April 27th- Vero Beach, FL

Of course we planned on being in Vero Beach for a few days. Then the Velcro effect took over. At first we were waiting for our mail to catch up with us. Then it was a problem with my credit card that needed to be solved. Now it’s some “funny” weather. As always, we’ve enjoyed our time here, we just can’t leave.

Everything is in full bloom in VB.

Ollie really enjoys his visits to Vero. We’re pretty sure he recognizes the place when we arrive.

We have been splitting the cost of a rental car with SV Rhiannon so it’s been easy to provision Evergreen. We had family visit and went out for a great meal. We have also been touring some of the local eateries with Rhiannon. Calzones, Ruben sandwiches, burgers, fish, dinners onboard, our waistlines are growing! One day we came back to Evergreen to find SV SMAC tied up with us. We had a great reunion and they invited us over for dinner and to share stories from the sea.

The Storm.

There is a saying that sailors have short memories pertaining to the weather. Mostly the weather is good but every once in while it is scary. We have been in a few storms. The squall we had yesterday (April 26th) topped them all. It is difficult to describe the fury of this particular storm. We were on shore when I first noticed it approaching. We quickly dinghyed back to Evergreen. We weren’t really thinking about storm intensity at the time, we just didn’t want to get soaked on the way back to the boat. I didn’t do anything extra to prepare the boat because we didn’t know what was about to hit us. When the storm hit the lightning was constant. The wind intensified and continued to do so rapidly. The boat swung in a circle and continued to buck back and forth through large arcs. The rain was so intense that I’d call it a “white out”. I couldn’t see anything. I also couldn’t hear anything due to the roaring of the wind. I turned the motor on to try to relieve some of the stress on the mooring but couldn’t hear the engine nor could I actually see the mooring. I gave up on that idea since it seemed I’d likely do more harm than good with the engine in gear. Eventually we had some of the heaviest hail I’ve ever been in. I thought it was going to pound through the dodger or the awning we had up.

I don’t know how long it lasted but eventually it passed. The hail melted. I bailed about 6″ of water from the dinghy. Several boats had shredded sails. A few boats had their dinghies flipped over, damaging the outboard motors. Evergreen sustained no damage.

The wind speed indicator at the marina topped out at 75mph. A near by restaurant recorded 100mph. I was told there was evidence of “cyclonic activity”. Who knows what happened? It was a very local event. There were some trees knocked down and tons of leaves everywhere. A few miles away there was only light rain.

Hopefully I forget all this in a day or two.

Let me outa here!

Evergreen moored in Vero Beach on a sunny day.

We are currently moored in Vero Beach, Florida. I’ve fallen behind on typing the log. It’s like credit dept or taxes- The longer you fall behind, the harder it is to get caught up! Evergreen has put some miles under her keel since my last post. Below is a summary of the last week or so.

April 14th- Green Turtle Cay, Abaco Islands to Great Sale Cay, Bahamas

Our second stay at Green Turtle Cay (GTC) was mostly dominated by bad weather. I was glad we took the time to rework the mooring gear. Evergreen withstood the 40kt gusts and the wind was elevated for the remainder of our stay. We were cozy on Evergreen during inclement weather. Between squalls we hungout with SV Rhiannon, SV Outward Bound, and MV Tug Along. We split the cost of a golf cart with Rhiannon for a couple days. It was the first time Lynne or I have driven a golf cart and a first for the necessity of driving on the left side of the road! It took some concentration. One morning me and the skipper of Outward Bound took the golf cart to Coco Bay to see the beach. We got stuck and needed help to extract the cart. Later the Admiral’s club took the cart out for a cruise around the island and also to Coco Bay. They got stuck too!

Stuck at Coco Bay, Green Turtle Cay.

Our Bahamas cruising permit didn’t expire until May 21st but we knew we needed to sail back to the USA soon so we could get headed north. The plan is to try to get back to Massachusetts sometime in June. Evergreen needs to be hauled out for some bottom painting and other various projects. Lynne is planning to sew a new cockpit dodger, which is a very complicated project. Time to go.

We were having northeast winds which are not good for a Gulf Stream crossing. SV Rhiannon had also been watching the weather to cross and determined we’d have a short window to get across before the next front came through with more northeast wind. For this plan to work we’d need to sail for Great Sale Cay Friday, stop there for a night, then set out for Fort Pierce, Florida, on Saturday. The distance between Great Sale and Fort Pierce is around 115 nautical miles and would take us 19 to 20 hours. We’d arrive early Sunday morning to catch the incoming tide at Fort Pierce inlet. The plan sounded good so we readied Evergreen for departure and retrieved our mooring gear.

We had a favorable wind direction for the passage to Great Sale and were able to sail much of the way therefore conserving some of our diesel fuel. We anchored for the evening near a cove with a beach for Ollie’s evening commando raid.

SV Rhiannon having a great sail to Great Sale.

Evergreen anchored off Great Sale Cay.

