Goodbye Bahamas, Hello USA

So we left the Bahamas with Jane kicking and screaming.....(sorta like the first time we left Florida in 1975).  She insisted she was not leaving until she could swim with the pigs.....the winds kept us from getting to the cays that had them.....so she bought AND modified this T shirt.  Captain Bob is (of course) doing everything he can to "make her wish come true"!...(ie: there are several cays where pigs live and have become accustomed to dinghies coming in and feeding them.  They practically crawl into the boats to get food....its become quite a "tourist attraction".  So saving something for "next year"...

We had such a wonderful time that we are determining if next year we can do it again.  Our buddy boats are making plans also....It was great traveling with them the last couple weeks...Here they are at anchorage off Great Sale Cay, on our way to West End to prepare for the big crossing back home.

The water was just as calm as the picture indicates....and Captain Bob took advantage of it....

AND it is the beautiful color blue shown here also.....it is indescribable.  After a peaceful night anchored here, we were off to Old Bahama Bay Marina on West End.   We had a great day there taking a dinghy ride to a couple islands.....the first one had tons of conch shells....each one prettier than the next....we set our limit at 8 and will clean them and give them away as Christmas presents!! ha ha.....well, they do sell for $15 each in the Keys.  We all got together for a celebratory dinner and toasted our good times together.

Then it was 6:30am Thursday morning and time to say our goodbyes and start the big cross.  Our buddies on Job Site went south to Ft. Lauderdale.....and Puttzing Around went straight across to Stuart.  We decided to head north and let the gulf stream push us up to Ft Pierce.  

The crossing was great (unlike the trip over)....water was flat, dolphins joined us and lots of boats were crossing both ways...the perfect day.   Captain Bob decided to "drag a line" in the water behind the boat.....and had a "great fight, " bringing in a bunch of weeds, he did a great job doing so....if he ever encounters the real thing, he will be ready!

We arrived in Ft Pierce about 3:30 pm, and after fueling up and a much needed pump out (gross, but we do not have the overboard pumping capabilities that MOST boats in Bahamas do), therefore not too many marinas have pump outs there.  And you wonder, HOW CAN the water be SO beautiful????  Something to study up on....

Once we were in our assigned slip, we call US customs, as required.   ALL the other boats get an OK....we get "come to our office at the airport".....HUH??  We paid for our "sticker" that is to make for an easy call in, and SERIOUSLY, IF we had something to hide....don't you think THEY should come to us???  Like we are going to show up with our refugee?? (just kidding)  Like son Rob explained, they probably are required to have face to face contact with one out of a dozen boats, and we were the lucky #12!!  You think our homeland security has bigger problems than 2 retirees on social security, coming back on a 25 year old boat from the Bahamas to worry about???  Jane is secretly hoping they will send us back!!  HA

We haven't gotten to airport to check in yet, as that involves a car.....we make a reservation and THEN they tell you they have no cars available till the afternoon.....and now it is almost 4pm and still no cars.....maybe if we don't show, immigration will come to us!!    Rob says that mom should just go and keep her mouth shut and follow the rules!...(not really my style😇)  Now, on to why a rental car company takes your reservation and all your information.....and THEN tells you they have no cars available......!!   It has been quite a day.   Captain Bob is napping...and mate Jane is reminiscing of how simple life could be FULL time in the islands!..at least we would have no car issues, as most of the islands just have golf carts!

UPDATE:  We finally took a cab to airport and it took all of 3 minutes....."name, passports, name of boat?..OK you are cleared"!  So, against sons wishes, Jane asked the very nice (very nice looking also) customs man...WHY?  He says they are switching over the system and sometimes the online app doesn't work the way it should and just between us....he thinks the whole system is dumb, quote...."you certainly didn't bring anything illegal over in the trunk of your car to show us, did you?".  We replied that we didn't bring any refugees with us, as we already raised 2 kids and that was enough!...He showed Captain Bob how to use the app.....and in the cab back to boat, the nice lady on the other end of the app on Bob's phone cleared us also!  Captain Bob says "he wanted to be mad at the guy, but he sure was helpful!".....So with that ordeal over, we promptly went to the Tiki bar and had drinks and dinner.   They didn't send Jane back and they didn't ask about any "spiny crab tails" that we purchased from the native on the dock our last night in Bahamas!  LOBSTER season ends 3/31 and it is illegal to catch and sell them.....so the native on dock sold us 3 delicious "spiny crab tails".....(Jane was sure that was why they had us pegged at immigrations).

Captain Bob is presently scoping out downtown....he needs breakfast, crossword puzzle and "some ME time!"...what is that about?   Jane is still dreaming about living in the islands!

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind......

One thing about the Bahamas, you truly are at the mercy of the ever blowing trade winds.  Most of the time they are a welcome breeze.   Sometimes not so much......

We left Abaco Beach Resort and Marina in Marsh Harbor (on Great Abaco) on the 10th.  Capt Bob had PLANNED to leave on the 9th.....but 1st mate Jane said "no way" to the choppy waters outside the harbor.   The next day proved to be a good one to move to Treasure Cay and the charming marina there.  We reconnected with some loopers (on Decisions) that we hadn't seen since docking beside them last fall....so a lot of catching up, laughs and drinks were shared....until the winds whipped up and blew everything away (umbrellas, tablewear, etc) at the beach bar we were visiting.   The next morning, another looper boat (from Ludington) who we met there last summer, and have crossed paths with over here, decided that this was the day to cross "whale cay channel".   We had heard horror stories of the rollers in the channel and liked the idea of traveling with another boater thru the mile or so that you have to go out in the ocean to get around to the next series of cays.....So I reluctantly packed up and we headed out.....Treasure Cay will definitely be on the list to stay longer the "next time".

