Reports from the Vixen

May 7 2000 5/5/00 - Milder this morning because of the cloud cover overnight. The clouds soon became blue sky, and the temperatures rose to mid-summer levels as we sailed on a broad reach in winds averaging 15 knots across Cape Cod Bay and Massachusetts Bay. The wind died and the sea became mirror-like as we motored around Cape Ann with the current. We proceeded up the Annisquam River and into Lobster Cove for the night--almost. On the way into the cove we ran aground on an uncharted sand bar about a half hour before low tide. We put out a kedge but were unable to winch ourselves off, so made dinner and passed the time until we floated off just as dark fell. Anchored a few feet out toward deep water, as we didn't want to try to find another anchorage in this area in the dark. Unfortunately we're not far out of the channel, so the fishing boats will probably be waking us early in the morning. 5/6/00 - "As the miles bubble under the keel, sailors seem to shed skins one after another until the scales so necessary for living in crowded cities and towns drop away, leaving just the human creature all but naked under the stars. For most, once these scales are gone, they never grow back quite as thick and hard as they once were." - George Day.   I have not yet been able to create words to describe my feelings about this cruise, about to end. I am not referring so much to the objective reality of the cruise - where we went, what we saw, what we did, etc. as I am to the feelings side of the experience. The above words do a fair job, although just a partial one and a not entirely appropriate one. They refer to how such an experience changes its participants. Both Betts and I feel changed, somehow different, but in a way or in ways hard to express or to even get in touch with. Just a sense of change, of difference. Nothing much clearer than that. Perhaps the passage of time will allow these feelings to clarify or sort themselves out. Or perhaps we'll revert in time to the same old routines, the same old ways of being and interacting with others and the world at large. There is, nonetheless, this awareness that at least for now all this intimate time either tucked into a very small space (below) or exposed to nature in all its splendor, not to mention to the awesome power of the sea, has made us different. More introspective, perhaps. More aware of what tiny specks we are in the universe. More aware of how much we are at the effect of forces and circumstances beyond our control. More mindful of the need to go with the flow, in fact to capitalize on it. More aware of some deep personal fears, and certainly gratified by having overcome a few. One thing is for sure - this has been the adventure of a lifetime. One that will live with us for a very long time. Probably one to do another time, and maybe a few more times after that. Already I miss many aspects of what has been during the past six and a half months aboard Vixen, while at the same time so looking forward to being home again after so long away. This last day is a relatively uneventful one. Trapped in the Annisquam River this morning by a sandbar across its mouth at this very low tide. The first seal as we entered Maine waters. A wave from a Chebeague lobsterman hauling his traps west of Cape Elizabeth. Returning to the familiars waters of Casco Bay as if in a dream. October was so long ago, and so much has been seen and experienced since, yet somehow the bay is as familiar as yesterday. It's good to be home.

May 4, 2000  5/2/00 - After a day's respite in NYC, underway at the leisurely hour of 1:30 pm. Reason is that there's a wicked confluence of two rivers north of NYC and it's necessary to plan to traverse it at slack tide. So only got in about twenty-five miles today. Lovely day. Wind on bow again, though. Two friends have signed on as crew, and Betts, with many mixed emotions, has disembarked to spend some time with children and grandchildren. The seventh month of this odyessey has started! In Mamaroneck, NY for the night, at a marina we stopped at on the way south. 5/3/00 - Cold but clear today. Mostly motorsailed in light wind to Fishers Island, an 85 mile trek. Got in after dark, but my crew knew the harbor. 5/4/00 - Sunny again, and a little milder. Had a great sail through Buzzard's Bay with the tide, and through the Cape Cod Canal on the flood, reaching 12.5 knots. Moored right next to a sloop from Bailey's Island, on their way up from North Carolina in a new boat. Counting the days to Maine! Eldon Mayer

April 30, 2000  4/28/00 - Long day, covering over 85 miles. Started out cold and partly sunny, got colder, then sunnier.....one of those days. We wear layers of polar tec, capoline, gortex (sounds like a song!), hats, gloves, boots. What kind of Spring is this in the East? !@#$%^! We passed some mighty notable ships in the canal and the Delaware River. Even moved outside oft channel markers to make way. They don't leave a wake, though. It's the big power boats who do. Rounded Cape May in the early afternoon, and headed up the New Jersey coastline, only to realize the harbors that were convenient all had questionable entrance channel water depths. So we pushed on to Ocean City, arriving at nightfall, and made a terrible mess of tying up at a bulkhead that wasn't designed for such purposes. This bulkhead formed the perimeter of an out-of-business yacht basin, which we attempted to enter, only to run aground. Had a terrible time getting extricated. It was getting darker and colder by the minute, and we seemed to have run out of options, except sailing back out and on through the night, which we didn't even consider seriously, so we just made do. We tied up next to the For Sale sign. Chalk another SNAFU up to the Mayers! 4/29/00 - We were apprehensive about today, because another of the seeming unending stream of nor'easters was scheduled to come through. The only optimistic aspect was that every forecast of today's conditions for several days now had been a little less awful than the one before. Daylight dawned and it was mostly sunny, and not much breeze. NOAA's computer voice said relatively smooth sailing, so we set out, this time with several carefully documented fall-back harbors, just in case. As it turned out, the weather mostly got better and better through the day. The last three hours before arriving in Manasquan, NJ, were ideal. Fifteen knots of steady SE wind, quiet seas, clear blue sky, and relatively warm for a change. Ran a broad reach all the way in. We think today was a gift to us. In the past week or more we have been discussing what this voyage has been like for us. We never know where to begin or how to express ourselves about this absolutely ineffable voyage. The dilemma here is at times we are impressed that we had the hunger to put ourselves on the line and go into uncharted (for us) territory, and now, on the other hand, we have done it and it has been a nectar for the living of our lives we couldn't have imagined. On this eve of the last day of the Betts and Eldon team (because Betts gets off in NYC and a new crew arrives to continue to Maine), we have alot of conflicting and hard-to-express feelings. Don't for a minute think the authors are going to get poetic and out of hand. The reality is this last Betts/Eldon evening we are tied up 50 ft from the bascule railroad bridge which opens often during the day and night. This means it isn't just the train sounds we hear and the rattle the boat, its also the mechanisms of the bascule bridge that serenade us, too. Tomorrow, NYC here we come! 4/30/00 - Friends from nearby came along for a daysail. Wind changed to the north and than northwest as if it wanted to stay on our bow. 20-30 knots and large swells sending waves and spray up and over the dodger. Clear and sunny, though, even though still long-johns temperatures. Fifty miles of this was enough. Strange to see the busy-ness of New York City after being so alone and quiet on Vixen for so long. Will take a day or so off before re-crewing and continuing on. Reason: yet another nor'easter coming through!! Stay tuned.

