Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour...Winter Home

• Whatever you want to do in the Bahamas, you must first check the tides and the waves. There's a very tricky passage, Whale Passage. This is the most challenging and notorious passage in the Abacos. Lucky for us it was a nice calm day when we went through. The water is a beautiful crystal clear turquoise blue. The Abacos are a boomerang shaped chain of islands and cays. Our first on-sight heading is on a candy striped lighthouse in Elbow Cay; it's 100 feet tall. We make a turn and I can see the beginning of the Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour, our home for the next three and a half months. It's 52 acres of lushly landscaped gardens. It has 200 protected slips used mostly by our yacht club. The view from our slip is that of an impressionist painting, with watercolors from deep azure to neon shades of aquamarine, it just does not look real. One side is a beautiful white sandy beach that's just steps away from our dock. Outside the beach are some rocks that are perfect for a quick snorkel dive. You can go kayaking or sailing; all non-motorized water sports are free. The monkey bars and childrens' play area are very inviting for adults who have not grown up. Behind the beach, where there are lots of trees, are several dozen hammocks. Whenever I lay there to read my book, I fall asleep. Heading back to the dock is a grassy area with a big square of sand and that is the volley ball pit. There's a tennis court for those more active. There's also a fitness center, I only used it to weigh myself. I have no idea why, I just made myself sick. I can't forget to tell you about the pool with a swim up bar. So far everything is perfect. The only things missing are friends and family from home.
• We pull in and as we are getting ready to dock at least 20 people are standing at the dock. Not to tell Mike how to dock, but to welcome us. Everyone is saying hi and telling us their names. I had the fenders on the port, they should have been starboard. Mike didn't have the bow thruster on so he leaned against the pole. We were very uncomfortable. We both could have done better. We felt we did not make a good first impression when it comes to docking the boat. Turns out that one of the other boaters actually has cards for rating docking. I didn't see our score, I'm probably better off not knowing.
• I tried to get airline tickets, you have to go from here to an airport in Florida. I could get to Florida, but to New York was another story. The house is completely closed up, I don't even have a can of soup in the closet. We would only stay home for 10 days and have the same trouble coming back down here. We decided not to go home for Christmas. We know we'll be sorry on Christmas Day, we'll be blue and lonely.
• We arrived here on a Friday, turns out Friday night is cocktail party night. Everyone brings what they want to drink and something to share. We met many more people. As of now, no one has a last name. There's just too many to remember, so we are "Mike and Pat Libations."
• We spent the next day checking out the town, riding our bikes and getting organized. We have cable T.V., electric and water, what more do we need. On Saturday night we went to the Jib room for dinner. You call on your radio and let them know what you want to eat. Steak or fish. We ordered 2 steaks, next time we will order 1 and split it. Just too much food. They have about 6 special drinks. I decided to start at the top and work down. Each time I go I'll have a different drink. Drink 1 was a goombay mash. Rum and some kind of juice, very good.
• On Sunday, a school bus picked us up to go to church. The church, St. Francis De Sales, is about 6 miles away. The mass is fun, most of it is sung. What we sometimes call a "jump-up-and-down church." Unlike home, everyone is all dressed up. There are several little girls in gowns that are as cute as they can be. The mass is very uplifting.
• On Monday, Manard and Marnie were leaving to go back to Canada. A cocktail party was planned to say goodbye. O.K. not only on Friday night are there cocktail parties. At home, Jo and Whitey A. have first day of spring parties, clam party, just cause it's sunny parties. Just like home, you don't need an excuse to have a party.
• We were invited to dinner aboard Rita and Robert's boat. We were very honored since we had just met them a few days ago. It was a lovely evening and we learned a lot about the area.
• It's starting to look a lot like Christmas. Many boats are decorated with bright lights. We went to town to buy something to show our spirit. Not too much left. We just put a big red bow on the sliding doors. Many other boaters are having their families arrive. Something to think about for next year.
• It's Christmas Eve...doesn't feel like it. We don't have the usual stuff to do. Cook the turkey, set the table, last minute gifts. It isn't even cold. Of course, there is a cocktail party.
• Christmas Morning, we take the school bus to church. The sun is shining and it's hot. After Mass we went to breakfast at the restaurant in the resort, Angler's.
• Our gift to each other is this trip. We are both very thankful for this opportunity to be in the Bahamas for Christmas and on our own boat.
• We were invited to another marina for a Christmas Day celebration. They had ham, pork loin and turkey with all the trimmings. We met more couples from the USA, Canada and the UK. It was dark when we got home, we called the kids and with the video camera we were able to see all of them together and having fun. Hearing them was a wonderful way to end our first Christmas away from the family and friends we love.
• The next day, the 26th is Boxing Day. It started because the staff had to work on important days like Christmas serving the master and his family. They were kept away from celebrating with their own families. The servants would have the next day off. It became a customary tradition to "box" the left over food and take it home. There was one restaurant open on Boxing Day, Snappas Bar and Grill, about 15 couples got together and celebrated.

