Pixie Dust

[Frank]

I've been watching the weather thinking of you...figured the next post would be from the Bahamas...have FUN..fair winds.  PS..don't under estimate the current ;-)

[maxiSwede]

You are one lucky woman, Connie!  All the best!  ;D

...you don´t happen to have any spare room on board do you?   ;)

[Zen]

Kool and Very Kool

Fair winds!

[Pixie Dust]

Just a quick note to let you know we all made it to Rodriguez Key.  Awesome day with a great broad beam reach the whole way.  This morning was a little more wind and seas than expected, winds were around 17 knots, seas 4-5, but not bad, just a little bumpy, but it laid down nicely by late morning.  NOAA as in not always accurate assesment, got it by 50% today.  :)
Pixie was loving it and so was her captain.   We all three had anchors down by 4:15 this afternoon so we made great time.  Happy hour on Extasea and then I had chicken cordon blue and baked sweet potatoes for dinner on Pixie.  Life is not bad on the water!
We are in a beautiful spot.  I snorkled as soon as I had the anchor down.  Beautiful sandy/grassy bottom.  Took some time to clean the boat bottom a little too.  Diesel tanks are topped off and we are all ready for a 6 am start tomorrow.  Weather should be perfect for us.   Do I sound excited??   I am!!
I will no longer be able to get onto internet using my cell as a modem after tonight, so updates will be via internet cafes and wifi.   As soon as I can send out an email to let you all kinow I am ok, I will.   Don't worry, boat is running great, I am traveling with awesome folks and I have an EPRIB and a big mouth for yelling if all else fails.  :)  Not to mention, it just feels right in my gut.   Big plus.  :)

Thank you all for your wonderful words of encouragement, prayers and good wishes.  I am so blessed in so many ways.  By tomorrow afternoon, Pixie Dust will be in another country, yet we will all be watching the same sunset. 
God is good!
Fair winds to all.
John- good luck on your boat move!!

[skylark]

have a great passage!

[s/v Faith]

....G O D  is good!
Fair winds to all.
John- good luck on your boat move!!

  O'Dark thirty this morning, onboard the Smollet 30 Kurt called Connie, and John and I joined in on an conference call with the very excited Capt of the good ship Pixie Dust.

  She was 15 minutes or so from getting underway on her first crossing, and Kurt and I were 15 minutes into sharing John's maden voyage aboard his new boat.

  Fine day indeed.   ;D

Praying you had a good day Connie!

[Frank]

thats the most 'majical' post I've read....had to be a very special moment for ALL involved. Hope the 'sailfar' crew had a great day..where ever they were sailing

[Captain Smollett]

Has anyone heard from Connie since Saturday morning?

[AdriftAtSea]

She's probably too busy snorkeling and enjoying the warm waters and weather down there to be on the computer... besides.... getting that far out must make high-speed internet a bit more scarce.

[Frank]

Word has it she was last seen drinking 'Bahama mama's' and skinnydipping in aqau green water ;-)

[skylark]

This thread is useless without pics!!!!!!!

[AdriftAtSea]

Hmmm... Frank posts that Connie is skinnydipping and then Skylark wants photos... ;)

[Norm]

One wonders if the reverse would be true, too!

Seriously, it is great that Connie is not in contact with us home-bound sailors.  It means she's having the time of her life.  Is that not the point?

[AdriftAtSea]

LOL... I am glad that Connie's voyage has been going so well thus far.  It is most certainly the point, and hopefully the rest of us will not be far off in following.

[CapnK]

Spoke with Connie last weekend ($0.50/min!), and she was in the 'hamas and having a blast. Received an email from a mutual friend, a forward from the folks that Connie is traveling with, re-printed here (Sorry, no pics... ;) )

Mon,5/7/07,6PM
Our gang of 3 sailboats returned to Great Sale Cay yesterday to have protected
anchorage for the somewhat nasty weather we were expecting. We had up to 30
knot winds with a little higher gusts after midnight last night & continuous
blowing at 20-25 knots all day today but the anchorage has not been too bad (2'
waves once in a while) & a nice sunny day with no rain at all. All of us have
made it a "stay on the boat day" (Gigi has passed the boredom state I think). A
good day to do things that have
to be done because you know better days are ahead for fun things & you won't
have time to do those "have to be done things". Life is great in the cruising
world.  . Jimmie
caught a couple of fish on Sat & we enjoyed fish chowder on Sun night (what a
treat). As you can tell our diets, have gone by the wayside. Maybe we will be
able to make another move on Wed when the winds let up a little. We're having a
great time as we know you all are also (just different). Talk soon.
Audrey & Rick

[AdriftAtSea]

Thanks for the update CapnK.

