Merry Christman

We spent three days in Vero on a mooring ball rafted up next to a beautiful Island Packet 45, Margarita, with a very nice couple, Bill and Margaret, who we really enjoyed. They were on their boat when we arrived and were able to assist in our rafting . They were waiting for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas. While in Vero we were able to visit with some friends from Annapolis who are heading south and also where able to take the free public bus into town to get a little shopping done. We can't do too much at one time since I am the only one who can currently carry any groceries back to Spunky.

Vero Beach has a mooring field off of the municipal marina in a very protected creek. They pretty much accommodate all boats by rafting (tying together) 2-3 boats on a ball. It is a nice place to stop with easy access to groceries and boat services. We enjoyed our stay but were anxious to get a mooring in Stuart where we planned to stay until John's doc appt. back in Melbourne on Jan 4. We were in touch with our friend Jage who lives on her boat in the Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart and was assisting us in getting an open mooring. They fill up quickly and do not raft boats so we needed to know when one came open so we could get there quickly. Jage suggested we come down and anchor across the river if none were available so we left Vero early Sunday morning and headed down the ICW with plans to arrive between 1 and 2 p.m. in Stuart. On our way we received a call from the marina that our name was next on the list and there was a ball available. On the way down our throttle cable stuck and would not let us accelerate past a certain point so we were a little bit slow in transit but arrived and attempted to pick up the empty ball. Usually John drives up to the mooring ball and I use a boat hook to grab it and attach it by line to Spunky. It is not usually a problem.  We proceeded as usual but as we approached the ball Spunky's momentum kept her going past the ball while I was holding on. I ended up flat on the deck holding on to the pennant as it floated past the bow toward the stern while trying to communicate with John that I needed help. We didn't have a hand signal for Help!! I finally let it go and we circled around for our second try. I was just on edge with all my new responsibilities and didn't handle things as well as I might have. The second time worked fine and we had a chuckle about our first try.

Stuart is a charming town on the St. Lucia River with a small downtown area with restaurants and shops within walking distance of the marina. We have enjoyed the potlucks and 'meet and greets' at the marina. Dec. 21 was a Christmas sing-a-long in the Marina lounge. We have used the marina shuttle to get to West Marine, Publix grocery store, and Walmart.It runs twice a week in the morning. Today we walked into the old downtown area and found the public bus stop which is a free service that goes to the big box stores out on Highway US 1.

It is Christmas Eve and we are back on Spunky fixing dinner and relaxing. Tomorrow will be a potluck dinner with the cruisers and marina inhabitants who are here for the holiday. We are thinking of all our family and friends and hoping everyone has a wonderful day. We are thrilled to have a new granddaughter, born on Dec. 21, Cora Elizabeth Solomon. Know that you all are all in our thoughts and our hearts.

Merry Christmas,
Elyse and John

Heading South

Hello to you.  It has been too long since I sent an update.  So long I have forgotten many of the shortcuts on the Mac.  I will work to do better.  I have added Elyse's updates which are always better written and entertaining.  If you like, you can read mine as the Reader's Digest version.

We are currently located in Stuart, FL.  It is one of our favorite stops along the way.  We are on a mooring and have all of the services of showers and laundry.  We met friends from last year when we were here and Elyse is off shopping with them now. We are back in cruising form.  Only wear shoes to go ashore and the long pants have been stored away.  We are dealing with bugs but that is a small sacrifice.

This past year we made a pledge to renew old friendships and contacts.  We rented a car in Annapolis and drove around and visited kids and grandkids who had not been able to visit us in DC.  We also saw my old VMI roommate, Larry Boese, and his wife.  Larry is a retired 3 star Air Force general.  I wish I had followed his lead in school.  We saw my old boss and close friend Ann Sarles in Memphis and saw friends in Panama City.  On the way back to Annapolis we spent the night with the Larkens in Columbia, SC

The Annapolis Harbor Boatyard again got Spunky ready to head south.  New bottom paint and polish.  Our big purchase this year was a water maker.  We are looking forward to an unlimited supply of fresh water while in the Bahamas.  We worked at the Boat Show again.  More work than money so we are trying to decide if we will return next year.  We spent time with lots of old friends and met some new ones.

We headed south around the first of November.  It was already getting much too cold.  We stopped in Solomon's Island and had trouble with the windlass which pulls the anchor and chain back on board.  They do not make our model any more and parts are getting hard to find.  We decided we would bite the bullet and go replace it and upgrade the size to handle our larger 73 lb anchor.  As we continued south, Hurricane Sandy was coming north.

We had promised to stop and see my old friend Renny Barnes in Fleets bay on the Chesapeake.  Renny and I grew up two blocks from each other from the time we were in 2nd grade.  He and his beautiful wife Lena built and incredible home on a point of land near White Stone, VA.  They had arranged for us to put Spunky at a friends dock because their water was too shallow.  At the same time we research and selected our new Maxwell windlass.  Sandy passed by and we adjusted lines and lived with two feet of water over the dock.  After passing it turned very cold.  We quickly accepted Lena's invitation to move into their warm home.  Through their contacts we selected a yard to help with the deck modifications that were needed.

We have seldom been better cared for.  It was great spending time with Renny and sharing old stories with Lena and Elyse.  Some of them may have even been true.  Because of the hurricane many businesses in the Northeast were closed.  It took longer than expected to get the windlass and I started filling out adoption papers and prepared to change our name to Barnes.  Friends went from it is so great for Renny to spend time with his old friend to, "they're still there?". We went to a neighbor's birthday party and the local Oyster Festival.

We moved to the Weldon Brothers Marina in Deltaville for the installation and they did a fantastic job at a great price.  As you will read, I am very happy we put in the new windlass.  Renny and Lena drove over and took us to dinner.

We had great weather with good wind behind us as we moved south.  We went through the Dismal Swamp that had been built by George Washington and dug by hand.  We stopped in Elizabeth City and spent a couple of nights with Don and Jean Pratt, another childhood friend.  At one point on the Nuess River we hit 9.5 knots of speed, motor sailing with just our genoa out.  For us that was very exciting.  We reached Hilton Head right after Thanksgiving.

We secured the boat in a marina and moved into a time share condo with Ann Sarles and another old friend Marilyn Shane.  While there we saw Michael Griffith and his daughter Ryan.  Like Haley she is still looking for the "right" position.  She spent years over seas in the middle and far east.

We left Hilton Head and sailed overnight to St Augustine, FL.  From their we followed the ICW to Cocoa Village and met up with my Cousin, Mary Solomon.  She is a retired Air Force LTC who at one point had taught Astronautical Physics at the Naval Academy.  She spent most of her career launching missiles and putting up satellites.  She now teaches underwater photography and diving.  She was able to fix Elyse up with all new snorkeling gear for a song.

We left there for the Seven Seas Cruising Association meeting in Melbourne.  It is a great group we listened to some nationally known speakers and saw several people we had met last year in our travels.  On Saturday night we left a little early to return to our boat.  Our dingy was tangled in a group of seven others.  I had to climb around and push and pull lines to get where we could get in and get back to our boat.  At that point things got bad.

I started having increasing pain in my lower abdomen.  It became so severe I told Elyse I needed to get to a hospital.  When we were unable to reach friends at the meeting who had cars I said call an ambulance.  At the hospital it was determined I had an acute hernia.  They had to put me to sleep to stuff my intestines back in the hole.   The next day the operated and repaired it.  Over the years Elyse had learned how to operate the dingy and outboard but as rule I handled it.  She returned to it at 1:30 am alone and started the engine and got back to the boat.  She has had to take over all the chores and lifting on the boat.  I am glad we have the new windlass that enables her to raise the anchor with a foot peddle.

We then went to Vero Beach and now to Stuart.  We will be here through Christmas and maybe New Years.  We will rent a car and drive back to Melbourne for my follow up appointment.  We are still planning to go to Miami and then cross to the Bahamas.

Spunky Fall 2012

After leaving St. Augustine, FL, we had two nice days of motoring down through FL to Cocoa where we anchored out and spent some time with cousin Mary Solomon. Mary was kind to take us to her home where we could shower and do laundry. We were able to use her great expertise to purchase new snorkel equipment. She is a master diver and travels the world diving and exploring.  We wandered through Cocoa Village with lots of small gift shops and art galleries. It is lovely here. We can't believe how many dolphins we saw on the trip down. I dug out my bird book to follow the shore birds. Today the temp is forecast to be in the high 70's. I am finally warm.

We arrived in Eau Gallie Wed. morning and anchored close to the civic center where the SSCA gam will take place over the weekend. We plan to enjoy the speakers and vendor displays and ask a lot of questions of the other cruisers.

Well Friday and Saturday went well and we heard good speakers, saw friends and had a good time. Around 9 p.m. we were tired and headed back to Spunky on the hook out in the anchorage. There were about 6-7 dinghys at the dock and John had to push and pull to get ours out of the group. As he climbed onto Spunky he started having strong pains in his lower abdomen. In a few minutes the pain went from bad to worse. I tried to reach our friend Debbie with a car who had driven down to the gam but the call did not go through so I called 911. They said to get him to shore and there would be an ambulance. We got to shore and rode to the nearest hospital where they determined it was an acute hernia and proceeded to try and push John's intestines back into his abdomen. The pain was intense and the admitting doc called the surgeon who came down and put John under anesthesia so they could push things back together. When that was done it was about 1 a.m. and I left him called a taxi and returned to the dock. Due to my back problems, I don't often start the outboard or run the dinghy but there I was at 1:30 a.m. by myself getting the outboard going and getting myself back to Spunky. I was truly concerned that I would not be able to get the outboard started as it can be temperamental not to mention steering the thing accurately enough to glide up along side Spunky and climb aboard. I did both and arrived totally exhausted but so hyped up that after running the generator to charge the batteries I could not get to sleep.  I managed those trips in to shore and back to Spunky until Monday afternoon when the surgeon released John after preforming repair surgery on Sunday and with a promise not to lift anything or strain for 6 weeks. Our good friend Debbie, with whom we sailed in the Bahamas last winter, was there for us driving me back and forth from the dock to the hospital and back again.

