June 4 Going backwards
We are in Fort Pierce. We arrived on June 2 at 12:20 am and
dropped anchor at 2 am, so technically it was June 3. I called Homeland security [both numbers} but no-one was home. Finally
on the 3rd try some tired guy answered and said, "Phone back after 8 am
when the system is up and running."
Coming in the inlet at the tide change was a nightmare! We had 5 foot standing waves! It was like
being in the perfect storm. We had to rev up the engine to maximum, which
wasn't happy since it had been purring along at 2500 rpm since 3 am the morning before. There were
times when I thought we were going to tip right over! To top it all ff, as Iwas handing over the
wheel to Rick, and he sot into high gear, it occurred to me that we had been
running since 3 am when he put 5 gallons in. As this thought crossed my mind,
the engine quit...ran out of fuel. So Quentin shot out of the front seat,
grabbed the windlass control, I yelled at him to drop the anchor and Rick stood
t the wheel wondering what the hell happened...how could we be out of fuel????
We were in 30 feet of water with nothing underneath us but sand and angry
waves. I took the wheel and steered us off the markers, Rick dump the last 5
gallons (what should have been extra, yeah, right!) into the tank and after 5
cranks, she started...god, I love that engine!!!
Have to re-think next year's entry inlet.
The day over started 3 am so we could get across with lots
of time left. We started 18 miles inside the Bahama bank at Mangrove Cay, and
headed straight to Memory Rock...just a big rock on the edge of the bank. We
had the wind directly behind us and unfortunately we had torn the other
spinnaker the day before, so we only had the heavy jib, but it worked. We
managed between 4-6 knots most of the way but that was motor sailing. So let's
back up to the last blog...
The week at Allen's Cay was amazing. We spent the time with
a different crew and the scientists were an interesting mix of specialists all helping
Dr. John for different reasons.
We were greatly appreciated, everyone told us, because we
added enough knowledge, energy [that would be Q] and help to make the job
easier! Nice to know...we were also invited back to the June, September and
next May expeditions: will have to take a rain check.
We made it to Eleuthera and caught the tail end of
thunderstorm ...33 knots while trying to anchor behind a tiny little island. We
spent the next day heading into Spanish Wells where we met us with SeaYa and
Luck-of-a-Fool. Had a great time visiting with them. A couple of days ater, we
headed across the open water to Abacos. Quentin caught a huge Mahi-mahi [39
inches] and we got into the Abacos by midnight, when he finished cleaning and
filleting it.
The next day we ambled up the is;and chain and ran into
[almost literally] Salt Shaker...Ben had a boat full of boy scouts, but Daniel
& Pace had already gone home. We met Janess and Johnny and we tried to wait
to see Brody but the weather was threatening to close in by the weekend so we
had to keep moving
We also hooked up with Windreka at Manjack Cay, our next
anchorage, and had a two hour coffee break the next morning. We made to
Hawksbill that night and the next day we got past Mangrove Island.
You won't find most of these places on any map; suffice it
to say we kept moving to beat the thunderstorms that surrounded us. I don't
know why we dodged the bullet on that...not once did we get rained on in the
run from Eleuthera to Fort Pierce...of course the inlet fiasco was the
universe's way of chastising me for smirking at not being hit by lightning!
So we are on the continent: it is stinking hot here and the
miniature mosquitoes are vicious. I am doing laundry ...all of it, and Rick and
Quentin are packing the boat. If we can get away by Tuesday I will be happy. Dr. John invited us to visit in Indiana but
we are going straight up to London then Owen Sound.
So, don't look for another blog for awhile. We will be
visitng most of you at some point this summer. So you'll get personal accounts
with more of the hairy details! Tt y'all later
Post Script
So, no-one wants to hear this but we are in Charlotte NC ...took longer than we thought because I had an accident with the van today... back tire blew and I hit a guard rail. we are all okay ...van is not but drive-able until we get it home.
I'm not superstitious but last year some very nice people on a European sailboat gave us a god's-eye for luck [they said] and since then we have gone through 2 derechos [mini-hurricanes]; lost two sails; lost the trampoline; had problems with the drive leaking; repaired -- still leaking; lost the wind generator; ran out of gas twice in the boat; ripped two spinnakers; experienced the mini-Perfect Storm in Fort Pierce; had a flat tire Atlanta GA on the way down last year, and now this accident...cops said not to report it...no injuries and the car will be scrapped when we get back.
I made the mistake, apparently, of bringing the god's eye with us on the trip home... should I just throw it out the window or give it away to some unsuspecting person and see if it;s cursed or just us???
Suggestions??? And don't say"sell the boat"!
