Stocking Island, Great Exuma, Bahamas

So Sunday is family and friends day in the Bahamas. After church a trip to Stocking Island & hanging out at the Chat n’ Chill appears to be the next most popular thing to do. So the Porter Family and Larry & I drive to George Town and hop on Elvis’ Water Taxi for the short ride to Stocking Island. The water is calm, warm and clear. The people are so happy and friendly. The drinks are cold and best of all our friends are here to enjoy it with us!

The main beach at Stocking Island

The famous Chat ‘n Chill bar and restaurant

Dean & Larry have a cold one while enjoying the views

The conch hut

You can grab some of the throw-away conch meat and hand feed the rays that swim off the point. It looks & feels like you are feeding a ‘Roomba’ vacuum.

The Porter girls…Paige, Katie & Erin…I think Larry just lost his modeling gig

Larry & I hangin’ at the Chat ‘n Chill with Katie

Thanks for visiting Dean! You’re the best.

Elvis’ Water Taxi

A subtle reminder…

Happy 18th birthday to Paige

College buddies, Larry & Dean.

Staniel Cay to Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas - Via Dotham Cut

The chart for Dotham Cut

The term ‘cruising’ always sounds so laid-back. In reality, there is quite a bit of adrenaline involved. Larry certainly had his fill on the excursion out the Dotham Cut, then followed by the entrance to Emerald Bay Marina. I’ll start with the cut. A Cut is the term used for a break in the Cay or Island chain where you can pass from The Great Bahama Bank to the Exuma Sound and vice versa. What makes it interesting is that there is so much water passing through such a small opening that the currents and conditions can sometimes be quite treacherous. In addition, all that water moves and deposits sand into sand bars and shallow spots that you need to know in advance, so you can avoid said spots. On the way to Dotham we avoid the shallows by going out of our way and around them. When the cut came into view I really could not believe how small it looked and how rough the water appeared as it rushed the gap. I guess that is why that area is also called “White Horses”, as in white-capped waves. Larry entered the cut with a good throttle and continued to plow through the six to seven footers that were breaking very close together providing quite a bouncy ride out to the Exuma Sound. We had thought the wind might calm on this side but no such luck. A few hours later we make it to the entrance of the Emerald Marina (46NM) and once again find a very tiny opening with choppy wave sets that we will have to take on the beam. Larry again throttles and crab/surfs his way through the waves and then powers through the opening into the more protected waters of the marina. Now to wash the boat…again!

We avoid that pretty blue water where it is very shallow

That tiny opening in the middle of the image is Dotham Cut

Another view of the the cut

You can start to see the white water

The pictures never do the waves justice

This looks a little more like it…but still doesn’t fully capture the size nor the impact

The area called White Horses

Larry does a great job varying the throttle to reduce the impact in and pitching

The cut in the background

Love the clouds that reflect the green of the water

The tiny opening of Emerald Bay Marina above Larry’s right ear

Again, it is very hard to capture the sideways surfing of the boat while keeping forward motion to power through the current and waves into the marina opening…of course there are no channel markers

Once here…views are spectacular

A little bike ride…..

…but first I enjoy the view

Our friends The Porter’s are coming to visit Great Exuma and this is where they will be staying, Paradise Inn

The beach at Paradise Inn on Paradise Bay

A relative of the agave, this plant was used for hemp by local sailors back in the day

Parched…time to take a break at Big D’s

Larry always likes a corner seat and a cold one…the view is pretty good too

Only happy conch here in the Exumas

Warderick Wells Cay to Big Major's Spot, Bay of Pigs & Staniel Cay, Bahamas

From Warderick Wells Cay we have just a short run to our anchor spot at Big Major ‘s Spot in the Bay of Pigs (16NM). Big Major’s Spot has a large salt pond in the interior that was, long ago, worked by the people on Staniel Cay. We are anchored, have the tender in the water and the snorkel gear on by noon. Larry locates the famous “Thunderball Grotto” where scenes from the Bond film, of the same name, were filmed. We tuck into the underhang of the grotto and are immediately surrounded by fish eager for their breadcrumbs. The cathedral-like ‘ceiling’ of this coral grotto has openings that allow the sunlight to stream in creating a truly spectacular experience. After the snorkel we check out the little Staniel Cay Yacht Club and a bit of the town. Most everything on the Cay is sadly still closed due to COVID. The following day we check out the swimming pigs. They are descendents of pigs that a Staniel Cay couple brought here many years past. The pigs are a really money maker now and draw many tourists every day.

The Independence anchored in the Bay of Pigs

A member of the welcome committee….nurse shark cruising for snacks

The backside of Thunderball Grotto

The entry of Thunderball Grotto

Thunderball Grotto. GoPro photo grab by Larry

The dingy beach at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club (SCYC)

SCYC

Larry enjoys a cold one at the SCYC after the snorkel

The nurse sharks gather when the fisherman throw them the scraps from the cleaned lobsters & fish

Feeding frenzy

Love my ‘nurses’! Photo by Larry

I have never seen so many mega yachts in active use in one spot before…every toy imaginable…tenders, jet skis, inflatable slides & climbing walls, hoverboards, etc.

The tender at the Pig Beach with the mega yachts in the distance

Poor piggy’s no cocktails for them

This droopy-eared pig was my favorite

The tour guides know what the pigs like and have trained them to sit for their treats

This big girl sits on command for her carrots. Larry mentioned that is hard to believe that they have such poor eyesight with all the carrots they eat!

Larry at the piggery with all the tired performers and the little piglets and their moms.

This happy pig some how scampered off with the whole loaf of white bread…still in the wrapper!

Another year around the sun calls for Rum Cake….and this little piggy liked it!

Norman's Cay to Warderick Wells Cay, Bahamas

A short, smooth hop of just a couple hours cruise brings us to an anchorage at Warderick Wells Cay (23NM). Warderick Wells was once used by sailors as a source of fresh water and its coves a hiding place for pirates’ ships. It is now part of the Exuma Marine Park where all things are protected. We did not hear the pirate ghosts whisper or sing (as told in the Exumas guide book) but the views were magical enough.