The Bahamas

• We usually try to leave early in the morning no matter where we are going. We have everything ready. All provisions are on board. Our course is decided and our charts are laid out. Our buddy boat, "Grand Marnie" with Manard and Marnie are up in Indian Town. Due to the low water table on Lake Okeechobee the lock only opens 2 times a day. It opens at 10 A.M and 3 P.M. The plan is to go through the lock at 10 in the morning, fueling up and meeting us about 5 miles out in the ocean. So the earliest they will be there is 1 P.M.
• We got up on Dec. 8th, went to mass and are now ready to leave. Mike talked to the dock master, he felt that today would be a good day to leave. The waves are less than 3 and tomorrow they are supposed to get much higher. My stomach is in my mouth, with my heart. Eight out of ten stories I have heard about the crossing are horror. Why is that? Why do people talk more about the bad than the good. Since my bad experience in Lake Michigan, I'm prepared for the worse, I'm a nervous wreck. Mike takes both my hands, holds them and says, "We'll head out; I promise you if it is at all bad we will turn around and come right back."
• We are crossing about 55 miles, no big deal. Lake Worth to the West End Bahamas, Old Bahama Bay Marina. I have everything I need ready - sandwiches made, snacks, fruit and drinks in a bag. I even have that special bottle Nancy A. gave us so that Mike does not have to leave the bridge for anything.
• It's a little after 11, I'm anxious, we decide to leave the dock. We figured an hour to get to the inlet and an hour to get to the rendezvous spot. To my surprise the inlet was a piece of cake.
• I look at the horizon and I don't see elephants in a row. You know, when you look out from the beach and the horizon looks like a straight line, it's calm. If it's lumpy, it looks like a herd of elephants and you know it's rough. The waves were less than 3 feet, they were rolling, not breaking. I'm very happy.
• Grand Marnie took longer then we expected. We sat and waited just barely moving. I started to get that feeling. The one where you think you have to throw up. It's near 3 when they finally got to us. Mike checks with Manard..Are you sure we can get there before dark. No problem, it turns out that "No Problem" is Manard's standard answer. He's very laid back and easy going. Thank God we are moving. My stomach settles and we're on our way. Bahamas, here we come.
• We came across one cruise ship that was crawling, the passengers all gave us a big wave. You can feel the difference between the ocean and the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream was a delight; gentle ocean swells and startlingly clear blue water and the current kept pushing us north. You could even feel the difference in the temperature.
• It's getting dark and I can see the first signs of a jetty. Flashing green and red beacons clearly mark the harbor. They are the only markers. We pull in make a sharp turn to starboard and we are ready to tie up. It is now very dark and we are safe. We have to display a yellow flag. We are quarantined until customs comes aboard and checks us out. We were told that I was not to get off the boat until we cleared customs. We are in this country less than an hour and we are breaking the rules.
• We go to the main dining area. It's very upscale for the way we are dressed. On the other side of the dock there's a party going on. Rum drinks, wine and some hot and cold food. You know Mike's saying, "If it's free, it's for me." The party is a sales promotion for condos. We didn't know... We picked up a plate had a couple of drinks and met some very nice people.