Sunset

April 15th and 16th- Great Sale Cay, Bahamas to Ft Pierce, Florida

The plan to get back across the Gulf Stream involved an over night crossing. A big first for us. SV Rhiannon were gracious enough to accompany us on this trip. We’d try to keep within visual range of each other and check in every two hours over the VHF radio. They have made many crossings and it was a comfort to have someone with experience near by.

We hauled up our anchor at 11:00am for the voyage to Fort Pierce. It was a hot, sunny, day and I rigged extra “canvas” to provide us with some shade as we motored along the Little Bahama Banks. At sunset we reached our waypoint near Matanilla Shoal and crossed from the shallow banks to the deep water of the Florida Straits. We turned on our running lights and rolled out our genoa for more visibility. Magically, the wind picked up and we were motor sailing at seven knots for a while.

SV Rhiannon sailing into the Sunset.

We followed SV Rhiannon into the night. On our first trip across, there were very few ships on the ocean. Tonight, there were many near to the Bahamas. Rhiannon has a device called an AIS transponder. AIS stands for Automatic Identification System. AIS uses VHF signals and GPS satellites to transmit both ship/ boat location and course for collision avoidance. Most ships have AIS. A very useful tool when crossing shipping lanes at night. Rhiannon kept track of the many ships on AIS, often radioing the ship’s captain if we were close. If there was a problem, Rhiannon would radio us with a course change and speed to avoid the problem. We could see the lights of the ship’s. We were also able to pick them up on Evergreen’s radar and determine the range. We are now convinced that Evergreen needs to have an AIS transponder so we can see, and be seen, by large ships.

Eventually the wind became more westerly and we could no longer sail toward Ft Pierce. We plowed into the headwind with Evergreen’s diesel engine running at full power. At this point it was a wet ride but we could see the lights of Florida and knew we’d be at the inlet soon. Soon after Rhiannon passed through the inlet they radioed us that the current was favorable and the seas were calm.

Sunrise near the Fort Pierce inlet buoy. “Red skies in morning, sailors take warning”.

Fort Pierce was a little bit of a culture shock for us. There were many small runabouts exiting the inlet, heading out to fish. We dropped anchor near a small island, brought Ollie to shore, then got some much needed rest. When I woke, a few hours later, I popped my head out of the hatch to see 100s of people crowding the local beaches! Boats everywhere! I haven’t seen this many people since leaving the US.

We hung around Evergreen for the day, catching up on sleep. At some point some seriously ominous clouds started to roll in. Then our phones started to beep indicating there was a Tornado ALERT. “Take shelter in the basement”. WHAT!! Have you seen our bilge? We could actually see the formation cloud but didn’t see any tornadoes or water spouts. Do to high winds, several boats dragged their anchors but Evergreen held through the storm.

Not exactly what you want to see when you are on the water.

I believe this wanted to be a tornado or waterspout. It had a weird green tinge to it.

No harm done. The salt was washed from Evergreen’s decks.

To be continued.

Comic by Sarah Steenland.

April 10th- Green Turtle Cay, Abaco Islands, Bahamas

We left our anchorage at Man-O-War Cay on Saturday (the 8th) and headed back down to GTC. With big northeast winds coming up, the area around Whale Cay would become impassable for several days and we needed to get through there to get any further north. We had been monitoring this front and decided to leave early and find a protected harbor for Evergreen. Our first call was to Donny’s Marina in GTC’s Black Sound. Donny was completely booked up for the week. There are many cruisers traveling back to the US and Canada. Most probably know about the upcoming weather. Our next contact was to the Skipper of Outward Bound. We met him in Marsh Harbour and knew he had a mooring in White Sound, which is also another harbor in Green Turtle Cay. His boat was on its mooring but he offered to find us another mooring. With that in mind we left Man-O-War for GTC and had a nice day for a sail around the Whale.

A few more pictures from Man-O-War Cay.

Evergreen anchored at Man-O-War. This photo was taken by another talented cruiser from their boat.

Sunset at Man-O-War.

Wing on wing to the Whale.

While we have been to Green Turtle before this was our first time in White Sound so we were cautious. The entry was straight forward and we had plenty of depth for Evergreen’s keel. We contacted Outward Bound and got instructions for finding the mooring. The mooring was free for us for as long as we wanted but the catch was, it’s free because it’s abandoned. On a positive note there have been many boats, larger than ours, using the mooring over the winter. There are other abandoned moorings in the harbor but the others are mostly unsafe. Since we’ll be having some high winds it was suggested to me that I should dive on the mooring and see what’s going on before the front arrives. The winds were light so there was no rush to do the work. We dinghyed over to the Green Turtle Club, did some exploration, and met up with our friends from Rhiannon again. Ollie was adopted by a local Bahamian boy (Rico) and they had great fun running up and down the docks.

The Admiral surveying the entrance channel. She was standing but I was worried she might go over the bow if we hit something.

