Anemometer Envy Too.

Still stranded in Nassau. Rick recorded 55 MPH gusts the other day on his anemometer. We don't have one of those. So, in addition to dinghy davit and dinghy motor envy we also lust after Rick's wind speed indicator. All sail boaters have these so they an measure the wind against their sails. We don't have sails, (and don't want any) but we do want the device that tells us how the wind would affect our sails if we had them. Or, maybe it's better not knowing?

We tried to find trouble in Nassau the other day in between rain drops and gale force winds. Went to lunch at the Bamahan Kitchen--Very good! Then we just walked around the touristy areas and purchased some gifts for the kids and

grandkids. Vicki and Lynnie bought some movies at the straw market knowing we will be here a while. $5 per movie.

Yesterday, we put our bathing suits on, grabbed our beach gear and walked up to the pool for a dip and a couple of hours of reading. About 30 minutes into our lazy day, it poured rain. We had to rush back to the boat and read our books inside. This is getting OLD!

Today we're thinking about touring the Bacardi Distillery and it might also be a double feature movie day. Its still rainy and windy--that's 10 days in a row.

The DINGHY (Our Family Car) REVISED w/PICS

Still in Nassau. Gale force winds expected within the next 24-48 hours. Today, Rickshaw and we are going to downtown Nassau to find some trouble. Wish us luck! More on that later... While we have a pause in the action though, we thought we would tell you a little bit about our dinghy--"Tide Hopper"! ( Definitely not "Tide Humper" as Rick and Lynnie dubbed it.) I know, this sounds like a "snoozer", but read on....

Next to the engines and a strong sturdy seaworthy hull, the dinghy is one of the most important pieces of equipment on a cruiser. It is significant to the owners convenience, comfort and safety. If the boat is our home, the dinghy is our family car. It takes us to shopping, to recreation to entertainment and on Sunday rides in the country. It does NOT take us to work!!!!

Dinghy's or Tenders, or "Dinks", as they are sometimes called, come in various shapes and sizes. There are two common elements to dinghy's though. First, there is a pointy end (bow) and a flat end (stern), just like the big boat. Second, they are all convertibles with the top always down. After that they are different. For example Rickshaw's dink is bigger and Gypsies dink is, well, small. The size of Tide Hiker's dink is about average at 11 ft. They all hold about 4 passengers, but the bigger ones hold them with more comfort. Like cars, dinghy come with options (accessories) not included. For example, SEATS!. Yes, seats are an option. Without seats you must sit sidesaddle on the pontoon and get a wet bum. Gypsies don't have seats. You've seen pictures of them on our blog getting into their dinghy all decked out in their wet weather gear ala the space astronauts getting ready for an EVA.

Other options include a center console with all the steering and throttle and shifter controls. Without the console the driver sits on the pontoon and controls the motor with a "tiller". Another popular accessory is the Tilt and Trim. This allows the driver to raise the engine in shallower water so the prop does not hit the bottom and the cool water intake does not get clogged. Rickshaw has one of these. But, as you read in an earlier blog, it must be activated to avoid the great "sand-sucking" sound. More options include self balers, a myriad of electronics, Bimini tops (sun shades) and on and on.

Our dink is a simple Avon RIB. Avon is the name of the manufacturer and RIB means Rigid Inflatable Boat. It's rigid because it has a fiberglass hull. It is inflatable because it has tubes of air (pontoons) glued to the fiberglass bottom that make up the sides and front. And it is a boat because..well, you know--it floats. Our only luxury is a center console and seats. We like those.

Some dinghies are all inflatable. They have a soft bottom. They are lighter of course, have less support and a bouncier ride. Some of the soft bottom boats have hard floor boards that can be installed to give them more stability inside. Some dinghies are all fiberglass. They are much heavier. The RIB has become the most common, I believe, because it provides a combination of hard hull for a nice ride and soft sides for lighter weight. Although all are very nice and important to have and to maintain.

Dinks are carried on the big boat or towed behind the big boat. We carry ours in our garage--a cradle on the boat deck about 15 feet above the water. Dinks that are carried on a boat deck require a davit (small crane) to lift them out of the water and into the cradle and visa verse. The crane also comes in various sizes and must be selected to accommodate the weight and size of the dink. For example our davit is a simple one. It is of fixed length but turns 360 degrees to move the dinghy off the deck and over the water to raise or lower. September Song's davit is state of the art. It spins 360 degrees and also telescopes to accommodate many different size dinghies.

