What a difference a week makes

Cam flew home Monday of this week.  

Thanks a million for all your help.  

"And nobody got hurt!" -Cam

 the beach at Treasure

Cam chill-axin

 kids catching lizards, Treasure Caye

Cam and I in transit as Pirates

 a Fox Town bar

 Acorn squash off the grill

 sweating in Fox Town during a marathon hike

 Gary at West End

 Origami Crane

back home at Pierced Ciderworks

Cam at the Seal Museum

Cam as a Seal

Cam with a squirrel

When i finally got to the city marina last week, i found that they had torn down the old Tiki Hut, to build a new restaurant and bar in it's spot.  I knew it was going to happen.  The City of Ft. Pierce owns the marina and the property along the shoreline.  Last year they took sealed bids for the restaurant space after the lease ran out on the Tiki Hut.  The Tiki bid, but did not have the highest bid and some other new restaurant is moving in.  After tearing down the old Tiki Hut, they leveled the ground and started digging.  Turns out the first thing they did was cut the sewage lines for the pump-out to the docks and boats.  So the marina posted a sign on the bathroom door at the marina saying "no pump-outs due to construction."  When i inquired WHEN will it be repaired?  The marina staff told me, "probably in January."  (imagine if a construction crew cut YOUR sewer line to YOUR home and then told you they would fix it in six months.)  Part of our fees are for pump-out service.  So nobody on the docks can flush their commodes on their boats.  You have to walk to the marina office and use one of their three stalls.  It's shocking and troubling.  More on this later.

 Prodigal on the dock

 Prodigal is the closest boat to the marina, toilet (and restaurant construction)

Due to new Coast Guard regulations, the new restaurant has to be built 3' higher than the old one.  So they did for pilings to raise the elevation of the floor.  The massive drill bit digs a hole in the soft earth, then pumps concrete into the hole before backing out the bit.  Lastly they lower the steel rebar down into the hole.

Sad News Note:

Ken and KeKe Reed moved to Alabama this week.  For some crazy reason I volunteered to help them pack their moving truck.  It got pretty darn hot up inside the truck in the late afternoon.  I cant figure out how hot it was.  The news lady said it was 94 with 'a feels like temperature of 103.'  I know it was 120+ up in the top of that truck, 'with a feels like temperature of 140.'

Ken and KeKe will be greatly missed.

 my shirt is a solid wet sticky cloth

 Bella, Ken, KeKe and Barkley as they head out

 finishing up the truck today, this morning

 The trash truck hauling the last items away

 Packed truck with lots thrown on last minute.

 At anchor in the Bahamas near sunset before departure

Views from the transit to Florida

A few photos from the transit back.

Cam at anchor outside West End

Prodigal at Old Bay Marina

Arrival at Ft. Pierce

Safe at the City Marina in Ft. Pierce

We had a glorious sail last night from West End, Grand Bahamas to Ft. Pierce Florida.  The wind was light at about 15 knots and constant from the SW with seas of 1-2 feet for a smooth transit across the 85 mile crossing.  Now we are tied to the dock at the city marina in downtown Ft. Pierce and resting.  (neither of us got much sleep last night)

It's great to be home and finally resting.    -Skip

West End, Old Bay Marina

Tuesday at Old Bay Marina, West End, Abaco tied to a dock.  We are leaving tonight at 8pm to transit West to Ft Pierce, Florida.  The story recently has been RAIN.  It's been unusually rainy and squally.  So we jump and close the hatches while a squall blows through, then go open them again.  Or we sit for hours while it continues to rain.  Last night at the marina we plugged to shore power and turned on both air-conditioners to freeze and sleep.  It was glorious!  

bailing water from 'rained' into the dinghy.

that's all for now.  i have to go run untie the lines and get off the dock before the marina charges me for another day....    we will anchor just outside the harbor and wait for 8pm.   

*follow along on the SPOT.     -Capn Skip

Da Porch - a bar and grill in West End

Gary our new friend in the west end

Foxtown on a Saturday

Foxtown, Abaco, Bahama

These photos are from Foxtown on Saturday.  It's Tuesday morning now and we are tied to a marina in West End.  Since departing Foxtown we have not had any 'connectivity' till now.  We anchored out, off a tiny spit of land at Mangrove Caye on Fathers Day and missed all the calls and well wishes.  Sorry Fathers.  So, as a catch up - Happy Fathers Day!

Mangrove Cay - no cell service... duhh

 Conch Shells