2014-2015 Cruise Review

I started to think that our last few posts of the year, which dealt primarily with our return transit, were probably pretty boring to new readers.  So I decided to do a little recap of our 2014-2015 Bahamas Cruise.

We spent almost 6 months in the Bahamas visiting the Abacos, Eleuthera, Cat Island, and the Exumas. 

We had a great time, the highlight of the trip was spending time with our Bahamian friends and 'family'.   We have several relationships in which both sides call each other family - what a special bond.  We will miss them and God-willing will see them next year.


We left Bradenton in early November and headed pretty directly to Miami.

Sunrise off Sarasota after leaving Bradenton

We spent about a month in Miami, an interesting and vibrant city with a Latin vibe that we have grown to like quite a bit.

Miami skyline as we approach

One of the Stiltsville houses in Biscayne Bay

Long-time fans of women's basketball, we became fans of the Miami Hurricanes (still Syracuse fans too!)

Pan-master Joyce at History Miami

We crossed from Miami to West End, Grand Bahama on 12/12.  After a few days at Old Bahama Bay Marina, we transited to Marsh Harbour in the Abacos.

Harbour View Marina

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We spent the holidays with great friends/family at Grace Baptist Church in Dundas Town.

With Pastor Shawn & Elder Jackie of Grace Baptist

One of the highlights of our visit was attending the 'Watch Night" service on New Years Eve.  The evening featured a 'foot washing' (first time for us), communion, and numerous members of the congregation speaking on the theme "Our God is Greater than That"

We extended our stay in Marsh Harbour to attend Family Day at Grace.  I was allowed to be the 'church photographer', but ended up letting the kids (there are a lot of them) take pictures with my camera.  They got shots I would never have been able to get.

We visited a few of the Abaco Cays by ferry - an interesting experience:

New Plymouth, Green Turtle

Hopetown or in Bahamian 'Opetown

After leaving Abaco, we transited to Eluethera.

Good friends at Sammy's Place, Rock Sound

Ocean Hole - Rock Sound

Pretty Shrubs - Rock Sound

On Cat Island we had the honor of 'helping' master boat builder and sloop racer Mark Knowles build a Bahamian "C Class" racing sloop.

Ribs in-process cut from native hardwood

Almost completed mast

Cat Island is also home to some beautiful beaches.

While in Exuma, we finally got to see the National Family Island Regatta in Georgetown. Sloop racing is the 'national' sport of the Bahamas

Boats are anchored with sails down at the start.

Red Stripe - Black Point boat that ran away with the third A Class race

Mark Knowles skippering Running Tide (5) came in third in the A Class Series 

Mark won the Governor General's B Class Cup Race
Celebration in process on Cat Island

Watching the mega-yachts at Emerald Bay Marina is entertaining:

Meduse owned by Paul Allen, Microsoft Co-founder
Picture not at Emerald Bay

Meduse landing a helicopter on her aft deck

Santana's Grill Pit - arguably the best fish in the Bahamas.

Tanya (left) and the one and only Dee 

View from Santana's

The lunch counter at the Georgetown Primary School
Beautiful Bahamian smile!

While at Emerald Bay, we were able to attend the commissioning of a new Bahamian Royal Defence Force ship - HMBS Rolly Gray

Ship's Company receiving dignitaries

Prime Minister Perry Christie

Black Point is one of our favorite places in the Bahamas.  The Peermon (Paymon) & Basil Rolle clan are family here.  Peermon makes arguably the best coconut bread in the Bahamas and is a Deaconess in Gethsemane Baptist Church of which we are 'members'.

Joyce, Peermon, and a rare picture of Lorraine resting.
We often spend hours on the porch, just talking and enjoying each others company.

Although we have known her since see was a baby, it was delightful to spend some time with Peermon's great granddaughter, who at 2 3/4 years old is blossoming into quite a young lady.  Peermon often baby sits her when her mother is working and we tried to help relieve her a bit so see could get work done.  Joyce says that rather than a baby sitter, I am more like her 'playmate' - whatever it's fun!

A picture of Peermon plaiting (weaving straw work) taken by her great grand daughter - 'my baby girl'  LOVES to play with my phone.

Joyce's birthday party at Black Point
Mrs Adderley of Adderley's Friendly Store on the right

We ended our Bahamas trip with an unplanned stop in Bimini due to weather - but any excuse to visit Taste of Heaven Bakery and Stuarts Conch Stand

Stuart's Conch stand.

Hope this gives you a taste of our great trip to the Bahamas this year.

Tom

Docked at Twin Dolphin Marina

Bradenton, FL

2014-15 Bahamas Cruise Complete

June 13, 2015

This morning we returned to Twin Dolphin Marina in Bradenton (our old slip again) after completing our 2014-15 Bahamas Cruise.

We spent almost 6 months in the Bahamas visiting the Abacos, Eleuthera, Cat Island, and the Exumas.

We had a great time, the highlight of the trip was spending time with our Bahamian friends and 'family'.   We have several relationships in which both sides call each other family - what a special bond.  We will miss them and God-willing will see them next year.

