Pictures from Little Harbor (Abaco)

Large cave close to our anchorage, purportedly the site where the people who settled and developed Little Harbor lived before they cleared the land and built their home.

High rock ledges surrounding the anchorage, many houses built to capture the spectacular view

The main "road" of the island, just in front of Pete's Pub, the popular place to eat and drink in Little Harbor. Those speed bumps are made of ship lines that have been recovered from the ocean. Quite unique.

The home of our hosts for beach night potluck, just on the shore close to our anchor spot. These folks are from Manistique, Michigan. Small world.

Their creative landscaping art

More yard art...multi-colored crab pot buoys. Clever!

No electricity in Little Harbor, so only source of power is from solar panels

Bahamian working with his machete to clear his land. We interrupted him to ask directions to the blue hole. Very nice man, thankfully - especially since he was wielding a huge machete.

One of the views of the ocean from a bluff

Rocky, lava-like stone around this part of the island

Friends Al & Collette, who went with us to Little Harbor and introduced us to our tour guide

Life is good today!

Pete's Pub. The popular thing to do is leave a t-shirt on the ceiling or wall. We heard one of our boating friends hailing Patriot on the radio, so Jim answered on the bar radio. You might ask...did we deposit a t-shirt? Well, of course! The next question...did one of us strip off our shirt? Answer to that is "no" - donated from Collette's t-shirt stash and signed by 8 of us! 

View from the deck of Brian (our tour guide and friend of Al & Collette

Patriot on the anchorage, picture taken from Brian's deck. MANY very large green turtles occupy spaces in this anchorage

March 21, 2015 - In Titusville, FL

After spending the night in the Peck Lake anchorage that was mentioned on the last post, we decided to make a long day on Thursday so we would have a shorter trip to arrive in Titusville before the MSU basketball game. Consequently, we traveled over 85+ miles to an anchor in Melbourne, FL. We found a very protected anchorage just off the intracoastal, and in the back yard of Squidlips bar & restaurant...a very large, beachfront, tropical bar/restaurant with very good food and great music. It was a very short dinghy ride to shore and after dinner we came back to the boat and enjoyed the very loud music and warm night breeze from the top of Patriot.

The restful night prepared us for an early rise to make our trek to Titusville. The trip and day provided many memorable events. The Indian River was as calm as glass...we both remarked that very few times in our boating experiences have we ever seen water this calm. It was a very spectacular ride! We are missing the turquoise waters of the Bahamas and Atlantic and again find the water murky, brown and not at all appealing for swimming.

Once again we saw many different sights along the river, from opulent homes to wild, unoccupied areas. The dolphins gave us a show most of the day and we never tire of seeing them.

As we were traveling along we heard a call from a boater not far from us requesting assistance from the Coast Guard to help one of their passengers who was apparently having a heart attack. We followed that drama on the radio for quite a while and luckily, the person was successfully taken to a local hospital. Not long after that, we heard a call on the radio from a boater who had witnessed a sailboat whose mast had hit a power line and attempts to radio the sailboat went unanswered. Just a short while later, we heard the Coast Guard communicating with the sailboat and they indicated their boat was on fire. We recognized the name of the boat, as we had passed it a few minutes earlier. Long story short, we arrived at the marina and discovered that the vessel who struck the power line was a sailboat from this marina - folks our age whose home and entire belongings were with them on the boat. By then, the boat was reportedly engulfed in flames and nothing would be salvageable. Fortunately, the passengers and their dogs had been secured on another boat so there were no fatalities.

Once we got settled and watched the game, Jim went to work cleaning the outside of the boat in an attempt to banish the layers of salt. As I went to do laundry, I noticed some manatee slurping up the water that was running off the boat. It was quite comical, as three of them were crowding around the boat to get their fair share. They continue to hang around our boat, hoping Jim will clean the boat again. :)

This marina is very large, very plain, and some of the boats have been abandoned - an interesting phenomenon - but remain in the marina. Apparently, when abandonment occurs, the marina (owned by the city) takes ownership of the boats and attempt to sell them. In most cases, the boats are in such disrepair that they are impossible to sell. Difficult issue!

Today we took the city bus to the grocery store, another thing to which we are not accustomed. I wouldn't say it was an experience that makes me long for more, but it is one of the only ways to get around Titusville, as there aren't many things within walking or biking distance.

