Thursday, June 30, 2005

Sandy cay day trip

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Thursday, June, 30, 2005, 11:35 UTC
Hope town Abaco

Guest: MacKenzie age: eight almost 9
Yesterday we sailed from Hope town to Sandy Cay. We did some snorkeling. Tutu=grandmother found out that she can snorkel! While everyone went snorkeling except for Shane (My dad) and I stayed back and slept. It was a little cold for me. So I snuggled under my dads arm. Daddy's arm is like a blanket. We got up to see that Tutu was in the water with a life jacket around her arm with the hurt thumb. We also went to the beach. Before we found out that Tutu could go in the water, we went to the beach I stayed with Tutu at the beach. We picked up little and big shells. They were mostly all Turbans. They weren't all turbans. We found 2 big ones and 1 extra small one. We also found about 8 medium ones. All those add up to11 shells. We already had some shells so we couldn't keep all of them but I might be able to bring some back for my friends. We came back and ate dinner. After dinner Jessie and I slept in the Hernandoe's hide away ( the fifth cabin) I think that I slept better then I ever have (on the boat). Now were motoring tooooooooooo I don't know.
Good-bye,
Mackenzie

NNNN
/EX

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Tuesday, June 28, 2005

The best

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Tuesday, June, 28, 2005, 20:05 UTC
Hope town Abaco

Guest Maxine:
The Bahamas at their best! This is 'tutu of the thumb' reporting. (See previous log posting!)

The low pressure area that had followed us around a few days finally departed and left us with a perfect sailing day! Winds upward of 20 knots with drifting clouds and skies that were the perfect reflection for these islands incredible blue, green and turquoise seas.

We left Manjack for Great Guana. It was a joy to watch our apprentice sailors learn to do perfect tacks. Capt. Mark is a patient tutor and the kids learned fast. Even the grandkids (11 and 8) take a turn at the wheel and have learned to read the compass, maintain a heading and read the wind.

After some pretty intense sailing, we opted to take the dingy in, and had dinner at the famous 'Nipper's', a brief walk across the island from the Abaco sea side to the ocean side. The Bahaman experience - conch burgers, kalik beer, served on the bluff overlooking the ocean. A walk on the beach., the grandkids tried out the colorful pool after dinner.

Back aboard Stray cat we discovered how NOT to drain water from the cold chest on the deck. With the aft cabin hatch open. The entire chest containing many gallons of cold water was now soaked into the sheets, pillows and mattress. The inhabitants slept on deck! Another bright and breezy sailing day followed - and everything is dry.

I'm pleased to report the thumb with 8 stitches had the dressing changed today by a local EMT at Hope Town. So far so good.

Looking forward to more good sailing tomorrow. These apprentices are getting pretty professional! Capt. Mark is prepared to just sit back and relax --- in a few more days!!

Happy sailing!

NNNN
/EX

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Sunday, June 26, 2005

Manjack Cay, Abaco

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Sunday, June, 26, 2005, 13:48 UTC
N. Abaco

Guest Lybby

Hi. I'm mother of guest Jessica. I was selected to tell the exciting tale of Saturday's adventures. The excitement was provided by our beloved tutu (grandmother in Hawaiian, i.e. my mom). Tutu loves to travel all over the world and as of late, she tries to hit a hospital at every local. This trip is no exception. It all began with the desire to have a glass of lemonade, then the 35 pound, granite upright freezer door slid out of here hand and nearly sliced the top of her thumb off. Captain Mark quickly became paramedic Mark with the ice packs and gauze. We wrapped the finger, iced it and made Tutu lie down with the thumb above her head. Luckily, I had just read in the guide book that Cooperstown, the closest town to our Manjack Cay location has a medical clinic. Off we went trying to verify medical facilities an arranging a taxi to meet us at the dock via VHF. Well, we knew Tutu was feeling ok when Mark announced he had an injured 79 year old lady aboard. Tutu promptly corrected him of her youthful 76 years! While everyone else got things prepared to transport the patient, Jessica and MacKenzie read Lezzy Maguire "totally crushed" book to her and made sure she drank water and stayed hydrated. At Cooperstown, the word had spread and the taxi driver was there. They called the nurse and told of our arrival but we beat her to the clinic which was closed because it was Saturday. Anyway, 8 stitches, pain killers, antibiotics and a dt shot later the nice nurse Cornish drove us back to the boat. I'm glad to report that Tutu is doing fine and has managed to get out of all the cooking and dishwashing. She can swim with thumb carefully out of the water. I believe her domino skills will greatly improve this trip, much to the delight of MacKenzie. Now that the hospital adventure, Mark's first, is over, we look forward to smooth sailing.

