STEELE STREET OCEANEERS

Like Ice-water Poured Over Your Head......

2011-03-11T12:33:00.000-08:00

From the tranquility of our anchorage on Mangrove Cay and the a beautiful final sail on the Little Bahama Bank ....

.... we were all in for a shock when we arrived in West Palm Beach Florida in the middle of the Memorial Day Weekend!!

Greeting us at the entrance channel was a steady parade of tour boats and pleasure craft heading in and out from the ocean. You would have thought that compared to the 5' beam-on seas we had just endured for 14 hours, the entrance channel would have offered some relief??

Nuh-uh, not a chance!!

Not only were there wakes coming from every direction, but it seemed like every idiot that owned a PWC was on the water that day. They seem to love all the confused wakes, especially when it means they can jump them just in front of you. And it's not as if we would be able to avoid hitting them if they fell in. Something that can do +50mph and takes all of 10 minutes to "master" is where the Marine Police and Coast Guard need to concentrate their efforts. Rant over, but jeez do I hate PWC's!!!

We had to wait until the next day to clear US Customs, so we grabbed a slip for the night, ordered a pizza and had a few cold Bud's with Gary and Ingrid from "Tamaki".

We cleared Customs the next day and quickly moved north to one of our favourite spots, the anchorage at Peck Lake.

We spent the day wandering on the beach noting all the sea turtle nests. We even got an excellent explanation of sea turtle breeding and nesting habits by 2 very friendly Park Rangers.

After leaving Peck Lake, we then spent the day moving inland via the Okeechobee Waterway to Indiantown, Florida.

Sadly, this day on the boat was to be our last trip ever on "Charlotte-Ann".

We had heard good things about Indiantown Marina (http://www.indiantownmarina.com/) when inquiring about somewhere to haul and store "Charlotte-Ann". Not only were we looking for a place to haul-out, we were also trying to figure out what our future boating plans were to be.

We arrived in Indiantown and made arrangements for the boat to be hauled the next day. Hot, muggy, sticky, humid= Indiantown. The kids did some exploring, noting some of the local wildlife, from the fuzzy backed turtles...

To the resident 8' gator patrolling just off the stern of "Charlotte-Ann"!

After more than 20 years of boat ownership we have never gotten comfortable with seeing our boats hanging on 2 nylon straps 5' above pavement!

We packed the boat up as best we could, as well as placing about 20 Roach Motels around the interior. I suppose if there is one good thing about living in Canada it's the fact we don't have to worry about cockroaches!!! We sealed the boat up, including closing the few seacocks on "Charlotte-Ann". The remaining thru-hulls were stuffed with duct tape to further prevent any unwanted visitors. With the help of one of the marina staff, Lisa went to Stuart to pick-up a rental car.

As far as the kids knew, our plan was to fly home from Orlando the following day. Once we were settled at home, Lisa and I would drive down and bring the rest of our "stuff" home. We hadn't decided yet if we would sell "Charlotte-Ann" or not, but regardless, we would need to give her a good cleaning when we returned.

If you have ever been to the Orlando Airport, or Orlando for that matter, you can't help but notice all the Disney Shuttle buses.

Well , so did our kids!

Although they did ask if "someday" we could go to Disney, they seemed satisfied with our answer that it was too much right now, but "someday" we would return. What they didn't know was 3 weeks earlier we had booked a 5-night stay!

After we returned the car, we were walking to what they thought was our flight home. We then stopped, I looked at Lisa and said, "What do you think if we just go to Disney instead of going home???" Neither kid really knew what to think, in fact their response was a little "too" subdued!!!

So five days of Disney was ahead of us. We all had a great time, but unlike many families we met who had been there multiple times, I don't see us going back anytime soon, but who knows???

A month later, Lisa and I came back to Indiantown after deciding to sell "Charlotte-Ann". Initially trying to sell privately, we instead chose to sell through Advantage Yacht Sales, a brokerage that has the "advantage" of being at the Indiantown Marina. Here is the listing:

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/pl_boat_full_detail.jsp?slim=broker&boat_id=2247035&ybw=&hosturl=bondmarine&&ywo=bondmarine&&units=Feet&access=Public&listing_id=66791&url=&hosturl=bondmarine&&ywo=bondmarine&

A bit of a bummer was the fact that all our kiteboarding kites got stolen. Really a shame, the owner of the marina was shocked (and gave us a great deal ), as was the local Sheriff.

On the bright side, insurance came through so we now have a full quiver of 2010 Naish Cults!!!!

Yee haaa!!!!

Mark.

Still playing catch-up on the entries.

Leaving the Bahamas (playing catch up with the posts)

2011-01-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

"Today is very sunny. I'm sitting here doing school. My classroom looks like a boat, one reason why is because it is a boat! When I look outside my window I see two little houses, one yellow and one turquoise, a powerboat on a mooring ball and a sailboat called "Morning Glory" on a mooring ball. I live on a boat called "Charlotte-Ann". It is a 34' Gemini catamaran. I love life on a boat!!"

Delaney/March 2010
As much as we didn't want to leave, the time had come for us to make our way from the Bahamas and back to Florida. Hurricane season was fast approaching, and although many people remain cruising in the Abacos well into summer, the logistics for us just didn't make it possible.

There were plenty of sad good-byes in Hope Town. Our little community of Ex-pats (The Butlers, The Gormans and The Richens) all had plans to move on. Our new-found Bahamian friends (The Higgs, The Aberles) would always be here, just one more reason for us to return to the Abacos in the near future.

We made our way to Guana Cay to once again anchor off of Grabbers. The weather was great and we hung out by the pool with the crew from "Liquid Asset", enjoying the last of our days with Bill, Karen and Jack. Neil and Rachel stopped by and we got a guided tour of the Island with Neil.

More swimming and hanging around at Scotland Cay, then it truly was time to head off.

As "Liquid Asset" and "Different Drummer" made their way back to Hope Town, we were pointed in the opposite direction, heading for Green Turtle Cay.

Originally planning to head through "Don't Rock Pass", a direct shallow water route to GTC, we decided as we approached the pass that we didn't feel comfortable with the swell that was running. We had been assured there was plenty of water for our Gemini, but it was nearing low tide and with a large swell running in I didn't want to risk any unintended "bumps" on the seabed. We diverted to Treasure Cay, and while Lisa relaxed back on the boat, the kids and I went ashore to take advantage of the pool.

The next day we were off early, getting to the pass about an hour before high tide. We went through without incident, never seeing less than 5' below our hulls even though the swell was still running pretty good.

After a few days in Green Turtle Cay we were off again, travelling a day to our staging spot for the crossing back to Florida. We met-up with another Canadian boat, Tamaki, a Catalina 36'. Since they were also heading back to West Palm Beach, we decided to buddy-boat. The trip to Mangrove Cay was really nice, blue skies, warm temps and just barely enough wind to sail. We even managed to get our spinnaker up for a few hours (it's a little small for our boat, but was free, thanks Jason!).

Later that afternoon, once our anchor was set, we were approached by 2 Bahamian conch fishermen in a small open powerboat. They asked if we could spare some gas, they were running low and were a good 15 miles from land. Sure, it could have been a scam, but for the small amount of gas we gave them it was worth the peace of mind knowing that we "may" have helped out some people in need. Regardless, they left us with 6 huge, cleaned conch in exchange for 4 gallons of gas. Seemed appropriate, conch salad as our final meal in the Bahamas.

We left Mangrove Cay just after midnight. It was bumpy and windy with ugly skies lit up by the occassional flash of lightning. Once again, not what was in the forecast!

We left the shallow waters of the Bahama Bank just before sunrise, and 10 hours later arrived in West Palm Beach.

Our "first" cruise to the Bahamas was officially over (well, the Bahamas part anyway). It was 11 months since we pulled away from the dock at Loyalist Cove in Bath, Ontario.

The kids have seen more in these 11 months than many kids will ever see (Erie Canal, Hudson River, NYC, the open Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, The Dismal Swamp, The Gulf Stream and the The Abacos).

Although not always on the move (but still on the boat), they also made new friends and enjoyed new experiences while tied-up in Virginia and Georgia, including side trips to Annapolis, Maryland and Washington, DC.

11 months of real-life experiences that could really only be wrapped-up with a visit to the one place where the "unplanned, unexpected and unpleasant" are strictly forbidden.

Yup, you guessed it, DISNEY!?!

It's Still "Better in the Bahamas!"

2010-04-20T03:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are still alive and hangin'-out in the Abacos, Bahamas. Our internet connections were very poor for some reason, that explains the lack of postings lately

It's been a mixed bag this past month, from periods of time with just the four of us anchored out and exploring parts of the Abacos we haven't previously visited, to leading a "normal "life including volunteerism, organized sports and Birthday party attending.

Firstly we would all like to send a belated "Happy Retirement" wish to Grandma Annie, who after many years with the Region of Niagara has callede it a day!!

This video was actually recorded back in February, the original plan to have it played at the retirement party on April 9th. That didn't work out, so here it is, late, but still sent with the same amount of love!

The kids are still enrolled in the soccer league, playing on Sundays in Hope Town. Lisa is also a coach, and my first weekend back I also leant a hand to all the other coaches, a great bunch of people bringing something new to the kids of Hope Town.

On the way to the "football pitch" the kids stopped for a couple of pics. Below is the cemetary in Hope Town, where just at the top of the hill is the sand dune leading to the oceanside beach and protective reefs.

A couple of days later we leant our time and "skills" to a work party that was doing some renovations at Jarrett Park. The park is right next to the harbour in Hope Town and is a popular spot for kids to play . The library is also located here, and on sundays a Catholic Mass is held outside next to the Lignum Vitae tree you can see behind Lisa. We spent a fun few hours priming, painting and spreading fresh sand.

It was nice giving back a little to a beautiful little town that has been our home away from home for the past few months.

We might be living on a boat right now, but that hasn't meant that the kids aren't partaking in many of the things land-based kids do. Apart from the soccer, our time in Hope Town has allowed many new friendships to develop. We figured before we left home that the kids Delaney and Mitchell would spend time with would all be "boat kids", but the reality is they ( as well as Lisa and I) have been lucky enough to meet a great group of people here in Hope Town.

Chris and Pleasants Higgs are super people with great kids. They live just outside Hope Town in a beautiful house called "Big Bamboo", which just happens to overlook our favourite spot , Tahiti Beach. The kids were invited to their daughter Stella's Birthday, so we anchored off their house for the night and dinghied in for the party.

We wound up spending the next 6 days anchored off, and occasionally beached, on Tahiti Beach. Yes, we did this intentionally, another advantage to having a catamaran!!

It was a great opportunity to clean the hull. The other boat you see in the picture belongs a young girl who is a sailing instructor and charter captain. Sarah beached her cat one day so she could apply a fresh coat of bottom paint.

While we were there, Chris Higgs had a bunch of friends up for the weekend from Nassau (Chris is Bahamian, he and Pleasants just recently move to Elbow Cay/Hope Town). Tables , ice-filled coolers and sunshades were all set-up. The kids played in the water and went tubing while the adults played horseshoes, talked and put back a few Kaliks.

Bill and Karen Butler and their kids, recent "transplants" from Nashville, came down as well with 4 conch they caught that morning. Should I say "caught"??? It's more like "picked".

Anyway, Bill gave me a quick lesson on how to remove them from the shell and clean them, then he proceeded to make a tasty conch salad right there on the beach!

The biggest lesson I took from this was that as soon as you have the mussel out of the shell, cut the eyes off!!! I swear the poor thing was staring at me, hoping that in mine (and his) next life, the roles are reversed and he is the one sucking back a cold beer while prepping me as an afternoon snack!!

With the Easter weekend approaching, we decided to move north to Guana Cay, and an old favourite, Nippers!

The staff at Nippers planted 1000 easter eggs both on the beach as well as out on the reef.

I have to admit, I felt pretty bad for the poor fella that got to dress up as the Easter Bunny. A white faux-fur suit in 28C temps could not have been fun!!! Although he seemed in good spirits and was probably being paid with free Frozen Nippers (think 500ml Slurpee that is 90% rum/10% slush)!!

Everyone was corralled up on the patio until noon. The bar was open, the kids were being given free chocolate and suckers, everyone was bouncing!

In the video you can see Mitchell and Delaney as they scrambled down to the beach to start the hunt.

As you can see, they did quite well. The eggs were plastic and some had winning tickets inside of them. I am not sure of the total number of eggs they found , but we now have MORE stuffed animals onboard the boat and they still had some candy kicking around 3 weeks later!

Bill and I weren't so lucky, we got completely skunked out on the reef, not finding a single egg between the two of us. We resigned ourselves to sitting on the beach, having a beer, then partaking of the ritualized Nippers Sunday Pig Roast.

Not too shabby a way to spend Easter Sunday!!!

As the kids like to singalong with the Barefoot Man (a CD we bought), "When they throw you out of Nippers, Man your really ........"

We wound up spending almost another full week anchored off Guana Cay. The weather was great and the winter cold fronts had subsided, so the anchorage at Fishers Bay was fantastic. The pic at the start of this blog entry was taken in Fishers Bay during another great sunset.

Below are a couple of pics showing how the kids manage to keep themselves busy when they tire of swimming, shell collecting and beachcombing.

Yup, a 6' piece of 3/8" line kept them busy for a few hours this day!

And this might not seem especially fair consdiering we have about $3000 worth of kiteboarding kites on the boat, but a grocery bag and twine kept them going for awhile on another day!!

See, kids can survive and thrive without high-speed internet, video games and TV.

Delaney was doing some schoolwork a few weeks ago in which she was asked to describe what was going on around her.

I think it's safe to say she is enjoying life afloat!

Mitchell has become a real fish killer. Below are some pics of him with a tiny grouper and a grunt (all catch and release of course).

Both kids have become very good wakeboarders. Delaney has no problems coming across the wake toeside, and Mitchell (just like with skateboarding, bike riding and anything else he can hurt himself on) is all about jumping! He is now getting at least a foot of air under the board jumping off the wake!! Both kids enjoy it so much we now realize we will need at least a 25hp on the dinghy on our next boat.

This past weekend I was entered in a Lionfish Derby. They were caught with snorkel gear and spears in and around the Sea of Abaco. Lionfish are an invasive species which are causing alot of harm, not just in the Bahamas but much of the southeastern US coast.

Myself and 3 other guys entered as a team, and although we didn't win for most fish caught (we got 31 while the winners got 206), we did win for the smallest fish speared, 2"!!!! We are really bummed we didn't get a pic of the winner, but people had a hard time believing I actually speared it (I swear it looked bigger under water).

So it's back to work for me, which means the kids will be cracking down on the schoolwork as well.

One bit of news , a change for us, is that we are selling "Charlotte-Ann". So if anyone knows of someone in the market for a great boat, please contact us ( delmitch2@gmail.com) or spread the word.

Loving Hope Town, But Missing Daddy!!!!!

2010-03-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Before we were to say good-bye to daddy we enjoyed one last trip to Little Harbour with our friends on Liquid Asset (Bill, Karen, Carley and Jack). Here we enjoyed a night of playing cards while the kids watched a movie. In the morning the kids walked the beach looking for sea glass, and then we went searching for the caves. On our way back to Hope Town we stopped at Tahiti Beach for a little wakeboarding, followed by another amazing dinner at Harbour's Edge.

The Caves at Little Harbour

I think Mark was saying, "Why do I have to go back to work"!!!!

Mitchell's conch burger at the Harbour's Edge....

Mark left us on February 23 and it didn't take long for the kids and I to feel like part of the Hope Town community. The marina we are staying at is a quiet little place on the west side of Hope Town anchorage. Next to us is a quaint little place called Hope Town Hideaways and is the temporary home of three lovely families. They were quick in helping the kids and I to keep busy, starting with taco night at Captain Jack's.

Such pretty girls... (Molly, Ziva and Delaney)...

Just a few of the kid's at Captain Jack's taco night (Jack, Mitchell, Delaney, Ahava, Molly and Ziva)...

