Oh, so where were we.....

Our first stop in the Exumas was Norman's Cay.  This small island is about 60 miles southeast of Nassau. On the way there, one gets his first views of the diaphanous blue waters the Bahamas are so famous for.

We found the anchorage with no problems and couldn't wait to get our dinghy in the water and head to the beach.  We were anchored just a few hundred yards from shore so it was going to be a short ride in.

Getting the dinghy off the flybridge and into the water takes some effort.  One has to do a lot of climbing and lifting and hooking and unhooking of lines to make it happen.  I plan about a half hour

to get the boat off the lifts and into the water, ready to roll.  This time though, I had a problem.  Just as I was stepping into the dinghy from the swim platform, a rather large and unexpected swell lifted the boat and the dinghy.  Unfortunately for me, I had one foot on both vessels.  Something had to give and it was me!  I fell.  .....   and rather hard I might add.  

I landed on my ribs on the swim platform with quite a thud.  Along with that, I left several inches of the skin of my pinkie finger attached to the boarding ladder where I was trying to hold on.  The first instant I stopped moving I knew I was hurt.  I thought for sure that at a minimum I had broken some ribs.  It hurt to breathe.  Additionally, I saw a lot of blood around so I knew that something else must be amiss as well.  

Not to bore you with the details but I probably did have some broken ribs and I for sure could have used some stitches in my finger (I bled for several days afterwards), but I was going to survive.  What a way to start the trip!  So, Kim came running out and helped me inside.  I asked for some polysporin, bandages and a rum punch.   After about half an hour I was ready to go to the beach... very gingerly albeit.

We spent the afternoon on the sand with our Bahama Bums cruising buddies:  Bob, Stephanie (w/ their labs Godiva and Cassie) and Stephen and Pam.  They are fellow Defever owners and we would be traveling together on this adventure.  It was amazing to be on a deserted beach with sand like powder and water like glass.  I never knew water like that existed.

So anyway, we spent that first quiet night on the western side of Norman's Cay.  In the morning though, ominous clouds were gathering.  The first of many on this trip.

Prior to this, we had seen nothing but smooth and glasslike seas.  It couldn't have been any calmer.  We awoke that morning to a rocking and rolling motion, that while not uncomfortable, was not something we enjoyed.  Speaking to the other boats in our group on the radio, we decided to move the flotilla to the eastern side of the island.  Since the winds and waves were coming out to of the west, being on the lee side would allow the island to serve as a natural wall, blocking the bad weather.

It was a great idea, one shared by about 40 other boats.  No kidding, while we were one of the first to arrive on the east side of the island, within a few hours the anchorage was overflowing.  There were boats trying to fit in everywhere.

Most boaters like to have a buffer zone around them while anchored.  Much like driving on the freeway, you don't want someone right in front or behind you.  You want some room in case you have to maneuver.  Well, that was our plan.  Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way..... and that is how our first 'run in' occurred.

There we were, minding our own business when we heard some fellow boaters having some words of disagreement.  We weren't sure at first what was going on but we heard a lot of  F bombs and the like being exchanged.   Not wanting to pry, we laid low inside Maya with our ears pressed to the glass trying to figure out what was up.  Lover's spat?   Spousal mutiny?  It was all sounding rather juicy!

Suddenly on the radio, one of our fellow boaters called out to us and said, "Maya!  Maya!  are you monitoring what is going on?"   Not wanting to sound like a nosy neighbor I responded, "Yes, there seems to be some kind of commotion over there but I am not sure."

"Well" they said, those two boat have run into each other and are floating right towards you.  They seem to be out of control.  You better move .... and quickly!"

Turns out that in this crowded anchorage, two boats had gotten their propellors and anchor lines tangled up and as a result were floating hopelessly out of control.  Like a bull in a china shop they were going to do a lot of damage to whomever they hit and we were first in line.

I raced to try and start our engines and pull up the anchor as quickly as I could.  Normally this would take about 5 or ten minutes but with this hulk of fiberglass and metal coming towards us, there was no time for the checklists.  Kim was busy outside positioning our fenders for impact as it was clear there wasn't going to be enough time to move out of the way.  Bob, who already had his dinghy in the water was trying to act like a tug boat, using the nose of his inflatable boat to push everyone apart.  In the end, we did make contact, but luckily for us, it was just some scratches.  We were able to fend them off as they continued their journey of havoc downstream from us.

Whew, that was close.  It was decided that that event was going to be the highlight of our bad experiences and we decided to repair to the local establishment for some refreshments.  We all got into our dinghies and headed for McDuff's bar and grill, the only building on the island.

