Tuesday, May 31, 2005

exploring

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Tuesday, May, 31, 2005, 11:38 UTC
Ships Channel the Exumas

Capt. Mark
The weather and forecast has not changed in five days, no one on board is complaining.
I have eight guests on this trip and they are very experienced free divers. They have been bringing home Grouper, snapper, black Margate and also angled a very nice Spanish mackerel. We have been slowly exploring all the primitive spots in the northern islands of the Exumas, with their long white beaches and crystal clear waters why go fast?

NNNN
/EX

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Sunday, May 29, 2005

Day two

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Sunday, May, 29, 2005, 09:24 UTC
Allens cay

Guest: Anne O'Connell

Today we are anchored at Allen's Cay. Cloud cover is 1/3, winds are from the SE at 10 kts. Air temperature 82, water temperature 79. It's day 2 and we're in full relaxation mode.

Beautiful anchorage for sleepingflat calm and the starriest night we've seen in a long time (no city lights to interfere). Looking forward to more of the samestay tuned!

NNNN
/EX

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Monday, May 23, 2005

Down time

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Monday, May, 23, 2005, 14:42 UTC
S. FL.

Capt. note

Well I'm back in Coconut Grove, FL. For those yachties out there who wonder about what I do when I'm not chartering, here is what I have been doing since the day after my return from the Bahamas.
Removed the high pressure fuel control of the starboard engine and sent it out to the lab for rebuild, installed a new microwave/convection oven, installed five new mattress, ten new pillows, replacing all four 12vdc distribution panels and one 120 vac, ordered a new stack pack sail cover, installed a new inner forestay, installed one new Magma gas grill, installed 15 new roll stops and gaskets to port lights and hatches. I will try to complete the remodeling of the navigating station and install a new radar before leaving for Nassau Wednesday.
That's how I spent my days off, about sixty hours and money, about $8,000. It's all kind of normal Captain stuff.
After my next charter in the Bahamas I have a real week off. I will be the guest of my dentist and his wife, Ross and Debra Nash at an island resort near Hilton Head, NC. It's so nice to have such good friends but it presents a problem. Amongst "live-aboard sailors" such as myself, semi-formal dress code is considered to be deck shoes and shorts and for formal we add socks, I think I have a problem. Add to that, in the back of my mind, wait I better say in the very front of my mind, I was thinking the resort might be an excellent opportunity for me to meet a lady but then they probably have requirements we live-aboards don't know or have forgotten. Sometimes it's hard to be a sailor. Maybe I should vary the way I dress each day; say one day deck shoes and shorts, the next day Tevas and shorts, or maybe I should consult with a land person. If you have any suggestions let me know.

NNNN
/EX

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Sunday, May 22, 2005

Days off

Capt. note
Capt. Mark
Well I'm back in Coconut Grove, FL. For those yachties out there who wonder
about what I do when I'm not chartering, here is what I have been doing
since the day after my return from the Bahamas.
Removed the high pressure fuel control of the starboard engine and sent it
out to the lab for rebuild, installed a new microwave/convection oven,
installed five new mattress, ten new pillows, replacing all four 12vdc
distribution panels and one 120 vac, ordered a new stack pack sail cover,
installed a new inner forestay, installed one new Magma gas grill, installed
15 new roll stops and gaskets to port lights and hatches. I will try to
complete the remodeling of the navigating station and install a new radar
before leaving for Nassau Wednesday.
That's how I spent my days off, about sixty hours and money, about $8,000.
It's all kind of normal Captain stuff.
After my next charter in the Bahamas I have a real week off. I will be the
guest of my dentist and his wife, Ross and Debra Nash at an island resort
near Hilton Head, NC. It's so nice to have such good friends but it presents
a problem. Amongst "live-aboard sailors" such as myself, semi-formal dress
code is considered to be deck shoes and shorts and for formal we add socks,
I think I have a problem. Add to that, in the back of my mind, wait I better
say in the very front of my mind, I was thinking the resort might be an
excellent opportunity for me to meet a lady but then they probably have
requirements we live-aboards don't know or have forgotten. Sometimes it's
hard to be a sailor. Maybe I should vary the way I dress each day; say one
day deck shoes and shorts, the next day Tevas and shorts, or maybe I should
consult with a land person. If you have any suggestions let me know.

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Monday, May 16, 2005

The last word

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Monday, May, 16, 2005, 17:14 UTC
Bimini island,the Bahamas

Guest Larry
Today we headed out of Bimini and back to Miami and our real lives. As usual we had our lines out fishing and finally hooked a real dolphin. Unfortunately, just like the Miami Dolphin cheerleaders we "encountered" on Bimini, this one also got away. At least this one we managed to get to the boat but "Al the Fisherman" couldn't get it on board. Oh well, there's always next year. We all had a great time and compliment Captain Mark for being the perfect host and charter guide. So until next year and the next the BWBB (Boys Will Be Boys) trip, adios from Larry (First Mate), Al (Fish Master), Scott (Conch Master), Eugene (Dive Master) and Bob (Joke Master).

