Jan 22-25 Morgan's Bluff

We got checked into customs and immigration without any problems.  We had to fly a yellow quarantine flag until they said we could stay in their country.  Well the news for Rikava is not good.  After a couple days of trouble shooting, it was determined that the starter battery was bad and fried the other 2 batteries.  We have 5 in all, and could possibly limp around with those, but Rich wants to play it safe, so he is going to order new batteries from the states.  That will take awhile, at least a week and a half to 2 weeks.  Rich was really bummed out, I mean I think I actually heard him singing "No body knows the trouble I've seen, no body knows but...".  Once in awhile when I do my whining thing, Rich gets aggravated and Kathy has to remind him that "SHE'S A DOG".  Kathy does the same thing to Rich when he gets frustrated at the boat, and she tells him "IT'S A BOAT".  Anyway we have had fun watching the supply ships, and the fuel barge come into this little port.  The local people are real friendly, and now that the other US boaters are here we have a nice group.  Rich and Kathy and 2 other boaters got a guide for a 3 hour tour of the local area.  Ollie picked them up at 3:15, and they all needed to stop at the local Bahamas Telephone Company (BTC) to get their Bahamas SIM cards so they can text.  Well, between the 3 of them and their fancy phones and computers, it took until 5:00 p.m. to leave there, so needless to say, they did not get a very good tour.  What they did see was pretty primitive, but very neat homes and schools.  A lot of different churches.  A few resorts with very pretty beaches.  All the locals know each other, and they are genuinely nice to us.  Bitts and I are very happy because we are tied up next to another boat which we walk across, and yes, there is grass to do our business.  I hope this doesn't set Bitts back, as she was just getting the hang of doing her business on deck.  I guess Rich and Kathy will take us with them tomorrow to explore some neat caves they have here.  I also heard Rich talk about putting down the dinghy to take us to the pretty beach just outside the harbor so we can swim...we can't wait for that!!  Rich and Kathy are going to a party tonight where you bring your main food for the grill, and then a dish to pass.  Bitts and I are keeping our paws crossed that they will take us with them.  Everyone thinks we are so cute, and Kathy says we are being really good.  Bitts is the main security guard, as she growls or barks every time a boat or car or person goes by.  Maybe some of the other boaters will even give us real food when Kathy isn't looking. 

Bahamas Banks

Crossing

Jan 21, 2015 Morgan's Bluff, Andros

Yeah, we made it to Morgan's Bluff.  What a trip!  The weather guy was wrong, and when we left on Tuesday, Jan 20th, it was predicted to be about 2-3 foot seas and winds 20 knots, but decreasing in the early afternoon.  Well as far as Bitts and I were concerned, the winds and seas never calmed down (25+ knots), and  the swells were big, so it was a rough passage until we reached the Bahamas Banks the next morning.  There were 8 boats in all crossing from Marathon.  Three of them decided to go to Rodriquez Key and spend the night, then on to Andros.  One started to join them, then changed his mind and caught up with us.  There were 3 single handlers behind us.  They get really tired by themselves, so there was a lot of "yakking" going on the radio all night long.  They seemed to think Rich was in charge since we were the lead boat, so everyone would call him with questions.  Rich and Kathy only took cat naps, and Bitts stayed up all night long.  I finally got tired, propped my paws on the settee for support, and went to sleep.  Rikava was the only boat to make the trip non-stop.  The rest of them anchored on the Banks to get some sleep.    Good thing Rich has radar on the boat.  They were following a big tanker on the radar, until it crossed in front of us about 1 mile away.  We actually had to slow our speed to let it pass.  Then there was the orange and red clouds on radar that gave us a few good downpours, but they didn't last long, and there was no lightning or added wind.   It got a little scary at one point, when Rikava lost the alternator and tachometer.  Rich was afraid we would lose all power, and that would have been a bummer to lose the auto pilot and have to steer by hand all night.  He even plotted a course back to Dinner Key near Miami.  I guess he went into the engine compartment, wiggled some wires and everything came back on line...whew!  I hope Kathy sends you some of the most spectacular pictures of our first Bahamas sunrise.  When you enter the Bahamas Banks you go from thousands of feet to about 16 feet of water.  Boy, the beautiful tourquoise water made the trip all worth it.  It took us 34 hours to get to Morgan's Bluff, and we were all exhausted.  Rich went to put the anchor down in the outer harbor, but yikes, no power to the windlass.  We were lucky to have the engine running, so went to the inner harbor, where the nice dock master helped us tie up to the fuel dock.  Kathy and Rich went to Willies Water Bar for a drink, then a quick dinner, and some badly needed zzzzzs.