March 18, 2015 - Back in the good ole' USA

We left Great Guana on Sunday for Great Sale Cay (perfect day!!!), spent the night on the anchor on Sunday night with about 15+ boats planning to make the same trip across to Florida. We had a very calm, peaceful night and took off from Great Sale about 7:30 for the trip to West End. Monday was a little rougher on the water, but very manageable and not at all uncomfortable. We landed at Old Bahama Bay Resort/Marina mid-afternoon on Monday - plenty of time to get settled, relax and prepare for the trip across the Atlantic on Tuesday. Tuesday's crossing was spectacular...VERY calm seas except for the last 5 miles as we got close to the mainland at Lake Worth, Florida.

We feel SO fortunate to have been able to make the critical crossings within our "timeline"...no waiting like several other boaters we have met. Because we have been able to cross with plenty of time to spare for our upcoming travel, we are now on a leisurely journey up the intracoastal waterway of eastern Florida.

Last night we anchored in a great spot in Lake Worth, relaxed with our morning coffee and made travel plans for the next few days. As a result, we left Lake Worth around noon and went about 30 miles up the intracoastal to a perfect anchorage immediately off the intracoastal where several other boats are anchored. We took the dinghy to shore and walked a very short distance across the peninsula to the Atlantic Ocean. This has proven to be a perfect spot, as it will be easy to continue travel on the intracoastal tomorrow for our next destination...unknown.

We have reservations at the Titusville Municipal Marina, as soon as we can get there, until we return from our various trips in the next few weeks. With a long day tomorrow and a stopover to watch MSU basketball on Friday, we plan to be in Titusville by Saturday. We will leave the boat there while we go home for little Kade's first birthday party (March 26-30), will be there for relaxation and exploration for a few days, then leave for our Mexico vacation with our daughter, son-in-law & grandchildren for April 3-10. CAN'T WAIT to see our big/little sweeties!!!

After we return from our Mexico trip we will be scurrying to meet up with fellow Loopers to finish our journey. It will be good to be together with "the group" again. Many of them are Michiganders to

We are thankful every day for the gift of good health and the ability to realize this tremendous experience. We send our good wishes and love to you all!!

You will be inundated with pictures once we have a "free" internet connection, so stay tuned. Yikes!!

March 14, 2014 - Preparing to return to U.S.

My, how time flies. I can't believe it's been a week since the last post. Every day seems to fly by and we are now in Great Guana. We crossed the Sea of Abaco on Thursday afternoon with Wayne & Andrea (Sea Cove) and John (Sojourn) and anchored in Fisher's Bay for the night. It was a little rocky, as the anchorage was pretty full of people who had come to attend The Barefoot Man concert and the more protected spots were already taken.

John, Wayne & Andrea and Jim went snorkeling in the morning looking for lobster but had no luck. We had all gone out a few days earlier in Marsh Harbor area and the lobster hunt was successful. Andrea spotted the lobster, John shot it and lost his "arrow", and Jim was able to administer the killing shot. He was thrilled!!

Barefoot Man concert was very good...lots of partying people, many of our new friends were there so it was "old home" week, seeing friends we hadn't seen in weeks/months.

We came to a slip at Orchid Bay Marina (on Great Guana) yesterday and will stay again tonight, then mosey along to Green Turtle tomorrow and hope to cross the Atlantic on Wednesday or Thursday to Stuart, Florida.

Since the internet access continues to be very slow, this is just one of the pictures you will see when I post a multitude of photos when we return to the States.

Just  one of the reasons we love it in the Bahamas! Sights like this surround us.

March 7, 2015 - Back in Marsh Harbor

After spending three nights at Little Harbor we ventured back to Marsh Harbor Thursday afternoon. We had planned to leave on Wednesday, but friends talked us into staying one more night.

Al & Collette (Euphoria) and we joined the group on the beach for their Monday night get-together and had a great time. We met many more people, many of whom are winter residents of the area. One of the residents, Brian, invited us to join him for a road trip on Tuesday so he could show us some of the highlights we hadn't seen.

The four of us piled into his little road trek and bounced along the very rutty roads to various places. Our first stop was a blue hole - a mysterious phenomenon which is a hole in the ground that leads to underground caves and tunnels and eventually leads to the ocean. Apparently some divers commonly dive in these blue holes and because it's very dangerous, some have lost their lives. We were mesmerized by the blue hole, saw many beautiful fish swimming in the hole, and tempted them to the surface by throwing bread crumbs as a treat. Brian took us to the very small community of Cherokee, many beautiful lookout spots, beaches, and a surprisingly pristine golf course right on the ocean by Winding Bay.

When we returned from our tour, Bill & Lori (Perfect Day) and friends from California had come to the harbor where we were anchored so we toasted their arrival with a beer at Pete's Pub, then we took them on a walk to show them the blue hole. It was great to reconnect with them and, as always, we had many laughs and enjoyed two fun, relaxing evening with them.

