12/14/12 Nassau to Warderick Wells

On December 8^th we left Nassau and sailed to Rose Island. Rose Island is a scant four miles or so South-East of Nassau, and we arrived there at two o’clock in the afternoon after checking out of our marina in Nassau at around noon. Julia, Dad, and I spent a lot of the afternoon swimming around the boat trying out some of our new snorkeling gear: a gift from our Grandma. Julia found a King Helmet, a very beautiful type of shell that is about the size of a conch but it has a tan, striped design. There were only four other boats or so in the anchorage, and we were having a very peaceful afternoon. We had a wonderful happy hour, watching the sun continue on to the edge of the world. The peace was only slightly marred by the arrival of a tourist party boat from Nassau, but luckily they moved to the beach on the other side of the island to continue their partying and we were able to have our cheeseburgers in paradise.

Julia and I on the dock at our marina in Nassau. Behind us you can see Atlantis resort.

Julia and I trying out our new snorkeling gear. Julia is holding up the King Helmet that she just found.

The next day we left in the morning to continue on to Ship Channel Cay, an uninhabited island that was approximately thirty miles away. We crossed the Yellow Bank to get there, which is a huge bay of sorts, except the water is only ten to fifteen feet deep. Spying a few coral heads, Dad hopped into the water with his pole spear in search of a lobster or two. As I made slow circles around the reef in the boat, Dad made several free-dives to go try to find some dinner. He was unsuccessful  but he did see a sea turtle and took some pictures with our digital underwater camera. We continued on to Ship Channel Cay, and arrived there around three in the afternoon. After arriving, Julia and I went kayaking to explore the island. We landed on a small beach, surrounded by jagged limestone rocks and coral formations, and watched the sun fall over the water.

The next day we stayed at Ship Channel Cay and went to go explore a few local reefs. What we found was nothing short of breathtaking. The vivid coral served as a backdrop for schools of iridescent fish which slid though the crystal-clear water with little fear of us. Once again, we were able to get some amazing underwater shots of the reef and its inhabitants. Julia and I both carried our pole spears; an early Christmas present which we got in Nassau, which we brandished at Barracudas that were getting too close. After a little while, Dad spotted the tell-tale antennae of a lobster lurking in a coral cave below. He dove down, and speared it on the second try. It was large, perhaps four pounds, and singlehandedly served as dinner for four in a wonderful lobster-pasta linguine. After the sun had set, we went outside and looked up at the stars. With no large cities nearby, the stars were numerous and some were so bright that we could see their reflection on the water.

A sea turtle that we found at Ship Channel Cay.

Julia diving with spear in hand. 

Amazing colors at Ship Channel Cay. The pictures do not do it justice.

Dad holding up his find. 

The next morning we set out for Allan's Cay. Allan's Cay is a small cay that is absolutely covered in wild iguanas. I have no idea how they got there, however the population of iguanas on this tiny island is probably numbered in the hundreds. At any time during the day you can see around twenty or thirty of them at a time sunning themselves on the beach. Julia and I kayaked over to to iguana beach and found that the iguanas are not afraid of humans. They let us get within arm's reach before they scampered away. This is mainly due to the fact that the iguanas are spoiled rotten by all the tourists who come to the island and they expect to be fed every time someone lands on the beach. We took along a small piece of cucumber skin to feed to them, and they were instantly attracted to us. Later that day we went snorkeling again.

The next day we left for Norman's Cay, another almost-uninhabited cay. We were not alone at this cay; there were ten other boats anchored near us, which is probably a record since we left Nassau. Norman's Cay used to be the headquarters of a profitable drug smuggling ring and because of this it boasts a runway and a rusted out DC-3 smuggling plane that missed the runway and sank in four feet of water. The nose of the plane is open, and we were able to snorkel through it. The plane has become an artificial reef of sorts, and now teems with tropical fish and the beginnings of coral growth. The tail and top of the fuselage are still above water, and their tarnished gleam serves as a reminder of another era. Today, Norman's Cay has a restaurant and several rent-able beach houses. Its pristine white beaches stretch uninterrupted for several miles down its length, and it also contains several good snorkeling spots in the surrounding waters. I managed to find two conch during our excursions to said snorkeling spots, and when we returned to Island Cat we steamed them and saved them for future consumption. As we learned on our last trip, conch fritters are very good, but difficult to make. The locals have come up with many recipes that revolve around conch, so we may find something new to try.

