Spanish Wells

We left Chubb Cay on Sunday and headed for Spanish Wells.  We debated whether to make the trip on to Nassau or stop.  We are so glad we chose Spanish Wells.  Some fishermen told us there was nothing here...nothing.....?  I think they had it confused with Spanish Key.  This island is delightful and the marina is charming.   Just what you would picture a Bahama Island to look like!  Our cruise over was another long day, but not as bumpy as previous runs.....we did have "rollers"  but all in all it was never too bad.  (Nothing moving around cabin, etc)  I have begun to gauge good runs and bad runs based on how much stuff flies around the cabin while underway!  😁😁

Spanish Wells is on the north edge of Eleuthera Island, about 35 miles northeast of Nassau.
This island has a substantial grocery story (Food Fair) which we can easily get to on foot, but we rented a gold cart for a few days, as Bob loves to roam around in it.   We will have to live in a "golf cart community" when this trip is over, he has decided!  He has also decided that the ideal temperature for his comfort is 75 to 80 degrees....and if it has to vary 5 degrees he would prefer 85 over 70.....so this golf cart community obviously will be in the south somewhere!!  and you thought I was the sun worshipper😎.  (I think Key West changed him...for the better! haha)

The grocery store here features anything you think you might need (better selection of items than I can find "up north Michigan")...and if you get there on a day when the supply ship comes in, you have even a better selection!  I am impressed by the produce and the prices of the produce, but other items I am glad we are stocked up on.....like paper products.  We have bought eggs ($4.50 doz), milk is $4.50 for 1/2 gal....and the granddaddy of them all...PEPSI (which is like crack for Bob, so it is a MUST PURCHASE) is $9.80 a 12 pack!  I told him he would be better off drinking rum!   Although I think the alcohol is quite expensive also compared to what we are used to.....luckily I have that stocked up also. Bob did have Pepsi stocked up, but not enough to support his "habit".

  I discovered a seafood market(??) which is a huge cooler in the corner of a hardware store across from the fishing docks, and I purchased stone crab claws at $15 a pound.  They are absolutely the BIGGEST claws I have ever seen....each claw is about the size of my hand!....which means when I crack them open to get the succulent meat out, huge chunks come out instead of the tiny little bits you would get out of a "normal sized" claw.  I am getting about a tuna can size full of meat out of every claw!   so yummy....  I was paying $35 a pound in Key West and decided the price and effort wasn't worth it for as little meat as I was finally able to eat.  These definitely are worth it, so I picked up another package this morning.

Speaking of the golf carts.....we were following a lady in hers and she speed around a corner in front of us, and out fell a couple dozen eggs (at $4.50 a dozen).....she stopped and picked them up and I suggested if she hurried home she could still have them scrambled!  She said "of all things to fly out of her cart, it had to be the eggs!  People here are very friendly and the homes mostly all seem to be well kept.  We have met several American families who own property on the island as vacation homes.  Since we have been in Bahamas we have never once felt unsafe or threatened.  The natives tell us the only island that you need to be careful on is Nassau.  If a native does something bad on one of the other islands, they send them to Nassau to go to court and/or jail......and then when they get out....they are NOT welcomed back to their island.....so they stay on Nassau!  (sounds like a sanctuary city!)   thus the higher crime rate, etc in Nassau.....because that's where the criminals are!!  Before we got here, other cruisers told us to lock our dinghy and motor up and not leave things unattended.....but since we have been on Bimini and now Eleuthera we have not once even locked the boat door when we leave!  And unlike Bimini the natives here are much friendlier.

I want to post some pictures of Chubb Cay and some from here, but the internet is not cooperating with transferring the files, so those will have to wait until later. (using the emojis instead🏖)..feeling internet savvvvy !!