April 27, 2000  4/25/00 - Rainy, cold, and in case that wasn't enough, gale warnings! A good day to change the oil, get the propane tank refilled, etc. No doubt about it, we're staying put today. 4/26/00 - Cold but sunny and little or no wind as we motored straight up Chesapeake Bay to Tolchester, MD, just north of Annapolis, Eldon's birthplace (Garland Gray delivered him). Lots of commercial traffic, and so many crabbers you lose count. Wind came up late in the day, so we got our sails aired out for an hour or so. One really must watch the shallow water in parts of this gigantic bay. Detouring around it cost us a lot of time today. 4/27/00 - Raw cold and rainy. Gray. Motored and sailed the 35 miles into the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, a major shipping thorougfare. Glad to call it a day at 2 p.m. in another state (Delaware).

April 24, 2000  4/22/00 - Cold day on the waterway, rain early and then cloudy 'til late afternoon. Wind on our bow all day. Entered Virginia, and the only heavy commercial/industrial area of the entire trip just before Norfolk and the imposing sight of the U. S. Naval Fleet, everything from small support ships to mighty aircraft carriers. Gray warships by the scores. The good news is that this marked the end of the "ditch." We hoisted sail as we sailed out of Newport News and north along the western shore of the Chesepeake, docking for the night in the attractive resort community of Salt Ponds. Quite a comedy of errors at this marina. We were told the south side of the dock, lines to starboard. When at the last minute we realized our slip was on the north side, it was a mad scramble to get the lines back over to port. Naturally the dock attendant was nowhere to be found, so we had no help in this precarious situation. The marina closed after handing us a 30 amp adapter which did not work, but friendly neighbors let us use their shore power for the night. What a comedy of errors! Tired after a long, cold, damp day on the water. 4/23/00 - Easter Sunday. Settled for an evangelical preacher getting all worked up on the tube during our breakfast. We started the day with a decent weather forecast and an ambitious plan to sail to Solomons, Maryland to visit friends there. Adverse tides, winds close on our bow up to 26 knots, cold, and lots of spray in our faces caused us to turn in to Windmill Point, VA, a relatively calm harbor, after six hours of discomfort. We followed our trip motto, "Don't do it if it isn't fun," without regrets. 4/24/00 - Off early so we could beat a falling tide out this shallow channel. Sunny, but cold north wind in our face. A lot of hobby-horsing as wind built to 18 knots and swells grew accordingly. Tide against us also. Fifty-six miles of this and we arrived in the quaint shore town of Solomons, MD. As we entered the harbor, the sky clouded over and the wind dropped ominously. Felt like the calm before the storm (one expected tonight). Tomorrow definitely a question mark. Ciao, Eldon and Betts

April 22, 2000 4/19/00 - These next few won't be exciting as we're travelling up the ICW. Today cold as expletive-deleted. Windy too; gusts to 30 knots. We pulled out of deep storage all our polartec, capoline, jackets, hats and gloves. Made over 75 miles, reaching Morehead City, NC, near Eldon's old Marine Corps duty station, Cherry Point. Lots of fantastic birds. 4/20/00 - Slogged out another day on the waterway. The water color went from dirty brown to coca-cola, foam and all. Dolphins and osprey galore. Belhaven, NC tonight. Got plenty of sun today. As we pulled into Belhaven the wind picked up to 20 knots making for very eventful docking procedures into the slip they assigned to us. Boaters of all kinds are such helpful people, especially at times like that. We had lots of happy help. Betts fended off the large power boat to our starboard. Fortunately, the marina owner appeared to take her place as her strength began to fade. Afterwards they told us this is the afternoon " scramble show". The wind picks up just as boats decide to come in, and blows like the dickens until sundown. That done Eldon worked hard to get our heater re-established to the cold temperatures we are having back here in the real world. Betts assisted with many tools and some muscle assistance. The heater, of course, is in one of those places we told you about. One must be an olympic weight lifting four foot pretzle person. Since we aren't, there were lots of grunts. 4/21/00 - WOW! What a day we had today. Gale force winds all day, gusting at times to over 50 knots. Fortunately we were off the wind all day, the temperature was quite pleasant and the sun out. (we had on only jeans and 2 or 3 top layers.) We were very lucky to get through the swing bridge just south of the Albermarle Sound just before it closed due to high winds. Had we come along a little later, we would have had to backtrack quite a ways, with high seas on our bow, in order to get to a safe anchorage. The Sound had pretty big waves, but no swells. Quite a roller coaster ride! Needed no more than a small handkerchief of headsail in order to average eight knots today. We made great time, travelling over 76 nautical miles in 9 1/2 hours. Tide is wind-driven in these parts, so that helped alot. When we tied up tonight in a light breeze, osprey and swifts flying high, we realized this is the most wind we have had since we left Chebeague at the end of October. Betts liked the blue skies and sunshine on our shoulders as we ventured forth today, rather than the incorrect weather forecast which no matter how interpreted didn't forcast what happened. With continued good progress, should enter the Chesapeake Bay tomorrow. Regards to all Chebeaguers, Betts and Eldon

April 13, 2000  4/9/00 - Very cold this morning, at least after what we are accustomed to. Many layers, plus winter gloves, and still shivering as we got underway. High winds early left over from the front that came through. As we motored and sailed north on the waterway we gradually shed the layers until finally by mid-afternoon we were back to barefeet and skimpy next-to-nothings. Almost to Savannah when we pulled over and dropped the hook for the night. Saw lots of gorgeous birds today. Already finding the ICW boring and a bit nerve-wracking at times, so will look at the charts and try to get back into the ocean ASAP. 4/10/00 - Routine day on the ICW. Saw an eagle up close, osprey, gannetts, egrets, ibises, heron, and many other beautiful birds. The channel meanders from side to side randomly, and is very shallow at times, so it is very difficult to lean back and relax in the "ditch." Arrived in Thunderbolt, GA just before dark. Dinner at a good seafood restaurant nearby that we had discovered on the way down. 4/11 & 12/00 - Out the Savannah River into the Atlantic. Nice southerly breeze and a sunny day. Travelled about twenty miles offshore and picked up about a knot of northerly current. Were able to average about seven knots easily. We called this area Loon City. It must be a nesting area. Small rafts averaging about eight birds were paddling around everywhere. As we continued on through the night, their plaintive calls were music to our ears. Dawn broke to another perfect day. Ten to fifteen knots of SW breeze pushed us along all day. We saw many dolphins. One group of about ten animals in all sizes and colorations cavorted along with us for about fifteen minutes, apparently attracted to the Vivaldi we were listening to. Later we saw several so large that we at first mistook them for small whales. Also spotted several sea turtles as we approached Cape Fear, NC, where we spent the night as another cold front blasted through. Covered 200 miles in two days, eliminating some three hundred along the twisting, turning waterway, not to mention some four days of slogging. 4/13/00 - Today we plan to proceed further up the waterway, then take a few days off to visit friends in Antigua. Plan to resume our northerly journey on the 18th. See ya' then. Betts and Eldon