Off we went following "True North".....the channel was a piece of cake, not bad at all (as planned).  We were also towing the dinghy, which we have named "Nightmare" (vs. LeReve, " the dream") as Capt thought it would be better than the extra weight on top of boat in rollers.   Once through whale channel and back into Sea of Abaco, the winds really picked up and it was another "challenging" ride into Green Turtle Cay.   True North got in and docked and then in we came.....winds were registering at 35 mph, and Capt Bob had to stern into a slip while dragging props on bottom of shallow inlet, and mate Jane was on swim platform attempting to tie dinghy to back of boat.  With the help of about 10-12 people on dock and one dock hand who leaped onto boat to help mate Jane with lines, now that dinghy was loose, Capt. Bob did his magic and turned the boat from a 180 turn going the wrong way down the channel....and backed in from the opposite direction, and it looked just like he had intended to do it that way!   All on dock praised his expertise. He said he hoped no one had a video of our landing!  The dinghy took a beating, and so did Jane, but the Capt kept his cool!  (sometimes he really amazes me!)  Like my mom says,  "all this from a guy who never liked the water, until he met us".....and something about us  "trying to drown him while attempting to teach him to water ski"... but that's another story.   Now, 40 YEARS later, you would think he was an ole sea captain......(or at least looks like one!)

So here we are at Bluff House Marina in Green Turtle Cay.  We rented a golf cart to see "town"....it didn't take too long and the main attraction seems to be a liquor store/restaurant....that sells T shirts that say...  "I had breakfast at the liquor store".  Someone in there asked us about boating.  I asked him how he knew we were boaters....he said, because we looked so relaxed!...(he didn't witness the landing!")  I think that " look" had something to do with the liquor store.....so happy to find Titos Vodka on this Island....also more Pepsi, at $12 a pack! Have decided that "next time" we need to bring way more Pepsi(and Titos) with us from the states.....we will use it as ballast! The other theory is to bring half as much clothes...and twice as much money! We can vouch for that.

We now "plan" to leave here with a couple of buddy boats we have been "socializing" with across the dock....one from Mich, one from Minn....We will head for West End (of Grand Bahama) early next week, and then cross back over to Florida on the 20th....that is IF the winds continue to be as predicted.  So when asked "when".....I say..."the answer is blowing in the wind".

Life in the Abacos...

Jane at "Tahiti Beach".....a floating bar in the background.

Capt Bob having lunch at Firefly, great view over Sea of Abaco

Bob with his new toy....a seat with a view!

We are presently in Hopetown, in the Abacos.   This is another beautiful marina (that everyone said you won't get in to)  but we had no trouble getting a reservation..maybe the crowd is thinning out....there are lots of empty slips in here, and the price is not as steep as previous marinas. 

On Easter Sunday we attended a Methodist church that overlooks the ocean. It was very nice and well attended by folks that must "winter here".....as a lot of them talked about when they were going back home.

Most stores were closed on Easter Sunday AND on Easter Monday.....so we went on a long dinghy ride on Monday, to Tahiti Beach.....like someone said..."I've never been, but I would imagine this is what Tahiti looks like!"  It was very scenic, and a bar barge is anchored off shore that we ordered lunch and drinks from.  Bob walked the beach and found a conch shell with the conch still in it...UGH  (disgusting) as the small girl I was visiting with proclaimed!  We brought it back to boat, not sure if that was legal or not, but we did it anyway....(we rely A LOT on the fact that son Rob has "friends in high places" in case we end up in trouble out of the country😱) so we read up on how to get the conch out of the shell (which is the part we wanted...the beautiful shell).....put it in freezer for a few hours and then tug with a pliers.... double disgusting! but it did come out....I tried to cut it up.....as we do pay for conch in restaurants....but it was SO darn tough that I couldn't...so I probably threw about $10 worth overboard....Boy, did the fish flock to it.  I should have at least saved it for bait....in case we ever do put a pole in the water! 

We will be here until tomorrow....we really enjoyed our time here, even ran in to other loopers in town that we had met originally in Key West....its good to see  familiar faces.  We did get in to the shops on Tuesday and Bob purchased another shirt that is an instant dry type that "all the fishermen" wear...I really do like them also as washing and drying are a breeze!  I have been using the washer on the boat more lately, as they want $5.50 for a token that is for one wash....and another $5.50 to dry.....AND I am doing it myself!! (for $11. I would think someone else would at least do the folding!!)  The wooden rack I picked up in Rogers City does the trick for drying with solar power up on the top deck.  I haven't figured out how much water I am buying to do a load of wash on board, but I doubt it is $5.50 worth.  (water and elect are metered in addition to the slip fee)

Here are some pictures from previous ports.....this one is outside the "club" at Chubb Cay....a beautiful private island...but "the club" is ALL that was there....they also had a small store in the club, where I purchased a box of club crackers for $7.98!   I had invited over some loopers we had previously met in Michigan, for cheese and crackers....unfortunately I needed crackers!

Then we were on to Spanish Wells.....here we discovered yet another beautiful shallow beach,  Bob walked out for probably a mile and was never in water over his waist.....so he discovered an easier way to get completely cooled off.  I floated around for a couple hours in a floating chair....what a life!  Also in Spanish Wells, we were introduced to "johnny cakes" ..they were described to me to be like a English muffin, without the crannies.  I found them to be much sweeter and tastier.  We ate them as a breakfast food, but they also serve them as a side with lunch or dinner.  I might attempt to bake some in my future life.  This is were I discovered the giant crab claws.

Almost every cay we been to, we have said that we would like to come back here sometime.....but there are so many more places that we haven't seen yet and would like to...we exchange stories about our favorite places with other loopers, as in "have you been here, no, have you been there......" etc.  So we will continue to move on and take in all we can this trip......but there will definitely be a future visit here, perhaps next winter??