Pics

Lights in harbor

                                                            Ready to jump, but Kathy won't let me.

Pictures from Marathon

You told me not to get out of the bed

                                                            Yeah, Dinghy ride

Jan 19 Marathon

Life is good in Marathon.  We have sort of gotten into a rhythm here.  Bitts and I wait for Rich and Kathy to get up and come to the cockpit with their coffee and scratch our heads and bellies.  Bitts growls at cruisers in their dinghies, and then we are ready for a nap.  Rich looks at the weather for a "window".  I'm not sure what that means, but has something to do with our next adventure.  Next they listen to the Cruiseheimers channel, where all the cruisers check in from the Bahamas, Florida, and elsewhere.  That way all your cruiser friends know where you are.  After that is the Marathon Cruiser's Net, which they get all sorts of info on what's happening that day in the harbor, at the Marina or in Marathon.  They don't really seem to get moving until about 10:00 a.m.  There has been a flurry of activity the last few days though.  Rich refilled a couple propane tanks, got more fuel for the dinghy, a trip to Winn-Dixie and Publix, laundry, Bitts and I haircuts, and baths etc.  Bitts and I know when they are about to leave us in the boat while they do their running around.  Our beds go down in the cabin, Bitts gets a Pamper on "just in case", and Kathy puts a CD in the stereo.  The other day it was Gloria Estefan, who we like, but honestly, how many times can you listen to "Congo" and not get ear worms, you know when you can't get the tune out of your head for hours or days.   Bitts is actually starting to catch on with the potty thing, and of course we just love the dinghy ride to the Marina to use their grass.  Seems like there are a lot of boaters with dogs. Rich and Kathy are going to a meeting at 10:00 this morning to get the latest weather update for a crossing to the Bahamas on Tuesday.  I guess they will have this "weather window" to get there with enough wind to use the sails, but not enough to rock Bitts and I out of our doggie beds.  Looks like about 8 boats will be crossing at the same time.  The plan is to leave here, go to South Riding Rock, then on to Morgan's Bluff in Andros.  I haven't been there and neither has Rich and Kathy, so another adventure begins.  Rich says it will take about 30 hours to get there.  It will be the first time for Bitts to pee and poop on foreign soil.  So if you want to watch our trip, tune into our SPOT.  I guess Kathy can buy a SIM card there to be able to use her phone and iPad, but don't count on that happening super soon...remember she is not the techno genius.  Check in periodically to see what I have posted.  I am so excited I don't know if I will be able to sleep tonight.  I will have to dream of those crystal clear waters, and beautiful beaches, that I will tear up in a heartbeat.  Ah, goodnight!

Jan13, 2015 Marathon

Last night was miserable for me, and I guess I made it miserable for everyone else.  You see, I hate rain,, lightning, and thunder...I mean HATE them!   Like terrified HATE them!!  I was sleeping nicely in the cockpit when I could smell a storm looming on the horizon.  At home I start shaking and find a closet to hide in or crawl under something.  Out here I was left to the elements, so of course I was trying to get someone's attention, but to no avail.  So I had to use my secret weapon (guess it's not really a secret anymore considering how often I use it).  I have this unique whining pitch sound I make when I am in distress or want something,  and apparently it is totally abnoxious to everyone and it gets on their nerves in about a second.  Kathy told me to be quiet, but I persisted.  It was after all, lightning!  So Kathy came up, cuddled me and all of a sudden the rain hit.  Well that was a free ride to the cabin. But that wasn't good enough for me.  I mean, after all of that trauma you would think I could sleep in their bed.  Nope, not happening.  Then Kathy closed the cabin door, so I had to persistently scratch on that to try and get her attention, but to no avail.  All I heard was "get away from the door".  Guess Kathy didn't get too much sleep last night because she was cranky this morning.  I'm feeling better though and plan on taking a number of naps today.  Rich and Kathy disrupted my first nap by pulling anchor and moving from outside the harbor to inside the harbor.  There was finally some room as a bunch of boats left for the Bahamas today.  I did get a dinghy ride today, so that made my day.  Did I tell you I LOVE the dinghy?  I would spend every waking hour in it if I could, and I try to jump in it periodically, but end up getting tangled in my leash, then hang off the side of the big boat, making my obnoxious whining sound.  Good thing I am connected by my life jacket and not my collar or I would have choked myself by now.  Had a chance for my second nap when Rich and Kathy went to check in, take trash in, get some water (you don't use the water maker in the harbor), do laundry, and take showers.  They were exhausted from all that "work", so had to chill on the boat.  They say Bitts and I will get a bath and haircut tomorrow...we are starting to stink, and Bitts looks like a lion, so she sure could use a haircut.

