Friends and Families

Ok I get the hint with the incoming emails. Where is Faye and am I ok?
Yes I am ok and I am currently in Calgary.
I departed St John's on July 10th and arrived back to Vancouver to start working on Genesis.
The first week was continual rain so not much in the way of outside work was accomplished.
I did however get measurements and quotes to have the Bimini replaced by a hardtop. The advantage to a hardtop is that I will never have to replace the canvas again or winterize the upper deck. The difference in price was well worth it. I have gone with a company from LaConner Washington as the quote came in 1/4 the cost of the companies here in Canada. I guess it is nice to take advantage of a down swing in their economy. Generally over the years it has been the opposite.
Cam has been working in the engine room repairing the damage that has occurred to the exhaust systems on both engines. The hoses are all new and raw water pumps have been ordered and back ordered. Carbon has been blown out of the various parts opening all the passages. Genesis will have brand new arteries!
The sun finally peaked its head out and I spent a feverish week stripping, sanding and brushing teak on the lower deck. I was privileged to have a good friend show up from Calgary that gave me several hours of his time. Barry is quite good with woods and brought me two new handy tools that helped to get into the small crevices. I am very grateful for the hard work and friendship. When all is said and done I finished about 3/4 of the job. It looks impressive and people walking by continually were commenting on how great she looks.
 I received a skype message that my best friend Lea had broke her hip while exercising.
So the following morning I was on a plane flying back to Calgary.
So the boat is waiting and can wait ........................
The moral of this weeks (month) blog that friends are the people that we choose to be there for.

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things." ~Author Unknown
I know that I have been blessed with a great best friend and have many wonderful friends that think of me often and are truly grand. Thank you all for that.

I will add pictures of Genesis once she is looking remarkable.

July Long Weekend in Nfld.

Alanna and I Standing at Cape Spear

                                                          Eastern Most Point in North America

Wild Lupins

My emotions have played on the big roller coaster this week and have me thinking about creating my own Bucket List. Ken and I quite enjoyed the movie that featured Jack Nicolson and Morgan Freedman.

When I sat down to write what I wanted to accomplish not many lines were filled. Sadly we are taught not to dream big.  I am going to throw caution to the wind and dream big, put down goals that might not seem obtainable but with courage and determination can be done.

See unique places and do strange and wonderful things. It can be as simple as challenging yourself to wear a 2 piece bathing suit in public!  Help people out where I can. Try and make a difference. There is a saying I once read somewhere that “Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day”.  I am going to try and see some good in every day.

Look for mentors who live an exciting life, and ask them about their favourite experience. Get in the habit of talking about dreams and goals with like minded people.  This for sure helped us in our journey with Genesis. Ignore the people that are stuck in a rut and happy with mediocrity, as they will only think dreams as being silly. Search out people that inspire greatness. Try to become one of those people that inspire greatness.

I challenge all of you to get out there and create your own bucket list and try and draw a line through one or two of them a year. More if you’re determined.  We can determine how our lives play out, we can’t change the past but we can mould a new future.

One of my biggest fears at the moment is that my life will not be AS happy ever again, not that it won’t be happy again but the big “AS”. So I have thought about this non – stop and have come to the conclusion that it will never be the same and it shouldn’t be, it should look different. If I carry all the positive things that have occurred in my life forward and use them as tools to move ahead I can maybe reach the goal of becoming one of those people that inspire greatness.

The Canadian long weekend began on Thursday June 30^th here in St. John’s. Alanna had purchased tickets to an outdoor concert on George St.  George St. is best known for its Festival when 1000’s of people descend on St. John’s to hear live music for a week. It is quite the party atmosphere.  The day and evening was cool, wet and the band well, loud. I was grateful to be invited but about 2230 hrs decided to call it a night and walk home allowing Alanna and her friends to continue on “Mom Free”. Friday consisted of tourist attractions putting on a 144^th birthday party for Canada complete with fireworks. Alanna had heard that the Capelin were in! I remembered Ken coming home from a Basketball Canada convention in St. John’s telling me that as soon as they arrived people were asking them if they had come to see the Capelin.

Capelin are herring type fish that are bait fish for the whales and smaller yet larger fish in the ocean. With the Capelin usually one will see whales.  We ventured up the highway following the tiny bays and fishing villages until we came to Tapper Cove. It was here that we were told they would be. However, as nice as the cove was we did not see the Capelin. I have learnt to just ask instead of driving or walking or doing instead of wasting time. I marched over to two fishermen and asked where do we go to see the Capelin? He answered Doorbay dust up der. I think that is what he said when I asked the second time. So I tried to figure out what he said in his accent. Thorbay just up there made sence. Well we never did see the Capelin. We did however drive around the loop that took us to the top of the peninsula with great views of the ocean. We all know I have not seen enough ocean.

Today we took a drive the other way to Cape Spear. Cape Spear is the Eastern most point in North America. It is sunny and beautiful today. We couldn't have asked for nicer weather. This Cape is generally cold and windy and can be at least 10 degrees less than in St. John's.

Maybe finally Summer has arrived.

History in Our Country

Alanna's furniture has been delayed due to a break down of the moving van in Winnipeg so this has given me more opportunity to work the glut muscles .

One could probably spend a month in just the City of St. John's touring the beautiful buildings.

As mentioned on the last blog the city was started in 1497 but most of the buildings are from the late 1800's due to the last big fire. There had been 2 others 1817 and 1846 that had burnt the whole city down.

