Epilogue.......for now.

It has been 22 days  since Windspell returned to her spawning grounds in Rock Hall, MD. We have been home for two weeks and are right back into our land-lubber routines, many of which we missed and are really enjoying. Donna was promised all new plants since we gave every one away a year ago. Our lawn and gardens are receiving much needed TLC. We are getting back into shape with cycling, swimming, kayaking, running,walking and doing at least one of these activities each day. Tax returns, bank accounts, and meetings with financial advisers have been completed. We have even managed a three day trip to Ottawa to visit our kids, see the tulip festival and cycle Gatineau Park. However, we have  managed to slow down enough to use the hot tub. On the other hand,  we are already itching  to plan new adventures. Cruising under sail seems a lifetime away but I had a mini tour back in time when I reconciled my visa statements for the past year. It was an interesting experience because I remembered just about every transaction. Cruising does that to you. It pegs time, each day being different.

Going cruising for a year was one of our biggest projects to date since it involved many years of fore- planning and also entailed the integration of our retirements. More importantly, it required a lot of "bending" on Donna's part. We met a lot of single-handed male sailors out there and I felt very fortunate to have my life partner beside me. There were some periods of doubt and strife throughout this endeavour but we both feel proud, satisfied, and grateful of how we spent this last year. We have made some wonderful new friends, which make the many memories that much more memorable. Staging our trip from Spring Cove Marina owned by our friend, Madelyn, was a key factor in our enjoyment. Going on the open ocean seems a bit less intimidating with the new skills and confidence we have acquired.

Windspell has never looked better and she deserved the last bit of doting we did in Rock Hall because she kept us safe and comfortable. She turned out to be the perfect choice for us, ironically a reflection of our collective characters as well. Not too small, not too big, reliable. Now she is for sale with the same great broker who came to our campsite in Rock Hall in November of 2011 when we were having major doubts about buying her, to ask us if we were alright. Thanks, Jim!

If Windspell doesn't sell, to my surprise, Donna has been looking at Maine and even the Canadian maritimes..........


We hope you enjoy the following two video clips, the first is Windspell out of action, the second, in action!
The final photo is taken in Ottawa while visiting our kids with the tulip festival as a backdrop.

Until we blog again,

Donna and Walter

Home safe and sound

Fishing on the Cape Fear River

Waiting out the storm at Mile Hammock Bay

Sunrise

Following the tug and barge northbound from Beaufort, NC

Still travelling with Robinsong across Pamlico Sound and Albermarle Sound

Dismal Swamp enroute to Norfolk, Virginia

Last day...Enroute from Norfolk, VA to Rock Hall, MD

We departed from Southport still travelling with Robinsong.  We went up the Cape Fear River and made it to Mile Hammock Bay.  We had to wait out some bad weather 1 day before heading on to Beaufort.  We had an afternoon to explore the maritime museum.  We left the next morning following a tug/barge and travelled past Oriental, the Neuse River and across Pamlico Sound.  We managed to make it down the Alligator River and anchored after the Alligator River bridge at East Lake.  The next morning we had a great sail across Albermarle Sound and up the Pasquaotock River past Elizabeth City.  We went through the first  lock, South Mills  and entered The Dismal Swamp canal.  We stayed overnight at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Centre.  We departed at o'dark thirty to meet the next lock opening at 8:30 a.m.  We had a perfect weather window to continue past Norfolk and out onto the Chesapeake Bay.  At this point we departed from Robinsong as they were carrying on to Boston. We decided to use the good weather to continue north to Rock Hall.  It was an overnight sail.  Although the forecast was for 10-15 knot East winds overnight, we had 20-25 knot East winds.in the early evening.  The wind calmed down overnight, but there was lots of boat traffic with tugs and freighters going up and down the Bay.  At dawn we had drizzle.  We motorsailed past Annapolis and under the Bay Bridge.  We arrived at Spring Cove Marina, Rock Hall on Thursday, April 18 in the late morning.  Madelyn Reni, the marina owner greeted us as we tied up Windspell in her old slip.  We spent the next couple of days unloading the boat and cleaning it inside preparing Windspell for sale.  She has been a great boat for our trip!

