It has taken years but we have finally made it to the Ragged Islands. Yesterday we dropped anchor in a small bay next to Double Breasted Cay. There are perhaps a dozen other boats in the neighborhood. Three sailboats are in this anchorage, one of which is Carina, a Manta 42 with Mark & Kathy on board. I am not sure we could find a more remote location anywhere in this hemisphere……check it out on a map!
We have a little Internet service here at the anchorage, not enough for pictures but we will try to download some when we go a few miles further south towards Duncan town, the only settlement in the entire Jumentos/Ragged chain of islands and cays. Population is perhaps 55 people. We are less than 65 miles from Cuba, a mere day sail if we could only go….. There are no McDonald's or Burger Kings here and one has to be 100% self sufficient to stay around. Without our watermaker there is no way we could even come down here, let alone stay here for a couple of weeks.
It is absolutely beautiful here, desolate and crystal clear water.
Lat/lon…….
N 22.18.80
W 75.45.95
We are south of the Tropic of Cancer!!
Stand by for some more highlights when we can upload pictures!!
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Sorry for the delay but we have been away from internet!
Internet service is much better than ever in the Bahamas but having bandwidth big enough to download pictures continues to be a challenge. Right now we are in Georgetown doing laundry and are able to visit J&K to use their router. With that we will do a bunch of pictures for everyone…..
From Warderick Wells we continued down the Exuma chain and have been able to visit many new anchorages. They have all be beautiful so we'll start with Pipe Cay, real close to Compass Cay marina where we all had sharks (nurse only) right at the tip of our hands! While there I have finally broke my bad luck and picked up two lion fish and a lobster! Yep, right between the eyes as Randy told me to do! Anne found a huge conch and we are working away at making that our big horn.
Next….some views of Little Farmers Cay…….real nice place to watch to Super Bowl and we will go back!
Next up is Rudder Cut Cay…..A nice anchorage and the water was crystal clear. How about the man playing with the mermaid? Yep, Vinny is keeping abreast of the situation! Reportedly David Copperfield paid to have the piece of art placed in 15 feet of water.
Cruze is now fully bloomed and has six flowers this year!
The next stop is Barraterre. It is located at the far north end of Great Exuma and is a very remote but a super friendly settlement. Again, we will be going back to that anchorage. Just lovely! Germain (from Big D's last year happened to see us and took Vinny, Ralph and I down to the local beer store and also stopped by Rev. Williams farm. We have the freshest, most tasty veggies we have had is a long time. No refrigeration needed!
After picking up Jim and Joanne we went back to Lee Stocking Island and did some fishing and swimming. M/V Scooter dropped off a nice Mahi for us (they had two other huge ones, 54+ inches long) so we made sushi, fried mahi and mahi ceviche. A real feast was had by all!
From there we eventually made it down to Georgetwon in order to be here for Jim & Jo's departure. We still had a good time, there weather was perfect and we still had the time to go to Chat & Chill for a rum punch.
We hope you enjoy the photos…….I know it took a long time but we will keep trying to get better.
From Warderick Wells we continued down the Exuma chain and have been able to visit many new anchorages. They have all be beautiful so we'll start with Pipe Cay, real close to Compass Cay marina where we all had sharks (nurse only) right at the tip of our hands! While there I have finally broke my bad luck and picked up two lion fish and a lobster! Yep, right between the eyes as Randy told me to do! Anne found a huge conch and we are working away at making that our big horn.
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| I mangled this lion fish |
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| fresh water rinse |
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| Nice shark! |
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| dinner! |
Next….some views of Little Farmers Cay…….real nice place to watch to Super Bowl and we will go back!
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| One must cross the runway to get to town |
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| JR & Anne |
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| This is the jeep by Ty's Sunset Grill |
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| Yep, chain doesn't float! |
Next up is Rudder Cut Cay…..A nice anchorage and the water was crystal clear. How about the man playing with the mermaid? Yep, Vinny is keeping abreast of the situation! Reportedly David Copperfield paid to have the piece of art placed in 15 feet of water.
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| Swimming with a nurse shark |
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| Who said mermaids don't exist!? |
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| Another date for Vinny! |
Cruze is now fully bloomed and has six flowers this year!
