Slow Boat to Richmond

Well finally here is an update... We arrived in St. Augustine, FL, but headed a little north and stopped in Jacksonville Beach at the Beach Marina. It was St. Patrick's Day... We had a great dinner, steamed shrimp and  1/4 bushel of oysters, Gary was in heaven. It was great having a nice hot shower and a good night's sleep.  In the morning off we went to Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island) to check in with customs and to shop a little. We moored out and enjoyed the town which is kind of a throwback to 1960's. Fun to just walk thru. 

Off again in the morning to Jekyll Harbour Marina where we met a fellow Richmonder who went to Douglas Freeman. We started playing the name game and she knew Dacre, Holly & Katherine. Also, some friends from the Bahamas last year heard us on the VHF and called us. It was great hearing from Deb & Ed. We met for happy hour on Taravana and went out to dinner to catch up. We had so much fun with them that the next day we motored over to Brunswick Landing Marina (which is where Deb & Ed keep their sailboat, Ariel).  Again we had a fun day with our friends, touring  St. Simon's Island and having a great dinner on their boat.  

Off again, the weather was supposed to be nice, but mother nature said 20 knot winds in your face all day, so we finally anchored in Walburg Creek under a tree line - the wind was blocked and the anchorage was quiet and nice, except for the Georgia no see ums - they had a good feast on us if we left the boat salon. The island is part of a zoo and keeps gazelles, Madagascar turtles and parrots - but alas, we didn't see or hear any.

Off again in the morning and Gary ran over a crab pot and locked up the port engine. The water was 58 deg and too cold and murky to dive into, so we hobbled on one engine to Thunderbolt Marina, near Savannah.  Capt. Walt dove the next day for us and freed up the rope on the prop and we were good as new. We then went to Savannah for the afternoon, had a great trolley tour to get a quick overview... What a beautiful town... Met some people at Tubby's Tank House that afternoon who had been at our marina that morning and had seen us = small world - enjoyed talking to them - they have a power boat and cruise the 1000 Islands in Canada and NY.  Had dinner at The Cotton Exchange and Alison had the best Shrimp and Grits she had ever had - and Gary's low country boil was also excellent. Took a taxi cab back to the marina and was entertained by our driver, Rockin' Romeo, who played the spoons for us, played great country music, and talked our ears off all the way!!

Out to the ocean we went the next morning, the morning was light winds and smooth motoring, the afternoon kicked up to 20+ knot winds in our face, the admiral said "head in," so we did. We flew in at 10 to 12 knots and stayed at B & B Seafood on Mosquito Creek. Alison decided that the ICW is sometimes boring, but very calm. Canned soup for dinner and sleep...

The next day, we continued north and ended up at The Isle of Palms Marina after going through a light rain in the Charleston Harbour.  Very nice place and the happy hour food was great, mussels (Alison's new favorite) and more oysters for Gary. Joe joined us for dinner and we had a nice time catching up with him.

Next morning we were headed to Georgetown. Finally we had the tide and a good wind and are now tucked safe in Georgetown. Hot Showers and apps, this is pretty nice. We may stay here a day or two if the storm comes (with lightning) or we may try to get to Myrtle Beach, more on that later...

Back in the US

Well we made it from Abaco to St. Augustine, Fl. It was a nice sail until the last 6 to 8 hours and then the front hit us and it was a bit rough, but Taravana and Alison held up great. Sleeping and moving north now. Will update more later...

Here is the update:

We left Marsh Harbour on Sat., Mar. 14 after putting Will & Todd in a taxi to the airport with First Lady. Sailed north and watched their plane fly by... Alison was waving like crazy, even got the American flag out in case anyone in the plane could see her waving! Sailed north and docked at the Green Turtle Club on Green Turtle Cay for the night - wonderful dinner inside a beautiful marina! Early the next morning, we took off for the US... great sail, smooth waters, fair winds!

First night at sea was uneventful EXCEPT for the shuttle launch at sunset - it was truly amazing to see in person... 

Second day at sea, the skies got a little cloudy and the wind picked up, we saw a water spout behind us about 10 miles, then things got a little bit rocky that evening. Then we plowed our way in to St. Augustine the next morning and started motoring up the Intracoastal Waterway...  

