BY THE NUMBERS (2019)

This is usually our last post of the "season" for last couple of years and why change anything? Thought I will do the numbers again for us to look back on and for others if interested.

474

AMP hours one day was our best with our solar

13
Nights in marinas

67
Days in the Bahamas

5
Nights of fun friends visited

0
Mahi Mahi caught

3
Mahi Mahi fillets given to us

797
Nautical miles travelled (917 miles)

9
Parmalat milks used

300
Dollars for our Bahamas Cruising Permit

11
is the NCIS season we are up to. We are way behind but loving this show

15
Dollars for 15GB Bahamian data per month

1501
Miles from our house to the marina (2415 Kilometres)

365
Islands (Cays) in Exuma, Bahamas! 

135
Hours on our generator

10
Gallons of gas used by our dinghy

524
Gallons of diesel used in Time Out (American gallons)

3
Cases of beer given away in Bimini. We brought too many. At $65 dollars a case we always bring our beer from the U.S.A.

53
Nautical miles to Bimini from Ft. Lauderdale

9
Lunches out at restaurants (no dinners)

30
Chicken thighs eaten from our freezer (I need to bring more!)

115
Hours put on our engines

  

WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED LIVING ON A BOAT

Your backyard is huge! And it doesn't matter the size of your boat, we all share this massive area and share in the same community.

Everyone says hello on the dock coming and going. There is usually talk of weather.

In one's galley, everything is in arm's reach, you realize how little you need to cook a gourmet meal.

When you buy a piece of clothing another one in your closet needs to go to make room.

When deciding to fix something--- I have to remember there will be 2 more projects involved that one didn't realize. Beware when taking apart something!

When you smell something really bad, assume the worst and be prepared to put a face mask on and probably those disposable gloves that you have handy.

All's men's bathing suits come in different sizes, unfortunately the speedo is on someone that has had it for 20 years and really should not be wearing it anymore!

I have discovered that I really really love our ice maker! Other boaters seen to too.

Be prepared to help other boaters with their boat problems. What goes around come around in the boating community. Our portable generator helped three boats this year.

We discovered the first year we need to have a few one and five dollar bills for handy tip money all the time.

Saltwater is our enemy! It does not dry. Everything has to be rinsed with fresh water before entering the boat. 

Be prepared to pull anchor if you don't like your neighbours. No need to tell them you don't like their music or whatever.

I need to be agile when going down to the engine room to remove batteries or  clean up !@#$ from our vacuflush that is not working (Toilet part). 

I discovered that polarized sunglasses work better when boating! And do not lean over the boat when they are not secure on your head! Never buy expensive ones, just have a few around, the salt doesn't like the hinges!

Amazon is a personal friend of ours!

We have discovered to NOT shop at West Marine for boat supplies, find another supplier if you can. 

We have been blessed to have friends that can handle us for a week and stay on the boat. 

We have discovered to not share or publish our favourite anchorages, we realize that when we go to these places there are others there now hmmmmm! We are very selective and we ask those we share with to not tell anyone else! Hahaha.

I have discovered what boat hair means.

We have discovered that we are living a dream and this is our reality! 

BIMINI TO LAKE WORTH, FLORIDA

We sure enjoyed our 8 nights "stuck" in Bimini waiting to cross the Gulf Stream. We met a few fishermen and below was given to us. It is mangrove snapper. It is now in the freezer waiting to be eaten, we were given Mahi Mahi the same night so ate that! We love our boat friends and neighbours that share!

There are some ferries that run from our marina in Bimini to Ocean Cay, a resort that is being built. This cute ferry has an outhouse on it! Same colour as boat. It arrives in morning and leaves late afternoon. 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Cruise-Destinations/Caribbean-Antilles/Bahamas/Ocean-Cay-MSC-Marine-Reserve.aspx

While in Bimini, we went out for 3 lunches (so rare). Sharkies at Bimini Big Game Club was our favourite! Fresh food on the barbeque!

This is our sixth time in Bahamas and every time we walked the beach we took a right turn, this time we took a left turn and lo and behold..... tons of sea glass! I decided to paint them and maybe one day I will be talented enough to make jewelry! Stay tuned!

We waited until a perfect day to cross the Gulf Stream from Bimini to Lake Worth, Florida, too many times we try to cross and then come back. The weather was perfect and the wind and waves.... until we entered Lake Worth Inlet.... thunder, lightening and rain and more rain! It was terrible. We had our radar but we could not go to Riveria Municipal Marina until weather stopped. We hovered and maneuvered around the big turning basin there. This inlet is large because there are cruise ships that leave from area. We did get docked but the thunder was on top of us and super loud!

After we land in the USA we have to get a cruising permit for our boat at Customs and Immigration close to Riveria Marina. When we got up in the morning there was a huge yacht on fire at Cracker Boy Boatyard next to marina, needless to say there was alot of action. There were helicopters, firetrucks and media! The customs building is next door to the boatyard, when we arrived the office building was shut down. We just cruised up to Vero Beach and got one at the Fort Pierce airport the next day. 

We are at our home dock and preparing the boat for hurricane season before we drive home.