NNNN
/EX

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Leaning Mark's world

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Monday, May, 16, 2005, 11:56 UTC
Bimini island,the Bahamas

Guest Scott:

Although there was a fair wind, everybody enjoyed a restful night as we were anchored off Cat Cay, except for maybe Bob who slept on the front trampoline of the boat in his wind sock (commonly known as a sleeping bag). The day started with an absolutely amazing sunrise viewed by Wind Sock Bob, Eugene and Scott. Once everybody had their sugar and caffeine fix of Little Debby snacks and coffee, we pulled anchor and were off to our first snorkeling site. As we made our way to the first site we passed a sand mining operation which mines sand (duh) and ships this sand to Florida. (This was the story as told by Captain Mark. Bob being the skeptic he is and assuming Florida has plenty of sand already, will be verifying this on the all knowing internet.) The first site was a concrete casino boat that was pushed aground sometime in the 1920's. This proved to yield an abundance of fish with several large schools which hung tight to the ship. One could swim in the middle of one of these schools and be surrounded by the fish as they stay just out of reach. From this site it was off to Honeymoon Harbor, which was a protected cove. We dropped the sea kayak in the water and took turns paddling around the cove and frolicked with resident ray which would approach you in search of a free meal. Speaking of meals, this is where we broke with the tradition of sandwiches for lunch and cooked up the rest of the chicken and Mutton Snapper (more commonly referred to as Grouper by Larry). Eugene won the piggy award by polishing off a fish sandwich and a large chicken breast. While in the cove, we were witness to a photo shoot with models and several new Formula boats. The lines and curves were absolutely stunning, and the boats were pretty cool too. After we had enough sight seeing, we pulled the anchor, dropped the fishing lines and headed back to Bimini. Pretty quick we hooked into another barracuda. Fearless Larry was unable to remove the hook from the barracuda, and after hearing the whole sand mining story (see above) was not sure if he trusted Captains Mark's suggestion of grabbing the fish by sticking your hand up in his gills to prevent him from biting you. Captain Mark stepped in and demonstrated he really knew what he was talking about, however, Bob is still a skeptic about the whole sand mining thing. The rest of the trip back to Bimini was fairly uneventful with several of us napping on the way in preparation to the final poker game. Back at Bimini, we showered, had a few drinks, and solved the worlds problems while watching the last of the dolphins migrate back to Miami. Dinner was Pork Tenderloin, cooked by chef Larry, since our usual cook was off chasing a large Bahamain gal with pimples. We never found out if he caught her or not. Dinner was fantastic as usual. After dinner cleanup, it was poker time. To put it briefly, there were an assortment of games including seven card A and a very long game of guts. There were even times when some of us didn't know what game we were playing and hoping to win with a nine of spades. At 11:30, we all called it quits and headed to bed to prepare for our journey back home where we would say goodbye to Mark's world and back to our own world.

NNNN
/EX

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Sunday, May 15, 2005

Gun Cay

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Sunday, May, 15, 2005, 10:54 UTC
Bimini island of the Bahamas

Scribe Eugene reporting
-------------------------------------------
We set out this morning destined for more snorkeling, fishing, and general relaxation.

We pulled lines as we made our way to a new snorkeling site. Unfortunately, our lures proved ineffective as we arrived at our destination. The dive site consisted of two large rocks, surrounded by reef. It was a great dive, although the current was unusually strong today. The dingy was dispatched to aid with roundup.

Our next destination is Cat Cay. Captain Mark had positioned us such at we could make the majority of our trip under full-sail. The quiet movement of the ship, along with the gently lapping of the waves against the hull was hypnotizing. Again we pulled lines, but this time we used our bally-hoo, purchased at the local bait shop (for a small royal dowry). It appears the fish are more interested in the bally-hoo; at least the barracuda are. Larry, Bob, and I each landed one. Scott, the brave, removed all the hooks.

Upon entering Cat Cay, we made our traditional pilgrimage to the local Tiki Bar. After several rounds of reverence, we anchored nearby for the evening. Since we had not been successful with bounty from the sea, we had to settle for Ribeyes; poor us.

The evening poker appeared to start as all the others, although behind the scenes a master ploy had been constructed. Al, after complaining about our "colorful" poker varieties, was to be the victim of the craziest poker game that the remaining group could conceive of. At just the right point of the evening, Bob stepped to the plate and spewed the most ridiculous description of a poker game that could ever be thought up. As previously agreed to, the others nodded and commented "oh yeah, I remember that one". Al, after eye rolling and inaudible comments under his breath, surprised us all by not only agreeing to play the hand, but by winning a substantial pot. Even the best of plans

NNNN
/EX

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Saturday, May 14, 2005

Fun in the sun

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Saturday, May, 14, 2005, 12:17 UTC
Bimini island of the Bahamas