Sunrise at Warderick Wells Cay

Thanks to Captain Larry and our Garmin you can see the route we have taken so far

Nassau to Norman's Cay, Bahamas

Typical wardrobe for cruising…Sun protection - not COVID. Larry said I never looked better!

We depart Nassau via the east end of the main channel and cross to Norman’s Cay (42NM) between the Yellow and White Banks. This route allows us to find some deeper water…it’s amazing when 12 feet of water is considered deep! A nice calm cruise leads us to a pretty anchorage…time to put the tender in and check out Norman’s Cay.

My model advertising the CP59 cruising lifestyle

Anchored at Norman’s Cay and heading out for a snorkel

This is what is left of a DC3 airplane that crashed back in 1978

This photo (& the following information) of the same plane mentioned above, is courtesy of ‘The Exuma Guide’, by Stephen J. Pavlidis. Norman’s Cay was purchased by Carlos Lehder in 1979 for $500,000. He then spent $5 million in renovations, some of that going toward lengthening the airstrip and enlarging the dock. The improvements to the airstrip & dock were key to Lehder’s cocaine smuggling and distribution chain that ran from Medellin, Colombia to Norman’s Cay & then on to Florida & South Georgia. Strangely enough, the plane crashed attempting a touch & go maneuver with a load of landscaping sod.

The snorkel around the plane wreck was fantastic. The water was clear and calm and the fish - very friendly. Photo grab by Larry’s gopro

Chub Cay to New Providence, Nassau, Bahamas

Another bouncy day of cruising in mostly three footers brings us to the island of New Providence and the Bay Street Marina in Nassau (36NM). We get our COVID retest (you must retest after 5 days in the Bahamas) and are happy with the negative results. This is the last ‘big’ city we will be in for awhile so we restock and prepare for more time at anchor. Most of the tourist area of Old Town Nassau is closed (due to COVID) but we find a few establishments and new friends to spend time with. The following day we walk over the Sidney Poitier bridge to check out the Atlantis Hotel and grounds. It is very much like stepping into a Las Vegas property…everything completely over the top. Again, it is very quiet these days but the friendly people on the property tell us that the tourism is starting to come back. The boom and bust cycle of the Bahamian islands is certainly a well known history and perhaps that is what makes the people that live here so very easy going and friendly.

Entering the west end of the main channel into the port of Nassau

The view of the Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island across the channel from our marina

Nassau is where everything gets shipped to…if you look closely you will see the green four-wheeler on the bow of the innermost boat and a big screen TV going down the dock to a yacht.

Vintage photos of Nassau from the early/mid 1900’s

The municipal buildings and their statue of Queen Victoria

Larry gets a belated St. Patrick’s Day beer at Shenanigans bar…deserted Old Town in the background

So sad the straw market was closed…like many things, due to COVID

Our new friend ‘Captain ‘ Charlie (on the left) gets a private invitation into the Pirate Republic Brewery

A potent IPA…just a like a pirate, it takes no prisoners!

Just havin’ some beers with our new friends in Nassau

The view of The Atlantis and it’s shopping village from the top of the Sidney Poitier bridge

The grounds at The Atlantis

I was flabbergasted to see that The Atlantis has a Manta Ray in captivity. Her name is Hope and here she is doing a flip to hopefully get another bucket of krill from her caretaker. From what I understand, The Atlantis has a program to study the Manta Ray led by Mote Marine Laboratory. They tag, research and then release the rays (via helicopter!). I almost jumped into the tank to get a closer look…but Larry stopped me.

Hope, gliding by

Feeding paddles out and mouth open…Hope is hoping for more food

The aquarium at The Atlantis…like I mentioned…a little over the top

Really nice collection of fish…I love the Grouper, he was so inquisitive. Larry takes a photo of Hope (upper right).

Departing the port of Nassau via the east end of the main channel

Bimini to Chub Cay, Berry Islands, Bahamas

We depart Bimini at first light with the intention of spending the night at an exposed anchorage in the North Channel 65NM away. The forecast was for two foot seas but that was not accurate as the waves were three foot and building by the time we arrived at our intended anchorage. We decide to proceed on to Chub Cay through the three and four footers. We were very happy to get to the marina after 11 hours on the water (86NM). Chub Cay is part of the Berry Islands chain and the Resort & Marina has become an upscale sport fishing club. I have never seen so many beautiful, tricked-out Sport Fishing yachts and as evening falls they are lit-up like Christmas trees. The affluence is quite evident everywhere you turn from the boats to the clubhouse to the well attired members. We enjoy the sunset at the clubhouse bar and then head back to the Independence for dinner and a good sleep.

Entering Chub Cay

The Chub Cay clubhouse

The obligatory compass rose

The clubhouse reception area…and Larry says I have too many throw pillows…

Poolside sunset at Chub Cay

The view of the marina and rows and rows of Sport Fishing Boats

Independence amongst the Sport Fishers

Fort Lauderdale, FL to Bimini, Bahamas

The trip to Bimini (55NM) went smoothly against a bit of a current. We left the dock around 7AM and were pulling into the channel at Bimini close to 2PM. Larry did an amazing job docking at The Big Game Club Marina. He had to deal with a three knot current on his bow while moving sideways and backwards into the slip, all the while dealing with very breezy conditions. The Harbor Master Ron & the guys on the dock were great and knew how to handle these everyday conditions. We spent the next hour checking in with Immigration and then Customs. All went well, as Larry had previously filled out our Travel Health Visas online and taken care of a majority of the paperwork in advance. After a quick wash of the boat we went to the local bar for an obligatory rum drink. Bimini is a sweet little spot with very friendly people that want you to relax and stay on their island. We rented a golf cart and drove the length of the island (5 miles)…oh by the way, they do drive on the opposite side of the road. It was evident that the COVID situation has had a great impact on the island but they are starting to reopen the tourist markets and some of the restaurants. Masks and hand sanitizing is a constant.