We drowned our sorrows and toasted the end of our misfortunes on this trip.  From here on out, it was going to be clear sailing.

When we got back to the boat that night, we noticed that it was tilting at a rather odd angle.  Was it just the rum punches we had been drinking?   Upon closer inspection, it turns out that we had anchored on the edge of a sandbar.  In our hurry to get out of the way of the two boats earlier in the day, we had repositioned to a spot further up the channel.  By that time it had become very crowded and we didn't have a lot  of spots to choose from.  The area we chose showed 14' of water under us which is great, but as the tide swung around during the day, that 14' went to 4' and we were then sitting on the sand.

Now, this is not a problem for boats.  The sand on the bottom is very soft and the hulls of boats like ours are virtually indestructible.  There was going to be no damage.  The only problem was that, all night long, the boat shifted every so slightly as the waves came and went.  The resulting sound was a little like fingernails on a chalkboard.  It was maddening.  

After a few hours though, the tide came back in and we lifted off the bar.  But, it was a long night.

Surely this would be the last 'un fun' event we were going to have.

Stay tuned..

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We made the crossing from the Keys to the Bahamas.  What an adventure!  We prepositioned in Miami as we wanted to make the Gulf Stream crossing and approach to Bimini in daylight conditions.  It was amazing as the water changed from a green blue to a very dark navy blue as we entered the 2500 foot deep Gulf Stream.

Six hours later we could see the small island of Bimini, our first port of call in the Bahamas.  It was nice to be on land again!  We cleared customs there, had a wonderful Bahamian dinner and then hit the sack early in preparation for our pre-dawn departure for the Berry Islands.  It was over 12 hours from Bimini to the Berry's with nothing but water to look at.  But once we got there, the waters were stupendous.  We have never seen so many different colors of blue.

Another Bahamian dinner made with fresh Mahi that we caught and it was off to bed again.  We were off to Nassau the next morning.  Nassau was a great port.  Yes, its a tourist trap but we had a good time.  We are traveling in a flotilla of three main boats with another 8 in tow.  The other eight are good friends of ours and they are one or two days behind us.  Its a lot of fun when we finally catch up.  In Nassau, we were all at the same marina and spent several days there resting and hanging out at the pool.

Soon we were on our way to the Exumas!  Lots of adventures to share but the bandwidth is very limited here and they limit our internet time.  So, I have posted some pictures to give you an idea of what we are seeing.  Will fill you in with the details when we have better access.

In the famous poem Invictus, the last two lines say something like this: 

"I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul."

Great thoughts to live by.     

Unless you are in the Florida Keys around Saint Patrick's day.

I am not sure how the patron saint of Ireland became such a huge influence on a few small islands four thousand miles away from his native homeland, but on March 17th, he grinds everything to a screeching halt.  One thing is for sure, after a few hours of celebrating dear Patty,  I wouldn't want to be the captain of anything.

Anyway, we were lucky enough to have our daughter Stephanie and her friend Jon fly down to visit for a few days.  Steph is on spring break from the University of Cincinnati (congrats!  Dean's List!!!) and Jon was able to sneak away from his new job to join us on the boat.  We didn't know that we would be subjecting them to the perils of St. Patty's day frivolity when we planned the trip but what the heck.  I am sure they have seen worse.

The first evening, Jon and Steph met our friends at Key's Fisheries.  If you are a sushi lover (like they are) its the best I've seen.  Couple that with excellent happy hour prices and you have a recipe for a fun evening.  I think they liked our friends.  Jon and Steph worked the room like political candidates in a tight race.  They didn't sit down the whole night.  As it turns out, Key's Fisheries was but a pale preview for the next evenings festivities.

The next morning, we all went to our favorite beach: Sombrero.  Quite frankly, its one of the best beaches I have ever been to.  Not too big, not too small.  Lots of shade (for me) and unfortunately for the kids, too much sun.  Despite our dire warnings, they got burned.  Badly.  Those one day tanning events never work out well and Jon and Steph would be feeling the pain for some time.  Ah...why youth is wasted on the young......

So that night we met up with our Marathon Madness group for a celebration at Dockside grill.  A favorite place for locals, they have killer food and wonderful drink prices.  We got there at five and the place was packed.  Luckily our 'cruise director' Bob had made arrangements with the ower to set up a table for 25 of us.  It took up almost the whole bar!  But we settled in for some food, fun and great music.

To say the least, a good time was had by all.  Especially our retired school teacher friend Candy.  Erin go Braugh Candy!

Yes, parents can still dance.

