Ships That Pass in the Night

"Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence."

                                                                           Henry Wadsworth Longfell

After a while the weather finally has to become right for a comfortable move with Kasidah. Even with this winter’s on slot of storm after storm we have been wintering fine in Grand Bahamas. Our trip to the Berry’s has finely come. 

Kasidah headed south from Raymond's power cat. Moving well in the water.

We left Silver Cove and Ocean Reef Yacht Club (ORYC) on Tuesday the 11^th at 1^st light on a falling tide, but with plenty of water in the inlet. Wind was going to be ENE-E 70-90 deg. Our heading to the Berry’s was going to be 140 deg. It was a 63 NM run so a SOG (speed over ground) of 5-6 knts was mandatory. We where followed out of the little inlet an hour later by Raymond but he passed us within 2 hours doing about 10 knts. He’s been here at ORYC this year and last year, we’ve become dock friends. He has a very nice power cat and was headed in the same direction. With family aboard and a nice camera we’re hoping for a great photo of Kasidah hauling ass.  Thanks Raymond. We motor sailed with full sails making near 6.5 knots the first half of the day Close Hauled with a little room left making as much East as we could in case the wind came any more than East. The last three hours the wind was indeed right on the nose (of course) and was a little more East than I wanted. We tacked around once to side step a very large tanker and gained a little more East,….but it wasn’t worth it, now we were too close to the shallow water. We pulled in the Head Sail, and Stay Sail motoring with the Main up the last 2 hours making good speed close to 6 knots and making the harbor entrance of Great Harbour Cay (GHC) just as the moon was having an effect on our vision. We have many tracks on our instruments in and out of here so it was pretty easy. It was a nice sail and day to be on Kasidah.

The following day we dropped the dinghy, and headed out. Many of you may remember we lost our pet and best friend Sara last year at this time, leaving her on the best beach around. 

Sara's Veiw

We found her resting place in good condition with some of the flowering plants we left taking hold. We also found a coconut on a beach that had rooted and moved it near her. When we got back in the dinghy Arline said “OK I’ve done what I wanted to do, we can leave the Berry's any time”

Boat dog Sara Enjoying her beach,....... little did we know how much she really enjoyed it,...

Samantha Office manager

Returning to the marina and Kasidah we found numerous friends from all the years in GHC. Samantha was there as office manager and couldn’t give us a big enough huge, then sharing what had happened in her life while we’d been away. Later in the week she brought her 9 year old son over for us too meet, what a proper man he will be. 







Barrington was the dock master years ago but now is working as a tour boat captain that servers the big Cruise Ships that anchor off Coco Cay.  He and his wife have a beautiful 1 year old baby girl they named Liberty, but call her Libby ;-D. He is a much respected local person and had been part of the local government. We have shared dinners and stories with Barry about his life and ours, I can tell he deserves all of our respect for his morals and achievements. Thereon was a worker too but now lives in Freeport and has a new baby girl with his wife who is a school teacher on Grand Bahama. He was shocked to learn we’d been 2 months at ORYC and within 2 miles of his home and new job as a Government official for the fishing department. We are invited to spend Thanksgiving with his family next year. There were many others that came by just to say hello and see if we needed anything or if we got another dog to keep Blue company. 

Arline and Barry with Liberty,..Lib.

Of course Jeff and Lana, who had been there for us the 1^st year when we pulled in with a blown engine. They have a nice house on the island, and invited us to drinks and dinner. Returning to the boat late at night we noticed another sailboat had pulled in next to us. There were predictions of big winds for the next few days and a lot of cruisers had pulled in for coverage. Our new dock mates had the telltale signs of new young cruisers; trunks of stuff tied down on the deck, sailboards, Kayaks, a new dinghy and other things. It was an older center cockpit and a good looking boat.

Our new dock neighbors 

Peter and Jodi on the right with their quest in the center

Not so early up the next morning and at the bath house we say hello to our new dock mates doing laundry. Peter and Jodi, we started talking about destinations, journeys and dogs, (They have 2 big ones on board). We were talking about their crossing and how long it took them because the wind was right on the nose having to motor sail nearly the whole way. Jokingly I said “On the nose,.. What,. Did you just climb on the boat last week?”.  "Well last month" was his answer. We then find out they just bought the boat, a Whitby 42 from friends of ours. What a small world, this is S/V “HEY JUDE!”. A boat we've known and cruised with since our 1^st time crossing to GHC. Steve and Judy are great people that we still talk with while they are now in the Colorado area. Steve used his dinghy to pull Kasidah and her blown engine into dock the 1^st year there. Judy is the one who helped Arline with her hip, which is still good for her. Last year we crossed to GHC again with them knowing it would be their last year out. They have had “Hey Jude” for I Believe near 20 years. We sat with them at GHC and at the exact same docks. Within minutes I showed Peter photos from my phone of “Hey Jude” pulling away from the dock, the last photo of her we have, another of Steve towing Kasidah in, and finally another of Judy with her big as life smile. 