precision flyers!

typical daymarker indicating the edge of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) channel

Daymarker showing the other edge of the channel with a cormorant drying its wings

Northeast Florida along the ICW-a great wetland for birdwatching

Bike riding on Cumberland Island National Park, Georgia through a palmetto/live oak forest

Ruins of Carnegie mansion on Cumberland Island

Cumberland mansion ruins

wild horses on Cumberland Island

wild horses on Cumberland Island

Plum Orchard mansion -donated to the national park Service on Cumberland Island

Old Tom turkey on Cumberland Island

Carnegie car--nothing escapes antiquity

Armadillo wandering on grounds of  Plum Orchard mansion

Gannet at sea

Dolphin playing off the bow of Windspell

Sea turtle lazing in the afternoon sun 

Catching a left north

Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean

Successful 49 hour passage from Cumberland Island, Georgia to Southport, North Carolina offshore.

 Walter & I spent a lovely day strolling around St. Augustine and eating the BEST pizza at Carmello's before heading north again along the ICW.  Once again we were driving the boat between the red and green markers, but enjoying thea bundance of birds seen along the shoreline.  We arrived at cumberland Island, Georgia late Saturday afternoon.  The next morning we rented bikes from the Park and cycled through a beautiful palmetto-live oak forest to the Carnegie mansion ruins.  we were fortunate to stumble onto a tour given by a Park Ranger explaining the history of the island.  The Carnegie family at one time owned 90percent of the island which they have given over to the national park Service.  Over its history it was the site of plantations of sea cotton and indigo, citrus and olive trees...and now its wilderness.  Wild horses, about 120 of them roam the island.  We then cycled the 7 miles up island to PlumOrchard, one of 4 mansions that Lucy Carnegie built for her children.  It has also been given to the park.
That evening at the anchorage we met Jesse & Robin from another Island Packett sailboat called Robinsong.  They also wanted to head north in the favorable weather window that we had, so we set sail together at 7:00 am on Monday morning from St. Mary's inlet/Fernandina Beach, Florida and sailed nonstop to Southport, North Carolina.  It was wonderful to get out sailing on the open ocean as a change from the ICW.  We saw lots of porpoises, sea turtles, and bird life...gannets, cormorants, sea gulls, and loons!  It was a surprise to Walter & me to see and hear our common loons over the ocean.
Today we spent the day at Southport marina.  Walt did an engine oil change, and I purchased fresh produce.  We head north again tomorrow, but along the ICW since another norther comes in tomorrow!

Walt & Dex on Manjack Cay

Anchorage at Manjack Cay overlooking the wildfires on Great Abaco  Island

Windspell in action

Shelling at Powell Cay

Sand dollars strewn along the beach at  low tide on Powell Cay

Cracking coconuts Dexter knocked down

Sailing on the Bahama Bank enroute nonstop from Powell Cay, Abacos, Bahamas  to Fort Pierce, Florida.  

Sunset as we approach the edge of the Bahama Bank before the Gulf Stream crossing

Arrival at Ft. Pierce, Florida requires removing the tattered Bahamian courtesy flag and raising the Q-flag

Lunch at Coombs Landing, Ft. Pierce prior to Dexter's departure

Sailing from Ft. Pierce to Cape Canaveral we had a songbird hitch a ride on the migration northbound.