[Pixie Dust]

HI Everyone!!  Pixie is alive and having an awesome time/experience.   Frank!!  How did you know??  :)
No picts guys, must be present to see.   I do have some great picts, but Yahoo is not allowing me to download and send.    Hopefully the postings below will catch you guys up a little on life aboard Pixie.  Man, what a time of my life.  :)  Miss reading the Sailfar postings!!  John, Kurt said you guys had a great time moving your girl home.  So glad to hear it.  Take care all and come and see me!!!

5-8-07 Tues night
Sorry for so long in between postings, but I have not had internet since the states and my phone cannot be a modem in the Bahamas.  Life has been great and so much has happened.  I will try to summarize and hit some of the highlights.
I am currently in the Bahamas!!!! WOOWOOWOO 
3 boats left Boot Key Harbor Marathon on 4-28-07.  Extasea, Naked Lady and Pixie Dust.  We sound like a Rave Party with these boat names.    It was difficult to say goodbye to many new friends we had made at ot Key, but it was time to go.  I had been there 3 weeks and Naked Lady for a month waiting on a good weather window to cross the Gulf Stream.  While there, we had watched manatees daily, gone to the beach, walked numerous miles to West Marine, Home Depot and Publix, dingied to Dockside and Burdines and had lunch at Keys Fisheries.  We took one day and road the bus to Key West. $2 bucks each way, 1 hr ride and gorgeous scenery.  Fun day in Key West, then back to our boats for a quiet night of rest.  I needed to leave Marathon or I was going to run out of money before my time.  The day we left, conditions were a little uncomfortable for ½ a day from Boot Key to Rodriquez Key which is close to Key Largo.  Midday, the seas laid down and became much more comfortable for us.  9hrs later we anchored off the Key and watched a beautiful sunset.  Water was gorgeous here and the seas became still as the moon came up.  Millions of stars were out and I was so excited about my crossing that I had trouble sleeping.  This time I felt very good and excited about the crossing.  It felt right.  We had anchors pulled by 6:00 am the next morning and as we were leaving the anchorage, we were greeted by a beautiful sunrise.  Coffee in hand, snapping picts over my shoulder, and watching the depth sounder, we all set out for the next leg of our adventure.
+++Insert pict of sunrise here+++
All the sudden, 1 hour out, the depth sounder went from 80 feet to blank.  We were now in the Gulf Stream.  You could also tell because the paddle on the knot meter registered 5.2 but the GPS registered 7.5 and eventually 8.2.  WOW, Pixie had never gone so fast.  The stream has a very strong current going from S to N and will really give your vessel a lift.  Nice way to save on fuel.  The Gulf was flat calm, small amount of wind and the water was the most beautiful sapphire color I have ever seen.  It looked as though lights were shimmering under the water.  I put up my jib and was able to catch a little wind to assist.   9hrs later, I could see the makings of land in the distance.  Bimini was appearing.  Funny thing, I never got bored or felt intimidated.  It was exhilarating.  Nothing in site but water and the 2 other boats.  I did not actually show depth again until right before we were entering the new channel into Bimini and then it was 70'.  That quickly shallowed up to 12' as we entered the channel into N. Bimini.  We got slips at Bimini Bluewater Marina.  This is the first marina I have stayed in since Bradenton March 9.  Customs prefers this. 
Very intimidating going in with the current and unknown territory, but my anxiety level dropped to ½ when I saw the security guard "Big C" standing there waiting to grab my lines.  Another nice sailboater also assisted and all 3 of us were tied up by 5:30.  Our trip was close to 10 hrs.  We immediately got our things together, paper worked filled out at the marina and went to customs and immigration.  I was so excited just raising my quarantine flag prior to coming into the marina, but I was extremely excited to raise my Bahamian courtesy flag on my starboard spreader after clearing customs.  I could not believe that me and my little boat had actually came from Panama City to the Bahamas.  Clearing customs was a breeze and for all of you questioning the pistol issue, no problems Mon.  It is considered part of your boats equipment. 
We all got together on Extasea and celebrated my first single handed crossing with Pixie Dust!!!   I cannot begin to tell you how I felt.  What a cool high!!!! 
The water here is amazing.  Crystal clear, you can see bottom everywhere you go.  I could see sea urchins and fish under my boat in the marina.   As we came in, some guys were cleaning fish and conch and a huge nurse shark was in behind the boats snatching the left overs.  A huge ray would glide through periodically as well.  The next day, Bubba Shark must have gathered up his buddies, because there were 3 in the basin, just nonchalantly gliding through.   They really are beautiful creatures to watch swimming, although, they do tend to give me goose bumps when I see them.   
