This year is turning out to be short trips to visit and wait out nasty storm patterns with vague destinations in mind.  We took in a great Yoga session at the Stuart community center last night; it helped to work out our kinks. 

 Just got the latest weather up date: strong thunderstorms and tornado watch for St. Lucie River at Stuart....great.  this has the potential for a good entry on the site.

 Saturday  February 27

 Got Mandate’s engine started and running today!!  We will provision tonight, do  laundry, then he wants the assistance of the yard mechanic to align the engine with the new prop assembly, and I hope, we depart right after that on Monday early PM.  The weather in Vero Beach , 2 days travel has been averaging 10 degrees warmer and I hope we just get warmer and warmer at each anchorage.  It has been in the 50’s and 30’s in Titusville at night.  Our destination is Marathon in the Keys.  Rob will fly to St. Martin in the Caribbean to deliver a boat from there to North Carolina; estimated time is three weeks.   Then he will head back to Marathon .  We will take Mandate up the coast to NY for the summer at the end of May.  At least that is the plan for now. 

 Wednesday  February 24

 Mandate hit the water yesterday in full splendor in her 6 coats of gleaming curvaceous splendor.   Her engine has not cooperated however.  After 10 months of sitting on the hard, she is refusing to turn over.  So we are working hard to motivate her to move out of northern FL.  We have four variations of lubricants on the pistons as advised by curious passersby but have made little progress on moving the flywheel.

 Tonight sailors Karen and Richard on s/v Trefoil  came to visit us before departing tomorrow for points south.  They are in their first cruising year in a Tartan 34 that they sailed down from Lake Champlain.  The boat is very similar to Mandate in beam and layout so it was fascinating to see how they did their boat’s retrofit.  Comparatively Mandate is more spacious as she carries her narrow beam another 3 feet longer.  Richard and Karen did a lot of cabinetry from native milled cherry trees and have made exquisite cupboards and a flip up dining table that make me envious.  

The crew of s/vRed Witch departed on Monday and called us from Fort Pierce , some 75 miles south making good time toward the Keys. 

 Wednesday, February 17

 Another cold and windy night on the hard, 30 degrees without anything but an old and  semi-dependable space heater and a great heated mattress pad to keep us going. 

 Today we finished assembling the prop shaft and drip-less shaft seal.  I varnished the toe rail in marginal temperatures (50 degrees), and will do the final—6^th coat of paint on her topsides tomorrow in the proposed 60 degree weather as forecasted by the local TV station.  We have re-installed the TV-DVD player once again and it has been a god-send in this unsettled weather. 

 We have been working on the good ship Mandate since January 15^th here in Titusville FL.  For fun we have gone out to Irish bars with friends found in the boatyard, Gale and Chuck on sv/ Red Witch and single hander, Paul on sv/ Aquarius.   We visited cruiser friends in Stuart,  FL and who have since moved to Miami for the boat show and are points south by now.   They periodically call us to let us know where they are and when will we join them.  We will be there ASAP !!  “There” being maybe in the water by mid-next week (?)

  Our destination is Marathon in the Keys, as always, perhaps the Bahamas in March, perhaps NY by July.   I will be in touch when we are in the water.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

All went well with the Annapolis-Stoney Creek leg of the trip.  Bob and friend Steve took the final leg with Rob and arrived two hours ahead of time due to the strong incoming tidal currents they hadn’t taken into account. 

Mandate is docked safely (hopefully) in the muck; water at low tide gets to 2.5 feet but our six foot keel manages to nestle in the mud without tilting the boat. 

We are at Mom and Dad’s house now in Schenectady NY enjoying the woods and springtime flowers, catching up with children and grandchildren and making ready for the Caribbean boat delivery early next month.  

 Friday, April 16^th

Forecasters for NOAA in this region have been consistently been wrong.    They say that tonight and tomorrow will bring 30 knot winds on our bow so we planned to stay in Annapolis on the Chesapeake on a mooring ball for two days before heading to our dock in Stoney Creek, just south of Baltimore MD.    Cousin Phyllis and Bob will meet us in Annapolis and Bob will hop on board for the ride to the dock—an 8 hour venture.

We have had some fun along our route on the ICW.  We anchored in Buck Island in the Currituck sound about a week ago.  We rafted up with Bill and Laura for dinner on the south side of the island amongst crab pots.  Later that night the current increased and made the boats bang together, so we had to untie and anchor independently in the dark and without fouling in the crab pots: that was exhilarating. 

When we reached Atlantic Bridge the next day we met up with a bunch of boats as we tied to the free wall.  It turned out that most of them had just come in from Gulf Stream passages and this was their first step on land in weeks as it was with us.  We enjoyed each other’s company so much that we all decided to stay an extra day and have a pot luck dinner. 

We met Linda and Kip on an Alberg 37 (1970); the closest boat we’ve seen like ours in all of our travels.  These people were fascinating; they have been sailing and boating all of their adult lives (they are our age), and have owned many different sailing vessels including a 54 foot steel boat.  They also transport boats on land cross country with a big hydraulic rig and they have a house with a number of acres on the Potomac River .

We left early from Atlantic Bridge —6:00 AM and were delayed going through the lock and three bridges.  Linda and Kip awoke at 8:00 AM and did the same lock and bridges and they not only caught up with us by the end of the day, they passed us!   So we have a great deal of respect for this couple and for the Alberg 37, which differs from Mandate mostly in her keel configuration---she’s got a full keel that “tracks” very well in the heavy swells and 25 knot winds we had that day.  We were struggling to stay upright and going in a straight line with our fin keel.  We also had an inappropriate amount of sail up, making her helm (steering) difficult to maintain.  Linda and Kip not only beat us, they were far more comfortable and actually videotaped us.  What amazing footage, we were slammed by waves that filled the cockpit and our keel was almost entirely visible!! 

We took an extra day of R+R at Fishing Bay to recoup from that episode and to have fun on shore on bicycles in our old haunt (2006-2007), of Deltaville, VA.

 Wednesday,  April 7

We are motoring along the ICW in Bogue Sound just north of Camp Lejuene North Carolina .   Yesterday we made a record of four groundings in one day and all within the first three hours of motoring.  Guess we are a little rusty on navigating the ICW shoals. 

Six days ago we left Biscayne Bay FL and traveled 500 miles northing the Gulf Stream , 150 miles offshore for four days, averaging 8-9 knots: at one point we reached 11.5 kn.  We came inland to re fuel, re water and to walk.  Our destination at this point is clouded.  We have run into difficulty with obtaining dock space in the Albany area.  We may be forced to dock in NC for the summer or to take up the offer from friend in the Chesapeake.  That may eliminate our plans to get the grandkids on board and plans to sew a full enclosure, but it may open the possibility of sailing the Chesapeake area with cousins Phyllis and Bob.

We leave for the Caribbean on May 4^th and have decided to go home for April regardless of Mandate’s location.  All’s well here traveling with friends Bill and Laura on their boat Second Wind.  Every night we raft together and have sundowners and dinner and admire the sunsets and surroundings; life on the water is a constant challenge to find the green flash. 