We know one boater who needed a new dinghy and bought a state of the art RIB with a new state of the art engine (heavy), only to find out that their current davit (still in great working order) could not support the added weight. Yep, a new davit was installed soon thereafter at significant expense. However, like September Song, they now have one of the best systems on a cruising boat and we have dinghy/davit envy.

There's more. The dink has to be propelled through the water. So, it's muscle power or mechanical power. If it's muscle-powered someone has to row the boat. A mechanically-powered boat has, of course, a motor. Like the davit, the motor has to be matched with the dinghy. Dinks are rated for the size motor they can handle. Additionally, some dinks use an outboard motor and some can accommodate a small inboard motor. Tide Hopper uses an outboard motor.

We also have outboard motor envy. We have a 10-year old 2-stroke engine that smokes and coughs and is loud. It being a 2-stroke type, we must mix oil and gas together and put that mixture in the tank. Almost all of our cruising companions have new state of the art 4-stroke engines--even the Gypsies! A 4-stroke engine is like a car engine and does not require an oil/gas mixture--just the gas. So, operators don't have to fuss with the mess and smell of mixing oil and gas. They are also quieter, but they are heavier.

Our dinghy and motor are both 10 years old. They came with the boat. You could say we have a used car. And, like a lot of other things on this boat the motor had to be significantly overhauled to make it run right. But since then, it has been doing just fine. Some purists--mostly sail boaters--will not own a motor and insist on rowing their dinghy. Not us since we tend to go on long Sunday rides in the country.

So, our used family car, while not state of the art is quite functional and has accommodated our transportation needs. If we did not just jinx it, we hope to avoid the significant expense of replacing it for a long time. If we did, we are going to look for an economic recovery act incentive to replace it. Happy motoring!!

Important: Names and events in this blog entry are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Are you still awake?

Atlantis!!

We're still waiting for winds to lay down while in Nassau. Ho Hum. Again, the winds have been consistent at 20-25 knots with higher gusts. We're rocking pretty much in the slip, but not a hindrance. It is good to get off the boat though. So......

On to Atlantis, the premier destination resort on Paradise Island, just across the harbour from New Providence Island and Nassau. They offer day passes ($110 each) for cruise line passengers and others. For this flat fee, we had a full day's use of all the facilities, including the world-famous aquarium, restaurants, pools, beaches and water park. Rick and Lynnie joined us for a day of Aquaventure. First:

The Aquarium

The aquarium is a massive archaeological dig that surrounds most of the entire facility and was constructed to replicate the lost city of Atlantis. Seawater is pumped in and the brochure says that 10,000 fish species are living there. It is spectacular! One can view the entire aquarium from the sides by looking through walls of floor-to-ceiling 6" glass panels; from above by walking the perimeter of the facility and looking down; from underneath through glass tube tunnels; and, via water slides in the water park that whisks riders underneath (also through glass tube tunnels). There is an eel section, a predator section (sharks, barracuda, etc), a jellyfish section, a lobster section and on and on. But most of the fish live all together. Everything from sharks, rays, lion fish, reef fish, grouper, etc are there. Truly a sight to see. Here are some shots of the aquarium that really do not do the facility justice, but will give you an idea. (Please overlook the misspelled labels, thanks.)

The Grounds

No detail was left out. This facility was painstakingly designed and built to replicate Atlantis. The beautiful walking paths through palm trees, the many swimming pools of "gin clean" fresh water, the manicured beaches, the restaurants, hotel towers and all out buildings held the "Atlantis" theme throughout. And, all the employees, no matter what their job, were friendly, accommodating, helpful, respectful and fun. Just walking the grounds and joking with these customer service folks was a blast. Take a look at some of the pics of the grounds.