We enjoyed 4 days in Bimini, sight seeing, eating lots and lots of cracked conch and conch salad.  I also experienced End of the World Bar, owned by Sara.  The place had to be torn down due to termites, but when they rebuilt it, they wanted it to be like the old one, so they put concrete floors down, then poured sand over.  It is basically a wooden shack with sand floors, small inside, music playing, bras and underwear hanging everywhere and names on the boards of visitors.  My name, boat name and date are now on the wall along with thousands of others.  That is where I tasted my first conch salad and it is delicious.  It is raw conch chopped, marinated in lime and lemon juice, hot sauce and then onions, tomatoes, celery all mixed together.  YUM. 
The next day, we located some conch to buy from a local.  $1 a piece, cleaned.  What a good deal.  24 is enough for almost 3 meals for all 3 boats.  We had a feast on Tues night, Rick and Audrey made cracked conch, Gigi made Conch Salad and I made Black Beans and Rice.  It was a meal fit for a king.  I also quickly located how to score loaves of Bahamian Bread.  I could not wait to get some loaves of that.  The coconut makes wonderful French toast.  I also bought white and raisin.  You have not had bread until you have had Bahamian Bread.  I hope to discover their secret ingredients. 
We have found that everyone here is extremely friendly and helpful.   Did I mention how wonderful the bread is here?    Election day was coming up and lots of golf carts with loud speakers, mopeds running the streets, group gatherings and politicing.  They do not allow any drinking on election day until 6:30 that evening when the polls close.  The day before election day, the streets started becoming very loud and noisy.  Apparently it gets really crazy on election day.  With that in mind, we decided it was finally time to move on, so we headed back out into the stream to head up to West End on April 28.  We had planned on going to Chub Cay (pron Key) in the Berries, but the winds would have made that a miserable trip, so we altered course for the Abacos.   A very long day we had anyway.  The seas were about 5-6 rolling and breaking all day long and again, deep, deep water.  Winds were more than predicted, imagine that.    Made for an uncomfortable 11 hour day.   Another one of those all engine days since the wind was not favorable for sailing.  I had trouble in sitting without hanging on to something for support.  We dropped anchor behind the marina on West End of Grand Bahama.  Strong current, scoured bottom made for light sleeping that night.  Luckily, none of us dragged anchor this night.  All of us had to set anchors x2 to get them to hook. 
We left early the next morning and that was a different day altogether.   When we hit the Little Bahamas Bank, I could not believe the beauty.  It was calm for us, but better than that, the water depth was 10-12 feet, crystal clear, turquoise water and you could see starfish, fish, urchins, sea cucumbers, etc on the bottom.  I put the hammock up on the bow, (thank you again Kurt)  brought my remote up with me and rocked to the rhythm of the sea while heading on.   I now had my second wind.  The beauty is indescribable.  Another 9 hour day, but it went fast.  I read, watched the bottom and just thanked God for this glorious experience.   We anchored in Great Sale which is a great anchorage with lots of room and good holding.  A little tour of the area revealed a small beach, but mostly mangroves.   The next day we left and headed for Double Breasted which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  Rock outcroppings all around, beaches that are covered and uncovered by the tides and the water is the most brilliant combination of hues I have ever seen.  Again, you can see bottom at all times.  We had the anchorage to ourselves except for one other boat.  I had a barracuda hanging underneath my boat for 2 days, a large orange starfish under my stern.  We went snorkeling and spear fishing (Hawaiian slings).   Jimmy snagged a hog fish and a snapper.  We would do drift dives pulling the dinghy behind.  I found my first conch!  We got 14 and Rick and Audrey gave me conch cleaning lessons. Trust me, 1 buck for cleaned conch is a deal.  What a job!!  Worse than cleaning scallops by 1000x., but worth it!!!!!