The City tourism department has 5 different self guided walking tours. I have done 3 out of the 5.

A Step Back in Time retraces the perimeter of The Great Fire of 1892. It actually begins at the end of Alanna's street. Unfortunately it was carelessness from smoking that caught a bale of hay on fire and the winds that carried the flames away. Downtown St. John's thus has been rebuilt 3 times.

The harbour front greatly changed by the three fires but still maintains its historical importance and is still used extensively to bring and send cargo and cruise ships.

Devon Row is a group of four-storey houses, saved by the residents. The only residences saved. Other landmarks that were saved are the Government House, and the Basilica of St. John the Baptist.

A park downtown was used as temporary shelter for hundreds left homeless.

The 2nd Walking Tour I did was A Step Back in Time in the West End.

The tour begins at the Railway Station on the Harbour. I spent hours in the museum reading the history of the railway built by the Reid family mostly to get to the interior to start pulp and paper mills and to own mines. . Their business consisted of the railway but an extensive waterway connection to the out port harbours to pick up fish and seals. They contributed a lot to the province both in employment opportunities and commerce. After the 2nd World War however they needed much new equipment and repairs to the tracks. The business was no longer profitable so the government took it over to ensure that the public of Newfoundland would continue having transportation throughout the province. (Not a province at that time. Its own country or territory of England).

This tour takes you through an area of town, once known as Riverhead, which was in the 19th century heavily populated by Irish immigrants. It was a primarily a residential neighbourhood occupied by fishermen and tradesmen and their families. Most of the houses in this area are just modest although there are a few larger, more ornate residences.  The most notable building in the neighbourhood is St. Patrick's Church; as in most Catholic churches awe inspiring. The convent and the catholic schools all surround the church and the school is still in use with new additions.

While I was walking I came upon 2 antique stores. I spent some time just looking at the things used at the turn of the century. Really not that long ago. How things have changed but remain the same.

The next attraction was my favourite I had never seen anything like this before and it included free wine tasting. Even better. Good thing it was after 12.

Newman Wine Vaults also located on the water front. This site is a provincial historic site that includes a history of rum running and pirates. Imagine pirates this far North did they not know that the Caribbean is where they should be?

This weekend is St. John's birthday and this evening from 1700 hrs until midnight there is a Folk Art Soiree with traditional songs sung by local musicians and dancers. I need to get those young folk interested so I can check it out.

St. John the Baptist Basilica. (picture taken off internet as mine were dark) Built in 1855.

 The Court House (1/2 of it)

The Entrance To Newman's Vault



St John's Newfoundland

St John's Harbour from the top of my hike

St. John's Harbour from the Rooms

The 1800's Home's Bright and Colourful

Newfoundland / Labrador was the last province to sign into Confederation.  It has a population of 505,469. The capital is St John’s. To the rest of Canada is known as the rock.

Alanna’s new home is within walking distance of downtown St. John’s, in fact I would say she is situated middle town. Not downtown or uptown. Just blocks away. It’s easy going down but muscle building coming up!

St John’s has a population of 100,646 and is fairly well spread out in the region due to the hilly landscape. St. John’s is one of the oldest cities in North America and is the oldest city in Canada. It was founded in 1497 by John Cabot. The city has a perfectly sheltered harbour and quite reminded me of entering Cartagena Colombia with the Forts guarding over the narrow entrance.

St. John’s achieved much of its importance because of its geographic position. It is closer to Europe than any other city in North America.

I have been leaving the car behind and touring by foot. I find this both more interesting and challenging. I can concentrate and take my time on the scenery instead of traffic.  Historical buildings are in a 20 block radius so it’s a bit of a jaunt from one end to the other. The streets are typical of old cities that were established 100’s of years ago with the intent of horses or feet as the main mode of transportation. Now a days most old cities make them into one-way streets. One has to be very careful and look for the signs.

My first sightseeing trip led me to the Geo Centre and Geo Park. This is Newfoundland and Labradors’ “Earth Geological Showcase”. I spent hours intrigued with the history found under all these rocks.  The Johnson Geo Centre tells the story of “Our Earth and Our People” as explained by the geology of the province. The building is built into the ground and the whole attraction is all underground.  There is no other place on earth that reveals the fascinating story of our Earth going back almost 4.5 billion years ago. The rocks are amongst the very oldest rocks ever found on Earth. Coming from Alberta I found this interesting as we can date our rocks quite far back with the dinosaurs but not as far back as Newfoundland.  Within the Province, scientists have found powerful evidence to back many geological theories. These include the evolution of our planet and the happening, right here, of colossal continents, the formation of oceans and volcanoes and the occurrence of devastating ice ages.

A special exhibit showcasing the timeline and eventual ending to the Titanic as it hit an iceberg not far off the Newfoundland shores. This was interesting as it showed factual evidence how greed and arrogance of one man and the ego and bad judgement of another that caused the accident. In the end the one with the ego (Captain) lost his life but the man with the greed continued.  Over 1500 lives were lost just 350 miles off shore.

ExxonMobil Oil & Gas has an exhibit that explains the drilling and production platform at the Hibernia Oil Field.

