong number before but was too embarrassed to say something.  So we might get picked up?  Who’s ta know?

Iguanas!

Hi all!
We are still at allen cay
It is 10:13pm and the whole crew is asleep and I mean all hard asleep. We had a big day feeding the iguanas, kayaking, snorkeling and me picking up a few work calls.

Last night I had a tough time sleeping cuz of my big toe. This is one thing you land lovers could be a bit out of touch on. So I had to get up cuz my toe felt like it was going to exploid. So I got out my sewing kit and luckily we had ice cubes and I froze it as cold as possible then I lanced my toe in three places. Ouch but immediate release was felt. When I was laying in bed, I knew what had to be done but was not sure if I could do it. I did!

Tonight I lay awake a bit due to getting out some much needed emails and making sure the boat stays put. We are in so Many northeasters. They just keep coming and building. Just south of us a few miles 20 or so their winds were over 35k. Insane!

The rigging is howling right now sonthat means over 17 knots at least.

You all have a nice day. Sorry for these being so short but it is only written on my iPhone. Oh today ben got great pictures of iguanas. I can't post til Monday.

Happy valentines day

Hi all
I have a good blog for you all about our two day sail from Bimini to Nassau. I wrote it on my laptop so I can't wifi it. I can write on my iPhone and send news to you all but it takes along time. Soooo. I am sending you a short update and I will post it when I can. 

We are anchored in a beautiful bay. The water looks so clear it seems like we are floating on air. 

Ben and I dropped anchor in Allen Cay then he jumped in the water. I followed shortly after. We snorkeled for a while. 

We are parked next to leaf bay cay where there are supposed to be big iguanas that are friendly enough for us to feed. We will go there tomorrow and see. 

Funny my phone has reception. 

Miss you all
I will blog longer soon. 
Love and hearts
Smile
Pam

From the cockpit 3:50am

Hello from the cockpit of Cricket. It is 3;50am my shift from 2-6am. I'm tracking nine AIS vessels. They all look like they see me. The Bimini mail boat was super kind to show his intentions. He was on the exact same course and over coming me and coming up to my but and then he noticeably change 10 degrees. I waved bye as he passed but am doubtful in the blackness he saw me. 

The gulf stream is a mighty force of flow! What people say is true. you can't describe it until you're in it. And then I'm having a hard time. 

We have a 13 knot nose wind and am motoring. A southeast wind sounds like a good idea but its not. We are heading straight east. Well kind of. Our GPS heading is 94 degrees almost straight east but here is the rub ... our boat direction and compass heading (compass is the way the boat is pointed) ... We are 164 degrees that is a difference of 70 degrees. So our boat is in the direction of 70 degrees to the right of where we want to end up. Crazy!

Our hull speed is 5 knots our true speed is 2,4 knots. Quite slow. So when people tell you start out 25 miles more south of your target they are not joking. 

One can rationalize their comments by saying well if we are planning to go east just put our nose more south, good thinking in logic by not in practicality. The current is so strong  that we would be faster to ride the current than to cross over and fight it. which would mean going more south if Miami. 

Here is a lesson in heeding your former sailors. What we thought would be a good wind, south east, happens o be on our nose. And embarrassingly we are motoring. Which by the way we did look at the past weeks weather and it was really our only window. I see now why a north wind would not be good. Too choppy. Atleast the boat  ride is smoothly plowing a long. 

It is warm and humid. I still have my thick Grover sweater on and jeans and ablanket. The stars are plentiful with scattered black clouds hovering. ( I now count 13 vessels around me. )

Before we left I made a nice spaghetti meal so my crew could bulk up on those carbs. I'm captain and crew and cook and bottle washer. Ha ha so is ben. He made corn beef hash from a can last night. 

A cruise ship 3 miles ahead of me just past my bow. They light up like a Christmas tree! Her name is seven seas navigator. The one 2 miles to my starboard is just passing me by on the stern. Di Tokyo is 10 miles east of me. Time for a cat nap... Just Kiddng. 

Lila is asleep in the cockpit with me. good company!

