30 April - Day 58. We jack hammer the anchor out of its concrete set and head towards the 'Whale'. Winds are 15-20kts from the ESE. Approaching the 'Whale' the seas build. Nothing outrageous but enough to keep the windshield wipers in continuous operation. We beat into 3-4' seas as we watch breakers pound the shoreline. It's a quick rounding and relief comes when we enter the lee of Great Guana Cay. A little over 20nm away is our first stop of the day Marsh Harbour. After almost two months underway it's time to reprovision. Two hours later we weigh anchor and wander SE towards Elbow Cay. On the way we come across our 1992 'crash site'. In November of 1992 we rented a bareboat from Sunsail and spent a week gunkholing here in the Sea of Abaco. Late in the afternoon on Friday, 20 November, we anchored on the SW side of Sugar Loaf Cay. There was a gale blowing from the ENE. During the night the anchor drug and we drifted, peacefully over 1nm to leeward. Then the keel went aground on sand and startled the crew awake. Our stern was 10' from the stone breakwater at Albury's Ferry dock on Great Abaco. The wind and each wave pushed us closer to the rocks while the starboard rail went deeper under water. We couldn't power off and the same light Danforth that we'd just drug across the bay wasn't up to kedging us off. Our call for help was answered by Will, an old sea-salt and tough as nails Brit. Now imagine this, in the midst of a gale, on a boat listing badly, and with rocks ready to chew-up her stern, Will jumps to the mainsail halyard and rapidly raises the main (in normal conditions it took two of us and winch to do this). Our 45 degree list quickly turns into 70 degrees as all aboard try to keep from falling overboard. Like a race horse at the gate our sloop flies off the bar and into deeper water. Now our only problem is that we're at sea, in a gale, at night. But that's another story. On a well-set anchor in Elbow Cay, just north of Hope Town, Babahams. 32nm today: 1361nm. DBH

29 April - Day 57. After a week of 20+ kt winds you begin to wonder if it'll ever stop blowing. Today, thankfully, they've at least started to weaken and the forecast looks good for tomorrow. So, today we're tying up loose ends because tomorrow Nellie heads south around the 'Whale'. Still in White Sound's very windy anchorage, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas. 0nm today: 1329nm total. DBH

28 April - Day 56. With the strong south-easterlies continuing to blow we decided to do something healthy and walk into New Plymouth. It's obvious that we've been here too long as we know the names of many of the people we see along the way. Our reward for the long walk in and back, as though good health isn't reward enough, was to be a hamburger and fries at Dave's. We arrived, salivating, only to find he was closed. Just up from Dave's is a hardware store. It's a small, family run affair but is very well stocked. While they didn't have the 5/8 hose for our genset they did have lamp oil and at 2/3 the Marsh Harbour price. Apparently, the locals forgo lamp oil altogether in favor of odorless mineral spirits ($12/gallon vs. $24/gallon). While dingying back to Nellie we stop by Harbour Reach, a Pacific Trawler 37, to say hello. Bill and Mary Russell are 9 years into the Great Loop. Instead of going south on the Mississippi, like everyone else, they went 1700 miles north. He's a mechanical engineer while she's a computer type. They started building their house in the '70s and have yet to finish it. Bicki and I felt like were were looking in a mirror. The view is not bad… Still in White Sound's very windy anchorage, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas. 0nm today: 1329nm total. DBH

27 April - Day 55. After breakfast at the Green Turtle Club, John, Susan, and Carol (Susan's sister) depart for Florida. For us it's time to catch up on some long ignored chores aboard Nellie. The head is one system that we pay absolutely no attention to until it needs it. Bicki's field-level maintenance takes care problems 99% of the time. But, with the dreaded "It still isn't flushing." ringing in my ears, I give the throne the same threatening look a parent gives a misbehaving child. It's now depot-level maintenance time so out come the tools. Suffice it to say that much effluent splattering and French words followed. A fresh water head is supposed to reduce urine induced arterial blockage. 'Reduce' is clearly the operative word as there was plenty of crystallized plaque constricting the flow. Next on the repair list was the genset. It runs fine as long as the raw water flow alarm is disabled. Today I wanted to determine if it was a sensor problem or a partial blockage in the raw water cooling line. After much effort it's still TBD. While getting gas for the dink I asked a local about the strong winds we've been having. He assures me that they're unusual for this time of year and should abate by tomorrow or the next day at the latest… In the very windy anchorage in White Sound, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas. 0nm today: 1329nm total. DBH