Tuesday we figured out a way for me to raise the dinghy onto the davits since I don't have the strength to pull it up and my back was not up to that task even if I did. Wednesday morning John coached me through raising the anchor and we were off to Vero Beach to catch a mooring and spend a few days trying to do some provisioning. We arrived Wed. afternoon and rafted up with a 45 ft. Island Packet (beautiful boat). Later I will lower the dinghy (not as hard as raising it) and we will head into the marina.

We have pretty much decided we will not attend another gam considering it was last year at the gam in Annapolis when I ended up in the hospital for emergency abdominal surgery late Saturday night. We are not up for a replay of these medical emergencies.

After leaving Barefoot Marina we made good time and arrived at Minim Creek where we dropped anchor. We began to notice there were, would you believe it, mosquitos in the cockpit enclosure. That was our first indication that we were indeed in the south. The next morning at daybreak it was once again COLD so I guess the mosquitos were sorry they made an appearance. I know we where.

We made it through Charleston on the day before T-day. Our timing was right and we were able to get through the Ben Sawyer and Wappo River Bridges on request which was helpful to our schedule. Mon. - Fri. they are both closed from 6-9 in the a.m. and 4-6 in the afternoon. We anchored on the Stono River. It has strong current and often brisk winds but we were fine with our trusty anchor and new windlass. On the way, in the morning after the sun had come up, we passed two eagles. One was sitting on an ICW marker post and the other was standing on the shore. I believe they were soaking up the warm sunshine which I was doing as well.

The past 2 days we have motored as there has been very little wind. By the afternoons we begin shedding all the layers of clothes we pile on every morning. Each day it seems the weather is getting better. We have passed 3 barges in 2 days going down the canal and bumped the bottom twice trying to move over to the side to let the barge,being pushed by a tug, go by. It is nerve wracking when that happens. The barges are huge and really fill up the canal.

We spent the next night, Thanksgiving evening, anchored just south of Beaufort, SC knowing that we would arrive in Hilton Head early the following day giving us time to get up Broad Creek and into our marina for the week we will spend there. We arrived around noon and got checked in. We then washed down the deck and cockpit enclosure which was covered with dirt and salt from our travels. We plan on spending the day organizing and cleaning both ourselves and Spunky.

Our week in Hilton Head was wonderful. It was a very quiet and relaxing time with friends. Hilton Head is a beautiful island that has been comparatively cautious with development as opposed to many resort areas. There are thousands of acres preserved in their natural state with abundant flora and fauna. Our marina was populated with many dolphins that swam between the docked boats throughout the day. We were sorry to leave but Friday at daybreak we motored down Broad Creek and headed out to sea. The day was fair. We had moderate wind and motor sailed throughout the day and into the night taking shifts of about 3 hours each (actually John took longer shifts than I). By nightfall the waves were coming across the beam and tossing us back and forth. Everything not tied down below fell to the floor and what was tied down shifted it's location. Every time that I tried to sleep I was tossed off the settee. At 4 a.m. we reached the point at which we could turn toward St. Augustine and enter the inlet or try for the Canaveral Canal, and although the guides caution on shoaling and the need for local knowledge in St. Augustine we were ready for a rest and we decided to go for it. We slowed down as we approached the entry bouys to try and time our entry for sunrise so we would be able to see the inlet markers and called the City Marina for advice on which areas to watch. We made a successful entry and were safely at the fuel dock by 8:15 a.m.

Tomorrow morning we will once again depart at daybreak heading for the Melbourne area where we will visit friends and family and possibly attend the SSCA gam. Today we took a mooring ball, showered and treated ourselves to a nice lunch at A1A Restaurant. This afternoon John is tracking down small leaks and topping off oil and coolant. The air temp was close to 70 degrees and the water temp over 50!! We are finally getting far enough south to be comfortable.

Elyse and John

Heading South, Fall 2012

Well all is well. The windlass was completed by Monday morning and we left at 10:30 hoping to make Norfolk. We entered Hampton Roads in the dark and made for an anchorage at Hospital Point which is named for the Veterans Hospital there. As we motored past the navy yard with all the ships in port we were shadowed by a patrol boat with flashing lights. The anchorage when we arrived had about 6 boats but we found a spot and dropped anchor for the night. It is always a relief to find an anchorage where there is room for us.

We were up at 5:30 a.m. when it was still dark in order to travel the distance to the Gilmerton Bridge before 6:30 at which time it closes to passing vessels until 9:30 a.m. We needed to get through so we could get through the Deep Creek Lock on the Dismal Swamp by 8:30 so we could make it all the way through the swamp in one day and end up in Elizabeth City at night fall. We are still hopeful that we can make Hilton Head in time to meet our friends. While pulling up the anchor for the first time we discovered that the windlass would not set the anchor. So John used the winch to set it and we were off and running to the bridge.

The dock master at the Deep Creek Lock where vessels are raised to canal level, invited the crews on the 3 boats in to his house for breakfast and a short history lesson on the canal. It was wonderful to be inside as it was raining hard and very cold standing on Spunky's deck with our ropes tied to the lock wall as the water rose to canal height.

We left there and headed for the South Mills lock and made it through in great time but alas were held up for the scheduled opening at the Elizabeth City Bridge resulting in our trying to find our slip at Pelican Marina in the dark and cold. Neither of us see too well after dark. While we were waiting for the bridge, I called the bridge tender and passed along a hello from friends Chris and Sheila on the catamaran Never Bored who we met in St. Mary's, GA last year. They had met and enjoyed a friendship with Jack the bridge tender the previous year on their way south.  He said it made his day to have a message from Chris and Sheila and offered us the use of his truck while we were in town.

We stayed 2 nights at Pelican Marina and our friends Don and Jean came over from Southern Shores, NC to pick us up and take us to their home for a great dinner, a shower and laundry. They drove us down the outer banks to see the damage inflicted by Sandy. What a mess. There were piles of furniture on the roadside awaiting pickup. On Thursday morning we were back on our way south.

Due to the Northeast winds we were able to put our genoa out and make great time. The first night we anchored outside the entrance to the Alligator River-Pungo River canal. The winds were hight but we were fine. We were on the way by 6:30 the next morning but just as we entered the canal the engine overheated and John discovered a leak in a coolant hose. We dropped anchor in the canal and in 20 min. John did a quick repair  with Rescue Tape and we were on our way. We could not believe how many boats were passing us going south. Must be the late start for everyone due to Sandy.

We spent Friday night just north of Oriental, NC  at River Dunes marina and left at the crack Sat. morning heading for Beaufort, NC in the hopes we could go off shore but no such luck the waves outside were 10-14 ft. and the winds were high so we committed to the ICW and put out our genoa. With a good NNE wind we made great time and pulled into Hammock Bay to anchor along with about 10 other vessels. Hammock Bay is at the south end of Camp Lejune and is the only anchorage available in that stretch. The winds were high throughout the night and a small sailboat pulled in over our anchor chain late in the evening. We were concerned about leaving in the a.m. (neither of us got much sleep) as we are usually the first ones out at daybreak and we knew it would be difficult to pull anchor with the other boat sitting over our chain. It was a problem but fortunately the captain heard us start our engine and came up to move his boat.

The weather was pretty crumby during the day. Lots of heavy rain and wind. It was cold as well.  We put out our genoa and made it to Carolina Beach where we anchored in 25-30 mph winds for the night. Our anchor held tight and the next morning on the Cape Fear River the winds continued high but we kept going and made it to Barefoot Marina inside South Caroling for the night. John took a taxi (no curtesy car) to West Marine to get the required hose to repair the leak and then changed the oil. The long days are beginning to catch up to us.

This morning we left at daybreak and  there was no wind so here we are motoring along hoping to pass Georgetown, SC today and get to Charleston on Wed. Nov. 21. The sun is out and the Wacamaw River is beautiful. 

Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving.

Elyse and John

Sandy

We left Annapolis on Sunday afternoon and stayed the night in the Rhode River which is 2 rivers south. The next morning we set out for Solomon's Is. and had a nice motor sail in light winds and arrived to an almost empty anchorage in Mill Creek. We relaxed and prepared to leave early the next morning to make Fleets Bay just north of Deltaville, VA. We were planning to meet a childhood friend of John's who lives on the water outside of Whitestone, VA. When we pulled anchor that morning there was a problem with the windlass which did not have its usual power. John was able to raise the anchor the last few feet using the mast winch. We arrived in Fleets Bay and John's friend Renny had arranged with a neighbor for us to use his dock on Ashley Cove just off Dymer Creek. We pulled in and secured lines and Renny picked us up and took us to his home on the point with amazing views of the Chesapeake. We met his wife Lena and their Labradoodle, Boson. They had their home built and moved in a year or so ago. This area of the Northern Neck is charming. There are quaint little towns and boating is a big part of the economy. It is beautiful here especially this time of year with all the leaves changing color.

Renny found us two fellows who came and removed the windlass to trouble shoot the problem. Bottom line is that the gears are shot. It is an old windlass. The motor we replaced last spring is fine but the rest of the mechanics are very worn. The particular windlass we have is no longer made and the company has been bought by Lewmar. We spent the next two days trying to research our options. We decided it was not worth trying to repair the old windlass as we would not be sure how long it would last and we were not confident in going out of the country with that uncertainty. We were referred by another friend of Renny's to a local marina and we now await an estimate for a replacement which will require some deck work when it is installed. During all of this Renny and Lena have taken care of us. They, including Boson, have driven us around trying to find info on how to fix or replace our windlass, fed us and provided us a sounding board in our decision making.