Ok I might have to tattle on those guys. They did the first shift , ben and dad (Jerry) I come up with my life jacket, tether, water bottle, granola bar and candy and here they are talkin and no life jacket or tethers. They say," we know, there is two of us and we are both awake. Now do we heed others that say ... when you least expect it a rouge wave will hit. Or is that just scare tactics? 

Right now we are in 2854 feet of water. So the chart says. Our depth finder just blinks to indicate it can't read that deep. 

I can't wait for my shift to be over cuz I'm tired. It takes me a while of days and nights sailing to get so exhausted that on my off time I actuLly sleep. I hope I move up the process this time and sleep n my next off time!

We went thru customs. The cat is good to go too. More later on customs. It was too fun. 

See ya soon. And we know who you are!
Peace
Pam

All systems a go

All systems go for this evenings passage. 

We hope the winds kick up a little bit more. 

The crew is happy in anticipation of a nice ride. They have directions if the winds fall below 5knots they can motor, normally something i don't like to do cuz I'm cheap! Or frugal as I prefer.

Today we got last minute provisions, fixed a broken running light, put the dinghy on deck so it does not whip up when we hit 20k winds which could happen further out. We also wrote a float plan: for those sailing nerds that want to see it I'll include it at the bottom of this blog. 

I have emailed, talked, did accounting, VP my staff, chatted, and mentally prepared myself to be tired at the first leg since Ben will take the first 4 hours. 10p-2a. I like 2-6a. 

Float Plan Person – Rebecca Soileau

 

Date: 2/9/2011

 

Boat Name: Cricket

Year/type: Hans Christian 38, 1989 – LOA:48

Color: Green Hull

 

AIS: MMSI#367451150

 

EPLIRB:#ADCE06CE7C94801 (model406)

            Equipment: Flares, life raft, dinghy

 

Radio: VFH, SSB:WDF4376, FCC reg:0019812999

 

Coast Guard# 957568

 

Bahama Cell Phone#242-434-6382

 

Date of Departure and Port: Miami FL. Leave 10pm 2/9/2011

 

Arrival Port: Bimini Bahamas

Arrival time: 12 hours to destination depending on the wind. Arrival time 10AM 2/10/11

Call if you don’t hear from us by phone or email:  2/11/11

 

We will be then moving on from Bimini to Nassau –

            Departure from Bimini: 2/10/11 or 2/11/11

            Arrive Nassau 2/12/11, or 13th

            Call if you don’t hear from us by 2/14/11

 

Names: Ben Wellumson

Pam Wellumson

            6517 Hunter Road

            Corcoran, MN 55340

            Cell phone: 612-819-6940

            Cell phone: 952-956-4832

            Emergency contact for Ben: Paul Wellumson #952-201-8596

            Emergency Contact for Pam: Deanna Nygren 763-607-3851

           

Jerry Berger

            Emergency contact: Joe Craven : cell# 240-398-9426

ta da we set sail!

Ta Da we set sail! It was very exciting, just like Christmas morning. Oh boy, oh boy!

Sooo  let me back up… last night we were on the ICW and about 4:30 Ben said, “Lets anchor here.” I said sure.  There were really no anchorages until way later near dusk… there was a bridge that closed at 6pm so we would have to get thru it, if we missed we’d have to come all the way back to this spot.  So we stayed. Excellent choice.  The wind blew about 30 knots! We held tight and the anchor watch was on.  I woke up 2 times to check the alarm.  Normally I kick Ben out of bed (happy wife is happy life) but both times I was in a hot-flash and going outside seemed to be a happy thing.

In the morning we poured over charts, again to find out that Ben’s decision must have been Divinely inspired cuz one of those bridges we would have passed in the dusk was only 54 feet high and our mast is 60 feet… that would have been disasterous if we did not catch that in time.  So today we had to go on the outside.

A perfect … well almost perfect day to go outside in the atlantic.  We had light winds and at 3pm we made the decision to turn on the engine and tuck ourselves securely behind an island just off of Miami.