I also picked out a beautiful one and Rick and I worked on it and made me my very own Conch Horn to blow at sunsets.  It is gorgeous and I was able to blow it right off the bat.  I need to practice on holding the sound though.   When I get back to the states, I will let all my friends have a hand at it.    Rick says all cruisers have to have a conch horn on their boat, so I guess that makes me a real cruiser.  I look at it with great pride.  That night, Audrey made conch fritters for all of us and we all brought side dishes to go with it.   As you can tell, nothing has changed.  I still love to eat and we are all eating very well.   We often get together and everyone brings something and we end up with a meal to die for.  Rick, Audrey, Jimmy, Gigi and Danielle have become like family.  I cannot tell you how wonderful they are.  Everyone watches out for each other and being a single female, it really is comforting to know they are within yelling distance or radio distance.  I am so fortunate to have met them and they are so much fun to be around.  Rick is the jack of all trades and I think he can fix most anything.  It is not unusual for him to hear someone on the radio having a problem and he is right there to help them with it.  Danielle is being home schooled for the rest of this year and I think I am going to start helping her grandmother with this.  Maybe my teaching skills will be put to good use and it will give them a break from each other.  I think it would be fun to "be back in the classroom" in this environment.
I am getting my experience at setting 2 anchors.  Not crazy about it since it is a challenge from a single handers point of view.  It puts me through a workout, but it is necessary in some cases and in the long run, you can sleep easier.  So far so good from this standpoint.
Rick heard strong winds were headed our way on Sunday night possibly, so we reluctantly left Double Breasted and headed back to Great Sale so we could have a safe anchorage.  We got in late afternoon, set 2 anchors and spread way out, let out lots of scope and it is a good thing we did.  Around 1230, all heck broke loose.  Winds blew 25-35 from the N and NW for 2 days.  As of this evening, it is finally laying down and now I have soft lapping against the hull of the boat as opposed to the pounding we have been enduring.  I got a lot done though.  I finally got weather fax on my computer and got it to working, I did laundry, cleaned the boat and did some more organizing.  I made soup and successfully cooked cornbread in my pressure cooker.   I worked on my charts, read some more in the cruising guide, cut my hair, downloaded pictures and caught up on my journal.  I never seem to get bored.   As for laundry, let me give you a brief description of doing laundry on your boat... Take a large dark garbage bag, put clothes in, small amt of laundry detergent and enough water that they will slosh.  Tie it and throw it in the cockpit.  The wave action rolls it around and the sun heats the water.  I then have 2 buckets and I rinse, wring out and hang to dry.  With the winds blowing 17-28 today, that part did not take long.  I know some of you are now saying... "She is crazy!"  Yes, I probably am, but I am a happy crazy.  
The places we have been other than Bimini are uninhabited, so no access to computer, phones etc.  The internet café at Bimini was closed due to family emergency, so I apologize for the delay in communication. 
All is well and I am having the time of my life.  The surroundings are beautiful, the villages colorful, the people are friendly and cruisers are the nicest folks I have ever met.  We are headed to Fox Town tomorrow, Hawks Bill Cays and gradually working our way down to Green Turtle, Marsh Harbor area.
I know this is long, but I want to put you here with me, if not in person, then in your imagination and daydreams.  So many of you are at jobs and computers and hopefully this may take you away for  little bit from the reality of what I have come to call "the real world."  It is really going to be difficult for me to check back into the real world.  This is a wonderful place to be.  I have now been gone 2 months as of May 5 and it seems like yesterday.   The days fly by, the nights are incredible.  I watch the moon rise often since I can look out of my hatch and see the sky, I am amazed at the number of stars in the heavens on a dark night, I love to hear the water lapping the boat hull, the soft gentle rocking at anchor, the group gatherings in a cockpit to share a glass of wine, a glass of rum and to watch the sunset and share food.   I love to see the sun come up and each day the sky appears to be a different hue as it rises from the earth and sinks back in at the end of the day.  I love to hear the wind in the sails and the wonderful silence when you can turn the engine off and just let the sails glide me and Pixie across the water towards the next destination.   I love the anticipation of the next beauty awaiting me at the next Cay, the next underwater exploration, the next land hike.  I love meeting nice people and I trust me, the world is full of wonderful people.  We hear so much bad in the news, on TV and talk radio that I think we forget how wonderful, helpful and interesting the majority of people really are.  I cannot tell you how many unbelievable nice folks I have met in just the last 2 months.   
Carpe Diem my friends.   
Love to all,
Connie