April 9,2000 4/5/00 - Front came crashing through last nights with rain and 30+ knot winds. Blew with high gusts all night. Continuing this morning. Glad we're tucked in securely. Spent the day working on the boat and beachcombing. Found a few goodies! 4/6/00 - Set sail to the northwest mid-morning, arriving in the middle of the (benign) Gulfstream about 1700 hrs., and since the wind was from the south and light, providing near-perfect conditions, we headed up the stream, making 11-12 knots, a speed at which we had never before travelled on Vixen. Kept this up all night and into the morning. Glorious night, 40 miles offshore. 4/7/00 - Began to angle toward the Florida coast, arriving of St. Augustine about 1630 hrs., only to find that the low tide would not safely allow entry, so after the wild sleighride we'd been having, idled back so as to arrive on a rising tide about 1830 hrs. Bounced once on the way in, but this was about the biggest event in the greatest sail we've ever had! 275 miles in 32 hours. Saw a lot of beautiful birds, and began to see dolphins again, for the first time in weeks. Dinner at the restaurant on the dock, and experienced major shock to our nervous systems. We had unwittingly slowed way down, accustomed to the quiet of being alone on a sailboat at sea. The jangle of the loud music, people trying to talk over it, waiters scurrying to and fro, crowds of Friday night people, and no laid-back Bahamians, essentially living the "what, me worry?" life. Already beginning to wish we'd stayed in Abaco. Very sad. 4/8/00 - Had trouble getting up and rolling after our sleep-deprived last few days. Off at 1030, and up the Intracoastal Waterway on a Saturday crammed with boats, mostly motorboats, all in a hurry to get somewhere, passing by so close you could almost touch them, rudely leaving wakes which tossed us violently from one side to the other. Not to mention large numbers of jet skiiers going this way and that, seemingly without regard to anyone else's presence, polluting the environment with their noise and their noxious fumes. Yuck! Were held up by the need to haul a friend we were caravaning with off a mud flat, after which the wildest storm of the trip came roaring through, drenching rain stinging our skins like a thousand ice-picks. At this we called it a day, after covering 47 homeward miles, anchoring for the night a few yards off the man ICW channel. Big winds continued as we hunkered down for the night. Stay tuned, Betts and Eldon

April 4, 2000 4/3/00 - Six days frolicking with two five year-olds and a seven year-old, and we awaken to the deafening quiet of a boat with just the two of us aboard! On through Loggerhead Channel (no loggerheads seen), "outside" for a while, then back in through Whale Cay Cut (no whales seen), and a broad reach at 7-8 knots in a fair SE breeze for 60 miles to an anchorage with ten other boats, one from S. Freeport, at Great Sale Cay. The forecast is for squally pre-frontal activity tomorrow, so our hopes for a dash to the Florida coast are down the tubes, at least for tomorrow. It looks like we'll have to wait it out in this area for a couple or three days while yet another front passes, this one supposedly a doozy. The hatches are battened! Getting homesick. Hearing, of all things, the U.S. Coast's high-powered VHF radio calls, did the trick! The nice thing about this part of the trip is the favorable winds. Nice to have them at our back. The long days make it easier to make progress, too. Maine, here we come! 4/4/00 - Three and a half hour broad reach in 15-20 knot winds to Walker's Cay, which is just about the northernmost point in The Bahamas. Arrived in time for a cracked conch lunch at the little shoreside restaurant here. Cracked conch is about as common as a lobster roll in Maine, and just about as good. Will be sitting on our hands here while a very strong norther blows through tonight. Preparing to leave these waters after three months here and in The Turks and Caicos, which are geologically but not politically part of the same archipelago, is indeed a bittersweet experience. The Bahamas are a mixture of a lot of wonderful things. The people, the amazing teal colored water, the beautiful beaches, the climate, to name a few. It's been a lazy three months, sailing here and there, snorkeling, walking the beaches, and meeting a lot of nice people, both locals and boaters. But all good things must come to an end, and the time is upon us to weigh anchor here for the last time, at least on this trip. The next report will be from Florida.

March 28, 2000  3/25/00 - Lovely day today. Sailed down the way a bit for beachcombing, then after lunch dinghied about 2 miles out to a "cay" that was formed some years back from the spoils (dredge material) when a cruise ship company deepened the channel. The locals call it "Shell Island," and we soon saw why. Came back as the sun began to set and the air temp dropped, pockets bulging with shells. This anchorage is a jumping-off place for boats waiting for a good weather window to head back across the Gulfstream to Florida. One cannot have winds with a northerly component to cross the north flowing Gulfstream. There are 22 boats here tonight, and it sounds like most of them will be clearing out early in the morning. They should have two days of favorable weather, which is not quite enough for the sailboats to make it across. Have we said earlier in this diary that sailors are a different breed here from the Maine variety? Whereas the latter like a good wind, and within reason the more the merrier, down here many of the sailboaters wait in a snug harbor for calm weather, and are perfectly happy to motor to their destinations. No comment. 3/26/00 - This morning we joined the long parade of boats sailing and motoring out through the nearby cut ("gut" to mainers), except that we turned and headed back to the west as the rest headed east, eventually for Florida. Motorsailed outside for ten miles or so, then back in through another cut and on into Marsh Harbor to drop off our friends who had a three o'clock flight to Nassau. Very quiet Sunday afternoon in this usually bustling place. The clock almost stops in The Bahamas on Sundays. Raced out to Man o' War Cay in order to enter before the falling tide would make entry impossible. Just made it, with an inch or two under our keel. Our luck must be improving with regard to leaving keel paint in entrance channels. Wandered around this very quaint Bahamian town, which appears to be "Anglo." Everyone gets around in golf carts on narrow little streets that criss-cross this place. Population about the same as Chebeague. Boat building and repair constitute the economic driving force. Most people seem to be named Albury. Again, lovely pink sand beaches, even though still eroded from Floyd. 3/27/00 - To Treasure Cay today, for a week with Eldon's daughter and three grandchildren from Albuquerque, so we'll be "off the air" until sometime after April 3rd. Fifteen knots plus as we sailed out of Man O' War Cay under full canvas. Wind kept picking up throughout this three hour sail until it was holding steady at 30 knots as we entered Tresure Cay Harbor. By this time we were down to a fully reefed jib and just a smidgeon of mainsail, still making hull speed of 8 knots. Lots of spray in the face during this invigorating sail. Vixen seemed to love being put through her paces. We are having a genuine love affair with this boat, to which by now we are virtually joined at the hip. Will hate to lose our sea legs during the next week of mostly being ashore, but after 4/3 it'll be Florida here we come! Until then........... We'll miss ya' Eldon and Betts

