s/v Kaleo

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011 / Christie & Matt

Refreshed from a good night’s sleep, Nassau welcomed us on Friday with warm sunshine and the hustle and bustle of city life humming on the waterfront.

Conch being cut from its shell

Christie has a Bahamian friend from grad school who grew up in Nassau and whose family still lives here. She connected us with her dad who not only owns a marina and marine store but who also is incredibly knowledgeable about Nassau and the islands as their family has rich history throughout the area. We started the day by walking to their marina to meet up with him and were welcomed with offers to help in any way.

It was decided that we would move our boat, as well as our friends’, Storyville and Anchor Management, to Bayshore Marina. It was time to move the herd, but we had to act quickly as the tide was was starting to go out which creates a very fast moving current in Nassau Harbour. Moving the boats turned out to be quite the rodeo, but thankfully no one was hurt and we were all soon tied safely to the docks.

After getting the boats secure, it was time to explore a little of Nassau. The first stop was the Bahamian Telephone Company (BaTelCo) office to get a SIM card for our cell phone. Skype and email are still the best ways to keep in touch for us because the mobile rates are quite expensive but we now have a Bahamian number as back-up. ($15 for the SIM card + a $50 card of minutes at $0.60 – $.70/minute to the states). We also discovered complimentary (with purchase) WiFi at the Esso gas station and cafe across the street from the marina and at the Starbucks down the road.

We then took a jitney (bus) to the harbor customs office to try and resolve being overcharged when clearing in. It was 3:30 and we learned that the office closes at 4:00 so we were on the run from the jitney stop to the office to try and make it in time. We made it with 15 minutes to spare but the officer we spoke with told us to come back on Monday to deal with it. After explaining to him that we wouldn’t be here on Monday, he said that the harbour customs office didn’t have the right forms and that we’d need to go across town to another customs office. Making it clear we weren’t leaving until something was resolved, he made a few calls and had the form faxed over, explained to us what we needed to fill out and signed the form. Frustrated, but with some progress made, we walked back to the boat with plans to turn the forms in at the main office the next day, which was open until noon.

That evening our friend Jen’s parents picked us up and took us out to dinner at The Green Parrot. We all enjoyed a delicious meal in an beautiful outdoor courtyard while laughing and conversing over boating, their family history, our adventures in cruising, Texas and the beauty of the Exumas. It was a special treat to meet friends in Nassau and to hear about their home islands.

Saturday morning started with Matt and Steve, from Anchor Management, heading out to find the main customs office and another BaTelCo office to get Steve’s SIM card. Half of their day was spent walking and hopping on different jitneys migrating their way through the maze of Nassau to the main customs office on the other side of the island. Once found, they discovered that while the office was open until noon, the “refunds department” was closed until Monday and none of the officials on duty were willing to accept the paper work for the refunds office. Once again we were frustrated by all the hassle and inaccurate information. Someone in the office (not sure if he worked there or not) told us that we can email the forms in. We’ll give that a try but who knows how long it will take or if we’ll ever get the refund. At this point, we’ve given the effort enough of our time and will hope for the best with emailing as $150 is a pretty significant amount for us. The guys then hit up the local mall to get Steve’s SIM card and then took another few jitneys back to the marina.

Back at the boat, the whole crew, Troy, Deana, Steve and ourselves headed out to see Potters Cay Fish and Produce Market and whatever else we could discover. At the market we enjoyed a lunch of fresh conch salad (raw conch, cucumber, green pepper and onion, with various citrus juices and spicy chile), conch fritters, peas ‘n rice and plantains, and then shopped for fresh produce while Deana snapped some photos of our explorations.

Produce stall at Potter’s Cay, under the bridge from Nassau to Paradise Island

Next, it was on to the check out the Straw Market and cruise ship wharf, which turned out to be as touristy as we expected, but we dipped into a few shops and enjoyed a rum tasting while taking in the sights. Touristaville wasn’t quite our scene so we jumped aboard another jitney and made our way back to the marina. We wrapped up the day with topping off our diesel tanks, chart swapping with Steve, dinner and catching up on the internet.

The northerner that we have been waiting out in Nassau should pass by Sunday afternoon so the plan is to head to Allens Cay (pronounced Key) bright and early on Monday morning.

Category: Bahamas, Boat Life, Cruising, Friends Leave a Comment

Bahamas Passage

Friday, January 21st, 2011 / Christie & Matt

Here is a snapshot of our route and video from sailing the Bahama Bank.