The history of Bimini is similar for much of the Bahamas with indigenous persons living on the islands and many enslaved after the New World Discovery in 1492. The first English settled on the islands in 1647. The 1650’s to the 1670’s were known as the “Golden Age of Piracy”. From the late 1600’s into the late 1700’s England and Spain fought over the islands with the British finally taking them 1783. In 1834 The Emancipation Act granted freedom to the enslaved. In 1964 the Bahamas became self governing.

The island of Bimini definitely saw its peak in the 1920’s. With prohibition in the U.S. people came to Bimini to drink and gamble, stay in nice hotels and catch huge fish. Many of the hotels stored the alcohol for transit back to the U.S….Rum-running. Hemingway spent time here in Bimini, writing and fishing as did many other big names of the day.

Departing Fort Lauderdale

Entering the channel at Bimini

Alice Town, Bimini, Bahamas

Raising the Bahamas Courtesy Flag after clearing immigration and customs

Look who we docked next to…Northland…our friends from the Bluffs at Jupiter, FL!

Time for a Rum Cocktail and ‘ruminating’ over days to come

Sunset at Big Game Marina

Eagle ray in the marina

Conch fisherman and their spoils

The famous Conch Salad at Stuart’s and the Bahamian beer Kalik

The hotel Hemingway used to stay at, The Complete Angler, was sadly destroyed by fire in 2006

The original Customs House

A quiet place to rest at Sunset Point

Tide pool remnants

Views from Sunset Point Beach…

An old shipwreck off Sunset Point Beach

Independence at her siip in the Big Game Club Marina

Off to the Bahamas...

The basic idea is to head to Bimini from Fort Lauderdale where we will check-in with customs and immigration. Next we will head to Chub Cay & Nassau for our 5 day COVID retest. After that we will cruise to the Exumas and Emerald Bay Harbor and then Cat Island and Eleuthera. We hope to cross the channel to Abaco and work our way to the Northern Bahamas by late May. This, of course, is just a plan and we all know what happens when you make plans….

Our route in highlighter

Bonnet House, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Now for something completely different…a little bit of Fort Lauderdale history. As per the Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale is named for the Army Major William Lauderdale, commander of 200 mounted Tennessee Volunteers who were posted to the new settlement in 1838 after the outbreak of the Second Seminole War. The troops followed a route from Jupiter, FL on Military Trail (a major highway now) to the banks of the New River. A wooden fort was constructed in 1838 and named for Lauderdale. This fort was eventually abandoned and when troops returned months later they found it burned. A series of two more Fort Lauderdale’s were created and they also did not stand the test of time.

Hugh Taylor Birch (picture courtesy of the History of Florida website)

The land that became Fort Lauderdale is a barrier island.  The Tequesta and other Indians used the land for hunting & gathering but evidently did not inhabit the area. After Major Williams Lauderdale’s forts came and went, the next person to put claim to much of the land was Hugh Taylor Birch.  According to the website of Florida State Parks; in 1893 Birch purchased 3 miles of the island for a total cost of $3,500.  Much of this was sold in the 1920’s and later, he donated the right-of-way for Sunrise Boulevard, ceded land for Highway A-1-A, and leased or gave most of the beach he owned to the city. He moved again, into what is now called the Bonnet House, a 35-acre tract of land and in 1940, built a new home for himself on the property that is now the state park.

Birch gave the Bonnet House land to his daughter Helen and her new husband, Frederic Clay Bartlett, as a wedding gift.  Frederic, although not an architect, designed and began building the house in the 1920’s and continued building for 20 years.  Helen passed away in 1925 and six years later Frederic married Evelyn Fortune LIlly, who upon her passing (at 109!) entrusted her home to the state of Florida as a museum.  The house was returned to its heyday of the 1930’s & 40’s and is well worth a visit.

An oil painting of Hugh Taylor Birch by Evelyn who, not a trained artist, loved to paint in oils and watercolor.

A 1937 oil on canvas by Evelyn of her husband, Frederic (nick-named Binkie after his favorite dog), and their daughter, Evie, wearing her debutante dress.

Evelyn had a large collection of animal sculptures and carvings which are displayed all over the property

One of many of Evelyn’s paintings hung in the outer studio

Front entry into the courtyard of the Bonnet House

Frederic’s art studio. He was a trained artist from Chicago that had many commissions, including several stained glass windows in many of Chicago’s churches.

More of Frederic’s studio & artwork

Evelyn enjoyed collecting barware and table settings. Our docent said that you could stay for a week and never see the same china setting twice.

The dining room door is surrounded by hand-painted Portuguese tiles and flanked by Frederic’s collection of beer steins.

More of Evelyn’s collections of china

The courtyard and fountain

The drawing room

The Shell Museum

The Orchid House

The Bamboo Bar where Evelyn often served her house specialty, a Rangpur Lime cocktail

The Loggia with ceilings painted by Frederic and Giraffes from a carousel that Evelyn purchased.

The courtyard walkways have the original rafters made from Florida Pine (that resists wood infestations) and the original brick brought over as ballast in ships from New York

The courtyard gardens & Aviary

The view from Chickee Bridge of the waterways. Originally, the only way you could get to Bonnet House was by boat

More views from the bridge that show how the city has grown-up around the house and grounds

And not to disappoint…after all this history and culture we had to get a beer at the Elbo Room

Captain's Post #10 - “Whatcha' Burn?”

By Larry McCullough

Having grown up in California the question you hear is a bit different, “Whatcha’ burning Dude?”. In the boating world, as opposed to California, it is referring to how much fuel do you burn when cruising.

A couple of days ago while here in Fort Lauderdale a 55 foot Nordhavn pulled into the marina next to us. We invited the owner, who just took possession of the previously owned boat, and his captain over for a drink. The owner was doing a shakedown cruise with a paid captain to go over systems and practice the handling of the boat, just as we had done.

We got to talking about fuel burn and I must say the conversation was enlightening. What surprised me was that at Displacement Speed our boats burn a similar amount of fuel (I thought my larger engines would result in much higher consumption).