Signal Hill is probably Newfoundland’s most notable tourist attraction but I did it differently through a new program that very few have caught on to; you can take a GPS and take hiking paths that have had special way points entered to inform you on facts that you would otherwise miss. I did about 10km of hiking paths and was amazed while getting in a very good work out. Climbing to the top of Signal hill was a wee challenging. Nothing that no one could handle or I wouldn’t be doing it! Anyways if any of the other Federal Government Tourist areas across Canada are doing this program I highly recommend trying it. I plan to go back and try again with the other hike I didn’t get finished. On this hike I took a fork to the right as a local told me I should take the path to a out port harbour called Quidi Vidi. The site was originally built by the French after they captured St. John’s in 1762. The British rebuilt  in 1780.

I have also walked the side streets and am intrigued with the architecture.

The Rooms is a museum, art gallery and archives situated where the old Fort Townsend once stood. Again I spent hours walking through the building. The art gallery was not my cup of tea as it was pop art which I had a hard time seeing any art in. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions however. A nice gentleman helped me look up ancestors that lived on Fogo Island so that I have some idea where to start looking for my family roots. As the case may be there is lots of Bennett history right here in St. John’s.  It was the exhibit dedicated to the provinces’ early landscape and its human and animal inhabitants that I found the most interesting. It was a small version of the Museum of Man.

The explanation why this attraction is called the Rooms is based on the fact that not so long ago in every fishing community, land met sea in the rooms. They were groups of steep roofed buildings were families and the fishermen came together to process their catch. There would be various rooms, eg salting, laying out the fish to dry etc.

There is a lot to see and do in St. John’s still and I will continue writing about it next week. I have 5 different walking routes that I will be doing in the next couple of days that will take me to all the old historical sites in St. John’s

Quidi Vidi Harbour

Genesis is Finally Home

Genesis is now tucked in her berth in Vancouver.

She arrived in Victoria on Jun 9 and was unloaded June 10^th. Quite honestly she wasn’t as dirty as I expected but there is lots of cleaning to do. We were lifted by slings into the water and tied against the freighter until we could get her up and going.  We couldn’t get the engines to start. The genset had no problem starting, so we put on the battery charger and started to charge the starter batteries. It was at this time that Cam noticed that there was no antifreeze or water in the rad or overfill container. As he glanced at the exhaust system he noticed several things. A large hole had blown in the exhaust manifold.  He gerryriged the hose and with good old duct tape fixed the problem. He assured me the duct tape would work because the hose is not under any pressure.  He decided to see what would have caused the build up and sure enough in the riser were rust, impeller parts and whatever else blocking the flow of water. This very well could have been the problems of the overheating transmission that plagued us for months.

After hours the batteries were still not charging and even trying to jumpstart from the genset battery wouldn’t work. We also appeared to have no battery power what so ever. It was just at that moment I noticed that the main battery switched had been stepped on and cracked. I pushed it in and voila the engines turned over without a problem. So more duct tape on the battery switch so that the connection would remain.  We had been splashed into the water at 1030 hr and it was now 1500hr.

It was sunny with clouds and about a 10knot wind. The seas now had the current against us but the seas were a mere 1 -2’ chop. A piece of cake! Well our patience awarded us with the observation of 8 – 10 Orca Whales chasing a school of salmon. It was awesome. In the Southern Gulf Islands we have not been so fortunate in whale spotting.  We then saw dolphins, seals, and minke whales. Welcome home Genesis.

We were only making 4.5 – 5k so it was decided to make a call into the Port of Sidney. It was after hours so we just pulled into an end slip. By the time we arrived got everything stowed it was nearly 2100 hour, so up to the pub at the top of the ramp for dinner.  By the time we got rooms at the nearby hotel and into bed it was midnight. A very long day.

Cam and Murdo had decided it would be best to also check the riser on the port side engine before leaving and being out in the Strait of Georgia. Well they cleaned out that riser as well and the water flow appeared to be much better.

It was a glorious day on the Straits; the calmest that I had ever experienced. Sunny with no clouds what so ever.

We were just getting ready to enter the Fraser River (1 hr.  from home) when all of a sudden the port engines  temperature gauge spiked. The left engine was immediately turned off and at the same moment the starboard engine gasped and wanted to quit. We managed to keep it going and limp into the anchorage next to wreck beach. (A nudist beach) No one was there as the water is to cold as is the air!

Well the port exhaust manifold had a problem that Cam managed to fix enough but the raw water pump just could not pump enough water so keeping the engine cool would be a problem. Sounds like a heart. Anyways , the starboard engine problem appeared to be dirty fuel. The fuel filters had water in them.  We had a decision to make. Get a tow in or come in on one engine that could crap out against a tidal current meaning that we would be getting in at night. Doing the night thing doesn’t scare me. Been there done that many times. Murdo said “Genesis has been on a wonderful trip and left here under her own power you need to have her come in under her own power. We can make it work.”  The currents were mild, the engine did not quit and at 2230 hrs we went under the swing bridge with all 26 country flags on the mast to show the countries Genesis took us to. We pulled into the Delta Marina and started the port engine just so we would have 2 engines to dock with, it would not be enough time to cause the engine to overheat.

So this journey is now officially over. It has been a joyous and emotional journey. I equate it these days as like being in a storm. There is much turbulence with thunder and lightning but there must be some rain before there can be any rainbows. Rainbows will shine again for all that know us and we will have a lot of help from Ken.

I am now in Newfoundland and will be here for a few weeks to help out with my daughters move.

My Mother was from Fogo Island and I hope to check out where I came from. The next blog will be all about a province very proud and different than most of the other provinces as it has many more years of history.