The next day we progressed to Shroud Cay. Shroud Cay, which is the beginning of the Exuma Land and Sea Park, is home to a large area of mangroves, and we spent the afternoon exploring up a narrow river that led us to the other side of the island. On this ocean side, there were no signs of civilization except for footprints in the sand. Afterward we did some snorkeling. When the sun went down, we got our Christmas tree out of the bow locker, and played Jimmy Buffett's Christmas album while decorating it and the rest of the boat. That was yesterday. Today we moved to Warderick Wells, which is the headquarters of the Exuma Land and Sea Park. This is a nature preserve, and we are not allowed to catch fish to eat or remove anything from any of the islands. This makes the reefs and scenery all the more pristine, so it is probably a good idea. We went on a long hike around the island on one of its many trails, and now we are relaxing on the boat and enjoying a somewhat-limited but still useful internet connection. My apologies for the few photos, but we are only allowed 100 megabytes and the connection is relatively slow. According to the park warden, "If you think the network connection is too slow, take a look around you and enjoy the scenery and the setting...  after a long look at the different shades of blue water, the sandy beaches, and the beauty of the park, your page should be back up and ready for you to try again." Definitely worth remembering. Until next time, enjoy the Christmas season.

-Paul

12/7/12 Serena

It is with great sadness that I inform you that Serena passed away this morning. She was taken from us in her prime, taken from us before her time. I remember the day that she entered my life very clearly. She entered my life just as suddenly and unexpectedly as she left it. I was in second grade, and my father was walking me home from the bus stop. It was my mother's birthday that day, and Dad told me that he and mom had gone out and gotten a very special birthday gift together. All the way home, I tried to guess what it was. I never even came close to guessing. When I got home, I found her hiding under the table next to our stairs. She was only six months old or so; they had found her at the local animal shelter. She was a very timid cat from the start, but we quickly became close and she became a member of the family. There are so many things that I could say about her that define her. Things like how she doesn't play with her toys normally, but if you take a sheet of paper and crumple it up and toss it up she will tackle it out of the air. Things like her deathly fear of vacuum cleaners. If you can't find her, she is usually snuggled under Mom and Dad's blankets sleeping the day away. If she sees another animal out the window, she will track it from window to window throughout the house. She does not like strangers, but if she sees us with them she will walk out and introduce herself. There are so many things that I could say about her, about how she became a part of our family and stole a bit of our hearts forever. She was a wonderful cat. When we did our ocean crossing from Wrightsville Beach to the Bahamas, she was seasick and was generally unhappy. Even so, one night she managed to hop up on my bed and sleep with me and afterward she went and slept with Mom and Dad and Julia. At the time we had no idea she was trying to say goodbye. When we arrived at Nassau we took her to the vet and he pronounced her as being dehydrated, which makes sense because she had not eaten and had barely had anything to drink during the trip. She was put on an IV and was getting better very quickly. Too late, we found out that her problem was not only dehydration. She passed away early this morning, and apparently she had something wrong with her tongue. It might have been cancerous, but now we will never know. She was certainly a very young cat to have a problem like that. When Mom and Dad got the news from the vet, we stood together in one big group hug. I think everyone was crying. Even though we were all together, there was still a feeling of emptiness, like something was missing. A piece of our family, a piece of our collective heart. Serena you were a part of our family and a part of our lives. May you rest in peace now and forever.