Steve and Judy leaving 1/13 from GHC Marina for parts unknown
I remember the photo and the moment they left last year, thinking we’d never see them or “Hey Jude” again. We really wanted to go with them further south, we just didn't want it to end. But for us we didn’t know what we could or would be doing the next summer. We had just been lied to, cheated, stabbed in the back and thrown under the bus by people we thought were friends, plus we’d just had some of our true good friends ripped out of our life. Steve and Judy knew and understood from experience what we had just gone through, and we knew for them, that this was their last year out here.  Also at the time Sara was not doing well, they and many other boaters helped keep our sanity in check. Steve and Judy had become family to us, and us to them. It was very emotional seeing “Hey Jude”, but quite a comfort to see her too. Her new name and owners would make Steve and Judy very proud.  Peter and Jodi felt the karma aboard “Hey Jude” when they looked at her and commented to the positive vibe they felt from Kasidah sitting at her side. We shared with the new owners 3 more great days, and a nice meal aboard.

Judy saw the photo of Kasidah and Hey Jude, which is now Mary Christian, together at the dock, “One is where they are, just as they are meant to be,” was her email back to us.  

Dock hand and friend Meko and Casita's owners with Arline

There was another boat Casita. Go ahead and say it. They were at GHC last year too. This year they are there buying property. We spent the big Wahoo Fishing tournament evening with them and all our other friends on Saturday knowing we would be headed back to ORYC in the morning.





Leaving GHC at 1^st light on Sunday as planned, and following our tracks out. Knowing what we did coming down, and having good tracks to ORYC from the year before, we were off for another good day. The computer with all of our tracks keeps history that is very detailed, if you click on any point of a track you can tell the day and time at that exact location. We had fair wind, I would have loved another 5 knts but, we were going well. We knew from the track last year that we made it into the Silver Cove channel at 3:30 having left at dawn too. Our arrival time today as stated by the chart plotter all morning long was 6:30 pm with sunset at 6:15, BUT all morning till noon we were 1 hour ahead of our position last year. Present boat speed was 7 knts, but SOG was 5.5 meaning we were being kicked by a 1.5 knt in current. Very interesting. We did make the channel at 6 pm, and we were just 2 hrs after low tide. Water Depth was going to be close in the channel, so we slowed down and added as much time as we could to gain more tide and water depth in the channel. At low tide there is 5 ft and we draw a little more than 6 ft. As we enter the channel Arline is up on the bow scouting for the zig-zag in the channel. I’m listening to her through our communicators, watching the depth meters and going as slow as I can. Not too slow because you can lose steerage, the current coming into the channel is probably 2-3 knots so that means Kasidah is moving about 4 knots which is pretty fast to run aground (I know this from experience). Arline had an easy time spotting the zig-zag and there was only one point at which I had only 6 inches under Kasidah. Ah nice to be back at ORYC, 2 pools, a hot tub, tennis, good stores and beaches and a bunch of Great Canadian cruising buddies. who are running around with their Flag after winning the gold in men and women's hockey. 

Highlighted track of the trip home 

Highlighed track of our trip south, note the details in the notes
and the Tack made.

Who knows what ships we passed as we came north that were just out of site. Who knows what ships we will pass in the near future. Our time together and here seems so short. I hope we connect again with (not in any particular order); Jenny, Summer Breeze, Y-knot III, C/esc;, Quest, Ram Sea, Serene, Rocinante, Andros, Ozymandias, Earendil, Anjo, Steadfast, Intermezzo, Pelican Rose, and all the others here at ORYC. There are so many we’ve crossed paths with and consider part of our family I can go on and on and not get to you all so please don’t feel left out if you’re not mentioned. We hope also to spend time welcoming into the cruising community and family, John and Marquette on Quick Silver, Dorothy and Dave on Querencia, and of course Veranda and our sister ship Boat Bumms. It’s wonderful out here for many many reasons.