Monday, March 29

For the past three days we have been cruising the lower Biscayne Bay area with new friends Gary and Pat who are the proud owners of a 1966 Pearson-Rhodes design sailboat, Aolare.  Our boats are quite similar and quite different.  Theirs was originally more finished and refined than ours, and then a previous owner put in a lot of nice interior upgrades.  They also have their varnishing done by a professional and it is the best I have ever seen on any boat.  It is truly beautiful.  Weather was perfect for a sail Saturday and Sunday on the port quarter all the way down to Card Sound which is where we are right now, just off of Key Largo .  Today we were hit by storms and possible tornadoes, so we kept an eye on our nicely set anchor with a protected south shore.  When the winds clocked west and the storms subsided (we could see on the radar via computer), we scurried to the northwestern shore of the sound for protection and reset anchor. 

Our intent is to leave tomorrow for Dinner Key to have our cracked back stay fitting replaced.  Then we will rendezvous with Second Wind at No Name Harbor as they make their way up from Marathon in the Keys.  Bill and Laura have the GPS we sent out to be repaired and had mailed to Marathon

where we had anticipated to be this winter.  So we didn’t make there and this is our “key” substitute.  It is really beautiful, so no complaints.

We will be on our way to Washington, NC where Mandate will wait at dockside for our return from the Caribbean delivery in June.  We may leave and accompany Second Wind  as early as next Wednesday.  

Sunday March 21,  2010

We are in Coconut Grove at a mooring ball and having a great time with friends Gail and Chuck on Red Witch.  The marina is next to a park on the edge of the southern-most vestige of Miami , in a large city environment.   We had a free breakfast in a high end restaurant the first day and enjoyed Cocoanut Grove’s lively streets on Saturday night and Spanish guitar music. 

The mooring field is surrounded by yacht clubs in the height of international one-design sailboat races.  Snipes, E Scows, and Scows from Finland  Italy,Mexico, USA , and Great Britain numbering in the hundreds parade through our moorings to the race courses three miles out in the bay against the

Miami

backdrop each day at about 10A.M. returning after six in the evenings.   Pictures are not available on this site but will be on Rob’s Facebook page. 

Cruising friends in Marathon

are still imploring us to make the two day sail there.  We will leave here in a few days after exploring the turquoise waters of the upper keys and Biscayne Bay.

Since insurance calls for three crew members, I will be joining the Caribbean sailboat delivery team in May.  That will make our cruising time in Mandate shortened while we find a place in North Carolina to leave her in order to do the delivery.  Barring any adverse circumstances, we intend to take Mandate north for the summer after the delivery and will sail her northward June. 

On the way down here our Fort Lauderdale experience was fun when we met up with 2007 cruisers on Wild Horse and learned of a good  dinghy landing spot off Lake Silvia at a local raw bar and a Winn Dixie market.  Until then we never got off the boat while there.

We got in touch with our land based friend Jayne Mackintoh and spent St Pattys day at her house.  She entertained and fed us well.

Friday, March 12

Well it wasn’t until Saturday that we left the dock, having found a huge oil spill under the engine that needed attention.  The annoying oil spill that plagued us over the past two winter seasons was a gusher now, it had precipitated two changes of the oil pan gasket to no avail.  We found that it was actually the gasket failure of the timing casing.  So three days later and the tearing down of the diesel remedied that situation.  She’s almost perfect now except for a fuel trickle that plagues Rob since his newly found skill as a diesel mechanic has turned him to become even more obsessive about the engine.   I’m not complaining Rob.

So we got on the ICW highway early Saturday and motored/sailed to Eau Galle to see our friend David for a pizza and to beg him to take off with us as always; once again he turned us down.  The next morning we pulled up anchor and sailed to Vero Beach where we “velcro-ed” to our friends Normand and Paula on s/v Madame for a couple of days on their mooring ball and to explore the beach, our favorite sandwich shop, and one of our favorite walking routes.  I made a polenta and ratatouille dinner for Madame and our Vero resident friend, Randi.   We had a lot of fun helping Randi figure out what to do next with her career.   We moseyed down to Fort Pierce and then up the St. Lucie River to beautiful Stuart FL to see friends Pam and Yelda on s/v Saltwhistle and Karen and Richard on s/v Trefoil. 

We spotted Maureen and Dan on s/v Trinity here, rang them up and shared a beverage, reminisced about the Yoga sessions we held on the beach in the Bahamas last winter; they were two of the groups we gathered on the Sand Dollar Beach. 

 Thursday, April 22, 2010

All went well with the Annapolis-Stoney Creek leg of the trip.  Bob and friend Steve took the final leg with Rob and arrived two hours ahead of time due to the strong incoming tidal currents they hadn’t taken into account. 

Mandate is docked safely (hopefully) in the muck; water at low tide gets to 2.5 feet but our six foot keel manages to nestle in the mud without tilting the boat. 

We are at Mom and Dad’s house now in Schenectady NY enjoying the woods and springtime flowers, catching up with children and grandchildren and making ready for the Caribbean boat delivery early next month.  

Friday, April 16^th

Forecasters for NOAA in this region have been consistently been wrong.    They say that tonight and tomorrow will bring 30 knot winds on our bow so we planned to stay in Annapolis on the Chesapeake on a mooring ball for two days before heading to our dock in Stoney Creek, just south of Baltimore MD.    Cousin Phyllis and Bob will meet us in Annapolis and Bob will hop on board for the ride to the dock—an 8 hour venture.

We have had some fun along our route on the ICW.  We anchored in Buck Island in the Currituck sound about a week ago.  We rafted up with Bill and Laura for dinner on the south side of the island amongst crab pots.  Later that night the current increased and made the boats bang together, so we had to untie and anchor independently in the dark and without fouling in the crab pots: that was exhilarating. 

When we reached Atlantic Bridge the next day we met up with a bunch of boats as we tied to the free wall.  It turned out that most of them had just come in from Gulf Stream passages and this was their first step on land in weeks as it was with us.  We enjoyed each other’s company so much that we all decided to stay an extra day and have a pot luck dinner. 

We met Linda and Kip on an Alberg 37 (1970); the closest boat we’ve seen like ours in all of our travels.  These people were fascinating; they have been sailing and boating all of their adult lives (they are our age), and have owned many different sailing vessels including a 54 foot steel boat.  They also transport boats on land cross country with a big hydraulic rig and they have a house with a number of acres on the Potomac River .

We left early from Atlantic Bridge —6:00 AM and were delayed going through the lock and three bridges.  Linda and Kip awoke at 8:00 AM and did the same lock and bridges and they not only caught up with us by the end of the day, they passed us!   So we have a great deal of respect for this couple and for the Alberg 37, which differs from Mandate mostly in her keel configuration---she’s got a full keel that “tracks” very well in the heavy swells and 25 knot winds we had that day.  We were struggling to stay upright and going in a straight line with our fin keel.  We also had an inappropriate amount of sail up, making her helm (steering) difficult to maintain.  Linda and Kip not only beat us, they were far more comfortable and actually videotaped us.  What amazing footage, we were slammed by waves that filled the cockpit and our keel was almost entirely visible!! 

