Waccamaw River

Moving north on the ICW near Murrows Inlet. Headed for Southport then Wrightsville...

Safe in Charleston, SC, USA!

After a long,exciting 3 day sail we arrived this morning in Charleston. We sailed 460miles and are resting at the City Marina. We'll blog later with the details and photos. Thanks to our fellow cruisers for keeping in touch with us while we were underway.

The Latest Pics From The Abacos

Here are the latest pictures from the past week.  We're still in Powell -- the good weather and better fishing conspired to keep us put for tonight.  Just after posting the last blog entry, Ben and I headed out to get a few fresh conch for dinner.  After picking up our conch, we ran across a small mud on a flat while heading home.  (A "mud" is a muddy spot created by fish, usually bonefish, which are grubbing for food on a sandy bottom). Thirty minutes later we had landed a bunch of bonefish -- including Ben's first fly rod bonefish!!!, and a fiesty 10+ pounder -- lost many more, and hooked and broke off a very big permit.  A huge Eagle Ray and beefy bull shark passed by during the action. We finished the day with a fried snapper and conch salad, followed by an amazing sunset.  

Conflicting current and wind create a jumble of boats in White Sound on Turtle Cay.  (Cookie Monster, Zusammen in the foreground).

 A big funnel cloud begins to drop down right behind Chere in White Sound.  A waterspout flipped a smaller boat in Black Sound the same morning, just a mile south of us.

Ben (Dharma), Nat and Tyler (Zusammen) chill on Zusammen at the Bluff House before heading back to Powell.  With John's back out, the three boys pitched in as crew for the day.

Decision time.  After a long night, which included a slumber party on Chere, Chris (Dharma) and I weigh the pros and cons of bugging out to Florida that morning while tired kids look on.  Zusammen is in the background.  Dharma, Zusammen, Makana and Cookie Monster ended up going, and we stayed.

Dharma heading to Ft. Pierce.  Very sad to see them go, but we'll catch up to them soon enough!

Zusammen laying tracks right behind Dharma.  Next stop, the good ole' USA.

Happiness is . . . .   In this case, it's foot steering in a good Bahama breeze.

A good day's take off Powell Cay; coconuts and Mutton Snapper.  Now that's a good looking tender!

Osprey trolling for snapper under sail off of Alan's Cay. 

Operation rope swing in action.

Win about to let go!

Was it fun?  His face says it all.

Ben ups the ante by climbing on the boom. 

Nat getting out there while Kaeo looks on.

Dad checking out the rig.  I know I put this thing together, but will it hold me?

Pretending I'm 16 again . . . .

Nat having another great day in the Bahamas.

Look closely and you'll see a big funnel cloud just above Osprey's solar panels.

Look even more closely and you'll see a waterspout in between Osprey's staysails.

Nat surfing along the beach at Powell.

More of the same.

Last Post From The Bahamas?

We've had a topsy-turvy week-plus since we last blogged. We came very close to leaving the Abacos with a group of friends, then decided not to go about 30 minutes before anchor up time; the weather has been all over the map, with strong squalls and waterspouts one day, bright sun and flat calm seas the next, followed by days and days of overcast skies with heavy rain, and now back to spectacularly calm weather; and we've enjoyed some of the most calm, laid back, family sailing in the islands yet, cruising here and there with our friends on Osprey. If you're looking for the short version of where we are and what we're up to, here it is: we're still in the Abacos, heading to Moraine Cay later today, then to Grand Cay with an eye toward heading to the US East coast (hopefully Charlestown or Beaufort) on Tuesdayish, depending on the weather. If you're interested in the longer version, read on . . . .



When we last checked in here, we were in Green Turtle with Osprey, Zusammen, Celilo Dharma, Cookie Monster and Makana, watching the weather for a possible crossing window and waiting to say goodbye to Mike and Roberta on Celilo, who were heading for Beaufort. Mike and Roberta ended up leaving that afternoon, but not before several humdinger squalls tore through the harbor, complete with waterspouts and 40+ knot winds. The winds sent quite a few boats dragging through the harbor -- which is already a snug harbor to begin with – and banging into each other. I was on Zusammen during the two strongest squalls (John had thrown out his back; I jumped on his boat to alternatively help and poke fun at him), so Betsy was left to "man" the helm as Chere swung this way and that through each blast. Luckily, our anchor held. Pretty exciting, though, especially when John and I watched as a big funnel cloud started to drop down right behind the boats. After the "drag races" in the harbor were over, Celilo left for Beaufort, a mere 480 miles away. I think we were all impressed that they stuck to their game plan – which was very sound, safe and well thought-out – despite the morning’s squalls. Most of the rest of us opted for a shorter trip, heading across the harbor to jump on a slip at the Bluff House for the night.