The Water Park

I did not want to risk getting the camera wet, so we have no pictures of the water park activities. Let me just say that, The Wisconsin Dells, the water park capital of the US can't hold a match to this place. There is a mile long inner tube ride through rapids, falls and currents. Along the way, one can get off the "river" and take rides on the water slides. Some rides are used with the tube and others are just body slides. The first slide was a tube slide. We walked up the stairs and inside of a Mayan-appearing pyramid to the top of the slide. Here we descended on our inner tubes inside pitch black water slides making hair pin turns at high speeds and throwing us out at the bottom in a pool of water. There were several like this. On one ride, it dropped you about 200 ft into a glass tube that crossed under the aquarium's predator tank. So, as you slowly rode the currents to the end, you could see sharks swimming beside and over you. FANTASTIC!

But Norm most enjoyed the "plunge". After 3 or 4 courage-building Bahama Colada's Norm had to try it. This was a body slide where you lay feet crossed and in front of you, arms crossed on your chest and head slightly raised off the surface. "Geronimo", an 85% vertical fall of about 200 ft on a ribbon of water that, again, spit you out at light speed into a warm reservoir of deep water. As Tammy says, "WICKED COOL"!! One more visit to the restroom to change his pants and Norm rejoined the others for a nightcap! Sorry about the pictures, but hopefully you can sense the exhilarating experience it was.

Get the Grill Ready--It's Mahi Time!!

After enjoying the Research Center and a wonderful seafood pasta dinner aboard Life's 2 Short at Lee Stocking Island, we began our journey north and back to the US. (It seems that Brenda is more than a pyromanic. She is also a great cook and the seafood pasta and salad dinner was to die for. Thanks guys. Hope to see you on the waters again soon.)

But there were still places to see that we missed on our cruise south. So, we first went outside (the deeper Exumas Sound, rather than the more shallower Exumas Bank) to Black Point to reconnect with Rickshaw. Life's 2 Short continued south to Terrebarrie. Since we were in deeper water (2000-3000 fathoms), we let out the fishing line in hopes of catching a Mahi Mahi. And, we got lucky. After an hour of cruising, we got a strike. Vicki slowed down the boat and kept her in the right position as Norm fought the fish. We lucked out and were able to land a 36-inch Mahi. Not too big but good for my first catch. After cleaning up, we set the line out a second time. We fished for another hour. Norm went up to the bridge to relieve Vicki at the helm for 5 minutes. Unfortunately, in that short time, another fish was on and took the entire lure and 300 ft of line with it. Bummer! Oh well, we have some meaty fillets in the fridge from the first catch.

We caught up with Rickshaw that night. Vicki had already thawed some flank steak, just in case. So we needed to eat that. Rick and Lynnie joined us for steak and potatoes on the barbie. Hmmmmm.

The winds have been picking up and are forecasted to continue to do that, ala last month. So we were rocking and rolling in the anchorage. We departed the next day for Pipe Creek. We missed it on the way down and it has been described to us as the "Jule of the Exumas". We anchored between Rat Cay and some visible rocks called "the mice". A funny phenomenon occurs here. The boat moves in opposite direction to the tidal flow. This was described in the cruising guide so we were ready for it, but still weird. Neither Rickshaw nor we were happy with the hold here and slept uncomfortably that night. We decided to haul out the next day after a brief dingy ride to look for some "wonderful" coral reefs to snorkel. Ugh! Nothing to be found and the Pipe Creek area, to us at least, is very "over rated". One saving grace was our dinghy ride over to Sampson Cay Yacht Club on Sampson Cay. It was Saturday and lunch buffet was being served on the beach. So, we all feasted on all-you-can-eat Bahamian barbecued chicken and ribs, Bahamian mac and cheese and corn on the cob. We had a great time on the beach with the locals. Vicki decided to challenge all to a game of horseshoes, declaring herself the "Woop-ass Woman". She did in fact win and was crowned reigning champion. We played lots of horseshoes and drank lots of rum punches and beer. So many in fact the tide went out and left us stranded. Ho Hum, stranded on a warm sunny Bahamian beach with all-you-can-eat buffet, ice cold beer and rum punch. Oh, the perils we must endure.

We departed for Shroud, another Cay we missed on the way down; and, hopefully a calmer anchorage with good holding. Shroud has some spectacular winding creeks through mangroves ending at Camp Driftwood-a campsite used by a sail boater for years. The creeks were beautiful with dark blue ribbons of deep water inside light blue shallow parts. Rick, Vicki and Norm hiked up to the top of the hill to the campsite and immediately were impressed by the vistas we were able to view from there.