We took an extra day of R+R at Fishing Bay to recoup from that episode and to have fun on shore on bicycles in our old haunt (2006-2007), of Deltaville, VA.

 Wednesday,  April 7

We are motoring along the ICW in Bogue Sound just north of Camp Lejuene North Carolina .   Yesterday we made a record of four groundings in one day and all within the first three hours of motoring.  Guess we are a little rusty on navigating the ICW shoals. 

Six days ago we left Biscayne Bay FL and traveled 500 miles northing the Gulf Stream , 150 miles offshore for four days, averaging 8-9 knots: at one point we reached 11.5 kn.  We came inland to re fuel, re water and to walk.  Our destination at this point is clouded.  We have run into difficulty with obtaining dock space in the Albany area.  We may be forced to dock in NC for the summer or to take up the offer from friend in the Chesapeake.  That may eliminate our plans to get the grandkids on board and plans to sew a full enclosure, but it may open the possibility of sailing the Chesapeake area with cousins Phyllis and Bob.

We leave for the Caribbean on May 4^th and have decided to go home for April regardless of Mandate’s location.  All’s well here traveling with friends Bill and Laura on their boat Second Wind.  Every night we raft together and have sundowners and dinner and admire the sunsets and surroundings; life on the water is a constant challenge to find the green flash. 

Monday, March 29

For the past three days we have been cruising the lower Biscayne Bay area with new friends Gary and Pat who are the proud owners of a 1966 Pearson-Rhodes design sailboat, Aolare.  Our boats are quite similar and quite different.  Theirs was originally more finished and refined than ours, and then a previous owner put in a lot of nice interior upgrades.  They also have their varnishing done by a professional and it is the best I have ever seen on any boat.  It is truly beautiful.  Weather was perfect for a sail Saturday and Sunday on the port quarter all the way down to Card Sound which is where we are right now, just off of Key Largo .  Today we were hit by storms and possible tornadoes, so we kept an eye on our nicely set anchor with a protected south shore.  When the winds clocked west and the storms subsided (we could see on the radar via computer), we scurried to the northwestern shore of the sound for protection and reset anchor. 

Our intent is to leave tomorrow for Dinner Key to have our cracked backstay fitting replaced.  Then we will rendezvous with Second Wind at No Name Harbor as they make their way up from Marathon in the Keys.  Bill and Laura have the GPS we sent out to be repaired and had mailed to Marathon

where we had anticipated to be this winter.  So we didn’t make there and this is our “key” substitute.  It is really beautiful, so no complaints.

We will be on our way to Washington, NC where Mandate will wait at dockside for our return from the Caribbean delivery in June.  We may leave and accompany Second Wind  as early as next Wednesday.  

Sunday March 21,  2010

We are in Cocoanut Grove at a mooring ball and having a great time with friends Gail and Chuck on Red Witch.  The marina is next to a park on the edge of the southern-most vestige of Miami , in a large city environment.   We had a free breakfast in a high end restaurant the first day and enjoyed Cocoanut Grove’s lively streets on Saturday night and Spanish guitar music. 

The mooring field is surrounded by yacht clubs in the height of international one-design sailboat races.  Snipes, E Scows, and Scows from Finland  Italy,Mexico, USA , and Great Britain numbering in the hundreds parade through our moorings to the race courses three miles out in the bay against the

Miami

backdrop each day at about 10A.M. returning after six in the evenings.   Pictures are not available on this site but will be on Rob’s Facebook page. 

Cruising friends in Marathon

are still imploring us to make the two day sail there.  We will leave here in a few days after exploring the turquoise waters of the upper keys and Biscayne Bay.

Since insurance calls for three crew members, I will be joining the Caribbean sailboat delivery team in May.  That will make our cruising time in Mandate shortened while we find a place in North Carolina to leave her in order to do the delivery.  Barring any adverse circumstances, we intend to take Mandate north for the summer after the delivery and will sail her northward June. 

On the way down here our Fort Lauderdale experience was fun when we met up with 2007 cruisers on Wild Horse and learned of a good  dinghy landing spot off Lake Silvia at a local raw bar and a Winn Dixie market.  Until then we never got off the boat while there.

We got in touch with our land based friend Jayne Mackintoh and spent St Pattys day at her house.  She entertained and fed us well.

Friday, March 12

Well it wasn’t until Saturday that we left the dock, having found a huge oil spill under the engine that needed attention.  The annoying oil spill that plagued us over the past two winter seasons was a gusher now, it had precipitated two changes of the oil pan gasket to no avail.  We found that it was actually the gasket failure of the timing casing.  So three days later and the tearing down of the diesel remedied that situation.  She’s almost perfect now except for a fuel trickle that plagues Rob since his newly found skill as a diesel mechanic has turned him to become even more obsessive about the engine.   I’m not complaining Rob.

So we got on the ICW highway early Saturday and motored/sailed to Eau Galle to see our friend David for a pizza and to beg him to take off with us as always; once again he turned us down.  The next morning we pulled up anchor and sailed to Vero Beach where we “velcro-ed” to our friends Normand and Paula on s/v Madame for a couple of days on their mooring ball and to explore the beach, our favorite sandwich shop, and one of our favorite walking routes.  I made a polenta and ratatouille dinner for Madame and our Vero resident friend, Randi.   We had a lot of fun helping Randi figure out what to do next with her career.   We moseyed down to Fort Pierce and then up the St. Lucie River to beautiful Stuart FL to see friends Pam and Yelda on s/v Saltwhistle and Karen and Richard on s/v Trefoil. 

We spotted Maureen and Dan on s/v Trinity here, rang them up and shared a beverage, reminisced about the Yoga sessions we held on the beach in the Bahamas last winter; they were two of the groups we gathered on the Sand Dollar Beach. 



March 12 , Thursday

We arrived in the USA two days agoland of noise, pavement and gross consumerism. Why we think we must live such a complicated life must be one of the questions someone from a third world country must ask.

At any rate we are back to unlimited telephone and internet access, showers with hot water, and busses to shopping centers---free in Vero Beach. Vero (Velcro Beach) is quickly becoming Marathon north for/or older and more timid sailors who make this place their destination for the winter.

Our return sail from the islands was stimulating in the beginning with 15 to 20 knots of wind and 4-5 foot seas. We had a crazy sea current ride with the boat yanking itself east to west violently 180 degrees at our Nassau anchorage just outside of a noisy bar on a Friday nightwhat were we thinking? Our anchorage outside of Chub Cay was quiet but violent rolling side to side from the turbulent seas off the Bahamian Banks; we actually were rocked into deep sleep once pillows were propped against our bodies. Anchorage on the Banks in subsiding seas against Bimini was beautiful and the Gulf Stream unusually calm as weather fronts finally subsided. In Bimini we tried to hail Marguerite on the VHF thinking they were close behind and we got our friends on Placeforus instead; they left a week before us so we were surprised and delighted to have them as our buddy boat to the US from that point on.

So once we rip ourselves from the Velcro here, we will make our way to Titusville via the ICW Indian River, and, once again fate has it that we are in the ideal location for the next space shuttle launch !!

