Saturday, March 2, 2013

Bahamas finally

We finally made the jump' left dinner key at 9 am Sunday and crossed the gulf stream on a picture perfect day, nice 10 knot breeze very little wave action. Hit the banks at 530 pm! Sailed all night crossed the banks and arrived at great Harbour key at 7 am Monday! Spent 2 days there and then sailed around the top of the island and had a fantastic sail down the east coast of the Berry islands. Anchored for the night half way down and then sailed to the bottom of the chain and took a mooring at the berry island club, Next morning we sailed to Nassau it was a non eventful sail that took about 7 hrs. We got a slip at the paradise Harbour club because some weather was on the way. Will be here three days at least! See pics below




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Saw a baptism on the beach near the cruise ship terminal at Nassau Harbour








Cool building in Nassau





We decided to eat lunch at a cookout to Benoit a high school track team, jerk chicken, conch fritters, and potato bread!






Lunch!





Pic of the Resturants at the Fish Fry, kind of a tourist trap in Nassau





My bank in Nassau Bob!


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Location:Cloister Dr,,The Bahamas

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Dinner Key Mooring Field

We missed the window last Tues to cross to Bimini so we got at Ball here at Dinner Key and have been here a week and looks like it will be another til we can scoot over to Bimini! We have really enjoyed this place. Just to many cool parts to list! First it's cool at night to see the skyline of Miami, then there is the original terminal of the PanAm flying boats that is next door to the marina, them there is the fresh market grocery just a block from the marina! Also we are a gorgeous 3 block walk from historic coconut grove shopping and dining! It's like going to Hollywood just really cool 40' style buildings,trendy eating places, shopping and beautiful palms and tropical foliage everywhere! Got to be really wealthy to live around here go sure, but makes it fun for us. Great walking path so we have been walking at least 5 miles every day the wind lets us make the 1000 yard trip in on the dink! Here are some pics! We're going to the boat show tomorrow!





-Above manatees hang out at the dinghy dock to catch the rainwater out of the storm drain at the dock.






Gorgeous trees at one of the estates that boarder the walking trail in Coconut Grove





Anita posing with the coconut walk shopping area behind her. Just part of the large Coconut grove historic downtown that just 5 minute walk for us!






This pic is from a trendy eating hangout in CG called Lokals, they used old cassette tapes to line the front of the bar, kind of unique!




Pic from when we were anchored just outside no name Harbour staging for the gulf stream crossing we missed! Darn it

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Sunday, February 3, 2013

Lake worth to ft Lauderdale

Finally got free of the wonderfull marina old port cove! Had a great time and caught up on my waxing! We left Sat at 9 and had a wonderful motor sail as usual to Lauderdale off shore all the way. We were never more than a mile off shore and always in 200 feet of water. Below are some shots oh OPC and our Lauderdale trip.




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Tiger woods keeps his yacht at the marina we were staying at!





Shopping at city place in west palm, quite a meet shopping mall





Coming into ft Lauderdale inlet







Our anchorage in ft Lauderdale, lake Sylvia
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Location:River Ln,Fort Lauderdale,United States

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Reflecting on our time on the Chessepeake



While we wait here in North Palm for the next leg down to Lauderdale I thought I would post some of the Pics and stories of our time up the east coast. Here below are some shots of our Marina at Deltaville VA, and our trip up to Annapolis.


Pic above is from the Virgina cut its a very narrow man made canal connecting the bays of upper va to norfolk. It is the alternative to the dismal swamp, this is deeper and safer with less floating logs.


Above is the clubhouse at Doziers Regatta Point Marina in Deltaville, VA THis is where we left Discovery for 2 months while we visited relatives.
 
While in Deltaville Anita learned that the house of Thomas Stone a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a distant relative of her's was close by so we rented a car and made a side trip to the state park and toured the house and grounds
 
 
 
We sailed up to Annapolis about a week before the boat show kicked off, we got a mooring ball right in the middle of Annapolis Harbour. Every afternoon the jr sailing clubs would sail thru the mooring field on their way to the racecourse. It was very cool
 
 
This an example of the typcial Chessapeake Bay light house, this one was just south of the Annapolis Bay  entrance
This is a pic of the pool area at River Dunes Marina and development very swanky
 
We took a side trip to Washington DC while we were at Deltaville waiting to go North to Annapolis. It was a very good trip. The monuments are awesome! Above is Anita posing infront of the Capital.
 
Here is anita posing witht he washington monument in the background
 
 
We must have walked 20 miles, did all the big monuments and a couple of the big museums, this one is the Natural History Museum.
 
Anita posing in front of the countries most famous statue! The Lincoln monument is truley something to behold!
 
Cant go to the nations capital without a visit to the white house, and the obligiatory picture thru the fence!
On the Washington trip we stopped by wiliamsburg, neat place enjoyed walking around history. Of course we could not keep out of trouble.
 
 
We toured the Naval academy and although  there were many empressive sights the top one in our book was the Naval Academy Chapel. Its huge and just ozing history and charisma. We actually attend a sunday service and I could not stop balling as the cadets sang the Naval hymn. I have heard it many times but singing it in the naval academy chapel that I had just sailed 1300 miles to get to, and now living on a boat, really had a impact on me.I could not hold back the tears, I balled all thru the song.
 
We were very lucky, the timing of our tour of the Naval Academy coincided with  the noon  assembly of the brigade. they assemble at twelve noon every day during good weather and then march to lunch. This is done in the parade square at Browning Dorm, the largest dormitory in the world.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Goodbye To Sunset Marina

Well we spent almost 2 months in Stuart, what a great little town and a wonderful marina. Took some pics as we left at 7am on Tuesday January 22.



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We had a uneventful transit of the ICW down to north palm beach and old port cove on lake worth. The Jupiter inlet area pictured below is one of our favorite spots in Florida.











We plan to spend a few days docked at the marina, it's a nice luxury since its been over 2 months since we were in a marina.

Then on to Miami and the Bahamas

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Saturday, January 12, 2013

Still hanging out in Sunset Bay mooring field in Stuart. Hope to finally head south to Miami middle of next week. Going to the boat show this weekend here in Stuart.


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Location:Still stuck in stuart

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Hanging in Stuart

Well we really are hanging in Stuart, hanging on a ball that is! We have been here for about 2 weeks and lucky to have a ball, there are several dozen boats across the river anchored waiting to get a ball! Bunch of boats like us waiting here till after the holidays before they head further south. We like this marina and the town very much.
Anita is already in tx with our daughter and I will be flying out tomorrow. We will get back Monday the 17th and i will begin the project to swap our 2 135 watt solar panels for two new 245 watt panels! We just don't have enough solar to keep up and running the genny for 6 hrs a day is just to much. I was able to sell the old panels and charge controller online at Craig's list! Might even pick up a wind charger. Below are some shots of life in Stuart!




Boardwalk at the marina complex





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Sunset from the rocking chairs on the marina boardwalk





Shot of downtown historic stuart






Rocking chairs on boardwalk just out front of the marina office






My favorite girl on a walk in historic stuart



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