March 25, 2000  3/24/00 - Very windy again last night, gusts up into the 30's. Glad we're in a safe harbor. Today forecast to be the last day of these high NE winds. Sailed out into The Sea of Abaco and back for a day sail. Winds up to 27 knots, but few swells due to the protection of the barrier islands.. All cuts into the ocean impassable today. As they say locally, you can see the elephants marching out there! Back into the well-protected marina by five. Time for a digression here: The most important aspects of this adventure, to us personally, have been the subtle ones that are hard to convey in the "cold" medium of print (or worse, via a computer screen!). Let me take a stab at a few. Each day has been a learning experience. Homo Sapiens was designed as a land creature, so to live on the water has required many adaptations and has presented many new challenges. Some of these, of course, have been occasioned by not having the resources near at hand that even Maine islanders or Maine boaters take for granted. One can't call a plumber or electrician. One does not have AC power readily available, at least not on Vixen, which does not have a generator. So it is often a matter of getting out the factory manual on the whatsit, and learning while repairing it, often without the kinds of tools a good boatworks would have at hand. Of course the manuals are usually written in a foreign language, then translated into gibberenglish. Not to mention that they cover all models of the whatsit, and it is impossible to figure out which model is installed on our boat. The whatsit is invariably located in a place where only plastic man, no, miniature plastic man, can reach it. The muscle cramps one gets just from these contortions makes working in such positions painful, not to mention difficult. It is necessary to decide first of all that, no, this is not impossible. But you are in a remote location, you need the head or the stove or the water system or the starter or the alternator or the whatever pump to work, or else you must figure out a way around it. Calls to tech reps at equipment suppliers have been necessary and very helpful, although one feels like a boobus referring to the gadget that sits on top of the gizmo, and I don't know which way to turn it, when talking to an engineer who speaks nerd only. Lying on one's back with hard objects poking into the ribs, armed with a mirror to see the back surface of the whatsit, is, to say the least, a new experience. And of course the only tool aboard that might work is too long or wide to fit into the cranny. Then the washer or nut drops into the bilge, where only the tiniest of fingers could conceivably reach. For this situation we have aboard a magnetic gadget that looks like a telescoping automobile antenna, and a "grabber" tool like the arcade games where for a quarter you lower the grabber over the rabbit's foot or whatever, and are generally unable to latch onto it. In a totally different realm from these challenges are the emotional ones. On many occasions we have recited the mantra of "the little engine that could", in order to get through tortuous situations. Self -confidence, even daring, is called for frequently, when one is, truth be known, scared yogurt. Night sailing, with its sea hobgoblins, presents its own challenges, particularly when the water is shallow, the visibility poor, the swells high, the reefs close at hand, and no other boats or land within twenty miles (maximum VHF radio range). In a way, such situations are even worse in the daytime, when one can see the surf breaking and the ominous coral heads through the clear water. Fear is a frequent companion, although our "macho" sides hate to acknowledge it. Give any boater truth serum, and the answer will be the same. I could go on and on. Food is a challenge when grocery stores on remote islands have about one one-hundredth of the stock that The Island Market has. One eats what is available, or what is about to go bad, or what one can assemble in a hurry because it's no fun being below in the seas at the time. Water has on occasion needed to be rationed. Not knowing what's going on in the world is a strange and new experience for us. There have been long stretches when we have not heard/watched a radio or TV program or seen a paper. It is also hard not being in touch with loved ones. Our satphone gets through only sometimes, sounds very strange, and costs three dollars a minute! Rarely can callers get through to us. Emails sometimes work, but cannot be counted on. Tracking the weather has indeed been a major and critical learning experience, and an essential one. Learning how to use a single side band radio has been necessary in this regard. Cold fronts sweep through The Bahamas about every four days at this time of year, bringing everything from intense local squalls to high, shifting winds to torrential rains to waterspouts (carrying winds of up to 250 mph) to "rages" which make cuts to/from the ocean impassable. Planning passages has proven much more difficult than back home, since the tide and the angle of the sun must both be right in order to leave/enter most harbors, and the wind direction often makes the desired harbor untenable. I wrap up with a quotation from Charles A. Borden, "The sea won't tolerate the inept or pretentious for long. The measure of a man (sic), whether he is an unranked seaman (sic) or an ex-admiral of the blue -- his hopes and fears, the fiber of his temper, facets of character that might otherwise remain hidden all his life behind a web of status and sophistication -- are soon known on a long small-ship voyage."

March 23, 2000 3/20/00 - Walked to the supermarket at noon, only to find a torrential downpour occurring when we emerged. Realizing that we'd left our ports open, we commandeered a local truck and raced back to the boat, but found our bed, among other things, had become soaked. Two hours of mopping up later, friends arrived from New Jersey, which took our minds off our troubles. We did sleep on the main cabin settee that night, which was dry but a tad on the cozy side. There's always something! 3/21/00 - Not enough wind to sail,so we motored the ten miles to Hopetown for a change of venue. Hot! Hopetown an extremely quaint community. Lovely beaches on the ocean side. Big surf broken up by coral reefs acting as a breakwater. Lighthouse here probably the most familiar landmark in The Bahamas. 3/22/00 - Motored and sailed through one of the cuts into the open ocean and 15' swells. Nice 12 knot wind kept boat relatively stable. Caught a 20" Spanish mackerel, which should make a good dinner for four. Front coming, so back into The Sea of Abaco before winds picked up to over 20 knots. Pulled in to The Orchid Beach Marina on Great Iguana Cay early in the afternoon. Beaches here are supposed to be about the best in The Bahamas. Marina brand new and very, very nice. 3/23/00 - Quite howly through the night. Wind in the riggin'. Still windy today. Plan to sit tight, maybe do some "beachwork." Betts watercoloring up a storm.