Jan 12, 2015. Marathon

Kathy is still excited about her Packers winning!   Personally, Bitts and I are tired of all the talk and just want it over.  This morning while Kathy was having her coffee in the cockpit, and we were trying to get a mid-morning nap in, we heard a 50 foot sailboat call the Coast Guard.  Kathy, being nosy as she is, turned to channel 22 to see what was up.  Turns out this sailboat was circling a 10 foot wooden boat with a sail that he described as having foreign nationals on it, speaking Spanish with either a deceased, or dying person on board.  Emergency on the high seas, it was great.  To sum up 1.5 hours of Coastie talk with 2 helicopters and one of their boats, seems like there were 6 people on this make shift boat, which actually turned out to be made of styrofoam.  They were located about 12 miles south of us, and had 5 men and 1 woman on board.  The Coast Guard had to get a second helicopter with a rescue swimmer/medic to get the woman who was unconscious, bleeding, (never found out from where), but breathing on her own.  We heard them say she was bleeding pretty bad.  They rescued her and took her to Fisherman's Hospital here in Marathon.  We got to see the helicopter go past us.  Apparently these people had been at sea for 3-4 weeks, and they were severely dehydrated.  The Coast Guard boat picked up the remaining five.  Just now, (about 5 hours later), we saw the Coast Guard towing the remains of that boat...did not look good.  Well that was our excitement for the day.  I told Bitts we were lucky to have a boat made out of fiberglass and not styrofoam.  We wondered how long it took to save their cups and plates to make that boat.

Marathon, Burdines Chiki Tiki Hut and sunset

Jan 11, 2015. Marathon

Yesterday turned into a nice sunny day.  Rich and Kathy went to Burdines Chiki Tiki Hut for lunch, which was excellent.  The stone crab soup was so good they could have eaten a gallon of it.  Then a short hike to their favorite store "West Marine" to buy a backup pump for the refrigerator.  They went to the City Marina to get info and put their name on a list for a mooring ball.  They are number 30, so not sure if they will ever get on one.  They also scouted the harbor for anchoring spots, and talked to a boater who is leaving Monday, so he will call Rich so we can get his spot.  It's a good thing they did this leg work to get us closer in, as you will see from their escapade later.  They heard from another boater that there was music at the City Marina, so after dinner they decided to go check it out.  They left us behind in the cabin listening to some old George Benson disc, and after about 10 times of that, I still can't get the tunes out of my head.  So Kathy and Rich went in, and they had to use a big flashlight to see the markers in the dark.  When they saw the harbor it was beautiful.  The hundreds of anchor lights looked like the stars, or at least something out of a Disney movie.  So they stayed and listened to music for an hour, then made the trip back.  It takes about 20-25 minutes for the trip, and Kathy said all was going well until they got out of the harbor, and you guessed it...condensation in the fuel tank again.  The motor sputtered, started again, sputtered, and then dead.  By this time the waves were pushing the dinghy into the anchor line of a 40 foot sailboat.  Rich grabbed on to the anchor line, while both of them got the oars out.  This was not a happening thing!  Kathy said they were bobbing in the water like those red bobbers on the end of a fishing pole, and she was afraid she was going to get a concussion from the bow of the sailboat.  What she was more afraid of was the owners of the sailboat coming out with a shotgun, thinking Rich and Kathy were trying to board their boat.  Rich knew the seas were not in his favor for rowing back, and like a miracle he spotted another boat who he flagged down with his light.  Kathy said that Rich looked like a cormorant drying his wings on a mooring ball with the anchor line hooked under his arm.  When the other small boat came to their rescue, the owners of the sailboat they were under came out to see what the commotion was all about.  Whew, no guns, and they were a very nice couple who said Rich should have knocked on their hull, and they would have come to their rescue.  Well a 100 yard tow and they were back on Rikava.  Bitts and I couldn't understand why they just didn't stay home and listen to George Benson with us.