  Some have inquired about the costs of dockage.....we have found it to be about $4.00 a foot, but then on top of that is the added electric and WATER charges.  We have stopped making the boat a 48 (LOA) and say it is 45 feet (which the model clearly states it is, so we really are not fibbing) and we are cautious about using the air conditioning......luckily with the exception of a couple days in Chubb, the weather is cool enough to have windows opened and air off.   Those days added approx. $60 a DAY more to charges of $200 a day to begin with. (and the water charges topped out about $40 a day, we are now more conservative) We had hopped to anchor out more, but we knew coming in here that the wind and waves were going to be blowing all week (which they are) and that we would probably be here till the weekend (which we will be).  We are just grateful that there is potable water available, as we were also told (??) that most places don't have any... (and we are extremely grateful that pump outs are not as scarce as we thought....so we take advantage of those whenever available.  All in all, we have really been enjoying this part of our journey and I am now confident in Captain Bobs abilities to navigate us thru some pretty shallow waters....if I was driving, we would still be stuck on several sand bars and shoals and reefs (as I constantly question WHY he is going in the direction he is, when it looks to be sooo much closer to just go directly in.... I guess some of us have different talents than others....mine lately seem to be beating Bob shamelessly at card games!🃏

THE BAHAMAS!

We made it....we are in the land of super HUGE yachts and beautiful turquoise water.   We crossed from Islamorada on Saturday, March 17...St Pattys Day.  By looking at us you would think we drank green beer all the 110 miles across.   At least I was a little green in the face by the time we arrived.  A lot of rocking and rolling took place.  The boat does great, the crew grips the railings and ignores the items flying around the cabin.  I only have myself to blame for not securing the items above the stove.  A tray fell and cracked the ceramic glass top...now comes the impossible task of trying to replace a marine grade, 25 year old, foreign model, of which the company is no longer in business.  Also this one has 4 burners...A real rarity for today's models...but as the captain said...how many burners HAVE you used?..he has a point there.  The unit is still functionable, so this will be a job for the future.

We arrived and cleared customs (absolutely no problems there, not too many questions and pay your cash $300) at Bimini and spend 2 nights there before heading out on the 100 mile trek to Chub Cay.  Once again another white knuckle trip..this time with trays, etc better secured.  The water did get a little better the closer we got to the island and we docked at the resort.
This is a stunning resort AND the only thing on the island.  A large marina with lots of sport fishing boats and then the mega yachts probably are what supports this place...we had a nice visit with a crew member and a nanny off one of the palaces....they told us the owner flies in supplies as needed.  Bob might need to ask them to included some Pepsi next flight!....Jane is all set, as they do have bar service...complete with a swim up bar in the pool.

While we were in the pool, other loopers came in..one boat from Charlevoix, and one from Canada.  We discovered the Canadians were loopers we partied with in Mackinac city last July...and our connections in Charlevoix (our friends, the Centers) are always a reference to strick up a conversation with the couple on "Winndecks".  Perhaps i will host a docktails get together as it appears we will all be here for a few days as the winds are getting stronger.  This is why lots of boaters wait till April to come over.
 
The boat next to us gave us a baggie full of  fish that we grilled for dinner...doesn't get any fresher than that!!  From the ocean to mouth in less than 5 hours...yummy..not a bad place to be "weathered in"

Rainy Days and Mondays......

We left Key West and headed to Faro Blanco Marina in Marathon.   It is a beautiful marina with a pool (just us old folks in their pool) and a great onsite restaurant.  Good thing, as there isn't much around it commercially "out the gates".  We did enjoy the Marathon Seafood Festival on Saturday and the day before, on Friday, we took a taxi cab to....PUBLIX!   Our favorite place in Florida, or so it seems that we spend the most money there!  While we were at Faro Blanco they had a "offshore boat rendezvous".  These are the sleek looking ones that go fast!  I asked one driver how fast they went and she said 80 to 100 mph and they were one of the SLOWER boats....some go 180.  I told her "we go 8 to 10"!!