• The first thing the next morning Mike took all our forms and headed to the customs office. Again we have heard so many stories that you're a little intimidated. We have a 12 gauge double barreled shot gun on the boat. They didn't care, just wanted to know how many shotgun shells we had. When you fly into a country they always give you a form to fill out, the Immigration form. You hand it in when you leave that country. I forgot to sign mine. Mike decided instead of walking all the way back to the boat to have me sign it, he would sign my name. Immigration jail, here comes Mike. We are in this country less than a day and he's going to jail. Each incoming boat pays $150. up to 35 feet in length. Over 35 feet you pay $300. We now have a permit to stay here up to 90 days. Once your vessel is cleared you replace your quarantine flag with a Bahamas courtesy flag.
• We spent the morning in the pool and checking out the marina. This is a very expensive marina, we decided to head elsewhere.
• We headed south to Freeport. This is a commercial harbor. It's dominated by container ships, cruise liners, tankers, and ferries. A quick look to say "we've been there" and we are on our way.
• Next - Xanadu Marina. This is a tourist center with all kinds of shops and restaurants. There were several cruise ships in Freeport, this means that Xanadu would be very crowded. We decided to pass this by also.
• Port Lucaya, our next stop. You have to stay at least 1 nautical mile offshore of the Grand Bahama Island to avoid the reefs that parallel the coast. A well marked bell channel leads to Port Lucaya. It is identified by a flashing red and white stripped buoy. As you sail in you pass beautiful condos. We entered the Grand Bahama Bay; you could not turn around without seeing the ongoing development. We decided to stay at the Grand Bahama Yacht Club. There's a ferry that runs every half hour to the Port Lucaya Marketplace. You name it, they have it here. You can spend the day kayaking, parasailing, horseback riding, hiking, biking, fishing or just relaxing. Unfortunately they have a casino. We spent the mornings at the pool, the afternoons at the marketplace and the evening at the casino. I wish that I could say we were big winners. Once again I broke even and my friend is wearing a big "L" on the front of his head. We had to stay here an extra day because of rough water.
• A large development that was started in the late 1960s and has never materialized is the Grand Lucayan Waterway. The entire waterway is protected. It saves you about half the time it takes to go around the West End. There's no traffic along the route and one bridge that keeps the big boats out. It clears 25 feet. The depth is 6-12'. The walls on both sides are cement. You see a couple of abandoned projects, a hotel or a condominium, I'm not sure. The only signs of life are a couple of mansions. When we got to the end of the waterway it was too shallow to pass through to Dover Sound. We spent the night on the hook in the waterway.
• Next day we had a long ride to Green Turtle Cay. We are still not sure how to pronounce Cay, some say "key" and some say "kay!" We pulled into Green Turtle Club and were very impressed with the amenities. They have what is called "dock dollars." If you eat in their restaurant, you subtract the money you spend from the cost of docking. The food was excellent, I had rack of lamb. It's all white pristine beaches and crystal clear water. This Cay is small enough that you can cover a good part of the island on foot. You can't ride your bikes because the roads are too full of holes. We rented a golf cart and took a tour. Everything is on one street, it's like a circle. You have a grocery store a hardware store, three restaurants, a bakery. We went into a bar and I was introduced to a goombay (a delicious rum drink).