26 April - Day 54. Our long stay in Green Turtle Cay has been mostly weather related. While there's currently high pressure over the Bahamas, a steep pressure gradient has kept the winds at 20+ kts, from the ESE, for the last week. Cruising north in the Sea of Abaco is a little bumpy but doable. South, for us, is not an option because of the Whale Cay rounding and the very big seas there. Having already explored Manjack Cay we went farther north today and explored Powell Cay. It's uninhabited with beautiful, white sand beaches on its east and west sides. Attention must be paid to navigation as shoals abound. Entering a big bay on the NW side we find four other cruisers at anchor. We dingy ashore and walk across the island as we've heard the snorkeling is great on the east side's reefs. After walking only a few hundred yards we discover a huge, reef fringed, shallow bay. Because of the high winds we skip swimming and go shelling instead. There are lots of sand dollars and conch. Later, while buzzing around in the dingy, we see a 6' nurse shark and many large, black sting rays. This area is known for its bone fishing. They are everywhere. At anchor in Powell Cay, Bahamas. 27nm today: 1329nm total. DBH

25 April - Day 52. It's amazing what washes up on the beaches here. Floats of all sizes predominate but there's lots of other interesting stuff too. At most beaches you'll find a tree, decorated Christmas style, with some of the more colorful bits which beach comers have found. Folks decorate their houses and yards with the stuff too. I was a bit surprise however, when walking through New Plymouth yesterday, we saw a Williams Research jet engine adorning a flower bed. These little puppies are expensive, to say the least, and normally propel military UAVs. It was simply laying there like any other piece of detritus. I was told that the engine had been inside a U.S. Navy target drone that had washed ashore. We found the drone's fuselage adorning the Sundowner Bar in New Plymouth. At anchor in White Sound, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas. 0nm today: 1302nm total. DBH

24 April - Day 51. Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. It's time for us to take on water as the starboard tank is empty and the port only 1/4 full. Fresh water wouldn't normally be worth mentioning, but this is the Bahamas. The islands on the east side of Great Abaco have no fresh water wells. So, houses are built with cisterns, in lieu of basements or crawl spaces, and gutter fed downspouts direct water into them. By balancing rainfall and usage the average homeowner makes out fine. Marinas and other commercial users however must convert saltwater into freshwater by reverse osmosis (RO); an enery extensive and expensive process. Marinas here charge anywhere from $.20 to $.50 per gallon. It cost $18.80 to fill Nellie's tanks today. This will last us over two weeks and thus averages out to around $1/day (not a significant sum in the grand scheme of things ;-) At anchor in White Sound, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas. 1nm today: 1302nm total. DBH

23 April - Day 50. Enough days in port already. It's time to go cruising. And so we head out of White Sound, Green Turtle Cay with a destination of Great Guana Cay, some 16 miles to the south. The Sea of Abaco becomes very shallow in this region and the only way to go south is by leaving protected waters and rounding the 'Whale'. The patch around Whale Cay is notoriously rough. Our approach was greeted with increasing swells and 20kt head winds. Rather than ruin a nice day's outing we merely reversed course and headed to the north end of Manjack Cay; only about 8 nm away. We drop the hook in 6' of crystal clear water over a sand and grass bottom. While walking the beach a 40" black ray, which looks just like a B-2 bomber, starts buzzing our feet. He's so close that his wings slap our shins. Back on Nellie I go over with a scouring pad to clean the bottom. There's some grass lodged in the genset's thruhull. Could the solution to the raw water flow problem be that easy? There are sand dollars, conch, and clams all over the bottom. The water temp is 75F, a little warmer than the 35F we left in the Chesapeake 50 days ago. 20nm today: 1301nm total. DBH