12/5/12 Ocean Voyage and the Bahamas

Hi everyone,
Two days after the boat parade, we left Wrightsville Beach bound for the Virgin Islands. We had been watching the weather and it seemed to be a good time to leave. The sea was calm and we crossed the Gulf Stream without incident. Serena has always been a nervous traveler, and she threw up on the trip across. We lost sight of land at around 11 o'clock in the morning on the first day, and we continued out into the ocean with the goal of reaching the Virgin Islands. Three hundred miles offshore, there is absolutely no light pollution and the stars are incredible. Unfortunately it is impossible to take pictures at night on a rocking boat, so you will have to picture this scene. Our trip also coincided with the full moon, and there are few things more incredible than watching the moon rise over the water on a night watch. Our watch schedule divided us into groups of two, with Mom and I taking one watch and Dad and Julia taking the next. Our watch schedule went from 12 to 3 in the morning, from 3 to 6, from 6 to 10, 10 to 2, 2 to 6, 6 to 9, and 9 back to midnight. This way, we had three-hour-long watches at night and four-hour-long watches during the day, when it is easier to stay alert for squalls and other ships. During an off-watch, we tried to get sleep, which was sometimes difficult on a rocking boat, or we cooked or cared for the cat, who by this time was regularly drooling and not holding down food. During our trip, we saw a variety of marine life, from playful dolphins to pods of curious whales. We also saw flying fish and the occasional lost bird. After a few days, a low-pressure zone formed to our south and began to produce lots of wind and waves. We had to change our course to more east, to the point that at one point we were only a couple hundred miles from Bermuda. Once the low-pressure had passed us by, we turned south again, but a tropical depression began to form again to our south, with the possibility to form a tropical storm. This time, we had to turn east. Because of the wind direction, we were now unable to reach the Virgin Islands. We decided to go to the Bahamas, because we have been here before and know them well. We arrived in Spanish Wells three days ago, and since then we have moved to Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. Serena is recovering from her time at sea, and soon we will move on again to new islands. I am writing this from a Starbucks with WiFi, and my hour of internet is almost up so I cannot upload pictures at this time. We took plenty of pictures, however, and the next time I get internet I will upload them. Until then, know that we are safe and having lots of amazing experiences.
-Paul

11/24/12 Wilmington, N.C.

Hi everyone,
We left Waterfronte Marina yesterday, after spending over three weeks in Wilmington. A lot of the time was spent provisioning, stocking up on the food that we will need in the islands. We have something like 96 containers of Ritz crackers, 200 pounds of cat litter, and lots of other things that will be either hard to come by or more expensive in the islands. Usually Mom and Dad would spend the day shopping, while Julia and I would stay at Grandma's house and use her internet connection to get school work done. At the end of the day, we would all have dinner together at Grandma's house. Julia and I had very few opportunities to take time off from school, but it was wonderful to see Grandma and everyone else that we know and love in North Carolina. We still had fun, like when we had a happy hour with a few of Grandma's friends on Island Cat, or when we went to the movie theater to see Skyfall. We even went go-carting and mini-golfing! We ended up staying at Wilmington so long that we spent Thanksgiving there. We were invited to a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner hosted by our friends, Janet and Jim. We left Wilmington yesterday and headed to Wrightsville Beach, after hearing about a holiday  boat parade and fireworks show that occurs there after Thanksgiving every year. The parade and fireworks were last night, and we have a few cool photos of boats covered in Christmas decorations in the parade. The parade gave out prizes for different boats much like any other parade might, however there was also a "People's Choice" award where people sent texts to vote for their favorite boat. The parade was very exiting and the fireworks afterward were spectacular. The event is very popular in Wrightsville Beach, and there were people lining the streets and having parties in the houses all around the edges of the bay. It was much like any fourth of July celebration, except it was to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season. Today we spent all day preparing for our upcoming voyages, and tomorrow we will set out for more amazing experiences and adventures. For now, I will leave you with pictures of our travels in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach.
-Paul

After arriving in Wilmington, NC.

The view from the top of the mast from our marina. You can see the ocean behind the houses.

Having Happy Hour with friends on the boat.

Serena confronting Grandma's cat Sable.

And this is how the confrontation ended. Serena is very timid.

Hanging out in the tiki hut with the next-door neighbors.

Trying to get Serena into a pet life jacket. Needless to say, she was not pleased...

River otters on the marina docks.

Pelican near the marina.

Before starting mini-golf. 

Julia just before taking a swing.

Taking a break from playing golf.

Dad waving from the go-cart track.

All three of us lined up on a straight-away. Mom took pictures instead of racing.

A seafood shack where we bought fresh shrimp for dinner.

Mom and Julia at the Thanksgiving dinner.

Julia and I on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving dinner with Grandma and her friend Phyllis in the picture.

Sunset at Grandma's.

Sunset at Wrightsville Beach. We strung up white lights around the railings and  we brought our
Christmas tree out of the bow locker.

All  four of us.