March 5^th Thursday

After dinners with Bob and Carol and Judy and Irwin, Maria and Maurice, Jim and Barbara we have left Georgetown satisfied that it had all the fun we were searching for. Sunday friends Rick and Carla on Euphoria finally showed up after months of email correspondence and promises. We gave them a couple of days and then had to take off in order to meet our intended deadlineswho says retirement is relaxing?

Traveling the Exuma chain, we find ourselves in Black Point again, using the Laundromat and internet caf. I am having big time Bahama withdrawal pains but I will get over that and all of this will become nostalgic reverie.

Tomorrow weather permitting we will sail to Samson Cay, a new destination only ten miles north in the Exuma chain, then to Nassau, then to Chubb Cay. We will sail the Bahama Banks, 70 miles from Chubb landing in Bimini. After that is the Gulf Stream crossing to FL landing in West Palm/Lake Worth.

Only too soon we will have Mandate on the hard in Titusville and will be traveling home.

February 26, Thursday

A week of Yoga in the mornings, long walks on the beaches and get-togethers at night. We greeted Speck friends Judy, Peewee and Irwin early in the week. Bob and Carol on Time Enough II finally showed up in G-town too. Bob and Carol do fiddle and guitar, flute and cloggingwe brought our circle of Sand Dollar cruisers for an evening of singing, dancing, and playing percussion instruments on Volley Ball Beach, mile away in high winds the splash factor is significant against the wind. Tonight Bob and Carol will come to Sand Dollar to entertain. We also were invited for dinner and fun with Wendy and Warwick on their Walquiez 35 sailboat.

We checked out an electric windlass for Mandate with Sue and Rodney on s/v Glen Lion and got stories of their three Atlantic passages. So we arranged a dinner on Marguerite to share stories and advice regarding our Atlantic passage; a rousing time that was. Rod and Sue gave us advice on use of Marguerites wind vane, heavy weather sailing tactics, and use of the spinnaker and generator; they deemed her a sturdy boat very worthy of the passage. Sue was adamant about staying in Europe for at least six months; they lived aboard Glen Lion in various ports of Europe for eight years.

A major breakthrough with the SSB radio, thanks to Darius on Breeze Hunter, we are now able to transmit!!

We are looking for a weather window to leave the harbor next week to put Mandate up in Titusville FL. It will take a couple to three weeks to get out of the Bahamas depending on weather.

February 19, Thursday

Just back from our 5 day adventure on Marguerite. with Barbara and Jim. We sailed to Conception Island , a beautiful little deserted paradise just northeast of our anchorage in G-Town. We snorkeled in 25 feet of crystal clear water checking out reefs and for fish to spear for dinner. No go on the fish, but reef life was spectacular. We combed the beaches on the other side of Conception and added 3 new heads to a cruiser-created graveyard of washed up hard hats sitting on coconuts. Conception rock formations were surreal so we attempted some late afternoon photography that we think are rather Dahli-esque. Since I am still not getting photos on this site I will have Rob email them as an attachment.

We sailed to Cat Island, another 35 miles north where we visited Father Jeromes retreat, a small scale version of a full sized abbey, where he lived out the final days of his life after creating it from indigenous rock and cement. It sits on top of the highest point of the Bahamas so views from it are phenomenal. We dined at a small restaurant operated by three Bahamian women, the Bluebird Caf and had our fish fixSteamed Margate with peas and rice.

Our venture was a trial run to see if we wanted to sail across the Atlantic on Marguerite and to test our compatibility with captain and first mate. We loved the boat and crew, so right now it is a go.

Jim and Barbara are very competent sailors who have only one year of experience but in that year have sailed the coast from Maine to Florida. Jim has a background of working on fishing boats off the west coast and has experienced seas 35 feet in height. For him sailing has been on small racing boats.

I was very impressed with their knowledge of sailing and handling the schooner throughout, and feel confident that we will make the Atlantic crossing in good condition. We talked of safety equipment, procedures, techniques in the case of gales, adverse seas, and accidents; they have taken an offshore medical training in Annapolis. We have extensively read literature on heavy weather tactics and emergency preparedness. Nonetheless the venture is daunting.

Our plan is to leave Mandate in Titusville in April, do bright work on her for a week, then drive home and see family. We will reconnoiter with Marguerite in Norfolk to embark on the Atlantic crossing in early May. It takes about thirty days to cross; we will stop in the Azores for a few days and then proceed to the Mediterranean. We hope to tour Spain and perhaps France before returning to the states by August for the summer. So, we hope this all works out.

Meanwhile we sit in Georgetown enjoying the weather and the hikes and snorkels and swims and nightly get-togethers, and still doing Yoga on the beachwere all so brown from those sessions! Mandate was safe at anchor while we were gone thanks to fellow cruisers Bob and Kathy on Placeforus, and Kathy and Darius on Breeze Hunter who kept vigil: to them we say thank you.

We should be leaving here in early March after the guest lecture/appearance of Chris Parker, an SSB voice who we faithfully listen to every morning at 6:30. Chris gives weather and sea conditions for the Bahamas and Caribbean to traveling subscribers.

We then will make our way up the Exuma chain and back to Florida. Winter is so short

February 9, Monday, I think.

Well we did start an activity at Sand Dollar Beach. Rob and I were doing Yoga stretches on deck and our neighbor noticed and asked us to teach her some positions. We did Yoga on the beach the next day with her and her husband and a friend. Day 3 we had 16 interested people joining us; the following day 24, not unlike the amazing appearance of Hermit crabs when you drop cracker crumbs on the beach. So it now this is a regular thing. In the last group there were a couple of women who knew lots more about Yoga than us, so we gave them the lead and we became followers.

We continue to hang out with the Canadians: Kathy and Darius on Breeze Hunter, Mike and Judy on Sea Sharp, and Jackie and Roger and their (4!) guests on Audacious. Last night 11 of us sang oldies and danced on Breeze Hunter making lots of noise in the anchorage. We were feeling rather guilty until we climbed into our dinghy back to the boat in 20 knots of wind that howled so noisily it obliterated the loud music only ten feet from the boat.

Yesterday our former neighbors back in Marathon, (Dec-Jan) showed up in G-town to our surprise, the level of our enthusiasm was as though we had discovered long lost friends, and weve known Kathy and Bob on Placeforus only since November

I am sitting at St. Francis restaurant porch in still windy 80 degree weather, sipping a G+T, writing offline and waiting for an internet connection with three others including two Brits who have sailed around the world. Its been an hour and a half and the dialogue is so much fun that we dont care about the connection.

Island time, island attitude.

Wednesday February 4: Georgetown, Grand Exuma Bahamas

We arrived here on Friday last week, making our last hop about forty miles north from Cave Cay (island). We met Bob and Chesley on Cygnet, and Deb and Carter on Abacus in the Cave anchorage and were forced to suffer an impromptu progressive dinner with themwe made dessert out of yogurt over canned pears laced with a bit of rum, and a crushed ginger cookie topping---the evening was a lot of laughs.

It was a six hour passage of winds 10-15 on the nose only enabling us to motor sail with the jibthe motor actually bends the apparent wind so that we can put up a sail. The sail in turn helps to stabilize the boat in ocean swells as well as giving a bit of a boost to boat speed.