The rest of the evening's events must remain classified and have been redacted from this narrative.  But you can ask me about what happened later if you see me ;>) They kids had a good time and at some point in the evening mentioned that "your friends are more fun than ours!"  With that I totally agree.

At some point in the evening, as we were discussing 19th century poetry (LOL), I reflected on those wonderful lines from Invictus.  One should always be the master of his fate.   I thought we were on to a meaningful discussion of this poetic genre when someone yelled "My Captain!  My Captain!"

Apparently he was refering to his Captain Morgan rum, as he drained the last of his cocktail.

For at least one night near the ides of March, its fun to let karma have its way.   

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A few years ago, Kim convinced me that our kitchen needed new paint and wallpaper.  It had been a few years since our last cosmetic update and the old stuff was getting tired.  Not being one to farm out any work that I can do myself, I forged ahead with the project.  I mean, how hard could it be to remove the old  paper, prime the old paint and simply replace what you had just taken off?  I was about to find out.

A few months and several 'kitchen units' later (one kitchen unit = five boat units) the project was complete. "What happened?"  I kept asking myself?  How did this seemingly simple project get so far out of control? It turns out, in my naivete, that you cannot simply change colors or remove paper.  Doing so would be like me getting a spray tan.  Looks good for a short time, but underneath, its still the same worn-out old guy.

To do it right and make it all work, its best to start from scratch.  So, as the kitchen project began to evolve, I discovered that paint and paper begat counter tops.  Counter tops begat sinks and fixtures.  Sinks and fixtures begat door hardware.  Door hardware begat cabinets.  Cabinets begat appliances.  Appliances, well they don't begat anything.  They are the top of the food chain.  Anyway, what started out as a simple weekend project for me, turned into a multi-month frenzy of major projects and check writing.  On top of that, I had to go shopping with Kim for door handles and such and I really hate that kind of thing.

So flash forward several years later and I am standing on the bow of our boat looking at the worn out paint.    Still smarting from my kitchen experience several years prior, I was hesitant to dive headfirst into another major 'cosmetic' update.  I mean, the boat didn't look that bad, and after all, its just a boat, right?  But after talking with several other boaters, checking out the internet and generally ignoring every voice screaming in my head "don't do it!", I bought some paint.

This should have been my first clue.  Boat paint is egregiously expensive.  Way over $100/gallon.  Plus, you need special rollers and brushes, lots of thinners and enough blue edging tape to circle the globe.  Still though, I kept telling myself... "its okay... think about how much you are saving by doing it yourself!"

So one fine morning in early January I began the process by removing the first piece of hardware.  Like any good paint job, the work is all in the preparation.  Removing as many impediments to a smooth finish is the key.  The idea is not to paint around (or god forbid... paint over), but rather to paint in a way that there are no edges or brush marks created by impediments to a smooth roller.  Anyway, there is a lot of hardware on the boat.  Removing and cataloging it took several days alone.  Next comes the sanding. Yes, the old wax/dirt/finish needs to come off lest the new paint not adhere to the surface...and its very messy.  Combined with breathing in the acetone and whatever carcinogens were floating in the air, the next few weeks of sanding caused me, I am sure, to lose millions of whatever brain cells I had left.  Next came the taping... and taping... and taping.  Anything that was remotely exposed to my unwieldy brushes and rollers had to be protected.  It was everywhere.  I had some in my hair at one point but I think Kim was afraid to pull it out.  I mean, I need every follicle!

As the days and weeks dragged on, I began to lose my energy and patience with this project.  Hey I am retired!  I didn't sign up for this.  But the end was coming into view and I was happy that I wasn't shopping for corian.   The boat was finally ready for some paint.

Now for as much as this paint costs, you would think it would be easier to work with.  While it will last for years under some extreme conditions, for that kind of money it should go on with less effort.  The key to a great finish is to eliminate any roller/brush marks and any 'bubbles' that come to the surface after application.  The window to do this is very small as this paint sets up VERY fast.  I am talking minutes here.  Even though it looks like milk going on, it handles like peanut butter.  At times, I felt like more the sculptor than the painter.  But after a few hours, I got the hang of it.

The whole job took a little less than two months but we are very happy with the results.  We even have people stopping by with their cameras to take pictures now and then.  One afternoon as Kim and I were admiring the fruits of our labor, Kim asked me about replacing the countertops in the galley.  "How hard could that be?"  she asked.  "You did such a great job on the outside, lets do the inside".   

I wasn't falling for that again.  