March 21, 2000  3/16/00 - The forecast for winds of 10-15 knots from the southeast was right. The wind was out of the southeast! 20-25 knots, however, gusting higher. Swells were high, and not so "swell." We arrived on Abaco after a day of rock and roll, and entered the cut into the protected area in behind the barrier islands. Large spumes of spray and turbulent white water greeted us port and starboard as we entered the cut, but the water was deep, the tide was in conjunction with the wind, and all went well. 3/17/00 - The forecast was for weather like yesterday's, so we stayed in the protected Sea Of Abaco. Today the result was the opposite, only 10-15 knots. Can't win! We spent the morning beachcombing, then anchored off Little Harbor, too shallow to enter. Jay studied his lines for an upcoming play while Betts and I dinghied into the settlement to visit the foundry and gallery of sculptor Peter Johnston, who was quite a character and a good artist. In the afternoon we motored north to busy Marsh Harbor, a very popular boater's destination, with it's marinas, restaurants, and, yes, bars (it being St. Patrick's Day, the noise from the latter continued into the wee hours). Tha Abacos are very developed for tourism, compared to 99% of the rest of The Bahamas. On a sad note, Hurricane Floyd wreaked massive havoc in this part of the world. You can see the unrepaired damage everywhere. It will take years to get things back to normal. 3/18/00 - A day in the harbor doing this and that. Jay went up the mast in the bosun's chair to handle a minor repair before heading to the airport for the flight to Nassau, then on to NYC to complete his senior year course work at NYU. We'll miss him; he was great crew. It's hot here, but it looks like we'll be here at least another day. Front coming through tomorrow, cum thunderstorms per the forecast. 3/19/00 - Sunday, so things are eerily quiet here. Stormy skies; intermittent rain. Peaceful day on the boat.

March 16, 2000 3/13/00 - Last night we weighed anchor and motored across the bay to dock at a marina in Dunmore Town and have dinner at a well-regarded restaurant. It turned out that "well-regarded" was a major understatement. The food, the service, the ambience, as we dined under the stars in the lovely garden were all first-rate. Especially the food. We each had different seafood entrees, and all were done to perfection. The dessert was sinful. We all sinned. Today we relocated to Royal Island, some fifteen miles to the north, as it has a very well-protected anchorage, and the forecast is for gnarly weather. We got caught in drenching rains and high winds on the way over, and the visibility was poor, but at least Vixen had the salt-cake washed away (the water here is much more saline than in Maine). Unfortunately, the forecast for tomorrow is again bad, so we are hunkered down, playing cards and listening to Mozart. 3/14/00 - Awakened to more torrential rains. They say rain on a cabin top is a nice sound, but enough already! Rain off and on all day. Finally, at 4 PM, we decided to head back into Spanish Wells and tie up at the marina there, so we can get off and stretch our legs a bit!!! Only 6 miles. More unsettled weather on the way, if the forecasts are to be believed. We decided to eat dinner at a small cafe. It was a mistake after eating at The Landing. March 15 We awoke to a beeeeeaaaaaauuuuuutiful sunny day. So where is this bad weather? There was lots of wind just like "they" said, though. We cleaned and puttered about the boat and then took off for the incredible beach here with our snorkel gear on the back of our golf cart. Somewhere along the way one bag of flippers and masks fell off. The notice went out over VHF 16 and our bag was found by the carpet-layer on the island and we picked it up at the carpet store a few hours later!!!!!! the beach is miles long, the sea the MOST wonderful colors. Lots of rental houses on this beach. This island reminds us a little bit of Chebeague in a number of ways. Our weather guru link - Herb - told us today tomorrow we will have 10 to knots out of the SE & no squalls. We are off to Abaco in the morning. Probably from this "door" to the "door/anchorage" we are going it will be 60 nm of blue water sailing. We are ready!!! Possibly we have been told the secret to catching fish while trolling, so Betts is READY! The time has come, for heaven's sake! The clouds down here look like the clouds you see looking out the airplane window. Only here, you are either at the beach, in the boat, or walking along. They are billowy, full, white, sometimes green from the sea-reflection and magnificent. Enough for now from the rarely-do-we-have-insects-heaven!!!!!