22 April - Day 49. One of the worst sounds aboard has to be that of a diesel engine shutting down unexpectedly. THis is something our genset did several times today. The Onan's built-in diagnostic system indicated that lack of raw water flow caused the automatic shut down. A check of the strainer and impeller removed them from the suspect list. The Onan would restart fine and run for a handful of minutes before shutting down again. Additionally, the raw water flow appeared normal while the Onan was running. Perhaps the problem lay in the raw-water-flow pressure switch. An Ohm meter revealed that the normally closed switch opened when raw water flowed. For whatever reason the switch wasn't opening. This was confirmed when the two wires to the switch were removed, making it appear to the Onan that raw water was flowing, and the genset continued to run. Tomorrow I'll pull the pressure switch and dig deeper. 0nm today: 1281nm total. DBH

21 April - Day 48. The big winds predicted for last night never got much over 25kts. This morning the winds are clocking and driving a fairly constant rain into us. It's amazing how much the holding can change within a small anchorage. We slid all over the place just north of our current spot. While here we're solid as a rock. Thanks to the unsettled weather, everyone in White Sound was staying pretty close to their boats this morning. After the weather cleared Dan and Myra, S/V Kairos, stopped by to say hello. They live in Colorado, where Myra is a middle school principal. Dan grew up in Preston, MD which is about 30 miles north of our home in Church Creek. His family, like mine, started farming in American Corner, MD (which consists of three houses and a stop sign) in the 1700's. While we're strangers, I doubt our great great grandparents were. I imagine a landlubber tends to think of cruising in terms of a solitary sailor on a lonely ocean. For us, nothing could be farther from the truth. Cruising is akin to a giant social scene where the price of admission is a boat. Today's party at the Green Turtle Club Marina started at 2 pm and Nellie D.'s crew wasn't home until after 10 pm. 0nm today: 1281nm total. DBH

20 April - Day 47. We have the Bluff Harbour anchorage on the NW side of Green Turtle Cay all to ourselves. It's a beautiful, small, shallow bay that offers protection from all but north winds. A sand bar guards the entrance and helps keep (most ;-) of us riffraff out. We had a very nice breakfast with Elizabeth and Larry Allen who own a home on the most NE point of the bay. We met Larry last night when he stopped by in his runabout. Cocktails and a tour of Nellie quickly followed. He kindly reciprocated by inviting us in this morning. Rhode Islanders, they've been coming here for many years and finally bought in 2005. The island lifestyle appears to be Robinson Caruso, i.e. a tight, friendly community that delights in their natural surroundings and where, by necessity, ingenuity abounds. By 1230 we were weighing anchor and destined for the ferry dock at Great Abaco. John and Susan were flying in and we hoped to save them from the commercial ferry ride. Halfway there it was apparent that the 20kt south easterlies weren't going to cooperate as the passenger transfer point was completely exposed. With a 'good try' under our belts we diverted to White Sound, Green Turtle Cay. We arrived to a beehive of activity; lots of coming and going. Seems 40kt winds have been forecast for this evening. Boats anchored 'outside' were coming into the safety of the Sound. While boats anchored 'inside' were departing for the added safety of a dock in Black Sound, about 1.5nm away to the south. A quick discussion with a 'grey beard' told us where the good holding was. In 8' of water we put out 80' of chain. Dinner aboard with John and Susan. We batten down and wait for the winds. 5nm today: 1281nm total. DBH

19 Mar - Day #15. A very muddy anchor comes aboard at 0705. Check-in with the Waterway Net for the first time. This is the net we'll be using in the Bahamas. When we left Church Creek, MD the water temp was 36. As we approach Charleston the water temp hits 60F. Drop the hook in Wappo Creek, just south of Charleston. For the first time in I can't remember how long we don't hit bottom--all day! 55nm today: 553nm total. DBH