Our return trip was long (568 nautical miles) and the weather was not favorable. We left Black Point, Exuma on May 29th and arrived in Bradenton today.  We had an unplanned 5-day layover in Bimini due to the potential of a Tropical Storm in South Florida, but were otherwise underway each day,  typically facing some squally weather.  On the final leg of our trip as we were crossing Tampa Bay, we had one of the worst squalls we have ever experienced with torrential rain and 40 knot winds.   We ended up 'killing time' for 30-40 minutes while the squall passed before we entered the narrow Manatee River Channel.  There is some truth in the old saying "It is not the ocean that kills you - it is the hard things around the edges!",  but motoring slowly in a high traffic area with zero visibility (visual or radar) is nerve racking.

Until next year!

Tom
Docked Twin Dolphin Marina
Bradenton, FL

Small Change in Plans - We are in Bimini

June 1, 2015

For two reasons we did not proceed all the way from the Exumas to Miami as outlined in the previous post, but rather terminated our planned final leg in Bimini.  We are currently docked at Weech's Dock in North Bimini.

The reasons are inter-related.  There is a significant chance of a early season tropical storm (it would be 'Bill') forming near South Florida or in the Bahamas later this week.  Our weather router advised vessels to seek a secure anchorage by no later than Tuesday.  While we easily could have reached Miami before then, we were unable to secure a mooring at our preferred Coconut Grove Sailing Club.  This would have probably forced us to stay at the not-that-well-protected Dinner Key Moorings - something we were not excited about.

We will probably stay here until the weekend when the storm track will be clearer and hopefully past us.

On a positive note, our first three legs went well:

• Black Point to Highbourne was a great sail/motor-sail
• Highbourne to West Bay was a motor-sail with light following wind
• West Bay to the NW Channel was a great motor sail and we proceeded motoring through the night across the Bank and to a morning arrival here in Bimini.

We have not been to Bimini in a while and are looking forward to our short stay here, after we rest up a bit from covering over 200 miles in the last 3 1/2 days.

Tom

Docked Weech's Bimini Dock

Alice Town

North Bimini

Headed Back to the States

May 27, 2015

We have spent a great two weeks with our 'family' here in Black Point Exuma.

After over 5 1/2 months in the Bahamas, it is with mixed emotions that we are beginning our trip back to the States.

We plan to leave here on Friday (5/29).

• Day 1 will be up the Exuma Cays from Black Point to anchoring near Highbourne Cay.
• Day 2 will take us up over the 'White Bank' to anchor in West Bay on New Providence.
• Day 3 will be a midday departure from West Bay up the 'Tongue of the Ocean', on to the Bahama Bank via the Northwest Channel, and continuing across the Bank through the night.
• Day 4 will have us exiting the Bank at Gun Cay and then crossing the Gulf Stream to Miami.

We will probably not post another blog entry until we are in Miami, but we will be updating our 'Most Recent Position'  on the blog at least daily.

Tom

Anchored Black Point,  Exuma

Commissioning "HMBS Rolly Gray"

April 30, 2015

Today we were privileged to attend the commissioning service for a new Bahamas Royal Defence Force ship "HMBS (Her Majesty's Bahamian Ship) Rolly Gray" at Emerald Bay Marina.

The Defence Force is the Bahamas' sole armed service.  It is primarily a navy, but each ship has a complement of marines.

Rolly Gray was a legendary Bahamian sloop sailor from nearby Staniel Cay.  He was instrumental in starting the National Family Island Regatta and dominated the races for many years, primarily on 'Tida Wave',  the boat that just won the "A" Class series.

Rolly was also a mail boat captain transporting mail and supplies to the out islands. For many years he was the Captain of  "MV Grand Master", whose name is also a title  bestowed on Rolly for his sloop sailing prowess.

"HMBS Rolly Gray" was built in Holland and is the fourth of her class.  Two of her sister ships were present in the marina for the ceremony.  In total the Bahamian government is presently adding 9 ships to their fleet - a serious commitment to security.

Although we have experienced it in the past, it is striking how spiritual a  Bahamanian government ceremony can be - this was a full-blown worship service with scripture readings, hymns, and prayers.  A part of the ceremony that jumped out was in the Captain's 'charge' to the ship's company:

Commanding Officer:  I call upon you to pray for God's blessing on this ship.  May God the Father bless her.

Ship's Company:   Bless our ship.

Commanding Officer:  May Jesus Christ bless her.

Ship's Company:   Bless our ship.

Commanding Officer:  May Jesus Christ bless her.

Ship's Company:   Bless our ship.

Following are some pictures from the ceremony.  Disclaimer - many of the photos were taken at a 'practice': we wanted to be respectful during the actual service.  You can tell by the uniforms - dress whites for the actual event.

"HMBS Rolly Gray"

"HMBS Rolly Gray"at flank/full speed

Ship's Insignia

Honor Guard

Honor Guard 'Spacing'

Presenting Honors

Crewman preparing to raise National Ensign for the 'first time' during the playing of the National Anthem

Bahamian Ensign Flying

Sister Ship - "HMBS Durward Knowles"

Sister Ship "HMBS Leon Livingstone Smith"
Note crewman polishing name plate

All three sister ships at dock
Impressive Sight!

Ship's Company receiving dignitaries

Governor-General Dame Marguerite Pindling

Prime Minister Perry Christie

Staniel Cay School Children

Prime Minister Christie posing with school children

Patriotic turtle doing some bottom cleaning on Durward Knowles

We were glad that we were able to extend our stay here to witness the commissioning.

Hopefully on Saturday (5/2) we will leave Emerald Bay and head north to Black Point in the Exuma Cays.



Tom
Docked Emerald Bay Marina