In the midst of all of this, Sandy, came on the scene. She started moving up through Cuba and Haiti and the Bahamas. The entire neighborhood was glued to the weather channel. By Friday morning neighbors and friends were assisting each other in trailering boats from the water up the road to a high area that would not flood with the storm surge. We helped our friends move their beautiful little skipjack and their outdoor furniture. We have been trying to decide whether to stay at the dock or move out into the creek. Without having the windlass and with our heavy anchor and chain we are reluctant to move but concerned with the high storm surge and keeping Spunky safely off the dock. Our friends are trying to decide whether to stay in their home as during the last storm, Irene, the road to their home was washed out. Some of their neighbors are packing up and leaving. I think Renny and Lena will stay as they have a generator and will have electricity but the group of homes on the point have a common well and if the power goes out they will have no water. We will, of course, stay on Spunky so we can adjust lines and take care of any problems that arise. I admit that I am quite anxious. So much can happen. We will be stuck aboard Spunky as the water rises above the dock. It looks now like things will start deteriorating on Sat. night and we will get increasingly stronger winds and rain through Tuesday. Much depends on where Sandy come ashore. The Navy in Norfolk are moving their ships out to sea..All the marinas are scrambling to get boats out of the water as the storm approaches so we will not even be able to start the windlass replacement process until mid week. What we thought would be a leisurely trip down to Hilton Head now looks like we will be rushing to get to our Thanksgiving celebration with friends.

I wrote this last night. As of this morning the reports are that Sandy will be turning west a little farther north which is good for us and the storm surge will not be as strong as earlier predicted. This is what we have been hoping for. We won't know until it is over what in fact will actually happen. Thanks for all your notes of concern. We will let you know how we are as the storm moves over us. Hope you are all battened down and those of you effected by Sandy are not without power too long.

Fall is here

Hello all,

Sorry I haven't provided more updates of late.  Today is our day off from working at the Sailboat Show.  It is a great day to be off.  The weather is cold and rainy.  We went into a marina and did our laundry and took hot showers.  I am getting a little old to put in 12 hour days doing physical labor.  For now we are just working the gates collecting tickets.  We went through the show and picked up things on our list.  Elyse decided that after 20 years she needed a new foul weather jacket.  We may go back and order new cockpit cushions.

We are now planning to leave to head south after the show toward the end of the month. A couple of friends will be in the area and we plan to meet them for dinner.  We are hopeful to see kids before we head out and will see if our schedules will match.  We used some of our visa points and rented a car for the month of September.  We drove out to see family and friends and in St Louis, Memphis, Montgomery, Panama City and Columbia, SC.  It was great seeing lots of people to include my VMI roommate Larry Boese that I hadn't seen for 50 years.  We have also loaded up our food for the next 4-5 months.  Cans everywhere and the freezer is full to the top with meat.  Son John got us 6 cases of beer which will cost $45 a case in the Bahamas.  We will add to our supplies as we head south especially in Stuart and Vero Beach, FL.

We have decided to take our time this year when we head south.  We are meeting friends for Thanksgiving in Hilton Head.  I am hoping to connect with a high school friend in White Stone, VA.  Last year we had a great time in South Beach in Miami for New Years.  I think we will head over to Nassau when the weather permits in the new year.

As my friend Ed Kelly who is now in Greece says, thank you for joining us on our adventure.  We feel more ready this year than last and are getting excited to head to the Bahamas.  We enjoying hearing from you as well.

John & Elyse on Spunky

Summer is Ending

We are here in Annapolis on our mooring ball that we rented for the month of September while we took a road trip to visit family and friends. We had a wonderful trip. Very relaxing. Some of the trees in Tenn. and MO were already turning probably due to the dry weather this year. We rented a Ford Focus and it got 35 mpg!!! What a treat. I am looking forward to the manufacturers doing even better in the coming years. Maybe by the time we buy our next car it will be up to 50mpg. We returned a bit earlier than planned as we didn't want to overstay our welcome with our wonderful friends and were concerned about Spunky being left alone. Fellow cruisers on the next door mooring called us to say the winds had reached 40 mph and the rain was so bad they could not see our boat but all was well and we were still attached when the weather passed.

We are now working on a few projects that must be completed before we leave in late Oct. We replaced our shower sump and drain first and now are working on our freezer which is refusing to turn on. Today it is blustery and raining and we are waiting for a call from the manufacturer of our freezer with suggestions on trouble shooting. Once the wind settles down and John finds a ladder to borrow he will put the new blades on our wind generator. I will be applying Restore/Refinish on our interior teak.

We had the Annapolis Harbor Boatyard clean and paint the bottom, replace the steering cables, find and repair the leak in the rudder post, install a new VHF antenna and LED anchor light, service/repair our outboard and install a new water maker which will make our life easier this winter. No more hauling 6 gal. jugs from shore to boat in the dinghy. We also sent our chart plotter off for repair and have met a guy who will take a look at the SSB antenna to see why we do not receive a very loud signal.

We are now making our provisions list which we will begin shopping for once the freezer is back on line.

The summer has been great although a bit on the warm side even for me. We got to see all of our kids and grandkids and many friends. We were able to meet new friends who are also cruisers and planning on heading south after the boat show. We are awaiting our scheduling meeting on Sept. 28 and may start work the 29th or 30th.

John has one last medical procedure to get through and then we will be done with docs until next summer.

We are excited about our winter trip and will keep you all informed about our progress south.

Hope your summer has been a good one.

Elyse and John

Spunky Update

Life has settled in pretty much to a summer pattern. After surviving the storm of June 29, we had a great time in DC for the 4th of July. Kids arrived from Goodland Ks. and came out to Spunky to watch the fireworks which were spectacular from our vantage point but seemed to be a shorter event than we recall from the past. Probably due to cost. It was Hot!! The entire 2 weeks we were here in DC have been record breaking. We went over to the Smithsonian one afternoon to escape the heat. Took our books and read in the cafe under the National Gallery of Art. Stopped in to see the George Bellows exhibit which was wonderful. He is famous for his paintings of boxing events but his works depicting New York City and the working class are really worth seeing. John went to a Nationals game with sons John and Mike and granddaughter Savannah and they won. He was thrilled but I had mixed feelings as they beat my San Francisco Giants.

We bid farewell to DC and motored in heat and humidity down the Potomac "racing" for cover late in the day to avoid another huge (on radar) lightening storm right on our stern. It was traveling right down the river toward us as we motored against the current going about 3 knts. We put on life jackets and I put our computer and handheld gps in the oven where I have read they would be protected in a direct hit (who knows). It was very tense as we slowly made our way up into Breton Bay to our anchorage past Protestant Point. The lightening was sky to water all around us with loud thunder following. What a relief to finally drop anchor in the rain.

The following day the heat broke with the cold front coming through and we had a wonderful sail up to Solomon's Island and again the next day to the Rhode River. Finally got to enjoy our SAILBOAT. We had forgotten that is what she is with all the motoring we have done on these windless days. There is usually either no wind or it is right on our nose.

Now we are back in Annapolis awaiting our haul out date to get work done on Spunky at which time we will empty our frig/freezer, pack our backpacks and get ourselves out to Reston, VA-a long way without a car-where we will stay in our friends house for the work week.

We are still trying to arrange a road trip in Sept. to FL and New Orleans but it is proving to be complicated trying to find a place to park Spunky, arrange a car rental and be back only a few days before we start work at the boat show.

I know everyone is having a hot summer but hope you are enjoying the long lazy days as we are.

Elyse and John

Derecho - we are fine

Well here we are in the midst of a record breaking heat wave anchored out in Washington Channel. We arrived on June 22nd hoping to find a nice spot to anchor before the boats start arriving for the 4th of July. We have a nice spot with a great view of the Washington Monument. The temps had been high as we traveled up the Potomac with the heat index over 100 degrees and continued to rise after we arrived.  On Sat. we had a great dinner with our DC/VA kids all who have June birthdays as does John. By Tuesday we finished applying the final coat of Cetol gloss to our brightwork and began to remove tape and replace the stainless pieces that we removed for the work. It looks so much better.

This past Friday June 29th the heat was intense and registered a record of 104 degrees at National Airport quite close to where we are anchored. We had heard there may be some t-storms during the evening so we made sure we were back on Spunky by early afternoon. Around 8 pm or so Mike, our son who lives in Ashburn, VA west of DC, sent us a text warning that he had heard of a line of storms heading east that were pretty strong. We pulled up radar and started watching the long wide line of reds and yellows move east. While we were waiting we let out more anchor rode (line/chain) so our anchor would have a better chance to hold. We tied down anything loose on deck and closed up all of our hatches and ports. Then we waited. We ask Mike to text us when it hit Ashburn, VA. He sent a text that winds were very high and scary. We had our VHF on and there were consistent warnings of a line of high winds approaching.

Then it hit. We rode out 60 mph winds in Marsh Harbor, Abacos last winter, but this was somewhat different. Spunky laid way over. We put the engine on as a backup if our Rocna 73 lb. anchor did not hold us in place (although a friend said it could hold the Queen Mary). I tried to get our Tacktick wind speed guage up and running but it took a few minutes or more while everything else was going on around us. By the time I got it turned on it only registered 44 mph. National Airport registered 70 mph so we assume we were higher at the beginning of the storm. The rains followed and poured down on us so we could not see too well. It was dark but there was lightening all around us with loud claps of thunder and we watched the 40 ft. sail boat anchored just in front of us start dragging down toward us. John pulled out our horn so we could warn them if they got close. Fortunately their anchor finally held and they stopped short of us. The storm moved through very quickly and we sat up past midnight watching the remaining lightening. The next morning the boat that dragged pulled up their anchor and anchored back in their original spot.