Guest Larry
Friday, May 13 ship's log. The captain put us under sail and as we headed north for some snorkeling, "fishing" and treasure hunting (an unexpected surprise). Al had all the lines out looking for our dinner for the evening when out of the blue we got a strike. As Al struggled with our dinner, another predator (a shark) decided that it was also hungry and took half of our Spanish mackerel. Well, so much for dinner, but hors' douvres it is! We then anchored off North Rock for some snorkeling. Bob, Eugene, Scott and Larry took off towards the rock. On the way Eugene found some booty and shared it with us when we got to the rock. The wonderful booty he shared with us was a set of snorkel, fins and a mask someone dropped to the bottom. We swam all around the rock and there were thousands of beautiful fish and none of us had a camerayet. On the swim back to the boat Scott saw something shiny on the bottom and discovered in addition to snorkel gear that person also dropped a very expensive underwater camera! Suddenly we felt like treasure hunters! After some debate, Bob convinced Larry that the right thing to do was to have the captain make an announcement on the radio that some lost items were found near North Rock and to contact us if it was theirs. We took off towards the marina, "fishing", and this time Al finally earned his pay by catching another Spanish mackerel (this time the whole thing) and a Mutton Snapper. We can eat tonight! Upon our arrival at the marina we discovered that there were dolphins at the marina, Miami Dolphin cheerleaders. Captain Mark and Eugene went in search for these "dolphins" but leave it to Larry and Scott to find them. The Land brothers got a personally signed autograph of a picture of the "dolphins." Something to treasure for life! Al then cooked the delicious Spanish mackerel (he's not only a fisherman, but can cook too)! For the rest of the evening the boys played poker and took back Larry's kids college fund he had earned the night before. What a cruel game! O, during the game we had a visitor who came to claim the snorkel gear and camera. A young lady with the Shark Institute capsized her kayak earlier in the day and dumped everything out. She had already flown off the island but we gave the gear to the Shark Institute and they said they would get it to her. After hearing the story Larry decided that we indeed did the right thing. Overall, it was a great day in paradise!

NNNN
/EX

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Friday, May 13, 2005

Miami To Bimini, the Bahamas

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Friday, May, 13, 2005, 11:51 UTC
Gulfstream crossing

Guest Bob:
Friday, May 13, day 2 for the crew of the Stray Cat, sailing the beautiful waters of Bimini. Our journey began when we all met in Coconut Grove. We met Captain Mark and got our safety briefing. Our friend Steve from Miami visited us for bit (while his wife finally let him out of her sight). Our sailing trip started Thursday morning at 6:00 AM as we set a course for Bimini from Coconut Grove, FL. Most of the crew was sound asleep when the engines started up and Captain Mark got us on our way. Our trip took about 8.5 hours, due to an easterly wind and a slightly choppy sea. We arrived in Bimini around 2:30 and the approach was smooth, and the view was spectacular. We "fished" the entire trip to Bimini without a single strike, even though we obviously have an extremely experienced group of anglers (Scott even taught us what a planer was) as evidenced by the sophisticated and comprehensive gear brought on board. No one (even Bob) got seasick during the trip (amazing). We had a terrific chicken dinner and a conch-blowing contest was held. While it may seem unsettling that a group of men alone on a boat started competing over who could blow the best conch, we managed to do this without incident. I won't say who the best conch-blower was, but I will say that Bob seemed the least proficient. We ended the evening with a friendly poker game (except when Al bitched about any game that had more than one rule) that concluded with Larry and Eugene padding their children's college funds. Scott, on his virgin voyage, has acclimated well to the adventure as expected. Everyone got a good night's sleep. Bob took advantage of a clear, cool night and slept under the stars on one of the trampolines up front. Friday morning, we had a simple breakfast with some locally baked banana bread, found a pay phone that was redneck-friendly to make contact with our loved ones and began our excursion to some good fishing and snorkeling sites. As I write this, we're now being powered by the wind. Sail On!
NNNN
/EX

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Thursday, May 05, 2005

Frazer's Hog Cay, Berry islands to Gun Cay Bimini islands

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Thursday, May, 05, 2005, 14:07 UTC
Bahama banks to Bimini

Captain's note:
My friend Danny has flown over to Nassau to help me sail back to Miami. The truth of the matter is that he is a fishin machine and we will be sailing some of the most productive fishing waters in the world. Having said that, So far off Mama Rhoda rock at Chub Cay we lost a big fish than at the tongue of the ocean near North West channel light we lost another big one. Danny Has caught three large Barracudas (of course no one wants them) and at last a Spanish mackerel for tonight's dinner.
The sailing is spectacular with the wind at about 45 degrees out of the SW at 20kts. We are making 8kts in 2' to 3' seas and building. We will anchor at Cat Cay tonight for an early Gulf Stream crossing to Miami.
I 'm always torn when returning from the serene beautiful of the Bahamas to the real world of the big city big country with it's many urgencies and sad news reports but it's the biggest and best shopping mall in the world particularly when you always seem to be shopping for boat parts. B O A T break out another thousand!
Mark

NNNN
/EX

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