Bob Hansen, our crew since FL left Mandate two days ago. The boat becomes much larger with the absence of the third person although Bob was very careful to make himself as small as possible on this tiny vessel. He was very helpful with doing projects and acting as first mate during his tenure with us.

We are here in G-town in the height of the cruisers winter season, as opposed to in 07 when we arrived after the height. There is quite a presence here; some 200-300 others, many are Canadians, resting at anchor in the ten mile stretch in clusters where the ground is deep and holds well. G-town is looking cleaner than in 07 and seems as prosperous as any third world city is. The computer shack is still a 15 foot board with five chairs and one surge protector for five customers at five dollars a day. At least once or twice during your stay there the signal goes down, allowing silent customers to chat until restoration is made to the lines.

We are in Sand Dollar Beach, about a mile from the center of cruiser activities on Stocking Island. The water is clear, beaches deserted and sugary. We try to fit a swim/walk of the beach in every day, and I keep promising I will start varnish work once there is a 24 hour prediction of good weather.

Yesterday we attended a beach seminar on SSB, VHF, and Cellular communications. A squall came through as we were sitting there and caused us concern over what Mandates anchor might be doing out there in our absence. She was fine when we got back.

Last night we had cocktails with 6 other Canadianswe were billed as the Capitalist guests. We decided that we ought to start our own activities on Sand Dollar Beach to avoid the cumbersome dinghy passages.

Needless to say the dinghy passages in this weather are very wet, so you dont worry about combing your hair or wearing stylish clothes because you wind up a wretched mess when you get there anyway, only to face other wretched messes who made the same trip.

We have made contact with Jim and Barbara on their Farrington Crealock 53 schooner, Marguerite, the boat we are contemplating an Atlantic passage with in June. We will make a four-six day side trip to Samana Cay (70 miles southeast) to test out the boat, captain and crew, before we decide to do the big passage.

Mandate continues to be our beneficent floating home, we often complain about her smallness, especially when there is an engine project which requires removal of the companionway stairs and tools scattered over every horizontal surface of the boat; we are however, quite comfortable, safe and cozy.

January 10

Happy 88th Dad..

We are back at the mooring in Boot Key Harbor with our friend Bob awaiting a weather window to make the 50 mile Gulf Stream crossing to the Bahamas.

Cannot wait to get back there and explore some of the other islands the Bahamas has to offer. We are looking at Andros, Cat, and Concepcion Islands along with other of the 3,000 islands of the Bahamas that wemissed on our first round over there in '07.

We traveled home by way of our car to Albany, and back again. The north weather was very snowy and we managed to get cross country skiing and snow shoeing in while there, as well as visits to grandchildren and parents and siblings. We are so blessed to have such great families,

January 14, Wednesday

We are in the Bahamian Island of Bimini after a 16 hour crossing from Marathon FL in the Keys. We rode the roily waters of the Gulf Stream all of that time and I can personally attest that Dramamine works when taken in small doses beginning four hours before starting. Or the wrist bands may have done the trick, not sure.

Bimini is typical Bahama, semi deserted, semi demolished, semi built, but with beautiful beaches and crystal water.

We are expecting 30-40 kn winds for the next four days so we will begin our cross the Bahama Banks to Andros Island and the Exumas after the storm system clears.

So we will be in Bimini for a few days getting to know its nooks and crannies, we are meeting others who just came in so we have plenty of company.

Bimini was delightful. We visited the Shark Sanctuary in South Bimini... a funky outpost of students doing research on the Lemon Shark habitat in North Bimini. Because of a mega casino and hotel complex that is in development up there, we got involved with the locals vs the developers vs the shark research people in a lively town meeting. This greatly enriched our understanding and respect for the Bahamian community.

Nassau, Bahamas Jan 21

Hooray for our new President!!

We made a 24 hour passage on Saturday night and arrived here after the night passage on the banks. Wind was cooperative for the first ten or twelve hours. Then another 2-3 hours trying to tack on squirrelly winds and we gave up for a motor passage to here, Nassau Harbor Club and Marina in the same slip we were in two years ago.

We decided against an Andros Island visit as time is running out. Our crew Bob has to be in Georgetown by January 31.

Sailing is sooo much dependent upon the weather and sea state and wind direction.

We have had fun meeting people on the dock and enjoying time with them as we all await for the next jump across the Bahama banks to the Exuma chain. We watched the Inauguration at the local bar; Bahamians are even more excited about Obama than we are; parties were going on among the communities all day yesterday.

Today we hopped two city busses for 1.25 each and just traveled the routes to see the islands. After a while the driver wanted to know when we were going to get off the bus...we just said we wanted to do the route. Needless to say we had a lot of conversation with him about Obama and our lives in the states. One driver put very loud Rasta music on whenever there were kids on the bus; he turned it off when to discuss politics when there were only adults riding.

We will depart in the morning for Norman Cay along with a lot of the other cruisers. This will be a short passage, about 5 hours. Nighty night. I am writing from a Starbucks Cafe and time has run out.....

January 25, Sunday

A great sail 10-15 knots

After a rocky night in Norman and a walk around the island in the morning to visit our friends, Judy and Erwin who made it into the interior anchorage, we headed out for Shroud Cay 20 miles down the Exuma chain.

We anchored and took a mile dinghy ride through the shallow waters of a mangrove passage to the ocean side of the island. We had to get out and pull the dink through the really thin waters, paddle a lot of the way, and motor through 1/3 of the rest of the way. It was worth the struggle, because as with all the Bahamian islands the scenery was breath taking.

We made our turn back to the boat just as the sun was melting into the Bahamian Bank getting soaked in the oncoming winds.

Off to Warderick Wells early in the morning, we arrived at noon. this is the headquarters of the Exuma Park chain, the island full of hiking trails and snorkeling sights. Spikey limestone dappled with swiss cheese holes cover most of the island with occasional 6 foot radius pot holes about 20 feet deep. The island is inhabited by curly tail lizards and endangered giant hamster critters known as hortia.

We climbed Boo Boo Hill to retrieve our homemade Mandate sign left there two years ago. Today we re-Dremeled our name in it for '09 and put it back on the hill along with other cruisers plaques.

Saturday there was a gathering on the beach and one of the Horta came crawling out to beg for food. Little yellow and black winged birds eat out of your hands as well.

Weather has been cool and windy so we didn't snorkel as we did in the warm weather of March in 2007.

We shall depart this beautiful place for Big Major Island where we are promised to find wild pigs that swim out to your dinghy, and to scuba in Thunderball grotto.

Our plan is to visit Farmers Cay, and make the cut to Georgetown where we will make our home on Mandate for the next month.

Saturday March 7

Thought I did an update more recently . Since last entry we landed for two days in Big Major and anchored off of Pig Beach where about seven wild pigs live and roll around on the sandy beaches, wade in the crystal clear waters, and greet people as they come in with their dinghys. What a life!

We had a grilled Mahi Mahi sandwich at the local bar, delicious!

We stopped in Shroud Cay and dinghyed to the ocean on the other side, we sailed with Bob and Chesley on Cygnet--they've been doing this for 17 years--and knew a good place to cut out into the Exuma Sound (Atlantic) to go out and down to Georgetown, our final destination.