Today we hear that a Derecho is a rare event and we should not see one again for some time. Folks are saying that it hit with no warning but we had Mike watching the weather and had ample warning to prepare. Over 1 million folks in this area are without power and the heat continues to be oppressive. Lots of homes are without a/c. We live without a/c so we are hot but more used to it. Several metro stations were closed over the weekend without power. The power companies are saying it will be Friday before they have 90% of repairs completed. We rode to Pentagon City Mall on Saturday to buy a new US flag as ours was shredded in the storm.

The weather reports are for above average temps for the current week coupled with high humidity it feels like it is in the 100's. We will be here to visit with our Kansas kids who arrived in DC today for their vacation and we plan to depart on Saturday or Sunday to return to Annapolis.

Hope those of you in the area are safe. Check in and let us know how you did in the storm.

Back to Annapolis

Our trip down the Potomac was easy and uneventful but no wind. We anchored the first night in Breton Bay a very quiet and lovely anchorage. The next day we ended at Solomon's Island in the main anchorage area. We were the only boat anchored out. Several boats came in but went into marinas. The next morning we left early rounded Point Lookout, set a waypoint on our MacENC program for Thomas Point Lighthouse and motor sailed up the Chesapeake to Annapolis. We arrived in Back Creek around 4 p.m and found our spot at the end of the creek unoccupied so we dropped anchor, fixed a drink and relaxed.

The next day we took the dinghy into the dock at 4th street and checked in with Annapolis Harbor Boatyard where we had work done last year and were very pleased with the fellow who did the work. His name is Bill and he is now the yard manager and Christy, his wife, is the parts manager. They work during the summer months and cruise during the winters and were very generous with advice before we left last fall. We consider them friends. Our plan is to get several repairs done at their yard as well as Spunky's bottom painted. Bill invited us to have "happy hour" on their dock and we spent a very enjoyable Friday evening.

We picked up the mainsail and took it back to Spunky and put it back onto the mast track(not an easy job as it is very big and heavy). Well, it went about 3/4 of the way up the mast and stopped. We couldn't figure out what was wrong and thought perhaps one of the old slides left a piece behind when it broke as we were leaving Great Sale Cay. So we dug out the bosuns chair and John cranked me up the mast to check things out. I do not tolerate heights very well but given the choice of who would be able to raise whom up the mast,I drew the short straw. I could not see any pieces of broken slide so down I came. Then we decided I had not gone up high enough so back up I went above the 2nd spreaders. Still no sighting of broken slides or bent track and down I came. Then we stupidly decided to try and force the slides up which John was able to do but then we couldn't get the sail down!! Up I went once again to tie a line to the reefing ring so that John would be able to get more force on the slides and pull them down. Success. We got the sail back into the sail pack and fixed ourselves a drink. We will have to go back to the shop on Tuesday and get some advice. Saturday we began to figure out the public transportation system here and walked about 3/4 of a mile to the bus stop to get to the shop where my glasses were being repaired and ready for pick up. That trip went pretty well except for the walk to the stop.

My back had been bothering me since Charleston and by the time we arrived in DC I was having pain down my left leg whenever I walked more than a block. It has become progressively worse as the days go by. That is not a workable situation especially now that we have no car. We spent a pretty quiet Memorial Day weekend and I made an appointment to see a chiropractor on Tuesday. We couldn't figure the bus route out and were concerned about arriving on time so we took a cab to the doc. After the appointment we decided to take the bus back. Between waiting for the hourly run in the 90 degree temps (there are no shelters at the bus stops) and transferring 4 times we were able to stop at a hardware store, Giant and return to the dinghy dock all in 5 hours from the time we left the doc. I have a real empathy with folks who don't drive and must rely on the bus to get to work and child care and grocery shopping. How one ever gets everything done or even gets to their destination on time is a real challenge those of us with cars can't truly appreciate. There are just not enough hours in the day during the long daylight days not to mention what it must be like in winter with shorter daylight and inclement weather.

On Wednesday we took the dinghy into town to check on the sail and to pick up my meds that were waiting at the boatyard. They had graciously allowed us to have them delivered there for pick up. The meds have to remain cold and so are overnighted in a cooler with ice packs and can't sit for a long time outside of a refrigerator. About half way there our trusty outboard engine quit. John rowed us the rest of the way and we had the engine guy at the boatyard come back and assess the problem. He determined it would need to have the carburator rebuilt and so he took the engine back in his truck. We stopped at the sail loft and they suggested we try to file down the brass slides a bit to see if that would help after which poor John had to row us all the way back up the creek to Spunky.

Next week we will take Spunky into a marina where the electronics guy will troubleshoot the chartplotter and VHF radio mic both of which failed to work on our trip south. At that time the sail guys will come by and take a look at the mast slide to try to figure out why the sail will not go all the way up. Today John is sanding down the teak brightwork and I am sitting on ice packs. Tomorrow he will row me in to take the bus back to the doc. I have a 10:30 appointment so we will leave at the crack to make sure we get there on time.

Life on the water can be challenging but it is better than any alternative. Hope you are all enjoying your springtime, Elyse and John s/v Spunky

Memorial Day

Hello Everyone,

We are back in Annapolis in our favorite spot.  It has been great being back.  We are learning to use the public busses to get around. There is a bus that will even take us to one of the DC metro stations. We have started contacting people in the area to take care of some repairs and to add improvements to Spunky.

Today we recognize Memorial Day.  I hope you will take a moment to remember the two million men and women who gave their life in the service of their country.  Some were drafted and some volunteered but all paid the ultimate price for our freedom.  From winning and maintaining independence for our country our when the people of our country sent them to help or punish other nations.  They went with little hesitation.  They are  heros.  If you know someone who lost a loved one in the service I hope you will take a moment to reach out and say thank you.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

More Thoughts

I was born in DC and grew up in the area.  I love coming back and seeing old sights and updated versions of my youth.  On one side of our anchorage is Hains Point.  It is parkland and a golf course that sticks out into the Potomac.  Catholic University's rugby team that our son John coaches play their matches there.  In high school my friends and I sometimes brought our dates there to watch the late night submarine races.  The rules were if you were parked in your car and the police could see your heads, they would not stop.

Elyse mentioned the Arena stage.  It has been rebuilt at least 3 times.  I think one of the things that interested me in VMI was seeing the play "Brother Rat".  It was made into a movie with Ronald Reagan in one of the roles as a Keydet.

There are very few cities as pretty as DC with as many things to do. The best part is so much is free.  Now it's even better because we have a son who owns a bar a block from a metro stop.  It is also one of the worst places on the planet to own a car.  No place to park and difficult to drive around.  The local legislators are no better than Congress at planning for and carrying out plans for the growth.

Time to turn in so we will be ready in the morning.  My you have many blessings and a wonderful week.

Beautiful Night

Hey Gang,

What a beautiful night.  We are anchored in the Washington Channel in downtown Washington, DC.  We were promised thunderstorms tonight but is is quiet and the sky is clear, so far.  As you can see by Elyse's more detailed updates we are working our way north.  In a couple of days we will be in Annapolis.  We are hoping to find our old spot in Back Creek where we spent most of last summer.  There is only room for two or three boats to anchor and Elyse get's mad anytime I tell people where it is located.  It's going to be interesting without a car.  We think we can get a bus from Annapolis to one of the metro stops in DC. We are considering signing up with Zip Cars or Car 2 Go were we can pick up a car and just pay for the time we use it.

This morning our wash down pump stopped working so I have to try to figure out what happened.  There is no place worse to pull up an anchor than the Chesapeake.  Lots of muck.  We have learned that much of our time is fixing our boat in exotic places.

After "You're going to do what?" one of the most frequent questions we are asked is "How long do you plan to do it?".  Our answer has always been as long as it's fun and our health holds up.  We are now in the process of deciding the definition of "fun".  We have had some incredible experiences.  Most of them have been good and we have met some wonderful people.  When we figure out the answer to our question, we will let you know.

We hope you are enjoying your time with us.  We have enjoyed having you along.

John

Back to Annapolis

We are leaving tomorrow a.m. for Annapolis after an enjoyable stay in DC. The anchorage in Washington Channel has been great. We used the services at The Gang Plank Marina the entire time. Although we began the stay with a cold shower, all was fine the remaining 2 weeks. The staff was great and treated us well. We were invited to their annual slip holders party with free food and drink and we danced the night away. This is a perfect location only a block from the Metro green line and the Safeway/CVS. We were easily able to ride the train into VA for visits and appointments. There were never more than 4 other boats anchored while we were here.

This past weekend was the Blessing of the Fleet and we sat on Spunky and watched the 90 trawlers and power boats motor by each being blessed. We called on VHF and asked for a blessing and Spunky and all her crew, now and future, were blessed as well. Then a raft up of 3 trawlers close by invited us for drinks and company and we had a very nice visit with some very nice folks.

While here we have met with children and friends and ended our stay with half priced tickets to "The Music Man" at the Arena Stage which is across the street from the marina. The production was good and very enjoyable but the Arena Stage, which is theater in the round, lends itself to more intimate productions rather than musicals.

This morning in the rain we motored down the channel to the James Creek Marina to get diesel, gas and water tanks topped off so we are ready to leave tomorrow for the trip back down the Potomac. It was wet but nice as we were the only boat trying to get into the fuel dock. We returned to the Gang Plank and took showers, did laundry and turned in our electronic pass cards. We are planning on 2 days down the Potomac and 2 days up the Chesapeake to an anchorage in Annapolis where we will do maintenance and repairs on Spunky and catch up on doc appointments.