Tuesday evening Dexter arrived at Green Turtle cay after a flight to Marsh Harbour, taxi to the ferry dock by Treasure Cay, and then a ferry boat ride over to Green Turtle cay where he was dropped off boatside!  We were re-living our time with  him when he joined us aboard our s/v Puff, thirty years ago!
We hauled anchor the next morning and sailed to Manjack Cay where we dinghied out to the reef to snorkel and try our luck looking for lobster.  We saw plenty of lobster, but only managed to snag one!  It was fun trying!  Later that afternoon we went ashore and walked the ocean beach.  From our anchorage that evening we could see the wildfires that had been burning for a week now on Great Abaco Island.  It's a natural phenomenon, and they do not try to put them out (no equipment?).
On Thursday we sailed north to Powell cay and hiked to a hilltop to look out over the anchorage.  Afterwards, we walked along the beach at low tide seeing lots of sand dollars, starfish, conch, and sea biscuits.
At that time, we had a short weather window to cross over to Florida or stay in the Bahamas until Saturday when Dexter was scheduled to fly out.  He kindly cancelled the flight from the Bahamas, and helped us sail nonstop 170 miles across to Ft. Pierce, Florida.  We sailed all day (100 miles), reaching the Bahama Bank at 10:30 p.m.  We had a northeast swell of 3 feet, but a light easterly wind overnight that made our motorsail a bit rolly.  We had a lovely almost-full moon to give us some light.  We took turns sleeping, with 2 persons on watch and 1 person sleeping for 1 hour, then rotating through.  It worked well.  We arrived at 9:30 am, pulling in to Ft. Pierce marina.  We phoned in to clear customs since we had a Local Boater Option card that we had pre-arranged before our departure to the Bahamas back in December.  That worked well, with just a slight hiccup since we had a new passenger onboard, Dexter.  We got him cleared in and we were free to shower,  and enjoy lunch ashore.  Dexter then caught a flight back to Toronto; and Walter & I washed down the boat, did laundry, etc.  We were so tired that evening, we managed to sleep through a rock concert that was blaring only a few hundred metres away.
The weather was beautiful the next  morning, so we decided to sail from Ft. Pierce to Cape Canaveral to avoid the numerous bridges that dot the ICW in Florida.  We saw lots of seabirds-gannets, pelicans and seagulls, but no right whales.  We arrived at the inlet just as 3 cruise ships were departing.  We managed to get through the lock and drop anchor just as the wind started to howl.
Today we motorsailed to Titusville where we got haircuts, groceries, showers and published our latest blog!

Fellow Muskokans, Brad & Karen Jackson at Treasure Cay marina

Nippers pub on Great Guana Cay during Barefoot Man concert

Saltwater bath in tidal pool off Atlantic Ocean at Great Guana Cay

View from Nippers pub overlooking Atlantic Ocean

Walt cleaning the conch he "conquered"

Enjoying lobster and conch burgeers

Vertram Lowe, model ship builder

We sailed into Treasure Cay and took a slip at the marina to re-supply water, do laundry and clean the boat.  We knew that Karen & Brad Jackson, also from Bracebridge had a slip at this marina.  We met them and enjoyed "happy hour" with their group of friends they have got to know well along dock "L".  We walked the 3 mile beach of Treasure Cay...it's lovely.  After doing laundry the next morning, we sailed over to Great Guana Cay where we anchored at Fisher's Cay.  We walked through its town and over to Nippers bar that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.  We walked along the beach where Walt had a dip.  The next day was the Barefoot Man concert held at Nippers bar.  By 13:00 there were well over 1000 people there!  As Brad Jackson said, "It's like Spring Break for the geezers!"  We had a lovely afternoon there.  Later in the day we sailed back over to Marsh Harbour.  We re-provisioned and had to get more propane.  Once the chores were done,  we headed once again over   to Great Guana cay but went to the north end of the island, Bakers Bay.  We left the next morning to go around the Whale Cay passage-a section out on the Atlantic that can be very rough.  We had a smooth passage and motored into No Name Cay.  We snorkelled there for the afternoon on some fabulous reef and fishes.  In the late afternoon we took a mooring inside Black Sound, on Green Turtle Cay.  We have been here 1 week now since the winds have been strong and from the southwest to northwest.  Unfortunately, the other Abacos islands here in the north do not have protection from this wind direction except for this harbour.  However, there is lots to do here.  There are some fabulous beaches to walk looking for shells and swim.  We rented a golf cart to tour the whole island one day.  We did manage yesterday to get out for a snorkel off of Pelican Cay.   Walt found a conch.  I spotted a lobster that he then attempted to spear.  Unfortunately, it didn't get on his spear.  Determined not to lose it, I grabbed it by its antennas and yanked it out of its hole.  Then I grabbed its tail.  (Spiny lobsters do not have claws!)  We had our dinner!  We did some shelling and I found some lovely sea biscuits.  Back at the boat, Walt managed to coax the conch out of its shell.  He'll keep the shell for a souvenir.  Then he pounded the conch with a mallot, marinated it in lime juice, then fried it up with an egg/crumb mixture with lots of Old Bay seasoning.  I boiled my lobster tail.  It was a yummy Bahamian dinner.
Yesterday it was rainy so we visited the museum which describes the settlement history of the island.  There were beautiful painted portraits of Loyalist settlers and local folk-and the artist was there!  We learned that the house holding the museum used to be his father's house.  He donated the house to the town when his father passed away.  Many of his portraits have been used by the Bahamian government for stamps!  We also met his brother, Vertram, who is a model ship builder.  A talented family!  We are now waiting for our friend, Dexter to arrive on Tuesday.  We hope to explore some of the islands further north, weather permitting.