We wasted no time in getting back to full day lessons, much to the kids' dismay. But when 3:00pm hits the kids are anxious to get over to Hideaways to start playing.

Searching for 'upside down Jellyfish'...

Carley and Jed fishing...

Uncle Jim, 'I have my helmet on in-case I fall in the water'!

Pizza at Miss Pippa's... (Calvin, Mitchell and Jack)...

Mitchell finally found us the perfect conch shell!!!!

Weekends have kept us busy... first there was the Fireman's Fair...

Mommy has new friends too... (Karen, Pleasants, Pippa and Michelle)

Then we had a book reading at the Abaco Inn with Miss Marie, a fellow cruiser and writer of children's books (along with her dog Toots). This made for a very fun day!

On our way, first by dinghy then by golf cart (this is how you get around in Hope Town)...

Front row seats....

Delaney and Jack dressed as pirates...

The kids were very excited about joining the local soccer league (started by a wonderful couple that has just moved here this past year; Michelle and Chris). The next thing I new I had a whistle in my hand and was a coach!!!

The children were all invited to share in Shabut with Hakuna Matata. The next day we were invited to go on a day sail with them. Thirty knot winds, sailing along at 8 knots on a Manta 40 made for an amazing day.

Sitting on Hakuna Matata, waiting for Shabut...

Such a wonderful tradition, and wonderful friends to share it with...

Thank you Hakuna Matata for a great sail... (my favourite seat on the boat)!!!

So... yes... life is good!!!!!! (and less than a week Mark is back)!!!!!!

JUST THE FOUR OF US AGAIN

2010-02-15T05:42:00.000-08:00

On the off chance that people are actually checking in regularly with us, I must apologize for the length of time since the last post. Once again, internet access has been "hit and miss" to say the least. I keep meaning to update more often, but haven't had much luck. So once again, this will be a long one.

After a great two weeks in the company of the Mitchells and Alan and Spencer, we were off on our own again. We were all a bit down, especially me, having gotten used to the company on "Island Girl". I am not as "free" with my emotions as my brother and cousin can be ;-), but I almost had a weepy moment (almost). It didn't help that they took the warm weather and sunshine with them, it was cold and grey as we said our good-byes to Alan and Spencer.

We finished up our groceries, laundry, etc... and moved north to Treasure Cay. We had a really nice sail, with both Delaney and Mitchell taking turns at the helm.

In the video we are doing about 7kts, but you can see how effortlessly Delaney was driving the boat. We loves catamarans and we love our Gemini!!

This time we met up with the crew of "Gladys", with Jennifer and Ben onboard, along with two little girls, Ocea and Jaia (geez, I hope I got the spelling correct). Ben rowed over and introduced himself, and later we all went over to the beach. The kids had a great time, I got a kiteboard session in, and Lisa and Jennifer talked and read.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, Treasure Cay is a bit of a mish-mash. The anchorage is pure "South Florida", all small condo units with fishing boats in front and lots of empty, undeveloped lots. The beach; however, is amazing! 3-1/2 miles long and the softest/powdery sand we have ever seen! Creative marketing I suppose, but it's listed as one of the Top 10 Beaches in the world by National Geographic and Conde Nast magazines. Anyway, our second night we heard was going to be pizza night up at the Tipsey Seagull Bar. So although we love our regular feasts of Mac & Cheese with turkey Spam on the side (which contains 50% of the fat of Fat Reduced Regular Spam, so it can't be all that bad, right??) , we decided to splurge. So imagine this, all the Florida retirees out for pizza, lots of blue hair and sequined/bedazzled tops, and Frank Sinatra blaring on the soundsystem. Bahamas, right??? $47.00 and 2 -8 slice pizzas later, we were back on the boat for the night.

The next morning Ben swung by after a very successful coconut gathering trip. We got both green ones that we cut open and drank the water from, as well as older that we cut the meat out of (and the kids later made hanging bowls out of). Cheap entertainment, the kids were enthralled for hours!

The next day, following the winds as has become our routine, we moved south again, back to Hope Town (some ugly weather was on the way), but with a stopover for some snorkeling at Mermaid Reef just outside Marsh Harbour.

In Hope Town, we always have to check out the "Lizard Lodge". This is the palatial home of a "Curley Tail" (lizard), fully set-up with his own NASCAR Chevy, float plane and perpetually full mug of beer!! And what do you know, he was actually home this time (you can just make him out inside the front door). With the winds up and the boat securely moored , we dinghied over to the lighthouse to check it out. Just a side note, we haven't had much luck with lighthouses, at least not when Mitchell is involved. Two years in a row we tried to get him up the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, but he is pretty small for his age and could never meet the height requirement established by the U.S National Park Service. So now we come to a Bahamian lighthouse, where things aren't quite so "regulated". First of note is that this is 1 of 3 remaining lighthouses in the world that still uses kerosene for the light. It is also 1 of 2 lighthouses in the Bahamas that are still manned by a keeper (whom I might add we never saw during our visit). No admission fee, a couple of simple rules, and minimal safety features (note the tattered safety netting in the pics). The views from the top were amazing, looking down on Hope Town, the Atlantic Ocean and the Sea of Abaco. "Charlotte-Ann" is somewhere down there in the harbour.

Later that afternoon the winds dropped off a bit. We went to town to get some fresh fish , some just-picked green beans and "hot out of the oven" Key Lime Pie from Vernon's Grocery. On the way back to the boat we were treated to our best encounter yet with dolphins! They were swimming just ahead of us in the dinghy, so I cut the engine and we drifted for a bit. They were heading up to the south end of the harbour, so we knew they would eventually have to come past our boat again. Sure enough they did, so have a look at the great video we got of two of them playing about 15' from "Charlotte-Ann"!

Later that evening we were invited onboard the catamaran "Hakuna Matata" to have dinner with Nathan, Rosalinda, Ahava and Ziva Ramon. We had a great meal, but what made it extra special for us was the fact that the Ramon's are Jewish, and it was Friday, the Sabbath. None of us had ever spent any time with a Jewish family so it was really nice being introduced to their Sabbath tradition. Thanks guys, it was a great night.

The next day (Saturday), Lisa had a bad headache so I took the kids a few miles outside of Hope Town to the Abaco Inn at White Sound where they were hosting a small kid's fun day. They had races, games, a pinata and bouncy castle. All the kids we have been hanging around with in Hope Town were there, as well as Jennifer, Ocea and Jaia (Ben was out taking advantage of the great surfing conditions, the best in the Bahamas).

Saturday night and Sunday were very laid back days. We decided to stick around since all the other kids were off school and this gave Delaney and Mitchell a chance to hang-out with them. Lisa was thrilled to see me dinghy over at lunch with 7 hungry kids!! (L-R: Jack, Mitchell, Jed, Delaney, Ziva, Molly and Ahava).When we are in Hope Town we tie-up to a mooring ball in the harbour. "Hakuna Matata" stays at a small resort called Hopetown Hideways. Also at Hopetown Hideaways are Jack, Molly and Jed, whose parents have rented small cottages for the winter. When I go back to work, Lisa and the kids will be staying in the marina next door, but this will end up being the neighbourhood all the kids play in. Here you can see how beautiful this spot is, a truly "kid-friendly" environment complete with a pool, beach and grassy paths (oh yeah, also a beautiful tangerine tree).

On Monday we had a nice motor about 8 miles north to Guana Cay. We grabbed another moring ball, dinghied to shore, and made our way up to Nippers , a spot famous throughout the Bahamas for their Sunday pig roast (and frozen Nipper drink, ouch!!)As we were walking along the main Town Dock we were treated to the sight of this 4' wide stingray as it passed below us.

The kids had a great time playing on the beach (again) and swimming in the pool. It would have been great to get some snorkeling in but the water was just a bit too rough for that.

The next morning the kids and I went ashore for some freshly baked coconut bread, mmmm..... as well as a wander around "downtown" Guana Cay (which took all of 4 minutes!!).

After 3 days on Guana Cay, we took advantage of the west winds and had a brisk run down to Marsh Harbour this morning (you can see our mascot, Barefoot, doing a little surfing off the davits).

We need to provision (again), and then plan to spend the next few days hanging out with some friends from Hope Town. Monday we will move the boat into the Hope Town Marina in preparation for me flying to St. John's for work (grrrr.... where did the past 3 months go????).

We hope you have enjoyed the read.

Take care,

Mark, Lisa, Delaney and Mitchell

Still Hangin' With The Mitchells (Uncle A and Spencer Too!)

2010-02-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

So after having a great few days in Treasure Cay (Delaney got her hair braided), the winds shifted to the North so we made our way south once again, this time passing by Hope Town and continuing on to Lubbers Quarters (just across the channel from Tahiti Beach).

"Island Girl" arrived a little before us and already had her hook set, so we set our's a little ahead of her, drifted back and rafted the boats off one another. It was late in the afternoon, so we all just sat back and relaxed, did a little swimming and enjoyed the star-filled night.

The mom's and kids went to bed not long after sunset. Us Dad's enjoyed a single malt sitting on the transom, chatting and often falling into silence as the three of us enjoyed the silence of the night.

The next morning we woke to a bunch of kids who wanted to have some fun!!! We proceeded to swing the boom out perpendicular to "Island Girl", attach a swing rope and get silly for a few hours.

Callan was a little too small, but Freya gave it a go. Unfortunately she got a bit spooked and refused to let go of the rope! We were all encouraging her to let go but after a bit we had to get the boat pole out to pull her in. Great for her to at least try!

It was now time to move on, so we lifted the hooks and made the 15 mile trip south to Little Harbour, which soon became known as "Colin's Spiritual Home". There isn't much to Little Harbour, and I suppose that's the appeal. The only business is Pete's Pub and Gallery http://www.petespubandgallery.com/. Petes' father, Randolph Johnston, founded an art colony here in the mid 1950's. Randolph was an internationally known artist renowned for his lost wax casting in bronze.

No pun intended!

Once again we rafted the boats together, then dinghied to shore to wander around. Our timing was perfect as they had a planned bronze casting taking place in the foundry. Later we spoke to the artist, an Algerian ex-pat who sailed into Little Harbour 30 years ago on a 30' sloop and never left! He trained under Randolph and has lived on his boat and run the foundry ever since.

We made "reservations" for dinner the next night at Petes Pub. I say "reservations" loosely, since basically they just need to know if anyone will be eating because all the seafood is caught fresh on the reef the day of the meal.

Before supper we decided to walk over the dune behind the pub and visit the ocean-side beach. It was pretty rocky, but a great spot for the kids to look for shells, coral and hermit crabs. At one point we saw the fins of a shark about 50' from shore. I pointed them out and everyone was watching for it, when suddenly a big wave came ashore and through the wave you could see the shark swimming! It was an amazing sight (it was a small shark, probably 4'-5'), but seeing it so clearly as the wave crested above it was amazing.

As you can see from the pics, it doesn't get much more real than Petes. A sand "floor", an old boat for the bar and drinks from a cooler of ice. Little Harbour is "off the grid", all power is solar, hence the coolers full of ice. We are here in the middle of the off-season, a time that the staff here obviously enjoys. In another month the fish (wahoo, Mahi Mahi) start running and the place will be over run with large sportfishers from Florida.

The night of our dinner we had the place entirely to ourselves. While the staff played dominoes at the bar, we had a feast of fresh grouper, snapper and spiny lobster. The kids played ring toss (a brass ring on a length of string that you swing and try to catch on a hook), while the adults enjoyed a few cold Kaliks and rum punches.

At one point before supper we noticed a shell slowly moving across the "floor". It was a large hermit crab that, according to the staff, don't care much for the water. We foolishly pointed him back towards the beach, but soon enough he was heading back our way. Who would have thought??

The kids eventually wandered over to the bar to watch the dominoes, and before long Freya was sitting on the bartenders lap and all the kids were playing along! All of the staff were local Bahamians who spoke in a dialect unique to this area. It's a tough accent to describe, a mix of Cajun and Australian, sort of, kind of, but not really. Let's just call it Cherokee Sound Bahamian.
One of the traditions at Petes Pub is that boat crews and visitors leave behind a T-shirts, signed and stapled to the pub's ceiling. Here is our contribution, hopefully hanging there for many years to come.

After Little Harbour, we were off again to Tahiti Beach, and later Hope Town. We had an amazing day of wakeboarding for the kids. Delaney, Mitchell and Spencer all really got the hang of it, even throwing in a little "style". Even Freya got into it, being a trooper and giving it her best shot. Unfortunately Colin and Natalie missed a good portion of the day as, once again, they had problems with the starboard engine, and after repeated unsuccessful attempts to reach The Mooring, had to head to Marsh Harbour for repairs.

Back to Hope Town that night for a quiet night in the harbour.

The next morning we were off again to, you guessed, Tahiti Beach. This was to be our last day of having fun as the charter of "Island Girl"was coming to an end. We left "Charlotte-Ann" in Hope Town and headed off. We had yet to do any kitebaording, but Alan and Colin had experimented with wakeboarding behind the big cat, so we tied a rope off the boom and got in the water. It was fun, but very tiring as the boat was only making around 7.5kts, enough speed to just barely get you planing on my 6' directional kiteboard. Not fast, but lots of torque!!

Later that day the winds came up, and although not the best direction for kiteboarding, it was fine for us since we had the dinghy for a chase boat. And of course, more than 2000 miles after leaving Ontario, all my kite gear was back on "Charlotte-Ann" in Hope Town!!! No fear, Alan and Colin had their gear, so along with my directional and Alan's twin tip, we all got about an hour or so on the water.

Yup, that was FUN!!!

So back again to Hope Town where we went to the fish "guy" and got a bunch of fresh grouper and snapper.

After a bit of "goofy time", our very tired group of kids went to bed. We had a good time enjoying our last night together. Nope, not real, just henna. An inside joke because last summer Lisa got a real tattoo with both the kids names (but not mine). "They will always be my kids, but you as my husband, well ....???". Thanks!

So everyone has now left and it's just the four of us again. It was a real bummer being on the boat on Monday. It was grey and windy, we were in Marsh Harbour (yuck), and had gotten so used to spending our days with those guys.

We made some great memories, I think it will be a very long time before any of us has such a good time again (well, hopefully not too long!).

That's about all for now. Not sure where next, just watching the wind.

Take care,

Mark, Lisa, Delaney and Mitchell.

Why Does Our Boat Suddenly Seem So Small!?!?!

2010-01-25T13:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long delay in a new post. I am slowly coming to appreciate just how slow the Internet connections are here in the Bahamas. That and we have been really having a great time ever since Colin, Natalie, Freya and Callan , as well as Alan and Spencer arrived for their charter. I just have been too busy to spend time on the computer! Anyway, here is a an update on the past 2 plus weeks days.

So we have lately been hanging around Hope Town , enjoying the pace and exploring. We did a day trip about 6 miles south of Hope Town to Tahiti Beach and had a great time wandering around and swimming off the boat.

As you can see from the pics and videos, "Charlotte-Ann" was the perfect boat for this spot. We only need 18" of water to float (O.K, maybe about 20" right now), but we can get in shallow enough that the kids can step off the back of the boat.

Following another night in Hope Town, we made our way to the anchorage in Marsh Harbour a day before the arrival of my cousin and his wife and kids. As mentioned earlier, they were flying in from Oman to charter a Leopard 40 catamaran for 2 weeks. Our sail from Tahiti Beach to Marsh Harbour that day was one that both Lisa and I agreed was the best we have ever had on Charlotte-Ann. While we we still at anchor we put the mainsail up. We then lifted the anchor without turning an engine on, put the jib up and sailed the entire 12 miles to Marsh Harbour at nothing less than 7 kts.

The next morning we took care of a few boat jobs we had been neglecting. Lisa and Delaney did a bunch of work inside the boat while Mitchell helped me do an oil change.

That evening we treated ourselves to dinner at Snappa's restaurant in Marsh Harbour (very disappointing), then met The Mitchells in their hotel room at about 1930hrs. It was great seeing them, but they had been in-transit for about 19 hours so after a quick visit we left them alone and dinghied back out to our boat.