Hope life is good for all of you. Please let us know what is going on in your life.

Elyse and John s/v Spunky

Anchored in DC

We arrived last Wednesday after leaving the marina at Colonial Beach. Our trip up the Potomac was uneventful. There was no wind to speak of and the river was like glass. We motored along enjoying the vistas of wide water and treed lined banks. We didn't pass one other boat along the way. We enjoyed seeing Mount Vernon (George Washington's home) up on the hillside and were excited to see the Wilson Bridge come into view. The old bridge was demolished and a new one built several years ago and now Spunky can fit under the span without having to arrange a midnight opening. We arrived earlier than espected and entered the channel to find it almost empty with only 2 other boats anchored. The next morning we took the dinghy into the Gang Plank Marina and signed up for the use of their showers, laundry and dock. Their facilities are a little primitive but ok. We took a shower and were shocked to only have cold water. Seems that the laundry had been in constant use and all the hot water was used up. We talked about moving up to the Capital Yacht Club which is more expensive but nicer but we were already paid up for 3 days so we waited and our next shower experience was much warmer so we have decided to stay where we were. There is a Safeway market and a metro stop only two blocks away so it is a good location.

On Saturday we met son John to watch the Washington Irish Old Boys Rugby Match and had dinner with daughter Haley in the evening. Sunday we took the metro into VA to have dinner with son Mike and daughter-in-law Jo and granddaughter Alaina. It was so good to see them all and catch up on everyones life.

Today, Monday, we took the metro to the metro sales office and purchased our long term senior travel cards. It is neat and we can add money to the cards as we need. It works on all the transit in the area so we can use it when we travel into VA. We have found their is one bus that goes from Annapolis to DC twice a day so when we take Spunky to Annapolis to have work done we will be able to get back into the city. We visited the Museum of American History today to see the presentation on Thomas Jefferson and slavery. It was very well done. Tomorrow we plan to go to the National Art Gallery to see the Miro exhibit. It is fun being a tourist and so much to see. We are hoping to visit the Newseum while we are here as well.

We are anchored next to Hains Point here in the channel. On the other side of Hains Pt. is National Airport and so we hear all the jets taking off during the day. On our side of the channel is where all the helicopters fly over all day long I assume going from the Pentagon to the White House or other meeting places. They fly over constantly and very low to the water. John thinks he saw the President's helicopter fly over last week. I get concerned that they are not going to see our mast at night so I make John turn it on early. It is really lovely here and we can see the top of the Washington Monument from where we are anchored.

We are looking forward to seeing all the sights in the next few weeks. There is such a great energy in the city.

In Washington DC

Friends & Family,

Yesterday we left Colonial Beach and motored up to DC.  There was no wind and the water was flat.  It got a little boring but Elyse pointed out that was a lot better than the terror we have experienced at times in the past.  The win to day before was great and gave us a great push up the river. It was very pleasant.  It was also cool going past Mount vernon, George Washington's home.  We are now anchored in the Washington Channel in the heart of Washington.  Later this afternoon we will jump on the Metro and head into town.  We will probably visit Solly's, our son's bar. Now that we are sitting, it has started to warm up.  The anchorage is nice.  There are only two boats anchored in the channel.  This morning we went in and signed up with the Gangplank Marina.  We can use their dock and services for $10 a day.  Our excitement was dampened when we took our showers without any hot water.  If that continues we may pay a little more to use the Capital Yacht club next door.

John has agreed to loan his truck one day so we can run over to Annapolis for doctor appointments and to drop off our main sail at a loft to have some repairs made.  In a few weeks we will motor back down to the Chesapeake and up to Annapolis.  Spunky performed very well on the trip from the Bahamas to Charleston and then up the ICW. There are some projects in front of us.  Lots of cleaning, sanding and varnish to be completed.  I have noticed that many of the boats headed north need some work.  Part of the problem in the Bahamas is that you have to pay for water in most places.  In addition we spent all our time at anchor so water and power were very precious.

Hope all is well with you.  I will send more later.

John

Almost Home

After leaving Elizabeth City we spent 2 days in Portsmouth walking through the historic homes and up to the Food Lion and taking the ferry across Elizabeth River (only $.75 for seniors)  to a shopping mall as we haven't been in one for at least a year. All our shopping before leaving the states had been at marine stores and boat repair shops. Leaving Norfolk at 6:30 a.m. Monday morning we were surprised at how empty the port was of ships both container and navy. I think all the navy vessels are across the oceans protecting our freedoms and the container ships it turned out were anchored out awaiting pilots to bring them into port on Monday morning since as we began to head out of the port several were coming in to dock. They are huge and are accompanied by tugs that help turn them to go into a dock.

We got a call on our VHF from Water Music a boat that we crossed with from the Bahamas to Charleston. What a great surprise. We motor sailed along with them to an anchorage near Reedville, VA. We spent an evening on their boat sharing tales from the last couple of weeks since we had left them in Charleston. They waited for a later weather window and sailed outside to Beaufort, NC and then inside to Norfolk. It was a nice time.

This morning we were off at 6 a.m heading up the Potomac for Washington, DC. We had a great sail with winds gusting to 28 and then had to turn with the wind on our nose and so we motored the last 20 miles to Colonial Beach where we are now docked for the night after filling up with fuel. It is the last place that we can get diesel with our 6 ft. draft. Actually there is not a marina in DC where we can get diesel so we filled all our cans to have enough to get back down the Potomac to Solomon's Island when we head back to Annapolis.

Tomorrow we are headed up to an anchorage across from the Capital Yacht Club in DC where we will check in with the harbor police and get permission to stay for 2 weeks which is apparently the limit.

Hope to see many of you soon and hope to hear from everyone else about what is going on in your lives.

Elyse and John

Heading Back

We arrived in Norfolk, Va this afternoon in the rain and wind. Murphy's law says that if we are trying to dock the wind will be blowing us away from the dock and we may have rain. Fortunately for us there were a couple of guys to catch lines when we came in with the wind blowing us away from the dock and the rain pouring down.

We spent two very nice days in Elizabeth City, NC at a free dock. It was challenging to get off Spunky as the finger pier was very short and we had to climb over the bow rail and down to the dock but it was doable. There was no electric or pump out and the water was some distance away but we were happy to find an empty slip after motoring about 85 miles from Bellhaven and crossing the Albemarle Sound which is always a challenge usually rough going. We met our friends, Don and Jean there (they were there for a 60 mile bike ride) and they delivered to us a good two months of mail that we had held up at our mail forwarding service. We had two nice days visiting the wonderful Elizabeth City museum and art center. The visitor's center put on a wine and cheese greeting and we met some very nice people. I got a haircut and we made a post office visit to notify Bahamas immigration that we had left the country.

Tomorrow we will explore Portsmouth on the advice of our friends Ed and Sue Kelly who are now in London and if weather permits leave again on Monday morning to move on up the Chesapeake Bay.

We took the Dismal Swamp route and even with our 6 ft. draft only bumped the bottom a few times. The lock tenders were wonderful to us, one locking us through after the prescribed time and the other giving us info on speed to meet the next bridge and where to anchor for free. It is cold and damp but we are tucked in our cockpit enclosure and getting ready to cook dinner.

Good to be back but not liking the cold and rain. The water temp is 20+ degrees below Bahamas.

Hoping for an early Spring.

Up the ICW

After leaving Charleston in the morning mist, we arrived in Minim Creek anchorage and decided not to push on to Georgetown. We are ahead of schedule and do not need to push too hard. The next morning we left for Osprey Marina on the Waccamaw River which is such a pretty area to motor through. There is cypress forest along the banks and lots of eagles. We have also seen so many dolphins on this trip. They are such wonderful creatures.  They swam along with us crossing the Gulf Stream diving back and forth in front of our bow and we have seen several of them everyday on our way up the waterway.

The Osprey Marina is tucked back in the trees off the ICW and we stayed there on the way south last fall. They tried to put us in a slip but we were too big and after trying to shove us in with 3 dockhands holding lines we said no it would not work and the dock master let us go back to the fuel dock which is where we stayed last year. We used the time at dock to remove our damaged main sail and folded it up to fit into the salon til we can get it to a sail loft for new slides and repair.

We left at first light(6:20 a.m. or so)in very dense fog and spent a good 2.5 hours straining our eyes and trying to stay in the center of the channel without being able to see much more then 20 ft. in front of us. Fortunately our chart plotter has worked for 2 days straight and it was very helpful. By 9 a.m. just as we entered the worst part of The Rockpile the fog burned off.

The Rockpile is a stretch of the ICW where rock croppings point out into the channel unseen under water leaving a very narrow channel to maneuver in. It is a little nerve racking under the best conditions but in the fog things were tense. We made it through and arrived safely in Southport, SC where we stayed at a free dock at the Provision Company. All they require is that you eat a meal there so we had dinner which was excellent and met some very nice folks who live there now but used to live in Reston. A big storm blew through while we were having dinner. It is an open air restaurant and the staff jumped up and lowered the protective shades. The Coast Guard had broadcast a warning to all mariners about an hour before to get off the water and find safe harbor which we did and made it in before the storm hit.

The weather the next day-Sunday-was to continue to be bad and wet and we were uncertain whether we would leave or stay but as we prepared to depart at 7 a.m. the rain stopped and the wind died and we were on our way up the Cape Fear River toward Wrightsville Beach, NC. riding the flood tide and doing 8.6 mph-very fast for us. Just as we approached Snow's Cut a confusing part of the river, the chart plotter died once again.