  

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I can't lie to you.  We are really liking this retirement gig.  Life in the Florida Keys is very nice.  There is a real community here, a sense of belonging.  Even though the people here are passing through but for a short time, we have grown fond of the many friends we have made and truly believe we will be 'buds' for a long time to come.

I think one of the catalysts that brings people together is the proximity of one boat to the next.  Marinas are tight spots and you cannot help but get to know your neighbor.  As such, you are compelled to get out and meet each other.  Back home, our house sits back in the woods on a little over an acre of ground.  We can go months without seeing one of our neighbors.  Here on the docks, you see everyone almost every day.  And if that is not enough for you, there is a happy hour every afternoon at five where all the boaters gather on the beach, sharing a drink and some stories as the sun goes down.



One of the things we wanted to do this year while in Marathon was to try out a few of the different marinas on the island.  There are many and each has its own flavor.  The first place we tried was called Sombrero Dockside.  Probably in the best location on the water, Sombrero is known for its lively clientel and popular bar and grill.  Each night at the bar there would be live entertainment.  The genres ranged from country to pop with one night reserved for karaoke (ugh!).  Most times, the music was quite good, but sometimes it was just plain bad.  Unfortunately for us, we were two slips removed from the stage which meant we heard every note that was played.  It was if they were playing in our basement.  This is okay if it was only a few nights a week.  At Sombrero, in season, there is music every night.  I don't think we could have made it the whole winter.

Luckily for us, we were able to get a slip at one of the other marinas we were wanting to try out.  Across the road on the bayside of the island sits Banana Bay.  As loud and boisterous as Sombrero was, Banana Bay is quiet and serene.  With a scant 27 slips, Banana Bay is a tight knit community of boaters who value thier privacy.  While there are still the nightly gatherings on the beach for happy hour, the conversations are shorter and pointed more towards banal things like the weather and the tide.   We have made one friend here that we hope visits more often:

This is an eight foot manatee that hangs around the marina, looking for a kind soul to offer her some fresh water.  It is amazing how large and docile these animals are.  She lumbers in every other day or so, hangs around for an hour or so and then is back on her way.  Its fun to watch her as she roll over from her back to her belly as the kids squeal in delight.

So as the days amble by here at "shuffleboard city," we are spending most of our time working on the boat.  (theres a surprise!)  The big project this season is to repaint the 'house'.  The 'house is the part of the boat that is out of the water and not the hull.  It comprises the flybridge and foward decks, along with the dinghy deck.  It has been a lot bigger job than we thought it was going to be.  Maya was looking a little tired in the paint department and I am glad to say that her new coats have made a great difference.

We are gearing up for our big 10 week Bahamas cruise later in the year.  We can't wait for that!  For now though, we are enjoying the weather and all the good friends we have made.  I am going to make it a point to get out in the neighborhood a little more when we get back to Cincinnati.  I wonder what they would think if we had happy hour nightly out on Treeknoll?

After several months back in Ohio, we are finally aboard Maya once again.  Its so nice to be back on the water.  Its just so relaxing!  We were talking the other day and Kim mentioned that after almost four years of owning Maya, the boat finally feels like our home.  Kim thinks its all the special touches that make it seem so personal now.  New chairs, carpet, paint....all the usual 'X' chromosome stuff.  I feel that its all the 'units' we have invested in Maya that makes her ours:  boat units and blood units (from so many injuries) ....the 'Y' chromosome stuff.

So Maya sat in the hot Florida sun this past summer.  Up the river in a marina off the Caloosahatchie was her sabbatical home from June to October.  We checked on her from time to time though, charging the house batteries and shooing away the occasional spider.  All in all, after a thorough cleaning and some polish here and there, Maya was ready to go again.

We spent some of October and all of November and part of December down in Fort Myers.  From there we tackled many of the projects we had been putting off.  Maya got a new radar, some new furniture and carpet. We also got rid of the old surround sound and video/stereo units.  In today's world, if you have the Internet, you have it all.  No need for all those old pesky electronic components.  If you have a wide screen TV and a wifi connection, you are good to go!

It was also nice being around Dad for all that time.  He has been going through a rough patch recently and I think our boating diversion was good for him.  He loves being on Maya and we try and take him out whenever we can.  He is moving from his present spot to a high rise on the water soon.  Here is a shot of a proud owner with his new digs in the background.

We haven't had a lot visitors cruise with us on Maya.  I don't know whether its the idea of being on a boat with 'Gilligan' and 'Mrs. Howell' at the controls or just the fact that its hard to carve out the time off necessary to do a trip, but our passenger manifests are pretty sparse.  We haven't had a lot of takers on our invites.