Wednesday February 4: Georgetown, Grand Exuma Bahamas

We arrived here on Friday last week, making our last hop about forty miles north from Cave Cay (island). We met Bob and Chesley on Cygnet, and Deb and Carter on Abacus in the Cave anchorage and were forced to suffer an impromptu progressive dinner with themwe made dessert out of yogurt over canned pears laced with a bit of rum, and a crushed ginger cookie topping---the evening was a lot of laughs.

It was a six hour passage of winds 10-15 on the nose only enabling us to motor sail with the jibthe motor actually bends the apparent wind so that we can put up a sail. The sail in turn helps to stabilize the boat in ocean swells as well as giving a bit of a boost to boat speed.

Bob Hansen, our crew since FL left Mandate two days ago. The boat becomes much larger with the absence of the third person although Bob was very careful to make himself as small as possible on this tiny vessel. He was very helpful with doing projects and acting as first mate during his tenure with us.

We are here in G-town in the height of the cruisers winter season, as opposed to in 07 when we arrived after the height. There is quite a presence here; some 200-300 others, many are Canadians, resting at anchor in the ten mile stretch in clusters where the ground is deep and holds well. G-town is looking cleaner than in 07 and seems as prosperous as any third world city is. The computer shack is still a 15 foot board with five chairs and one surge protector for five customers at five dollars a day. At least once or twice during your stay there the signal goes down, allowing silent customers to chat until restoration is made to the lines.

We are in Sand Dollar Beach, about a mile from the center of cruiser activities on Stocking Island. The water is clear, beaches deserted and sugary. We try to fit a swim/walk of the beach in every day, and I keep promising I will start varnish work once there is a 24 hour prediction of good weather.

Yesterday we attended a beach seminar on SSB, VHF, and Cellular communications. A squall came through as we were sitting there and caused us concern over what Mandates anchor might be doing out there in our absence. She was fine when we got back.

Last night we had cocktails with 6 other Canadianswe were billed as the Capitalist guests. We decided that we ought to start our own activities on Sand Dollar Beach to avoid the cumbersome dinghy passages.

Needless to say the dinghy passages in this weather are very wet, so you dont worry about combing your hair or wearing stylish clothes because you wind up a wretched mess when you get there anyway, only to face other wretched messes who made the same trip.

We have made contact with Jim and Barbara on their Farrington Creelock 53 schooner, Marguerite, the boat we are contemplating an Atlantic passage with in June. We will make a four-six day side trip to Samana Cay (70 miles southeast) to test out the boat, captain and crew, before we decide to do the big passage.

Mandate continues to be our beneficent floating home, we often complain about her smallness, especially when there is an engine project which requires removal of the companionway stairs and tools scattered over every horizontal surface of the boat; we are however, quite comfortable, safe and cozy.

March 12 , Thursday

We arrived in the USA two days agoland of noise, pavement and gross consumerism. Why we think we must live such a complicated life must be one of the questions someone from a third world country must ask.

At any rate we are back to unlimited telephone and internet access, showers with hot water, and busses to shopping centers---free in Vero Beach. Vero (Velcro Beach) is quickly becoming Marathon north for/or older and more timid sailors who make this place their destination for the winter.

Our return sail from the islands was stimulating in the beginning with 15 to 20 knots of wind and 4-5 foot seas. We had a crazy sea current ride with the boat yanking itself east to west violently 180 degrees at our Nassau anchorage just outside of a noisy bar on a Friday nightwhat were we thinking? Our anchorage outside of Chub Cay was quiet but violent rolling side to side from the turbulent seas off the Bahamian Banks; we actually were rocked into deep sleep once pillows were propped against our bodies. Anchorage on the Banks in subsiding seas against Bimini was beautiful and the Gulf Stream unusually calm as weather fronts finally subsided. In Bimini we tried to hail Marguerite on the VHF thinking they were close behind and we got our friends on Placeforus instead; they left a week before us so we were surprised and delighted to have them as our buddy boat to the US from that point on.

So once we rip ourselves from the Velcro here, we will make our way to Titusville via the ICW Indian River, and, once again fate has it that we are in the ideal location for the next space shuttle launch !!

March 5^th Thursday

After dinners with Bob and Carol and Judy and Irwin, Maria and Maurice, Jim and Barbara we have left Georgetown satisfied that it had all the fun we were searching for. Sunday friends Rick and Carla on Euphoria finally showed up after months of email correspondence and promises. We gave them a couple of days and then had to take off in order to meet our intended deadlineswho says retirement is relaxing?

Traveling the Exuma chain, we find ourselves in Black Point again, using the Laundromat and internet caf. I am having big time Bahama withdrawal pains but I will get over that and all of this will become nostalgic reverie.

Tomorrow weather permitting we will sail to Samson Cay, a new destination only ten miles north in the Exuma chain, then to Nassau, then to Chubb Cay. We will sail the Bahama Banks, 70 miles from Chubb landing in Bimini. After that is the Gulf Stream crossing to FL landing in West Palm/Lake Worth.

Only too soon we will have Mandate on the hard in Titusville and will be traveling home.

February 26, Thursday

A week of Yoga in the mornings, long walks on the beaches and get-togethers at night. We greeted Speck friends Judy, Peewee and Irwin early in the week. Bob and Carol on Time Enough II finally showed up in G-town too. Bob and Carol do fiddle and guitar, flute and cloggingwe brought our circle of Sand Dollar cruisers for an evening of singing, dancing, and playing percussion instruments on Volley Ball Beach, mile away in high winds the splash factor is significant against the wind. Tonight Bob and Carol will come to Sand Dollar to entertain. We also were invited for dinner and fun with Wendy and Warwick on their Walquiez 35 sailboat.

We checked out an electric windlass for Mandate with Sue and Rodney on s/v Glen Lion and got stories of their three Atlantic passages. So we arranged a dinner on Marguerite to share stories and advice regarding our Atlantic passage; a rousing time that was. Rod and Sue gave us advice on use of Marguerites wind vane, heavy weather sailing tactics, and use of the spinnaker and generator; they deemed her a sturdy boat very worthy of the passage. Sue was adamant about staying in Europe for at least six months; they lived aboard Glen Lion in various ports of Europe for eight years.

A major breakthrough with the SSB radio, thanks to Darius on Breeze Hunter, we are now able to transmit!!

We are looking for a weather window to leave the harbor next week to put Mandate up in Titusville FL. It will take a couple to three weeks to get out of the Bahamas depending on weather.

February 19, Thursday

Just back from our 5 day adventure on Marguerite. with Barbara and Jim. We sailed to Conception Island , a beautiful little deserted paradise just northeast of our anchorage in G-Town. We snorkeled in 25 feet of crystal clear water checking out reefs and for fish to spear for dinner. No go on the fish, but reef life was spectacular. We combed the beaches on the other side of Conception and added 3 new heads to a cruiser-created graveyard of washed up hard hats sitting on coconuts. Conception rock formations were surreal so we attempted some late afternoon photography that we think are rather Dahli-esque. Since I am still not getting photos on this site I will have Rob email them as an attachment.