Serena sitting next to the Christmas tree.

One of the boats in the boat parade. This boat had wings wrapped in blue lights that moved up and down
 to resemble a manta ray. This boat ended up winning the People's Choice award.

Another one of the boats in the boat parade.

This boat was wired with lights that were timed to music. The lights in the rigging and
 the  railings changed colors and flashed to the beat.

Fireworks over the water.

More fireworks.

Julia and I watching fireworks.

Boat Music

Hi everyone,
Now that we are at Grandma's house, we have access to a better internet connection. I am taking the time to try to add music to the blog, so you can hear some of the songs that we like to listen to. Most of these songs are by Jimmy Buffett, one of our favorite artists.  From time to time I may add more music, but for now I will keep the list small.
-Paul

Son Of A Son Of A Sailor Brown Eyed Girl Flesh And Bone Surfing In A Hurricane Coast Of Carolina Mexico Margaritaville Only Time Will Tell Southern Cross Autour Du Rocher Last Mango In Paris School Boy Heart Come Monday Cheeseburger In Paradise Diamond As Big As The Ritz I Will Play For Gumbo Overkill Changes In Lattitudes Far Side Of The World I Don't Know And I Don't Care

11/1/12 Washington D.C. to North Carolina

Hi everyone,

              It has been a while since DC, so I thought I would do another blog post. We have been steadily working our way down the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) with the next major stop in mind being my Grandma’s house in Wilmington, North Carolina. Some of the places we have stopped in include Norfolk, Virginia; Great Bridge Bridge; and Morehead City. Most of the time in the ICW we stop in little bays with nothing in sight for miles, and other times we anchor in busy towns that are not unlike what we would find at home. Norfolk definitely fits the description of a busy town, with a full fleet of navy ships and waterfront area big enough to dock a cruise ship. We had a memorable afternoon watching the huge ships slide by as we made our way up to the anchorage. Later that evening we headed out to dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. That night we managed to get the TV antenna working and we watched the third presidential debate. After an hour of watching two people who hate each other try to act nicely on national television, we went to bed. 

              We usually stay in new places for only one night, however there were two exceptions: Great Bridge Bridge and the Pungo River. I will talk about Great Bridge Bridge first because it was the happier of the two experiences and it also happened first. Great Bridge Bridge is a bridge located on the Elizabeth River, directly after Great Bridge lock. While waiting at the Great Bridge lock we had decided that, if there was a free slip between the lock and Great Bridge, we would stop for the day because we had been travelling non-stop and were very tired. Just as we got to the free slips along the edge of the river, a boat pulled out and we happily took their spot at the river's edge. Elizabeth River is about a hundred yards wide, flat calm, and located in the middle of bustling town. Next to the free marina there was an open park, perfect to run around in and burn off some of the energy that we had accumulated over the past week. Just after we pulled in to dock, a man from the boat docked ahead of us came up and introduced himself. His name was Jean-François and he was from Canada. He, like us, had recently embarked on a one-year trip with his wife, Stéphanie, and fifteen-year-old daughter, Virginie, down to the islands. Their blog can be viewed here, and it is entirely in French. Despite speaking French, Jean's English was very good. We quickly became friends with their family, and during the three days that we were at Great Bridge we did almost everything together. On the fourth day, we both crossed under Great Bridge Bridge and pulled up at a marina for water and fuel. Jean had to go back to Canada for a week, so they would be staying at the marina until his return. Meanwhile, we had to continue on. What we didn't know, however, was that a then-tropical storm Sandy was about to sweep up the coast and make our trip considerably less enjoyable. 