Thursday morning weather proved to be very windy so although Al & Collette and Bill & Lori ventured out for their next destination, we stayed at our anchorage until about 3:00 when the winds finally calmed down. Consequently, we had a very calm ride back to Marsh Harbor...except for the "cut" areas, where Jim crisscrossed (sailors call it tacking) to hit the rough spots on the bow or stern, rather than the beam seas that we detest. This proved to be a much better way to maneuver our way through the very rough seas in the cut areas.

Yesterday (Friday), friends Wayne & Andrea (Sea Cove) went fishing and returned late afternoon with two very large maui maui and one strawberry grouper which they promptly cleaned and shared with everyone in the marina. Needless to say, we enjoyed a very tasty dinner of fresh mahi, cooked according to a recipe given to me by one of the other boaters in the marina. Delicious!!! Today one of the locals is scheduled to come to the marina with fresh conch and fresh lobster. We plan to load up on that, as we will soon be gone and unable to enjoy those fresh catches.

Well, this is the news that our loyal followers are waiting for:  We have decided we will definitely finish the loop this year instead of leaving the boat in Florida for the summer. Therefore, here is our schedule - leave Marsh Harbor early next week and make a few stops along the way to Great Guana where we will enjoy a huge party/concert by The Barefoot Man. As soon as weather permits, we will travel to the spot where we will cross to Florida. On April 11 we will leave Stuart and continue up the East coast of Florida where we will connect with our "original" looper friends and will travel until just before Memorial Day. We will go home from Memorial Day to the middle of July and then will go back to the boat and resume traveling until we arrive back home in Ludington in late September. This has been a hard decision, as we have SO enjoyed being in the Bahamas on our boat. Now that the decision has been made, we are both relieved to have a solid plan.

March 2, 2015 - Sunny and HOT!!

Sorry to rub it in for those of you stuck in the cold, but the weather has been absolutely fantastic down here since our Michigan friends took the cold weather home with them. We are settled in here in Marsh Harbor, have met a lot of nice people from all over...some very interesting stories to share when we return home. :)

Today we went with a sailboat neighbor/friend (Al & Collette on to Little Harbor, which is just a short ride from Marsh Harbor. We're came here via car to Pete's Pub with Kevin & Michele, Al & Gayle after we picked them up at the airport. Coming by water is a TOTALLY different experience, and doesn't even look like the same place we came by car. While it was a relatively short ride by boat today, part of the journey was very rough. In the area of the small barrier islands adjacent to Great Abaco Island there are areas called "cuts", which are openings through which the rough (today) waters of the Atlantic Ocean crashed through to the inner passage of the Sea of Abaco, and provided rough seas through that area. Thankfully, it was only about ten minutes of very rough seas, where I stayed in the salon and guarded the cupboards and other things that hadn't been secured. We made it through the rough seas to the protected cove called Little Harbor, where we plan to spend a couple of days.

There are several boats anchored and moored here, and Monday night is a weekly "beach party", sponsored by one of the winter residents here (summer residents of Manistique, Michigan). Everyone in the harbor and on the island is invited to bring their own beverages and a dish to pass and have a "meet and greet" gathering. It was great fun, we met many wonderful people and got some great suggestions for places we might be able to keep Patriot if we decide to leave her in Florida and go back to Michigan for the summer. As of late, our love of the Bahamas has prompted us to reconsider finishing the loop this year. We are now very seriously contemplating leaving the boat somewhere in Florida, going home for the summer and coming back here for the winter. Decisions, decisions...tough life, we have!

It's just so much fun to be able to pick up and leave for another spot, as there is SOOO much to see in the Bahamas. While many cruisers prefer the Exhumas, we are in love with the Abacos. There's plenty of civilization here and it's about as "modern" as it gets in this part of the world. Our internet connection is spotty, so probably the most challenging of things for those of us who rely on technology. Because it's spotty, it's also very weak so makes it very difficult to post pictures.

There is a very large grocery store in Marsh Harbor, a marina store, hardware stores, etc. The Marsh Harbor Marina, where we are, is located on the opposite side of the bay from "downtown" Marsh Harbor, so while it is a little more secluded, it is a short bike ride or dinghy ride to town. There is a night watchman that oversees the marina at night, so there is little danger of theft or questionable intruders. We feel very safe there, and have great neighbors that look out for one another.

Our time in the Bahamas is winding down. We will take a few more side trips, then end our visit here with a concert in Great Guana by The Barefoot Man (the Bahamas' own Jimmy Buffet). As soon as weather allows, we will move along and make the crossing to West Palm Beach and bid farewell to the Bahamas for this season.