Gaily painted house in Man O War Cay 

National Tree of the Bahamas-Lignum vitae

Canvas bags made at the old sail shop in Man O War Cay

Narrow section on man O War Cay where Atlantic O (RHS) meet Sea of Abaco ( LHS)

Dinghy ride behind islands by Snake Cay

Sunset at Cormorant Cay

Hope Town harbour

Hope Town Lighthouse

View from lighthouse overlooking Hope Town harbour and Elbow Cay reef (in background)

Firefly resort for dinner

Sunset overlooking Sea of Abaco at Firefly resort

Surf's up at Hope Town beach Atlantic side

Soaring over the surf...

Wading at low tide

Stone crab and starfish at Tahiti Beach, Elbow Cay

Rage conditions seen from Abaco Inn

Rage conditions seen from Abaco Inn

Avoiding the surf...

Walt at Abaco Inn

Walt and I visited Man O War Cay aboard Windspell.  Man O War Cay was originally settled by the Albury family of Marsh Harbour.  They had purchased 50 acres from the crown in the early 1800s for agriculture.  The story goes that while the father was visiting the island with his daughter to till their garden, they heard voices.  When they went to explore on the ocean side they discovered several sailors from a wrecked boat.  The daughter fell in love with one of the sailors who was from Harbor Island, near Eleuthera.  They married and established themselves on Man O War Cay.  Many generations of that family still live on the island today.  They have turned to boat building and repair and sail making. Walter & I walked the island from one end to the other.  Man O War Cay seems very conservative.  Their homes are modest, the people very religous.  The houses are very neat and tidy with lovely gardens. 

We sailed from there to Cormorant Cay where we had a lovely secluded anchorage…the first anchorage we have had to ourselves since being in the Bahamas!  We dinghied to Snake Island and explored a passageway behind several islands through shallow waters.  A lumber industry was there back in the early 1900s.  They harvested the island pine/casuarina trees.  When the trees were gone in just a few years, the industry collapsed. 

From there we headed over to explore Hopetown.   Hopetown is known for its candy-striped lighthouse built by the British in the mid-1800s.  Back then, many of the local people protested the building of the lighthouse, and attempted to sabotage its construction since they made their living by “wrecking”…that is going out to salvage shipwrecks off Elbow Cay reef.  However, it was built and it remains today just like it was then.  The light burns  kerosene, and the light rotates on a bed of mercury!  We visited this lighthouse 28 years ago and learned that it caused the lighthouse keepers to die from mercury poisoning because the heat of the kerosene lamp vaporized the mercury.  The lighthouse keepers were inhaling the mercury vapour!   

Today, Hopetown has beautiful little houses gaily painted in a rainbow of pastel colours.  Pickett fences outline the properties and colourful flowering shrubs drape over the fencing.  Many of the homes are rental properties.  You can walk over to the ocean side and stroll the beaches.  There is a little museum that did a great job of describing the history of the area and portraying life as it was back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.