The next morning, our little fleet split in two and headed off, with Cookie Monster and Makana going to Alan’s Cay and the rest of us heading back to Powell for a last night with Osprey. We had a great dinner on Chere with Zusammen, Osprey and Dharma, complete with an early 50^th B-Day celebration for Wendy (she’ll officially turn 50 after Osprey pulls into Bermuda). The next morning we all listened carefully to Chris Parker’s forecast on our SSBs and checked the various weather models. We had all planned to leave for northern Florida in a few days, but the window we were counting on was narrowing, and a new, shorter window had opened up starting that day. After some radio chit chat, the group (Zusammen, Dharma, Makana and Cookie Monster and Chere) decided to head out that morning to central Florida, and everyone started getting their boats ready for a crossing. It was a decent crossing window, but neither Betsy nor I felt good about leaving that day; we just weren’t emotionally prepared for the Bahamas portion of our sail to be over yet, and we also didn’t have any of the time restraints that were motivating, in part, some of the other boat’s schedules. So, after a long family walk on the beach, we decided that it wasn’t time for the Davenports to head back to the states. On the dingy ride back from the beach, we said our goodbyes to Zusammen and Dharma, and told Osprey (which is heading to Bermuda at the end of the month) that we were staying for a while. We were thrilled when Osprey said they’d keep cruising around with us for another week. We’ve had a great time ever since.



After sending off Dharma and Zusammen (they, along with Makana and Cookie Monster, arrived safely in Vero Beach the following afternoon), we headed back to Powell for another night – if you haven’t already guessed, we love Powell!! –and caught a couple of huge Mutton Snapper on the way. Another phenomenal dinner of snapper and conch followed.  As an aside, I can't say enough about how well we've eaten down here.  Just this last week, our dinner themes included "Conchapalooza", "Tacorama" (with fish tacos), and "Snappermania".  In any event, Osprey and Chere then headed to Alan’s Cay for a few nights. The weather turned squally again for the next few days; nothing serious, but the wind shifts and lighting didn’t make long, fitful sleeps possible. The boys and I had a couple of good spearfishing and conching trips while there. Next, we sailed back to an anchorage inside of Crab Cay/Angelfish Point. This is an interesting area just off of the mainland island, right where a channel separates Great and Little Abaco Islands. Just to the south of our anchorage were hundreds of small, long islands that paralleled the mainland, forming narrow cuts and lagoons. Hundreds and hundreds of turtles cruised these lagoons, along with lots of other critters. The fishing was good – Win and Ben caught Mutton and Grey Snapper while casting shrimp lures along the mangroves – and the exploring was fun. The weather was another story. For two days we had overcast skies and fairly heavy rain. The rain was a good thing – our watermaker is down, so we need to fill our tanks with rainwater. And having the Osprey crew nearby helped stave off cabin fever. But, once again, nighttime squalls, wind shifts and lightning kept everyone from getting a decent sleep.



Eventually, the skies cleared and our two boats headed back to Cooperstown to re-provision, and then over to Powell for more conching, fishing and snorkeling. Friday was an especially good day; warm, clear skies and little wind. After chasing a few tarpon in the morning, I returned to Chere and decided to rig up a rope swing for the kids. Twenty minutes and a little trial and error later, we had a first-class water swing hanging from the end of our spinnaker pole. The Osprey and Chere crews, grownups included, spent the next four hours swinging, jumping and flipping off Chere, with tunes playing in the background and the occasional waterspout passing by on the horizon. After things wound down on the rope swing, Johnny, Wendy, Ben and I ran to the backside of the island to get some conch for conch salad and conch pizzas that night. We then had another great dinner on Osprey, our last together until they arrive in Massachusetts at the end of June.



This morning, I ran over to Cooperstown for propane and a few odds and ends. (Mr. Tinker drives his propane truck through town twice a week, beeping along the way much like an ice cream truck in the states; if you need propane, you simply flag him down for a fill). The trip was typical of other errands I’ve run during our stay down here; a long, long dinghy ride, followed by an even longer wait for whatever it is I’m there to buy, during which I’ll meet some fascinating people. Today, I had the privilege of meeting and talking with Edward Rolle, an 85 year-old native of Cooperstown who spent more than 50 years as a freighter captain and bonefish guide in the Bahamas. I listened intently as he told me about growing up in town right across from the bench we were sitting on, about the German mines that he had to avoid while running small boats in the region during WWII, about steaming banana boats from Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, about his 10 children, all of whom still live in town, and about all of the changes he’s seen during his time in the Northern Abacos. He was fascinating, and humble to a fault. As I shook his hand and said goodbye, I realized how much I’m going to miss these seemingly mundane trips, and how much everyone in our family is going to miss these islands . . . .



That’s all for now. Again, we plan to head to Moraine Cay, then Grand Cay and then to the US. Unless we can find an internet connection in Grand, which is doubtful, this will be our last blog entry from the Bahamas. Our cell should work until we leave, though, so feel free to call it. Also, we’ll be checking in with several boats on our SSB radio during our crossing. Once we’re in the states, we’ll activate one our cell phones and will be back on the grid. Although we’re sad about leaving the Bahamas, we can’t wait to see all of the friends in the states and back home!