I will add pictures to this blog when I am back in Vancouver as they are on Murdo’s  iphone.



Finally

Well Genesis is finally on the ship and heading towards the Panama Canal. It is a full month behind schedule but she is on her way. If all goes well she will be in Victoria for June 7th.
This week was busy with Alanna's grad. She is now Dr. Husch and wil continue on in Newfoundland.
We spread Kens ashes yesterday at sea. Several friends and family boarded Foreign Affair(a good friends boat). It was a sunny day and we went into Indian Arm to say our final farewells.
I will be staying on Murdos boat until Genesis returns.
I will then live aboard in Vancouver.
I need to start dealing with what will be my new life. I am not sure what the new picture will look like but I know all will be ok.
I along with a few other friends will be starting a foundation in Kens name. I am hoping that we will be able to raise funds and get used fire department equipment,volunteer firemen to help train firefighters in Nicaragua.
I will continue to write the blog once Genesis returns and begins our journey.

The Last Night Before Going Home

I write this on the eve of my departure home. Genesis will stay in her berth until Captain James loads her on the ship. The sailing date has changed from Apr 20 – Apr 23 – May 5 and still may change. I can no longer wait with her and see her lifted onto the ship. This brings sadness with it. I am not abandoning her but have left her in good hands. I have met Captain James and he has assured me that even if Genesis broke down he will get her on that ship to make her trip home.

Pam left yesterday and one has to wonder where the time goes. I have spent my first day alone since Ken died and you know I woke up, the sun is shining, there are tears but I know I have been blessed with such good memories.  Not everyone can say they have or had a good marriage with the best friend ever.

There are a lot of firsts in my life these days as I had the handyman. Even using a screw driver is foreign to me at times. So to fix my fans, make repairs has been a major ego boost. It may come with some tears first but there is the little voice (or booming voice) saying “you’re doing a good job keep it up”. I still don’t know which name goes with which screw driver but who cares! I haven’t started on the power tools yet. Baby steps!

The sea kayaks, the bimini, and any external things have been stowed. The inside of the boat looks almost barren, well hidden out of sight. I am duck taping the cupboards (never ever did this before) just to ensure nothing goes flying. The last bit of laundry will almost be finished and packed. I have tested the engines and the transmissions to make sure there are no surprises. I checked all the fluids (even though I know Ernie and Kenny did this when we arrived) All looks good. She is ready for her big ride. I hope she can enjoy the sights that she worked so hard to show us.

Eleanor Roosevelt said’ “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I lived through this horror, I can take the next thing that comes along. “You must do the thing you think you cannot do”.

I must say this statement is so correct. I am not the person who left Vancouver aboard Genesis almost 3 years ago. The boating experience that Ken and I both have gained in such a short time is insurmountable.  The lessons I have had to learn since Ken’s death sometimes overwhelming, but with it come satisfaction that he taught me well and I have taught myself well.

Genesis and I have travelled 12,000 nautical miles. We have endured hurricane warnings, papagayos, Tehuenepec, pirates (actually we never saw them), large swells ,large waves, storm force winds, gale winds, engine break downs, serious burns and death and the feeling of hopelessness.  However we have witness the beauty this world has to offer both in its people and its nature; in the end the beauty out ways the rest. Ken would only want it that way. The world is truly a great place. One has to have some faith.

The one thing I must put out there for all is that we get trapped in our daily lives.  Make plans and work your plan. Be disciplined with your plan. I encourage you to take charge of your life. Thank God we did or we never would have had this experience.

A very wise man (my grandfather) once told me if a problem can be fixed by money it isn’t a problem. Your family and friends should come first. If you treat people with respect they will return the favour and then some.

Another very wise person (Ken) would answer the question, “How are you today?” with “Really, really average.” Try it sometime and see how a question that normally a person couldn’t care if you answer puts a smile on a person’s face and ensures a positive conversation. I have been trying it and it is amazing. I use to roll my eyes when he said this but now it makes me laugh.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”     Mark Twain

Need I say more, go and discover be it a walk in the woods, trips to other countries ....... just explore what there is out there; open your eyes, your ears and your heart.

Florida

Ned, Faye, Peggy

Pam and Faye

Daytona Beach

West Palm Beach

I know I am late posting the blog but things need to be done and the Internet is not that reliable unless I sit in the restaurant.

This week saw Ernie return to Campbell River. Words cannot express how grateful I am for all his help, experience and friendship. Ernie joined Ken and I in Colombia and helped us navigate her to Grenada. This involved not so nice weather with lightning, water spouts, waves and pirate invested waters. He was with us when Ken had his heart attack, then flew home for Christmas. He knew Genesis and was able to teach me the things I needed to know. Thank you Ernie.

The arrival of Pam began the week of touring around a little. Pam and I headed out in the rental car towards Daytona beach. We got off the I95 and headed to the A1A. The A1A is the road that runs parallel to the shore. We stopped at a beach that is returning back into the wild. It is a turtle nesting area. We walked down to the beach where we observed fishing poles stuck in the sand. We went up to a couple and started asking questions. They were surf fishing. This couple had been coming here for 35 yrs just to fish. He himself had been coming down since he was 18 for spring break and I would guess to say he is in his 70’s now. It became a very interesting story. The fishing like it seems in all places is no longer what it use to be but they still are out there every morning trying to catch some fish.