March 12 mid morning Well, so much for a daily log. From our sent e-mail records the last time we checked in was March 4. We have had a glorious 8 days sailing up the West coast of Eleuthera. We are now anchored in Harbour Island "bay" waiting out a small front that is coming through today. While it is sunny and partly cloudy, the wind is picking up to 18 kts & gusts so far. March 4 We tied up at the Cape Eleuthera Marina, which probably is the deepest & best protected and well built marina we have used. So far in the areas of the Bahamas where we have been, there are very few marinas and provisioning stores. March 5 This marina provided water, at $.60 per gallon, and diesel. Oh, yes, we bought two bags of ice and two diet-cokes. We did alot of shelling along the mile long beach. Since the hurricane hit Cape Eleuthera, very unusual shells have been coming ashore. Some nice local (they all couldn't be nicer to us wherever we go) showed up some tricks to find the treasures! We went trolling and again Betts caught a couple of useless, pretty non-edible 16" tilefish. One interesting note: Avatrice from Freeport, Me., (Sharon and Larry Greenlaw) was also tied up at this marina with engine problems. ( We were really happy to meet fellow Mainers.) By the time she was ready to get underway, she had no engine. They decided to sail -sans motor- to Florida a number of days away to have the necessary repairs. We supported her voyage by becoming her SSB contact twice a day giving her weather information while she gave us her GPS positions. We also notified the radio net about her sailing without a motor and asked other boats to listen and watch out for her. They arrived in Fla. safely on 3/10. March 6 We had a great lazy day & took our time leaving. We sailed 15 nm to Rock Sound & anchored with 6 other sailboats. We went to their great supermarket and did a huge provisioning. To get off our dinghy, we had to climb up a 12 ft ladder on their govt. cement dock. Too bad we didn't have someone video us getting our multi-bags of groceries & cases of drinks down the ladder to board our dinghy. March 7 We wandered around this attractive town with pretty houses and bouganvilla everywhere. Went to the post office and visited Nelly Lowe's bakery. At 80 she told us some wonderful stories. We could have stayed all day listening to her. She radiated love & caring about her Rock Sound families. We had a sweet little sail from Rock Sound to Palmetto Point about 16 nm up the coast. Anchorages are scarce on Eleuthera's coast & we decided on this one settlement because we wanted some special conch pizza at Mate & Jenny's. We anchored about 150 yds off a perfect beach and a very hurricane damaged town dock. When we dinghy'd into the beach it was twilight with a sliver of moon hanging in the sky. Perfect temperature and a breeze blowing through the palm trees. At the beach there was a town picnic sight for family beach cook outs. Except for roosters crowing ( a given every place we stop....all day & all night), there was a gentle silence. Because it was Tuesday, Mate & Jenny's was closed. To assuage our disappointment, we stopped at a little store near the park and bought ice cream. Wow, what a treat. We made broccoli & pasta for dinner and ice cream. We thought this was heaven!!!! Betts fell asleep eating the ice cream. March 8 We sailed to Hatchet Bay. A narrow cut in the rocky entrance looked more awesome that it was. Hatchet Bay has been devastated by hurricanes. It was actually difficult to look at all the damage. A 50 ft power boat had been thrown 15 ft or more onto a dock like the stone pier and rammed and almost completely destroyed a fairly large marina building. There were other power boats and sailboats scattered everywhere. Wayward Wind was mushed between two power boats and all 3 of them had caved in & destroyed a very nice home. It took us three tries to anchor here. It was a very grassy bottom. March 9 We motored to and through Current Cut this morning making sure we got there with the tide up. The books describe this cut as challenging with as much as 6 knots of current at times. The sun was in perfect positions for us to read the water, coral & reefs all day. We arrived in Spanish Wells at their marina in early afternoon. This is a prosperous spiny lobster fishing village!! 1600 people. The houses are all painted in delightful colors and the gardens surrounding the homes are spectacular. They have a very unusual accent here unlike anywhere else in the Bahamas. Sounds like British/Australian Southern?! Also, the white population consists of blond, blue eyed people. This is one place where just about anything you need you could buy. We rented a golf cart and wandered this 1 1/2 X 1/4 mile island and beaches. There is no crime & everyone knows everyone else. It is a beautiful place. March 10 We stayed at Spanish Wells and enjoyed this delightful community. We bought two bouganvilla plants that sit under our dodger. Betts cleaned the boat inside and out. It sparkles!!! We went to the beach twice and "combed". March 11 Edsel Roberts piloted our boat from Spanish Wells to Harbour Island. It is a very dangerous route filled with reefs and coral heads. Having a pilot is the only way to go. Our trip was uneventful, but clearly wouldn't have been for us without Edsel. We think he gave us the magic secret about fishing down here, but time will only tell. Last year, we believe Linda and Robert White spent time here in Harbor Island and loved it. We found the village charming. We aren't used to so many people, though, we loved lunch at a beachview restaurant. Betts had a prize winning ceasar salad or have we been away so long it just seemed so. In the early afternoon Jay Holt arrived by seaplane from Nassau to join us for a week of sailing. We will head for the Abacos after this front passes through. Edsel will pilot us to the take off place. March 12 We are anchored in 20 knots and gusting to more enjoying the sunny day. This journey has been the trip of a lifetime!!!! We are loving every minute of it & we are having the time of our lives. The Bahamas are noteworthy & we imagine we will come back soon. this life is growing on us. the sailing is challenging, dinghy exploration fantastic and snorkling in this crystal clear water is remarkable. Love, Betts & Eldon

March 5, 2000 Will try a journal approach, for a change: 3/1/00 - Motored 40 miles from Staniel Cay to Norman's Cay today, on the "outside," i.e. on The Sound, with its super deep water. Betts fished for big ones all afternoon. Had five strikes, but the final score was fish 5-Betts 0! Only 6-7 knots of wind again today. Most unusual. Had some good snorkeling this morning before getting underway. Lots of terrific coral and fish. Norman's was once infamous for the heavy drug traffic from the airstrip here. Supposedly that has been cleaned up for a long time, but a helicopter with no lights on took off about 8:30 P.M. tonight. Strictly verboten! Since the population of this Cay is close to nonexistent, there's hardly anyone to report such infractions. Maybe one of the 20 or so sailboats anchored here will do so. Lovely cool night after a hot day. 3/2/00 - Surveyor flew in by seaplane and gave Vixen a relatively clean bill of health. Our hull was "squeezed" sideways. A few internal organs got stressed, but she is safe to sail, and repairs can wait until our return. We are breathing a sigh of relief. Snorkled some nearby reefs mid-day, then a burger and pina colada at the only commercial establishment on the island. Met most or all of the four year 'round inhabitants. Count 'em! Only 6 knots of wind again today, but from the west, which is unusual. Warm. 3/3/00 - Lovely sail 15 miles north to Allen's Cay, home of the ugliest iguanas you can imagine. Betts caught a barricuda along the way. Fun, but we wanted dinner! Getting back to the iguanas,this type is only found here. Crowded anchorage, but the best snorkeling yet. 3/4/00 - Thirty mile sail tacking before the wind to Eleuthera. Pleasant sail in a light wind. Unusual to have no chop or swells on a blue water sail. Saw only one other sailboat today.