Our path from Marathon to Nassau as recorded by our SPOT took about 45 hours.

Category: Bahamas, Cruising, Friends, Route, Sailing Comments off

Flying the Bahamian Flag

Friday, January 21st, 2011 / Christie & Matt

With the Bahamas so close that we could taste the conch, we pulled up anchor in Boot Key Harbor on Tuesday afternoon, and headed east.

Kaleo sailing toward the Bahamas. Taken by our friends aboard Storyville.

Matt taking a break from trimming the sail

The weather window was right and the five boats we had been planning the passage with were either getting ready to pull up anchor or had left a little earlier. As we sailed out into the deep waters of the Atlantic, the silent question aboard Kaleo was “how smooth will our crossing be?” After a 45 hour passage we’re happy to report that all-in-all, it was a wonderful trip into the Bahamas.

The first few hours after we sailed out of Marathon were quite rolly and uncomfortable and as we headed for “the Stream“, we hoped and prayed that it wouldn’t get worse. During our every-three-hour radio check with our buddy boats, we intently listed to what those in front of us had to say about the conditions. Some reported the same rocking and rolling but two of the lead boats said it was beautiful and smooth sailing up ahead. We altered course a bit and sailed toward those reported smoother waters.

We entered the Gulf Stream about 20 miles off the coast of Florida and were treated to unbelievably great conditions. Other than a few large container ships we had to avoid (one that came alarmingly close, despite telling us on the radio that he was miles away), the whole night we motor sailed at 7-8 knots (the Gulf Stream current was quite helpful). As Troy on Storyville put it “you could water ski out here.” At dawn the sea state was again rolly and rough as a the winds picked up and the swells increased to 4-5 feet. But things calmed down again as we passed South Riding Rock and into crystal clear waters of the Great Bahama Bank.

Still with no land in sight, the day was spent sailing, and occasionally motor sailing when the wind died, over the sea floor that we could easily see through 20 feet of pristine water. We were joined by dolphins that torpedoed around the boat like curious kids of the newbie on their playground.

One of our welcoming dolphins. Taken by Deana aboard Storyville.

At sunset on day two of the trip we hove to (parked the boat by opposing the jib sail’s force to the rudder’s force) to ensure that we wouldn’t get into Nassau before sunrise and to get a few hours of rest. Well, Matt got rest while Christie burned off the sugar-free Red Bull she had just drank as it was her turn to be on shift before we decided to heave-to. She used the time, and energy, to clean the boat, to fully catch up on this past season of Mad Men and to keep an eye on the other boats that were hove-to.

Sunset on the Great Bahama Bank

As soon as the night’s sky was filled with the most bold and bright full moon, the group got back underway and headed for our next waypoint of Northwest Channel, the entrance of the Tongue of the Ocean. With shoals on both sides and strong currents, the channel can be fairly tricky to navigate through, especially in the dark. So, all six boats within our flotilla lined up pretty tightly, like elephants trunk to tail, and kept in close communication as the depth sounder went quickly from 10 feet to 15 to 25 to 100 to the unreadable depths of 6,000 feet.

The next 10 hours were spent mostly motoring toward Nassau Harbor. Matt was sound asleep when morning came and Christie was treated to an amazing sunrise off the bow and a majestic moonset off the stern.

Soon enough we had radioed Nassau Harbor Control for permission to enter, were cleared and were on our way to dock at the Nassau Yacht Haven to wait for customs and immigration. The check-in process went smoothly as three customs officials boarded Kaleo, remaining in the cockpit, to complete the paperwork. The only hang-up was that we were over-charged by $150 due to the customs officers not being familiar with the rates based on vessel length (or so we’d like to assume). Note: The official cruising permit fees for the Bahamas are $150 for vessels 35′ and under, $300 for vessels 35.1′ and up. We were essentially forced to pay $300 in cash, although Kaleo is 34′, as there was really no way to convince them beyond our attempts to point out our understanding of the rates. Frustrating to say the least but we plan to investigate the facts further and to take it up with the main customs office in hopes of a refund.

We took down our yellow quarantine flag and hoisted the Bahamian flag to prove Kaleo was now cleared to cruise the Bahamas. Dead tired, but excited to finally be here, the crew of our group of buddy boats met at “The Poop Deck Restaurant” for a celebratory dinner. We finished the evening sipping champagne and sharing sailing stories aboard our friends’ boat, Storyville, then it was back to Kaleo for a deep slumber.