 My Aunt Peggy and Uncle Ned rent a trailer for the winter months in Daytona so it was time to begin my journey to see family.  Ned and my grandfather are probably the reason for my love of water, unless in previous lives I was a fisherman or something.  Ned is a retired ferry Captain.  His first vehicle was a boat not a car. He would let me be in the wheelhouse and steer the ferry as a teenager, explained the radar and how with that one piece of equipment you could do so much. Well I am grateful for learning my radar as it has brought us through fog, torrential downpours, through heavy traffic areas, away from land and avoidance of electrical storm cells. A marvellous tool.

Peggy and Ned were great hosts and it was great to be with my favourite aunt and uncle again.

I had visited Daytona in 1997 with my Grandmother and Aunt Lynda but things sure have changed. Daytona is best known for the Daytona Speedway. It is huge and a few cars were practising while we were observing it. Ned and Peggy drove us around the area to observe the sights.

The city is historically known as having a beach where the hard packed sand allows motorized vehicles to drive on the beach in restricted areas. This hard packed sand made Daytona Beach a mecca for motor sports.The city is also the headquarters for NASCAR. A lot of the land has been returned to conservation area and the natural dunes are again taking over. Turtles are now on a rise again.

Pam and I headed out for a day of shopping. For those that know me shopping is NOT on my list of things to do.  However, I seem to do alright. The mall is called Festival Flea Market. It is a unique concept; a very large building with small booths. Similar to a flea market but the booths have designer clothes, jewellery etc.   Originally I thought it would be cheaper than regular stores but that would not be the case.

We then went and visited West Palm Beach. The streets were lined with large palm trees and very large homes. Very wealthy people live here.  Upscale tourist area, not the young things walking around in their bathing suits for all to stare at. (Maybe if I looked like them I would feel differently!) This is a very large contrast to the Daytona and Fort Lauderdale beaches.

We then went on the Jungle Queen tour. This is a tourist attraction that takes you by motorized paddle wheeler through the canals of Ft. Lauderdale past the very expensive houses and multimillion dollar mega yachts. Ft. Lauderdale is considered the Venice of the United States with its carved out canal system.  You are then taken to an island where you have an all you can eat BBQ and entertainment.  It was interesting and well worth going to see.

The car will be returned today and the work will begin. They have postponed the boarding of the ship until May 5 (it still could be even later) so I am trying to arrange to have a Captain come and meet me and go over the boat and leave Genesis in his hands to load her. I am going to use the captains that Yacht Path uses to ensure there are not glitches. Hopefully I will be able to return home this weekend sometime.

It has been incredibly frustrating to deal with the company to get any dates but now things seem to be falling in place.

I now must strip the boat down and secure everything for ocean passage.  A daunting job. I will get it done. I look at Genesis and want to cry. I feel like I have neglected the poor girl not making the stainless shine and keeping up with the teak work. It would be fruitless however until she gets home. I vow to make her look good the first opportunity I have.

So there you have a week in a quick blog.

Bahamas Great Bank the Gulf Stream and Florida

Air Boat

Find the Alligator

Beautiful Coral

We departed Andros at 0730 hr with a 27 hr journey ahead of us. We would first follow along side the reef keeping out about a mile hoping to catch some big fish. Sorry to say we did not catch anything worth keeping.

We traveled the Great Bahamas Bank in depths of 10-15 ft. of water. It is hard to get your mind around seeing the coral and sand beneath you and not worry about hitting bottom.

Boat traffic increased as we entered this area, both sailing and power boats. We got into our regular routine of shifts in great anticipation of finally being finished getting Genesis to Florida. I couldn’t sleep much as many thoughts were going through my head. Bitter sweet. Happy to be finishing this journey but knowing that it wasn’t done in the way Ken and I had planned.

We had just one pass to go through. Gun Cays. It is a very narrow passage where you must hug the Gun Cay side as shoaling is on the Cat Cay side. I must have fallen asleep and Ernie decided not to wake me to go through the passage. Well best laid plans, just at the most critical time the radar went down. It is 0300 hr in the morning, no moon, just flashing lights. Ernie had no choice but to wake me up. He took the light and aimed it at the land, and I told him which way to steer with the chart. We didn’t want to bring down the computer then restart the radar as if we lost both we would have nothing. We inched slowly along until we were safely out of any danger.  I then shut the computer down and brought it back up. No problem radar was working great. Tell me why do you get a glitch at the most inconvenient time?

This brought us out into the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States to Newfoundland  before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. It is a river with currents to be reckoned with. You never travel with a wind direction of North as it kicks up very large waves sometimes called Elephants. We had one day to get er done...

It was a wonderful crossing until the last hour or so and we were thankful to be in Florida and to arrive when we did as the winds picked up and switched to the NE.

We transited the maze like canals of the rich and famous getting totally lost trying to find the marina.

We finally found our way and with much relief moored.
We decided to rent a car and do a little sight seeing. The Science Centre was a much enjoyable trip.

Kenny departed on the 7th and I will forever be grateful to him and his wife Paulette. I know Ken was smiling down on us and proud to see what a great friend he is.

Nancy and Mike Rooney came to visit for the night and after a wonderful meal and too much wine we had a game of Mexican Train. It was great to see them and I am grateful that they care enough about me to drive across the State to make sure I was ok. One thing from this experience is that I have learnt that Ken and I truly have many wonderful great friends.