 What is displacement speed you ask? Displacement speed is determined by obtaining the square root of the boat at the water line, multiplied by 1.34. Independence is 51 feet at the water line, with a square root of 7.14, multiply by 1.34 equals a displacement speed of 9.5 knots (about 10.9 Statute MPH). A term that people like to use is where is the sweat spot,, which would be that speed where you are achieving an efficient speed without pushing up the fuel burn disproportionately. This number is less than the displacement speed, about 10% less. For Independence I have found that spot at just under 9 knots, around 8.7 knots.

I have had many hours at the helm figuring these numbers out, keeps the mind active, in many different situations. Probably the most accurate calculation was when we were on the Great Lakes on a windless day with very calm water. No tides or currents to deal with but the boat was in fresh water, not salt, which I would assume could be another factor. At 8.7 knots I was burning 8.7 gallons per hour, or 1 gallon per 10 statute miles. At 9 knots we were burning 10 gallons. So to go just 3.4% faster we were burning 11% more fuel!

Displacement vs Semi-Displacement: Independence is a semi-displacement boat, which means that if you give it more fuel, and have the Horse Power, the boat will partially rise out of the water and achieve a greater speed beyond 9.5 knots. A boat with a displacement hull can not go faster than it’s displacement speed, no matter the amount of horse power or fuel fed to the engines. If you were to look at the hulls of a semi displacement boat compared to a displacement boat you would notice that near the bow they are very similar, but as you go aft the semi starts to flatten out, giving it the lift.

The lift comes at a price (remember from a prior post I am parasomnias), a pretty steep price. We have had Independence up to 22 knots, the fuel burn, 75 gallons an hour! Below is a chart that I received from Nordhavn when I was doing research on possibly buying Independence. As you can see from the chart, the faster you go the MPG drops dramatically.

(Cost per 10,000 miles based upon $3.00 per gallon)

Why have a boat that burns that much fuel, you ask? It is nice to have that extra speed when you want it or need it; out running a storm, or trying to get into an unfamiliar area before dark. The most glaring example was when we were on the East River, just off Manhattan approaching Hells Gate. The current was well over 5 knots and we were only making 5.6 knots and burning over 15 gph.

Back to the discussion with the new Nordhavn owner. We started talking about fuel burn and I was surprised at how similar our burn rates were. I did some more research and came upon a performance review article of a Nordhavn 60 from Boattest.com

“The Nordhavn N60 has a LOA of 62’6” (19.05 m), a beam of 18’ (5.49 m), and a draft of 6’8" (2.02 m). With an empty weight of 138,000 lbs. (62,596 kg), full fuel, water and three people onboard, we had an estimated test weight of 156,905 lbs.

“With the single 325-hp John Deere run up to a max 2200 rpm, the speed topped out at 9.8 knots. Now no one in their right mind would run her at that speed for an expedition passage. The 16 gph fuel burn is almost double that at 1800 rpm while gaining only 1.1 knots. At 1800 rpm and 8.7 knots she burns 8.7 gph, and can keep running for just under 2250 nm”

Performance of Nordhavn 60 from Boattest.com

I must admit I was surprised that our boats both burned 8.7 gallons at 8.7 knots. The chart Nordhavn provided me for fuel burn at a slow speed, I found to be way off, but I am still happy with the burn and the additional distance we can achieve. I found that at 7.5 knots Independence burns about 5.5 gallons per hour (a range of about 1,400 miles with a 10% reserve. At 7 knots I have found I burn about 4.5 gallons an hour for a range of over 1,550 miles).

This is an apple to orange comparison and, to each his own. Nordhavn is known for its’ displacement yachts, aka trawlers, that have circumnavigated the globe and have made many ocean crossings. Independence is not made for that type of cruising, that is why they call it a “Coastal Pilot”, but it is perfect for our cruising lifestyle.

Some Fun in the Florida Sun

After boxing up the holidays in California we eagerly returned to the Independence in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. At the first sign of warm weather we lowered the tender in the water and explored the myriad of ‘rivers & channels’ in our watery back yard. A majority of the waterways have a speed restriction so it is not too difficult to run about in the dingy. This is, after-all, how we go grocery shopping. Not a bad set-up, as the ‘Dingy Dock’ is right across the street from the grocery store and the docking fee is transferable to the bar when you are done shopping! After spending a few weeks locally, seeing the sites and completing projects on the boat, we decide it is time to hop over to the West Coast of Florida and see our friends in Sarasota & Punta Gorda. Just a quick trip in a rental car for the weekend and then we are back to the boat on Monday. The following week the weather permits and we take the Independence down South to Biscayne Bay to check her engines, the auto-pilot and re-calibrate the compass. All systems perform perfectly and it is great to be out on the open water again. We anchor in Biscayne Bay and the next day we run the tender into Dinner Key Marina to check out Coconut Grove. Coconut Grove has an amazing history of Seaplane aviation and was the largest marine air terminal in the world in 1929. The Pan American Airways Seaplane Base began flying Clipper Seaplane service between the United Sates and Latin America in 1929 and flew this route until 1945. The property was sold to the city of Miami the next year and the Terminal Building became the the Miami City Hall in 1954. Coconut Grove is a sweet little town, slightly in transition at present, as many of the larger properties are under construction. But there are a couple sweet little streets that still have some ‘deco’ style charm and a few inviting establishments. After two nights at anchor in The Bay we head back to the Bahia Mar Marina to enjoy more of the local flavor of Fort Lauderdale.

The Southport Raw Bar restaurant (Fort Lauderdale, FL) is like Sam’s Anchor Cafe (Tiburon, CA) back in the good old days & it has a dedicated dingy dock. You pick up your groceries across the street & then have a beer and oysters when you return.

Dogs are welcome at the Southport Raw Bar and Larry fell in love with this Vizla puppy

A great weekend with our friends Connie and Rich in Punta Gorda. We got a ride on their new Grady White - nice boat!!! Bentley loved the pink hippo toy we gave her.