We will spend tonight in Wrightsville Beach anchorage and leave tomorrow for Mile Hammock Bay anchorage in the middle of Camp Lejeune. It is cool and damp as we get further north and we are digging out our warmer clothes for the remaining days to Annapolis. We will be stopping either in Elizabeth City or Coinjock to visit with our friends, Don and Jean Pratt and pick up 2 months worth of mail and then on to the Chesapeake Bay.

Back Home

Friends & Family,

We are headed north.  We are just short of Myrtle Beach tonight in a little marina on the ICW.  We are leaving early to head up to Southport.  Sunday the weather is supposed to be bad Sunday morning so we may try to stay put someplace.  There is a restaurant in Southport that will let you dock with them if you buy a meal.  We are hoping they have a spot.  We stayed with them going sough.  We will see.

I hope all is well with you.  More later.

John

Back Home

Dear Friends and Family,

We left Great Sale, Abaco Sunday morning at 4:30 a.m. after waiting 3 days for a weather window and arrived in Charleston, SC on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. It was a rough crossing with each of us taking 3 hour watches through the days and nights as we sailed toward the US. In the Gulf Stream the slides on our mainsail broke which caused the sail to blow off the stern when John tried to lower it. He was able to pull it back aboard and lash it to the cockpit cover while I tried to keep Spunky level in the wind and ocean swells and we continued sailing on with just our genoa. We are happy to be back and tonight had long showers at the Charleston City Marina where we are awaiting a repair on our bilge pumps which also failed on our crossing requiring John to bail out the bilge with a pump and a bucket. The Immigration officer was here to meet us at the dock when we arrived and we took on fuel and washed all the salt off Spunky's decks.

This trip has such mixed feelings for us. We met some wonderful and extraordinary people who we will hope to keep as friends and stayed in some beautiful places that I may never have had the opportunity to see without our trip on Spunky. Our sadness is so great that we lost our little Moose in a car accident and he will forever rest in our hearts and on a bluff overlooking the Sea of Abaco.

Now we return to the Chesapeake to have repairs and maintenance done to Spunky and ourselves and to regroup and figure out the next step in our journey.

Our plan now is to make our way up the ICW and visit with some friends along the way and perhaps sail up the Potomac to anchor close to DC to be able to see our children and DC friends using the metro for transportation around the area.

It has been such a blessing to hear from all of you over the past 4 months and we hope to see many of you over the next several months. During our trials we were reminded how important you all are to us. You all encouraged us to continue our dream and enjoyed it along with us. You were there with encouraging words when boat systems failed and during my medical crises. You cheered our successes and Moose's new sailing skills. Words cannot describe what that has meant to us.

Please continue to stay in touch with us and share your lives and adventures as we will with you,

Love to you all,
Elyse and John

Getting Closer To Home

Hello Friends,

This is a quick update before our internet runs out.  Probably the next one you receive will be from the states.  We received the new motor for the windlass.  It was held up at customs so we walked about 2 miles each way to pick it up to get it to the fellow who was going to hook it all together.  It turns out because of Easter weekend and his busy schedule we didn't get it until yesterday.  We spent much of the day installing it.  We had to take some switches apart and clean contacts etc, etc.

This morning we were rewarded when the anchor came up without difficulty and we left Marsh Harbor and motored over to Green Turtle Cay.  We went into town and used the last of our Bahamian money for lunch.  Our plan is to leave early tomorrow and take two days to go to Great Sale Cay.  We think the weather will be right to take off for the states on Saturday.  As a matter of fact it may be good enough that we are hoping to sail to Charleston.  The wind should be out of the east and with the help of the Gulf Stream we should make good time.  If it is really going well we may keep going.  Our weather guy, Chris Parker, advised this morning to get off the ocean by Tuesday. We will have to see.

I think we are both ready to get "home".  We stopped at a grocery store here and started to buy some ginger snaps.  They were $9.35 for a box.  We figured we could wait.  We will let you know when we are back online, probably when our phones get activated.  I'm going to close so we can put everything back in the vee berth which we emptied out to repair the windlass.  We still have a lot of food left.  We look forward to talking to you soon.

Our love from Spunky,

John & Elyse

Hope Town, Goodbye Moose

Dear Friends, I want to thank all of you who have responded to Elyse and me about Moose's death. We had both grown to love him and at times his loss has been more than we can tolerate. Your kind words have been a blessing. At the vet's office when we were most distraught about what to do with his body one of the assistants said she had a friend that might bury Moose. At our request she called and the friend agreed. We had the woman's name and were told she lived in Hope Town. Marsh Harbour became a difficult place with many memories so we pulled anchor and left.

We went to Hope Town. It is a delightful little town surrounding a small harbor. We picked up a mooring ball. When we went ashore we tried to locate the woman, who we never met, who was to pick up Moose. Several people knew her but couldn't tell us how to reach her. Finally the post mistress told us to go see her sister who is the principal of the local elementary school. When Elyse asked about her sister the woman knew all about us and what happened. She gave Elyse a big hug and they cried together. She assured us her sister had buried Moose in a wonderful place on her property which it turns out was on another island. She told us where her sister's house was located and promised to give our contact information to her sister.

Elyse received a wonderful email from the sister who described that Moose had been buried on a hill overlooking the Abaco Sound. He lies among other loved pets. She said that she explained to Moose when she buried him that he was a wonderful dog and was greatly loved. It was good to know he is at rest. Yesterday we sailed to Man of War Cay. We were able to pick up a mooring in the small and crowded anchorage. We had been there less than an hour when a dingy with a French Canadian couple came up to our boat. They had been anchored near us in Marsh Harbour and had heard about Moose. We had never met them but had been told by friends. They way people have reached out to us has been incredible.

This morning we went for a long walk ashore. It's Sunday and everything is closed. When we first arrived in the Abacos in Little Harbour Elyse met an elderly woman who had been a stunt pilot in the 1950's. Open cockpit with goggles. She and her husband moved to Man of War Cay in 1976. On our walk she and her husband past us in their golf cart. They stopped and embraced Elyse when they heard the sad news. She had, like most people, remembered Moose more than us. He brought out the best in people and was invited to join us everywhere we went to include other boats, restaurants and stores.

We will have to return to Marsh Harbour when the new motor for our windlass arrives. My excitement about a price reduction of $47 was offset when we found out two days later that because of the sale, nothing would be shipped until next week. I am hopeful we will get a ship date tomorrow. We still have to get documentation to customs so we won't have to pay duty on what is a repair part. Our cruising permit expires on April 13th and we have to get it extended. We can only do that 5 days before it expires and there are only a couple of islands where can happen. Not a big deal. We think we can do it in Green Turtle Cay where we will top off out fuel tanks before we cross back to the US.

When we finally leave we are hoping to catch a weather window that will allow us to sail directly from the Bahamas to Charleston. Ridding the Gulf Stream can be a real advantage, speed wise. Too bad we can't control the weather. Thank you again for your support and encouragement. We will be in touch.

John & Elyse on Spunky

Updates

Hey gang,
Below is Elyse's update. I thought I would give you my view. We are tired of wind. When we came to the Bahamas we headed south right away because the weather was warmer and more settled in the southern Exumas. We thought we had waited long enough before we turned north. Now I'm not so sure. We have lingered in places for several reasons.

First is the location. If it is beautiful, has services and is easy to get around then we spend a few extra days. That has been a hard one because we have a strong tendency to want to keep moving. We are still having to remember that we have retired and there is no reason not to see everything before we leave. We have a list of places we will definitely return to next year. Some were disappointments and may be passed up. Some places like George Town were fun but too crowded and organized.

Another reason is the people we meet. We have met some great people. Some on shore but most who are living on their boats. Many are much more experienced and have given us wonderful advice on where to go and what to see. Sharing a rental car in Cat Island was a wonderful experience that we will do more in the future. Sometimes we have spent a week or two traveling with other boats. Later we have different schedules or destinations and go our separate way. Sometimes we meet again in another port later on down the road. Everyone carries "boat cards" with our contact information. We have filled up our business card holder and now have a stack in a rubber band. We write on each one where we met to try and keep track. Everyone helps each other. This morning a French Canadian who we have seen several times came into our mooring field. He is by himself and the wind was blowing about 20 knots. I jumped in the dingy and went to his boat and pick up the line for him.

The weather plays a major factor. We move to get to a place because the wind is right or we wait until it's favorable to go. Every morning we listen to Chris Parker on our SSB radio for advice. When we have internet we go online to sites like Buoyweather.com or Weatherpassage.com to see what we might expect. Life is better when we pay attention to the weather. Tomorrow we hope is a good day to travel. We think the wind give us a broad reach, from the side, which is the best. We have to go into the next anchorage at high tide and we are hopeful we will make it in time. If not we will have to take our second choice for a night. It can be frustrating to have to go or wait. It's not like a car.

Everyday I learn something about the boat. Yesterday I replaced a hose that had been leaking. As Elyse mentions below I am working up the courage to take our windless apart. It pulls up the anchor. Probably for the next week or two I will have to pull up the anchor by hand. I can also pull it with a winch if necessary.

I will say there have been a few times when I am ready to go home. Then I remember that I am home.

I hope this finds you well and your life is good. I will pass on some things I have learned. I regret those things I did not do or try.There are very few things I look back on that I would have changed or not changed. Boats are very small places to live.

Have a wonderful life,
John

Marsh Harbor

Hey gang, We are here enjoying a windy day in Marsh Harbor in the Abacos. The wind is blowing about 20 knots with gusts up to 26. The weather report says there may be some squalls with winds up to 40 knots. We re anchored so that we are away from other boats. Everything is closed up although we have not seen rain yet.

