Back in Florida

We left Brunswick, GA (31° 09.52N, 81° 29.59W), June 21after refueling and an overnight stay, for Fernandina Beach Scorpion Marina's 100 ton lift                            (30° 40.274N, 81° 28.031W) just a few hours away.  After going on a ball in the mooring field, we went ashore into this pretty, restored town.  Next afternoon we struck out for New Smyrna where we planned to stay for my surgery.  This time we made the inlet on a slack tide in daylight: piece of cake.  We anchored in  our spot north of the north causeway bridge ((29° 2.569N, 80° 54.400W).                                      

After three weeks and surgery to fix my deviated septum, we took off for Port Canaveral and Scorpion's New Port Marina (28° 24.433N, 80° 37.837W) where we were lifted out and put "on the hard" to have a thru-hull put in dedicated to the air conditioners' raw water pumps, the sail drives maintained, the props checked, and stage for our trip back to the Bahamas for our 40th anniversary .
   

On July 23, 2009 we left for our party in the Bahamas. I made the decision that given the lack of wind and having to motor we'd head straight (SSE) across the northerly flowing Gulf Stream for the Bahama Banks. Two hours into the Stream, we discovered a leak in the port hull. After pumping and vacuuming I saw we could easily control the flow, so we continued on to the Bank. Turned out there was a crack forward of the keel probably caused by a grounding by the prior owner and exacerbated by the two haul-outs we had had. It was allowing about a gallon of sea water in every half-hour.

On July 23, 2009 we left for our party in the Bahamas. I made the decision that given the lack of wind and having

The Crew: Jackie Williams, Bob and Pat Hoover, Harry and Linda

 to motor we'd head straight (SSE) across the northerly flowing Gulf Stream for the Bahama Banks. Two hours into the Stream, we discovered a leak in the port hull. After pumping
and vacuuming I saw we could easily control the flow, so we continued on to the Bank. Turned out there was a crack forward of the keel probably caused by a grounding by the prior owner and exacerbated by the two haul-outs we had had. It was allowing about a gallon of sea water in              

As you can see below we did make it to West End (26° 41.440N, 78° 59.590W) by 1600 hrs., July 24, in time to check in with Bahamian Immigration and Customs. Not a good trip boat or weather-wise.

West End: Old Bahama Bay Marina

Next morning we headed down the coast past Freeport to Ocean Reef Yacht Club (26° 30.245, 78° 39.740) where we tied up for the night, checking in with the Club in the a.m.  We then relocated to two slips large (wide) enough to take our 28' beam.

 Byrl Raper, Kathy and Lee Maidenberg, Linda  and Harry                                  















Kyler Vaughn, Marnie and Mark Vaughn, Betty and Byrle Raper

Marnie (Arnold) Vaughn and  Marion McGrath at coctail party

"Mama mia" in the kitchenette

Duane and Jackie Williams

Limbo at the Lucaya Market Place. (Note: Kalik bottle)

The anniversary party went off on August 1 after two coctail parties: one at Bob and Pat Hoover's and the second at Marian and Jack McGrath's Taino Beach condo next to the restaurant.  It started inside, but the A/C was on the fritz, so we settled out on the varanda with the ocean waves on the beach and a nice SE breeze.

Relaxing the next day at the pool at Ocean Reef

Jackie, Mark, Harry, Linda, Byrle, Betty, Kathy and Lee

Mark, Parker and Dalton Vaughn
 fishing at Ocean Reef

We headed back to Canaveral on August 8 slowing at Freeport hoping to have the Discovery cruise ship pass us with the grandkids and Marnie and Mark.  No such luck, but we tried.  We got back to Scorpion's on the 9th and got hauled out again to fix the leak which I had tried to fix from the inside, but not to 100%.  Linda alsao decided we should have the Kuhela painted and the generator fixed, again.  We got a great price on the painting and fiber glass repairs, but the generator turned into a nightmare.  It seems vibrations (?) on the generator end broke all four the legs on the backend bearing holder allowing the stator to wobble and graze the windings.  Kaput!  So we priced new generators and settled on a Norpro 7.0 kV with a 3 cylindar Yanmar diesel engine.  It operates at 1,800 RPM and is therefor quiet.  It comes with a five year warranty.

The weather has not cooperated (lots of rain) and we've been here ever since moving back and forth between Altamonte Springs (the Williams and the 'Hood), Longwood (Jim and Jane Caltrider), and Titusville (Jack Fitzgibbon and Peggy Penridge).  Maybe by Wednesday, 9/16, we'll get back into the water and back to our cruising life style.