The people watching is only exceeded by the car watching on the A1A in Fort Lauderdale

See?!? I am not kidding!!!

Upon returning to Fort Lauderdale from Punta Gorda we learned there had been some excitement at the fuel dock. No one was harmed in the fire but the small vessel on fire drifted back into David MacNeil’s (‘WeatherTech’ floor mat Founder & CEO) mega yacht. Evidently, the new paint job will run about a million bucks!!! Upper photo courtesy of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Cruising into Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida

They still love us!!! So great to be back on the water.

Not sure if this was a crab pot line or just a loose/floating line, either way it looks like the line cutters did most of the work but the captain finished the job…my new ‘Lobster’ scissors did the trick. Perhaps I will use them on Lobster soon…

Dinner Key is home to a great deal of Seaplane and aviation history

We leave the boat on anchor in Biscayne Bay and take the tender to the very popular dingy-dock. From there we see the sights of Dinner Key/Coconut Grove, FL.

Rum Sundays are back! At anchor in Biscayne Bay with the Miami skyline currently in view as we swing on the hook and enjoy reading our friends fantastic book he wrote about his amazing father.

Larry enjoys some rare idle time

Recent sunrises and sunsets on Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL

Back in Fort Lauderdale we had to experience a typical locals weekend spot ‘The Sandbar’. You anchor your boat, dingy, etc. and enjoy a cold one in the sun. The perfect option for social distancing! If you’re brave, you can order lunch from the ‘The Sandbar’ mobile restaurant.

The Middle River Channel in Fort Lauderdale takes you to downtown

The main channel entering Fort Lauderdale. The bridge is open for a large vessel…speaking of large vessels…notice how tall the mast is on the sailboat behind the bridge. That is the M5 or Mirabelle V.

This is the Mirabella V. She is a sloop-rigged super yacht and is the largest single masted yacht ever built. She is 255 feet long and her mast is 290 feet tall. Now you know why she looks so much taller than the bridge in the previous picture.

We take the tender over to Whiskey Creek and check out the culture & history…..and the bar!

We were shocked to find another Downtowner Saloon (this one is on the channel heading toward down town Fort Lauderdale). It makes us reminisce about Sue St. Marie, Michgan and our how much fun we had there…Hi John!!!

We will miss Fort Lauderdale and its great Saturdays with free yoga in the park, the farmers’ market where you can buy the best empanadas and the best jambalaya at the bar of Coconuts.

Captain's Post #9 - The One Thing About Owning A Boat...

Post by Larry McCullough

...You better enjoy working on it. 

I call them ‘projects’ as that sounds better than ‘work’. If somebody says they are not working on their boat often, or doing projects, they are ignoring things or are filthy rich and have somebody else doing the work. For me, I enjoy doing the work - for the most part. I enjoy the projects where I am moving forward, adding something new (see Sonihull below) or a maintenance project that makes the boat look better, like varnishing that one strip of teak that is on our stern rail. Even changing the oil on the engines is, what’s the word I am looking for...fun?...no that’s not it, how about rewarding! 

I have had many boats over the years, and I have learned many things when it comes to maintenance and upgrades. Independence was a big upgrade from our prior boats which means the quantity of work and upkeep is multiplied. 

Racor valve installation

Our boat is a Nordhavn and there is a great owner’s group website that has many resources that are just a few clicks away. One of the best is an email that comes daily where people ask questions of other owners, or experts in the field, and they reply. They are then archived on the website. A great example of this is regarding Racor fuel filters and separators. When we traveled from Key West to Isla Mujeres on our way to Belize my Racors clouded up with sediment and needed to be drained a few times. The ocean was very rough which made unscrewing the bottom of the separator to drain very tricky. One day a person posted a picture of their solution, instead of the screw they installed a valve that could easily open the drain. I found the parts needed at a truck supply center and installed it myself. I could not just use supplies from the local Home Depot because the diesel would eat away at the fittings in a standard house plumbing system (see attached picture). 

Barnacle Buster applied to the Cummins engines

We have all heard about clogged arteries, boats have them too. The systems that use salt water (engines, HVAC) over time get clogged with barnacles, calcium, Zebra mussels, etc. Our starboard engine had been running hot even after I changed the impeller. One day the Nordhavn email mentioned running a product called "Barnacle Buster” in the HVAC system once a year to clear out the buildup. I did further research, and it was recommended to also run it through the engine system due to the clogging of the heat exchanger that occurs over time. Since the engine was still running hot, I thought I would give it a try.  

Great fuel can that served as the delivery system for the Barnacle Buster solution

I have said this in the past, I love my engine room. There is a tremendous amount of room in it. With Barnacle Buster you need to pour it into the raw water intake strainer after you closed the intake valve. With our boat this task is much easier than many other boats where a person would need to pump it into the strainer. I could not believe how expensive these systems were, some over $400. With our boat, and me being parasomnias, I was able to use gravity. But I needed to find a delivery system that could get the Barnacle Buster into the strainer fast enough for our 715 HP Cummins engines. I spent time searching the Internet for various options and I found a fuel can that has a hose coming out of the bottom and a trigger for opening the discharge. I also kept a hose next to me that I could turn on incase additional water pressure was needed. 

Debris from the HVAC after 24 hours of Barnacle busting

With the HVAC the fluid flow was fine, which gave me the confidence for the engines. There are engine on/off controls next to each engine which made the task easier and less stressful. With the engine at idle I added five gallons to each engine and then turned the engines off, let the Barnacle Buster do its job overnight. The next morning, I turned on the engines and out comes busted barnacles, calcium and other goodies. The attached picture explains it well. Barnacle Buster is all natural, and of course so were the barnacles, so even though it looks like some terrible debris is coming out of the exhaust it is all natural. The alternative would have been to pull the heat exchanger off the engine and let it soak in a tub full of Barnacle Buster, or a similar product, probably costing many thousands of dollars. I am glad to report that this project met with great success! On a recent trip we ran the boat at 90% of engine capacity and no overheating. Now if I could use some of that on my own arteries, I wouldn’t have to take that damn pill every morning. 

