Through hell to paradise!

Well, it was rough to say the least. Nineteen hours in steady 25 knot winds and eight to ten foot seas. The waves were coming one right after another, no break and no time to recover in between the crashing swells. We quite literally were beaten up by the ocean. There were bloody fingers, lashings by rogue ropes whipping in the winds, monstrous bruises galore and Chip even sprained his ankle! Honestly, the night seemed as if it would never end. We left our anchorage off Peanut Island in Lake Worth at 6pm Tuesday night. We had intended to leave around 11pm after a nap, but the anchorage was iffy. There were boats close by that seemed to be dragging anchor and slowly creeping closer and closer to us, so we lifted anchor earlier than anticipated.

Winds were blowing from the east (right from where we intended to go), therefore it took us much longer than we expected to cross over. In addition, we were fighting a three knot current in the Gulf Stream. As the crow flies, it is only 56 miles from Palm Beach to West End, but due to the combined factors of wind direction and current we had to head south for several hours before tacking to the northeast and really covering some ground. The sea swells were menacingly gigantic and made our boat seem very much like a toy. One very cool thing (the only cool thing actually) about crossing was witnessing the full, orange moon slowly rising up from the ocean's horizon. It was magnificent. I have never seen anything like it-so beautiful and awe inspiring.

After about seventeen hours we had to lower the sails. Some of the seams started to tear and we discovered holes developing in the jib and staysail! Not good. We motored the remainder of the distance to West End, although not continuously. I am exasperated to report that we again had difficulty keeping the engine running smoothly. Something in Tranquility's fuel delivery system is screwed up and caused it to die on us three or four times when we were in crazy, rough waters. Possibly the constant, tumultuous waves stirred up sediment from the bottom of the diesel tank which clogged the hoses and starved the engine of fuel. It is worrisome. But, once again Captain Chip pulled out his MacGyver skills and we arrived (frazzled, beaten and exhausted) at Old Bahama Bay Resort around 1pm on Wednesday afternoon.

This place is purely paradise. We cleared customs and immigration with no trouble. The plan was to enter the Bahamas here and move on immediately to the Abacos, but we must get our sails repaired and get the engine working reliably. Chip took a cab to Freeport and dropped the two sails off at a seamstress shop on Friday. Our mechanic here, Daniel, spent all day on Thursday and Friday disassembling our entire fuel system, rerouting vents and checking every possible cause for engine failure. Hopefully we are good to go. So, we will be here for a few more days at least waiting for the fixed sails. Yippee!!!

I love it here. Old Bahama Bay Resort is a five star establishment with a heated pool, casual restaurant, fancy restaurant, tiki bar, fitness center, bikes, hobie cats, kayaks, snorkel trail, and a lovely beach. We are spending our time meeting wonderful people, lounging on sun-kissed beaches, and hanging out listening to the steel drum band that plays for hours every afternoon. Everyone here has a smile and a kind word. The very first person I met gave me a ziplock bag full of fresh caught mahi-mahi fillets. Chili has quickly become somewhat of a celebrity. This morning a couple Chili and I met at lunch yesterday came by the boat with a Valentine's Day treat for him-leftover filet mignon and lobster for the lucky dog's breakfast! This is certainly the good life...
-Caitlin

Drumroll, please!

The last stretch of our Intracoastal Waterway route through Florida was pleasantly uneventful. It has been pretty much a straight shot south. We traveled beautiful waters, manatee zones (though, unfortunately, we didn't see any of nature's couch potatoes-they must have been too lazy to come and say hey!). Since our last post in Titusville we docked overnight at marinas in Sebastian Inlet and Jensen Beach. Speaking of docking, we no longer have the luxury of tying our boat to floating docks; there are just none around because the tide doesn't rise and fall to the extent that it does farther north. Fixed docks are somewhat of a nightmare. It requires mad lassoing skills, which I don't possess, to affix the docklines-two from the bow and two from the stern-to four vertical posts. So far, we have been able to avoid catastrophe and hopefully I'll pick up the trick of it ASAP.