I was thinking about why the Bahamas are so popular. There are several reasons. 1. They are easy to get reach from the US. If you are careful to cross the Gulf Stream when the wind is not blowing north it is an easy sail. It's a day sail. We Went over night to Nassau but we passed a bunch of islands where we could have stopped. Most sails are easy and within the sight of land. 2. The weather is fantastic. We are in the northern Abacos now. Today, even with the wind the temperature is 75 degrees. We get very little rain and the humidity is low. Last night I heard the first mosquito in over a month. 3. Everyone speaks English and the people are wonderful. Two major groups settled the Bahamas. Slaves who had either been freed or escaped and "Loyalists" who left the US during the revolution because they wanted to remain a part of England. They are very religious. Most of the islands or cays are Anglican. Some like Spanish Wells where John and Charles Wesley spent several months are Methodist. Spanish Wells is almost all white and it's against the law to sell alcohol. Most of the restaurants will allow you to bring your own. It's rare for a business to be open on Sunday. 4. There is almost no crime. In Annapolis, MD everyone is warned to lock up your dingy when you go to shore. No so in the Bahamas with the exception of Nassau. Routinely the large boats that brings supplies to shore will leave things on the dock to be picked up later buy local businesses. 5. The people are delightful and very polite. One of the things we have had to learn is when going into a business you need to take time to say hello and visit before telling them what you want. They are not in a hurry and appear to genuinely care about us. 6. They are in not hurry. Our windless is not working. I took it in to the local guy to fix it. He's had it three days and I have not heard from him. He will get to it.

People fly into the many resorts as well as come by boat. For the most part it's a 3rd world country. There are very few grocery stores like we have at home. It has been an adjustment. Tomorrow we will take our two 6 gallon water jugs in the dingy and start bringing water to the boat. We will add to our tanks and then get more on our next trip with Moose. We have to pay for water in most places. We pay from 15-45 cents a gallon. We have learned to taste it first so we know it's not salty. Most islands have desalination plants to turn drinking water from sea water. We are told here it is from wells. Although we haven't done it yet some people collect rain water for their boats. On our prior boat we would take our soap and go on deck in the rain to wash. Hopefully it wouldn't stop raining until we had rinse off.

Our plan is to return to Florida the first part of May and head back to the Chesapeake. We are hoping to sail most of the way in the Gulf Stream and avoid the Intra Coastal Waterway until we get to North Carolina.

We have had a couple of lazy days where we read and hang out. Yesterday I read a book from cover to cover. We have bags of books. I think this summer we will buy and Ipad and or a Kendal and download our books on to it. Most marinas have places where you can trade books.

Life continues to be good. We continue to meet and catch back up with some wonderful people. I think next week our friends on Fellowship will leave and return to Australia. Others we hope to catch up to along the way.

We love hearing from you about your life. You remain in our thoughts.

John, Elyse & Moose on Spunky

Spanish Wells

Well looks like the squalls will last through the morning tomorrow so we are going to put off our departure until Friday. We will hire a pilot to lead us through the reef in the Devil's Backbone. The advice is that one should not try it without local knowledge. It will save us miles and allow us to have a better angle on the wind. We have to time our arrival so that we go through the cut to Little Harbor with a slack or flood tide so as to not encounter what is called 'a rage' where the current goes against the wind and can be quite dangerous. Our windlass is still not working. John is working up the courage to take it apart. Our contact in Annapolis tells us the problem is in the gear box and it will require a $200.00 part being flown in. We will not do that now but wait until we reach Marsh Harbor or Green Turtle. That means we will be pulling up the anchor by hand. Picture two old folks on their butts pulling up a 73 lb. anchor plus chain onto the deck of Spunky with a little black dog racing back and forth. That will be us.

Spanish Wells

We have been in Spanish Wells since Sat. afternoon and have done laundry, filled a diesel jug and done some grocery shopping for produce. We rented a golf cart for the day yesterday to tour the island. It is a lovely settlement. The homes and yards are all well cared for and most citizens ride golf carts along the narrow streets. It seems like everyone is related by family ties here on the island. We are on a mooring ball east of the harbor and take our dinghy in for shore trips. There are a couple of boats here from Rock Sound as well. Our windlass stopped working in Hatchet Bay. John is trying to figure what the problem is. He has cleaned all of the electrical connections and thinks it may be a jammed clutch. To unjam it would require disassembling the entire thing and we are not sure we are up for that so we will be hauling our 73 lb anchor plus chain up by hand. That will be quite a challenge.

We have changed to Daylight Saving Time and are the same zone as the East Coast.

Today we have to decide which way we will go to leave here. We can hire a pilot to lead us out through the reefs on the East side or take a day to go to the West to the Egg Island Cut and leave at the crack of dark at 2 a.m to head north to Abacos. Several boats left today but we were not ready and so will be on our own.

Spanish Wells

Hatchet Bay was not what we hoped. Our friend had the flu and there were bugs in the anchorage. We walked through town and there was not much going on and the grocery store was not great so we decided to leave early the next morning.

We were up early and did our chores and took Moose ashore for his walk. As we attempted to haul anchor the windlass decided to have a power problem and John had to raise it by hand. It delayed us but we were on our way in no wind at all. We motored to Current Cut and through the cut at ebb tide with our speed over 9 knots. Then we made our way up to Spanish Wells asking two other boats to lead us in as our draft was too deep. They called the depth out to us as we went since our depth exceeded the minimum low water depth. We made it in and found a vacant mooring ball to catch and settled in for the evening.

Spanish Wells was settled by Loyalists from the states during the Revolution and English Puritans who were seeking religious freedom. It is a Methodist community as the Wesley brothers landed here before landing in Georgia and founded their church. It is a charming well cared for community. We hope to explore it on Monday. Everything closes down on Sunday so we will just relax and plan to rent a golf cart on Monday to explore. Tues. we will head for Royal Is. to stage for our departure to The Abacos on Tuesday night just after midnight. We plan now to sail over night to Little Harbor to time our arrival well.

Spanish Wells

Hello from Spanish Wells,

We sailed to Spanish Wells this morning from Hatchet Bay. We didn't think much of Hatchet Bay. If I wasn't such a nice person I would call it a dump. We had no wind and motored the whole way. The sail to Hatchet Bay was one of the best of our time here in the Bahamas. We only made minor adjustments to the sails and probably averaged close to 6.5 knots.

Spanish Wells was settled by English Loyalists and people from England who were looking for more religious freedom. John Wesley stopped here for 6 months and the area has a strong Methodist background as opposed to most of the Bahamas which were Anglican. The island is prosperous and they think of themselves as primarily Spanish Wellsians rather than people from the Abacos or Eluthera. The island is very prosperous. Because of weather we plan to be here a couple of days. I think Monday we may rent a golf cart to tour the island.

Elyse has instructed me to limit my reports. As soon as I mention something is working well it breaks. Suffice it to say, we are having a good time. Life continues to be good. We continue to meet great people. We followed a boat in today who called out the depths to us because it got very shallow. We walked around this afternoon with Moose. We are on a mooring ball in place of an anchor.

We plan to spend the next month in the Abacos and then cross back to Florida. We will probably sail up much of the East Coast and avoid some of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Hope your life is good. We love hearing about your life.

The gang on Spunky, John, Elyse and Moose

Hatchet Bay

Left Rock Sound early Friday a.m. and had an awesome sail up to Hatchet Bay. Not too impressed with the harbor here so we have decided to leave early tomorrow for Current Cut and then Spanish Wells to find a mooring ball or marina slip. If that doesn't work we will try to find an anchoring spot in Royal Island. The town here did not have much to offer. Another front is moving through Sat. night and into Sunday. It looks like we may be able the cross the Northwest Passage on Tuesday for Little Harbor in the Abacos. We would have to time that to enter at high tide. Looks like more research before we leave.

Rock Sound

Well we are still here in Rock Sound. There are now about 20 boats here all waiting for the front to pass. The days have been full with boat chores, trips into town for fuel, water and provisions, reading and watching old movies.

We have been fortunate that we have been able to take the dinghy ashore for Moose even with the high winds. The NE winds have blown all the water out of the little area where we dock our dinghy. We had to tie it to the rocks and carefully step across the rocky shoreline to get to the ladder up to the restaurant area which leads to the highway through town.

Yesterday a group of 8 of us plus Moose walked across the island to the Atlantic side to watch the breakers. It was beautiful and awe inspiring to see the waves crashing onto the beach. The sand from the dunes was blowing into our eyes and I put Moose under my jacket to try and keep the sand out of his eyes.

The winds have been pretty steady in the 20's gusting to 30 every now and then and we have had some rain squalls over the past 2 days. John is below listening to Chris Parker's 6:30 a.m. weather broadcast to see if we can finally leave tomorrow morning for Hatchet Bay. Many of the boats will be leaving some going on farther to Current Cut which is a narrow cut in the island to pass through to the north side in preparation to cross the open ocean to the Abacos. We are hoping to meet up with friends in Hatchet and then travel on through Current Cut. One has to catch it at slack tide as the current is very strong and makes it difficult to travel through so we will have to time our arrival to hit the slack ebb or flood. Once through we will wait at Royal Island, a small sheltered harbor, for the seas to calm enough for us to cross.

Rock Sound

Hi All, We are still in Rock Sound Harbor, Eleuthera waiting out the weather. Looks like we may make a run for it tomorrow. It is about 37 miles to our next stop in Hatchet Bay where we may have to wait out another weather front.

It is squally here today interspersed by sun with a good amount of wind, however, we were able to get Moose ashore this morning and got back to Spunky only slightly damp. The wind generator is keeping our batteries topped off even though we've had cloud cover which limits our solar.

This afternoon we will go in to fill a diesel can at the gas station and then we will plan on taking off fairly early. We are ready for some new sights.

Love, Elyse, John and Moose

Heading North

Friends & Family,
We have turned the corner and are heading back north. Following is Elyse's update that is always better than what I write.