While sailing Dad tried to fish but no luck this time.  He is full of fish stories and other stories. Come to think of it, he is rarely without a story or joke.

So here we sit in a slight chill ( 62 degrees ) enough to need pants.  It is cold in the wind. Ha ha ha I hear it is 15 below again.  Sorry folks!

Thanks for all the prayers cuz the wind is now favorable to make the crossing to the Bahamas tomorrow night.  We should be in bimini at Thursday morning light.

Bridges & Mac-Mansions

Bridges bridges and more bridges

Planning planning and more planning

Wind direction here and there, …

Today was a day of bridges and more bridges! Timing was the name of the game.  If you leave one bridge you see how many miles to the next bridge then figure your speed (which you keep having to calculate statue miles to nautical miles) – we drive by knots… (also referred to as nautical miles NM and for some  silly reason the florida waterway chart book is in miles. Silly silly – who decided that?

So if you leave one place and your next bridge is 4 miles away how many NM or how many knots do you have to go? (It is a difference of 10.1 percent.) Our boat is happy at 5 knots while motoring.  So we make 2.5 knot every half hour.  The bridges seemed to be against us in timing. We need to hustle our chubby bubby by plowing through the water (hey did you like my reference to snow there? “plowing” - ha ha ha)

So we need to be going almost 6 knots or more which to sustain would be horrible for gas mileage ( or diesel mileage my father would correct me – I could use the word fuel and avoid the whole gas vrs gasoline vrs diesel anyway I digress… it was good humor to me cuz growing up with my dad he was often correcting me… it was out of love so not to make a fool of myself at a gas station, I’m sure.)

Back to the bridges, they were all different distances and each time you come to a bridge you hale a guy mostly or gal in a cute tower.  Most are happy and pleasant and even sweet they will poke their head out of the tower and smile and wave, “Nice boat – have a safe trip – etc”  I even had one person say to me!! , “come on through Captain.” Of course I waved the most to him.

Some it seems we are bothering them… others seem to not care if we call or not… so then we didn’t call one guy he scolded us a bit in a way. I guess we just never know.

Motoring down Palm Beach through to Miami are rows and rows of and rows of huge houses! They just keep getting bigger and bigger! They are on a canel (ICW) It is so mind boggling! Its like a Disney ride… you can hear it now… la la It’s a small world after all… it’s a small world after all… it’s a small small world… la la Yes going down the ICW is like going on a ride at Disney.  Tomorrow I think I will have been play that song just for me.

Now we are planning for a weather window… well it is not perfect.  If we didn’t have to get somewhere and if we weren’t behind schedule we would just hang out in Miami.  We are behind due to my gall bladder testing stuff. Grrr to gall bladders.  Since I shall have a continual tummy ache I have named her Miss Gally.  There are some foods that miss Gally would not want me to eat.

For the most part it is calming down.  I have a few nights where I wake up with a side ache. It is so hard to get old!

Oh back to weather… there is a front coming through tomorrow with some big winds and actually we have to poke our head out to the atlantic cuz there is one bridge that is fixed at 56 feet clearance and we are 60 feet… so well you do the math.. we are not going to do the limbo with our boat.

Wednesday the tail end of this front will be ending and a calm (if you can call it that) will be heading in for 24-48 hours) just enough to get us to bimini where we can evaluate the next leg of the trip to Nassau.

Since some of you out there wonder what we eat… well we are still in civiliation and we are not like other yatchers where you stop and eat out… we are like camping on our boat.  As we have refrigeration we eat better.  Before we took off Charlotte took me to the fresh market to get produce.

So we have had Pam’s special supper… onions, veggies, garlic glove, ginger, in light oil seasoned and add meat like polish sausage.  It is amazingly yummy.  Better than any restaurant expect that I had to cook it.  Tonight I went on strike and just felt like making me food for myself and not the boys (ben and dad). I made me oatmeal and sliced apples.  For lunch I made tuna fish sandwiches with tomatoes for breakfast I made eggs and cheese.  Quite the gourmet! 

As produce gets low it will be like being in the BWCA.