March 1, 2000 Here we are in Pipe Creek in The Exumas. Haven't seen any pipe or creek, though. It was interesting getting in here. The charts are not accurate in indicating the locations of sandbars, as they shift around over time, especially after major storms. So we grounded out gently on our way in. Were able to quickly get water under our keel again. This is a fairly frequent happening in these shallow waters. During yesterday's sail, the depth averaged about 8 feet! The beaches in this particular area are numerous and spectacular, as is the snorkeling. Yesterday we snorkled Thunderball Grotto, of 007 fame. Were totally surrounded by fish hoping for a handout. Day before yesterday saw two waterspouts about four miles away. They continued for twenty minutes or so. One in particular was quite black and fearsome looking. This phenomenon caused quite a stir, as it's not common here. The weather continues very mild. Something to do with gales way to our north. Only complaint is we could use a touch more wind. It blew only about eight knots yesterday. Our "sappy hailing" continues. Best to all readers, Eldon/Betts

February 27, 2000 We are back aboard now after spending a week in Nevis. Found walking on dry land very difficult after so long on a rolling, pitching, yawing platform. Now that we've become acclimatized to terra firma, it seems weird being back aboard! Had a delightful lunch while there with Jane Abrahamson, who is suntanned, well rested, and fit as a clam at high tide. Planned to spend a couple of days here at Staniel Cay in the Exumas just vegging out, but first thing this morning a super large power yacht rammed us big time as we sat peacefully at the dock here. What a way to start the day! It seems the inexperienced skipper panicked and failed to use his bow thruster as the wind pushed him into us. Talk about an adrenaline rush! The apparent damage was ugly, but nothing that would keep us from carrying on. The impact was so great that the other side of our boat ripped the dock piling apart, though, so it will be necessary to fly a marine surveyor in to see if there was any structural damage. As always, "ship happens" on a weekend, so we'll be spending tomorrow talking to insurance people, etc. Today was spent disassembling our starboard lifelines and doing our best to straighten out the bent stanchions, then reassembling the entire deal. Not exactly what we had in mind for a beautiful, sunny day. Poor ol' Vixen is feeling a bit dented and scratched, but hopefully that's all there is to the damage. With any luck, we'll be on our way again shortly. In the meanwhile, this cay (island) is a wonderful place to be "marooned." There's plenty of good snorkeling, fishing, and beaching. Also, the marina here has a good restaurant, should we tire of cooking or run low on provisions. Regards to all Chebeaguers, wherever you are, Eldon and Betts

February 17, 2000  A brief report which will be our last one for awhile since tonight we will leave Vixen at Samson Cay, site one of the few Marinas in The Exumas, and spend nearly a week in Nevis. It'll be strange sleeping in a real bed! Most cruising folk simply drop a hook at one of the myriad good anchoring spots on the Banks (shallows to the west of the archipelago), so Marinas are not very necessary. The last few days have been spent gunkholing down the island chain, doing a lot of beachcombing and snorkeling, and relatively less sailing. A good thing since the wind has been extremely light of late. Yesterday Betts found her first seabiscuit, a fine example at that. The varieties, colorations, patterns and giant sizes of the starfish we have seen are mind-boggling. If one likes conch, they can be picked up in the shallow water by the scores. The water is very shallow in these parts, so one must navigate precisely. Our digital GPS has been worth its weight in gold. As at home, a careful eye must also be kept on the tide. That's it 'til late February. Regards to all Chebeaguers, wherever they are, Eldon and Betts aboard Vixen

February 14, 2000  We left George Town this morning after dealing with Immigration. We just missed him Friday afternoon, and had to wait until this morning to clear with him. At 10 A.M. he still had not showed up at his office (this is called Bahamas Time), so I prevailed upon my friend the Customs Lady to call him on our behalf. His position was that we should wait until he got around to coming down to his office late this afternoon. After a lot of sweet talk and much grilling, he finally allowed as how we could proceed on our way. These local officials are all powerful, and one must figure a way to work with them. Fifteen knot SE winds off our quarter all the way here to Rat Cay, which we had visited earlier. We are the only boat in this beautiful harbor. Betts is fishing as Eldon catches up on emails. Dave and Hobey Hinchman are with us now. A very compatible crew. The "girls" are adorned with Valentine's Day gift conch shell chokers, purchased on the street this morning. George Town was nice, but it's nicer still to be out sailing and exploring again. Regards to all Chebeaguers, wherever... Betts and Eldon

February 12, 2000 Bev - We are now in George Town, Great Exuma Island, sort of the hub of The Bahamas, in that several hundred boats "camp" here every winter, and I -don't-know-how-many pass through. It's an action place, with all sorts of daily activities for boaters, from volleyball games to you name it. We have just completed a whirlwind tour of The Turks and Caicos and The Bahamas Out Islands, including Rum Cay, Mayaguana, Crooked Island, Long Island, and Acklins Island. We spent a night at Acklins, and were the only boat there. Beachcombing the next morning, we felt as if we were on a deserted island. The weather here is strange. Quite predictable in some ways, but un- in others. Fronts come through every four days or so, and the wind patterns before and after follow a repeating pattern, clocking so that every week one gets a chance to sail with winds from every quarter. It's nice when a wave or some spray comes over the dodger, and lo and behold, it's warm! We never cease marvelling at the flying fish stimulated into flight by our bow wave, or the dolphins who love to stunt along side when we're underway, especially when we're playing music. Much less bird life than in Maine, however. Every now and then the odd osprey, heron or pelican flies by. The Hinchmans fly in Sunday for a week of cruising. Looking forward to seeing old friends. There's a virtual cornucopia of things to see in these parts, but like the coast of Maine, you can explore for a lifetime and never see it all. Ciao, Eldon/Betts

February 7, 2000  Great broad reach today into Provo today, wind 20-25 knots gusting higher. Hopefully on to The Bahamas again tomorrow. All's well. Ciao, Eldon/Betts

February 6, 2000  We have now done a "180" and begun our northwesterly trek. The night before last we anchored inside the reef at Grand Turk Island. It was nearly dark when we arrived, so we did not go ashore. We planned to do this yesterday, but the morning weather forecast and our planned destination taken together suggested an early departure. So all we saw of Grand Turk was a view of it from the boat. As the capitol of this island nation, it is a combination of modern buildings and historic, bermudian style architecture. Very unlike most of the rest of The Turks and Caicos, which is largely unpopulated. A wind shift caused us to change our sail plan, and return to South Caicos instead of East Caicos. We enjoyed snorkeling some nearby reefs upon arrival. Today we sail back to Provo, and expect a spinnaker run all the way. Then some rather long day sails back to The Bahamas, necessitating sunrise departures. In eleven hours of daylight we can cover 80-90 miles in ideal conditions, but don't like to plan on that since any slowdown would mean attempting a coral-strewn harbor entrance in the dark. In such a situation, we'd probably just sail on through the night for a daytime arrival at another island along the way. Yesterday we hailed a lobsterman and purhased three different varieties of lobsters. Dinner was like a wine tasting but with lobsters. Everyone's favorite was a rather prehistoric creature the locals call a hardback. All is going well. We have especially enjoyed these islands since the unpredictable and sometimes quite squally Bahamian weather generally dissipates before getting into The Tropic of Cancer. Regards to all Chebeaguers, wherever you are! Betts and Eldon