5-15-07
Thought this would get to go the day after I wrote the entries above however, once again, no internet access atFoxtown, Coopers Town, Double Breasted or Crab Cay.  The first 2 are settlements, very small, but full of smiling friendly folks.  Saturday off Coopers Town on Great Abaco Island, we watched what looked like all the towns children swimming all day in the Sea of Abaco.  They were laughing, splashing and climbing on the dinghy dock roof and jumping.  2 were little girls!!  2 little girls went up to a sail boater and asked for money and when a local man was walking by and heard them, he sternly told then NO, do not let me catch you doing that again.  The children wave and smile and call us white people.    They are adorable. 
We had an awesome day the 13th, snorkeled in the Atlantic on some gorgeous reefs.  Saw Bonefish for the first time and saved a baby bird floating in the water with twine all around his little leg.  Yesterday we high tailed it for Green Turtle to weather yet another front and low.  Winds have been holding at 17-27 East since yesterday afternoon.  2 anchors holding well!!  I dive the anchor at every location to ensure good setting.  We are in a very safe anchorage off Settlement Point at Green Turtle.  I love this place!  Bright painted houses, great cracked conch, and the best Bahama Bread I have had yet.  I got a loaf of Coconut that had just come out of the oven yesterday afternoon.  Rick, Audrey and I started eating it immediately.   I have finally found internet access!!  $10 unlimited.   I have not been able to find it since I left Rodriguez in the states.  Now that I am in the central Abaco's of the Bahamas, I should start finding it is easier to locate.   We have had issues even getting good weather reports in the N. Abacos and out islands.  We have spent a good bit of time getting to good anchorages to weather different wind directions.  This is supposed to continue until the weekend.    Next stop when the weather breaks will be Marsh Harbor.  I cannot express how beautiful the town of Green Turtle is.  I love it here!!  It is a growing community too with good grocery stores, hardware stores etc.   McIntoshes, Ms Emily's and Laura's Kitchen!!!  Best cracked conch you will find in the islands except for what we fix on Naked Lady.  :)
All is still good!!!!!!  I am fine and I am so sorry to have so many of you worried.  Just unable to get word out as often as before. 
:) ;) :D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D 8)
and on a really windy day with sails up and boat heeled with rail in the water  :o :o :o ;D  The other day, I had reefed jib only, Pixie was doing 6.4 with rail in and out of the water... what a ride!!!!!!

[AdriftAtSea]

Connie-

Great update... and glad to hear the floating Rave is going well. :D What's up next???

[s/v Faith]

Connie,


   I just sent a link to your post to Rose.  As if we are not excited enough, between you and Frank I CAN"T WAIT!!!!!!

   ;D ;D ;D

Really glad to hear it is going so well, and look forward to more updates.  ;D

[cubemonkey]

Connie,
Thanks for the wonderful post! I'm so glad you wrote as you experienced things, and then sent it all to us, instead of editing it down, or waiting until you had access.

So many things reminded me of our trip to the Caribbean. I had never watched sunrises and sunsets over and over and experienced that magic, with every one different from the one before. Or how the night sky is so full of stars. How easy it is to just be, even though it is hours or days of sailing. Folks back home don't understand how this is NOT boring. I haven't had the fun of cruisers' company. We were just our own crew of three for 14 days. But I am definitely looking forward to that aspect of cruising.

I love your idea for laundry!!!! On our trip from Antigua to Barbados, I did laundry in a bucket. Not easy, and not great results. Your method sounds much more effective.

So glad you are safe and having a ball!

-elizabeth