Eventually I donned snorkeling gear and went to work on the mooring. The pennant was a tangled mess and I didn’t like the way it looked. After about 20 free dives (I have no diving skills) I was able to drag a 3/8″ chain down to the mooring and shackle it up. We had this chain down in the bilge for ballast. To this I shackled a 3/4″ mooring pennant that I had stored for just such an occasion. Lynne assisted me from the dinghy. By the end I was waterlogged and tired. My snorkeling mask leaks and I have come to hate it.

The wind started in this morning and I started to think about the metal that I had our gear attached to. I tend to lose sleep over these things! I then decided to row out our kedge anchor to relieve some of the stress from the mooring. The wind is whipping through the rigging as I type this but we now feel secure. It’s going to be a project to retrieve all of this gear. The harbor is protected so there isn’t much wave action. Ollie and I climbed a hill on shore so we could see the Atlantic side of the island. It’s all waves and a sea of white surf. It would certainly be a bad day to be on the ocean. We’ll be here for a few days waiting for the Sea to calm down. Time for a “Dark and Stormy”.

View off the back porch. Calm before the blow.

A grey day today. Sustained winds 20+ kts. Supposed to be gusting to 38 kts tonight.

April 5th- Man-O-War Cay, Abaco Islands, Bahamas

On Monday (April 3rd) we loaded up Evergreen with as much water as we could fit and sailed from Marsh Harbour to Man-O-War Cay. There are two inner harbors at Man-O-War with rental moorings but we had intel that there was a third protected harbor behind Old Scopleys Rock. It’s a nice spot, out in the open air, and has a beautiful beach to land Ollie at. Anchoring was a bit difficult when we arrived. I tried a few spots but couldn’t get the anchor to set due to rocks and grass. Finally I put Evergreen’s bow right over a sandy bar that extends from the beach. The anchor grabbed right away. Later, I snorkeled to the anchor and dove down to see how it was set (good). The clear Bahamas water sure makes anchoring less of a mystery. Since I’ve been swimming almost every day, I’ve also used my time here to scrape some growth off of the hull and check the center board.

The beach at the cove. There is a little cabana with a picnic table in the middle.

This pirate flag is on Old Scopleys Rock. A good omen.

Man-O-War Cay was (is still) the boat building capital of the Abacos. It was another British Loyalist community whose settlers fled the US after the revolution. It was owned primarily by one family, the Alburys. The descendants of Benjamin and Eleanor Albury populated most of the island and their descendants still own most of the businesses to this day. Lynne bought a new bag from the Albury Sail shop. We visited Albury Brothers Boats which make the (fiberglass) Albury 23 power boats that we’ve seen all over the islands. We also went to the wood shop of another Albury who is in the process of building a wooden Abaco sailing dinghy. He was a really interesting guy and we spent a lot of time talking “wood” and the history of Man-O-War.

Man-O-War is a small island. There are around 215 residents and no less than three churches. It is a dry island and no alcohol is sold or allowed to be consumed in public. Perhaps this has helped to preserve the island from tourists and resorts.

I’m currently reading a book by Ralph Johnston, the sculptor that settled Little Harbour in the 1950s. After leaving the US he and his family lived on Man-O-War for almost a year. Eventually he purchased a 47′ schooner, the Langosta, from Norman Albury. He used this vessel to settle Little Harbour. It’s really interesting to be reading his diary passages about life on Man-O-War in the 50’s while walking the same island. I don’t think the island has changed much. Dorian wrecked this island too but it has come back. There was a marina, before the storm. It is still in the process of being rebuilt. The islander I spoke to felt that the new marina would help island commerce when it is done.There are no big restaurants but we found a little place that sells lunch and ICECREAM!

Albury Brothers boat shop.

The Woodshop.

Some scenes from Man-O-War Cay.

The Library.

Evergreen anchored off Man-O-War Cay.

Sunset at Man-O-War.

Oh yeah. I got a conch horn today. A new sunset tradition. Ollie loves it.

April 1st- Little Harbour to Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco Island, Bahamas

Time to turn around. Little Harbour was the terminus of our southern journey in the Bahamas. We didn’t get to dinner at Pete’s Pub but we explored most of Little Harbour and had a great time. Both my stomach illness and broken toe got better. Before leaving we visited the ruins of a lighthouse and walked the rocky cliffs.

Lighthouse ruins.

Sailing in the Abacos is an absolute joy. We only used the diesel engine to get in and out of the harbors today. While motoring out of Little Harbour I could hear the bottom of Evergreen’s keel just whisk over the sandbar. Maybe our departure was a little too close to low tide. Once again we were happy with our shallow draft vessel. Once out of Little Harbour we raised all sail and Evergreen got to stretch her legs a little. We jibed several times during the day due to the wind being mostly off our stern. All were very controlled and good practice for Captain and crew.

We’ll spend a day in Marsh to get some groceries, booze, and fill our water tanks. Next stop is possibly Man-O-War Cay.

Sunset at Marsh Harbour.