Heading for the Abacos

After our guests left we headed for the Abacos. We left Nassau,  had one of our best sailing experiences yet, everything was just perfect and headed for Royal Harbour for the night which is just at the Northern tip of the Elutheras.

Next day went to visit Spanish Wells where the sand is actually a pinkish colour.  This island is one of the richest islands in the Bahamas due to lobster fishing.  A rather different place from the Exumas, more white people than black, lots of very blond haired children, very religious and just about everybody's last name is Pinder.

A lot of people we talked to along the way didn't really seem to have too many good things to say about the Abacos...it's too cold, too windy, too commercialized, too many Americans etc.  So we were a little wary about going, but the weather was great, the people very friendly and the towns and beaches quite beautiful.  At Treasure Cay for $10 a day you could get free showers, free internet, grocery store and laundry near by and a one of most beautiful beaches around to walk on and swim at.

Sailing from Nassau to Royal Harbour

 


Homes along the way



Hope Town Lighthouse




One of amazing trees in the Abacos



The beach at Treasure Cay (So beautiful and hardly anybody there)





I wonder who these guys are.









Visitors from Canada

Finally left Georgetown after a rather extended stay and headed back up to Nassau to meet up with my mom and daughter for the first week of March.  We were looking forward to seeing them since we haven't seen them for quite a while.  We decided to stay at a Marina for the time that they were here just so it would be easier for everybody, come and go as you please plus showers etc.  We had some nice sailing weather coming up from Georgetown, fairly high winds and following seas and pretty much surfed right into Nassau Harbour.

Arriving Guests

Pat having one of those fruity drinks.

 

More eating and drinking.

And still more eating and drinking.

Great News

Great News

Well its been a while since I've made a post here, but then its been a busy time for me. I guess you could say I've been busy fixing out board motors diesel engines and Pactors with Karin's help. With this we've met a lot of great people and made some long lasting friends. When we weren't helping sailors we were enjoying the sun and sand. We also have found our sailing skills and understanding getting better. With the great sailing here, its been like going to school on how to live and sail aboard our home. You find you are always very cautious, as this is our home.

With another note we find we will be putting our trip on hold for a couple of years as we will be heading home to spend some quality time with our families. While returning to Canada we plan on heading back to Ontario and staying at the Port Credit Marina, as that is a live aboard marina. Both Karin and I have come to enjoy living aboard and so wish to still be permitted to do that. I might also suggest that with this first trip we've come with some ideas that we hope to apply before we head on again. A few of them are moving of the helm back, steps on the mast, a bow sprit,and a freezer just a few, although there are some other small ones.

At this time I've come to a point in this post to pass along some very interesting and exciting news. While in Georgetown I called Karin, on about me asking her to marry me, and her reply had been when I get her some where warm. So being it was warm, I again asked and her not knowing I had already been making the plans, she said that we couldn't as who could perform the ceremony, a surprise to her was that there was someone.

coming ashore

Karin
and Minister
(Katherine)

Patric and Vic (Newfoundlander)

begining of ceremony












mixing of sand (our lives)

vows

Paul, Caroline, Katherine, Patric and Karin

In the Bahamas

Well it is hard to believe that the last time we did a post was on December 14th. The time has just flown by.  We have now been in the Bahamas since about the middle of December, spending Christmas in Nassau and New Year's Eve in Staniel Cay.  Staniel Cay is apparently where Johnny Depp appears for Pirate Days and where they made the James Bond movie Thunderball.

We have made it as far south as Georgetown, where our travelling companion Firecrest pulled out his boat to do some repairs to the bottom of his boat.  The damage was worse than we thought and he will be leaving on Monday to Toronto to get needed parts for the boat.  This seems to be the cheaper and quicker solution than to order parts and wait for them to get through the mail and customs. So we will hang around Georgetown for now, waiting for Dave to come back and then Pat can help with the repairs.

I had some good news last week, my mother and daughter have decided to come to Nassau for a week in the beginning of March to visit us so we will head up there once Dave's boat is repaired.

 

Nassau Harbour

The marina on Paradise Island at Atlantis

   



Atlantis - I think maybe this marina is a little out of our budget.





The beach at Norman's Cay -  not a soul there.




Anchored off Norman's Cay - here you can get an $18 hamburger in Paradise.



  

These guys sure were hungry.

Pictures

Pictures

This is apic of Karin and a Military Priest, he gave us our blessings
















Mic and Bee's Hannah












sign we saw posted in a door window













a gathering of vessels heading south

Karin in front of a battleship

We have seen many things on our way south and some are so quick one has no chance to take a picture but, sometimes pictures can't really capture what you see other than sharing it with the person you are with. This has been the case with so many of our moment sights. As we will be heading over to Dinner Key in the morning, and then leaving the next morning for the Bahamas we will try a little hard for some more pictures. The last few days have been cold and windy, with some winds around 40 to 50 miles er hour, the temperatures around the teens the mornings, Fahrenheit teens.

We made it

We Made it

Well we made it finally, after almost 7 months since we left ST John's Newfoundland we are here and at anchor in Miami, waiting for our weather window which looks will be the weekend of Dec the 11th. Its been a very long trip, with a lot of exciting moments, along with many fellow boaters heading south. Everyone always shares where they are off too and we now have settled with the comment that we are just heading to our next port. When we left Shelburne there were 5 boats and as we have been cruising along we have lost a few and gain a few. With arrival in Miami we are here with just one boat we left with from Shelburne, and that is Firecrest. We've experienced everything from winds, waves, currents and bridges. I would say that the most hardest thing was the speed boats, there are a lot of considerate once but just as many jerks. If the USA is in trouble financially we sure didn't see it, there are homes and boats which deify logic. This country must exist on credit.

Karin and I have talked about where we are going and when we might go back home, Karin's thoughts are she is where she wants to be and enjoys the weather and seeing the sights. Right now Karin has gone window shopping while I sit and update our blog since from about three months ago. Internet access has been there but not very good connections , while every time I start an update I loose my connection and then have to start over.

I find now too that I have to been at peace with myself and learning to enjoy things around me. I would like to pass along a thought and not sure how some will view it but, there once was a point in my past life where I was very religious, this trip has found me reflecting on those times, as well ask my dear Lord to keep us save, and as time has past I've been able to see he hasn't just protected us but shown us how to do it. On that subject will leave it there for now and possibly share later some of the times.

I know Christmas is just around the door, and here it does not seem real. no snow and things which represent Christmas to the both of us, but there are boat parades instead of street parades. Over the next few days before our departure we will refit with stores clean the boat and ready ourselves for our crossing.

I will to try and be a little more diligent in keeping the blog updated.

With that I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. With special thoughts going out to My mom, Karin's mom and father as well Rose with also remembering Stephane her brother, Karin's two kids Shawn and Jessica, My brothers Eric, Carl with thoughts of Sam and yes we will get a pirate's flag and send you a picture, Richard, my sisters Lily and my special sister Caroline. There are many friends who we think of at this time and wish which we could see but you know whom you all are and we wish you all the best of the season with our Love and God's blessing

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Patric, Karin and Butch

Shelburne to Cape May

So we finally left Shelburne after much discussion on which way we would go. We agreed on going down the east coast and left with three other boats to Rockland, Maine. This trip started out okay but ended up with high winds, fog, lobster pots, and darkness. This trip took us 48 hours.

In Rockland we checked in with customs with no problems and we have slowly been making our way down the coast, going through New York City and we are now in Cape May waiting out some windy weather.