NNNN
/EX

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Friday, June 24, 2005

Exploring the Abaco's

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Friday, June, 24, 2005, 16:03 UTC
Hope town

Guest: Jessica Moore age 11
The weather has been great; it rained a little last night and a little this morning. We went into town and got lunch meat because we ran out. I got a conch shell to bring back home. The water is smooth; none of us have had to get out the seasickness bracelets. We haven't gone snorkeling yet. There hasn't been good water. We have gone swimming though. We found a live conch (2). The beds are great. And we all slept well. Most of us are into good books and have them out. The parents are having a great time helping with the sails. The grandparents are well into good books and enjoy swimming and are mostly game for anything. Right now we are heading to a spot to try to find snorkeling and prettier reefs. But we are all having a great time and are enjoying ourselves.

NNNN
/EX

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Wednesday, June 15, 2005

learning the ropes

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Wednesday, June, 15, 2005, 20:22 UTC
Mid Bahama banks

Guest Suz Bear:
Ahoy to all of you good folks out there! Rick and I joined Captain Mark in Miami last Saturday for sailing school. Having sailed with the good Captain once before, we have been looking forward to this learning trip with great anticipation! As we hail from wintry Steamboat Springs, CO. - yes, it snowed a few days before we left - we have been anxious to get into warm weather and beautiful, crystal clear blue water. Add the challenge of learning as raw beginners, and what a great adventure we are having. We crossed the Gulf Stream (second time - just checking to see that, yes, we can do this) and headed for Bimini. We spent a lovely night with good breezes and started our day out learning about chart readings, pilotage, GPS, navigation systems - it is so fascinating. I am starting to realize that sailing puts all of your senses to good use. No wasting away out here! We went into Bimini to get a few grocery items as we walked down the dock we saw a cooler with Lou Rabin, Steamboat Springs, on it. Then, in talking with him, we found out that Steve Evans boat was two boats away he's also from Steamboat Springs. Either it's that two degrees of separation or Steamboat people have a lot in common! Travel and adventure! We made our way down to Honeymoon Cay, did some swimming and spent another beautiful night listening to good music and eating better than in most restaurants. This morning, Captain Mark had us review what we had learned and fed us some more information - learning about weather, barometric pressure, reading the waters (color determines what is lying under the surface), and off we go thru a cut between Gun Cay and Cat Cay on to the Bahamas Banks heading for Chub Cay and then on to the Abaco's. As I type this, Rick is at the helm and we are plotting our course every hour to practice our charting skills. Mark is napping (think we should wake him - after all, we are beginners)?! Only kidding, of course, as the waters are the most beautiful clear blue and calm we have ever known! And, this actually gives us the feeling of confidence we had hoped for - besides, Mark was up way earlier than us!
Hope all is well with you and a Happy Father's Day to our Dad's! More to follow from Ricardo later. We are having the best time ever - just as we had anticipated. Thanks to our generous Captain and friend.

NNNN
/EX

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Thursday, June 09, 2005

Tropical depression# 1

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Thursday, June, 09, 2005, 08:50 UTC
Coconut Grove Fl.

Capt. note:
I have been watching an air mass of disturbed air near Honduras that is taking shape. It is about 500 mi south of Miami and moving north. The depression will become a storm (winds of 39kts.) late today.
This soon to be the 1st named storm of the season will not become a hurricane, it will move towards the north western part of Florida and make landfall sometime Saturday.
The impact on my adventures will be sloppy, rainy and windy conditions on Friday and Saturday in Miami. I will be leaving for the Abaco islands Saturday, I will be hoping for favoring winds.
Today is new icemaker day and follow me TV installed to a Satilite dish. Yesterday I purchased a new faucet for the galley sink, would you believe $189.00 at Home Depot, if it had the word marine in front of it the price would have been 400.
I better get to installing that faucet.
Mark
NNNN
/EX

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Saturday, June 04, 2005

Single Handing

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Saturday, June, 04, 2005, 13:43 UTC
The Tongue

Capt.note:
My eight guests left yesterday, I was all set to sail single hand to Miami but I was just too tired so I turned on the A/C, plugged in the cable TV and passed out. Sometimes you just need to do that.
Got up early and went to a local's restaurant in Nassau for a traditional Bahamian breakfast of stewed grouper and Johnny cake sounds bad but it is soo good.
Currently I'm in the so called tongue of the ocean with 3,000 feet of water beneath the keels abeam Chub Cay in the Berry islands 27 miles south of NW channel light. I can hear some radio chatter but I pretty much have the ocean to myself. I will enjoy the peace and solitude for the next day and a half. The usual nonstop whorl wind of cleaning Stray Cat and maintenance activities await me in Miami. I will have three days to Prep for my next trip which begins Friday and goes to the Abaco islands.
Mark

NNNN
/EX

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