Today Ernie and I took a trip to the Everglades and road an airboat to check out the alligators.
The Everglades are a fragile ecosystem that has been slowly been taken for land. The Everglades as I learned is actually a slow moving river not a swamp. Many fish start of in the river making their way to the Ocean.

Pam will arrive tomorrow and we will continue to explore Florida and see what we can learn about next.

We Have Made It

I will do a regular blog, but for those wondering WE MADE IT! We are in Ft. Lauderdale Florida now waiting for the Genesis to be put on the ship to be taken home. She will get the ride instead of being the ride.
More to come later this week. We just wanted everyone to know we are safe.

Andros Island Bahamas

Land Crab

Path Leading to Blue Hole with Pine Trees

A Blue Hole

I did not take these pictures they were copied off the net!

We kept on moving as the water could not have been more tranquil. We crossed the banks which is a very interesting thing for us coming from BC. The depths were no more than 15’. We have about a 3’ tide so one must be cautious where you travel.

Our weather router Herb told us that the weather was to change Thurs/Fri but more importantly that the winds were NE therefore we would not be able to cross the Gulf Stream. A decision was made to go to Fresh Creek, Andros where there is a marina with a pool and a small village. We have not stayed at a single marina since leaving Grenada we have anchored out and used the dinghy to get to shore. I prefer this anyways as it is cooler generally and cheaper. I however decided after a long haul like we have had, to treat ourselves is worth it. As it turns out there really isn’t much of a harbour here anyways to anchor in.

Andros Island Bahamas is over 100 miles in length and 40 miles wide. It is the largest island in the Bahamas. It has a population of 4500 people scattered across the island. 

We rented a car and toured the northern portion of the island as you can only tour the central and southern portion by boat and I have no desire to do extra boating at this time.

We can tell that we are out of the tropics as the vegetation and the sea birds have changed drastically. For the first time in a very long time there are seagulls and terns. The boobies seem to be missing and frigates seem fewer.

This island is filled with pine trees and deciduous trees appear similar to those in North America. You still see coconut trees and palm trees but banana trees are selectively planted in private yards for personal use. Wild tropical flowers like Birds of Paradise are not to be found. The temperatures have also gotten cooler. I just can’t wait to see how I feel when I am back in Canada.

Horse flies and mosquitoes are a nuisance. Luckily Ernie is not just here to protect me on this voyage but also to keep the bugs away. They like him and stay away from Kenny and I if he is near.

Andros’s west coast is a maze of wetlands and mud flats, is uninhabited but we are told that this is where the hibiscus and orchids grow. Unfortunately you cannot get there by car.

It is water that makes Andros special. Its corner of the ocean contains the third largest continuous barrier reef in the world, lying less than a mile off its east coast and running over 140 miles long. This made for a tense moment coming through the reef to get inside Fresh Creek.  The reef has significant geological and marine value. It contains low cays, massive coral, lagoons, estuaries, and blue holes. Outside the reef is the body of water known at the Ocean’s Tongue. It is very deep – 6000 ft - and contains some of the best fishing in the world. Not that it helped us any.

The US and British Navy have 4 research stations on the island doing underwater testing and evaluation programs. It is all top secret so who knows what they are doing.

Chickcharnies are a type of bird native to this island. They are tiny, feathered creatures that have enormous eyes. They hang upside down like bats in the trees. We didn’t see any and when I researched the subject more I believe they are make believe. But who knows.

Land crabs are another interesting creature on this island. It is said that when it is crab season (May – Oct.)  the economy booms here. Land crabs are an important food source throughout the Bahamas and the Caribbean. George told us that they get $40/doz for the crabs.

The land crabs start out in the ocean. The females travel from the forest or estuaries and lay 100,000’s of eggs in the ocean. There the eggs turning in larvae float in the ocean currents. They remain out at sea for about a month then return to land to live out their lives. There are holes everywhere.

We have seen these crabs elsewhere but didn’t realize that they got as big as they do or that they were eaten.

Andros also has more blue holes than anywhere else known on the earth.

Blue holes are under water submarine caves or underwater sinkholes. They are not great places to find fish as the circulation is bad within them.

The island's blue holes are water filled cave systems. There are blue holes in the ocean and inland. Two of the inland blue holes on Andros include Charlie's Blue Hole, reputedly first explored by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and the larger Church's Blue Hole and Guardian Blue Hole. Kenny and Ernie went swimming in the blue hole close by. It was brackish water as it was both fed from fresh and ocean water. They said the visibility was not great and found nothing to see in the hole. It was to them just a swimming hole. I am sure if you dove the hole you would see the cave like structure.

Unfortunately the economy here is very linked to the American economy and abandoned homes are everywhere. There is not much work for these people so like so many other places the young people are heading to the bigger cities for work, returning for family functions or retirement.

We have been told that hopefully the weather will change in our favour Sun. It is only 27 hrs away and we will do it in one run if the weather and sea allows us to.

We are passing time by swimming in the pool, touring around, playing cards, Mexican train and last night a movie night aboard Genesis (which was nice not having a genset running in the background).

I am going to post this early just in case we get to leave on Sunday.

Go While the Going is Good

I will have to add pictures to this blog once I have internet.

The weather continued to keep us harbour bound. Our trips into Steve’s family restaurant became a daily event. The internet was free, the pool table was free. (I beat the boys). However the 100 peso meals added up along with the cervasas or vino. However it became a life line to talk to family and friends and helped me keep my spirits up.