After a great few days there we were off again.....destination Islamorada.  It is a village encompassing 6 of the Florida Keys, known for their coral reefs.  We had a great day on Sunday weather wise, but in addition to dodging the never ending crab pots....we now are dealing with very shallow water.  Capt Bob is constantly watching the depth gage and often we are digging up the bottom.....thankfully it is sand!  Here we are at Plantation Harbor, which is in a city park.  We were lucky to get in, as we are now finding it more and more difficult for a transient slip, as this is where the hurricane damaged a lot of marinas that are still under repair.   AND thankful we were to be in a protected area because on Monday quite a storm came thru...   High winds, waves, thunder and lightning....lots of rocking and rolling and lots of rain.  But as typical Florida, Tuesday (today) is just as sunny and bright as usual and a great temp....We rode our bikes down to "Rain Barrel" a small artisan village and I even got my picture taken with "Betsy" the lobster...   Its fun to play tourists!  I guess that is what we are, although it feels like we are "almost" locals!!

We plan to move up the keys (perhaps Key Largo) a little more before crossing to the Bahamas....The wind has not cooperated with our original plans to be there by now.  Winds are typically higher this time of year, so we are just waiting and watching....Capt Bob does a good job of the watching part.  I do a good job of the waiting...get a good book to read and enjoy the sun!

HIGHLIGHTS OF KEY WEST

March 1, 2018....As we prepare to wrap up our month long visit here in Key West, we want to post some pictures of our favorite memories....there are also some we have no pictures of...(thank goodness!)  We really have become Key Westers......Jane would opt to stay another month, but Capt Bob is ready for the Bahamas.....next part of this amazing journey....

Better Than Sex Dessert Restaurant...beyond description

Bob, Deb and Ken...(note Bob is handling the luggage)

Jane plays with the fountain in pool

Sunsets happened every night....just like clockwork!

Jane's dinner on Sunset Key...what a presentation

So many bars....so little time!!  We hit all the favorites!

The dolphins deserve another photo....never gets old!!

Bob and New Jersey Friends...had to fight to get HIS hat back!

A familiar sight thru out Key West!  

Jane on Dingy Ride...we did several

Bob is almost happy with his "little dingy"  misses his big one in storage!

Flowers brought from Colorado last May are blooming again...they love Key West also.

Jane at Birthday Dinner on Sunset Key!  Fabulous!

OH YEA...JANE ---AFTER ONE MONTH IN KEY WEST!!  Bet you didn't recognize her!!!

KEYS DISEASE!

Saturday, February 24

😱

We got the "keys disease"...before you panic it is not a rash or anything (!)  It means, or so my neighbor says,...that you really, really, like it here.

Key West is not all, or only, Duval Street with drunken young people, although there are a lot of those...  we avoid the weekends in the pool area here, sometimes it is a treat to watch, but mostly the music (??) drives us away.  Have we  become our parents??  But we have also discovered that Key West is a  wonderful, tropical, island space with outstanding weather, beautiful aqua water, tons of great places to eat, both casual and formal..., a thriving art community  (saw a local community musical that was great,  and have tickets to see George Winston, even took in a female impersonator, and most of the bars have entertainment of all sorts! ... from doo-wop girl groups to "clothing optional" bars...  (plus, we also get just a little crazy every now and then......see below)

Today we are renting a car, and tomorrow will go up the keys to Marathon for a looper get together.  This will also give us time and transportation to "provision up" for the Bahamas.  We will be able to get to the "outer areas" of the city to larger grocery stores.  The one in town, which we ride our bikes to, is expensive, so we get the basics there and have a large list for todays trip.  Most of the population here ride bikes, or take the free Duval Loop bus.   We rely on it daily to get us to shops, post office, etc.  We have met some nice people on the bus....everyone is usually in a great mood..(could be the sunshine and most are on vacation)...lots are from Michigan and we even met a couple who live in Saline! They were impressed to meet Bob, who designed their subdivision!  (made him feel good....fruits of his past labors)

Speaking of crazy pool antics.....Friends Deb and Ken Rogers came for a weekend visit....complete with lots of fun and even "beer pong".  Like Ken says, "when we went to college, we didn't have to play games to drink, we just drank"!  We also spent a considerable amount of time playing Euchre, our favorite card game from a previous life (when we were young and crazy...now we are just crazy!)  It was quite a battle between Jane and Ken vs. Bob and Deb...  winners?? it depends on who you talk to..... The Rogers showed us all their favorite places on and off Duval St....and we had a great time...We hope to connect up again somewhere in the Bahamas.