But again, the winds caught up with us and gave us another rolly-polly anchorage experience. So, off to Norman's Cay and McDuff's restaurant, bar, and Internet WiFi. Here, we skyped 2 of Norm's daughters in Milwaukee and other friends. Norm's brother and a few others were not on line and therefore un-skypeable.

Rick and Lynnie wanted to dink over to Norman's Pond and get some conch for gifts. So, we both dinked the 20 minutes over to the pond. Unfortunately, we did not time the tides correctly and we ended up in shallow waters. Rick's lower unit grabbed up some sand and clogged. We remember what Bob on September Song did and repeated the procedure. We removed the rubber tube connecting the intake to the pump and blew the obstruction free. Da Daaaaaa, it worked and Rick was up and running again.

The winds are forecasted to be worse over the next few days (20-30 knots) So, once again we ran ahead of the strong stuff and are currently in a slip at the Nassau Harbour Club Marina and will be for a few days. Winds have picked up as expected and we have been hit with a couple squalls while here. But we are safe and comfortable here and will wait out the weather before crossing the "Tongue of the Ocean"--the really deep stuff, the Bahama Bank--the really shallow stuff; and finally, the Gulf Stream--the really deep and fast stuff.

While waiting we decided to take advantage of being here and to do some exploring. We took down the bikes and Vicki and Norm biked into town. NOT a very bike-friendly place--speeding cars on very narrow streets. Vicki walked her bike a lot. We got to the Cruise Ship Terminals and toursit haven. Straw markets, conch shell, t-shirt and duty-free liquor and perfume merchants abound. Of course, there are the many colorful restaurants serving Bahamian, Island and American food. One building of special interest is the library. It used to be the jail. The building was a round, 2-story one with a balcony on the top--probably for the guards. The books were on shelves in the cells. Inside pics were not allowed.

Perry Marine Research Institute

It’s Thursday, May 7. The Research Institute announced on the VHF radio that the tour would begin at 11:30 today. They require at least 6 people and we had 10—so we are on for the tour. Todd and Brenda picked us up in their dink and as Poncho (Cisco the Kid’s riding buddy) used to say, “Let’s went”.

What a place—well worth the wait. It’s a nonprofit institute that hosts research scientists and grad students from various universities in the U.S. Peak research time is summer when the universities are on summer break. The institute has a full-time staff of 4 people and up to 30 researchers at any time in the summer months. We saw experiments on the effect of water temperature on coral bleaching, the effect of nutrient runoff on the growth of sponges and algae, and the effect of pollution on the gender of gobe fish. Experiments are done in labs and outdoor tanks on the institute grounds and also in the waters off the surrounding cays. Lots of air tanks for diving, including nitrox and re-breathers for dives up to 300 feet. The institute has a hyperbaric chamber for treating divers afflicted with the ‘bends’. It’s one of the sites that Divers’ Alert Network can use – divers can be helicoptered or flown into the landing strip or helipad on the island.

The institute makes its own water, generates its own electricity, and has a dump where the garbage is burned. Fuel for the generator and the 11 boats is delivered by a fuel barge and pumped into their tanks. A large order of groceries for the busy summer season is delivered by ship. Guest students/scientists are evacuated to Atlanta if any hurricane threatens. But, the staff says put up to Level 2. They have a shelter to use is such cases. Pretty cool.

Our Southern-Most Exumas Cay

Subtitle: Un-reunited Again

Our DeFever Group partially split up after Staniel Cay. We said good bye to the Shipps, aboard Silver Boots and the Rohrs aboard Lucky Stars as they started the journey back north. September Song, Gypsies in the Palace, Rickshaw, Life’s 2 Short and Tide Hiker continued south to Black Point Settlement on Big Guana Cay. After a couple of days at Black Point, we said good-byes to September Song and Gypsies. They went to George Town. Life’s 2 Short, Rickshaw and Tide Hiker went to Little Farmer’s Cay. After a day there, Tide Hiker and Life’s 2 Short continued south to Lee Stocking Island—our southernmost Exumas cay. Rickshaw returned to Black Point to wait for us. We will not make it to George Town which is another 30 or so miles south. We’re OK with that because the last thing we need is a big town. We much prefer the smaller settlements.