Colin and Natalie had a meeting with the charter company at 1000hrs, so we watched the kids while they learned what "not" to do with their boat. I also managed to refill our 4 water jugs while we were there (Thanks Moorings). Hats off to my family as we had just gone through our first 30 gallons of freshwater since last filling up on Christmas Day!! The remarkably efficient use of water can be attributed to both our heightened awareness of water conservation and our somewhat compromised hygiene standards!

After all the preliminaries were out of the way, Colin and Natalie moved "Island Girl", their home for the next 2 weeks, out to the anchorage. All loaded with groceries, fuel and water, we were joined that night by the crew of "Estella". Brian and Aimee were sending their daughters back to the States the next day, so this was the last night (but not last time) that Delaney and Mitchell would see the girls.The next morning we had a beautiful motor trip on the Sea of Abaco over to Hope Town. As you can see, the water was like glass, not getting much over 10' deep the whole trip.

We put the boat on auto-pilot and the four of us lounged on the foredeck while the Beach Boys were cranked on the cockpit speakers.

We had a nice night on a mooring ball in Hope Town. At noon and 1800hrs one of the churches plays a few songs with the church bells, the music softly carrying across the harbour. Then as the sun sets, the last manned lighthouse in the Bahamas starts it's nightly routine. Did I mention how much we love Hope Town??

The next morning we were off again to Tahiti Beach. Brian and Aimee joined us, leaving their boat behind in the harbour.
The weather was terrific, the kids had a blast in the water and on the beach. Mitchell even managed to set-up the badminton net, something he hadn't done since back in July on the Erie Canal.

We even ran Natalie up the mast so she could get a few pics.

See what I mean about how small our boat is!!! Although the Leopard is only 6' longer than our boat, you can see how much wider it is. With 4 double cabins and 2 heads, plus 2 HUGE water tanks, she really was quite a step-up from our poor little Gemini!! .So once again we had a fantastic time at Tahiti Beach, with a nice motor trip back to Hope Town. Brian and Aimee even got subjected to some Tragically Hip on the stereo on the way back.

The next day we took "Island Girl" out for a sail and a little snorkeling at Mermaid Reef just outside Marsh Harbour. Although the coral wasn't as impressive as Hope Town, there was were alot more fish, as well as a few spiny lobster. Actually, they were some of the smartest lobsters in the Bahamas because they decided to make their home on a protected reef where it's illegal to take any animals. We also saw a lion fish, an invasive species (and quite poisonous) ,something we didn't realize until we arrived in the Bahamas.So now it was time for Uncle Alan (my younger brother) and his son, Spencer, to arrive from Toronto. They were flying into Marsh Harbour, where they then caught a ferry (20 min.) to Hope Town.

The next day we attempted to sail up to Treasure Cay, but unfortunately the wind was right on the nose, fine on the leopard 40, not so much on "Charlotte-Ann". We turned around and stayed another night in Hope Town. Colin and Natalie had a great sail on Island Girl, and Spencer went snorkeling for his very first time.

Waking up to a nice southwest breeze, we had a terrifc run up to Treasure Cay. To be quite honest, the anchorage at Treasure is pretty disappointing, more "South Florida" than Bahamas. And yes, as you can see in the pics, the beach is beautiful, but is just didn't feel "Bahamian" like Hope Town. On the plus side, for a $10/night anchoring fee you get full access to the beach, free Wi-fi, a heated pool and hot showers!!!

So that pretty much covers the first week with The Mitchells's and Uncle Alan and Spencer. I was hoping to get the past week included in this entry, but the winds are really picking up and I need to get back to the boat (Colin and Natalie leave in the morning, I am on their boat taking advanatge of Wi-Fi, shorepower and free water, Lisa and the kids are anchored in the harbour).

Tomorrow is a provisioning day and I hope to get another entry done. We are not sure where we are heading next. We'll just wait to see which direction the wind is blowing.

All the best to everyone.

Mark, Lisa, Delaney and Mitchell.

Enjoying the Abacos!

2010-01-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

We're back!! Finally had to bite the bullet and pay for internet access again, just not many free wi-fi spots in the Abacos.

So after a few days in Green Turtle Cay, we made the move south to Man-O-War Cay.

Here is a link covering our current "stomping grounds", the Abacos region of the Bahamas.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Great+Abaco,+South+Abaco,+The+Bahamas&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=27.081735,86.396484&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FW8fkQEdvXRm-w&split=0&hq=&hnear=South+Abaco,+The+Bahamas&ll=26.558129,-76.973648&spn=0.146484,0.337486&t=h&z=12

Man-O-War was another beautiful little spot, once again quiet streets and a laid back pace (and also dry, no alcohol is sold or served). Our first afternoon on the Cay was spent exploring the town. That took all of 15 minutes, so then it was time for ice cream and doing, well, not a whole lot!

The next day we loaded-up the dinghy and went to a beach just beyond the anchorage where we geared-up for a little wakeboarding. The water was flat calm and crystal clear, but unfortunately the winds soon picked-up and it was time to put the boards away and do a little more exploring.

Later that night we enjoyed some fun in the cockpit, knowing that cooler temps were on the way.

This was our last day of nice weather on Man-O-War. The front came down from the North, and although it wasn't as cold as Florida (they had snow in Stuart and just above freezing in Miami), it was not what we had hoped for in the Bahamas!! The winds stayed over 25kts for 2 days, gusting over 30kts at times, with cold rain on the first day.

Then of course we ran out of propane!! Lisa and I must have miscalculated because we both thought we would be fine for a few more days. Anyway, no propane on "Charlotte-Ann" means no cooking, no hot water (showers) and no refrigeration!

Anyone care for some turkey SPAM!!! Mmmmm...... with ketchup.

So after 4 days on Man-O-War we moved along to Marsh Harbour. MH is the largest town in the Abacos, and the 3rd largest in all the Bahamas. I believe the population is around 5,000, but I could be wrong (I'd Google it right now, but this connection isn't very good, the Blog entry is taking enough time as it is). We anchored out and had a visit with our friends Terry and Kim on "Clarity". The next morning was , for lack of a better term, "efficient". It was time to do all the things we hate to do, but that can only be done in larger towns.

First Mitch and I brought our 2 empty propane tanks to the hardware store. If you have them there before 0900hrs you will get them back by 1030hrs. So we dropped the tanks off and returned to the boat. Lisa, Delaney and 2 loads of dirty laundry joined us for the return ride to the public dinghy dock. We brought the clothes to the laundromat, and after they were loaded, Mitch and I went back for the filled propane tanks while Lisa and Delaney went to the grocery store. By the time Mitch and I dropped the full tanks off on "Charlotte-Ann" and got back to the laundry, the wash was done so we loaded it into the dryers. We then went to find Lisa and Delaney, grabbed all the groceries, and again made the 10 minute walk back to the dinghy and then out to the boat.

We then turned around, got back to Lisa and Delaney and lugged all our clean clothes back to the boat. Not bad for under 3 hours!!!

That afternoon Mitch and I went over to the Moorings to check out the catamaran my cousin and his family were chartering in a weeks time. This 40 ft. Leopard Catamaran really made our 34-footer seem incredibly small!!

Our next destination was Hope Town, about 4 miles SE of Marsh Harbour. What a difference compared to Marsh Harbour!! Once again, narrow, quiet streets and beautifully kept houses all done in pastel combinations that in most circumstances you would never think of matching on the same structure. This is the Bahamas we have come to expect.

Once we were settled in, I caught a glimpse of what seems to sum up Hope Town.

Yes, this is a picture of a cat sleeping in a hammock!!!! Doesn't get much more laid back than that, does it!!!

And once again, a stunning beach just a 1 minute walk from the dinghy dock.

Not only is the beach beautiful (and not busy) but the reefs just off the shore are great for the kids. We spent our entire first day swimming and snorkeling in the crystal clear water.

So how did we spend today??
A little schoolwork first thing in the morning. Lunch on board (BBQ'd some hot dogs). Off to the beach for a little kiteboarding (unfortunately very little, bad wind direction), sunbathing and castle-building.

Mitch and I then went skateboarding through town to buy some fresh grouper, after which Lisa and I went back to the boat while the Delaney and Mitchell played in the park with some local kids they met. Once supper was made I dinghied to the park, called for the kids and we made our way back to the boat. BBQ'd grouper, a game of Yahtzee, kids and Lisa in bed while I work on this Blog entry.

Here is a short video showing "downtown" Hope Town with the Library, Post Office, and Police Station (the beater Jeep is the Police car). This is also the park the kids have been playing , all within 100' of the dinghy dock and300' from the beach.

So we are heading back to Marsh Harbour tomorrow. They are calling for gale force winds on Sunday, and that is when Colin, Natalie, Freya and Callan arrive from Oman for their 2-week charter. They will get their boat on Monday, so we will spend that day loading up with more provisions, then head back to Hope Town on Tuesday. Alan and Spencer fly in on Thursday (to Marsh Harbour, but they will catch the ferry to Hope Town), then after they get here we will head to ..... ????

All for now.

Mark, Lisa, Delaney and Mitchell

PS. Eddie, we plan to get some answers to you this weekend!

Lazy Days in Green Turtle Cay, Time to Move On

2010-01-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

Today marks' 1 week since we arrived on Green Turtle Cay. We have really enjoyed our time here, fallen into a groove of bed when the sun goes down and back up in time to listen to the weather on the Marsh Harbour Cruisers Net at 0815hrs on VHF16. This is a volunteer operation that provides weather, passage reports and personal messages via VHF radio every morning. Not that the NOAA weather reports are worth much, but unless you have a satellite link, a SSB radio or the internet, this is the only way to get the weather.

We have been spending our days lately hanging out in Gillam Bay.

Partly because it's a beautiful spot with the potential for some great kiting, but mostly because for the last few days the winds have been out of the Northwest and a bit cool (high 60's/low 70's), and the Bay is on a lee shore. Thankfully the water is 78F (sorry for all the Imperial numbers, that's what's quoted here and I can't be bothered to convert!).We bring the dinghy to the end of the anchorage and have about a 10 minute walk to the beach. The kids are content to make sandcastles and splash in the water. They also seem to be intrigued by coconuts, spending alot (maybe too much?) time trying to open them to see what's inside. We did get one opened the other day and all had a good fill. That's about all the excitement we have had lately, although we did think we had a fried holding tank macerator which would have really been bad since I'm still not sure how I would have emptied our holding (sewage) tank without it! Crisis averted, pump is now fixed and we can all relieve oursleves as much as necessary!!!

The winds have been howling lately, not dropping below 20kts for 3 days (great for keeping our batteries charged, just wish the direction was better for kiting!), but they are "supposed" to lay down tomorrow so we are going to move South. Our plan is to head to Man-O-War Cay before the next cold front comes through. Hopefully the weather and internet access will be a bit better.

All the best from the crew of "Charlotte-Ann".

New Year's in Green Turtle Cay

2010-01-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

Back again, still trying to take advantage of Internet while we have it. We are currently in Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Green+Turtle+Cay,+North+Abaco,+The+Bahamas&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=27.081735,86.396484&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FbeMmAEdXQtk-w&split=0&hq=&hnear=Green+Turtle+Cay,+North+Abaco,+The+Bahamas&ll=26.774733,-77.329502&spn=0.073103,0.168743&t=h&z=13

There are 2 main anchorages/mooring fields on GTC, White Sound and Black Sound. Our first night here we anchored in White Sound, but then after a day of exploring we moved to Black Sound where we (unsuccessfully) tried to anchor. We ended-up grabbing a morring ball for $10.00/night. This put us a short dinghy ride from our new hang-out, Pineapples!!! Nothing more than a little Tiki-Hut, they serve killer rum punches (rum with a splash of juice), amazing food (conch fritters anyone??), a saltwater pool for the kids along with a small beach. They also have free internet and showers for $3.00.

As you can see, the water colour is amazing, and it's all around 78F.

On New Years' Eve we joined a bunch of other cruisers at the Green Turtle Club for a Cruisers Potluck. Everyone dinghied over from the 2 anchorages, laid all the food out on a table and had a few drinks.

After the pot luck, the four of us along with Aimee and Brian, Katja and Madelaine all made our way back to Pineapples. We had some fun with the kids, but we back on our boats by 2100hrs.

New Years Day was Junkanoo, a smaller version of Carnival you would see in Rio. It was "supposed" to start at 1400hrs, but like everything else in the Bahamas, it runs on "Island Time" so no one was expecting a prompt start.

Above you can see the kids talking to a couple of Policewomen. The kids wanted to know why some of the police carry small sticks/batons. Here she is explaining how when they move up the ranks they go from silver to gold buttons, and that the sticks are used for crowd control (better than a Taser I suppose!). Even though there was alot of rum punch and beer flowing, at no time did it not feel like a family event.We left the dinghies at Pineapples and walked 10 minutes into New Plymouth, the main town on Green Turtle Cay. This is just what we imagined a small Bahamian town to be like. Pastel coloured houses, narrow streets and alleyways, very few cars (mostly golf carts),sleeping dogs and cats and very friendly people. The whole town was out and the place was full of people. The parade starts at the top of the hill and does a big loop through the town. All the locals have booths set-up selling BBQ food, cakes, breads, candies and anything that can be made with conch!! So we settled in with some great food and a few Kalik's (the local Bahamian beer) and waited for the show.

Here is a little video of the highlight of Junkanoo for Lisa. The poor guy was obviously dehydrated and exhausted, all skin and bones and barely able to out run her!! Yes, I'm talking about the guy in the white pants, not the one in the fat suit!!

After Junkanoo was over, Aimer, Brian and the kids joined us on "Charlotte-Ann" for a BBQ supper. We all had a good time, including the kids as you can see.

Yesterday Lisa got a few well-deserved hours of solitude while I took the kids for a walk through town. The original plan was to get our propane tank filled, so I needed to find out the timing since it has to be sent away from here. It was going to be another 4 days before the mailboat was here next. That would be Wednesday, so the tank would go in on the boat and be returned the following Wednesday. Once again, Island Time. We walked to Gillam Bay, the spot where I am hoping to get some kiting in. The wind was good, both speed and direction, but by the time we got there it would have been a long haul back to the boat to get my gear.

No worries, the weather has cooled somewhat and will be strong out of the North for a few days. Plenty of time to get caught up on schoolwork and get some kiting sessions in.

Right now I am sitting on the deck at Pineapples listening to the waves crash and the church bells in New Plymouth annnouncing the start of Sunday Masses. There are 3 dogs and 2 cats sleeping under a palm tree in front of me, 2 lizards that keep jumping out from under the deck everytime the sun comes out, and a few Bahamian wild parrots screeching in the mangroves near the dinghy.

A guy could get used to this!!!!

Later,

Mark, Lisa, Delaney and Mitchell.

Christmas in Florida, Boxing Day in the Bahamas!!!

2010-01-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are alive and dealing with sparse internet access here in the Bahamas! I guess I should back up a little first.
So we made it to West Palm Beach , Florida a couple of days before Christmas. Our day started by checking the weather forecast, hoping for a window to get the 56 miles across the Gulfstream and over to the Bahamas. Nothin' doin', everything was sketchy and out of the north. All my research told me not to try a crossing with a north component to the wind. When the north flowing Gulfstream hits a wind out of the north, it builds steep, square waves making for a very uncomfortable (and sometimes dangerous) crossing. More on how this worked out for us a little later. So we hung out in Palm Beach, playing paparazzi and stalking Tiger Woods yacht.

Ironically his boat is called "Privacy", but even with covers draped over the transom, everyone knew it was his boat.

So with no prospect of a crossing likely, we accepted the fact that Christmas would be spent in the anchorage in Palm Beach. Not that we are expecting any sympathy from anyone, it was still better than being in Port Colborne, but it wasn't where we wanted to be.

Anyway, we had a really nice Christmas morning, finally pulling the gifts out for the kids (not easy to hide this stuff on a 35' boat!!). And much to the kids relief, Santa manged to find us even though we were anchored out.