  

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. . . Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Mark Twain

Kasidah sailing from Great Habour Cay to Grand Bahama.

Nice Day in Paradise.

Nice Calm Morning on Kasidah 

Well it seems like the weather is looking a little better for everyone, except our friends in upstate NY where another round of very cool weather is headed their way. Don't forget the storm of '93 in March dumped a record number of feet at the time. It is winter in the Bahamas too, all the cool weather up north has had an affect on weather here. Many boats have been stuck in one location or another with unfavorable conditions. I know a few hard core want-to-be cruisers might say "You're a sailboat you just go,.." It's not just getting there or weathering a day or two in rough waters, it's also about what will be there when you get there. You might not be able to anchor because the winds and or anchorage don't allow for ideal holding. There are many reasons to stay and many to move. The wrong decision might cost you your boat.

North End of the Lucayain Waterway

We are enjoying our time here doing many things. We went on dinghy up the Lucayain waterway with Doug and Sharon, long time cruisers. This is a man made canal or ditch that was made during the 70's, and goes from the south to the north cutting the island in two with only one bridge tying it together. This bridge and shallow water allow only powerboats of limited size to use it. It was a great day trip with lots to see and think about. We ran 32 miles and only used 4 gallons of fuel. We had lunch we brought with us, went through some of the smaller canals where many a dream had been hatched, and arrived at the top side of Grand Bahama Island into the Little Bahama Bank or the Abacos. This trip by sailboat or the long way around would have been 2 days if we went west and 5 days if we went east.

Hanya a Ukrainian from Canada at dinner with her ex boyfriend. 

As we learned like last year, we know the pattern of resort guest coming and going. We had a good time with several people, going to dinner, sharing wine and stories. We've meet some people from Annapolis who have a sailboat, they were at the time, 2 weeks away from retirement and going to do some cruising on their 39 ft Caliber. They have been following our virtual friends (did we just came up with that) Bill and Christie on Veranda. Small world! Also our friends here, Doug and Sharon, have a daughter and I understand in their earlier cruising time spent time with the Tom Neale family who's daughter Melanie we know another (virtual friend) through Facebook. Melanie is the author of Boat Girl. Small world. Surprised you didn't catch that Melanie,..

Resident kitty trying to sneak on  board to retrieve a treat

 The cats that live here also know when new guest arrive and when they leave. There is usually one or two days when the cats come to the boats looking for a hand out. Well they also show up when the fisherman comes back with a catch and they hang out at the cleaning station,.....right next to the hungry cruisers. This is one of the brave ones that finds his way to the boat, and I think he knows his tides too.

                                 

Only in the Bahamas do you park the rental boat under the parking lot drain pipe.

Blue getting comfy for an afternoon nap

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

We've had a few down pours of rain over the last couple of weeks. When it's heavy down pour the run off from the parking lot existing into the basin via a 6 inch PVC pipe gushes out for enough that it lands in the small rental boat parked under it. After a few days they come and pump it out and clean it.

                                                                                                                             

Arline getting some pointers from Hank who does still give lessons

We've also taken up tennis here with a group of people who play in the mornings, we're quite bad,.. but getting better. We found some really good rackets and balls at a salvation army store here.

Lunch....

Our local fishing friend with the cooler had his equipment taken from him and he's been too proud or stubborn to get it back. So we took him to fish from our dinghy and it was nice enough weather that I followed him around in the water with my spearing equipment and watched how he was hunting his fish and looking for lobster, I learned a lot from that. I speared my 1st Hogfish that day and was happy enough at that. He also told me my spear was TOO SLACK, meaning not enough power, and he showed me how to fix it which I did. The next time out I hunted as he did and got this good sized fish, which I thought was a Gray Snapper but with a little bit of research it was probably a Grass Porgy, both are fine and good eating and it was gone that night anyway, with a nice butter infused Old Bay sauce, mmmm.

Arline threw out the idea of a beach dinghy lunch party, so I think 16 or so dinghies came out and had a great time. I guess she can still work her magic when it comes to party or event planning.

Nice time on the beach

exploring the waterways on north side of island

Silver Cove Entrance, you don't want t miss it, or enter it with a south wind blowing you into the channel.