Boot Key Harbor and the hundreds of boats on mooring balls

Rich

Sundowners before the great mosquito attack in  Everglades

                                                           Rich in his cormorant pose

Jan 10, 2015. Marathon

Rich and Kathy went into Boot Key Harbor to check the layout of the land.  They said it was a mine field of boats...220 on mooring balls.  They did find our friend Ted Williams on his boat and he gave them the low down on the area.  They walked to the West Marine to order a new water pump for the engine, a new part under warranty of course.  Rich says all the new things he put on the boat are breaking, and under warranty or not it is a pain in the but.  I heard him calling the manufacturers "X/$&?;0 damn communists", while he was fixing the refrigerator pump last night.  We were sitting in the cockpit when we heard a bad noise, and sure enough the water pump for the refrigerator went out.  Good thing he had a backup on the boat.  Or maybe that was a bad thing, because Kathy would have had to cook up all the food in the refrigerator and Bitts and I could have been eating like queens.  No such luck...stuck with Kibbles.  Kathy says she is in sun glass hell.  The boat sucked up her $52 good pair, (can't find them or left them somewhere) and then the backup pair of clip on's broke.  Good thing she has Transitions on her glasses, but the sun is really strong.  So, there went more dineros for new sunglasses.  Kinda overcast and windy this morning.  Rich said the pump for the engine will be here on Thursday, so guess we will hang out here for awhile.  Kathy is happy because she will get to watch the Packers play on Sunday!!!  Go Pack Go!!

Jan 7, 2015. Marathon

Rich and Kathy had another day of avoiding crab pots.  Usually they are somewhat organized in lines going various directions, but today there were some that were hard to get around.  Rich turned his head for a minute (plus the sun was shining so you couldn't see them well), and "Thump, Thump", he hit a crab pot, and the float turned into confetti!!  Not sure if the prop or the line cutter did the damage, or a combination of both.  And it happened again, this time the engine slowed a little bit, so he was sure the line cutter on the prop was doing its job.  Rich was just happy he did not have to snorkel under the boat to get the line off of the prop.  I finally got some good chow for breakfast.  Kathy passed up a plate with a breakfast burrito on it and Rich put it on the cockpit table.  He was looking at his chart plotter when I decided to help myself, and honestly, how was I to know it wasn't for me.  Well with my big paws it landed on the cockpit floor, but that made it easier to eat the eggs, ham, avocado, jalapeños, and sour cream.  It also made Rich mad!!  Good thing Kathy had more in the galley.   I guess there was some excitement about seeing "The 7-mile Bridge", but not enough for me to wake up from my nap.  With Boot Key Harbor filled with over 220 boats on mooring balls, and a waiting list of 25, we had to anchor outside the harbor.  The winds kicked up later in the evening and really kicked up all night.  I heard Rich say they were blowing 30-35, and gusting to 40 knots.  He was happy because the wind generator was making lots of power.  Looks like no dinghy ride for us tomorrow.

Snoozing under the 7-mile Bridge

                                                           Below- the 7-mile Bridge

Sun set in the Everglades

We never get tired of watching the sun set.

Pics

Full moon rising in Ft Meyers as the sun was setting

Anchorage at Little Shark River, Everglades, site of the big mosquito attack

Jan 6, 2015

We left at 0730 in low tide and in the middle of a wide channel, bumped the ground at 6.8 feet.  Good thing all we did was bump, cuz it was disturbing my nap.  We had a long day at sea, but Rich and Kathy apparently had fun playing a game called "Dodge the Crab Pots".  They play it with their autopilot to make it more fun, but it just makes me dizzy.  There were some breaks along the way, but there were fields of them for miles.  That was somewhat entertaining, as was watching the flying fish.  Yes, you heard me, FISH that FLY!!!  Man, they were all over and looked like when Rich skips a rock across water.  Then a huge sea turtle popped up right before us.  Rich said his head was as big as a football.  He went back into the water before Kathy could take a picture of him.  Pretty cool, but I missed a lot of beauty sleep today with all this action.   Bitts must look out of the other side of the boat, and just watch because she is awfully quiet.  For those of you complaining about the cold, well let me tell you that wearing this fur coat in a no wind condition is not fun either.  Kathy had to pour water on us and herself to stay cool.  We went to anchor in the "Little Shark River" in the Everglades.  The wind picked up nicely and Rich and Kathy had a beautiful sunset and "Happy Hour".  Speaking of that, I don't understand what this "happy hour" thing is all about, as they seem happy most of the time.  Anyway, the sun went down, the breeze stopped, and a fog of mosquitos descended on all of us.  To Bitts and I it was just annoying, but to Kathy it was hell.  We all had to go inside and had to shut the hatches and port lights (windows), which made it really hot.  Then to make it worse, it rained and the humidity was killer.  Kathy's face looked like she was having triple hot flashes, and if it were not for the fans on the boat, I think she would have fainted.  She actually had to take a cold shower, and sounded like Meg Ryan in "Sleepless in Seattle" while in there.   There was just no getting cool.  Bitts and I got to sleep in the cabin, due to the mosquitos.  Kathy said she could hear one buzzing around her head so had to keep the fan on most of the night.  We were all glad to leave here this morning, and head south to Marathon.  Note, we all think the river should be renamed "Big Mosquito River", after all, it is in the Everglades, and we did not see any sharks.