Today we leave the States and sail east for West End, Grand Bahama. We are currently docked at Lake Park Harbor Marina in North Palm Beach. We arrived here Friday afternoon and over the weekend did all of our last minute preparations: one more grocery shop for produce and dairy, Chili to the vet for last minute check-up, big loads of laundry (from here on out we'll be washing clothes in a bucket and line drying), topping off on water and diesel, etc. All three of us have been jogging each morning, taking advantage of hard earth (does it cancel out the exercise if you stop by Dunkin' Donuts everyday on your way back?).

The plan is to leave this marina around 3:00pm this afternoon, motor out to the mouth of the ocean inlet, drop anchor, take a nap, and then at 11:00pm, raise the sails and start moving. It is exactly 56 miles from here to our check-in destination and may take twelve to fifteen hours, depending on the wind direction, speed and wave height. Hopefully, by lunch tomorrow, we will be-finally!-in the Bahamas.

I have no idea what internet access will be like there, but I will try to update this blog as much as possible. Now it should get interesting; I feel like I have bored you all with endless pictures of water and shore lines. Just you wait!! Phone calls will be a real treat: calls to and from my cell phone are $2.99/minute! I will be keeping in touch mainly here (on the blog) and through email-please do the same! Keep us in your thoughts and in your hearts...

Drumroll, please!
-Caitlin

Cruising Florida

Originally, we had planned on one long passage from Charleston down to our crossing-over point in Florida. Then, once we were in the Bahamas, we would start leisurely cruising. We've had a shift in our mentality and are happily resigned these days to slowly creep down the Intracoastal Waterway of Florida enjoying the sights with comfort as a top priority. We are like turtles, carrying our little home around on our backs as we wander the world!

We left Fernandina Beach last Wednesday (Jan. 28th) morning after all of our technical difficulties were resolved and our confidence restored. We decided to take a detour up the St. Johns River to Jacksonville and see what the city had to offer. The Jacksonville Landing is a festival-type marketplace and has 72-hour complimentary docking right in the main downtown area, so that's where we went. Let me first say that the skyline of this city is magnificent: lighted bridges, tall palm trees, interesting architecture-beautiful from a distance. We had a delicious dinner in a riverside restaurant that looked right over our boat, so we could hear people commenting on our sweet vessel! Now, the drawbacks of being on the main drag in a big city. We hardly slept a wink due to the constant whooping and hollering of drunken hooligans right outside our boat. Also, the Landing played really loud 80's soft rock music ALL NIGHT LONG. Now, those of you who know me know I like to whoop and holler with the best of them and will dance to Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston 'til the cows come home. But really, it lasted all night long and was still going on when we departed in the cold, drizzling rain the next morning.

Next on our agenda was a weekend in St. Augustine. I loved it before I stepped foot off the boat. The city is the oldest European settlement in the U.S. and from the Mantazas River you can see Castillo de San Marcos, awe inspiring cathedrals, and cozy, narrow streets lined with antique buildings. One of our best friends, Adam, and one of Chili's best friends, Ringo (another Jack Russell terrier) came from Charleston to stay with us for the weekend. It was delightful to have company and Adam always makes everything feel like a party, so we partied! St. Augustine has it all going on. We had big breakfasts on the boat, then set out to explore in the afternoons. The boys went to the historical landmarks and did the intellectual thing. I broke away from the pack and aimlessly meandered the streets, sipped coffee, peeked in eclectic shops, and sat in the sunshine in parks-yes, actual sunshine! We intended to try different places but kept on finding our way back to A1A Brewery near the city marina. 3 days in St. Augustine and 3 visits to A1A-we were all addicted. Good atmosphere, tasty brews, fresh seafood and awesome live music-doesn't get much better than that. No doubt about it, all of us were a bit blue when Adam and Ringo left to go home Sunday-we miss you!

We left St. Augustine this past Monday (Feb. 2nd) morning and have covered major ground the past two days. Yesterday it was cold and rained every minute. Dreary, the kind of gray where the land and the water just blend together and there seems to be no horizon. Last night we stayed at Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona Beach and I got off Tranquility just long enough to give Chili some exercise and land-time. Nothing much to report from Daytona Beach-I did get a splinter in my pinky finger :)

Today we covered about 50 miles (seems to be our average) and are currently docked at Titusville Municipal Marina so that we can again have a heat source. Temperatures are supposed to drop into the 30's tonight and the 20's tomorrow night; at least a couple more days of being uncomfortable. All of the locals around here are bewildered by this unexpected cold snap and swear it's never like this! Even as we are dressed in 4 layers of clothing, I finally feel like we are getting close to our warm, tropical destination. The waters are a shimmery emerald green now, the sands are becoming whiter, and the pine wood stretches of home have been replaced with wild mangrove tangles.
-Caitlin

Slowly but surely making our way south...

From the Isle of Hope Marina we continued down the ICW in the freezing cold winds. We have a Waterway Guidebook that we have been reading religiously to find the safest courses to follow and the best marinas to dock at overnight. It led us to Halfmoon Marina on Colonel Island with the promise of good ol' southern hospitality. That is exactly what we found. It must have been our lucky day; we arrived Wednesday (Jan. 21st) evening as a beautiful sunset was on display. As it turns out Wednesdays are Halfmoon poker night at the marina, which happens to be the local hangout. So, we had just enough time to secure our lines and get out of our foul weather gear before the bonfire on shore was roaring and everyone within a 5 mile radius was pulling up to enjoy themselves. A bonfire! We had a wonderful evening-chitchatting with the locals, warming our hands and sharing stories. People offered us their hot water showers, home cooked meals, cars, and basically everything the island had to offer. I received blessings from a lovely witch/Indian princess (thank you!) and what do you know? The very next day the weather started to warm and the sun came out!

We made our way to the Golden Isles Marina in St. Simons, Georgia. There, we were able to do some laundry, get a good night's sleep and plan our course for the next couple days. Although, we are quickly discovering that plans matter not. Nothing has gone according to plan and I think one of my biggest lessons will be learning to go with the flow, literally and figuratively. On Friday, we awoke to the warmest temperatures we have seen yet and decided to take advantage and maximize our mileage south. We headed offshore and raised the sails! Woohoo! After listening to the motor for one solid week and painstakingly navigating the Waterway, it was an amazing relief to hoist the sails, set the autopilot and simply enjoy the sounds of the wind and the waves.

We covered about 40 miles offshore alternating between strictly sailing and motor/sailing when the winds died down. We were trying to make good time and steadily go at it at about 5 knots because it was supposed to get cold again that night and Fernandina Beach was our goal for the day. Eight miles away from our destination, the transmission linkage broke. That means we were unable to put the motor in gear, neither forward, neutral nor reverse! Had we been in the Waterway when this mini-disaster occurred, we would have been in major, serious trouble. (Interestingly, since we left Charleston the words "We are in major trouble." have been spoken every single day.) As it was, we were able to still make headway with the sails up while Chip took apart the binnacle and jury rigged the transmission linkage with twisted paperclips and needle-nose pliers. He finally managed to muscle the transmission into forward gear, we lowered the sails and held our breath hoping that the watery diesel situation would hold out long enough for us to make it to Fernandina Harbor Marina. It did and we rolled in just after sunset.

And, here we are. The transmission linkage broke on Friday and by Saturday morning the marina sent someone down to diagnose the damage. The parts have been ordered and should be in tomorrow (Tuesday, the 27th). The earliest we will resume our southern trek will be Wednesday, assuming all goes as planned. Not likely! Chip has had a few days to inspect the water leakage situation and believes he has it fixed now-prayers please. If we have to be broken down anywhere, I am delighted it is in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island in Florida! It actually feels like we have covered some ground and gone somewhere. It is warm here during the days-between 60 and 70. We are docked one block away from the historic downtown area, which is very eclectic with great restaurants, coffee shops (I'm sitting in one right now), old taverns, book stores and tree lined streets. We are meeting interesting people along the way, making connections, and having drinks and dinners with new friends. Last night we had dinner on our boat with a salty sailor, Ken Liddiard, who has sailed single-handed around the world on a boat with no motor! He brought pictures of his adventures and wine; we had a grand evening soaking up his knowledge and enjoying his seize-the-day perspective.

I think I'm just starting to really understand the saying "It's not about the destination, but the journey." as it relates to everyday life.
-Caitlin

And away we go...

It's really hard to know where to begin! I feel like so many things have happened since we last posted. We were insanely busy the two weeks between New Year's and go-day with preparations. Every waking second of every day was spent buying supplies, food, wrapping up loose ends in Charleston, and anticipating our needs for the next 41/2 months. We finally got our act together and decided to have one last hoorah! with our friends and family the Tuesday before we departed. We gathered at Coast in downtown Charleston and had a little bon voyage shindig! Thanks to all you lovely people who came to party with us-love you!

Go-day was January 16th. One of Chip's good friends, John Michael Barclay, came into town from Alabama to lend a helping hand on the first leg of our voyage. So, we finally set off on an unusually chilly morning. I waved a teary goodbye to my darling Mama, my brother, Hunter, and charming Charleston. I will miss you all!

So, now we're sailing. But actually not sailing, motoring. The weather gods have not been on our side one bit. It has been way too cold (lowest temps. for this time in 20 years!!) with high winds and rough seas. We can't even consider going off shore and sailing. Navigating the Intracoastal Waterway has been immensely beautiful and challenging in so many ways. The first night was possibly the worst night I have EVER experienced. We anchored in the South Edisto River and at about 3am Chip discovered we had drifted ashore, hard ashore. The anchor had dragged due to strong currents and high winds. By about 6am not a drop of water was touching our boat and we were heeled over 50 degrees, seriously. On top of this, it was 18 degrees outside and winds were blowing at 20 knots. Misery. All of these seasoned sailors say "If you ain't run aground, you ain't been around." I guess I've been around now! Alas, the tide came in and we drifted off land before noon, and before Sea Tow had come to our rescue.

Needless to say, we were all struggling to recover from a freezing, sleepless, uncomfortable night so we decided to dock the second night in Beaufort, SC. Using shore power we were able to use our space heaters and survive to see another day. It is amazing what a hot shower, a good steaming meal and deep sleep can do for the body and soul! I woke up feeling confident and ready for whatever may come. That's the good thing about an unexpected near-disaster, it makes you feel tougher!

We motored the final stretch of South Carolina's winding waterways and decided to spend the night at Riverstreet Market Dock in Savannah, GA. John Michael had to catch a plane the next day (Monday, the 19th) back to his life, so we hit the town for a little treat after our painfully cold day on the water. Delicious oysters, crawfish, and pralines! Originally, we planned to stay one night and continue south, but due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday the swing bridges were closed and there was no point in trying to go anywhere. Two days in Savannah! I, for one, loved the opportunity to sleep in, have a leisurely shower and stroll around the city with sweet, little Chili. Before bedtime last night, we listened to the weather report. The temperature dropped into the twenties and it was raining quite a bit yesterday. Naturally, there was a chance of snow this morning! Thankfully there was no precipitation for our departure from Savannah.