The next stop is Barraterre. It is located at the far north end of Great Exuma and is a very remote but a super friendly settlement. Again, we will be going back to that anchorage. Just lovely! Germain (from Big D's last year happened to see us and took Vinny, Ralph and I down to the local beer store and also stopped by Rev. Williams farm. We have the freshest, most tasty veggies we have had is a long time. No refrigeration needed!
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| Better than Wegmans…..all fresh for $10 bucks! |
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| 1 season car wash |
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| Same Old Place Restaurant |
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| the main drag in town |
After picking up Jim and Joanne we went back to Lee Stocking Island and did some fishing and swimming. M/V Scooter dropped off a nice Mahi for us (they had two other huge ones, 54+ inches long) so we made sushi, fried mahi and mahi ceviche. A real feast was had by all!
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| We really like our underwater camera….Teagan's ray! |
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| A Doctor at rest! |
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| Dick's first sushi rolls |
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| The huter and his wife with a mega shrimp! |
From there we eventually made it down to Georgetwon in order to be here for Jim & Jo's departure. We still had a good time, there weather was perfect and we still had the time to go to Chat & Chill for a rum punch.
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| Team Perkins getting ready to freeze again! |
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Oh no..?.Dr & Dr Perkins are in the air!
In another hour we will be going to the airport to pickup the Perkins. Now the trouble will begin. First Jo will want to dissect a lion fish. Jim will be looking for a perch hole in the ice. Won't he be surprised to find we only have ice with the medicine! (That's rum for you preachers)
We aren't sure of the agenda but we will figure out something. Right now we are at Barraterre and will head over to Lee Stocking Cay this afternoon. It is very pretty there with good swimming, hiking and fishing.
We still haven't been able to get pictures to the blog via the iPad. We will keep trying.
We aren't sure of the agenda but we will figure out something. Right now we are at Barraterre and will head over to Lee Stocking Cay this afternoon. It is very pretty there with good swimming, hiking and fishing.
We still haven't been able to get pictures to the blog via the iPad. We will keep trying.
Monday, February 3, 2014
It was a blowout but we had a blast!
We have had some Internet coverage but only with the iPad so no pictures for now. We would like to at least keep folks a little updated as to what is going on......
This morning we will keep heading south (all be it at a very slow pace sine we continue to have SE winds) after a delightful stop at Little Farmer Cay. We were able to watch the Super Bowl at Ty's Sunset Bar & Grill and had a lot of fun. By the second half we had already named the rum special as "Farmers Cay Face Plant"! Anne & I were just about the only ones cheering for Denver and we took a lot of ribbing from Julian, Daryl, Ty, Coach, Ernestine, Terry and others.
News update.......a proposal for the 49th Super Bowl at the Farmers Cay runway may be in the works. We will have to start right away with bleacher construction but the folks on the cay are up for all sorts of adventure! Their annual 5 F (Farmers Cay first Friday in February festival) may have to change to 7F ......Farmers Cay first Friday in February festival & Super Bowl for 2015 (another F) and include the Falcons!
We will be hard pressed to meet a group of finer people anywhere......we will be back!
Oh, by the way.....they are having a street hockey game on the runway next week against some of the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team. We have been invited to suit up and play!? Ouch!!
This morning we will keep heading south (all be it at a very slow pace sine we continue to have SE winds) after a delightful stop at Little Farmer Cay. We were able to watch the Super Bowl at Ty's Sunset Bar & Grill and had a lot of fun. By the second half we had already named the rum special as "Farmers Cay Face Plant"! Anne & I were just about the only ones cheering for Denver and we took a lot of ribbing from Julian, Daryl, Ty, Coach, Ernestine, Terry and others.
News update.......a proposal for the 49th Super Bowl at the Farmers Cay runway may be in the works. We will have to start right away with bleacher construction but the folks on the cay are up for all sorts of adventure! Their annual 5 F (Farmers Cay first Friday in February festival) may have to change to 7F ......Farmers Cay first Friday in February festival & Super Bowl for 2015 (another F) and include the Falcons!
We will be hard pressed to meet a group of finer people anywhere......we will be back!
Oh, by the way.....they are having a street hockey game on the runway next week against some of the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team. We have been invited to suit up and play!? Ouch!!
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Some views of warm weather!
You already know that we have made it to the Bahamas and we are southbound. We stayed in Nassau for two nights, had a great sail down to Shroud Cay and two days ago made a short hop down to Warderick Wells. This is part of the Bahamas National Park so there is no fishing but it is so beautiful. The colors are spectacular and the swimming has commenced.
