"Allure" Bahamas 2016

[Frank]

Slow sail to Bluff Bay today to visit my Swiss friends LuLu and GiGi.
They've circumnavigated and lived aboard for over 30yrs (other than their flights home for medical etc)
Great folks!!
At 71, still have that 'twinkle in the eye' and full of life!!

GiGi and LuLu

Allure anchored in Bluff Bay (panel tipped to sun)
Pretty spot!

[ralay]

Oh man, it looks fun with all the company you have down there.  We seem to be in the vanguard of the northbound cruisers.  We're stuck in Cape May all week with North winds, but the anchorage and town are empty.   It's kinda lonely.

[Frank]

Yep....

It truly is the people you meet along the way that make it special!!

[Frank]

A week to haul out so that "mental shift" is setting in....
Trying to still enjoy the moment but haul out 'to do' lists and my spring at home work lists are sure creepng in...

pic of Allure was yesterday after a bit of rain.

[Frank]

Just sailed into town from Manjack. Spent a few days anchored, visiting old nieghbors.
Yesterday was high winds, rain and thunder. Read and cleaned/tidy'd the interior. Sure was nice waking up to a neat clean boat this morning...
Last night the wind gusts were over 30. Anchored in the Lee so not much wave action but sure rattled Allure a few times. Once in the middle of the night a gust hit, the anchor rode groaned and jerked taunt on the bow roller. Then silence....
That "silence" that typically means your dragging...
Up, out of the bunk to check but all was good. Still took a while to get back to sleep...
Awoke to sunshine and winds down to about 20.
Decided to sail off the anchor and had a great beam reach down to Green Turtle.
It struck me how all this will change soon....no more blue-green water, white sand Beachs or spontaneous sails for a while...
Still a full week to haul out..
I'm going to try and enjoy every minute

[w00dy]

I hear ya...I'm starting work in about two weeks and am not ready at all...

[Frank]

Last day "floating"...
Haul out tomorrow at 9am.
A bit depressed, but it has been an awesome winter. Allure has taken me from literally one end of the Abacos to the other stopping at almost every point in between.

I'm actually looking forward to being home, feeding the deer and yard work.
There is something about "home"...

In late June my ole trailersailing buddy Rick will meet me at Lake Champlain.
Will be fun to explore it on our little cat boats for 9 days.

I'm sitting here, looking out from the town dock over the Sea of Abaco, the sleepy little hamlet of New Plymouth behind me thinking how different both the view and "life" will be shortly.

I guess that's what makes it so special Upon returning.....

[w00dy]

Thanks for sharing it all with us, Frank. I'll be looking forward to hearing about Lake Champlain.

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

Last day "floating"...
Haul out tomorrow at 9am.
A bit depressed, but it has been an awesome winter. Allure has taken me from literally one end of the Abacos to the other stopping at almost every point in between.

I'm actually looking forward to being home, feeding the deer and yard work.
There is something about "home"...

Sounds like a good balanced life to me Frank.
Thanks for sharing your adventure & have a safe trip home!

Bob

[ralay]

What does it cost to haul and store a boat in the Bahamas?

[Frank]

The yard at Green Turtle is very well run, safe and they are professional.
Paved, fenced, security cameras.
Boats are blocked, strapped and set in a 'wooden cradle"
$7ft/mth last time I checked

[ralay]

That's real reasonable.  A lot easier than sailing back an forth every year, assuming you don't live in FL.

[Frank]

It sure simplify's cruising here. I have hauled at 3 different places in Florida over the years. Even taking Indiantown for an example...once launched you have a day to Manetee Pocket (Stuart), another day to Lake Worth, how ever many days there waiting for a window to cross, a day to cross, another long, boring day to Great Sale....and then it begins to feel like "Abaco cruising".

Hauled here, fly in, take small ferry from Treasure Cay (airport) to Green Turtle, the captain drops you off right at the boat yard dock, prep boat (same as you had to in Florida...only less mold to clean up) and you splash.  Too simple, fast and easy.

Funny thing is I will be flying back here in November to launch and then sail to Florida, get my new dingy and a ton of other things, provision while there and sail back to cruise.

[ralay]

We're loosely considering the same thing in New England.  It's already clear that there's way more stuff we'd like to see here than we could see in a single season.  We could rush back in Fall and rush up again in spring or we could just haul the boat for the winter.  The back and forth is more fun when it's new.  There are a lot of places we've been to 4 times now and it's harder to get excited.  It's harder to haul out for a season when you don't have a house, though. 

[Frank]

Dry....

Hauled, blocked and strapped down.

Will start taking things down this afternoon.
Wash n wax tomorrow..

Excited to get home but Geez it's hard to leave.....

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

We're loosely considering the same thing in New England.  It's already clear that there's way more stuff we'd like to see here than we could see in a single season.

You could  spend 10 years cruising New England & never get bored  Ralay.
Problem is it is a short sailing season, lot of fog  in Maine during june/july & storing a boat up here for the winter isn't cheap.

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

Forgot to mention there are year round marinas in Boston & Portland but compared to N.C. it does get wicked cold up here typically.  I go down to the carolinas in the winter & walk around in shorts. The locals look at me like I got a screw loose  while they're bundled up in their michelin jackets.

[Frank]

Stripped, wahed n waxed and oil change.

1-1/2 HOT windless full sun days in a paved boat yard...

I'm hot, sweaty and totally bagged! Not used to the heat! Way nicer floating with a breeze!!

Off to the showers.....rum to follow...

Looks awfully bare stripped...

[stumpy]

Frank,
Sorry the season has to end, but many thanks for providing an opportunity for those of us to the north a chance to sail the Abacos vicariously through you.  I've truly enjoyed the pics and stories!
Have a safe trip home.