All is well at work.  Thanks gals and Damon! I might have to add Tom too from Garden for all his worrying about jobs.  It’s all good. I got a lot of work done today! I had a strong wifi so I tried to get as much accounting stuff and reconciling done as I could get done in a few hours! I love my new office.

Well you all have fun in the snow and don’t forget to going skiing for me or sledding or walking the dog or cat in the snow!

ICW again

When ya gotta be someplace at some time you motor a bit more than otherwise. Today was a happy uneventful motor and not once did we get stuck in the sand bars.

The guys motored and I worked on office stuff.

We are all tucked in bed as we need to get up at the crack of dawn.

Miss you all
I'll see some of you later
Snoozing Cricket
PamJustPam

ready or not here we come

Where are we?

Still at sandpiper marina in Port St. Lucie where our boat has been docked for 2 months.

We have been looking at the weather each and every day to plan our crossing.

People tell us we cant go across on a North wind due to the gulf stream going north.. that means a clash of wind and current.  Oh I think I already explained that.

Any way… tomorrow we will get as far south as we can…. We might pull and over-nighter depending on the wind direction.  It seems to shift every three days in a circle from south east to south west to west to northwest to north to northeast and round it goes again.  Sometimes we see it spinning one way …stall out …and then spin the other.

We have a few options… One is to get south. Then wait two or three days then sail straight to Nassau in one shot and not stop and don’t stop in bimini. 

OR

Get south on an over nighter… the only challenge with that is the wind is to be a perfect southeast wind (which is what we want to cross over) but we need to be 25 miles south of our target which means 25 miles more south of Miami. So if we left from here to head south we have a head wind which is so hard to make any way. Plus the winds are to be 5-8 knots – not much to get sailing. We can go on the ICW but that you can only motor during the day! It is too shallow for night motoring and too many obstacles.

OR….

Well those are the options now.  We will get as far south as we can, then check out the weather window.

My father is antsy to get going. So antsy he wants to get going and cant understand why we won’t just leave.  Last time he sailed over he started in Marathon Cay which is way way south of Miami and had no problem getting to Bimini.  That very fact of him starting way south of Miami is what I can’t get across to him. And he is a little frustrated cuz he can’t get me to understand why we just can’t leave and it will take longer than normal to get across but we will be getting across.

Here is where listening to other experienced sailors is the lesson.  If people and the Bahama book we read all say not to be going on a north wind and you need to be 25 miles south of the target to get there.  Then that is what we will be doing. It’s that simple.

Today we still had to get the boom vang bracket put on and could not leave anyway. So it was a day of needed preparation. I went to the store with the neighbor Charlotte for much needed girl time. (guys are more quiet than girls) so charlotte and I got to just chat as girls do. Plus get needed chores done. 

We have done all the checks I can do…

Check oil

When was the last fuel filter changed at 689 hours

Last oil change 217 engine hours ago so we will need a oil change soon at 250 hours

Water changed and filled

All cotter pins checked – Oh hey for those of you that read our blog and was with us during the dragon… there is another cotter pin 16 inches above the one that let loose.  Guess what? It was not stainless steel and that one was rusting out… could it be we did see a cotter pin and it rusted out.???  Ben said still we should have seen a rust cotter pin! I have to agree….

Rigging checked – taped a few places

Extra 10 gal of water

Extra 10 gal of gasoline

Tanks were filled and on port we are running with 55 hours used up (total on that tank is about 400 hrs)

Ben tried to caulk a chain plate but it would not come up so he caulked around it for now.

Propane tanks are full

Wind sock for the front hatch is installed

Ben swam and checked the prop – but forgot the zinc

We ate with our neighbors for dinner – yumm yumm a nice time was had by all.

Time to go to bed! And be ready to get up early to get moving.

More later

Blessings

Pam

Getting Ready and the Hero of the day

One to get ready

Two to get ready

Three to get ready

Four to get ready

Five to get ready

what do you do with black water?

Etc….