Biscayne Bay to North Palm Beach

• We anchored by the Rickenbacker Bridge just north of Biscayne Bay. We had a excellent view of Miami. There was a parade of cruise ships, each one spectacular. The marinas in Miami do not cater to transients so we decided to just tour from the ICW. It's still a major city and has lots of opportunity for entertainment. It's also called "the new capital of Latin America". It's more than 60% Spanish.
• The Port of Miami has a security zone established by the Coast Guard. Just like New York Harbor, a private vessel may not approach within 100 yards of any ship. In Miami the ICW opens up with deep water, it's a real pleasant change from the narrow confines.
• We spent the day weaving up the ICW. Once again the homes are unbelievable. They're mostly mansions without any sign of life. We had a long slow ride because it's almost all a "no wake" zone. Most of the bridges open on the hour and half-hour. We were able to time them so that we didn't have to wait too long. By late afternoon we had had enough. We decided to spend some time in Hollywood. We were less than a block away from the bridge that gave us access to the beach. As usual we tied up and headed to the nearest restaurant. Over the bridge and down the road we found a place highly recommended by Oprah. It is said to have the best hamburger in Florida - "The Tub." You walk in and you see a tub with plants in it. Throughout the restaurant are toilet bowls that are used as planters. What can I tell you. I thought I had trouble decorating. I could have saved a lot of money had I known you could use old toilet bowls and they could be considered art. We sat at a table right on the edge of the water. There were bright lights shining in the water drawing the fish to the surface. They had to be 4ft long. They did not eat the french fries but they did love the beef. When we left the restaurant we went a block to the boardwalk. You could walk for miles. Lots of restaurants and T shirt stores, coffee houses and ice cream shoppes. The sound of the ocean, the dark beach with the warm breeze made the end of the day perfect.
• The next morning we took our bikes into the main part of town to do some shopping. We were very surprised to see so many homeless people. I guess, if you have to be homeless, FL beats NYC in the winter. We locked our bikes and walked the mini mall to see what stores were there. We did our grocery shopping and Mike left me to put the packages in our baskets while he went to another store. I turned my back and a homeless woman started taking my bags of groceries. I was shocked. I said, "You're taking my groceries while I'm standing here?!" She looked at me like I was nuts, she put the bags down and walked away.
• We spent the afternoon at the beach reading our books and swimming. At night we went back to the boardwalk for dinner. We found a little place and had a 16" pizza and a 60 oz. pitcher of beer for $13.99, it was pretty good. Not Carmines, but good.
• We decided to stay in Hollywood for 4 days. The place was nice, the beach was great and we could ride our bikes all over. When we did tour on our bikes we found a lot of homes for sale, just like in Seaford. On Sunday we rode our bikes to a beautiful church. We think we were one of the youngest couples there. Again, it's a small world. The couple in the boat next to us were from Wantagh. The wife, June G. is related to Eddie R., the owner of Hemmingways.
• I read somewhere that 300 miles of canals, channels and waterways make up the Fort Lauderdale area. It's called the Miracle Mile on the ICW. We are still going slow because much of it is a 5 mile zone or no wake. This is the "Yachting Capital of the World". We never realized that there could be that many 60, 75 and 100 foot boats in the world. In this stretch of ICW we went through at least 15 to 20 bridges.
• We anchored in a small cove and were surrounded by beautiful homes. It was near 3 P.M. and we don't like to run later in case we cannot find a place to anchor. We left around 11 A.M. and during that period we did not see one person.
• Our next stop was North Palm Beach, the Old Port Cove Marina. This is our last stop before going over to the Bahamas. The plan is to get all our supplies, food, paper products, booze, beer, soda and water. All we hear is how expensive water is in the Bahamas. We also had to go to West Marine and get another book and more charts. Mike is sure the boat is going to sink, it's below the water line now. We went to the liquor store by bike. The trick now is to get all the booze in plastic bottles. The good thing is the liquor store and West Marine are in the same mall, as is a women's store called Anthony's (nice clothing). We each had our basket full.
• While sitting in the cockpit of the boat we heard a helicopter. We noticed it was very close to our boat. We were wondering if there was some kind of rescue practice going on. The next thing we see is another helicopter, this one is red and has a man hanging out of it filming the 1st helicopter. Turns out that there was a 150 ft. boat in the bay that was for sale. The red helicopter was filming some of the features of this boat. The helicopter landed on the boat and a man got out and went below, got into a submarine that was in the back of the boat and went for a ride. If I was younger, I think I would want to be part of a crew on one of these private ships.
• Manard and Marnie called us to let us know they were in FL and would come over to take us to Costco. I loaded up on meat and chicken and condiments. We went to Duffy's for dinner and talked about the weather window. I can't stress enough the importance of the weather. We know couples that waited weeks to cross because the waves were too high and the wind too strong. It looks like Sat., Dec. 8th will be OK, the plan is to leave then.