Black Point Settlement
Black Point Settlement is the oldest traditional settlement in the Bahamas. It has 55 permanent residents, according to the cruise guides. Black Point has a huge, anchorage in plenty of water just off shore from the “government dock”. Black Point Settlement is also known for Lorraine’s café and bakery and internet and bar. What a one-stop treat. Lorraine’s mom makes delectable coconut bread that is well known throughout the cruising world. We ordered it and after toasting in the morning, discovered why. It has a coconut and brown sugary and secret ingredient swirl throughout that is to die for.

Todd and Brenda were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary, so that was just what the group needed to hear to…….. PARTY!! Lorraine cooked up a plate of fresh grouper and beef ribs along with Bahamian mac and cheese, rice and beans and potato salad—for $18. Plus she baked a chocolate pineapple cake for Todd and Brenda which we all shared. Feasting again! Lorraine had no bartender, so she put a sheet of paper on the bar, said help yourself and mark down your drinks—Beers for $4 and mixed drinks for $5.

Black Point also has one of the most modern Laundromats. Or as it is spelled here—Laundermat! Our Laundromat owning friends in Delaware, will get a kick out of that! Aside from all the joking about the spelling, etc. we have discovered that the Bahamian’s are the friendliest, honest, helpful, kind, family-oriented people. We just love being with them and look forward to each and every person we meet.

We stayed another couple of days to recuperate and take advantage of the great beaches in the area—one of which was the scene for our second bonfire. Brenda is known to be the group’s pyromaniac—followed very closely by Doug aboard Gypsies. They love a big fire and there was lots of dry wood in the area to burn. This was the last night for all to be together, so it was good bye to September Song and Gypsies—until the next time.

Little Farmers Cay

Rickshaw, Life’s 2 Short and Tide Hiker cruised south to Little Farmers Cay—home to the famous Ocean Cabin Café and Bar. Terry Bain, the owner, also manages some mooring balls in the harbor which we used. Check out Terry’s sign on the front of the restaurant.

Life’s 2 Short met up with some friends there and we dined with Rick and Lynnie aboard Rickshaw. Lynnie cooked up a fantastic linguini with clams and a salad. Vicki made a “French silk Pie”. Needless to say—another feast. Then Vicki got her “Dancing with the Stars” addiction fixed since Rickshaw has a satellite TV system.

On Tuesday at slack tide, we departed for Lee Stocking Island and the Perry Marine Research Institute.

Lee Stocking Island

Little Farmers was a one-stopper for us. Rickshaw decided to stay another night and try the restaurant. But, we moved on to Lee Stocking Island—home of the Perry Marine Research Center. Life’s 2 Short went to Rudder Cay. Just after arriving on Tuesday, Vicki and Norm hiked to Perry’s Peak—the tallest point in the Exumas at a whopping 123 ft above sea level. Here are some shots from the peak.

We had a nice dinner outside on the cockpit. Norm grilled up some red potatoes, beans and salmon. We watched the sunset and blew the conch to put the sun to rest for the day. We danced to the 70’s music playing of the XM satellite radio and reveled in the peace. A wonderful respite.

The Marine Research Center here offers tours on Thursday’s, so we are waiting for today’s tour. On Wednesday, we snorkeled some of the coral reefs in the area. We got directions from the Research Center to dink over to the weather stick in the channel and tie up to a buoy there. We did that and saw some really nice coral heads and many different fish on a very shallow reef. We had to swim around some of the coral heads that were above the water surface. “Wicked cool”, as Tammy would say. There was a pretty strong surge there, so we swam against the current first.As we were getting out of the water on to the dinghy, Todd and Brenda were just rounded the bend on the channel on their way to our anchorage. They honked and we waved. After they got settled and we explored some more, we all ended up on Perry’s Beach for an afternoon of tanning, storytelling and cocktails. Vicki made a batch of margaritas including glasses with the salted rim. Ummmmmm! It was early to bed after dinner—again on the cockpit with the sunset; and this time, a symphony of conch horns from a few boats. Good night!