Properly attired complete with straw hats!

Rogers showed us their favorite breakfast spot.....SO good, especially the bloody Marys that made the wait time go fast....

After a yummy breakfast, complete with "cinnamon crunch" shots...(ordered by capt Bob)...Jane and Deb went shoe shopping and the guys continued on down Duval.....

Bob meet a new friend on the street.....the women should have never let the guys go off on their own!  Now Bob wants a dog and has a plan for his next job!  This was after a few more day time shots!  Bob is smiling and having a great time....who knew daytime drinking was this much fun!

Jane waves good bye to the Key West Ferry taking the Rogers back home to Treasure Island.....see you soon!  (after we rest up!)   A good time was had by all!  See you in the Bahamas!

KEY WEST

Captain Bob is now referred to as "Key West Bob".  He has his "mile marker one" charm on a gold chain and wears a straw hat!  I love this guy!!  A "little" more relaxed and lays by the pool (could have something to do with the pool view, but I love that he comes to pool with me)

We arrived here Wednesday, Feb 7.  Had a one night stop in Marco Island before deciding a little late in day (10am) to take off for Key West.   Had a wonderful ride for about the first 5 1/2 hours across, and then the last 1 1/2 hour we had quite a ride.  Waves splashing over bow making it hard to see out window, but with the trusty first mate, (me) we avoided the crab pots, of which there were many!!  WHO puts the pots out sooooo far in the ocean?   And I really want to pull a few up and see if they are full of crabs.  The whole idea intrigues me, and while I was calmly relaxing those first 5 hours, I thought I might get a job on a fish boat (when I grow up)....but once we hit rough seas, I changed my mind....(so I'm a fair weather boater!)

Finally it feels like a "real vacation"!  We will be here for a month, so we have time to relax and the first thing (the old) Capt Bob did was completely strip the back sunporch and power spray every piece of furniture and the floors etc!  I have come to the point where I don't care if he wants to work his butt off every day,  but this hindered me getting OFF the boat and heading for the pool......So, I gave in and took all the covers off all the cushions and washed them...  I do have to say that it looks as good as the day we bought the boat.  Finally Captain Bob turned into Key West Bob and is starting to unwind somewhat.

We are in Conch Harbor Marina.   We have only 1 other looper boat in this marina with us, but lots more in the adjoining marinas.  We had a "crawl" the other night.....visited 2 boats and had a good time getting reacquainted with boats we had crossed paths with previously.  Several are already on their way out and over to Bahamas.   We are here for a month and so happy.....our marina is more a "fishing boat" marina and not as crowded as the ones we visited the other night....we also have the pool (as mentioned) and FREE laundry facilities....that overlook the pool.   Not a bad place to clean your clothes.  Already thinking we will come here next year(!)....Ha.  People ask all the time  what we will do when loop is finished.....we haven't figured that out yet....!  Just enjoying the moment.

Every day has been sunny and warm....not much humidity if you stay near the water...and rain is predicted every night, but we haven't seen a drop.  The big topic of discussion is the "snow back home"...and there are lots of Michiganders here.  Saw several last evening on our first trip down to Duval Street.....what a place, and the later it gets the crazier it gets.  We left about 8:30pm..no wonder so tired today......!  Hey, we were there at 6pm to see the sunset off Mallory Square.  Happened into a bar that had a great girl group (3) singing all 60's doo wap.  The "early" show....no wonder all the people in there were our age!  It was tons of fun....Key West Bob even had a drink.

So today its back to the same old grind.....off to the pool!  THIS is the looper life style I signed up for!

Getting Warmer!