After all the gifts were opened, we once again listened to the forecast, as well as checking out passageweather.com , and it appeared we might have a small weather window to cross on Boxing Day. We pulled the anchor and moved a few miles north to Peanut Island, the staging anchorage for boats preparing to make the crossing.

The weather window was small, but the forecast called for 7-11kts out of the northwest (good sailing direction) with seas 2' or less. We got the boat ready with a planned departure of 0500hrs on Boxing Day.

Well, let me tell you this, DON'T TRUST NOAA WEATHER FORECASTS!!!!!! We left in the company of our friends Terry, Kim and Brynne on "Clarity", as well as another boat , "Windswept IV". Both of the other boats had made numerous crossings, this was our first.

We left the anchorage in the dark, and according to NOAA the edge of the Gulfstream should have been about 6 miles offshore. If you don't know, the Gulfstream is basically a river that flows north along eastern seaboard, sometimes at speeds up to 4 kts. If you have wind out of the north going against it, you wind up with short, steep, ugly seas. Plus, since the Bahamas (or at least West End, Grand Bahama) is due East, you have to point your boat south to make up for the northerly flow.

Anyway, we got out on the ocean and soon realized the forecast was out to lunch. I make a living working on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. A regular part of my job is checking the weather and estimating sea heights to determine if we can dive the subs or not. We found ourselves in 20-25kts, gusting to 30kts out of the NW. The seas were 8-10' at their worst (our video clip doesn't really give an accurate picture of what we had going on), but thankfully following us. Lisa and I were apprehensive to say the least, figuring if it got really bad we would just turn south and head to Miami. After awhile we realized that both the boat and crew were handling things just fine.We gave Delaney and Mitchel half a Gravol each, but otherwise they just stayed inside reading and playing DS.

10 hours later we arrived in West End, Grand Bahama Island!!!

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=west+end+grand+bahama&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=27.081735,86.396484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=West+End,+West+Grand+Bahama,+The+Bahamas&t=h&z=13

Grandma Annie treated us to 2 nights at the marina, so we managed to get a few more projects done on the boat, as well as get our first taste of the Bahamas.

After 2 days in West End, we had another 40 miles to get to an anchorage on Great Sale Cay. We had a great day on the water, still getting used to travelling in 6'-8' of water that is cleaner than what we have in our pool!

We met up with a young family from Boston travelling with their 2 little girls, age 2 and 3. They left a few hours before us since they had to take an outside, deepwater route, while we took a shallow water inside route. The anchorage was very windy, but well protected, so we had a good nights sleep in anticipation of our next days travel of 65 miles to Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos.

4 days ago we arrived in Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos. Our days have been filled with checking out the local beaches, the town (New Plymouth) and just hangin' out enjoying the sun and warm weather.

So I have now been sitting on the deck at our local hang-out, Pineapples, and my butt has fallen asleep. I also seem to be missing some pics, so I'll end now and make another post later today. )(Junkanoo was yesterday (New Years Day) and we have some great pics and video).

Or maybe tomorrow........ I dunno, we are working on "Island Time" now!!!

It is definitely "Better in the Bahamas!!!!!!!!!!!!!".

Later,

Mark.

Are We There Yet????

2009-12-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

So our last post was over a week ago, out on the foredeck, in the sun, enjoying another remote and beautiful anchorage in North Florida.

Then it hit!

FOG!!!!!!!!!

Trying to maintain 50 miles per day is pretty difficult when you can't leave an anchorage until 1100hrs because you can't see 100m. Our push South was slowing to a crawl. We arrived in Daytona Beach after a late start, stopped to get gas, then had a look over at the oceanfront condos. Fog!!!! The ICW disappeared into the stuff, so we had no choice but to drop the hook and end the day after only moving 21 miles.

As you will see in later pics, Mitchell decided not to get his hair cut. That means Mark gets to continue to live vicariously through his son's full head of hair (Ahhh, I can just barely remember the days when I had hair....).

So we gave into the fact we weren't going any further that day and found ways to stay entertained.

We got an early start the next day, the winds shifted out of the North. The upside is that fog would no longer be a problem. The downside is that it got grey, cold and wet! We had a couple of blustery days, passing by Cape Canaveral with about a 25kt tailwind.

For schoolwork, we had the kids do a little science study project. They were given a number of questions relating to Manatees and dolphins and had to give a presentation at the end of the day. So while we scooted along , they did their research on the internet and put together a presentation.

Along the way we met Chris, Jane and Ava on the 74' three-masted schooner "Liberte" http://www.theliberte.com/

Chris and Jane had her built a few years ago and run day charters out of Annapolis. We all wound up in Vero Beach, Florida and got together for an evening (on their boat, just a "little" more roomy than "Charlotte-Ann). Ava was in dire need of some "kid time" and all 3 kids had a blast just acting like, well, kids!

Anyone that has travelled the ICW would take one look at Liberte and think, "That, on the ICW??". Drawing 7' and with a mast height that "most of the time" gets under bridges, getting this boat south on the inside and still having 3 masts at the end of the day is a real challenge and testament to the skill of the crew. In fact the day we met up in Vero Beach, Chris has driven the boat BACKWARDS under the bridge at Cocoa Beach (he was running with the wind and current and could maintain better steerage this way).He found they were 2" too tall to go under the bridge and as a result lost a masthead light!

Here you will notice Liberte listing to port. Chris and Jane were told that due to the recent winds, they might have a difficult time getting under the next bridge. No problem!! That's why they carry 30 large plastic garbage cans with them. Placing them all on the port side of the main deck, and starting to fill at 0400hrs, by 0800hrs they had enough of a list to lower their mast height by almost 2 feet!!

So we did the last of our provisioning in Vero Beach, as well as an afternoon off the boat. Lisa and Delaney went to see the movie "New Moon", while Mitchell and I went to see "Avatar 3D".

Yesterday we left Vero Beach and had a short 21 miles run to an old favourite of our's, Peck Lake. Here we met up with our old friends from our first trip, Terry, Kim, Brynne (and Syndee the dog) on "Clarity". Brynne flew in for 3 weeks from the U of G, so we are hoping to "buddy Boat" over to the Bahamas.

The winds were cool and from the Northwest which was actually a pretty good direction since the dunes offered protection on the beach. We had a fun afternoon of building sandcastles and shell hunting.
Mitchell spent about 3 hours fighting with a coconut, but after a little help from Terry he finally got the husk off and down to the nut.

Terry made a pasta dinner for us, so we all got together on Clarity for a great meal and discussions over the weather and if we were going to get to the Bahamas before Christmas. After checking the forecast this morning, we decided the conditions were not right for us to cross. Maybe with a bigger boat, or even if we had more experience, but we decided that as much as we would have loved to have made the crossing tonight, attempting it based on such a marginal forecast wouldn't be a good move.

Terry was still debating (they have done the crossing numerous times and have a boat that is a bit better suited to offshore work than our Gemini), but after checking the most recent forecast decided that even for him, the forecast wasn't favourable.

So it now looks as if we will be staying in Palm Beach until Thursday or Friday. The winds are forecasted to shift around to the South at the end of the week, so we have our fingers crossed that we will be crossing either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Until then, we'll just hang-out where we are. Thankfully tomorrow should be the last of the cooler temps, with things getting back up to the mid - high 20C's.

Goodbye Georgia, Hello Newfoundland (we mean Florida!!)

2009-12-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

Well , thanks to Gary at Shoreline Marine, Yamaha Parts Department and UPS, "Charlotte-Ann" is once again was a twin-engined catamaran!! With both engines up and running we were able to enjoy our final night at Jekyll Harbour Marina.Despite the cool temps ,everyone gathered up by the pool for a potluck dinner. This was a great way for Lisa and the kids to say goodbye to all the friends they have made over the past 5 weeks. Frank and Lynne, Randy and Diana, Angie, the Shlumps and the crew of Gromit, as well as a few other transcient boaters, all braved the cool temps for food, drinks and a fire.

Frank made some of the best fresh cut fries any of us have ever eaten!! Not bad for a stink-potter, just hurry up and buy that Lagoon!!!

I am happy to report that, despite some strange looks from the locals, I have managed to stick to my plan of not wearing long pants until I have to fly back to Newfoundland in February.

Saturday morning saw us leave Jekyll Island under cold, grey skies. The best part was the warm send-off we got from all the other boaters. Here we have Delaney and Mitchell surrounded by a bunch of other "Boat Kids" (and Charlie) . All these kids are currently living aboard, representing Toronto (Gromit), Colorado (Amazing Grace 2), and California (Las Sirenas).

It's really great seeing how quickly the kids bond , the excitement they show when they hear other kids are arriving. Must have something to do with their parents dragging them away from "normal life", sticking them on a boat and constantly moving them around. Geez, that doesn't sound very good, but really, they all seem to love the "Crusing Life". And if they don't, well, that's why deep bilges were designed ;-).

So about 7 hours after leaving Georgia we arrived in sunny Florida!!!!!

Actually, we arrived to rain, 11 degrees Celcius and the aroma of a pulp mill!! Not exactly postcard Florida. Add to that the fact you can drive to Florida from Port Colborne in about 24 hours. We were just arriving after leaving home at the end of June!!!!

We tucked into a small creek, set the anchor, had a nice dinner and watched "A Christmas Story" (You''ll shoot your eye out!!!).

Today we woke to thick fog, but the wind had shifted to the southwest to temps had risen about 15C. It slowly burned off, and by 09oohrs we were underway.

Unfortunately, no matter how many times you pass an inlet, it is possible to travel 8 hours continuously going against the current!! We are shooting for 50- mile days, but only managed 40. The trade-off was a warm and sunny day, capped off with a picturesque anchorage.

So things are going great. We are all having a terrific time, meeting great people and treasuring our time together as a family.

We don't want to jinx ourselves, but with a little luck we will be in position by next weekend to cross to the Bahamas.

Take care,

The Crew of "Why does the port bilge keep filling with freshwater!?!?!?"

M, L, D and M

Still in Georgia!!!!

2009-12-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

Just a short entry here. I got back to Lisa and the kids last Friday. Our plan was to get going on Tuesday, but unfortunately one of our engines had different plans!!

Yesterday we pulled the engine off and sent it to a local Yamaha dealer. Looks as if we need a new ignition coil, a warranty issue, so we are here for a couple more days.

Today we took the time to put up our solar-powered Christmas Lights. We'd show you how they look at night, but not long after we hung them, the skies clouded over and we had rain and 38kts of wind. It will be clearer and cooler tomorrow, so hopefully they will get a good charge.

So apart from troubleshooting the engine, loading up on groceries, trips to West Marine and getting a few other boat projects done, we are just hanging out and waiting to get our engine back so we can start moving south again.

Fingers crossed we get going on Friday, hopefully in Palm Beach by the end of next week, waiting for a weather window to get across to the Bahamas!!

Later,

Mark, Lisa, Delaney and Mitchell

Loving Jekyll Island (but missing daddy)!!!!

2009-12-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

The kids and I are having a great time on Jekyll Island. The weather has been amazing, and we have met alot of wonderfull people. I'm not going to spend a lot of time writing in this blog, just thought I would share some photo's with you.

Entertaining is a big part of cruising, but when you come on Charlotte Ann 'you have to do the cooking'. (Thank you Phillip, Sasha, Chantelle and Corwin for showing us Jekyll Island).

Movie nights are a great way to end the day. Here is the three of us doing our preparations (Delaney doing the dishes, Mitchell setting up the movie, Mommy enjoying a drink!!!).

Quite often we would meet up with the Shlump's after lessons to do some exploring. Here we set out to find some shells (found our first whole Sand Dollar). Mitchell decided he would try to dig up an old Shrimp Boat that caught on fire and was beached back in 1995 (app.). Our only mistake on this adventure was not keeping our eye on the tide. We had to return via the forest as the beach was underwater. Mitchell didn't think we would make it, so when we got back he 'kissed the ground'!!!

One of the best parts about Jekyll Island Marina is enjoying a Sundowner, while seeing the most amazing sunsets ever! Here Diana (and Randy) are entertaining us.

Sometimes we need to get chores done....

But are able to enjoy a nice swim and hottub afterwards!!!!

Another day after lessons... kids enjoying the Ocean beach (just a bike ride away from the Marina).

Some of you may remember Mark and I being 'baby sat' on our last trip (on Connemara II) by the Ferencze's (Terry, Kim and Brynne). We met up with them eleven years ago when we were leaving Lake Ontario and pretty much sailed with them until North Carolina. We used to joke that our mom's paid them to make sure Mark and I were safe. Well, we have kept in touch all these years (they have had a few more trips south since then) and are now hoping to meet up with them when we leave Jekyll Island. They are currently in Florida getting their boat ready and should be heading to the Bahama's around the same time as us. They were able to take a break in their boat prepartions to come visit the kids and I on Jekyll Island. We had some lunch and then took a stroll to the beach.

Here Terry was riding Mitchell's bike...

Here Mitchell is saying "Give me my bike back!!!"

The kid's have spent a few craft sessions with Diana. Here they are working on a 'Thankfull Tree' for the US Thanks Giving.

And yet another day after lessons enjoying 'Driftwood Beach'.

OK Uncle Ron... this one is for you!!!!

Sometimes our school lessons are interrupted...

We have not only made human friends, but have become very close to Charlie the dog (although it is said that he is part human).

And here are his lovely owners... Lynne and Frank (Paco)

We were really excited to have a visit from Jodi, Steven, Beverley-Ann and Jacob (from Olverson's). We spent some time and the Sea Turtle Center, having a lovely dinner and exploring Driftwood Beach. They also joined us for Thanks Giving dinner at the marina.

Delaney and I also got to have our photo taken with this guy....

Our time at Jekyll is coming to an end, as Daddy flys home tomorrow and although we are sad to leave such a beautifull place we are excited to get to the Bahama's.

Let's get out of here!!!!!

2009-11-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

The one thing you will hear from all cruisers is that plans can change!!!!

Brunswick Landing wasn't everything we had hoped for. We tried to settle in, but after three nights decided it just wasn't for us. Unfortunatley the decision to move was made after the kid's bikes were stolen!! So we woke up Monday morning at Brunswick Landing, thinking this was it for the month, and by Monday afternoon we were settled into Jekyll Harbour Marina. To tell the truth, we just couldn't get out of Brunswick quick enough (hence the 8 knots on the GPS).

We were fortunate that Jekyll had room for us. Momments after arriving the kids were once again away playing with the Schlump's (Corwin and Chantelle), whom we met up with at Olverson's. Here's a video of them entertaining (or being entertained by) Charlie, who also performed tricks for them.

Jekyll Island is a beautiful hidden treasure with alot of history. Within the first hour of arriving, while Mark was busy storing the outboards, the kid's and I took the courtsey car and headed for the beach. We knew at this point that we were going to love it here. Miles of beach in either direction (much like our favorite place Cape Hatteras).

After returning to the boat (and not trying to sound too excited in front of Daddy), we cleaned up and sat down to enjoy an amazing sunset and dinner at Sea Jay's, the restaurant located on the marina property. After dinner, and a couple of drinks we headed back to the boat to enjoy some family time.

After we got the kid's to bed Mark and I sat outside with a couple of drinks and both agreed we made the right decision to move.

Tuesday morning was met with mixed emotions as Mark had to leave, but we were all greatfull to be in such a beautiful place. Sasha (Chantell and Corwin's mom) was kind enough to take our minds off of Daddly leaving and took us to a beautiful spot (five minutes away) where we got to play on a tree rope, walk on the beach, climb trees and have a picnic. What a gorgeous day!!!!

This month we need to focus on school work again, so we got right back into full days of learning (along with a little history lesson about Jekyll Island from a guided tour).

Yesterday, after lesson's we headed to Walmart to get some groceries and buy new bikes for the kid's. Jekyll Island has miles of bike paths, so we couldn't see not having them for the month.

We woke up this morning to another beautiful day, and were treated to a dolphin tour from Randy (a fellow cruiser that works at the marina, and lives on his sailboat with his wife). Although we did not see any dolphin's we were treated to some wild horses on Cumberland Island, and a beautiful day on the water (Thank's Randy)!!!