19 April - Day 46. We wake early to the sounds of Mimosa's anchor being retrieved. Being purists they sail off the mooring and will tack, upwind, the 8 nm to Green Turtle's Black Sound. Like so many others we've met, they're leaving for the summer. From very reliable sources we'd learned that spring and early summer are the best cruising times here. So it was a little alarming, to say the least, to see all the cruisers leaving now. It finally dawned on me that this a migratory pattern, i.e. south in the winter and north in summer, not a declaration of the best cruising time. It helps, too, to understand that cruisers are a thrifty lot and that slips that go for $0.65/ft in the winter are $2.40/ft in the summer. It's now 'high season' here because many Floridians come to escape the heat and go big game fishing. Lighter winds also makes the Gulf Stream crossing easier. For us it means empty anchorages and a lot fewer nights in a marina. 8nm today: 1276nm total. DBH

18 April - Day 45. It's funny as we sit at anchor off the very tropical Manjack Key I'd be thinking about how well an LNVT works as an icebreaker. That is, to meet interesting people. While checking out the three anchorages on Manjack Cay yesterday we selected the middle one, Coconut Tree Beach. Mimosa, a 31' C&C sloop, had the place to themselves. We dropped the hook, staying well clear, but knew we were intruding. With the dink down, and intent on exploring Manjack, we first paid a pro forma courtesy call on our new neighbors. Andre and Bridget, of Nova Scotia, are self proclaimed recluses, who made it clear their friendliness was spurred, in part, by their interest in Nellie D. That's fair, because our initial interest in them was the local knowledge they've gained in 30 years cruising here. One thing led to another and before any of us realized it it was 10 pm. During which they'd gotten a tour of Nellie and we'd been briefed on all the 'good' spots. More important though was the connection made with interesting people. I can't help but laugh at all the unintended consequences in this story, the least of which is our 'icebreaker'. 8nm today: 1268nm total. DBH

17 April - Day 44. Shallow anchor sets combined with strong winds make for light sleeping. But setting the GPS and depth alarms before going to bed does help. I hate using the amps but being awakened by the keel bumping off the bottom is worse. On average, and when not underway, we run the genset two hours each day and get about 90 Ah back into the batteries. We decided to walk into the 'big city', New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay, population 400, today. It's about 3 miles each way. The dense, mostly low foliage is only broken up occasionally by houses. The terrain is surprisingly hilly. The road initially goes east across the Cay which gave us a good look at the reef strewn littoral. Several times we saw pretty water font clearings with picnic tables centered in them. Congestion picked up, i.e. we saw 3 or 4 golf carts, as we neared town. There's a steep hill leading down to New Plymouth, at the bottom of which is the Wrecking Tree. Many of the islanders used to make their living by salvaging the mostly English and American Schooners that went up on the local reefs. The Wrecking Tree is where, by law, the salvaged goods were brought. Under the Tree it was inventoried and then transshipped to Nassau for sale. The salvager got about 50% of the proceeds while the tax man got 10%. The advent of modern navigation electronics freed the Tree for new ventures. The latest of which is a locals restaurant. We can vouch for their great conch, grouper and cold beer. 0nm today: 1260nm total. DBH

16 April - Day 43. Anchor watch began at 0315 when a thunderstorm passed through. Once again, however, at daybreak there was nothing but blue sky. After several boats left we decided to give ourselves more swinging room and re-anchored. What should have taken 10 minutes turned into an hour long ordeal. The hook would initially set but wouldn't hold when backing down at greater than 1000 rpm. Each time the anchor was found to be fouled with sand and grass. We heard these conditions are not unusual in the Bahamas and that a Delta (or other non-articulated sharp plow) was the anchor of choice here. We sleep a lot better when the hook holds 1500 rpm but since 1000 rpm held in today's 18kt winds … Green Turtle's White Sound has two resorts: The Green Turtle Club and Bluff House. Both are cruiser friendly, which means we're welcome to tie our dinks to their docks, eat at their restaurants, etc. The island is surprisingly hilly. Rather than being simply a coral atoll, there's a lot of lava rock. The vegetation is dense and myriad: mangroves; pines; the occasional palm; and, many deciduous trees. The houses seem to be taller than most of the trees. Perhaps hurricanes are more effective at trimming them than the stoutly built houses. The very narrow roads are mostly sand and natural stone affairs. Jacked-up golf carts are the vehicle of choice although we saw several cars too. Walking is very pleasant and you're rewarded by one pretty view after another. 0nm today: 1260nm total. DBH