Monday thru Wednesday

Monday morning found us exiting Guana Cay and heading toward Fowl Cay for a great morning of snorkeling. We anchored out on the ocean side of the island and found a great reef to dive on. Many fish were seen and a sea turtle graced us with his presence. Todd enjoyed his first snorkeling experience as we spotted numerous types of colorful fish. From there we headed to Hope Town to enjoy the view from atop the lighthouse followed by a stroll through the town, a few Kaliks at a fine local establishment, and some conch appetizers which we washed down with a few more Kaliks... After a fantastic afternoon we headed back to the boat briefly to drop the old folks off and ventured back to Cap'n Jacks for their Monday night Jacks (Bingo) game. Alas, we did not find the winner's circle but had a great time anyways. A nice quiet evening ensued as we had a delicious Grouper dinner and relaxed on the boat the rest of the evening. 

The next morning we headed to Little Harbour on Great Abaco Island where we met up with the Richmond folks. Mike and Kathryn Oden, Mark and Jean Claud, Brad and Maria Jones, and Charles and Susan Terry joined us on the boat for a morning of debauchery which of course ran into lunch at Pete's Pub and continued beyond. It was great seeing some familiar faces and exposing Todd to the world of Mike Oden. The morning of fun turned sour in the afternoon as Todd and I managed to flip the dinghy in the waves as we searched for a good snorkeling spot. Luckily we had a handheld VHF and were able to call the boat for help. Gary and Alison rushed out and rescued us and we managed to flip the boat over. That afternoon was spent trying to get the engine to work (which we finally did) and relaxing after the whole ordeal. A quiet night obviously ensued as we cooked cheeseburgers for dinner. Later in the night we taught Todd to play Mexican Trainwreck and hit the hay fairly early. 

Wednesday morning brought a whole new outlook to the trip. Mike and Charles drove over to the harbor to pick us up and take us back to the house they were staying in. A day of drinking, eating, and laughing took our minds off of the day before and rose our spirits to new highs.  The rest of the day we relaxed and napped the rest of the evening. Pizza for dinner and a relaxing evening as we searched for the night NASA launch to no avail

"You have to start with whatever you want to start with."

--Alison Cosby

It is Monday, 924pm.  I do not know the date.

This is my first time on a boat...and it has been a wonderful experience so far.

I have been told to list all the things I have done for the first time, so yeah here goes:

--been on a sailboat

--been snorkeling

--seen a lot of fish in the wild

--tasted a gin and tonic/bloody mary/RUM PUNCH

--had grouper

--had conch

--seen a shark in the wildlife

--been on a plane with a propeller

--taken a pill that made me not sea sick

--rocked on a boat

--seen a husband and wife that thoroughly enjoy one another's company while living on a boat

--been in the bahamas

--play bocce ball (and won, by a lot)

--had kalik

--been made fun of by a professional comedian, and more than once

--been woken up by two females (with high pitch voices) from baylor university

--seen gary intoxicated...oh wait

--seen gary dancing...while intoxicated (and alison refusing to participate)

--blogging

--swam like a turtle swims, while swimming above the turtle

--seen a star that is green and then red and then white

...yeah you get the picture, and i have only been aboard for a couple days

This has been one of most unique experiences of my life.  This has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life...and it has only been two days.  I want to officially thank Alison and Gary for providing me with this one in a lifetime experience.  I am sorry to sound so cliche, but seriously, this is awesome.  I also want to thank their (good) son, Will, for asking me to come join him on this expedition.

Here is a brief explanation of my travels so far:

Friday, "Go to the Bahams Day"

--I went to Hampton, Virginia to serve witness to an amazing musical after-party for the Phish (band) reunion.  I was driven to the airport in Richmond at 4am in the morning...without any sleep.