We sailed to Cat Island, another 35 miles north where we visited Father Jeromes retreat, a small scale version of a full sized abbey, where he lived out the final days of his life after creating it from indigenous rock and cement. It sits on top of the highest point of the Bahamas so views from it are phenomenal. We dined at a small restaurant operated by three Bahamian women, the Bluebird Caf and had our fish fixSteamed Margate with peas and rice.

Our venture was a trial run to see if we wanted to sail across the Atlantic on Marguerite and to test our compatibility with captain and first mate. We loved the boat and crew, so right now it is a go.

Jim and Barbara are very competent sailors who have only one year of experience but in that year have sailed the coast from Maine to Florida. Jim has a background of working on fishing boats off the west coast and has experienced seas 35 feet in height. For him sailing has been on small racing boats.

I was very impressed with their knowledge of sailing and handling the schooner throughout, and feel confident that we will make the Atlantic crossing in good condition. We talked of safety equipment, procedures, techniques in the case of gales, adverse seas, and accidents; they have taken an offshore medical training in Annapolis. We have extensively read literature on heavy weather tactics and emergency preparedness. Nonetheless the venture is daunting.

Our plan is to leave Mandate in Titusville in April, do bright work on her for a week, then drive home and see family. We will reconnoiter with Marguerite in Norfolk to embark on the Atlantic crossing in early May. It takes about thirty days to cross; we will stop in the Azores for a few days and then proceed to the Mediterranean. We hope to tour Spain and perhaps France before returning to the states by August for the summer. So, we hope this all works out.

Meanwhile we sit in Georgetown enjoying the weather and the hikes and snorkels and swims and nightly get-togethers, and still doing Yoga on the beachwere all so brown from those sessions! Mandate was safe at anchor while we were gone thanks to fellow cruisers Bob and Kathy on Placeforus, and Kathy and Darius on Breeze Hunter who kept vigil: to them we say thank you.

We should be leaving here in early March after the guest lecture/appearance of Chris Parker, an SSB voice who we faithfully listen to every morning at 6:30. Chris gives weather and sea conditions for the Bahamas and Caribbean to traveling subscribers.

We then will make our way up the Exuma chain and back to Florida. Winter is so short

February 9, Monday, I think.

Well we did start an activity at Sand Dollar Beach. Rob and I were doing Yoga stretches on deck and our neighbor noticed and asked us to teach her some positions. We did Yoga on the beach the next day with her and her husband and a friend. Day 3 we had 16 interested people joining us; the following day 24, not unlike the amazing appearance of Hermit crabs when you drop cracker crumbs on the beach. So it now this is a regular thing. In the last group there were a couple of women who knew lots more about Yoga than us, so we gave them the lead and we became followers.

We continue to hang out with the Canadians: Kathy and Darius on Breeze Hunter, Mike and Judy on Sea Sharp, and Jackie and Roger and their (4!) guests on Audacious. Last night 11 of us sang oldies and danced on Breeze Hunter making lots of noise in the anchorage. We were feeling rather guilty until we climbed into our dinghy back to the boat in 20 knots of wind that howled so noisily it obliterated the loud music only ten feet from the boat.

Yesterday our former neighbors back in Marathon, (Dec-Jan) showed up in G-town to our surprise, the level of our enthusiasm was as though we had discovered long lost friends, and weve known Kathy and Bob on Placeforus only since November

I am sitting at St. Francis restaurant porch in still windy 80 degree weather, sipping a G+T, writing offline and waiting for an internet connection with three others including two Brits who have sailed around the world. Its been an hour and a half and the dialogue is so much fun that we dont care about the connection.

Island time, island attitude.

Wednesday February 4: Georgetown, Grand Exuma Bahamas

We arrived here on Friday last week, making our last hop about forty miles north from Cave Cay (island). We met Bob and Chesley on Cygnet, and Deb and Carter on Abacus in the Cave anchorage and were forced to suffer an impromptu progressive dinner with themwe made dessert out of yogurt over canned pears laced with a bit of rum, and a crushed ginger cookie topping---the evening was a lot of laughs.

It was a six hour passage of winds 10-15 on the nose only enabling us to motor sail with the jibthe motor actually bends the apparent wind so that we can put up a sail. The sail in turn helps to stabilize the boat in ocean swells as well as giving a bit of a boost to boat speed.

Bob Hansen, our crew since FL left Mandate two days ago. The boat becomes much larger with the absence of the third person although Bob was very careful to make himself as small as possible on this tiny vessel. He was very helpful with doing projects and acting as first mate during his tenure with us.

We are here in G-town in the height of the cruisers winter season, as opposed to in 07 when we arrived after the height. There is quite a presence here; some 200-300 others, many are Canadians, resting at anchor in the ten mile stretch in clusters where the ground is deep and holds well. G-town is looking cleaner than in 07 and seems as prosperous as any third world city is. The computer shack is still a 15 foot board with five chairs and one surge protector for five customers at five dollars a day. At least once or twice during your stay there the signal goes down, allowing silent customers to chat until restoration is made to the lines.

We are in Sand Dollar Beach, about a mile from the center of cruiser activities on Stocking Island. The water is clear, beaches deserted and sugary. We try to fit a swim/walk of the beach in every day, and I keep promising I will start varnish work once there is a 24 hour prediction of good weather.

Yesterday we attended a beach seminar on SSB, VHF, and Cellular communications. A squall came through as we were sitting there and caused us concern over what Mandates anchor might be doing out there in our absence. She was fine when we got back.

Last night we had cocktails with 6 other Canadianswe were billed as the Capitalist guests. We decided that we ought to start our own activities on Sand Dollar Beach to avoid the cumbersome dinghy passages.

Needless to say the dinghy passages in this weather are very wet, so you dont worry about combing your hair or wearing stylish clothes because you wind up a wretched mess when you get there anyway, only to face other wretched messes who made the same trip.

We have made contact with Jim and Barbara on their Farrington Crealock 53 schooner, Marguerite, the boat we are contemplating an Atlantic passage with in June. We will make a four-six day side trip to Samana Cay (70 miles southeast) to test out the boat, captain and crew, before we decide to do the big passage.

Mandate continues to be our beneficent floating home, we often complain about her smallness, especially when there is an engine project which requires removal of the companionway stairs and tools scattered over every horizontal surface of the boat; we are however, quite comfortable, safe and cozy.

January 10

Happy 88th Dad..

We are back at the mooring in Boot Key Harbor with our friend Bob awaiting a weather window to make the 50 mile Gulf Stream crossing to the Bahamas.

Cannot wait to get back there and explore some of the other islands the Bahamas has to offer. We are looking at Andros, Cat, and Concepcion Islands along with other of the 3,000 islands of the Bahamas that wemissed on our first round over there in '07.

We traveled home by way of our car to Albany, and back again. The north weather was very snowy and we managed to get cross country skiing and snow shoeing in while there, as well as visits to grandchildren and parents and siblings. We are so blessed to have such great families,

January 14, Wednesday

We are in the Bahamian Island of Bimini after a 16 hour crossing from Marathon FL in the Keys. We rode the roily waters of the Gulf Stream all of that time and I can personally attest that Dramamine works when taken in small doses beginning four hours before starting. Or the wrist bands may have done the trick, not sure.