Back in Green Turtle

We've come full circle in the last week.  We left Green Turtle last Tuesday and spent a couple of beautiful days back at Manjack Cay.  The snorkeling on the outer reef was amazing and the kids had a great time fishing in the mangrove creeks.  We were invited onshore to enjoy a high, fast, slippery waterslide on someone's dock and the swimming lasted well into the dinner hour.  On Thursday we boogied north to Powell Cay and immediately set out for a snorkeling expedition.  With light winds we were able to swim on the outer reefs once again, and they did not disappoint.  The soft corals and hard corals were very alive and healthy.  We have seen more beautiful life here than anywhere else in the Bahamas.  There were several large fish that we spotted for the first time.  Wow!  Everyone was excited.  We conched on the way in and very quickly picked up our limit.  Conch fritters, conch salad, fried conch, conch marinara, and the all new conch eggs for breakfast rounded out our diet for the week.  We enjoyed the beach on Cinco de Mayo with a bonfire and a beautiful sunset/full moonrise.  We are hooked - Powell ranks among our favorite spots.

Tuesday morning we left Powell to resupply at Cooperstown on Great Abaco.  We found fuel, water and limited groceries.  (We are trying to stay fully stocked in the event that the weather allows us a window to move to the states.)  We pulled anchor at noon and went back to Manjack, where we jumped in the dinghy and snorkeled the outer reefs one last time before the wind picked up.  While stowing our snorkel gear we all decided to move again - over to the east shoreline of Great Abaco.  After setting anchor (again) we gathered with six other boats (Osprey, Celilo, Zusammen, Dharma, Cookie Monster, and Makana) for an amazing dinner.  Kids on Dharma and adults on Celilo.  There was snapper for everyone!  This morning brought an unpleasant swell and thunderstorms so we all retreated to Green Turtle for protection.  The wind will shift tonight and we may be out of the harbor in the morning.....

Hope Town, Manjack Cay, Powell Cay

Elbow Cay Lighthouse, one of only three continuously operating kerosene lit lighthouses left in the world!

View of the Hope Town anchorage from the lighthouse. 

The narrow entrance to Hope Town - definitely a high tide destination for Chere.

Tyler from Zusammen, Ben from Dharma and Nat making the most of a rainy day at Manjack Cay.  They speared for over 4 hrs!

Birdie from Osprey, Eliza from Zusammen, and Hoku from Makana swimming on Chere's paddleboard - it was nice to have some girls onboard!

Pancake breakfast for all the kids in the anchorage at Powell Cay. 

We used more than 6 cups of flour.

Big fish on a small rod in skinny water....

52" barracuda on 12lb test - nice job Ben!

Fish On!  Always exciting when you are underway.  We have to slow/stop the boat, reel in the extra lines, find the gaff, and somehow not lose anyone overboard!

It's a big snapper!

 Mutton Snapper - 12lbs or more.  Yummy!

Green Turtle, Abacos

We are spending our last few weeks in the Bahamas in the northern Abacos.  After leaving Hope Town we spent an afternoon snorkeling an undersea park off Fowl Cay.  Nat had a chance to use his new scuba skills and dive with John and Tyler Schnauck.  It was amazing!  The fish and coral life was beautiful.  We spent a night at Great Guana Cay and then hurried into Marsh Harbour for supplies the following morning.  Marsh Harbour was our last opportunity to fill propane tanks before we make our journey to the States.  There was a large, American stlye grocery store that reminded us that we are getting close to Florida - yuck.  After a few hours in Marsh Harbour we hustled up to Manjack Cay.  It was a race against the weather because we were expecting four or more days of rain and 25-35kt winds.  It was our first stretch of cloudy, rainy weather all winter.  We made the most of it with our friends...  the big boys spearfished, we conched, Sam bonefished, Win caught Jacks, I did a lot of beachcombing, there were movie nights, conch fritter parties, cocktails, pizza parties, etc.  I think we will be fine in Maine this summer when it is rainy and foggy....

After Manjack we sailed down to Green Turtle Cay and took advantage of a marina deal where you pay for a slip and then get a credit for the same amount at the restaurant.  We are here with Zusammen and Dharma and the boys are having a ball.  There is a pool and there are fish to try and catch off the docks.  We made a supply run to town and were very impressed with the quaint architecture.  It is another loyalist settlement like Hope Town.  We are fueling up and leaving the dock at high tide today.  This is most likely our last opportunity to communicate via email for the next few weeks.  The northern Abacos do not have internet and we are planning a three day passage from West End or somewhere in the northern Abacos to Beaufort, NC.  We will have cell coverage and we are still travelling with several boats.  At this time we are planning a crossing the third week in May with Zusammen, Celilo, and Dharma.  I am hurridly paying bills and printing school work before we set off.