The weather has not been in our favour until this Thursday morning. !0 boats escaped Luperon. It kept the navy busy and filled their wallets for at least one day.

The rules for entering and exiting harbours in the Dominican Republic are very interesting. You must go to the Comadancia (Navy), Harbour Authority and to wherever else they decide to send you. They generally will not let you leave a harbour before 0900 hr in the morning. This does not work for getting the best sea conditions. Therefore if you go in and pay a little towards their slush funds they give you the dispachio needed to get out of dodge. That’s the first pay off.  The DR has a problem with people trafficking;  Cubans trying to get to Puerto Rico and Haitians trying to get anywhere.  The navy must come to your boat when you arrive to inspect for human cargo and must come when you want to leave. This nominally would not pose a problem but the navy has no boats. Sometimes they get a fisherman to bring them out or they expect you to go get them then bring them back. This of course comes with a “Do you have something special for me?”  They don’t mean pops, more pesos in the form of American Dollars. Well it makes for blog info, so there you have it.

We departed Luperon at 0630 on Mar. 24^th and motored to Mayaguana, Bahamas past the Turks and Caicos. We stopped for lunch and to check fluid levels and continued on to Clarence Town, Bahamas where I sit and write this quickly. The water has been very pleasant.  It is the first time since leaving Grenada.  So, as the saying goes, “get going while the going is good.” You don’t have to tell me twice.

 We will fuel up have dinner then at 1900 hr Mar. 26 will continue on again overnight to the Cave Cays. This will bring us into the Exumas on the west side of the reefs allowing us to travel in any type of weather. We will no longer be in the Atlantic Ocean for awhile. We will have only 4 boating days after that, however we know what weather can do to a boater.

The water is beautiful colours and we are a little apprehensive about traveling in 6 – 12’ of water but that is what travelling the banks is all about.

Kenny finally landed a Dorado and a few other fish so he is one happy boy. I figure now that we are getting closer we will start catching fish because we will not be able to keep them to eat.

I am not sure what the plans are once we get to the Exumas tomorrow but I think we will slow down do some swimming, snorkelling and the boys want to try and catch lobsters with a handmade devise they have put together. Lets hope it works. A lobster dinner that doesn’t cost a fortune would be nice.

As many of you can tell I am itching to get to Port Everglades so that I do not have to worry about making it in time but I know it is important also to stop and smell the roses or fish or whatever I am to smell.

Luperon Dominican Republic

Typical Housing. Wooden homes with just bedrooms.  Motorcycles are the typical transportaion.

Wheres Waldo? Wheres the Iguana? Our Gecko has reappeared on the boat so I guess he didn't bail in Grenada. Poor guy must be freezing now.

A typical DR beach on the North Shore.

We all know that life has its bumps and potholes in the road but sometimes they feel more like craters and ditches.  What we worry about frequently never happens and if it is going to happen it just makes us unfit to deal with the problem at hand. Ken was the non worrier between us bringing me down to reality telling me not to worry. When he did worry he sure didn’t show me. Example the pirates.

This week I must thank many of you that have given me encouragement. As strong as you think I am I have a lot of moments when I am worried possible scarred.  I am not scarred of the sea more the time will pass and we do not make it to Florida in time. As one good friend said if you don’t make it in time it is just money. We can help you get it on the next boat. Immediately it reminded me of my grandfather saying the same thing. If money can fix the problem it is really not a problem.  I seem to have a lot of time these days to think of things in my past I have been shown and told.

So I find myself trying to realize if when you want something, don’t let yourself think what could go wrong. Be positive and think about the good things that could and will happen. Your attitude makes all the difference in the world. If I was negative Ken would just scowl and tell me to think positive. So now here I am doing mind games.

We are anchored in our last Dominican Republic anchorage before heading out across the Atlantic to Turks and Caicos then the Bahamas. We are and will be here probably until Wed. as the weather window slammed shut on us and so it is a waiting game.  We will not take any chances. Our weather guy said we could take a run yesterday but the seas would have been 12’ on the beam and the winds are howling at times here in the lagoon. SOOOOOOOOOO We wait.

The towns name is Luperon. It is a very poor town compared to what we have seen of the DR so far. The roads are made of dirt no concrete here. There are sidewalks. Most homes are made from wood that barely is standing. The homes have maybe one or two rooms for sleeping. The cooking is done outside generally using gathered wood. The towns people are so friendly non aggressive not trying to get dinero from the foreigners. Nice. The kids come running up to you with their holla and shaking your hand.

Luperon though a small rural town boasts markets and hardware stores, discos (can’t have enough of them), hospital, police, dentist and all the other amenities a civilized place needs. This town has everything you would want, including a gringo bar/restaurant with a pool and showers and free internet.

The anchorage is chock a block full of boats with depths of no more than 20’. It is in the mangroves keeping the winds and the water quite still.

There are now more American boats than any others  with Canadian boats following close behind. The flags of the world are less noticeable.  A shame really. We started to see this trend after St. Maarten when we headed into US waters. I do not believe this is a reflection on the Americans,  St Maarten  tends to be where boats leave from to head  to Europe.

The boating is changing as now talk is about heading home for so many of these boats. Most must be north of Hurricane Alley by Jun 1. So in a few weeks (2 – 3) one will see a real exodus from the Caribbean Islands. There are those that stick around going from Huricane hole to Huricane hole. Not unlike us in Mexico. 