The debris from the port engine after 24 hours of Barnacle busing

Time to replace this old impeller

Impalers, no spell check, close, very close, “Impellers”. I had heard horror stories about replacing impellers, a knuckle busting job. A must do job that can be very difficult. When we had some great mechanics on our boat to go over the engines with me after the sale, they pulled off the impeller cover and gave them a look and said they were fine but didn’t pull them because of the work involved. Now, with one of the engines running hot, I thought it was time to replace them. The impeller is made of rubber vanes that are surrounded by a metal core that pumps raw water to the engine to keep it cool. The boat had extras on board when I bought it so I thought I would put them to use. I pulled the old one out, easy enough. When I attempted to put the new one in, I put soap on the rubber vanes to help slide it in easier, I also made sure that the vanes were oriented in the same direction as when I pulled them out. The dam thing wouldn’t go in! This project fun?...definitely no and not even close to rewarding. What is the problem, I could not understand? The old one and the new one looked the same...on the outside! After about 15 minutes I realized that the new impeller had 14 splines instead of 10 splines in the core. I had another new impeller on board and saw that one only had 10 splines and it slid in relatively easily making for a rewarding experience. Anybody need a 14 spline impeller? I have since ordered 2 extra 10 spline impellers to keep on board. 

This float really helped out during the long process of waxing the Independence

Another project still fresh in my mind, probably because my shoulders send me a reminder occasionally, was back in Jupiter: washing; rubbing compounding; polishing and waxing the entire hull from the rub rail to the water line. Independence is 59 feet long, as a reminder it has two sides, that is 118 feet of washing, rubbing compounding, polishing and waxing (that is four different steps multiplied by 118 or 472 feet)! At Jupiter there was a floating platform that I was able to use to tackle the “project” which made it so much easier. “Easier”, probably not the correct word, how about “less difficult”. It was worth it though; the hull looks new again and the buffer I bought helped immensely. 

Giving this a try…

The current project I am working on is installing the Sonihull system. Sonihull is an ultrasonic anti-fouling system that is supposed to cut down on bottom cleanings by sending out a pulse 24-7 that hampers marine growth on the underwater hull, theoretically cutting down on bottom cleanings and haul outs. I will let you know in future post if it works or not. Installation is fairly straightforward, the difficult part is running the transducers to various parts of the inside of the hull. 

Installation of the mid ship Sonihull unit under the aft stateroom floor

Installation of the forward bow Sonihull unit (the grey cylinder in the foreground is our bow thruster)

Preparing to lift the AC unit (located under the master stateroom bed) and replace the cracked condensation collection pan…the source of our bilge leak

When Jamie and I came back to the boat after the Holiday Season I noticed water in the bilge below our Master Stateroom bathroom. Where did it come from, I thought, fresh water or salt water? I performed a very sophisticated high-tech test by placing my finger in the water and then tasting it, fresh water. The shower/sink sump pump is close by, I thought maybe the strainer was clogged coming from the shower. I pulled the strainer, looked disgusting but not clogged, cleaned it and replaced it. I then dried out the hull using a small hand pump and a sponge. The next morning water was back. The boat has small tunnels between bilge compartments, and I thought it might be coming from forward as opposed to aft. I pulled the carpet and hatches from the mid-stateroom and determined it was not coming from there. The water looked clean, well relatively clean, otherwise I would not have done the taste test, therefore I did not think it was coming from the black water holding tank. That left the A/C system which is underneath our bed. We pulled the mattress off and sure enough that was the case, but why? After further investigation, Jamie (great to have a wife that can help) and I determined that the plastic pan that surrounds the system to collect condensation had sprung a leak, but why?...the boat is not that old. I unbolted the A/C and gently raised it while Jamie slid the pan out. Where the water drains out of the pan there is an elbow joint that the drain hose attaches to. Apparently, at the factory when installing the system, they over tightened the elbow joint and cracked the plastic pan and after 4 years their patch job failed. Great being in Fort Lauderdale...the yachting capital of the world. I made some phone calls, got on my bike and had a new pan that we installed the same day. 

Replacing two of the insect clogged house fans that are located under the bench seats in the salon

Along with my hearing, my smell is going. I can still taste things so it’s not COVID. Jamie on the other hand can hear and smell everything, poor thing! We have house fans in the boat which basically blow in fresh air from the outside, or in the case of the bathrooms vent the air to the exterior. Jamie noticed that a few of them were not working. I started digging around under cushions and identified the ones that were not working. We had spare fans on board (they look like computer fans). I pulled the ones out that were not working and checked to make sure they were getting electricity with a voltmeter, which they were. As I disconnected the bad fans, I noticed that they were clogged. Upon further examination, and more powerful reading glasses, I noticed that they were clogged with small bugs, mostly Mayflies. A reminder of all the bugs from the Great Loop. Perhaps not the souvenir you would want! A quick change out of the fans and they now are all working. 

Replaced this battery monitor and very happy that this was all that was wrong with our house batteries

It looks daunting but the battery monitor unit just snapped into place (upper left thick green wires)

Who needs balast when you have batteries. Independence has 16 large AGM batteries. 8 of them make up the “house battery bank” which powers: lights; fridge, electronics; etc. Each engine has 2 dedicated batteries, the generator has 2 along with the bow thruster and windlass at the bow of the boat. We have a battery monitoring system that tells us how much of the battery is charged and how much battery life you have left with your current consumption. It is a bad thing to let the battery charge go below 50%, so it is imperative to keep and eye on the monitoring system. Recently the monitor had just been showing a draw down and when we came back after a trip home the system showed a draw down to 15%, real bad. We were plugged into shore power and everything seemed to be working ok so I turned off the shore power and fired up the generator, within 5 minutes the battery was back to 100%, impossible to be charged that quickly. I thought the monitor might be bad and instead of paying $1,000 to have a tech tell me that, I replaced the monitor for $175. Sure enough, that fixed the problem, rewarding! 