 A sailboat came in while we were at the beach so a bunch went out to mark the channel low spot, great photo of how shallow it is and how far out it goes,  and the narrow the usable part is for deep boats

Back to the weather,...it and tides are looking good for a move of Kasidah. We are most likely headed to the Berry's and Great Harbour Cay for a month soon. We might not stay at the marina for the full month and head out to the east side and a days travel to some quite remote areas for a few days. But we need to stay close to communications for our family.

My mom had a fall a few weeks ago, broke her hip and had emergency surgery that day which went well. Only through the Internet would I have known about it or be able to check in with dad and family. She is now in a rehab, PT, or Physical Therapy home for the next few weeks.

Dinner

squid under dock

    

Boat stuff and maintenance

My Favorite part of winter is watching how cold it is back in New York from our boat in the Bahamas,....

All buttoned up and weathering out the cool days here.

It was cold enough here so we closed all the hatches, fired up the oven to cook dinner, and did some boat stuff. I moved some beer from the front locker to the my beer cooler,....Arline was catching up on fellow cruisers to see where they are and what they were doing.


She was reading a friends note to us that just had a chain plate break on his IP while moving outside along Florida's coast. He had to turn around and head back in, then being distracted and frustrated he grounded on a sand bar, but got off with the tide, after he was calming himself down with a beer,....I grabbed a beer right then and there for myself, and sent spiritual thoughts to help him along. Anything for a fellow cruiser that has helped us.

Our friends shakedown chain-plate problem,...Ouch!

While Arline is also reading about other cruisers and their mishaps I thought it would be a good idea to start and run the iron sail, it'd been a while plus the added mass of heat would stay with Kasidah a through the day. About 30 seconds later I announce the engine wouldn't start. I could tell the Glow Plug electric circuit had not engaged and this design diesel needs the glow plugs unless it's already at operating temperature. Now I know this engine very well and, remember, I'm an electrician, I know how to read prints and have a LOT of tools and meters on the boat. I knew it was no big deal but the look on Arline's face was AGHHH,...Opening the engine cover and the rear access panel was quick but again Arline's growing worried look told me this better go quick.

Electrical print, see what I mean, it could only be one thing,...

A quick check of the engine electrical print confirmed it could only be the one thing I was thinking. I headed down into it with the confidence and wisdom from years of experience in electrical troubleshooting, years of experience in diesel engines and knowing what will last and what will go first, years of experience as an outboard mechanic, years of experience in total boat systems, knowing Kasidah inside and out, down to knowledge of every wire in her, and the experience of living on her over the past several winters in the harshest conditions that the Bahamas could give you. So with all of this I find the electrical engine harness plug/connector, wiggle it a little and start the engine like I knew it would,...;-D. Of course I didn't leave it like that, I checked a few other things add a corrosive protector to the harness.  Arline was happy, so I grabbed a brew and sent spiritual help to all our family and friends weathering the cold, I hope it helped.

The said connector is black and what the sharpie is pointed at

Anybody have a guess as to what the thing is, in the above photo, with the bright white wires, yellow connectors, sliver flange mounted on red, above the 2 hose clamps, and what it really does... free coozie to the 1st...never mind,..you'll just get a HUGE pat on the back from me, and full acknowledgement of my confidence in you on my next blog posting.

This weeks selection of calming spiritual brews

Also polishing fuel to keep on top of keeping it clean. There was just a big boat here that had to pay lots of money and lost 150 gallons of fuel and 2 weeks time because the fuel and had water in it with no way for them to cycle it through their filters.  It's always fuel,....unless it's the little electrical connector at the rear of the engine.

So we hope all our friends and family are staying warm,...well,....hope you all are dealing with it and doing well..

Thanks for watching.

A cold one today .....

We have been keeping busy here drinking cold ones,

Blue had a hat too

riding bikes, playing tennis, playing foosball, snorkeling, spearing fish, dinghy rides, gathering at the hot tub, taking long walks on the beach and even making paper hats for all our friends to wear. Lots of fun.





 The weather has not been good for moving the boat so we decided to stay for awhile with about six other boats, which also means some of our friends we are expecting have not arrived from Florida yet and are sitting at anchor in Lake Worth,a few of those have moved south to Miami or gave up and went to Marathon instead to keep warm. We will sit and have fun till we see the weather patterns change.

Biked to Freeport for some cold ones

everyone was having fun

Our Friends enjoying the night

Jon made some for the kids

HUGE Banana spider

resident under the boat "octopus"