Thanksgivng in the Florida Keys

• We left Marco Island and headed right to Marathon. The weather was good, the Florida Bay had a moderate chop. What's amazing when you are out about 20 miles is that you can't see land in any direction and the depth of the water is only 5 feet. The crab traps are scatted all over the place. It's as if the trappers just through them in the air and let them land were they may. Between the low water and the traps you have to pay attention every minute of the trip, very stressful.
• We found a marina, Sombrero Resort, right next door to Lee and George V. We arrived, secured the boat and took the 5 minute walk to see Lee and George. They knew we were coming but they didn't know when. We got a real warm reception.
• A tradition we started a few years ago was to take the grandchildren out to a movie and dinner the night before Thanksgiving. This gave their parents free time before the hectic Thanksgiving day. We have not seen our babies since September and we're missing them. This year the night before Thanksgiving was our anniversary. Thanks to Lee and George we had a wonderful celebration at a very nice restaurant. The next morning we started a new tradition, we changed the oil in the engines. This took about 4 hours. We spent Thanksgiving Day with Lee and George and two other couples from their complex. We didn't have time for the blues.
• The world once again is small. When I was little, on occasion, my parents would take us to Seabright, N.J. It was a boat that my mother's uncle pulled up on shore and made into his home. The place was between the Shrewsbury River and the Atlantic Ocean; great location. I can remember watching some local kids jump off a pier, they would be having a ball and I wished they would invite me to play with them. Talking to Cathy and Jack A., friends of Lee and George, we found out that Jack was one of those kids. His family owned the house right next door to my great uncle.
• Mike went fishing with George several times. He had a good time catching some of the local fish. Some gave a good fight. I spent time shopping with Lee, we also had time to sit around the pool and exchange stories about our husbands and children.
• We, of course, spent a day at Key West. No matter how many times I've been there, I still enjoy seeing the sights. Ten years ago I bought sandals at Kinos, they're made in Key West and you know how I love to buy stuff made in the USA. The first time I paid $5; the second time I paid $8 and this time they were $11. Not bad. We had lunch at Caroline's and sat at an outside table and just watched the characters pass by. We know that others were watching us and thinking what characters we were.
• Walking down Duval Street there was a homeless man laying on the ground. I had to turn my head the other way, it's so sad. At one time he was probably a hard working man, I wonder what broke him. Anyhow, Mike walked over to him and gave him a couple of dollars, we have been so fortunate. I thought to myself, that will go to the first liquor store. When we passed back that way later on, the man was sitting on a bench eating a bowl of something. I guess I should be ashamed for what I was thinking. I wonder if Mike's few dollars did help this poor man have a nice meal.
• We went to the Southernmost Point in the continental United States. It's also the most photographed spot in the country, the line was up the block. All you see is a huge red, white, green and yellow buoy on the tip of Whitehead Street at the intersection of Sound Street, it's a must see in Key West.
• Mallory Square is where all the Sunset Celebrations take place. Everyone clusters on the beach and watches the big red ball dip below the ocean's horizon and see an unforgettable view of the setting sun. There are street performers and entertainers ranging from animal acts to fire-tossing jugglers and sword-swallowers to real, talented musicians. We had a an artist draw us. I had to laugh, I think Mike looks like one of his "favorite" people in the picture. Can you figure it out? Take a look at the picture.
• After a week at Marathon it was time to move on. Our first stop was Islamorada. We pulled into a cove and dropped the anchor. On this key is the San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park, the final resting place of one of the 21 Spanish galleons that sank in a 1733 hurricane.
• Around 2 or 3 in the morning the moon the size of a dinner plate was propped up on the top of our hatch. The light falling across our faces was almost bright enough to read by. It was very quiet and there was no breeze at all not even a ripple in the water. My honey suggested we take a swim. I kept watch while he splashed and did everything he could to pull me in. I was soaked and did feel a lot better. I spook myself; I guess it goes back to Jaws. That movie really ruined my night swimming. By the time we went back to bed we slept like babies.
• On to Key Largo, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. John Pennekamp was a journalist who wrote articles urging preservation of the reefs. We were here in 1970 with John N. and Bill M. We talked about taking the glass bottom boat ride but both wanted to be on shore for a while. Instead we took the dinghy along the twisting water trails with the overhanging mangroves. The African Queen was filmed here.
• Next, we headed up the coast to Biscayne Bay. As we were pulling in from Hawk Channel, a boat with 3 men waved to us. We were actually in the inlet. They appeared to be having boat problems. Again, Mike was ready to stop and do whatever he had to do to help these men. I, of course, was a little uncomfortable. What if they just wanted our boat, what if they were bad guys. I swear I have to stop reading evil into everything we do. They were out of gas. We towed them to the nearest gas dock. Maybe this put extra points into our black box.

Birds, Manatees and Dolphins

We have become bird watchers. Along the mud flats there are endless birding opportunities. On the top of my Christmas list this year will be a book on birds. At our club on Long Island we are used to seeing Cormorants, Egrets, Blue Herons and Osprey. Here in Florida the birds are a little more exotic - Roseate Spoonbill, Anhinga, all kinds of Pelicans, White Ibis, Moorhen and Red Shouldered Hawks. Every one of them is beautiful. I'm still looking for the Manatees. Every other sign along the way tells you to be careful and slow down because of the manatees. I read that newborn calves can weigh 60 pounds or more at birth. They hold their breath while nursing and stay with mama for 2 years. When you do get to see one the first thing is a ripple in the water and then the whiskered lips of the half ton to one ton creature. They eat over a hundred pounds of vegetation each day. They are still listed as endangered and there is something about them that makes them lovable. Can you believe ancient sailors thought they were mermaids? I guess being out at sea for long periods of time can affect your mind... While I'm at it, I must mention my favorite creature, the bottle-nosed dolphin. When they surface for air they slice the water, they glide, it looks like they're rolling. I'm told that each dorsal or back fin is shaped differently, like fingerprints, you can distinguish individuals. They are also big eaters, about 40 pounds of fish a day. They are 8 to 10 feet long and weigh 800 to 1000 pounds. They have excellent eyesight and good hearing. I still scream and bang on the side of the boat every time I see them. I swear they can see me, they lay on their side and look up at you.