Our plans now are to leave Fort Lauderdale in mid-March and go to the Bahamas for 2 months and then work our way up the East Coast all the way to Maine. Time to change all the oil and all the filters. As I always say to Jamie, “My work is never done”, aka, I own a boat!

Location, Location, Location...

Yes, we feel so fortunate to be located at the Bahia Mar Marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The beach, the bars, the restaurants, etc. all within walking distance of the boat. Our friends Connie and Rich came over from Punta Gorda, Florida and we had a chance to relax and enjoy the scenery and some of the local establishments. We really appreciate their visit and it was so great to see them. Larry has still found time to do plenty of maintenance on the boat and plenty of waxing. We head back to California soon for the holidays but will be back to the boat in a few weeks. Until than, we wish happy & healthy holidays to you and yours!

Always on the lookout for a good mural & a good beer…Hollywood brewing had both! The other murals are scattered around town.

Sunset from the boat at Bahia Mar Marina

The first Iguanas I have seen here in Fort Lauderdale. These guys were about 3 feet long and engaged in UFC wrestling match. The more mature Iguana (with striped tail) had the weight and perhaps experience advantage over the younger lizard. The loser ended up in the drink!

Sunrise over the beach looking out from the bow of the boat

Happy Holidays! Photo by Rich Dancaster

Had to stop at the Elbo Room with Rich and Connie. Photo by Rich Dancaster

Had to include some photos from Rich & Connie’s visit to Jupiter, Florida before we left the Bluff’s.

Happy Holidays to you and yours…Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Goodbye Jupiter, Hello Ft. Lauderdale

The original plan was to depart the Bluff’s Marina in Jupiter, Florida on the 1st of December when the our lease ended and move the Independence to Fort Lauderdale. However, as so often happens, the weather was not cooperating. We decided to leave on the 30th and take 3 to 4 foot seas (wind around 15 to 20 knots) instead of the forecasted 6 to 10 foot seas the next day. In addition to some weather, we also had to re-calibrate a new compass on our way out of the Lake Worth inlet and hope that all of the replacement electronics would reprogram correctly. If I haven’t mentioned it in past posts, we have lost a few of our electronic components recently. During our last sea trial in October (to check the engine impellers that Larry replaced), he noticed that the autopilot, VHF radios & compass were not working correctly. After getting some professional advice, it was determined that the boat had been the casualty of an indirect lightning hit (perhaps months earlier) and the unfortunate and unstoppable degradation of the 12 volt electronic components had begun. Yes, there’s always something!!! But, with the new units installed the system ran like a charm and we were on our way to our new slip in Fort Lauderdale by 8:30AM. We made good time down the coast even though we had the current and wind against us. A bit of a bouncy ride on the 3 to 4 footers with some additional wind chop but in seven hours Larry had the boat turned into the Port Everglades inlet and docked at the Bahia Mar Marina. (51NM).

Departing Jupiter via the ICW at first light to catch the high tide and the bridges and to beat the incoming weather system.

What you see along the ICW…Quite the hull paint job on Wild Child (with matching tender.) An 86 foot Hatteras (2013/2018)…for sale only $895,000!

Back to the beach at Fort Lauderdale

A little windy and cool at the beach this morning

As promised the famous Elbo Room is walking distance from the boat Established in 1938 it is a true landmark bar in Fort Lauderdale.

Every Christmas season the Fort Lauderdale Snowman gets a new hobby. This year he is on a jet-ski, last year he was fishing…in years past he has surfed and posed at the beach with his family.

The art installation “Aqua Vida” by South Florida artist Ruben Ubiera along the A1A beach highway. Completed this past March and according to The SunSentinels’ Rod Stafford Hagwood, cost $150,000 and was commissioned by the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The skywalk connects the hotel to the beach. The gigantic hibiscus flowers and betta fish really are amazing.

I know Betty would approve of this Charter Fishing Company…for obvious reasons.

Sunset from the back deck of the boat at Bahia Mar Marina, Fort Lauderdale, FL

A Look Back at The Loop, Part 2

As promised here is Part 2 of the Loop. The video contains many pictures and some video as well, all set to music. So, once again, grab a cold one and settle in for a bit if you want to watch Part 2 click on the link below. We hope you enjoy it and if you do give him a thumbs up!

Great Loop Part 2, Lake Erie to Marathon Florida Aboard Independence, a 59' Nordhavn Coastal Pilot

Great Loop Part 2, Lake Erie to Marathon Florida Aboard Independence, a ...

Hoisting our Gold Loopers’ Flag on a breezy day in Marathon, FL. Photo by Gumby

A Look Back at The Loop, Part 1

Larry just finished part one of a big project. He put many of our photos and GoPro videos from last years’ Great Loop trip together and published it on YouTube. We hope you enjoy a look back at some of the great moments of last year. Get yourself something to drink, settle in and watch Part One of the trip and don’t forget to turn on the volume. Click on the link below & enjoy!

The Great Loop aboard Independence, Part 1

The Jupiter Lighthouse in Jupiter, FL

Weekend at West Palm Beach, FL

We took the Independence to West Palm Beach, FL (26 NM RT) this weekend and enjoyed a nice couple of days at the Palm Harbor Marina. The marina is conveniently located within walking distance to many bars and restaurants that are trying to find their feet again during these strange times. It was nice to enjoy an outside bar and chat with other socially distanced patrons. I would not exactly call any of the venues in and around West Palm Beach crowded, as not only do they have to deal with COVID but it was also over ninety degrees this past weekend. We got on the bikes and spent an afternoon exploring the amazing homes and views of Palm Beach Island, in addition to the famous Breakers Hotel. This hotel was developed by of one of Florida’s great visionaries, Henry Morrison Flagler. Flagler was a railroad magnate and co-founder of the Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller. He is credited with stimulating the development of the east coast of Florida by transforming the area into a vacationland for million of people. The property has become a must-see icon in this very prosperous area. It was great to get the boat out and stretch our ‘boating muscles’ this weekend. We only have another week left before we return to California and Larry will be busy making sure she is properly waxed and secured in case weather comes our way.