                   We got as far as the Pungo River, in North Carolina, before we were forced to seek shelter. We went as far upriver as possible without being in danger of running aground, and under Sandy's malevolent gaze put out all two-hundred feet of our anchor chain in six feet of water. The next three days can only be described as lifeless. We had to stay inside because it was raining in a continual, icy downpour, and the howling of the wind whistling through the rigging kept us up at night. Sandy left us after the third day, but it was a couple more days before we saw the sun again. In that time, a low-pressure system had formed and brought cold air from over the Great Lakes. With the temperature dropping into the mid forties at night, we continued on. The next few days we spent traveling. Yesterday we pulled into the Morehead City marina for a night in civilization. We went out to dinner at Sanitary Fish Market, and, being that we are now in the "south," our waiter brought us hush puppies to start our meal instead of rolls or a loaf of bread like a restaurant from Connecticut will do. It was a new and interesting experience for us, and it made our dinner that much more memorable. Julia and I both ordered a slice of pumpkin cheesecake for dessert, in the spirit of Halloween. This morning we woke up early and left the dock before the sun was up in order to catch the tide. The temperature was 46 degrees, which we all agreed was unseasonably cold for North Carolina, even though it was the first day of November. After passing under several bridges and having the antenna at the top of our mast hit every beam on the underside of the bridges, we pulled in at Camp Lejeune, a military base in North Carolina. We took photos of all the interesting things we have seen, including a Harrier jump jet and a VTOL(Vertical Take-off and Landing) aircraft. Tomorrow we should arrive at Grandma's house in Wilmington, N.C. where we will spend a week or so visiting and provisioning for the next part of our journey. For now, I will leave you with photos of our journey thus far, and as always, thanks for reading!

-Paul

Sunset  

A high-tech military watercraft outside of Norfolk, Virginia.

Sitting on the bow outside of  Norfolk with an aircraft carrier in the background.

Julia up on the bow.

Dad at the helm.

Fort Wool outside of Norfolk. This fort has been protecting the harbor since 1817.

The navy and their toys.... and our tax money.

This unnamed military boat passed us doing about 40 mph. I bet it goes a lot faster.

A battleship in Norfolk.

A perfect day!

Huge military ships.

Compare the size of this gun to the pickup truck next to it.

We couldn't figure out what this was, but it was mounted on a few of the ships.  Maybe for intimidation?
"I'm not sure what this does, but you don't want to be nearby when I turn it on."

A patrol plane banking in for a landing. Battleship in the foreground.

Speaking of battleship, Mom and Julia decided to play a round of battleship  as we
  were passing by all the navy ships.

Aircraft carrier dead ahead!

Enjoying a burger at Joe's Crab Shack.

Julia looks like she is enjoying her burger, too.

Mom and Dad.

Cruising through a few bridges .

Tying up at the Great Bridge lock.

The water is flooding into the lock. In the background is the Elizabeth river where we tied up.

Island Cat at the dock in Great Bridge, with Misty, the boat owned by our new friends, just  ahead of us.

Virginie, Julia, and I at the park next to the Elizabeth river.

Here we are playing Rummy on Misty.

Dad removing the wind instrument at the top of our mast. Our mast is 63.5 feet  high  and the lowest bridges in
the ICW have 64 feet of clearance, so we decided to take it off before it was taken off by the bottom of a bridge.

Dad took a camera to the top of the mast. What a view!

This is what our boat looks like from 63.5 feet in the air.

Dad and Jean-François stringing up a new bow trampoline.

Great Bridge Bridge opening for us.

The Elizabeth river stretching into the distance. Some of these canals are
so long that you can see the curvature of the Earth.

The great soccer ball rescue! We saw a floating soccer ball and decided to pick it up.
Maybe we will give it to local children we meet in the islands.

Here I am doing schoolwork in the main salon.

Bald eagle spotted!

Dad holding our GPS to make sure that we do not start to drag during the hurricane.

Waiting out the hurricane.

Prepared for the storm!

We wrapped a table leg in sisal rope to make a cat scratching post.

Dad, Julia, and I returning from a cold, three-mile dinghy ride to get fresh shrimp for dinner. We made  a  spicy shrimp jambalaya that was so good that I had a second, third, and fourth helping at dinner.

Dolphins!

Island Cat at the marina in Morehead City at sunset.

Sunset from the dock at Morehead City.

This was our Halloween candy. One bar of Hershey's Dark for both of us.

Few things taste better than homemade bread and homemade pumpkin bread.

Dinner at Sanitary Fish Market. Here we are holding up hush puppies.

Possibly the best cheesecake I have ever had the pleasure of eating, pumpkin or otherwise.

Sunrise after we left the dock in Morehead City. Happy November!

Birds all lined up on a sandbar next to the channel.

A bird watching us go by.

Harrier jump jet in flight.

An armored troop carrier that had been abandoned and used for target practice.

You can't make this kind of stuff up.

VTOL aircraft in landing mode.