Saturday, "Barefoot and Manny Day"

--I flew with Will to the Bahamas...yeah I flew to the Bahamas, it was awesome.  We got a ride from the airport to the sailboat from a very cheerful lady.   Upon arriving to the sailboat (and the exuberance of Alison/Gary) I had my first real taste of seafood (really, I had never had actual seafood...and I'm going sailing for a week...let's go).  I started eating and then the boat started rocking and then my stomach starting feeling 'different'.  Honestly, doing this blogging thing is hard.  I do not know if it is the alcohol, or if it is the time that flies while I am having fun, or whatever--but expressing the immensity of fun I have been having throughout this weekend is impossible to write about.  But yeah, Saturday night we attended a Barefoot Man concert at Nippers.  For anybody that does not know, Alison LOVES Barefoot Man...but for good reason.  I have heard that he is the Jimmy Buffet of the Bahamas, but seeing him in person, he is so much more.  He introduces all of his songs with a story, joke, punchline, etc.  Then he sings the songs, which make you laugh, dance, bob your head, and have a few more drinks.  Barefoot Man also had several concert 'shoutouts' to Alison and Gary...they saw him on their honeymoon however many years ago...and he made it a point to tell the audience how special of a relationship they still have.  Dinner at the concert was delicious, I was a poor sport and had steak.  A comedian somehow follow the impressive performance of Barefoot Man (who was in fact...you guessed it...barefoot).  The comedians name was Manny.  He was HILARIOUS.  Like many comedians, he engaged the audience by involving the audience in many of his jokes.  I have to say, I was the source of several of his attempts to gain laughter from the audience.  I was made fun for looking young for my age, being freshly shaven, being in the teaching profession, and being in the Bahamas with a friend's parents.  Impromptu fireworks followed the performance, and then a (staggering) walk back to the boat to call it a night.  It was the first time I got to sleep in two days.

(Monday at 1017pm)

"What do you think about life on the boat so far?"  --Will Cosby

"It kicks ass!"  --Me

Sunday, "Gary Dancing Day"

--We began the day with snorkeling!  By the way, snorkeling is awesome, although it can be a little bit tiring.  I got to a see things I had never seen before in my life.  Whether it was the coral, the shape of the rocks at the bottom of the sea, the large amount of wildlife, or my fellow snorkelers, it was awesome.  I know I keep using this word, but as anyone knows, being on this boat in the Bahamas with these people lends one to describe the activities he or she participates in as 'awesome'.  We made our way to a neat spot on the island called Grabbers.  Gary had a drink.  A band from Coco Beach, Florida called Coco Locos was playing there all afternoon-evening-night.  Then, Gary had a drink.  They covered conventional island songs and played several original songs that were perfect for the atmosphere of the place.  And Gary had a drink.  We stayed there for a good portion of the day and came back briefly at night.  Will and I played bocce ball against Alison and Gary...and won, although I do admit, Alison and Gary were quite the formidable duo.  At this point, Gary had a drink.  They forced us into overtime in one of the games.  Then, Gary had a drink.   I saw my future wife at this place as well.  She was wearing a long, colorful, tie-dye dress with ankle bracelets made of shells that jingled every time she walked...and she had long brown hair...she was awesome.  And her friend, another future wife of mine, danced liked the world was going to end tomorrow.  It was a great place, and the Kalik and rum punch flowed freely (Gary).  We had a delicious dinner this night, compliments of Alison and Gary.  It consisted of a chicken piccata, tiny pasta, and broccoli.  We went back to Grabbers that night...and I remember Gary trying to persuade Alison to dance with him, but to no avail.  It was one of the funniest hours of my life.  

It is Monday night, and I will post my adventures from today and the rest of my trip at some point.  It has been a wonderful few days at sea for me.  I have already made some great memories and seen some things that I will never forget.  Alison and Gary are two of the nicest, most accommodating, cheerful, heady, and fun people that I have ever met.  If anyone has the opportunity to come aboard the Taravana (or Motu, the dinghy)...please do so, you will never forget your time doing so.  I can promise you, it will be as memorable an unforgettable as you want it to be.  You are on board with people who LOVE TO ENJOY LIFE...bottom line.