February 1, 2000 Bev et al - Yesterday we crossed The Caicos Straits from Mayaguana Island to Provo, entering the shallow Caicos Bank by passing between West Caicos and Provo. We needed to motor at top speed all the way in order to traverse the coral-strewn Bank during daylight. We had wind just off our bow all the way across from Mayaguana, and 10' swells on our port beam from the gnarly weather to the north. On several occasions we looked up to see a wall of water seemingly about to thunder down upon us. Of course Vixen simply rode the swell, and all was fine. We covered 68 nautical miles yesterday, averaging over 7 knots. Last night Eldon's college pal and sailing buddy Ted Foot from Little Deer Isle flew in, and will be taking over David's role as first mate/chief-cook-and-bottle-washer. David's shoes will be hard to fill, although if anyone we know has logged more miles than David in a sailboat, it's Ted. We thank David for all he has contributed to the first ninety days of this cruise, and bid him Godspeed. His many talents will be missed. One thing for sure, the boat will not be as shipshape! We now plan to sail The Turks and Cacos for a time, and then revisit The Bahamas, which we were able to see but a small portion of during our four weeks there. Perhaps this time we'll get up into The Exumas. Everything south of here we'll leave for another day. It is beautiful here. Some of the most gorgeous beaches in the world are in The T.& C., one extending some 25 miles. We'll be resupplying and doing laundry today, and weather permitting, will be underway again tomorrow. Regards to all Chebeaguers, wherever you may be, Betts & Eldon

January 29, 2000 Today, 1/,29/2000, we are anchored in Abrahams Bay, Mayaguana, after a 20 hr sail here from Rum Cay, where we left at noon on Thursday. The 1/2 moon rose about midnight to help us along and about the same time a verrry large cruise ship appeared in the same place on the horizon. We thought, at first, the ship was the moon's reflection on the sea. As "it" moved, we were bewildered by this moving-in-the-wrong-direction-reflection. BUT when "it" showed up on our radar, we knew we had either gone over the edge or we were just plain seaconscious. ( new word for unconscious) This particular night sail was a first for Betts. We had about 10 knots of wind for the first 6 - 10 hours, then the wind picked up to close to 20 kts. and 10 ft seas. We were glad when the sun rose and more glad to get here and anchor in Start Bay. Our plans were to stay at anchor until about 11 p.m. & then head off for the Turks & Caicos in order to arrive there in the a.m. as all our books suggest. Well, Divine Intervention occurred as Guardian Angels posed as local fisherman stopped by our boat to see if we wanted snapper that they had just caught 500ft down (no wonder Betts isn't catching any red snapper). At that moment the sun was out and the skies were blue. We asked how's the weather going to be & they gave us information that a front was coming in directly & a 60 ft power yacht had headed out for Turks & Caicos a few hours earlier and returned due to very large seas and high winds. They also suggested that we move our anchorage while the sun and tide were high before the weather set in. By the time we got to this anchorage, there wasn't any blue sky, the wind had picked up and the reefs around this anchorage were protecting us. So, here we are anchored in the rain, wind and gray skies predicted for a few days. We have plenty of food, we have jazz playing, we are puttering and its about 9:30 am. Bye for n ow. Lots of Love, Betts, Eldon & David

January 24, 2000 We ARE in Rum Cay now tied up at one of 17 slips in a very nice newly built marina. They assured us there was 6 1/2 ft coming in; however, when our depth sounder said 4 1/2 we spent a few hours waitin' for the tide to come in. A sports fisherman who also drew 5 1/2 ft did the same thing after us. The young owners of this marina are very friendly & the meal last night was a gourmet delight, so I think they get over-zealous welcoming the few boats who come here & forget to say HIGH TIDE. Today the wind is 20-25 SE which wasn't in the forecast so we aren't going anywhere today except to explore on foot. Some of the things I do: I did alot of research about books to bring on board they range from Don't Know Much About The Bible & Peter Gomer's The Good Book to poetry, philosophy, Novels, non-fiction, meditative & psychic exploration, etc. I am drawing & watercoloring, knitting, plus reading our many books about where we are going, navigating how to get there, figuring the winds, the reefs, & all the rest. The research requires lots of homework. Also, we take turns at the helm either 1/2 hr. "shifts" to 1 hr. One of us, at least, who isn't at the helm is navigating. We listen to numerous weather reports on single side band & check in with other boats, too. David has projects & loves to figure out all kinds of riggings which the 3 of us think up that would be nice to have. Lately, Don has been a SSB maniac - reading how to utilize it to serve us best. THEN there is exploring in our dinghy, shelling, shopping, and wandering. We are up about 7 and try our best to stay awake until 8:30 - 9 p.m. especially the days we sail (or motor). We haven't done alot of snorkling yet because it has been cool & very windy. One of the highlights of our trip was a visit from the Ripple Effect kayakers as they paddled all the way from Lubec to Key West, raising money for local AIDS charities all along the way. We happened to be in Miami Beach on Christmas Eve when they came through, very much in need of some R & R. We fed them and rehydrated them and arranged for laundry and showers. They slept aboard for two nights, and David repaired one of the kayaks. His picture shaking hands with one of them as they embarked on 12/26 made The Miami Herald the next morning.

January 23, 2000 We have been on Vixen almost 3 months now!!! We have figured out how to get unstuck in sandy bottoms from the Carolinas to here now in the "Out Islands of the Bahamas". We haven't dragged anchor, but it was so windy in one of the few marinas we have used, that we had to leave there and anchor. Sometimes in these anchorages, with the tides and currents and winds, we have to check things out quite a bit as well as watch everyone else anchored do the same. The Bahamas are known for the gorgeous aqua waters: sometimes so clear you cannot believe you are looking down into 25 plus ft and at other times you are floating in aqua milk. the beauty of it all takes our breath away. The Bahamians are extremely articulate, friendly, caring and helpful. The Exumas, where we have spent all our time until today, are mainly uninhabited islands....a few privately owned & the ones where there are settlements are smaller than Chebeague. We each take the helm for certain time periods, navigating and planning takes a lot of time, each moment is unknown territory so we take turns as depth watchers, chart readers, vhf "talkers" ...... you get the gist of it all. We also share the cooking and we are eating WELL!!! We are in Calabash Bay on the Western side of Long Island. Our first verrrrrry rolly anchorage. Tomorrow we go on to Rum Cay. We are loving every minute of this adventure together & it is truly awesome!!! We say hello to everyone!