Captain Bob just came to galley and said "you know its warm when the dinghy is fully inflated".....woohoo.  I see people sitting on back of boats having coffee and Bob says it "is hot and sticky"!   WE HAVE ARRIVED!   Finally.......warm weather.

We are in Burnt Store Marina in Charlotte Harbour.  We left St Pete on Friday and took a short ride to Anna Maria Island.  Sticker shock took over as we paid the most ever for one night on their gas dock....remember, this is my boat, my bed, my sheets, etc....why then does it cost so much to tie to a dock??? (think a very nice hotel in Michigan)...  Supply and demand here in West Florida, but we had memorable evening....(memorable is defined as being special or unusual....)  it was unusual to find Bob sitting at a beachside table with a bunch of people he didn't know (half in the bag....the people, not Bob) and having a great time!  The next morning we departed, when the tide allowed, and traveled 8 hours to Burnt Store....the last hour was a challenge.  We hadn't had waves and water like this since the great lakes I believe.....we were glad to arrive and hit the bar... AFTER our much needed rinse off of LeReve.  She gets so sticky in this salt water!

One couple who saw us "land"....mentioned they were impressed by our docking.....calling it "quite a process".  Not sure what that meant, but I said "its not our first rodeo"...(I LOVE that expression, especially since my daughter and friend dressed up her newborn in a shirt that said ...."this IS my first rodeo" ......and took her to the county rodeo!!...ok back to boating!....This marina is far superior to the Anna Maria one at a half the cost.....go figure?.... am I starting to sound like the "retiree" than I am?? haha.

We spent 2 weeks in St. Pete.....had a great time.....This picture was after a 3 bottle wine lunch with my Bible Study Best Friends.  We all lived in the same "hood" when this was home to us...Sandi, Lauri, Denise and mother Jane.  What a group!..long story behind the "flamingo" shirt... (and we did have a legit Bible Study, and IT HAS carried each and everyone of us through the valleys, some deeper than others, but we will all attest that it is our Lord and our friendships that bind us just as deep.

Speaking of this group, Bob and I are SLOWLY making our way out of Anna Maria Island area, and this go-fast boat flies by us, and the girl on the back is screaming......."THAT'S JANE.....JANE!!"
Here is was my friend Sandi and her husband!  They were on their way on a boat weekend get-away to celebrate his birthday!

We also had the usual best time with best friends, Ken and Deb Rogers.   They have been our friends forever!  Their son, who is 35 reminded us that we were HIS AGE, (actually younger), when we started hanging out together and doing crazy family vacations together.....where did those years go and how did he get older than we are??? (He, like our kids, is married with a son of his own!)...Why did we not take a picture of them for my blog?   Oh, ... because it was so windy and rocky when Ken and Deb came to dinner on LeReve that we could hardly keep the plates on the table, let alone focus a picture.....we do however have 
a pic of Capt Bob winning the Pot of Gold jackpot at their local weekly Bingo game!!

We went through 3 rental cars in 2 weeks.....first one a/c didn't work, 2nd one had a flat tire the morning after we traded out the 1st one....it is difficult enough to remember what kind of car you are driving and where it is parked, without changing it out every day!  ha....(memory retiring also!)  When we are somewhere for over a week or so, we like to rent a car.  Especially when we have lots of jobs to do  (ie: several trips to West Marine and hardware stores!)

Here is a pic of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge we went under as we left Tampa Bay.....quite a site off the bow of our little boat....




We once again had lots of dolphins swimming along side us and enjoying our wake.  I will attempt  to get a video of it, but I get so excited at seeing them so close I could pet them that I forget the camera!  We have figured out when they will swim with us...they jump in front of our bow, go under and show up along side of us....amazing.

While in St Pete we took a ride across the bay to the TECO plant....this is where the manatee hang out in the warm water of the plant....because the bay has been so cold there were hundreds of the big sea cows....they looked like baked potatoes in the water!

This one has a baby on each side

We are off to the pool to enjoy the "SUPER" day here before the big game!