~Todd, second to last mate

Bingo Monday at Hope Town

Well another cold front blew thru so we are at Hope Town in 65 deg weather. In Richmond there is a foot of snow, no power and a tree down in our yard. We left Fishers Bay two days ago and headed back to Hope Town to weather out the front. Alison's highlight this week was having lobster 3 nights in a row - yum!! We had some great Conch Fingers at Harbours Edge and tonight we are at Captain Jacks, Alison is playing BINGO, the pot is up to $250, and she is ready to win. Alison thought she had won, shouted out "JACKS", but then found out that she lost b/c  it was not "double bingo" but an H shape and she was in the restroom when the instructions were announced, oh well!!  More later>>>>>>>>

Tuesday we headed to Tilloo Cay but it was a bit of a rocky and noise anchorage, so we didn't stay - but headed back to the "other" side of Marsh Harbour and anchored just south of  Sugar Loaf Cay. We took the dinghy into the mangroves and Gary went bone fishing while Alison rowed. The fish didn't bite, but it was a beautiful afternoon. Then off to Marsh Harbour while the wind still blows from the northeast and we await Will and his roommate, Todd, who arrive Sat. afternoon!! This afternoon we are at the Jib Room for happy hour (hopefully will connect with Jason who can burn Pineapple Wine on a CD for us), then heading back to the boat for stone crab claws for dinner tonight.

Lazy Daze

We are all alone and miss our past company. We have been taking it easy, sleeping, eating & a little cleaning. We left Marsh Harbour Wednesday and went to Treasure Cay for two nights and anchored in the harbour. It is still very much like we saw it 18 years ago. We did go dancing to some local music Thursday Night, it was fun to get out. Friday off we went to Bakers Bay for a quiet day and to work on the guest toilet. We believe it is now much cleaner and the room smells of vanilla. It was a very calm anchorage and the stars were out in full force. We watched the crescent moon set cupping Saturn - truly a remarkable sight!. Today off to Fisher's Bay for lunch at Grabbers, Alison said she had the BEST fish sandwich yet and my Cuban was pretty good also. Up to Nipper's to overlook the ocean, what a brilliance of blues. It is such a gorgeous, clear and calm day - wish we had brought our snorkel stuff with us. Now time to find ice and lobster... 

Green Turtle Cay for the Weekend

Friday morning, most of us went to Cap'n Jack's for breakfast, then we set sail for Green Turtle Cay. The Whale Cay Channel was OK that day, a little "rolly" so we waited until almost at Green Turtle before we had lunch (saltines and cheddar cheese and then fried bologna sandwiches - yum!). Docked at the Bluff House Marina in White Sound and rented golf carts. Off to New Plymouth to visit Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar (Goombay Smashes), the lobster man, and ordered a pie for Ed's birthday the next day. We drove up a couple of dirt roads to view the beautiful but windy beaches on the bumpy ride home. Back to the marina for dinner at the Jolly Roger Bar & Bistro. Fun waitress, Whitney, who danced with us at the end of dinner to our new local Rake & Scrape favorites, Shake It Up and Boom Hiney Wine! Saturday morning was the beginning of Ed's birthday celebration with Eggs Benedict and Mimosas. The boys then took off on the golf carts to town for the lobster and pie. When they returned, Paige, Bill and Alison took the 2 golf carts to town while Ed, Robin and Gary took the boat over to an anchorage off New Plymouth. We wanted to be there in time for the Stranded Naked 20th Anniversary Party. It was basically a cook out to benefit the local fire station - a burger in paradise never tasted so good. DJ was good, but we decided that we would have more fun on our golf carts, so we went for another ride to the beaches - discovered several paths and mostly deserted beaches - and enjoyed rum punches along the way! Back to New Plymouth to turn in the golf carts, then over to the Wrecking Tree for some conch fritters. We then moved up to Coco Bay for the night - beautiful, quiet anchorage. Stars were glistening off the water that night - and phosphorus glowed in the water! Lobster and beef tenderloin for dinner that night, then a fresh, homemade coconut cream pie for the birthday dessert - it was so deliciously sweet that we could only eat small slices, but somehow were able to finish it for breakfast the next morning! Early the next morning, we set sail for Baker's Bay (on the northern tip of Great Guana Cay). It was a glorious day - water was so calm and so clear and various shades of turquoise you could see the coral below.  The water was cool, but that didn't stop Paige and Bill from swimming to shore and back. The beach at Baker's was smooth and pink - great for walking and swimming. After lunch, we followed a mother dolphin and her baby for a short while watching them feed and swim around us. On to Marsh Harbour for the night - anchored, then dinner at Curly Tails - everyone was mellow as it was an early morning on Monday for the flight home for our guests.

We are currently staying put for a couple of days - resting, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, and reading a LOT ! May head off soon to Treasure Cay to check it out ...  we will put some pictures with this when we go ashore and have faster internet speed!