N 25° 04.5 / W 77° 18.9

Category: Bahamas, Cruising, Florida, Friends, Passage, Sailing 7 Comments

Bahamas Bound!

Monday, January 17th, 2011 / Christie & Matt

We’re like kids on Christmas Eve today as we prepare to set sail for the Bahamas tomorrow!

Fun sign at Boot Key Harbor Marina

Our plan is to leave Marathon tomorrow afternoon, around 2:00, and sail overnight, crossing the Gulf Stream, to South Riding Rock. The weather window we are taking should make for favorable crossing conditions. At South Riding Rock we will cross onto the Bahama Bank, an area about 10-12 feet deep with crystal clear water, and head to the Northwest Channel. If the seas are calm enough, we will drop an anchor on the bank and take a nap before heading into the Tongue of the Ocean which is about 6,000 feet deep. The last part of our passage will take us down to Nassau, where we can check into the Bahamas and get some rest. If the weather starts to turn for the worse, we will head to our back-up spots of either Frazer Hog Cay or Morgan’s Bluff.

The trip is about 40 consecutive hours of sailing and/or motoring. We’re as prepared as we’re going to be and beyond ready to be in the tropics. So, here goes …

While offshore and out of the country, we will lose our cell service. We will also be without internet service for a few days but you can track our progress by clicking the “globe” icon below (also in the upper-left corner of the site) which is constantly updated via our Spot Tracker.

Once we get settled in, we plan to get a Bahamian cell number. We will also be able to Skype and update the blog when we have internet. And, if you haven’t already, join us as virtual crew on our facebook page where we post more casual updates of our adventures. That’s it for now :o).

Category: Cruising, Passage, Sailing 7 Comments

Boot Key Harbor Life

Monday, January 17th, 2011 / Christie & Matt

Since our last post, we’ve been enjoying the warm weather of the Florida Keys, prepping for our trip to the Bahamas and meeting new people in the “neighborhood.”

Kaleo at anchor in Boot Key Harbor, taken by our neighbors aboard SaltyPaws

Regardless of our plans for the day, each morning at 9:00 a.m. we tune into the cruisers’ net on VHF channel 68. The net is a radio gathering of all the boats in the harbor and are moderated by a net controller. These organized sessions are intended to welcome new arrivals, bid farewell to those departing, share information and local announcements (like yoga at 10:00 at the tiki hut, SSCA lunch at Hurricane’s), allow other boaters to request help on a projects, routes, etc. and facilitate a “treasures from the bilge” exchange, (a buy/sell/trade/give-away session). They wrap up with a challenge (trivia) to try to stump the harbor and any final business. All very informative, entertaining and a great way to start the day.
On the net we heard about the weekly “meet and greet” for Wednesday evening. Everyone brings a dish into the marina and we all spent some time getting to know each other. It was there that we connected with Deana and Troy on Storyville and Steve on Anchor Management who are also from Kemah and are headed to the Bahamas on the next window. We’ve enjoyed getting to know them, are looking forward to making the crossing together and hanging out once we’re in the Bahamas. Watch out lobstas, Deana’s got her Hawaiian Sling ready for ya.
While the boat is stocked to the brim with provisions, we have been taking advantage of the convenient walk to the grocery store to pick up some fresh foods.
There’s also a West Marine within walking distance, so we stopped in to get a Bahamas courtesy flag (a boat must fly the courtesy flag of the country it is sailing through) and a few other final items.
Saturday evening we stopped by the cruisers’ concert (heard about it on the net) to listen to our anchorage neighbors Bentley and Jim, on SaltyPaws, play for the crowd and Troy, on Storyville, who belted out a few acoustic solo sessions for the gathering.
It wouldn’t be cruising without a little boat work which included Christie going up the mast to replace a flag halyard and shipping home our spinnaker sail (a large downwind sail that takes up a lot of room and rarely gets used) as well as replacing the fresh water manifold, remounting the WiFi antenna, changing the oil, zincs and fuel filter and adding straps to more easily lift the dinghy’s outboard motor. Ah, we even used a marina cart to haul that sail to the post office where Christie managed to hitch a ride on the cart part of the way (we looked like quite the sailor bums down the sidewalks).
We got geared up for going under with new fins, masks, snorkels and a wet suit from a nearby dive shop.
Our digital camera was lost to the depths of Marathon Harbor after a slippery mishap handing it down from the boat to the dinghy. It was painful to watch it sink (like a brick) but thankfully we had just ordered an all-purpose (waterproof) digital camera so the memory capturing will continue uninterrupted.
Much of our time has been spent watching for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas and preparing for the actual passage. We’ve been doing our research as Kaleo will have to cross the Gulf Stream. The first big leap in getting to the Bahamas is crossing this “ocean river” that runs northward with at least 2 knots of current. The Gulf Stream can either be a benign and helpful current or a rough and hard sail in heavy seas. In planning the crossing you have a number of factors to consider: wind speed, wind direction, sea state, optimum crossing angle, vessel speed, day or night voyage, season of the year and preferred arrival destination. Whew – lots to align for an ideal crossing.
Two afternoons have been spent meeting with other Bahamas-bound cruisers to swap weather notes, GPS waypoints (specific points along the route we sail towards), anchorage and check-in information. While about 12 boats attended the meeting, the final count for tomorrow’s departure will probably be 6-8. While we are all taking the same route, each vessel will leave at a different time depending on their boat speed. The slower boats leave first, the faster ones last. Kaleo is right about in the middle. We’re as prepared as we’re going to be and are ready to head out tomorrow.