So, this past New Years Eve, we had planned to spend the evening with our good friends Tom and Tina.  They were down from Cincy for a short break and the idea was that we would drive up to Sarasota where they were staying and meet them for some end of the year fun.  Soon after that, the plan was that we would be depart for our trip down to the Florida Keys.

A few days before our New Year's bash, the weather forecasts indicated that a fast moving cold front would impact our ability to make the voyage.  It takes three days to get from Fort Myers to the Keys and you have to make sure you will have good weather for the crossing.  Cold fronts and north winds make for a very lumpy ride and we just weren't digging the idea of being bounced around for so long.

The two options were to leave early (and miss the end of the year festivities) or delay our departure until the adverse weather conditions had passed.  It looked as if it might be up to a week before things settled down out in the ocean, so we decided to leave early.

I didn't like the idea of bailing on our plans with our friends so I gave Tom a call and told him about the situation with the weather.  Being a pilot, he understood right away that you can't mess around with Mother Nature.  So, trying out this spontineity thing again, I asked him if he and Tina would like to 'move the party offshore' and join us on the crossing.  I mean, what could be more fun than trying to outrun a cold front in a small boat on international waters?

He agreed immediately.  Tina.... maybe not so immediately....but pretty quickly nonetheless.  Kim calls boating, 'camping on the water'.  In some ways she is right.  The quarters aren't as spacious as they are at home and for a few days,  privacy takes a holiday.  Lets just say that when someone flushes one of the toilets onboard, everyone else knows about it.  They make a lot of noise.

Anyway, Tina is such a good sport about everything.  I knew she would embrace the trip once she got over the initial shock.  Tina and I are a lot alike....we are cut from the same cloth.  So, I knew where she was coming from.  Would I rather spend a week in Florida in my oceanfront condo with all the comforts of home or would I rather spend that time like a cork, bobbing up and down the waves hoping that my friend planned this trip so we would be safely ashore before the weather closed in?  Ha!

So, the day of our departure, Tom and Tina showed up at the dock with their toothbrushes and a case of wine, ready for the cruise.  They climbed aboard Maya and we were off.  First stop:  Marco Island.  Just a short 6 hours away, Marco is a great place to spend the night.  Totally protected from the wind and current and a very short dinghy ride away from lots of good restaurants, I thought this anchorage would put everyone at ease.  It turned out the seas were like glass the whole way down and the trip couldn't have been better.  We dinghied in to shore for dinner at a great restaurant that night.  All was good.

The next day we departed at 'oh dark thirty' for our next stop:  the Little Shark River.  Located at the southern tip of mainland Florida, Little Shark River is about as far from civilization you can get (not counting Clermont County, Ohio).  There are no cell towers, internet connections or even other people for miles and miles around.  Just you and nature baby!  After another day of smooth sailing, we arrived at the anchorage 20 minutes before happy hour.  And, happy it was.  We may have just set the world record for wine consumption that night.

Later that night when we were outside admiring the multitude of stars in the sky, one of the voyagers remarked how 'pretty the spinning stars were.'  I didn't have the heart to tell him/her that the boat and the sky were perfectly still and that perhaps it was his/her head that was spinning.  Oh well in my book, its a good night when nobody falls overboard.  Kim also made a spectacular dinner, complete with grilled chicken, some potato thing and a vegetable, I think.  I can't seem to remember anything other than it was good.  hmmmm.

The last day, I had everyone up before dawn.  The cold front was bearing down on us and I wanted to be safely tied to the dock in Marathon before the winds kicked up.  I am not sure, but I think Tom was still drunk when we hoisted the anchor.  He kept going on about those stars again, so I sent him back to bed. 

Here's Tom thinking about how he will never be a liver organ donor.


It was a short 40 miles down across the open water to the middle keys where we would be the next three months...about a 5 hour run.  The front was scheduled to arrive around 1800 (six p.m. for you landlubbers) and I wanted to be there by noon.  As luck would have it, the seas were dead calm for the entire passage.  If it weren't for the porpoises that were chasing us, I doubt that there would have been a ripple in the water.  It was picture perfect.

We pulled into Marathon right on schedule and got into our slip without any problems.  That night we met up with two of Tina's friends, Jody and Ed.  They have a house down here in the Keys and they invited us all over for dinner... and it was wonderful.  As we sat on their back veranda having a pre-dinner drink, the winds began to howl.  35 knots, at least.  Boy was I glad we were on land!  I love it when a plan comes together.

The next morning, Tom and Tina had to say their goodbyes and return to the great white north.  We had a ball having them aboard for those three days and they have an open invitation to cruise anytime they want.

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