Just a modest second home on the Jupiter ICW…check-out the floaty toys in the pool…

This little boat has more horsepower than the Independence…she must fly!

A quick jont out the Lake Worth Inlet & the ocean was flat-calm

Back on the ICW passing a shipyard prepping to paint a mega yacht. The scaffolding goes up around the boat & then a shrink wrap goes around that.

Mucho mega yachts

I think 007 stopped by for a martini

Biking over Flagler Bridge to Palm Beach Island we were delayed by the 12:45PM opening

Palm Beach Island is very cute and very quiet right now

Touring the island you find the little ‘split-lots’ where the house across the street owns the beach directly in front of their house. This lot was more of a natural setting.

Most of the little split-lots are developed and this one was particularly inviting with its’ tiny pool & beach cabana

Larry in front of the regal entrance to the famous Breakers Hotel.

The entrance to the Breakers Hotel. The architect commissioned to design the hotel was Leonard Schultze, well-known for designing the Waldorf Astoria in New York.

Henry Flagler and his family with early photos of the final version (1925) of The Breakers Hotel. The first Flagler hotel on this site was called The Palm Beach Inn (1895) and was completely destroyed by fire in 1903. It was immediately replaced with a finer hotel and renamed The Breakers. This structure burned to the ground in 1925 to be immediately replaced and rebuilt, with more durable materials, into the iconic property that you see today.

The reception area of The Breakers Hotel

We popped into The Breakers ‘Seafood Bar’ for a drink. A different king of ‘swim-up bar’ with a great view of the ocean and clown fish and eels to keep you company.

The grand hall that leads to the beach

So great to spend an evening with Cait Adams, our friends’ daughter, who has recently moved to West Palm Beach, FL

Back On Board - Hurricane Isaias?

Nice sunset as we approach Florida. Photo by Larry

After two and a half months away from the Independence it is nice to be back on board. Our flight back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida from SFO was great. We really appreciate that direct flight on JetBlue. We arrived at The Bluffs Marina in Jupiter, FL with plenty of time to put extra lines on the Independence in preparation for Isaias. Isaias is the ninth named tropical storm of the 2020 hurricane season and the name is Spanish for Isaiah (Kyle Whitfield, staff writer for nola.com). The marina was humming with activity as vessels from ‘non hurricane hold’ marinas moved their boats to The Bluffs. Some of these vessels that arrived were around a 100 feet long so they took the extra precaution to set anchor in the marina to avoid swinging if the winds picked up. Initially, the weather reports were calling for a category one hurricane with winds over 70 miles per hour. However, as the storm approached the East Coast it disorganized and thankfully downgraded to a tropical storm (tropical storms have sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph). Before the storm was due to make a possible landfall at West Palm Beach we ran out to take a peek at the beaches and have a quick beer at one of our favorite bars (yes, outside & yes, with masks) here in Jupiter. The kite boarders were having a blast with the increased surf and the beaches were busy with sunbathers. Eventually, the tropical storm brought us a deluge of rain and some gusty winds but happily that was all.

Pretty sunset photo by Larry

Hurricane preparations…more lines, more fenders & remove all canvas & covers

Never too many lines or fenders

Our neighbor First Chapter & Next Chapter have returned from the Bahamas to take shelter at The Bluffs

Crew from two large yachts work to set their anchors in the middle of the channel at The Bluffs

Larry watching the surf at our nearby beach

Kite boarders further down the beach enjoy the enhanced conditions

The surf is a little high but otherwise it is a lovely day at the beach

Back at Guanabanas for a quick beer

Gathering storm clouds over the yacht Northland

Watching the weather on the local news. Initial reports had the storm making landfall right at our doorstep.

Looks a little menacing at this point…we are very happy Isaias downgraded to a tropical storm.

Visiting Jupiter…love this mural someone did in town

Dinner at our favorite restaurant, Calaveras Cantina

Calaveras Cantina table-side guacamole & chips & a flight of Fortaleza

Another favorite place Tequesta Brewing Company is open too. (Mask a Merrill Walker design)

Reset, Return & Rerun

As we left Jupiter, Florida the restaurants were re-opening with social distancing in place and the beaches opened the day we left. Larry & I went out to a couple of the local establishments to bring some much needed life to the economy and how nice it was to get out. We were also able to visit our friends Rich & Connie at their new home in Punta Gorda, which was re-opening too. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport was a completely different story with all restaurants and bars shuttered and only very few travelers about. The flight with jetBlue was very sanitized (wipes & masks), social distanced (empty middle seats) and with a minimum of contact with the crew (no ordering food or beverages), you were left hungry and thirsty but healthy. We have now been home almost two weeks. Marin is a different world when it comes to opening. So as we wait for yet another re-opening it feels like I am watching yet another rerun. It is a good thing we have our overgrown back and front yard to keep us busy and a myriad of other projects as well. Like everyone else, we can’t wait until there is a bit more normalcy and we can freely meet with our friends and family. Until then, good health to all who read this…mental & physical!

A nice visit on a rainy day to the Square Grouper in Jupiter, Florida

I was so excited to eat at my favorite Mexican restaurant - Calaveras in Jupiter, Florida

Thanks for a great weekend Rich & Connie ( & Carly) in Punta Gorda, Florida

A little fun with dogs at Rich and Connie’s new home in Punta Gorda, Florida. Bentley & Rudy were quite happy to see us and Larry was very happy to see Bentley.

It was ‘Love Bug’ season as we crossed from Jupiter to Punta Gorda…yuck! A little local color along the way…COVID-19 humor & thoughts on Mother’s Day.

TSA was nearly empty, the whole airport felt like a ghost town and flight was enjoyably social distanced. We came prepared…Gatorade bottles hold a Vodka Orange nicely as we drink our contraband cocktails at luggage claim prior to going through TSA

Sebastapol, CA provided some fun for a day…Thanks Gilmore’s (and friend) for shaking things up a little!

Don Lorenzo now tends to his next batch of Tequila…should be aged by Christmas!