Preparing to cross to the Bahamas

March 1 through 10, 2014: 

Saturday:  After a month at the beach we took the boat back up to the City Yacht Basin Marina. We had trouble starting the Starboard engine. After checking it out we found out it was a corroded circuit breaker and two boaters from the marina helped fix it and we were on our way. Didn’t get to the City marina until 15:00. I washed clothes when we got there. We went out to dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack. Being a Saturday, it was very busy and it took 65 minutes before we were seated. But once we finally were served we had a very good dinner.

3-1-2014:  Good-bye to Fort Myers Beach until next year.

On Sunday we went to the Swamp Buggy races in Naples with Dave and Carol of D Cea. Had a real good time. Got there by 10:45 and didn’t get home til 19:30, long, hot, day but fun. Never before have we seen anything like it.

 

 

3-2-2014: Swamp buggy races

On Monday we went to Walmart and Dollar Tree to stock up on supplies for the Bahamas. Dave and Carol let us use their vehicle for supplies and to pick up Sharon from the air port. Very nice of them.

Tuesday:  Left Fort Myers Yacht Basin and took the boat to Nick and Aline’s for the afternoon and evening. We took Sharon to the Manatee Park in the afternoon and Nick grilled steaks for dinner. Nick’s neighbor came over after and we all had an enjoyable evening.

3-4-2014:  At Nick and Aline's; beautiful orchids and view.

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Wednesday:  Roland Martin's Marina.  A beautiful day on the water. Decided to go another 17 miles to Clewiston to make tomorrow a shorter day and besides we had never been there. The lock was left open because of high water so we drove straight through. It was a very short lock; didn’t look like we would have fit if it was closed. A nice little marina.

 

3-5-2014:  Roland Martin's Marina, Clewiston, FL.

 

3-5-2014:  Clewiston Lock, usually left open.

 

3-6-2014: Sharon helping in St. Lucie Lock; down 14'

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Thursday:  Mariner Cay Marina.  We were going to anchor out at Mile 2.5 in Hooker Cove but there were tornado warnings our for the area so we went to a marina. We got tied up just in time as the storm hit minutes after. Very strong winds and rain but luckily no tornado. We were watching TV when John Connelly knocked on our boat. We met and traveled with John and Sue in 2011 through northern Florida and all of Georgia. This was the first time we had seen them since. We went to their boat for drinks and met Mike, a sail boater, who is their boat neighbor. We ended up all having pizza together for dinner. A very enjoyable evening. Mike is also going to the Bahamas and has been there many times and we might cross with him and another sail boater as well as Steve and Mary Chase who we had already planned on traveling with.

3-6-2014:  Mariner Cay Marina, Stuart, FL

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Friday:  Anchorage in North Lake Worth.  Warm but very windy day on the water. We had all kinds of trouble getting our anchor to set; tried 3 times. We thought it as set and Sharon and I were doing some work and Keith took a nap. When he woke up we checked our anchor and we had slipped a good 20 feet. We were in the process of resetting our anchor when a sail boater came over to us in his dinghy and said that everyone was having trouble with that spot.  Two boats anchored there and then left their boats.  Now their boats were all the way across the lake in shallow water. We found another spot and our anchor held even in the strong winds.

3-7 and 8-2014:  View from anchorage in North Lake Worth; night and day.

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Saturday and Sunday:  Cannonsport Marina, on Lake Worth in North Palm Beach, FL.  We got to our marina by mid morning.  We are busy getting every thing done for our trip to the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas.  Keith spent the day down in the engine room; changing oil and all that good stuff and Sharon and I went to the grocery store for the last time before we leave.  On Sunday Sharon did 3 loads of wash for me while I did work on the boat.  It sure is nice having help.

It looks like a "go" for early Tuesday morning.  We will be traveling with 1 other boater.  Our sail boater friends are leaving Monday night and travel through the night.  We will catch up with then when we get over there.  Can't believe it is time to go already.  Really looking forward to this trip.  We will not have our phones turned on while we are over there as it would be too expensive.  We will have Internet when we are at marinas so we will have contact with the US at times.  Sharon will stay for about a month or so and fly out of Marsh Harbor and then Keith and I will stay another month and come back the first part of May.

3-8-2014:  When you see birds walking on water, you know it is shallow.

3-8-2014:  View from Cannonsport Marina, North Palm Beach, FL

3-9-2014:  PartyVille out in front of our Marina, North Palm Beach, FL

3-9-2014:  This will be our next boat when we decide to downsize.

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CO's comments:  A good time was had at the beach.  The Swamp Buggy races where a hoot.  I liked the jeep racing better because they were half under water most of the time where the bigger buggies just flew across the water.  The trip to the east coast was good.  Clewiston is a spot every one should stop at but only with a smaller boat.  In the morning we had only 3' clearance on each end of the boat and had to slide sideways to get out.  In the middle of that, Bass boats came roaring by which didn't help matters.  The rest of the trip to Stuart was good and it was nice to see our old friends there.  We are now at a marina with 70' Sport Fish boats and they all have crews.  Poor me, I only have Sharon and Bobbie.  Tomorrow we are heading out and have been cautioned that Sport Fishers don't give a hoot about anyone but themselves and it can be very dangerous in the inlet.

1st Mates comments:  This trip has been wonderful; good company, good food, and beautiful weather.  I barely even think about the 3' of snow back home in Ashland.  Looking forward to the Bahamas.