We pass our time reading, playing Mexican Train and card games. The boys are doing a good job (most of the time) at keeping my mind occupied. Last night we had movie night on the Genesis which I think could have been the first since we started this trip. We may have had a movie one other night but it is not a common occurrence.

Ernie and I have just spent time going through charts to figure the route to Florida. It should be 8 more stops we think. That makes it seem much more manageable. Realistically doable.

Waiting for weather windows is always difficult but when you need to be somewhere by a certain time it naws at you a little.

We are taking walks surrounded by many butterflies to remind me to look at the beauty. I am sure once this trip is over I will have more time to reflect on the adventure we are having. Again thanks for all the encouragement.

The Catch Everyone Up to Speed.

Ernie, Me and Kenny with the Limon Falls Behind

The Anchorage in St. Maarten

The 3 of us on our very skinny horses going to the falls.

The last blog I wrote about Dominica and Guadeloupe. We were told by our weather router Herb that we should head to Antigua as this would give us a better angle for much of the rest of the trip. So off to Antigua we went. The seas were not kind again putting much tension on Genesis and her crew.

We however found a couple of nice anchorages, recovered and the following day headed on to St. Maarten/Martin.

FINALLY nice seas. I think we were all ready to abandon ship.

St Maarten/St Martin is a very unique island. It is all but 7 square miles. Half  being Dutch (I would say American) and the other side French. The French side very much retains it identity.

The whole island is a tax free haven thus to see mega yachts both power and sail is common. I would have to say there were at least 4000 boats in the small area. To add to this madness the Heinikien Regatta was on at the time. 1000's of drunken sailors having lots of fun. It was fun to watch.

We had a great meal on the french side then left in the early hours to continue on to the BVI's. Another wonderful calm crossing. Thankfully.

We stayed at an anchorage called The Bight on Norman Island. There were many other boats and now with the US flag.

We motored out of the anchorage at 0600 hr bypassing the US Virgin Islands and continuing on to Puerto Rico. We have traveled through many countries and now the joke begins.

The USA Border Security requires that you phone in as soon as you are in US waters. Unless you are American one tends not to have a US cell phone that works.

 We anchored in Bahia Honda for approximately an hour when the US navy came to tell us we must move as it was an abandoned navy base. We continued on for another 2 hrs to a beautiful bay. We left the next morning to get to Ponce. This is where the shit show began. Ponce is the 2nd largest city on Puerto Rico. It is where we would go to Immigration, Homeland Security and Customs. This is where we began to make mistakes. We took our garbage to land and disposed of it in the garbage bin. We walked up to Customs.

The Immigration guy asked right away if I had phoned in. I said no I had just gotten here and we came straight in. Wrong answer. You must phone before you come in. That would be a $3000 fine. Next he asked if I had garbage. I said yes and that we had disposed of it in the garbage reciprocal. That would be a $1000 fine. I send Kenny back to put it back into our dinghy. Then the insensitivity began and hit him back in the face. He looked at my registration papers and asked why I and not my husband was filling out the paperwork. I informed him that my husband had died, Kenny and Ernie were helping me get the boat back to the Florida to be shipped home. He had tears in his eyes then appologized told me that he would get things done quickly for me and if I needed anything I was to call him. The fines were dismissed.

We continued on to Cabo Rojo and went inland to phone Homeland Security then left at midnight to continue on to Dominica Rebublic.

The Mona Passage is reknowned for its adverse currents and winds. Well back to the aweful weather again. We arrived in Punta Cana where we thought we would rest for several hours get the engine working right again (air lock) and continue around midnight. The Navy had a different idea. The DR also wants to know where you are. The boys came aboard checked out that we were not smugglling either people or drugs then told us to continue on and say we did not stop there. We continued all night luckily to great weather. We arrived in Samana at 0900 hr. 35 hrs of steady cruising. We had maybe 10 mins. before the navy was on its way to check our dispachio and registration. We then headed into shore to do Customs and Immigratrion. No problems but very expensive.

 Arriving on shore I felt like we must have a bullseye on our foreheads. Instantly the dock boys are dragging you around to where you need to go. (Could have easily been done ourselves) It all comes at a price.

The next day we headed out on a tour that seem to be reasonable in price. No mention off all the extra costs. Anyways we toured a little of this penninsila. We took horses up to the headlands of a waterfall then had to climb further. We were in company of at least 100 people. No skinny dipping for Kenny this time.

We climbed over the mountain range to the beach area. Yep typical tourist area. Had a lunch on the beach then went to Sanchess were we visited with the local fishermen. This is not a tourist area and we paid real prices for the camarones. I bought 4 pounds and that will give us 5 meals.

We continued back into Samana and toured a church and a marine museum. This was very interesting. Just around the corner several ships from the 1700's are being recovered. A river has been running over the ships and much of the artifacts are intact.

So far, of the islands we have visited I like the DR. It seems to have a lot to offer. Eco, suntanning and it is Spanish. I am enjoying speaking the language again and I am sure that when I get home I will try and immerse myself in the language and do the ESL somewhere.

I would like to thank all those that have email or skyped me. My friends are helping me get through this.

I am trying really hard to focus on not what I have lost but what I gained from Ken in my life. When I see a butterfly I remind myself to look at the beauty and he tells me to keep being strong. It is all going to be fine and we are making good progress. Unfortunately the weather is changing and we will have to stay for a few days but I believe there is a reason. Catch up on sleep and get ready for the next step. Until next time.

Sanchess where the camarones are from.