On January the 2nd we left the marina at Naples with Johnny Hamrick on board with us and headed south in the Gulf of Mexico to Cape Sable where we anchored for the night. Next morning we headed for Long Key and dropped the anchor there for the night and Johnny's wife Sara joined us for the next night and then her and Johnny left next afternoon for home at Port of the Islands and Traci and I sat out some weather until the 6th. Crossing the Straits of Florida and the Gulf Stream for the first time in a year produced a lot of moaning, creaking and groaning but she finally took a pill and went to lie down, the boat did fine. Johnny and Sara flew over and joined us for 10 days and they left and Brandi and Brock arrived same day. In both cases we headed south and snorkelled at Thunderball Grotto, anchored off Norman's Cay, one of our favorite places, and found Macduff's closed and some major construction going on, our hearts were broke.
We left Staniel with Brandi and Brock a couple days ago to go to Compass Cay and were then going to head to the Land and Sea Park and decided to throw up a sail to make some time. I was unfurling the Genoa when a loud snap was heard and the mast shook around alot and the front stay with the roller furler on it was all floppy like. I furled it in pronto, climbed the mast and brought some ropes down which we secured to the front in various places to keep the mast from falling like a tall pine tree and maybe hurting someone in the process. We did an about face and headed into the island with the pigs on it and anchored right in front of Paul and Shannon on Coyaba. Paul came over to help out with the dismantling of the stay and furler and then he and Shannon came over that night and we played a round of Pictionary which us guys lost at. I used Paul's sat phone and called a sail and rigging place in Fort Lauderdale and ordered a new 3/8" stainless wire stay and fittings and turnbuckle and it's been sent all ready so it's on it's way. Originally we were going to have it sent to Staniel but we had to get to Nassau, about 100 miles away, to drop off and pick up so we had it sent to an office here and on Monday I'll call and get the skinny.
I'm running out of time here at Starbucks so I'll cut it short and get some pictures up. My laptop will not charge it's battery anymore so it makes it more difficult than ever to get online somewhere and update but I will every chance I get and when we get back I'll flood the site with the rest of the stuff.
Storm clouds while crossing the Gulf Stream, on radar below.
Lost some instruments after putting trim on...........
What storm clouds look like on radar