15 April - Day #42. This morning it's clear, sunny and 81F. The Bahamas and Camelot have something in common, it only rains at night. The 5-day weather forecast is for strong north easterlies and 'rage' conditions at Whale Cay Pass. So what's a 'rage'? It's an aptly descriptive Bahamian term for the huge sea conditions found at ocean passes when large, wind driven swells, transition from deep to shallow water. For the mariner, a rage is a bar crossing with breaking seas. Not wishing to test our mettle, or sanity, we slip the mooring in Hope Town, Elbow Cay and head north. After some 20nm we enter the pass and find large swells but nothing breaking. We transit a tight, but well marked, little channel into Green Turtle Cay's White Sound. Once inside we find lots of boats on their 'hooks'. The bottom is only 6' away but feels much closer because of the clear water. The bottom is grass and sand over a hard pack. Perfect holding ground; until the winds pipe up. While out exploring in the dink, I offer a tow to a fellow cruiser who is rowing out to his sailboat. Turns out that he's a former crewmate of Bill Lowell's (37' LNVT, Gray Ghost #56). Jim and Jenny Allan, Rebel Star, join us for dinner and are thoroughly delightful with their myriad cruising stories. At 3:46 PM (utc) Nellie D's position was 26°46.79'N 077°20.29'W 27nm today: 1260nm total. DBH

14 April - Day #41. Nellie's short a crew member as John flew back to Florida this morning. Not for long though as he, with Susan this time, will be back aboard Saturday. It's easy to dream about the idyllic island life. I can see myself living here in a brightly colored pastel house shaded by palm trees and overlooking the ocean. And, of course, there's always a cooling breeze rippling the tranquil seas. Unfortunately there's a reef in this fantasy, and mine came in the guise of a hardware store. Our visit to a very nice one this morning quickly turned into an episode of "Holy Cow, can you believe the Price?". It seemed everything cost at least three times as much as stateside. The $19 vacuum we have aboard was $84 while a gallon of lamp oil was $33. Back on Nellie by 1000 we weigh anchor with a destination of Hope Town on Elbow Key. We leave Marsh Harbour in formation with a Moorings (bareboat charter) sailboat. The young captain's tentative boat handling is perhaps an indication that he's nearer the beginning of his vacation than the end. I think back some 17 years when we first chartered here; all the adventures. I catch the eye of the young captain, smile and wave. He promptly goes aground. Yup, it's exactly like when we were first here. The 20 knot winds have the Sea of Abaco up a bit but it's only an 8nm trip. Hope Town is an old English settlement. It's lighthouse was built in the 1860's and is still warning mariners of the treacherous reefs today. The little harbor offers 360 degree protection. There's no room to anchor but moorings are only $15/night. The cute and colorful little houses come right down to the water. There aren't roads but rather concrete paths wide enough for golf carts, which the Cay has in abundance. It's a short and pretty walk from bay to ocean. A little way south we come across a restaurant with a gorgeous water view. I recommend their mahi mahi sandwich with a Stong Back Stout. Back aboard Nellie and napping we're awakened by someone hailing us. It's Dave and Nancy off Pour Vous with a cocktail invitation. An unusual lightening storm with lots of cloud-to-cloud activity lights up the night. At 4/15/2009 12:55 PM (utc) Nellie D's position was 26°34.45'N 077°00.73'W 8nm today: 1233 total. DBH