Yes, I do believe the kids and I (and any visitor's that want to join us) will be very happy here!!!!

810 Miles, 17 Days, 2 Stops, Sanity Intact!!

2009-11-01T05:43:00.000-08:00

So we continued to push South, planning to stay on the "inside" unless a lengthy weather window opened up and we could do a run offshore. It's been nice having a boat that draws less than 3'. The ICW has alot more shallow spots than it did the last time we came down it in 1998. Any boats drawing 5' or more spend alot of time bouncing off the bottom. The weather continued to be nice and we settled into our daily routines of an early departure from the anchorage (pulling the anchor at sunrise, usually 0700hrs). School continued for the kids, although, as the next video shows, it's not always a very formal affair!!

October 26th was Delaney's 9th Birthday. We pulled anchor and made our way to Beaufort, SC http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=beaufort+sc&sll=39.164141,-91.933594&sspn=34.075391,86.396484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Beaufort,+South+Carolina,+United+States&ll=32.431581,-80.669829&spn=0.072879,0.168743&t=h&z=13 (Bew-fort, not to be confused with Bo-fort in NC) under grey skies, but that didn't dampen Delaney's mood. If she looks a little red-eyed it's because she got a little emotional over a necklace I bought her.

We planned to spend a day and a half in Beaufort, our second stop (on land) since leaving Virginia. We had real showers at the marina, then walked downtown for lunch.

Is it just me, or is Mitchell starting to look alot like Kurt Cobain???

We played tourist, wandering the streets and then taking a historical carriage tour of the town. The tour was actually very interesting, there is alot of history around Beaufort. The old houses and Spanish Moss really added to the southern feel of the place. By the way, "Forrest Gump", "The Big Chill" and "Prince of Tides" were all filmed in Beaufort.

We learned a few interesting things including 1. the reason for the 2 large sweeping stairs you see on southern homes (men would use one side because of dirt on their boots, women used the other side to keep the tails of their dresses clean), 2. why the ceilings of all the porches are painted blue (evil spirits will think they are underwater so will stay away and hornets will not build nests because they think there is only blue sky above them).

That night we went to a local restaurant to continue the celebration of Delaney's birthday.

While we were stopped the kids spent some of their money on a pair of "Yo Baby's", small boards that can be used for practicing boardsports (ie: skateboarding, wakeboarding).

Although we have been on the boat alot lately, the kids have continued to do a great job getting along and keeping entertained. We are all looking forward to getting to the Bahamas, warm weather and water. Here the kids are getting some practice in for wakeboarding.

We stopped in a nice anchorage just south of Hilton Head Island. We were sharing an off shoot of the main channel with 2 other Canadian boats, one from Kingston and the other from Midland. We were watching a movie when Delaney noticed some lights approaching us. We all got up to see a shrimp boat heading our way. We were expecting it to turn to starboard at any moment, sending it towards the main channel, but it kept heading our way.

All of us had our anchor lights on, but as it continued to head straight for us I figured I would pull out our 1,000,000 candle power spotlight just to give him a litle more information. We could see his radar was spinning so were "pretty" confident he could see us.

The next day we entered Georgia, passing through Thunderbolt.

Once again we stopped in an isolated anchorage for the night (Queen Bess River) and decided to take advantage of the location and do a little wakeboarding. Both kids did fantastic, really liking the new board. For a change, Lisa drove the dinghy for this session doing a great job of boat handling and pulling the kids

As we have mentioned, wildlife is pretty abundant along sections of the ICW. Dolphins have been a regular sighting for the past 10 days. Unfortunately they always disappear as soon as a camera is brought out! Here is a little video we managed to capture just to prove they are actually around us.

In addition to dolphins there are plenty of pelicans, cormorants, osprey's, bald eagles, egrettes and blue heron's. We are also now in manatee areas's but have yet to see one.

Butterflies=Good Insect

No-Seeums=Bad Insect

While in Beaufort we made sure to pick-up some pumpkins.
As you can imagine, with us spending as much time at anchor as we do, the kids have to be creative when it comes to passing the time. Yes they have books and video games, as well as the internet (just like at home, right!), and we have movie nights, but just playing around is something else. One really nice thing about our catamaran is that she is very stable on the water, so the wakes of passing boats don't bounce us around too much.. The kids really enjoy playing up on the boom and swinging from the rigging.
The kids each have a digital camera and every once in awhile they will capture a beautiful image.

This past Friday we arrived at our destination, Brunswick Landing Marina in Brunswick, GA.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=brunswick+ga&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=28.566961,86.396484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Brunswick,+Glynn,+Georgia,+United+States&t=h&z=12

It was very warm, around 32C, kinda a strange feeling knowing it was Halloween!!

The kids spent a few hours at the clubhouse, watching regular TV for the first time in quite awhile.

I spent the day getting our new wind generator installed. Charlotte-Ann is really looking like a crusing boat now!!

Lisa hid cannot throughout the boat last night and we let the kids go hunting for it. No, contrary to what they think, they won't get to eat everything they found (some is coming back to Newfoundland next week).

So after leaving Virginia almost 3 weeks ago, here we are at the end of the 3rd leg of the trip. It was a push, but it was also a great experience. We spent between 8-10 hrs underway everyday (except for day and a half stops in Morehead City and Beaufort) but the days didn't feel very long. It was nice once it warmed up, but that cold weather at the start of the leg meant strong north winds and plenty of sailing.

Also, thanks for the suggestions, we have decided on "Barefoot" for our wind chime idol (we bought him at Barefoot Landing, SC) .

Lisa will keep you up to speed on activities here in Georgia. I return to Newfoundland on Tuesday for my last trip to work before our next leg which will see us in the Bahamas!!!!

Sunny Skies, Palm Trees and Dolphins!!!

2009-10-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, after a rough, cold slog at the start of this leg we are enjoying weather in the mid-20C's!! After leaving Morehead City, NC we spent a day on the ICW and anchored at Mile Hammock, an anchorage in the middle of the US Marine Corps base Camp Lejeunne. The camp is 246 square miles and houses 50,000 Marine and Navy personnel. All day we could hear the live firing going on. There is a large sign at each end of the ICW (and there will be Marines to stop you entering)that will warn you if live firing is going on near the waterway. Here's a video of our entertainment while at anchor.

With nice warm weather, we kept working our way south, leaving North Carolina on Wednesday and starting our way through South Carolina.

We also saw our first dolphins of the trip. No video or pics, Lisa and the kids were too busy screaming with excitement while I was trying to keep the boat inside the channel. The pair of dolphins swam along with us between the hulls, so close that Lisa and the kids were getting sprayed from the blowholes!!

We are pushing hard to get to Georgia, long days on the water, including a few hours of schoolwork for the kids. But even school isn't too bad as you can see by the pic of Delaney's classroom the other day.

Thursday we arrived in North Myrtle Beach, SC. There weren't any anchorages around, and the kids hadn't been off the boat for a few days, so we stopped for the night at Barefoot Landing, a large outlet mall along the ICW. The kids got some ice cream and a chance to run around a bit, while a little later on the parents had a nice night sitting in the cockpit not concerned about tides, currents or slipping anchors.

For all the golfers out there, I couldn't resist showing this "Golf Gondola", taking golfers from the parking lot on one side of the ICW to the course on the other.

A new addition to the boat for the trip has been a chartplotter. It has been a great tool, used in conjunction with our paper charts. For the most part it is very accurate (although it had a buoy in the wrong place as we were entering Morehead City).

Here is a pic showing us travelling about 50' outside the ICW channel!

I couldn't resist showing this pic as well, something we have seen alot of recently. All along the ICW you will find new "waterfront" communities/subdivsions, many of which must have been put on the market prior to the recent sub-prime mortgage mess.

Here you can see what must have been the "early bird" purchasers in this development. The property, complete with streetlights and docks, extends about 1km in either direction of these two houses, the only ones that were built and they are right on top of eachother!!

Friday and Saturday saw us going through some pretty remote parts of South Carolina, mostly saltwater marshes and swamps. We shared a quiet anchorage with a couple of other boats last night, one of them from Halifax on it's way to the Carribean. And yes, swamps and marshes mean mosquitoes!! We are all about 10lbs lighter and slightly anemic after our stop last night.

Tonight we are anchored in a little creek near Isle of Palms, SC (10 miles north of Charleston). http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=isle+of+palms&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Isle+of+Palms,+Charleston,+South+Carolina,+United+States&ll=32.814113,-79.755582&spn=0.004535,0.010546&t=h&z=17 We decided to wait to pass through Charleston tomorrow since it has been blowing from the south for 3 days . The winds will shift to the north tonight meaning we can go across Charleston Harbour with the waves instead of them right on the nose.

We were a bit late getting the anchor down tonight , so while Lisa made an excellent lasagna, the kids played spy while I did an oil change on the engines.

Does anyone out there remember a movie called Trilogy of Terror?? It was 3 stories (duh, trilogy right), and one of them starred Karen Black. She had a little doll/idol, and when it's belt fell off it came alive and terrorized her. Remember the final scene when she is waiting for her mother to arrive???

Anyway, we have acquired a new crewmember who , although he looks a bit like the doll in the movie, hopefully will bring us nothing but good luck and decent winds .

Please post a comment with your name suggestions.

That's all for now. We are aiming for Beaufort, SC (where Forrest Gump was filmed) in about 2 days ,where we will spend a day for Delaneys 9th-Birthday (Oct. 26th), then push further to our next month-long stop (Brunswick, GA).

Take care,

Mark, Lisa, Delaney and Mitchell.

Cold, Cold, Cold, Ahhh.... There's the Sun!!!!!

2009-10-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

First of all , let's backtrack a bit to what we think is a cute video of Mitch trying to explain crabbing on the Chesapeake Bay at Olversons' .

So as we mentioned in the last entry, the weather has been less than "balmy". Now that is a bit double-sided when you are on a sailboat. On the one hand, cold is cold, and grey is grey. It makes for long days and nights, especially considering we have no source of heat onboard unless you count our oven.

Here's a quick video of our typical day , this one taken just after getting off the Dismal Swamp (we were on the Pungo River, North Carolina).

On the plus side, cold weather comes from the north, we are heading south, so the winds have been terrific for sailing.

The kids have been (up until today) on the boat for 6 days straight!!! Although their world encompasses 34' x 14' ,they have done an incredible job of keeping themselves busy while allowing Lisa and I to maintain our sanity. Apart from school work , reading and crafts (and a bit of Nintendo DS), they have been very creative with their time.

So yes, it's been cold and grey , but it has really helped us get south. Yesterday we managed 65 miles, which might not mean much to you, but when you average 5-6 kts, it's a very good day. It was blowing 20-25kts and we managed to maintain 9-11kts of boatspeed sailing down the Neuse River! We arrived in Morehead City , NC http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=morehead+city&sll=39.164141,-97.119141&sspn=34.075391,86.396484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Morehead+City,+Carteret,+North+Carolina,+United+States&t=h&z=12hoping to get a spot at the Sanitary Restaurant (awful name admittedly) for $10/night, then tried for the free anchorage (full). We settled for the Town Dock (no, we didn't pay the $54.00 although we probably should have), then this morning scooted over to the restaurant .

For the first time in 6 days we saw the sun!!!! It was a beautiful day (18C) but tomorrow is calling for 22C-25C.

We opened the boat up and let things dry out while we wandered around town in and out of shops. The kids spent some of their own money, Lisa got some new boardshorts and a t-shirt while Mark priced out a new kite surfboard (an idea quickly shot down by Lisa, but reconsidered later and hopefully to be purchased in the morning).

NOTE TO ALAN AND COLIN: A Cabrinha 5-Niner Thruster Directional, SWEEEEET!!!!!!!NOTE TO EVERYONE ELSE: Huh????????

So looks like the good weather will be for us for a bit. We still have alot of miles to cover before I go back to work ( we are at Mile 205 and need to get to Mile 685), but we will keep pushing and hopfully get a run or two offshore once we get south of Cape Fear.

Here's a couple more pics of our day in Morehead City.

Having supper with our home (Charlotte-Ann) docked behind us.

Dessert at the Sanitary Restaurant!!
Sunset on Charlotte-Ann.

"It's More about the Journey Than it is About Arrival at the Destination" Well, not always!!!!

2009-10-16T17:38:00.000-07:00

Still pushing South, still cold and dreaming about the Bahamas!! We left Norfolk, VA yesterday under grey, rainy skies and arrived at Goat Island anchorage under grey, rainy skies (although Mark continued to wear boardshorts).

We encountered 5 bridges, 2 locks and a pinhead on a 45' Hunter. Things did improve when the Hunter hit bottom at mile 3 of the Dismal Swamp http://www.fws.gov/northeast/greatdismalswamp/ and decided to head back towards the Virginia Cut. I was very polite when I asked him if we could pass to starboard since he got so spooked and had reduced speed to under 3 knots.

FYI to brother-in-law Jim, I am reading a great book called "Blackwater: The Rise of an American Mercenery Army". The name Blackwater comes from the color of the water in the Dismal Swamp where the firm owns a 6000-acre training facility. Read the book everyone, scary , scary...

We have some video showing the colour of the water, it's just like Newcastle Brown (mmmmm.....). The kids mentioned it looked like beer. Mitchell was afraid the boat was going to get drunk.

O.k. So maybe we are expecting too much from todays technology. We are currently anchored "apparently" way off the beaten track on the Alligator River, North Carolina. We have just spent 30 minutes trying to get a Google Earth link for you, but no luck. Even our GPS plotter lost satellite signal just as we were entering the anchorage. So you will have to be satisfied with some pics (no video) and my wonderful prose!!

So we will head out again early Saturday morning, trying to maintain at least 50 miles per day (to get us to Georgia before Mark goes back to work).

Long days on the water, ending with a rousing game of Sorry or family movie night (just started the Indiana Jones Trilogy, we don't count the Crystal Skull because it was so awful!).

Hope you are finding all this as interesting as we seem to think it is.

"Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

See, told you there wasn't a Someday!"

PS. Stolen from a T-shirt in Annapolis.

Sunny skies from the Crew of the " Dad, the port bilge is STILL leaking".

Pushing South

2009-10-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

So I was a few days late getting back to the boat, but we are off again. I arrived back in Virginia on Sunday night, and after a good meal with Steven and Jodi, it was back to the boat as a complete family for the first time in 5 weeks!!!

Monday was used to get a few last minute projects out of the way, including the installation of our new water heater (cold showers just not going to cut it).

We said our good-byes with a special thanks to everyone at Olversons!! Steven, Jodi, Jacob, Beverly-Anne, Fred and Cass, and of course Uncle Pete really made the place feel like a second home. We have already threatened to return in the spring!

Thanks of course to our old (old meaning we have known them for awhile ;-) friends Bobbie and Gord. Without them we never would have wound up in Lottsburg!!

So the push begins, yesterday we put around 50 miles under our keels and spent the night anchored in Horn Harbour http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=37.36528,-76.271768&spn=0.017157,0.042186&t=h&z=15. Another great spot for our shallow draft catamaran, we saw less than 5' of water depth a few times coming in off the Bay.

It was a pretty breezy night, gusts over 30kts, but we all slept great. The forecast was not looking good for Wednesday, 4-6' seas and 20kts gusting to 25kts. We got underway around 0900hrs, the wind and seas weren't much of a concern, and we made it to Norfolk by around 1630hrs. Below is a pic as we motored down "Carrier Alley". The aircraft carrier "Harry Truman" was there. 6200 crew, 80 aircraft, cost of $4.5 billion , range of 3,200,000 miles on 4 nuclear reactors!!

We are sharing the anchorage at Hospital Point http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=36.844358,-76.29962&spn=0.004319,0.010546&z=17 with 8 other boats, 5 of which are from Canada (and one, another Gemini, we saw in the 1000 Islands last summer).

After a nice supper, we had another family game of Sorry (I continue to kick butt in the standings!!!), then read another chapter of Farley Mowats "The Boat Who Wouldn't Float".

We also had hot showers onboard Charlotte-Ann for the first time.