As she says, we are sitting in Rock Sound waiting out the weather. We think we are in a well protected place. We will see.

Life continues to be good. No pressure. Elyse was ready to sail on to our next spot but I felt there was no hurry and with bad weather coming it was best to stay were we know we are good. We continue to meet interesting people who are also cruising. Some like us live on their boats and others are able to travel for months at a time and then go to a "home". We have met a lot of Canadians. We are really getting into the islands. No hurry mon.

Elyse is pretty excited that I am growing a mustache. When I wear my straw hat that I bought in George Town she thinks I look like Tom Selleck.

We continue to learn about the boat and there are always things to fix. Today I cleared a blocked drain line by hooking up our air pump and blowing it out. I had Elyse with her head stuck in a cabinet under out bed looking for bubbles. I was in the engine compartment shouting, asking if she could see them. Tomorrow the project is removing rust spots on the stainless.

For our water we have to take jerry cans to shore. The restaurant near where we are anchored is going to allow me to fill my two 6 gallon jugs to bring back. Did you know that water is heavy? Elyse is always worried we will run dry. We carry over 200 gallons and have always been able to top off with no more than 3 jugs. Most of the time we have to pay for water. It is very dry here and in most places the water is desalinated from the sea water. In Long Island the owners of a resort rationed the people using their laundry mat. We may add a water maker this summer.

Our plan is to spend the next couple of months working our way back up north and to cross back to Florida the first of May. The sights are amazing. Yesterday when we were getting into our dingy to go back to the boat a small manta ray swam by next to us.

I hope your life is good and your dreams are coming true. I encourage you to pull up your anchor and cast off. As they say no one ever complained about having not spent more time in the office on their death bed.

Today has been a lazy day. Late yesterday a boat named Airborne came into the harbor and called to ask if we were comfortable with their anchor position next to us. We invited them over for drinks. They are living in Cape Coral, FL and have been cruising the Caribbean since 2002 and lived in Arlington, VA for several years when he was at the Pentagon. It was nice to visit with them. They are headed on south to Cat Island before turning back to head home.

It looks like there are about 8 boats that will ride out the front here with us. Some others could still arrive late today or tomorrow but much after that it will be batten down the hatches.

I am sending this along with our most recent Spot location. I hope you will all let us know how you are doing. We greatly enjoy hearing what is going on out in the real world.

Rock Sound

The tour of Cat Island was fun. There is not much to see between New Bight where we were anchored and the north end of the island. I had completed my continuing ed for my Florida real estate license and had faxed my answer sheet that morning to FL. We missed a call on our cell phone on the ride up north and needed to stop at a Batelco office as we couldn't figure out how to return the call on our phone. We stopped in Arthur Town at the north end of the island and found out how to make the call. The fax had been fuzzy and they wanted me to fax it again. I asked if I could just read my answers to them over the phone and they agreed and told me I had passed. We drove on to the far end of the island on a dirt road past Orange Creek and had lunch on the deck of a lovely resort overlooking the bay. The resort is owned by a German couple who came to the island on vacation and decided to stay. They told us that Irene had done major damage to the island which we had noticed. There are many abandoned buildings missing roofs and walls with the windows boarded up. On the drive back we took a winding dirt road about 5 miles to the Atlantic side and walked the beach looking for hamburger beans, heart beans and sea glass. This was our first hunt, although the couple from Maverick were experts, and we found two beans and some sea glass. We were told that you can polish the beans and make jewelry out of them as well as the sea glass. We got back to our dinghies after dark and the next morning returned the car got diesel and water in our jerry cans as well as some produce and hauled it all back to Spunky and took off by 10 a.m. Since we had seen the island by car we decided to sail directly to Little San Salvador where we arrived early afternoon. It is a small island owned by Holland America Cruise Lines and is where the cruise ships come and drop their passengers for a few days of organized fun on the beach. Cruisers are allowed to walk the beaches with permission but are limited as to where they can anchor when the ships are in port. We arrived as a huge ship was departing. The staff for the most part comes in by boat when the ships are there to man the resort and most all leave as soon as the ship leaves to return to their homes on other islands. The night was very rolly and uncomfortable which upsets Moose so I slept with him in the cockpit and we left at first light to sail on to Rock Sound in Eleuthera. The first 10 miles of the 42 mile run was like sailing in a washing machine. The ocean swells were off our port quarter and the wind was coming from the starboard side, but after we turned north into the lee of the island the seas settled down and we had a great sail almost all the way to Rock Sound dodging coral heads and sand bars.

Rock Sound is a nice big bay (about 4 miles long) with protection from wind in most directions. It is a cute town, the largest on the island with a population of about 400, with good groceries, diesel at the gas station and a laundry. We heard on the weather report that another front would be moving in by Sunday and we would have to find shelter from the NE winds 25 to 35 knots. After much discussion, we have decided to remain here for what could be as much as 10 days or more rather than race to the next protected bay which would be quite a distance away in Hatchet Bay or farther up in Royal Island. We have boat chores to take care of like changing the oil and fixing our stern ladder steps and we would miss the opportunity to leisurely explore the island if we left tomorrow. We are not in a rush so we will stay here through the front. Several other boats are making the run to Royal Is. and Maverick had already gone on ahead as they were meeting company in the Abacos and needed to hurry along taking advantage of the weather window between Wed. and Sunday when the next front will hit.

Last night we had drinks with some other cruisers at the open air restaurant across from where we are anchored. Moose was welcome and allowed the little boys(5 or 6 years old) who belong to the staff to take him for walks around the grounds until I "rescued" him and then he sat at the bar on a bar stool while we visited. It was a long day and we all were very tired.

Heading North

We had a good sail up the west coast of Long Island and so decided to go all the way to Conception rather than stop at Calabash Bay. Conception is a small island that is part of the Bahamian National Park. The beaches are clean and pretty and there is nothing on the island in the way of buildings. The anchorage was pretty rolly and the day after we arrived we walked the beaches and snorkeled in a shallow area with lots of coral reefs. It is called the "kiddie park" since it is so easy to snorkel there. We anchored the dinghy close by and Moose stayed in the dinghy while we swam with the fish. There were some pretty fish with vibrant colors-bright yellow and purple.

We decided to leave the following morning as there was a front due on Sunday and not a lot of protection in the anchorage so we got up and were ready to go at 6:30 a.m. Moose surprised us and did his business on the bow so we didn't have to take him ashore. Unfortunately we had little to no wind and had to motor the 44 miles to Cat Island where we anchored in New Bight and here we will stay until the front passes through on Thursday. Yesterday we hiked up Mt. Avernia (206 ft. high-the highest mountain in the Bahamas) to see the Hermitage built form lime stone by Father Jerome who has built several churches on Long and Cat Islands. It is truly an amazing sight. It was built by his hand and has a chapel and bell tower and then his living quarters with a kitchen and bedroom all out of stone.

We are traveling with Bob and Pat and Lucy the dog on Maverick. We all hiked up the steep limestone steps carved into the mountain with Moose and Lucy leading the way.

Last night we went in and met many Cat Island residents at an outdoor cafe where we ate and drank and listened to music. It was great fun. Today we are sharing a rental car and touring the island.

Long Island

Well we have been here just a week. It has been very relaxing. We walked across the island to the Atlantic side to see the beach. It was quite cluttered with plastic items but I'm not sure they came from the ocean dumped off of boats or from folks leaving junk on the beach. Very sad.

We have not really connected with other cruisers until today. People seem to have buddy boats that they mingle with or keep to themselves here but we met a couple who have a dog as well today so we are going to meet them on the beach tonight for a playmate.

So aside from boat chores like cleaning the stainless, sweeping up sand and filling the diesel and water jugs on shore and hauling them back to Spunky, we have spent our days reading and planning the next leg of our journey.

The northeast swells will end tonight and we will leave tomorrow a.m. for the north tip of Long Island and spend the night in Calabash Bay and then on to Conception on Friday. The winds will kick up above 20 knts on Sat so we want to be tucked in to our next anchorage by then. Hope this finds you all well and warm.

Long Island

We left George Town on Thursday. Tuesday was the dinner at Chat n Chill and the Valentines dance. We had fun. We took Moose to dinner on the beach and then back to the boat for the dance. He was tired and we knew it would be too confusing for him on the small deck with all the people. The night before the dance we had dinner on 'Not so Interim' with Bert and Maria Elena and two other couples-Roger and Linda on Sundancer and Patrick and Lisa on Giya II. Maria Elena who owned a restaurant in Venezuela is an awesome cook and we had conch fritters and fresh seared tuna which they had caught on the way to George Town. Turns out we knew Roger and Linda back in Galesville, MD when we had our 38' Ericson, Babe, named after the pig, of course, because it was as strange for a pig to be a sheepdog as for us to be sailing a boat. They caught us up on old friends with whom we sailed around the DelMarVa back in the late 90's. Small world. They met Maria Elena when they sailed to S. America some years back.

We arrived in Long Island yesterday afternoon. It is southeast of George Town. Thompson Bay is where we are anchored and it is large and not crowed. We arrived about 5:30 and took Moose into the beach and then headed back to Spunky for dinner.

This morning we took the dinghy the 2 miles into Island Breeze a 'resort 'that tries to cater to cruisers by allowing us to use the dinghy dock. The grocery store in Salt Pond which is the settlement where we are is pretty well stocked by Bahamas standards which is not saying much by US standards.

I wish I could figure out how to get my photos from the camera to the update as I know it would mean a lot more for you to see what we are experiencing. I am going to try to have John figure that out. He has been diving on the prop to clean it of barnacles and washing off the boat line where growth is above the bottom paint line due to the fact that we have loaded Spunky down with provisions. This afternoon I am hoping to do a small load of laundry and then it is relax time.