Enjoy some of the pictures we have taken. Vinny has also been able to get a few of Nati under sail as we were heading across the Gulf Stream and also some of the sail to Shroud Cay.
Shroud Cay has some very cool tidal streams. We took Vin & Ralph over to the east shore on Exuma Sound at high tide. If you don't make it back to the west shore……..you have a few hour wait as the stream will dry out at low tide.
Enjoy some of the pictures we have taken. Vinny has also been able to get a few of Nati under sail as we were heading across the Gulf Stream and also some of the sail to Shroud Cay.
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| Nati with her new sails |
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| The only way to sail! |
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| Sunrise leaving No Name Harbor |
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| Sunset on the Bahama Bank |
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| Hey Flight Plan….look behind you! |
Shroud Cay has some very cool tidal streams. We took Vin & Ralph over to the east shore on Exuma Sound at high tide. If you don't make it back to the west shore……..you have a few hour wait as the stream will dry out at low tide.
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| Clean, clear and warm water! |
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| Are we enjoying ourselves?! |
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| Looking SE |
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| A view to the west |
Warderick Wells is a very special place. You can only take mooring here as they don't want the seabed impacted any more than it is. Yesterday while talking to a neighbor a 5' sand shark went right under Dingh-go. I could have reached down and touched it since it was right at the surface of the water! Whoa!!
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| Nati in the north mooring field |
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Hi Nassau!
We are here!
172nm and 29 hours and we are in the Bahamas....... Was a great sail over, very quiet and comfortable.
Will have to update later but just wanted to pass this along to friends and family.
172nm and 29 hours and we are in the Bahamas....... Was a great sail over, very quiet and comfortable.
Will have to update later but just wanted to pass this along to friends and family.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Good bye Miami……..we hope anyways!
It's Sunday afternoon and we are motoring down to No Name Harbor for an expected departure for the Bahamas tomorrow morning. The north winds are laying down for a day and a half, turning west so perhaps we'll have a downwind sail (cross the fingers) and get into Nassau before the strong N winds come back in. Right now that is the plan.
It has been cold and windy for the last week or so and we finally decided to at least go south for a few nights to get out of the crazy city. It seems to be more busy and noisy every time we pull into Miami. I guess it's just not our thing for very long. Some people like it more than us that's for sure.
So off to Barnes Sound for the best conch fritters in the "world"! Yes, we made our annual migration down to Alabama Jacks and we timed it perfect! The music was blasting and the place was packed. We were the only sailboat in the anchorage but who cares. Dingh-go took us to the dock and we had our dinner with music….
We were able to spend another night down in Biscayne Bay before the next northerly came through so we went over to one of our favorite anchorages at Sands Key and thought we would have it all to ourselves……well, almost as two other cats saw us and came near. Not too bad but we had to have a boat in our sunset shots.
While in South Beach "Cruz" is loving life….now we have a flowering orchid going across the Gulf Stream with us!
Teagan…..we have the latest butterfly for you……
See you all in the Bahamas……ah warm, clear water!! We can't wait!!!!
It has been cold and windy for the last week or so and we finally decided to at least go south for a few nights to get out of the crazy city. It seems to be more busy and noisy every time we pull into Miami. I guess it's just not our thing for very long. Some people like it more than us that's for sure.
So off to Barnes Sound for the best conch fritters in the "world"! Yes, we made our annual migration down to Alabama Jacks and we timed it perfect! The music was blasting and the place was packed. We were the only sailboat in the anchorage but who cares. Dingh-go took us to the dock and we had our dinner with music….
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| The sign says it all…… |
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| This is real "country"! |
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| Just what is closed?? |
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| Anne & Janie |
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| Our anchorage is at the top left |
We were able to spend another night down in Biscayne Bay before the next northerly came through so we went over to one of our favorite anchorages at Sands Key and thought we would have it all to ourselves……well, almost as two other cats saw us and came near. Not too bad but we had to have a boat in our sunset shots.
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| Not Nati…. |
While in South Beach "Cruz" is loving life….now we have a flowering orchid going across the Gulf Stream with us!
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| Cruz blooming again! |
Teagan…..we have the latest butterfly for you……
See you all in the Bahamas……ah warm, clear water!! We can't wait!!!!
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