Kids are in bed, Lisa and I are having a glass of wine (Merlot Box-o-Vino). We have another early start tomorrow, hopefully we will get all the way through the Dismal Swamp.

Heading South Again!

2009-10-13T18:20:00.001-07:00

This will be short, not even any pics. Mark (that's me) got home late from work on Sunday. We got a few projects done on the boat on Monday and left Olverson's this morning. We are now anchored about 25 miles north of Norfolk, VA and hope to get there tomorrow. Weather looks a bit dodgy so we will have see how it looks in the morning.
Our Internet connection is alot slower than normal so I'm gonna end here. More info once we get off the Chesapeake and closer to civilization.

Later,
Mark, Lisa, Delaney and Mitchell.

Life on the boat while Daddy's gone to work!

2009-10-04T06:03:00.000-07:00

So we have almost made it through the first month of Mark being gone. Being at Olverson's Marina has made it quite easy. We have all made some pretty good friends. Jodi and Stephen (the owner's daughter) live on the marina property. Jodi and I have really hit it off, having alot in common (we both like wine). Their children are pretty much the same ages as Delaney and Mitchell. We tend to have dinner together most nights (only way we can pull our kids away from playing and get them to eat). Mitchell and their son Jacob have built a skate boarding ramp together and have spent hours at a time on it. Their daughter, Beverly-Anne loves pets, having 2 dogs, a pony and a guinea pig.

We were able to celebrate Mitchell's 7th birthday up at the club house with some other "boat kids" (Chantelle and Corwin). We had pizza, cake and a pinata.

The kids and I also took advantage of being so close to Washington DC. We rented a car and spent two nights, three days exploring Washington. I highly recommend this trip to all families. There is so much to see.

Oh ya, I guess I should mention schooling. We have started our lessons, and are having alot of fun. The other kids are all at school through the week, so our only distraction is Uncle Pete who goes fishing every day and spends a couple of hours cleaning them at the end of our dock. He has taught me how to clean fish, and often provides us with supper for that night. Not that we haven't been having a great time, but I think we are all excited and anxious to start heading further south. Next stop.... Georgia!!!!!!!

Welcome to Olverson's!! Where'd our Kids Go????

2009-09-06T04:40:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned at the end of the last entry, we moved about 7 miles from Annapolis to a great little anchorage on Harness Creek. We shared it the first night with another Gemini (Lilly Pad), but after that our only neighbours were 3 Blue Herons, 2 Osprey's and a Bald Eagle!!!

There weren't any jellyfish, so we were all able to swim, and the anchorage was so small and protected the kids were able to explore on their own, rowing to shore and searching for "stuff".

As secluded as it was, it was adjacent to a 460 acre park with fantastic walking and biking trails. We threw the kids bikes in the dinghy and rowed ashore to let them burn off some more steam. After about 45 minutes on the trails we came to "civilization" where Lisa and I caved to the pressure and took the kids to McD's for lunch. We also picked up a few few things at West Marine and a grocery store, but thankfully this didn't take too long and we were able to get back to the peace and quiet of the anchorage quickly.

We left Harness Creek early Wednesday morning and headed towards Solomons Island, VA. The wind was out of the NE so we were treated to another great day of sailing.

Our anchoring guidebook (Skipper Bob) told us Solomons could get pretty busy, and busy isn't what we were looking for, so we went about 5 miles up the Paxtuxent River to Mill Creek. Again we were surrounded by not much, which suited us fine. The downside was there were alot of jellyfish /sea nettles, which meant no swimming (although we saw locals in the water wakeboarding). The kids kept themselves busy, we played a few games of Sorry, and had a family movie night (Sharkwater). We stayed 2 nights, again getting an early start (0600hrs) on friday morning. Just so no one thinks Mark is running a military camp with all these early starts, I'll clarify what happens. I will wake up around 0600hrs, get the engines warming up and pull the anchor. I will hear a little grumble from the kids, but that's about it. They stay sleeping, usually until around 0800hrs.

Friday it was time to head to head another 30 miles down the Bay to the mouth of the Potomac River. We then had another 12 miles to go up the Potomac, onto the Yeocomico River and eventually arrive at Olversons Marina in Lottsburg, VA.

Our original plan was for Lisa and the kids to stay in Oriental, NC. It was cruising friends of our's(Bobbie and Gord) who ironically we met in Oriental 11 years ago on our first trip South, that recommended Olversons. We decided to stay at here for a few reasons, the most important being the fact that there are alot of kids here, but also that it provides better hurricane protection than we would have in Oriental . Hurricane season doesn't end until November 1st, and September can be the worst month.

We got to Olverson's around 1500hrs, and before Lisa and I could get the lines tied, the kids had disappeared!!! They were met at the dock by a couple of liveaboard kids, then met up with the grandkids of the owners. That was it, they were gone, finally getting a "kid fix" after nearly 4 weeks of it just being the 2 of them. Mitchell hit it off with one of the boys right away. I passed them as they were discussing the best way to approach a gravel ramp and how much air they figured they could get riding their bikes off it. Jacob also has a dirt bike (he had it taken away for 2 weeks because of a recent "stunt"), and a quad, skateboard and scooter. Delaney disappeared as well. When I finally found Mitchell he said Delaney was down on "C" dock crabbing! The kids here drop crab pots , hoping to get some big enough to eat (and they usually do).

Yesterday Lisa and I used one of the courtesy cars and ran into town for some more groceries. I avoided some of my boat projects and we all hung out at the pool (yes, it's still summer here, mid-20'sC). As a side note, yesterday was only the 2nd time I have connected our shorepower cable since leaving Bath in June!
Last night we had dinner with a family with twins who liveaboard their Beneteau 50 (Sasha, Phillip, Corwin and Chantelle). They are out cruising "indefinitely". The kids disappeared soon after supper, we found them a little while later down the dock enjoying some evening entertainment.

As much as our kids think they are night owls, they still need their sleep, so they relauctantly came back to the boat around 2100hrs (very late for them). Mitchell and I went back a little earlier, crawled up into mine and Lisa's bed and read a few chapters aloud from Farley Mowats "The Boat Who Wouldn't Float".

Both kids were in bed by 2130hrs, when Lisa and I managed to sit out in the cockpit and enjoy a glass of wine (yes, once again from a bottle).

So this will be life (for Lisa and the kids) for the next 4 weeks. I return to Newfoundland on Tuesday, and funny enough that will be the first day of school for the kids. Fingers-crossed this whole Homeschooling experiment works out!.

In memory of Lisa's sister, Varuna, who passed away last night after a hard-fought battle against cancer.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that 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

Lisa LOVES Annapolis!!!! US Navy Issues "Cougar Alert".

2009-09-01T05:21:00.000-07:00

After a quiet night in Still Pond Creek, we left for Annapolis, Maryland under grey skies. Running with the outgoing tide, we averaged 6.5kts and did the 30miles run in a little over 5 hours.

We decided just to grab a mooring ball off the US Naval Academy rather than anchoring out.

Annapolis is a sailing town, everything is geared towards providing services that help rather than hinder visiting boats (some waterfront towns make it tough to land a dinghy, get water, etc... even though boaters are spending money in their communities). The mooring balls are $30./night and are right off the downtown. The Harbour Master comes out to you and you can pay with cash or CC. For $5.00 you can have a boat come out to you and get your holding tank pumped out. There are dinghy docks scattered allover, and we noticed that few, if any people bothered to lock them up.

The main dinghy dock we used was right next to a small seating area devoted as a memorial to Alex Haley, the author of "Roots". It is the Kunta-Kinte Memorial, apparently the slave ship he was on made landfall in Annapolis.

Here the kids are sitting next to part of a statue at the memorial. What you can't see is a bronze statues of Alex Haley reading from a book to the kids (you can just see his foot, bottom left of pic).

Apart from sailing, Annapolis is home to the US Naval Academy. This means lots of young sailors! Lisa REALLY enjoyed Annapolis.

We walked around the Academy grounds and toured the visitors center. We even managed a family pic with "Chalotte-Ann" moored in the background (look closely, she is there).

We played tourist for a couple of days, really enjoying the town. We dinghied around the area and found a great little spot for lunch (Davis' Pub). In the fall Annapolis hosts a huge Boat Show. Lisa and I have already made plans to come to the show after this trip is done, but without kids!

The only downside to Annapolis is that Delaney and Mitchell have both developed a catamaran- specific strain of "two-foot-itis". Mitchell really liked the 42' Fountaine-Pagot with the SCUBA locker on the transom , Delaney liked the Jaguar 35 with the huge cockpit. I'm still partial to the Lagoon 44 (Lisa seemed to like it as well).

Yesterday we did a short trip to Harness Creek on the Southern River. We shared the well-protected anchorage with another Gemini (Lilly Pad). We just woke up after a great nights sleep.

I'll add some pics on the next entry, right now our Internet connection keeps dropping out, I'm losing my mind.

Later,

Crew of the "The Buzzing Sound from the Inverter Can't be Good"

No Knives, No Forks, No Plates . Just Wooden Mallets!!

2009-08-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

After our night at anchor in Chesapeake City, we moved over to the town dock first thing yesterday morning. We needed to fill the water tanks and let the kids do a bit of running around. The kids have been given chores around the boat, in addition to the typical ones like keeping their cabins clean or helping with the dishes. Mitchells job this morning was to properly stow the anchor rode.

We then moved on to more important things such as visiting the ice cream shop next to the dock! It was here that Lisa met a very helpful young girl who offered to drive her to a grocery store once she got off work. Catherine (sorry if I mispelled it) was a great help and we wish her the best of luck with her ambitions to open a bakery in New York City.

Lisa and Delaney then went for a walk around town while Mitch and I got on the bikes and visited the C&D Canal Museum (very cool).

The town of Chesapeake City was really neat, all the houses date back to the mid-1800's and have been restored and maintained. They all have names, typically of the original owners, as well as the date they were built.

Before heading out for dinner, we did a little survey of our 3 Most Favourite and Least Favourite things about living aboard/cruising.

Lisa Most Favourite: 1. Anchoring out 2. Swimming off the boat 3. Having a family supper every night

Least Favourite: 1. Running out of ice 2. Refrigeration issues 3. Mark always being busy

Mark Most Favourite: 1. Spending time with my family 2. Time on the water 3. Seeing new places and faces

Least Favourite: 1. Fixing things on the boat 2. Our smelly head 3. Lifting the outboard on and off the dinghy

Delaney Most Favourite: 1. Staying in nice anchorages 2. Having fun swimming 3. Exploring new places

Least Favourite: 1. Getting seasick 2. No TV 3. No ice cream

Mitchell Most Favourite: 1. I got to start the dinghy engine 2. Nice showers 3. Not getting seasick

Least Favourite: 1. No steak and asparagus 2. Can't wakeboard on mom's board 3. I can't think of a third thing.

While we were looking for a place to eat, we came across this fellow sitting in front of his house. I am terrible with names, but we stood and chatted with him for about 20 minutes. He has lived in Chesapeake City his whole life, but also has had a place on Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick for 50 years. I am sure he has seen alot of changes in the town over the years but he still had only good things to say about it. I spotted a print of the washed-out main deck on an old sailing ship that I bought for $10.00 (including the frame). It's jammed up in the main cabin on the boat waiting for our return home.

Looking for a place for supper we wound up at the Tap Room. We ordered a dozen crabs and had a feast!!

After a great meal we headed back to the boat, kids straight to bed, adults sharing a nice bottle of wine (No Box-o-Vino tonight, we actually had wine out of a bottle!!).

This morning we were off early, going south again as we entered the Chesapeake Bay. Right now we are anchored in Still Pond Creek, a nice little anchorage perfectly suited for our shallow draft catamaran (we are in 5' of water now, but saw 2.6' at one point).

If the weather co-operates we will be off for Annapolis in the morning.

Later,

The Crew of "Why Are we Getting Water in the Port Hull and Can't Get it out of the Starboard Galley Sink??"

Motorin' South and Sailing North???

2009-08-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

So we wound up spending 4 nights anchored in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Hurricane Bill didn't get too close (more of a hassle for my co-workers in Newfoundland), but he did produce a large swell that had to lay down before we could head off to Cape May.

Other than dealing with "domestic" issues such as laundry , groceries and boat projects, most of our time was spent swimming and exploring in the dinghy. We also spent an afternoon wakeboarding. Delaney has it nailed!!! Mitchell gave it a good shot but we really need to get him a properly sized wakeboard (He and Delaney have been riding Lisa's Jimmy Lewis kiteboard). Poor Mitchell's legs are already so spread apart on the board, it's not much help when I am telling him to straighten his front leg and bend his back.

Anyway, the search begins for a Liquid Force Nemesis 111 with Micro bindings!!

One of best parts about cruising is the sense of community you have with others cruisers. Not sure if it's a commonality (boats, travelling) or maybe we all have the same loose screws, but getting to meet other boaters is one of the best parts of cruising. Some you will never meet again, others become lifelong friends. There wound up being 5 boats in the anchorage , all waiting on weather to head down the coast. Sometimes it seems like a scene from an old Andy Griffith movie from back in the 40's and 50's , people sitting on their porch, the neighbours walking by, stopping for a chat. You don't see that very much these days, but you see it all the time in anchorages . The only difference is the porch has been traded for a cockpit and instead of walking, people are coming around in their dinghies.

We pulled the anchor at 0600hrs on Monday morning and left Atlantic Highlands in time to catch the outgoing tide at Sandy Hook. A couple of our neighbours left at 0400hrs, and another was planning to leave after us.

Once on the ocean we settled into what would be a 24-30 hour overnight run down the New Jersey coast. We would pass Atlantic City sometime around midnight, staying 2-3 miles offshore. The winds were fickle, so we motorsailed most of the trip. Unfortunately there was a residual swell from Hurricane Bill, long and slow, about 2m high. This was Delaneys introduction to Mal de Mer (seasickness). She was a trooper, handling it all quite well. She wasn't able to stay in her cabin, so she spent the night sleeping in the cockpit. Below is a pic of her bundled up with the (blurry) lights of Atlantic City in the background.

Lisa took the wheel from midnight to 0300hrs. I think she really enjoyed the quiet, no kids, just a sky full of stars (and the occasional 300' barge to dodge around)!!

We arrived at our destination, Cape May, at around 0900hrs. This is a very busy little spot just at the bottom of Delaware Bay. The preferred anchorage is small and subject to wakes from passing boats, so we decided to check out another spot recommended in our anchoring Bible, Skipper Bob's ICW Guide. We went north through a bascule bridge, and I swear as soon as we got past it they hit!!! They being horseflies! So we put our new cabins screens to good use as Lisa and the kids ducked inside and I was left to the ravenous swarm("Be brave dad! And don't run us aground either!!). I was really hoping that they would disappear once we got to the anchorage, but halfway down the channel I realized it wasn't going to happen. After turning us around in the 60' wide channel (7' of water), we hightailed it back to the bridge. We motored alongside a local, armed with a huge flyswatter in his cockpit, who informed us there is an informal understanding with the horseflies that they do not go south of the bridge. Ha, ha, Funny Local Guy, but I swear the moment we cleared that bridge every last flie left the boat (with the exception of a few dead carcasses). I think I lost about 5 lbs between the energy expended swatting them and the flesh they actually bit off of me!

Anyway, back to the original anchorage, crack open a beer and relax.

We had a family movie night (Eragon) but I only lasted through the first 15 minutes. Three hours sleep the previous day finally caught up with me.

Yesterday (Wednesday) morning was another early start, leaving Cape May to head up Delaware Bay. Again, you want to play the tides so you can run with the current up the Bay (I think it was 56 miles we had to go). We left with the same group of boats from Atlantic Highlands. You can go through the Cape May Canal, which shortens the trip by about 3 hours, but you have to pass under a bridge that provided 55ft. of cleareance (Charlotte-Ann needs 45ft.). One of the boats in our group was very close to that limit. Steve figured he should be able to get under it if he got there right at low tide. We all held our breath as he approached, but it all worked out in the end, he made it just fine.