13 April - Day #39. Still at anchor in Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco Island. The quest begins to find Nellie a permanent home here in the Islands. A several mile walk from Marsh Harbour gets us across the peninsula to the local haulout yard. Lots of boats on the hard but the area appears to be very industrial and wide open to easterly winds. During the day's grocery run we found that a gallon of skim milk sells for $7.24. The good news is that peanut M&Ms are only $1/bag. Winds have been up as we're seeing 20kts almost everyday. The afternoon is spent R&Ring aboard. 0nm today: 1225 total. DBH

12 April - Day #40. On the 40th day they rested! Nellie's crew was content to sleep in, lounge and basically do nothing all day long. A cold front moved through this morning. The winds clocked from south, through west, then north, and finally settled on east and rose to 20kts. It's good to have an 80 lb anchor and lots of chain. The Abacos Cruiser's net is held at 0815 daily on VHF 68. New arrivals are given the opportunity to announce themselves. Nellie decided to go stealth. After all, nobody will notice a green tug in a sea of sailboats ;-) At 4/12/2009 1:12 PM (utc) Nellie D's position was 26°39.51'N 077°08.74'W 0nm today: 1225nm total. DBH

11 April - Day #38. The day dawns bright on Green Turtle Cay. The winds have finally laid down. After paying a courtesy call on our boat neighbors, who'd kindly directed us to a mooring the day before, we headed out of Black Sound. Ahead lay the challenges of 'The Whale'. The protected waters of the Sea of Abaco shoal just south of Green Turtle Cay. To continue south one must go outside and round Whale Cay; an open ocean passage surrounded by rocks. This notorious bit of water dismasted a sailboat just last week. 'Never on a north wind' is the local advice and there's even a special "Whale Report" given on the VHF radio each morning. Today's weather was perfect and we saw many boats going through. Once back inside, and over a sandy bottom, it's a straight shot to Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco Island. Marsh Harbour is the third largest town in the Bahamas, population 5000. About 50 boats are anchored here and there's still room for a lot more. With the hook down at 1230 we head ashore to check out the local culture and find a place for lunch. 23nm today: 1225nm total. DBH

10 April - Day #38. The anchorage in Great Sale Cay is open to the south. As luck would have it, last night's winds blew a nice steady 15kts; from the south. We set the GPS' anchor alarm for 100' and went to bed knowing that while the evening may be a bumpy one, at least we'd wake up in the same place. The winds built today eventually leveling at 20kts from the SSW. Other than being passed by a Benetau 42, under sail, while tacking no less, Nellie was happy as a clam and gave us a comfortable ride. It felt like we'd finally 'arrived' in the cruising grounds when we started paralleling the shores of Little Abaco Island. Here the Abacos begin a turn to the south and myriad out islands break the Atlantic swell. It's a 60nm run from Great Sale to Green Turtle. The route between the two is something like a highway for cruisers heading to/from the US. However, we only saw a dozen boats in our 10 hour transit so it's not exactly crowded. We entered Green Turtle's Black Sound at low low tide. Not to worry there was plenty of water. If you call 4.6', over coral, in the middle of the channel, plenty of water ;-O Once inside the bottom drops, becomes sandy, and is grass filled. 'Pickup a mooring' is the guide books advice. With none available we drop the hook and proceed to back-down for half a mile while the anchor, and its 50' of chain rode, merrily follows along. While retrieving the ground tackle some locals take pity on us and point out a private mooring which can be rented. It's Good Friday and just about everything is closed in New Plymouth. Very pretty place. White picket fences surround the small, tightly packed, brightly colored houses. Dinner is on Dave as he managed to find a sand bar during the earlier anchoring exercise. 62nm today: 1202 total. DBH