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Florida, Friends, Passage, Route 3 Comments

New Favorite Sailing Song

Saturday, January 15th, 2011 / Christie & Matt

Thanks to fellow cruising couple, Bright Eyes, we stumbled onto some incredible new tunes created by former young cruisers and musicians, Tennis. The pair set out on a eight-month sailing trip on the Eastern seaboard where they started writing songs together as “sort of a soundtrack” for their experiences.

This one is called ‘Marathon.’ (Where we are at this week, waiting for the next weather window to cross over to the Bahamas.) It’s about the first time they ever sailed at night, and as they describe, “it’s exactly like being in outer space, and it’s really scary. And when I was doing it I was like, the only reason why this is worth it is cause I can tell a really cool story afterward. So this is the story.”

What a backdrop for any grand adventure! I adore these breezy lyrics …

Coconut Grove
is a very small cove
Separated from the sea
by a shifting shoal
We didn’t realize that
We had arrived
At high tide, high tide
Barely made it out alive
Oh … Oohhoohuh

Red over white
Fishermen working at night
Not even once did we see a light
We didn’t realize
The forecast had been revised
By moonless skies and
Shifty wind that gusts and dies
Oh on the sand our keel is heaving
But tonight we’ve got to be leaving
Travel through the day and into the evening
Oh … Oohhoohuh

Marathon how long we’ve been gone
And still not yet set foot upon you

Your low lying shores open welcomingly
To one who’s spent the night at sea
Adrift in the shallows, a modest repose
Adorn with coral, your bright color shows
Ushered in through a bridge that is never closed.
Oh … Oohhoohuh

Bonus: iTunes is offering a free download of this single track as they launch the album this week :o).

N 24° 42.22 / W 81° 05.99

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Florida, Inspiration Leave a Comment

The Butchers, The Bakers, & Key Lime Pie Stick Makers

Monday, January 10th, 2011 / Christie & Matt

We spent yesterday afternoon and evening exploring the Keys with two long-time friends and fellow adventurers from Dallas, Erica & Sean Baker! Before they arrived, we were able to wave to the live webcam for Boot Key Harbor and to Christie’s parents who were on the computer receiving our virtual hello back in Texas.

The Bakers & The Butchers at No Name Pub

Looks like we found it

Fish eye view into the entrance

Our corner table consumed by dollars

Christie & Erica adding their decorated Washingtons

Erica and Sean were generous enough to drive from their Fort Lauderdale home to pick us up for an awesome day of:

Checking out the must-experience and hidden gem, No Name Pub, off the main highway in Big Pine Key (about 25 miles east of Key West). The Bakers heard about their conch fritters and quirky character touted on the Travel Channel so we were off to find it. We were greeted with thousands of dollar bills hanging from 100% of the interior space, ceiling to floor and everything in between except the floor and tables. It is said that this tradition with the bills started back in the 70’s and 80’s when there was so much illegal money floating around in the Keys that they started hanging it on the walls! Of course, we had to leave ours as well. After a hearty lunch, while the fritters didn’t live up to their reputation, we completely understood why they were voted the best pizza in Florida last year. This rustic little place was an adventure and definitely worth the twists and turns to find it.
Driving to Key West to spend the rest of the day
Walking to our obligatory buoy photo opp at the claimed Southernmost Point in the continental US
After briefly attempting to catch one of the wild roosters that roam the streets of Key West, Christie escaped its retaliation by quickly retreating
Lounging, visiting and sipping tasty drinks at the Rum Bar of the Speak Easy Inn
Walking down Duval Street, taking in the vivacious sights and interesting people watching
Wrapping up the day with frozen Key Lime Pies on a stick, dipped in Belgian Chocolate from Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Pie Shoppe

With full bellies and warm hearts after getting to catch up, we returned to our floating home in Marathon. Thanks again, Erica and Sean!

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Florida, Friends One Comment

A Marathon Sail

Saturday, January 08th, 2011 / Christie & Matt

We’ve been spending the start of our new year by moving further south. After leaving the Tampa area, we spent a few nights at anchor along the ICW as we motored down to Fort Myers. Then, we picked up a mooring ball for two nights in Fort Myers waiting out a strong storm front and rain that came through. While in town doing laundry, another cruiser asked where we were from, and to our reply she said with excitement “Oh, you’re the kids!” It seems our reputation proceeded us as our friends and fellow cruisers, the Sittons, mentioned we would be coming through the area soon. For a little context, at the start of our adventure a handful of other cruisers we had gotten to know (and our diesel mechanic) started affectionately referring to us as “the kids,” a name that stuck. We like it and it certainly suits us as we have so much to learn from their experience and advice.

The main, full of wind, from Fort Myers to Marathon

On Friday morning we dropped the mooring ball in Fort Myers and topped off our water and fuel before heading out into the Gulf. The wind was blowing in the opposite direction of what was forecast (blowing SE, forecast to be NW) dashing our hopes of a smooth downwind sail to Marathon. Combined with seas from the west, meaning they were perpendicular to the boat, made for a very rolly ride. Though uncomfortable, we were making good progress so we moved on past our backup stop of Marco Island to keep heading toward the Keys. The wind continued on the nose until about 7 p.m. then started to clock around to the west enough to raise the main sail. That helped speed but just after dinner we heard the dreaded “thunk” of a crab trap hitting the prop. Thankfully it didn’t get wrapped up in the shaft (which would have necessitated a dive trip into the water to cut it loose). With the darkness, it was impossible to see and avoid the crab traps so we decided to shut down the motor and raise the remaining sail. The wind filled from the west and much to our delight, Kaleo was gliding along at 6.5 knots under full sail (and only full sail). The peaceful quiet of water lapping past the hull and the whisper of wind through the rigging reminded us why we love sailing. It’s a beautiful feeling to be moving along in your house, powered completely by mother nature. About midnight, the sailing was still great but our speed would put us into the Moser Channel before light (a big no-no as you never want to enter a new channel in the dark). So we dropped the jib and sailed under just the main at about 3 knots to ensure a daylight arrival. With sunrise came wind on the nose, the motor came back on and we weaved our way under the Seven Mile Bridge and into the Atlantic Ocean.

About an hour later, Kaleo was securely anchored in Boot Key Harbor with gorgeous 70° weather under sunny skies. We promptly changed into swimsuits and fell asleep lounging in the sun on the foredeck. A few hours later we took the dingy in to check out the marina and take showers. The city marina, though utilitarian, fosters a great community of sailors and liveaboards. When checking into the marina we even received a welcome bag from the local cruisers’ net. Think of a “net” as an interactive morning radio show for every boater in the area who has a VHF radio and wants to join. We’re looking forward to listening in tomorrow. Coming back to Kaleo after dark, we were awe struck by just how many boats are in the harbor. There are rows and rows and ROWS of anchor lights lit up like a city on the water and our best guess is that we’re neighboring at least 300 other boats.

Dusk at Boot Key Harbor

Tomorrow, our friends, Erica and Sean, are driving in from Fort Lauderdale to have lunch nearby and Monday we plan to do a few last minute errands. Then, it’s time to get serious about our crossing to the Bahamas. We’ll have our eye on the next weather window with plans to stage in Angelfish Creek (or somewhere nearby) for the crossing.

N 24° 42.16 / W 81° 06.23

Category: anchoring, Boat Life, Cruising, Florida, Friends, Passage, