VIEW FROM MARINER CAY MARINA

Sunset here

We are in Florida, Time Out is in the water and enjoying sunshine and the marina. This marina is in Stuart in the Manatee Pocket. We have a son with us for a week before we head back for Christmas (grandchildren!).

BOAT MEANS GETTING READY

No blue calm waters, no dolphins swimming beside us, no jumping in the water! And no sunset view!

Drove down to Stuart, Florida where our boat is "on the hard" for hurricane season. It is super hot, sticky and humid down here but we are ready and raring to get to work. We booked an Airbnb for the first time, we have a living room and kitchen to cook in. Hotel rooms are fine for a very short time.

See the view from our bow! That is what I saw this morning as I hosed off the bird sxxx and the fall out from the sky. Paul was busy down in the engine room where every good captain goes to get things ready for launching. Paul built at home, a battery box that he was anxious to see down below. Of course getting it down below was a feat itself. That is another story.

Yep, got it down into the engine room but wants to move it back further. And it does get moved back further.

I did not take a picture to show Paul's derriere, I am showing you the heavy batteries on the floor that Paul had to move there. 70lbs each and there were 8..... muscle man!

All connected and up and running. Yes, all batteries had to be lifted and placed in again. Paul has great arms, but dripping sweat everywhere. The engine room as no air movement.

We have other projects on the go in the boatyard. Slow going as it is very hot.

Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success.

- Henry Ford

TIME OUT is OUT

We are here in Stuart, Florida and the boat is out of the water, officially away for the summer months or what boaters say, "hurricane season". Most boat insurance companies wants these boats out and strapped down to the ground. It is hot and humid , hmmmm, normal weather here in Florida. Our summer will be at home with family and friends up north.

Paul walking behind on its way to its "parking spot". The food is out, the wine and beer is drank, the clothes have been packed and fridges defrosted. The boat is AWAY! AND our car is full. We drive Paul's car home now.

See everyone next season!

HOT AND HUMID!

Air conditioner is on full blast 24/7, as we are in Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart! Welcome to hot and humid Florida. We have all these plans to hose down the boat, fresh-wash railings, clean the cooler, defrost outdoor fridge etc. ..... then blast, the heat has hit us hard. We only manage to do one or two outdoor jobs, the humidity and heat is too much! We walked about 3 miles to CubeSmart to get our car out of storage, that was exhausting in the heat as it was, I did indeed stop at a McDonald's and got a fountain drink. First one in months.

We checked in at Palm Beach at the Customs and Border Protection Office there. Yesterday, we travelled up the ICW to Stuart and forgot it was Easter weekend and super busy. .... CROWDED WATERWAY! Kayakers, paddleboarders, big boats, little boats, seadoos, super fast ones and the slow ones. And in Florida where there is a boat, you know there is beer. We had to be careful and wary of other boats. While in Riveria Beach Municipal Marina I took a few great pictures of boat names.

It is a good thing our journey is ending as my 2009 Lumix camera is acting up and will not take pictures when I press the button. The zoom is acting on its own too. Soooo, time for a 2015 camera!

We will be back in May to do some renovations on the swim platform and take Time Out out of the water for hurricane season. Will update blog at that time,

   

BAHAMA BANKS ARE SUPER CALM TODAY!

Nassau Harbour... you see 5 cruise ships right? Wrong there is a sixth one behind the one on the right. An extra long face dock to hold another ship of 2000 passengers. Imagine downtown Nassau yesterday!

Sunset last night at Chub Cay, calm waters where we anchored.

We travelled through Nassau and then the rough waters (The Tongue of the Ocean) yesterday!! Made it to Chub Cay for the night. Then today, the most beautiful day of travelling as it was a long one.... over 9 hours. Take a look at the blues here on the Bahama Banks.

Can you see the horizon? Me neither, that is why I took some fabulous pictures today. Will share some here. A rare sight when it is a travelling day. The water like glass, saw over 100 starfish, sharks, little fish!

Yes, there is the horizon at Paul's knees! We have autopilot, Paul can be at the bow with me. No boats in sight for hours.

We are leaving the Bahamas tomorrow and crossing the Gulf Stream. Back to "reality", hmmmmm. Back to driving, grocery stores, traffic and flying home.

BY THE NUMBERS

Big goodbye to friends that flew back to Toronto this afternoon. The generator problem was fixed but then weather was not in our favour to travel anywhere. Thank goodness for Palm Cay Resort here with a beach and pool. Better than being stuck in downtown Nassau Harbour. Now that it is a goodbye to friends it is also a goodbye to the Bahamas. We leave early in the morning for Chub Cay, then Bimini and wait patiently for the big crossing of the Gulf Stream. Our bodies are here in Bahamas but our minds are in Ottawa, Canada already, homeward bound. Here is looking back to the last couple of months:

700
Nautical Miles travelled (1,295 km or 805 miles)

4
Snorkel excursions

24
Nights in marinas (not happy about that at all! 2012- we spent 6 nights in marinas)

3
Pizzas we ate at the Palm Cay Billfish restaurant

6
Pounds of hamburger was fried up for spaghetti sauce

225
Generator hours

69
Days in the Bahamas

34 
Days of overnight guests (all left snow and went back to snow!)

48
Toilet paper rolls were used!

4
Pork Loin roasts done in the crock pot with apple juice (delicious)

4
Champagne bottles were consumed

2 
Champagne glasses broke

4
Liquid sunshine days

3 
Grouper Fingers platters Paul and I shared at Staniel Cay Yacht Club

31
Kleenix boxes used

1400
Dollars in fuel since topped up in Key Biscayne, FL in January

2
Cases of beer on board?? ! ( think not, maybe a 1 should be in front of the 2)

5
Times Paul drove on the right side of the car on the left side of road here in bustling Nassau! Remember half of the cars here have steering wheel on left or right. Confusing when looking at a guy right beside you.

7
Days without a generator!

16
Hours Paul was trouble-shooting the generator by phone or text to a mechanic in Nassau

1
Time Shannon fell off the paddleboard trying to get parallel to Time Out to get off.

We have a six hour day travelling tomorrow but it looks good.

I am in the picture... see the reflection.

STILL NIGHT AT PALM CAY MARINA

Everything was super calm last night! Look at the awesome reflection of our bow. I had to take a picture.

We enjoyed the beach yesterday and today. Paul, Doug and I drove to the airport today to get a part delivered to the airport from Florida. Steering wheel on right, drive on the left. Gear shift on left and signal on right, have to remember this as the wipers go on if you forget!!

Generator is running and seems to be back to normal. We will anchor out for the day tomorrow at Rose Island outside of Nassau. We all want to jump in off the swim platform, snorkel and swim.

Hmmmm, life is good if I'm in the salt water and taking a picture of the beach here! Generator working or not working!

"STRANDED IN NASSAU"

How bad could it be being "stranded" at Palm Cay in Nassau? Hmmmmmm!

We have Doug and Vicki here from Toronto but because of generator problems we are "plugged" in at a marina. Bet hey.... do not feel sorry for us (other boaters do hahahahha). A beach, a restaurant, a courtesy car, good food, good company! How bad can it really be.?

Every three months a car show is here at the marina! Yes Bernie!

I took a few pics, a dream time for all the car owners and car lovers. Hmmmm.... this red one is awesome!

We took the courtesy car again today (Paul driving).... steering wheel on left side, driving on the other side than what we are used to plus..... lots of traffic circles. Tell me "who drives backwards in a traffic circle?" yep, heard a horror story, a traffic circle is great... miss your exit keep going around. Too funny.

RBC Bank is here so off we go plus a few other stop over places with the car! What did our parents do without a GPS????? Oh yes, they argued a lot and divorce happened??

NORMAN'S CAY SUNSET VIEW

This is tonight's view! Awesome. We head to Nassau tomorrow. Another beautiful night in the Exumas.

BOATER'S NIGHTMARE!

When one is a boat owner, death is bad! Sinking is pretty bad! However the next one on the "bad" list is a non-functioning generator! This is TIME OUT right now. If we don't have a working generator, we don't boat any more. After two days of trying our best and with the best of the best in the anchorage, we have to say good-bye to the Exumas and head back to Nassau. Paul was on the phone with a mechanic there and he is on "standby" for us. The unfortunate part of no generator is we have to ration water (no watermaker now), we can't cook with the stove-top/microwave, we had to unplug a freezer, batteries are low. And a multitude of other inconveniences. This is a boater's nightmare! Once in Nassau at Palm Cay Resort we can plug in and have some conveniences we are accustomed to. 

Today, boys went snorkeling at the Thunderball Grotto at low, slack tide, went to Samson Cay during low tide and walked the sandbar and then headed over to Staniel Cay Yacht Club. At the Yacht Club they ate conch burger, delicious. Of course, they drank a Pina Colada again!

Last day in the Bahamas for these guys!!

Paul and son Matt, Samson Cay, low tide. Beautiful here!

PINA COLADA ANYONE?

These two have escaped Canada's cold for a welcoming Pina Colada in Palm Cay Resort here in Nassau!

The "mountain man" is our son Matthew and the other is his best buddy (for 10 years) Matt!

Do they look happy? We are leaving Nassau Sunday morning bright and early for the Exumas. Snorkeling, (with a beard?), swimming, more pina coladas?, swimming pigs at Staniel Cay and of course turquoise waters.

NORMAN'S CAY IN PICTURES

A private home with their dock nearby where we anchored. Beautiful. I paddleboarded over in the morning, saw 2 rays just sitting at the bottom of the water.

Leaving Time Out behind to do an adventure on Norman's Cay!

Here is Norman's at low, low tide, full moon just a night previous! Super hot this day.

I call this the "sand dollar" beach. I got a whole handful after just 30 minutes of walking the beach.

Found a great Conch for a great shell. This we may make into a conch "horn". The tip is cut off so one can blow into it at sunset. An an anchorage, one can hear a many "conch horns" going off (conch rhymes with honk, if wondering the pronunciation). And is great eating, conch burgers, conch salad, conch salsa. Delice!