9 April - Day #37. A gilded cage, no matter how nice, is still irksome. So Nellie's crew had no problem leaving the Old Bahama Bay resort at West End (and it's pool, beautiful beach, fast wifi, great food, infinite hot showers and attentive staff) behind. Hmm, we may be rethinking this choice. Anyway, after 35 days getting to the Bahamas this was our first day of actual reef navigation. Only 1nm NW of West End, Grand Bahama Island is Indian Cay Channel, a narrow, unmarked, 3nm cut through thin water and rocks. The first lesson here in the 'Islands' is that navigation is strictly by GPS waypoints. The Little Bahama Bank is huge, encompassing some 13,400 square miles. Deep water is defined as 13' and uncharted shoals and rock piles litter the whole area. The low lying cays don't help with navigation either. Thus it was, just passed Indian Cay we left the safety of deep water and went right when the GPS said so. There used to be a channel marker but everyone's gotten so comfortable with GPS' that there's no urgency to replace it. We timed our passage for 0730, the tail end of the rising tide. The crew's job is to watch for breaking water and rocks; the goal, of course, being to avoid them. For ICW cruisers the clarity of this water is alarming. The bottom appears to be so close that surely a grounding is only seconds away. It takes a while, but the head eventually wins out over the stomach. After surviving Indian Cay Channel it's a slight right and then straight to the Mangrove Cay waypoint, some 21nm distant. I need to digress for a moment to explain the pronunciation of cay—it's key, like the Florida Keys. The word 'cay' originates from the spanish word 'cayo' (little island). This confirms my suspicion that to speak spanish one only need add an 'o' to the end of each word. Another slight right at Mangrove Cay and 20nm miles later the hook is down in the the SW bight of Great Sale Cay. We're halfway across the Little Bahama Bank. 48nm today: 1140nm total. DBH

8 April - Day #36. Finally the winds die down. It's cool out (mid 60s) which is great for getting some boat projects done: cetol touch up; bilge cleaning; water tank cleaning; and thoroughly check engine. The raw water line between the strainer and impeller pump was being chafed by the starboard, forward engine mount. Repositioning the line and adding some chafe gear took care of the problem. The weather must be better as several boats arrived in West End today. Looks like there will be two sailboats flying formation with us tomorrow as we cross the Little Bahama Bank to Sale Cay. Took advantage of XM radio's $5/month special and now we're a-rock'n tug. Cocktails with Pour Vous and Sea Island Girl. Early to bed because it's a 0700 departure tomorrow. 0nm today: 1092 total. DBH

7 April - Day #34. Can you say windy? It was rock and roll all night. Several of our neighbors' boats suffered piling rash. Apparently big winds are not unusual here at West End, heard stories of folks getting stuck here for as many as 10 days. Thursday still looks like good although we may get lucky tomorrow. Did a little exploring today. Walked south for a few miles though a lot of scrub and the occasional palm. Conch shells, with the tell tale hole of the chefs knife in the crown, litter the littoral. They dive on the left here although the steering wheels are on the same side as in the US. The speed seems to be more a function of the road condition than any posted signs. Lots of folks waved. A resort bus stopped to offer a ride; but, since that would kind of defeat the purpose of 'going for a walk', we declined. We were rewarded on our trek south with the discovery of a pub. It was after 4pm so we partook. Kalick (pronounced 'click') is a local beer; they were out. The bar keep recommended Coors Light instead. After a Guinnes we made our way back to Nellie. Dinner with Por Vous and Sea Island Girl. Coffee on Nellie. 0nm today; 1092nm total. DBH

6 April - Day #33. Some days it's good to be at a dock, because it's scary watching the breakers hit the reef. As predicted the winds have started to howl. Gail warnings abound. This wind is supposed to die down Wednesday. Got the SCS PTC-II modem wired to the HF radio today. Will test tomorrow but now we should be able to get emails via HF radio: N7PO@winlink.org. This cruising life is tough: a nap, some reading, pool time, clean the boat, and a three hour social aboard Por Vous. 0nm today: 1092 total. DBH