So after all this motoring south, here we were on the Delaware doing what we really wanted to do (sail), but we were going North!! If you look at Google maps (I am trying to get the map function working on the Blog) you will see Delaware Bay to the east and Chesapeake Bay to the west). At the north end they are joined by the C&D canal, our destination.

We had a terrific sail, running with the tide we were seeing 9.2-9.6 knots!!! The wind slowly started to come straight at us (always seems the way), but later we made a slight turn to starboard, shut the engines down, and had a terrific sail once again.
We got to the canal and 2 hours later arrived in Chesapeake City. Last night we anchored in the basin, and first thing this morning we moved to the town dock. We need water and the kids have been bugging to go for a bike ride. We haven`t checked it out yet, but it looks very nice, a nautical version of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Well, as usual, I have some projects to deal with.

Tomorrow we are off to a highly recommended anchorage on the Chesapeake, with plans to arrive at Olversons Marina (where Lisa and the kids will stay while I return to work) in about a weeks time.

Later,

The crew of ``Why Does the Head Still Smell ``

NYC Pretty much Sucked, But we are Having Fun Again!

2009-08-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

All it took was a day away from the city, back on "the hook" to remind us of why we are doing this.

After our move to the Liberty Island anchorage, we left early Thursday morning for Atlantic Highlands, NJ. The trip went smoothly, although the first part was again a little stressful since we traded the NYC water taxis for the Staten Island Ferries. I plotted a course on our new chartplotter that kept us along the main shipping channels so things actually went quite well.

After we arrived in the anchorage and were confident the anchor was set, it was time to relax and have a little fun. I went around to talk to a couple of other boats, seems we are all here for the same reason, waiting for Hurricane Bill to pass so we can run the 110 miles down the coast to the Delaware Bay.

Once again it was stinkin` hot, so it was nice to be somwhere we could all swim ( we didn`t realize crabs could swim!!). The day ended with our 182nd viewing of Lemony Snicketts.

Today was another hot one, and unfortunately called for a visit to shore. We needed to go to West Marine to get charts for the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. This really brought to focus how much we love being on the boat and hate having to be onshore. Mitch and I caught a cab to WM, Lisa and Delaney checked out the local shops in town. We also picked-up a few necessities (milk, bread, cerveza),before gettting back just before some bad weather.
I had actually just taken the kids off in the dinghy to check-out some kiteboarding kites off in the distance (hopefully get some kiting in tomorrow), when the front moved in. As we were heading back to the boat, we hit a wall of wind that was about 10C cooler than anything we had felt the past 2 days. The wind had also shifted 180 degrees from the heading it was on when we set the anchor (no fear, our new $600 Rocna15 anchor was up to the challeng).

Anyway, some pretty spectacular thunder and lightning kept us entertained, the benefit being a great sunset.

The kids were a great help cleaning up after supper, Delaney even made us some garlic toast to go along with the pasta.

We really needed a change after two longs days on the Hudson River and our time in NYC . It was taking it`s toll . It`s not always easy keeping everyone happy and entertained, kids and adults alike!

On another positive note, we found out that the marina on the Chesapeake Bay that our friends Bobbie and Gord recommended will be able to accomodate us when I return to work in a couple of weeks. Sounds like there are quite a few kids living aboard there, a very family-oriented kid friendly spot (and well protected from hurricanes).

Life is good!!

Later,

The Crew of the Good Ship ``Happy Again``

NYC, GRUMPY PARENTS AND EXPENSIVE MARINAS

2009-08-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Well we're back at it again!!

We left Coxsackie on Saturday. Another big thank-you to Sal and all the members of the Coxsackie Yacht Club, you really made us feel at home.

Thanks also to mom and Marge for driving us down. They made an impression on the Club and have been invited back next Spring for a party.

And of course thanks to Tim and Errinne for loaning us their truck. As luck would have it, the brakes on our car gave out the day before our departure and there was no way we were going to replace them just so the car could sit in our garage for the next 12 months!!

As usual, I had a couple of projects to deal with before we left. The biggest was installing our new dinghy davits. The set-up is pretty sweet, including moving the solar panel and speakers further aft. Unfortunately it was 92F and I didn't plan well for it. I wound up on the floor of the boat ready to yak my guts, too much sun and not enough fluids! Then for the remainder of the day my hands and arms kept cramping up. After about 5 gallons of Gatorade my electrolites were replenished and all was normal.

We set off down the Hudson on Sunday morning with the outgoing tide and ended up having a VERY long day, making it about 50 miles to Marlboro, NY, grabbing a mooring ball and scoffing some free ice from some friendly power-boaters (see, I don't have a problem with stinkpots!!)

The kids had fun snapping pics of lighthouses and barges. Lisa and I had fun dealing with the Coast Guard (twice) and a local Sherriff. A little bit of the "Biggar" attitude was on display, thankfully countered with some MacLean "appeasement", thus avoiding, as the floating Sheriff put it, "a visit before the Judge". Too long a story to go into here, suffice to say it all worked out in the end.

Monday was another long day, covering 55 miles, taking us past West Point and into New York Harbour.

We had pretty calm conditions as we entered the harbour, but as you get near lower Manhattan you have to start dealing with the water taxis!!

These boats are big, fast and zig-zag all over the harbour, running back and forth between NYC and New Jersey (where we were going). Because they are going in different directions, you get wakes coming at you from everywhere! Nah, I didn't care for this part of the day much, but we (and the boat) were fine.
Our home for the night was a marina in Jersey City, NJ, right across from Manhattan. In the past we have always avoided staying here, assuming it was expensive. Well whatta you know, we were right !!! $365USD for 2 nights!!! No extra charge for the crappy washrooms either!!

Anyway, it's not about the money, right???

Yesterday we did the tourist thing in the city, although first we had to go to Verizon to get our internet access corrected (they gave us an out of date driver, which of course is easily obtainable WITH INTERNET ACCESS!!!!!!). So after Jonaton loaded the newest driver, we were off. The ferry from NJ drops you off right at the World Financial Center, which is next to the former World Trade Center location so we got to see the construction of the new building. We then jumped on the subway and made our way towards Times Square, stopped for some great pizza, then got a cab to the Museum of Natural History (from the movie).

We then had a little walk through central park, then went for dinner at an Irish Pub just off Broadway.

Today we played tourist again, visiting the Statue of Liberty.

So what's next??

Well another night at the marina was out of the question, so this afternoon we moved to an anchorage not too far behind Liberty Island. Anchorage=FREE!!

We have also made a change in our plans. We were originally planning to head to Oriental, NC but have decided to go to the Chesapeake Bay (safer during Hurricane season). We haven't firmed up the details, but hopefully will find out tomorrow if the place we want to go to can accomodate us.

In the mean time, tomorrow morning we will travel out of New York and down to Atlantic Highlands, NJ. This is the same place we bought Charlotte-Ann, so Alan and Jim can relate to where we will be tomorrow night.

We then need to wait for a weather window to head down the coast, and this could be a few days since the NJ shoreline is going to be feeling the effects of Hurricane Bill. We are going to lose a few days sitting in Atlantic Highlands, but there isn't much we can do about it. Hopefully the seas will lay down over the weekend so we can make the run down the coast to the Delaware Bay.

So all in all, things are going pretty good.

Are we having fun??? Most of the time. In all honesty, with the heat and long days on the water (and water the kids can't swim in) we all can get a little snippy.

Would we trade what we are doing for anything else right now, no way.

Well, o.k, Lisa would trade for a boat with air-conditioning, but other than that things are good.

Later,

The sweaty, grumpy crew of the Charlotte-Ann!

Wrinkly Crew, Lockin' Through and American Hospitality

2009-07-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

Well we are back home, arrived a few hours ago. That's the first leg of the trip finished with a transit across Lake Ontario, 30 locks on the Erie and Oswego canals, plus another 30 miles down the Hudson River. After meeting up with Grandma Annie and and the man she is living in sin with (now referrred to as Bob) at Riverlink Park in Amsterdam, New York, we set off once again heading East towards the Hudson. While we are talking about Riverlink Park, we'd like to thank the owners who were kind enough to drive us to their house so we could leave our car there after an overzealous mall cop insisted we would be ticketed if we tried to stay in his lot. This is a family run operation so if any boaters are reading this, they offer cheap dockage ($1.00/ft), very clean washrooms and showers and reasonably priced food, in addition to very helpful and friendly staff/family members.

This section of the canal is very picturesque, continuing down the Mohawk River Valley towards Albany. Although at times we were travelling right beside I-90, you'd be surprised at the beauty of the area (just try to ignore the train noise!).The kids have been keeping track of wildlfe, in particular birds. So far they have seen loons, cormorants, Kingfishers, lots of Blue Herons and an Osprey. On Wednesday they were treated to the sight of an American Bald Eagle swooping down and plucking a fish out of the canal!! They then saw a second one a couple of days later on the Hudson River . The days on the canal are pretty laid back, and we were treated to some really nice weather.

After coming to the end of the canal at the Hudson River, we turned right/starboard and actually started going SOUTH!!!! We went about 20 miles down the river to the Castleton Boat Club in Castleton -on-the-Hudson, NY. This is a spot Lisa and I first visited 11 years ago when when we went south on Connemara II. They have a gin pole and for $50.00 (I think that's what we paid back in 1998 as well) you can use it to put up or take down your mast. We took our mast down last fall in Bath since it has to be down to transit the canal, but now that we are on the Hudson we can once again turn Charlotte-Ann back into a sailboat!

Bob was a great help with putting the mast up, much better than the two Mexicans I hired to help me 2 years ago when we brought the boat home from New Jersey!!

By the way, if Jorge and Julio are reading this, please note the newly installed electric control for the crane hook!!! It was harder than it looks, my thumb kept cramping up!! Thankfully beverage prices remained unchanged from 2007. After an excellent Italian dinner at a local restaurant (American Hospitality number #2, the owner drove down to the boat club and brought us to the restaurant, 2 trips to get all 6 of us there, then drove us all back after we had supper) we returned to the boat and had a good nights sleep before our last run down the river in the morning.After Castleton, we moved another 8 miles down the river to the Coxsackie Yacht Club. This will be home to Charlotte-Ann for the next 5 weeks while I go back to work. This is another case of American Hospitality, with an offer from the Commodore of the Club to allow us to keep our boat at their club with a small donation (it's a working club, non-profit). Everyone we met while there was super-friendly, and the Commodore, Sal, couldn't have been more helpful or accomodating. The club actually owns an island just off the shore of the main facility. They have set it up with a gazebo, BBQ's, Johnny-on-the-Spot and bonfire pit. They have even created a beach on the river side!!

After hanging out at the beach for the afternoon, we later joined a couple of families from the club for a bonfire and, of course, toasted marshmallows. We got back to the boat around 10:00pm and no one stirred until after 0900 the next morning.

Unfortunately it was then time to back the boat up and get ready to drive home.

We'd like to thank Tara for mowing our lawn and leaving dinner in the fridge for our arrival!! Thanks also to Taya for feeding and cleaning Maceo.

The trip will be on hiatus for a month while I go back to Newfoundland. Lisa has a couple of weeks to go before our tenant moves in, plus the kids have a 2-week sailing camp here in Port Colborne.

The next leg of the trip will include a stop-over in New York City, an offshore run on the Atlantic from Sandy Hook, NJ to Norfolk, Virginia, then the ICW to Oriental, NC with a stopover in Cape Hatteras to (finally) get some kiteboarding in!!!

Later,

Mark, Lisa, Delaney and Mitchell

Still Going East and Unconditional Love

2009-07-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by our sporadic posts, free wi-fi on the Erie Canal is hard to come by. Might be because we are being cheap and stay away from marina's, preferring to spend nights tied along free walls and docks. We miss our nights at anchor, but it's a bit tough to do on the canal. Anyway, things are going well. The weather has been hit and miss, but for the most part it has been sunny and warm.

We have covered about 230 miles since leaving Bath, averaging about 30 miles on the days we are moving. The days are pretty relaxed, the locks are simple to go through and the kids are doing great at keeping themselves busy. The have their chores on the boat, and are also getting quite good a helping lock the boat through. A couple of times it would have been nice to have the dinghy available (it's rolled up on the foredeck right now), just to go out and do a little exploring.

No problems with the boat either, although we did catch a submerged log between the engines just as we came off of Oneida Lake (we were going slow, just backed up and it released). The new engines have been great, we average just over 5kts on one engine at 2/3 throttle. Did a little test yesterday and hit 7.8kts with both engines at around 80% throttle.

We spent 2 days in Conajahorie, home of the Beech-Nut factory (you know, they make gum). Visited a local art gallery and Count Olaf's house (of Lemony Snicketts fame). O.k, it wasn't really the Count's home, it actually belonged the inventor of the train sleeper car. It must have been stunning when it was new, unfortunately it is now in a very sad state of repair. We stayed in a park along the canal, played badminton and hung out.

Today we are sitting in Amsterdam, New York, waiting for mom and Bob to arrive. We'll then drop one of the cars off at the Coxsackie Yacht Club on the Hudson River. We have another 3 days travelling to get there, then we will secure the boat for a month and head home, the first leg of the trip over with. Lisa needs to get the house ready for our tenant and the kids have 2 weeks of sailing camp (as if living on a boat for a year isn't going to be enough sailing for them!?!).

Oh yeah, the unconditional love part?? So I am driving the boat the other day and Mitchell comes up to me and says, "Dad, you have a booger in your nose". He then proceeds to stick his finger in my left nostril, remove the offending booger and flick it overboard!! Thanks for the help buddy!!

Well this connection is acting up so I'll stop now. There is a function on the satellite image here on the Blog, click for a larger image and you can see some more pics tagged for the location taken.

Later,

Us.

Remind Me Again Why we Are Doing This???.... Oh, This is Why!!!!

2009-06-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

First of all, this may sound like a bit of a bitch sesion, and I suppose in a way it is, but trust us when we say that moving your kids onto a boat and heading off for a year isn't always as romantic as it sounds. Lisa has had alot on her hands getting ready to go, and I have been spending alot of time working on the boat. Now normally I wouldn't complain about that, but since we left the boat up in Bath it meant I had to be away from home during the time I'm not supposed to be away! When you already spends 6-months of the year away from your family, any more than is necessary really isn't much fun. So anyway, enough said, lots of work, but it all seemed worth every minute just this weekend when we finally got the trip underway. Seeing the excitement of the kids as they moved all their clothes, toys, books and "stuff" into their cabins made the memories of all those times away this winter just disappear. Later that night I went hunting for worms so the kids could do some fishing.

Yup, it was all coming together.

Our friend Tara dropped us off in Bath on Friday night (Thanks Tara and the quiet kid she brought along). After loading the boat up it was time for the obligatory couple of drinks with Dave Hinton, the owner of the Marina and our former Harbormaster when we lived aboard 12 years ago.

Saturday was spent finishing some final boat projects, putting stuff away and a little housekeeping.

Sunday morning we fueled-up, took on water and finally started the trip!!Our first destination was Main Duck Island, about 20 miles south of Bath out on Lake Ontario. We had a nice motor and dropped the hook for the night. The kids and I went snorkeling while Lisa enjoyed the peace and quiet of the boat. Lots of big fish in the fresh, clean water (could have been a bit warmer though!). Yesterday we set off for the remaining 30 miles across the Lake to Oswego, New York. Again, the weather co-operated and we had a nice crossing. Then the miserable part started! Clearing through immigration was straightforward. There is a videophone that you use, they scan your passports, pretty easy. One thing we weren't aware of was the need for a decal if your boat is over 30' long (we are 34'). So I had to apply for one on-line, laptop wouldn't connect to the free wi-fi hotspot, but our IPod touch would. Problem was the site wasn't working well, I needed to phone the helpline, we ran out of minutes on our cellphone, the phone I could use was out of range of the Wi-fi, etc, etc .... So we eventually walked up to the US Border Patrol office and explained what we were trying to do. These guys were fantastic!!! They let us log onto the receptionists computer and it was all done with in about 15 minutes!! Woo hooo!!!!