Bimini is typical Bahama, semi deserted, semi demolished, semi built, but with beautiful beaches and crystal water.

We are expecting 30-40 kn winds for the next four days so we will begin our cross the Bahama Banks to Andros Island and the Exumas after the storm system clears.

So we will be in Bimini for a few days getting to know its nooks and crannies, we are meeting others who just came in so we have plenty of company.

Bimini was delightful. We visited the Shark Sanctuary in South Bimini... a funky outpost of students doing research on the Lemon Shark habitat in North Bimini. Because of a mega casino and hotel complex that is in development up there, we got involved with the locals vs the developers vs the shark research people in a lively town meeting. This greatly enriched our understanding and respect for the Bahamian community.

Nassau, Bahamas Jan 21

Hooray for our new President!!

We made a 24 hour passage on Saturday night and arrived here after the night passage on the banks. Wind was cooperative for the first ten or twelve hours. Then another 2-3 hours trying to tack on squirrelly winds and we gave up for a motor passage to here, Nassau Harbor Club and Marina in the same slip we were in two years ago.

We decided against an Andros Island visit as time is running out. Our crew Bob has to be in Georgetown by January 31.

Sailing is sooo much dependent upon the weather and sea state and wind direction.

We have had fun meeting people on the dock and enjoying time with them as we all await for the next jump across the Bahama banks to the Exuma chain. We watched the Inauguration at the local bar; Bahamians are even more excited about Obama than we are; parties were going on among the communities all day yesterday.

Today we hopped two city busses for 1.25 each and just traveled the routes to see the islands. After a while the driver wanted to know when we were going to get off the bus...we just said we wanted to do the route. Needless to say we had a lot of conversation with him about Obama and our lives in the states. One driver put very loud Rasta music on whenever there were kids on the bus; he turned it off when to discuss politics when there were only adults riding.

We will depart in the morning for Norman Cay along with a lot of the other cruisers. This will be a short passage, about 5 hours. Nighty night. I am writing from a Starbucks Cafe and time has run out.....

January 25, Sunday

A great sail 10-15 knots

After a rocky night in Norman and a walk around the island in the morning to visit our friends, Judy and Erwin who made it into the interior anchorage, we headed out for Shroud Cay 20 miles down the Exuma chain.

We anchored and took a mile dinghy ride through the shallow waters of a mangrove passage to the ocean side of the island. We had to get out and pull the dink through the really thin waters, paddle a lot of the way, and motor through 1/3 of the rest of the way. It was worth the struggle, because as with all the Bahamian islands the scenery was breath taking.

We made our turn back to the boat just as the sun was melting into the Bahamian Bank getting soaked in the oncoming winds.

Off to Warderick Wells early in the morning, we arrived at noon. this is the headquarters of the Exuma Park chain, the island full of hiking trails and snorkeling sights. Spikey limestone dappled with swiss cheese holes cover most of the island with occasional 6 foot radius pot holes about 20 feet deep. The island is inhabited by curly tail lizards and endangered giant hamster critters known as hortia.

We climbed Boo Boo Hill to retrieve our homemade Mandate sign left there two years ago. Today we re-Dremeled our name in it for '09 and put it back on the hill along with other cruisers plaques.

Saturday there was a gathering on the beach and one of the Horta came crawling out to beg for food. Little yellow and black winged birds eat out of your hands as well.

Weather has been cool and windy so we didn't snorkel as we did in the warm weather of March in 2007.

We shall depart this beautiful place for Big Major Island where we are promised to find wild pigs that swim out to your dinghy, and to scuba in Thunderball grotto.

Our plan is to visit Farmers Cay, and make the cut to Georgetown where we will make our home on Mandate for the next month.

Saturday March 7

Thought I did an update more recently . Since last entry we landed for two days in Big Major and anchored off of Pig Beach where about seven wild pigs live and roll around on the sandy beaches, wade in the crystal clear waters, and greet people as they come in with their dinghys. What a life!

We had a grilled Mahi Mahi sandwich at the local bar, delicious!

We stopped in Shroud Cay and dinghyed to the ocean on the other side, we sailed with Bob and Chesley on Cygnet--they've been doing this for 17 years--and knew a good place to cut out into the Exuma Sound (Atlantic) to go out and down to Georgetown, our final destination.

Wednesday February 4: Georgetown, Grand Exuma Bahamas

We arrived here on Friday last week, making our last hop about forty miles north from Cave Cay (island). We met Bob and Chesley on Cygnet, and Deb and Carter on Abacus in the Cave anchorage and were forced to suffer an impromptu progressive dinner with themwe made dessert out of yogurt over canned pears laced with a bit of rum, and a crushed ginger cookie topping---the evening was a lot of laughs.

It was a six hour passage of winds 10-15 on the nose only enabling us to motor sail with the jibthe motor actually bends the apparent wind so that we can put up a sail. The sail in turn helps to stabilize the boat in ocean swells as well as giving a bit of a boost to boat speed.

Bob Hansen, our crew since FL left Mandate two days ago. The boat becomes much larger with the absence of the third person although Bob was very careful to make himself as small as possible on this tiny vessel. He was very helpful with doing projects and acting as first mate during his tenure with us.

We are here in G-town in the height of the cruisers winter season, as opposed to in 07 when we arrived after the height. There is quite a presence here; some 200-300 others, many are Canadians, resting at anchor in the ten mile stretch in clusters where the ground is deep and holds well. G-town is looking cleaner than in 07 and seems as prosperous as any third world city is. The computer shack is still a 15 foot board with five chairs and one surge protector for five customers at five dollars a day. At least once or twice during your stay there the signal goes down, allowing silent customers to chat until restoration is made to the lines.

We are in Sand Dollar Beach, about a mile from the center of cruiser activities on Stocking Island. The water is clear, beaches deserted and sugary. We try to fit a swim/walk of the beach in every day, and I keep promising I will start varnish work once there is a 24 hour prediction of good weather.

Yesterday we attended a beach seminar on SSB, VHF, and Cellular communications. A squall came through as we were sitting there and caused us concern over what Mandates anchor might be doing out there in our absence. She was fine when we got back.

Last night we had cocktails with 6 other Canadianswe were billed as the Capitalist guests. We decided that we ought to start our own activities on Sand Dollar Beach to avoid the cumbersome dinghy passages.

Needless to say the dinghy passages in this weather are very wet, so you dont worry about combing your hair or wearing stylish clothes because you wind up a wretched mess when you get there anyway, only to face other wretched messes who made the same trip.

We have made contact with Jim and Barbara on their Farrington Creelock 53 schooner, Marguerite, the boat we are contemplating an Atlantic passage with in June. We will make a four-six day side trip to Samana Cay (70 miles southeast) to test out the boat, captain and crew, before we decide to do the big passage.

Mandate continues to be our beneficent floating home, we often complain about her smallness, especially when there is an engine project which requires removal of the companionway stairs and tools scattered over every horizontal surface of the boat; we are however, quite comfortable, safe and cozy.