Yesterday we divided and conquered.  Ben had his list of last minute stuff. Dad and I went to his boat and pulled somethings off like… an anchor for the dinghy, a poop pump… I know you are probable sick of all this potty talk but it is good awareness for you all to know how we take for granted simple things in life. 

When we had our meeting with Skip I asked what about Black-Water. (Black water is poopy water) Now that you know the lingo I can just refer it as black-water.  He simply said, “Just pump out when you are in the ocean, get ride of your holding tank while out 5 miles or more.”  Hummm one problem… We don’t have the pump on our tank for that.  We are used to USA sailing where each port has a black-water pump station and some places come to you! (those are my favorite – curbside service) So we have not needed that.

We got out the marina book and tried to look up pump-outs and the 2001 bahamas book. they had no  pump outs! Not even a column.  He had the 2007 bahamas book of marinas and there was a column with pump out but they mostly did not have them.  We hope in 2011 we will find some BUT just in case and …six to get ready… my dad had a hand pump.  We hope it works!!!

At his boat we also got a big scoop for the front hatch (I’ll explain that when we use it cuz it will be exciting!) all fishing gear so dad can show us how to fish. Etc…

Ben got a wifi amplifier.  So when we find wifi it will hopefully make it to our boat.  We’ll see… he also got cheap beer to do some trading with people from the south islands.  He got more sea sick stuff to try since we will have many guests we thought we should have many options.

While at dads we of course we wanted to chat with all the locals.  We met them for happy hour and they were all happy.  Fran brought a conversational knickknack (a cute thermometer hard to explain –  the concept was from the olds day of Galileo) We laughed and laughed.  All were happy! No one left behind on that chuckling session.  Ya gotta love canandians eh? Then there is Joe and Fran – not from Canada but from MD.  You’ve heard me talk about them…

Fran always has a smile and willing to provide coffee in the morning for our routine and kind words. Joe is dad’s buddy like Phil was in the old days. We all love Joe too especially since he is our hero for the day!  He is driving with us to the boat and then he will be driving dad’s car back to fort myers. We could not have done this without him.  Car juggling is part of sailing.  We love all those that have transported us around!!

cheers and blessings to our hero Joe!

so much to do!

Whirlwind of a day!!! Uffda! I’m glad  Ben does not read all my blogs cuz I want to say I’m a little bit stressed trying to get everything ready.  I wish we had one more week of preparation but we are meeting Darrell and Nancy on Feb 12.  They are understanding if we are a day later than them.  We hope to be there… there is enough days but will those days produce the right winds?  Deep Breath haaaaa oooooo haaaaaa ooooooo haaaaa. Ok I’m better now.  God has guided us on the best paths so far and we will just follow His lead.  We will wait for the weather if need be.

I have been watching NOAA weather.  Right now there is a Northeast wind.  Most people tell us not to cross on a north wind cuz the gulf stream goes to the North and if the wind is coming from the north that means there is a lot of turmoil and a war between current and wind will be happening.  Who wins? Current of course but not without a fight with the wind producing choppy water.  But we have an old fat boat with nice lines and is heavy so on a north wind we will be on a beam which is perfect for sailing and our boat is to tip and rock.  But will the rocking be too much for the crew? Or will the rocking produce slow going?  Welp we will see. See what I mean when peole tell us stuff we still have to weigh our pros and cons but sometimes our pros and cons are wrong… what is a green captain to do?

Today we talked with Skip a veteran of boating to and from the Bahamas.  He gave us wonderful tips while we sat on his gynormous and immaculate boat!  Very sweet of him to take the time our of his busy schedule and also his lovely wife was patient while we asked question after question. So after that chat... I'm so excited to get going!!! 

So now those that are coming to visit will have amazing places to visit!!

We also worked on the awning again! It is slow going and I’m not proud of the past sewing but I might just do it over when we have more time to think about how to sew it better but for now it will provide shade in the blazing heat.

Got to run and go pick up my dad.  He is going in the first leg.