5 April - Day #32. Made it to West End, Grand Bahama Island today. Left Palm Beach at 0430 this am. Wx prediction was for a one day window before some really bad stuff moves in. Seas were 2 to 4' with 15kts on the beam. Not my favorite but tolerable. The Gulf Stream, which was supposed to be 7 miles out, hit us almost immediately: sea temp went from 70 to 75F; and our progress south slowed from 7.2kts to 4kts. At that point the strategy is to cross the stream as fast as possible, i.e. cross the flow at 90 degrees, knowing you'll be pushed north the whole time. The 49nm trip thus turned into 60nm as we had to beat south into West End. Surprise, surprise. The Old Bahama Bay Marina is part of a resort to which we have full privileges: pool; beach; restaurants; etc. Some of Nellie's crew took a shower and cleaned up before visiting the venues. I, however, made a beeline for the pool where I'm sure I left an oil slick. We'll hangout here until the pending cold front blows through then it's on to Sale Cay (located in the middle of the Little Bahama Bank). Cocktails aboard Nellie with the crew of Sea Island Girl. 60nm today: 1092 total. DBH

4 April - Day #31. Last day to do errands before our crossing tomorrow. Make a West Marine run for a Bahamas courtesy flag. Then walk to a Radio Shack for a DIN connector. Love the dinks new fish finder. I mounted the transducer a little too low so at speed we get a rooster tail--just like a jet ski. At 1720 we move Nellie towards the south end of Peanut Island (Palm Beach, FL). There's nothing like Peanut Island on a sunny afternoon. Tents are set up on the beach. Boats are everywhere. Radios blaring. A cruise ship pulls away from the dock and into the middle of this mob scene. It all seems strangely ordered. I guess the only thing new to the scene is us. Everyone else knows the rules. After a quick foray into the Atlantic we drop the hook just south of the inlet. Early to bed. 8nm today: 1032 total. DBH

3 April - Day #30. Windy, overcast and 75F. Up and off early. Winds 20kts+. Pull into Vero Beach Municipal Marina for fuel (61 gallons @ $2.09), water and a pump out. The winds are blowing us on the dock. We warp out without the sound of any breaking metal or fiberglass--quite a surprise given the conditions. Around noon we had sustained 30kt winds from the SW. Sure do like a pilot house! Into the north end of the bay in Lake Worth, FL. Hook down at 1930. 61nm today: 1024nm total. DBH

2 April - Day #29. Sunny, 75F and clear. John takes the dink out to 'sound' the depths around us. For the first time in 29 days we head north. J. Edgar Moser #76 is about 2 miles from the anchorage and we decide to take Nellie, vs. the dink, as the winds are up. As we approach J. Edgar Moser's dock we deploy our dink, yes we're getting our money's worth from the dinks new depth sounder, to find us an anchorage off the ICW. We visit with Bill Sharpe aboard J. Edgar. Amazing how much Tommie Chen changed the Tug's finish in the two years between Nellie and J. Edgar. It's clear that J. Edgar is the first step in what will become the LNVT 41: antiskid vs. teak decks; stainless handrails vs. wood; and no wood eyebrow on the salon's exterior. We then take a walk on the beach and then have a thoroughly delightful dinner and evening with the Sharps. 2nm today: 963nm total. DBH

1 April - Day #28. Broken overcast and 76F. Met with Rick Muething aboard Nellie this morning. He's a former cruiser that Garry and Carol Domnisse (Yellow Rose #47) met in Costa Rica. Rick is developing the WINMOR format which may soon replace Pactor (and the expensive modems it uses). After lunch, and putting Rick back ashore, we took off south. A developing thunderstorm consumed us. It wasn't for want of warning as the new 32 mile, Garmin radar, showed us the whole event live. Lots of lightning, thunder and rain. The winds pop up to 25kts too. The ICW starts getting a little narrower and prettier just north of Vero Beach. It's here that we see J. Edgar Moser #76, at dock. A few miles farther south we hook behind Hole in the Wall, Island, bounce off the bottom (I'm buying ) and drop the hook. Lots of little mangrove islands surround us. 29nm today: 961 total. DBH