Today, about two hours into our trip south from Savannah, the motor sputtered out and died just as we were about to pass under a swing bridge. We had to quickly drop anchor and drift over toward a marshy bank. Chip is proving to be quite handy and knowledgeable, thank goodness. He worked on the engine for about an hour, draining diesel, trying to get to the bottom of our issues. Seems as if water somehow made it's way into our diesel tank (it was raining cats and dogs in Sav.). After draining the contaminated diesel out and putting new in, the engine worked! So, we were on our way, but thought it would be wise to find a marina to spend the night ASAP and investigate the watery diesel. The temperature will be in the teens tonight and we simply must have a heat source. And, here I am. In my toasty boat, with internet access (yeah!) at the Isle of Hope Marina. And, here is my hope. I hope that this voyage makes a turn in a positive direction right now! A little bit of luck would be wonderful...

ps-forgive the pictures not being in order, I'm new at this!
-Caitlin

Shakedown cruise to(wards) Beaufort!

At dawn this past Friday, Cait's brother Hunter and a good friend of ours, Adam (and his Jack Russell "Ringo"), set sail for Beaufort to feel out the boat and have a good time. We had some excellent sailing weather! Warmer than usual temperatures and steady 15-22kt winds combined for fantastic offshore sailing.

The plan was to sail offshore to Beaufort, anchor up off of the waterfront park, and spend the weekend on the anchor and in the pubs. Unfortunately, the steady winds and seas directly opposed us, so we spent all day tacking towards our destination. We covered lots of miles, but by the time the sun set, we were still only about halfway there. We had been running the engine intermittently on alternating tacks in an effort to make more headway. As we neared St. Helena Sound, the engine began sputtering and dying. The pressure indicator for the Racor fuel filter was giving readings that were entirely out of spec. Although the filter appeared to be clean, it was obvious that the engine was starving for fuel. Hunter, who has tons of experience on fishing charter boats, went down below and changed out the filter. The problems continued. At that point, we decided it wasn't prudent to attempt entering Port Royal Sound at night with a balky engine, so we aborted and turned back for Charleston. We arrived back at our marina about 24 hours after we had departed. Despite the fact that our trip was cut short by a day and that we didn't reach our destination, everyone on board had a great time. I think all of us spent Saturday and Sunday recouperating.
Today I went back down to the boat to further investigate the fuel delivery problem. I first checked the inline fuel filter, which was perfectly clean. I then removed the Racor filter, and drained all the fuel from the bowl. There was a ton of sediment in there! After the bowl was cleaned and refilled, I started the engine. I ran it at 2800rpm for 30 minutes, and it didn't falter once. While the engine was running, I paid close attention to the pressure gauge, which remained constant at the proper level. I feel fairly confident that the problem has been resolved, and will pay much closer attention to the Racor and the fuel pressure from now on.
All in all, I think that our trip was a success. It was intended to further feel out what is still a pretty new boat to me, and it was good to discover, diagnose, and fix a problem that could possibly occur on our Bahamas trip. I now feel even more secure about the boat and our ability to maintain it. Special thanks to Adam, Hunter and Ringo for an enjoyable day and night spent offshore sailing!

Sailing Lessons!

So, I was feeling less than confident in my sailing abilities (I have been out countless times but never really responsible for knowing anything) and was mildly freaking out about this big adventure. I was maybe 50% thrilled/50% terrified. I did a little research and signed up for sailing lessons the first week of December with Captain Will Miller of Charleston Sailing School. I am seriously grateful for his patience and sailing expertise! It was awesome. Before we met, I read a lot of material about basic knowledge, terminology, skills, etc. We spent the days on the water, practicing maneuvering, docking, rescue drills, the rules of sailing, and everything else. Since then, I have been dreaming of knots and sail trim! I immersed myself and feel like I learned an amazing amount of vital information. And also, like there is an amazing amount of things to learn still. I know enough now to at least ask intelligent questions and have an opinion. Knowledge is power! I feel better since, probably 87% thrilled/ 13% terrified. I have a good base, I just need some experience! That's right around the corner...
-Caitlin