Smile

All

provisioning - & peeing "the sequel"

Provisioning is the name of the game… and pee-ing – the sequel…

Today we tried to finish sewing an awning… I was still thinking like a guy… normally when a guy says they are going to get something done like: change oil in the car, install windows on a PC, make a wood toy, fix a squeaky door etc… they say, “It will only take an hour”  but I know that for each 1 hour project you add atleast 2 or even 3. (three if it is computer related) So Ben asked how long will it take to finish the awning… I said, “oh 2 hours” I should have added 2 times 3 and said 6 hours. Which is what I normally do but since I am more like a man now… I guess I forgot. Ha ha

We spent 3 hours on the awning and I think I have about 1 no 3 hours to go.  We sewed it on the dock.. which I did not take into consideration the wind factor in blowing the material away from me. What looked like a monster of yards of material laying on the living room floor at home - when placed on the boat it looks so small.  My sister helped me with the biggest awning and it looks like a postage stamp on our boat.

The awnings we hear are a must for hot weather! So in the spirit of listening to those that try to warn us about various obstacles in sailing we shall listen and heed their wisdom! Such as everyone says to have a hard bottom dinghy. So we are borrowing my dad’s dinghy because we are having visitors each week we will be gone. Things also like don’t go if the wind is on your nose and over 20 knots… well we learned that lesson the hardest.

Ben and I are very excited to learn more about sailing and this learning curve will be like any other… interesting and fun but not without challenges.  We are both excited to be embarking on adventure internationally.  Although the Bahamas are just in the back door of Florida – kissin’ cousins, I’d say.  But still we will learn about customs, quarantined, bring an animal our of the country, trying to find water, dispose of trash and putting your body waste somewhere.  All the things that at home you don’t even have to give a second thought but on our boat it is a micro-cozum of the worlds challenges but one that is hidden from our daily view.

WE have bought so much food .. food for three months that includes food for friends each and every day. We have no idea about where to get food … well and is it super expensive? Is it only on the big islands? Is it available and will we be near major places of port or will we be off the beaten path.  Of course you know us so off the beaten path is the goal! Of course there are visitors too this time that probably like to take showers more often than Ben and I can last.

We hear that gasoline is tough to find.  We see boaters with 4 – five gallon cans lashed to the deck.  We’d rather kayak but we don’t have the luxury this time due to needing to transport friends to the shore for beach fun. 

Getting to the Bahamas is another unknown.  We have been reading books about navigating but I’m a better learner with someone telling me than reading.  I like the saying when the student is ready the teacher appears and poof again God has been so good to us! Skip (a few boats down) has offered for tomorrow to pour over charts and answer all of our questions.  I’ll be all ears. I’ll sit up straight and listen intently and I will take notes… just like being in college.  Well you know me and college… lets just say I have interpreted many college classes! Ha ha ha.

After 30 years of interpreting … I find great joy in learning new stuff… maybe that is why I like interpreting so much cuz you are always learning.  Here my brain is being stretched to it’s limit and beyond with all the things I need to remember and learn.

Welp today was long… after the awnings we went and got more food which is in the car… tomorrow we will try to squish all that food in this boat. I think it will be impossible!! But Ben seems to think it will all squish!! I can’t imagine fitting 3 months of food in one boat. !! Heres to squishing!

Oh and a sequel to yesterday’s pee log.  Ok it might be fun to pee standing up but one thing that I have not learned and I thought it would be no big deal is that… errrr. Ahhhh…. Well it is embarrassing to pee standing up when you have never done that before.  In the marinas I will see guys - once in a while - even during the day pee over the side of their boat which I think is unacceptable… you will never find me doing that… but even at 2 am I nervous someone is watching.

Sleep well we have a big big day tomorrow to finish the awning and get the provisions on the boat.

oh and we went to the mac store to change my mac into a PC... boot camp it is called.  a mac runs windows better than PC's do - or so I hear... i'll let you know if it works. Our navigational software only runs with a PC and VPNing to work also runs better on a PC... so here we go... i'm sure melissa will be happy I have a PC again.! now I have the best of both worlds.

 zzzzz and sweet dreams with blessings

Pam