Jan 5, 2015

It was so perfectly quiet last night (no wind), that Kathy said the silence was deafening, and the only thing she could hear was  her next hot flash coming.  There was absolutely no breeze at all, and Bitts and I were really hot.  The wind finally picked up and we made a nice downwind trip to Marco Island.  We had an excellent anchorage and a good evening.  Bitts and I slept really well with the cool evening breeze.  I guess Rich and Kathy slept well too, but since we have to sleep in the cockpit, how would we know.

More pics

Big baby Bitts, has to wear Pampers sometimes

On our way to Ft Meyers Beach

Jan 4, 2015

We are on a mooring ball in Ft Meyers Beach, with lots of weekend boat traffic going through the waterway.  Good thing for Bitts and I to watch, as we guard the boat when Rich and Kathy go to town.  They said they would have taken us with them, but that the "trolley" wouldn't let us on.  After listening to Rich and Kathy on how they spent the day to get some bread, milk, and eggs, it didn't sound like they had too much fun.  There is only one main road on Ft Meyers Beach, and the bridge traffic was backed up, so they had to wait 45 minutes for the trolley, and coming back from Publix there was an accident, so it took about 2 1/2 hours to go 2 1/2 miles.  Ft Meyers is really crazy busy this time of year.  I heard Rich say we will leave tomorrow for Marco Island, a 6 hour trip in the Gulf of Mexico.

Jan 2, 2015. To Ft Meyers Beach

Rich woke us all up at o'dark thirty.  Kathy looked out and said there was too much fog, but Rich said that is why we have radar, so she couldn't argue with that.  Kathy was right, it was so foggy that it was reminiscent of a scene from "Pirates of the Caribbean".  Rich said it was less than 1/4 mile visibility.  The radar worked good and the fog started to lift a couple hours later.  Meanwhile, since this was not the scenic tour we had hoped for, Bitts and I were bored to death and decided to take a nap.  After the fog lifted and we were headed to Ft Meyers Beach, the boat traffic was so heavy, that it cut into our nap time and Bitts and I watched as America's fuel supply flew past us.  It was like being at the NASCAR races, except the traffic was going both ways.  No need to go to the Miami Boat Show either, as the parade of big bucks boats was never ending.  We just chugged along with our diesel engine that just sips fuel.  Kathy says that is because we are "poor folks" and have more time than money.  Once at the mooring balls in Ft Meyers Beach, we got to go for a dinghy ride and hit the grass.  All in all, a great day.  I guess we will stay here 2 nites and then move south.

Happy New Years 2015

Don't know what the hoopla is all about, all I know is that those crazy fireworks kept me from getting my beauty sleep.  Kathy and Rich woke up at midnight, gave each other a kiss, then went to bed.  Why would you wake up from a perfectly good nap for that?  Rich got his wind generator part yesterday, installed it this morning, and they are all excited about "making power".  Hopefully they will not have to run the engine now to charge their batteries.  Rich and Kathy just finished brunch on deck with Bloody Mary's.  I don' know about you, but anything with blood in it doesn't sound that great to me.  I hear there is a spiral ham for later, and I hope to get a taste of it.  Mom and Dad usually cave on the Holidays.  Bitts continues to be the problem child, er dog.  She has not peed in over a day...she sure has bladder control, or is extremely stubborn waiting for grass.  I guess Mom and Dad are going to buy some artificial turf to see if that helps.  I heard we will be leaving for Ft Meyers Beach tomorrow, so Dad said for you to follow us on the SPOT.