So we were now free to continue onto the Erie Canal, initially heading south then turning east towrds the Hudson River.

Today we arrived in Phoenix, NY after going through 7 locks. It's a bit cool and rainy but we are looking forward to getting to Sylvan Beach tomorrow. I'll post a few videos once I get a more reliable connection.

Later,

The Crew of "Charlotte-Ann".

IRONY, NORMALCY AND WHERE ARE YOU GOING ANYWAY???

2009-06-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well I couldn't resist this one. We are now less than a week before starting the first leg of the trip. Lisa decided to go to Costco (bulk retailer) to load up on some things to save money by buying larger quantities. You know, stuff like shampoo, sunscreen, vitamins etc...

She also picked-up a monster size bottle of Tabasco sauce, and anyone that knows Lisa realizes this MIGHT get her through the next 4 months. Cool, buy it in bulk and save some money. The kicker is she also bought a Jumbo package of Tums, to help get her through the Tabasco (oh yeah, she also bought a huge bottle of Worcester sauce). Self-defeating? Ironic? I wish she had gotten me a jumbo pack of Skittles (and toothpaste).

Things are also winding down on all the "normal" land-based activities we do.

Delaney had her final night of gymnastics, which was actually a demonstration and competition. She was awarded two second place, one 3rd place and one 6th place ribbon in the four disciplines, in additon to a trophy for 2nd place overall!!! Here is a video of her floor demonstration.

Part of Mitchells weekly routine also came to an end this week. He has been taking drum lessons since September, and unlike Jiu-Jitsu, soccer and Beavers, this one he actually stuck with and enjoyed!! He had a great instructor (Dwayne, a big RUSH fan) and really seemd to enjoy it. Here is a little clip from his final lesson this week.

Lisa and I also finished up something we both really enjoy, mountainbiking. Today we (along with my brother Alan) raced in our local race, the Great Lake to Lake Classic. The race starts around the corner from our house in H.H. Knoll park next to Lake Erie. It then runs 50km through the Niagara Penninsula finishing in Port Dalhousie on Lake Ontario.

You can't really see how muddy we were here at the end, but trust me, we were caked in good old Niagara clay!

It was fun, tiring , muddy and frustrating (I got 3 flats, and no, I wasn't racing a tricycle!!). Here is a short video giving you an idea of what we and over 900 other riders faced at about the 30km mark.

Lisa’s turn to write in our blog (bare with me)!!!
Everyone keeps asking what our agenda is for the trip. Well in a nutshell, this is it:

June 26: Drive up to Bath (thanks Tara and Kathryn!). The kids and I finally get to see all the hard work Mark has done.

June 27: Leave Bath and cross Lake Ontario for the Erie Canal (weather permitting). The plans are to be in Sylvan Beach, NY around the 1st or 2nd of July. We have recruited the driving team of Ann and Bob to meet us in Sylvan Beach (with 2 vehicles). After a bit of shuffling back and forth the six of us are continuing through the canal to Coxsackie Yacht Club on the Hudson River. This is were the Charlotte Ann will be left for the next month (thanks Sal Santo “SeaDog the Cat”). We then head back home to Port Colborne so Mark can go back to work.

July 14 – August 12: The kids and I will have time to pack up house (we have it rented out), and say good-bye to our friends. It looks like we will need a place to stay as of August 1 (thanks friends and family for putting us up). The kids are also attending a 2-week sailing camp. They will come out of that with a higher sailing qualification than either Mark or I have!

August 12: We are off!!!! Mark comes home and we head back to the Charlotte Ann (still haven’t figured out how we get there).

August – September 8: We sail down the Hudson River, spend a couple of days in New York City (say hi to Lady Liberty), head on to the Atlantic Ocean and make our way through Norfolk, VA, the Dismal Swamp and on to Oriental, North Carolina. This town is on the mainland side of Pamlico Sound (actually on the Neuse River), but very close to the Outer Banks/Cape Hatteras. One of Mark's "goals" is to anchor the boat in the Slick at REAL kiteboarding, walk ashore and buy himself a Jimmy Lewis kite surfboard. We'll have to see how that plays out, but at the least we are hoping to sneak in a couple of days of kiting before heading to Oriental. The kids and I will be staying here for the month while Mark goes and makes more money.
October 7 – November 3: Sail from North Carolina into Georgia and a town called Brunswick (South of Savannah). Here the kids and I will be held up for another month while Mark heads back to work.

Mark will be back with us around December 2nd. Normally he would have December off, but he has told his office he would like to take January off as well (sadly without pay). So that will give us December, January and February together. We will leave Georgia and stop off in Fort Pierce, Florida. There is a small mooring field there where we will leave the boat for a few days and drive to Disney. We will then continue south to Palm Beach. It's here that we provision the boat and wait for a weather window to cross over to the Bahamas Islands. We will start in the Abacos portion of the Bahamas then possibly move further south to the Exumas. Our goal is to arrive for Christmas, but at the latest to be there for New Years (really hoping to catch Junkanoo).

Plans start to get a little hazy after this. If I feel comfortable in an anchorage the kids and I will stay while Mark goes back to work in March. After that it will be time to head back to the States and start going north (boo!!).

Well that's what we know right now. Some of it will happen, some of it might not. All part of the adventure I suppose, no brochure available for this one!!!

Getting Close!

2009-06-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

The departure date for the first leg of the trip is fast approaching. We will soon be posting our planned itinerary, but for now I thought I'd just bore you with some stuff from recent work on the boat (both Charlotte-Ann and Atlantic Osprey).

First regarding Charlotte-Ann. Last month when I was home I spent a few days up on the boat. No, she's not ready to go yet, but she's getting there! Thankfully Lisa and I learned from our first trip south that we shouldn't expect the boat to be 100% ready, EVER.

I did manage to get some pretty large projects completed, the biggest being the installation of our new engines.

We replaced the 12 year old original Evinrude 9.9's with brand new 2009 Yamaha T9.9's. Unlike the old engines the new ones have power tilt and trim, are lighter, quieter, more fuel efficient and use huge 11-3/4" props. We also replaced the controllers, tachs and start switches, as well as adding hour meters for maintenance purposes.

The other big project was replacement of the doghouse window. Anyone who has been on the boat can attest to how UV damaged it was, nearly impossible to see out it. We had a new window fabricated and Alan helped me install it. What a difference!! It actually makes the boat interior seem bigger.

Other projects included installation of custom made screens and privacy covers, new propane sensors, new batteries and battery monitor, holding tank level sensor (Pooh-Meter), fuel filters , new bottom paint and manual bilge pump. We also replaced the original 3" foam matress in mine and Lisa's cabin with a queen-size 10" Obus Forme memory foam mattress! Very nice!!

There are still a few more projects to do, the largest being the wave slap hull modification that is hopefully underway at this moment (right Dave??).

So things are coming together nicely.

Sounds as if we have the house rented, and much to Lisa's relief we don't have to move all our "stuff" out. We also have a home for Maceo, thanks brother Alan!

Lisa has all the info she needs from the kids teachers so with a little luck, patience and work both kids will return to school in 2010 a little smarter than they are right now.

Now as far as the "other" boat I mentioned, that one is Mark's home away from home, the Atlantic Osprey. I thought I had a nice picture of her, but I was

As most of you know, I am a Superintendent with Oceaneering, the largest ROV (remotely operated vehicle) company in the world. ROV's are those underwater robots that seem to be in the news and on Discovery Channel alot these days.

I am fortunate to work with the most talented, intelligent and good looking bunch of ROV guys in the WORLD!!!!

O.k, sorry, the good looking guys were off working on something else, so you get to look at a picture of this bunch!!

We operate out of St. John's , NL, doing underwater construction and maintenance work for Husky Energy out on the Grand banks. There is a total of 12 of us (1 Supt, 3 Supervisors and 8 Technicians) working 12-hr shifts, 28 days on then 28 days off .

Below is a short video of us recovering one of the ROV's (we have 2 onboard).

If you are curious about what we do, you can always go to www.oceaneering.com

That's all for now.

WONDER WASH!!!!!

2009-03-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

O.k, I admit this isn't the most interesting entry, but I (please note, Lisa was an "unwilling" participant in the following pics) wanted to show you our most recent purchase for the trip.

It's called a "Wonder Wash" http://www.laundry-alternative.com/washing.htm

We thought we'd give this a try for those days when we just can't be bothered to jump in the dinghy and find a laundromat.

Our first try was two pairs of Mark's jeans. Following the instructions we added about 12 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of detergent.

An airtight lid gets screwed on the top. Supposedly this increases the air pressure inside (when using warm/hot water), which in turn helps force the detergent into the fabric.

You then crank the handle for a 2-minute wash cycle, attach the drain tube and drain off the dirty water.

We then ran through a "rinse cycle" with a bit more freshwater then removed the jeans to dry them.

Admittedly, not very exciting, but considering the highlight of our last post was our new "Pooh-Meter", things are looking up!

The Winter That Won't End!!!!

2009-03-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!

It's cold again today. It was cold yesterday , and probably will be tomorrow as well.

Time to turn our thoughts to warmer things, right! Like getting our kiteboarding gear out of the damn furnace room!!!!!

Truth is , the forecast is looking better starting tomorrow, and not a minute too soon.

Our trip plans are slowly getting into gear. The time has passed in it's usual lightning speed, time to really give some thought to both the fun (boat) and mundane (house).

Here is a link to a speech Delaney gave to her Grade 3 Class about going away on the boat for a year. She is a little embarrassed about the way she ended it, so please feel free to leave a comment letting her know how good a job she did (thanks, The parents).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEhV9knMkL4

The spare room is slowly filling up with "boat stuff".

A few dollars spent at IKEA (storage solutions for the kid's cabins, galley stuff etc...) and don't forget the Boatshow back in January (Sham Wows!!!), new masks and snorkels, remote VHF mic, sailing gloves and Pooh-Meter!!

Yeh, I am really excited about the Pooh-Meter!!

Spend any amount of time on a boat (especially with 2 young kids) and you will gain an appreciation for efficient waste disposal.

"Engines, anchoring and head (bathroom)" are three of our main priorities. A close fourth is keeping the beer cold, but I'll save that one for a later post.

Last Fall I did a rebuild of our head. The toilet was removed, cleaned and serviced (yes, they require service). All of the hoses were replaced. The holding tank was removed, and you can never get "every last drop" out of a tank that is installed. It was emptied, scrubbed, flushed and disinfected (sorry, no pics). I also added a macerator pump so that when we are in areas where it's legal (Atlantic Ocean, parts of the Bahamas) we can directly discharge overboard rather than into the holding tank.

As you can see from the above pic, our raritan PH2 head suffered a knockdown in the basement. Thankfully I can buy just a new bowl, but it's costing us over $200!!! That's just for the bowl!

Anyway, back to the Pooh-Meter. We bought a really slick little unit that will tell us exactly how full the holding tank is. Kinda hard for someone to appreciate how nice this will be (actually a real luxury) until you have had to deal with an overflowing holding tank and not a Pump-out station within a day's sail!!

Other gobs of money being sunk into the boat this past week include:

- VHF radio and antennae

- laptop (Sorry Cheryl, it's a Dell!!)

-manual bilge pump

-digital battery monitor

-hand-operated washing machine (more on this when it arrives and we can try it out)

-replacement windshield

Future posts will give an update on all the other things we are doing to get the boat ready.

That's all for now.

Repeat after me, "Summer, Summer, Summer, SUMMERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

If that doesn't work, please check out the link below (check it out regardless). Mark's cousin Colin and his family have just moved to Oman, and it's stinkin' hot there!

http://www.travelpod.com/members/themitchells

Hasta luego,

Mark and the crew of "Charlotte-Ann".

1000 Islands 2008

2008-11-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

Once again we returned to the 1000 Islands, but this time with our Gemini catamaran. We spent a total of 24 days on the boat, although the trip was divided into what seemed like two different trips.
For the first 5 days we were joined by Uncle Alan and Spencer. Instead of heading straight to the 1000 Islands , we went in the opposite direction towards Lake Ontario. We were headed for Sandbanks Provincial Park, Alan and I secretly hoping to get some kiteboarding sessions in as well.
Our first night out of Bath we stayed anchored off of Waupos Island. It was a little dark and grey, but we all had fun towing the kids behind the dinghy on Alan's Jimmy Lewis surfboard.

The next day we were off to Sandbanks. We anchored off the main beach and all went swimming.

Later that day we went through the (shallow) channel at Wellington, making our way to West Lake to an anchorage at the base of the sandbanks. The water is quite shallow throughout this area, not many sailboats get in. We love our Gemini!!!

Our days were spent swimming, wakeboarding and playing on the sand dunes. Nights were filled with board games and Jiffy Pop!!!! After five days it was time for Alan and Spencer to go home. We returned to Bath, then just the four of us made our way east to the 1000 Islands.

Our first stop was Beaurivage Island, the same place we stayed in 2005. After a few days of swimming and exploring with the dinghy, we made our way to Thwartway Island where we were to spend the next 13 days.

Once again our days were pretty laidback. We did alot of snorkeling and swimming, as well as teaching both kids to wakeboard behind the dinghy.

If you would like to watch a 4-minute video of this trip that contains clips and pics, please go to:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN_Zze7xunc

Still haven't had enough??? Here's a link to more still pics:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23776466@N04/sets/72157610129599651/show/

Bringing "Charlotte-Ann" Home

2008-11-25T21:37:00.000-08:00

So the deal was finalized in October of 2006. We were the proud owners of a 1996 Gemini 105M (hull #519).

We decided to name our new boat "Charlotte-Ann" as a thank-you to our mothers (Charlotte Biggar and Ann MacLean).

The following spring it was time to bring "Charlotte-Ann" home. She was lying in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, which meant we had about a 500 mile delivery trip ahead of us.

The first leg of the trip involved a days' travel past Sandy Hook up into New York Harbour. From there it was about 160 miles up the Hudson River to Castleton-on-the-Hudson. This is a small boat club on the Hudson that has a do-it -yourself mast crane (you need to take the mast down in order to transit the Erie Canal. For this trip I secured the help of Jorge and Julio (brother Alan and brother-in-law Jim). The guys somehow arrived in New Jersey under the impression that this was going to be a pleasure cruise?!?! Within 30 minutes of arriving they had brushes in hand and were hard at it applying a coat of bottom paint.

For the next 4 days we had a great trip, with alot of laughs, working our way up the river.

We had a couple of amazing nights anchored along the Hudson (only possible due to our shallow draft), a fun night at a latin nightclub in New Jersey, and a near collison with a downbound freighter (Uhhh Mark, is that coming our way???).

Here is proof of just how hard the guys had it during the trip!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23776466@N04/3060045485/

Once we got to Castleton-on the-Hudson, poor Jim thought he had died and went to heaven when the barkeeper told him large cups of Coors Lite were only $1.50!!!! I had visions of him calling Karen.

"Honey, I just found the perfect spot for a summer vacation!! Waterfront, close to shopping, nice weather and cheap beer!!!!"

One last bit of work out of the guys, get the mast back up, then wait for Lisa and the kids to arrive.

With Jim and Alan now on their way home with our car, it was time for Lisa and the kids to join the boat as we started our transit across New York State to Lake Erie and eventually home to Port Colborne.

See the link for the Erie Canal. http://www.nyscanals.gov/

We spent about 8 days travelling through the canal which includes 34 locks and quite a few bridges. Some days were longer than others, but we also took time out for stops, including 2 days at Sylvan Beach on Oneida Lake.

Keeping the kids busy can sometimes be a chore , thankfully there are usually enough things on the go to keep them occupied. One of the things we regularly do are knot tying lessons (along with other boat responsibilities for the kids). This link will take you to a lesson given by Delaney on tying a bowline knot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx2KPCQ_dmg

After completing our run on the canal, we arrived in Lackawana, New York. Here we had to put the mast back up, and the following is some video of Mitchell having fun (and worrying Lisa to death!!). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF_zzrYN2Ao

For more pics of the delivery trip please go to the following link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23776466@N04/sets/72157609643772706/show/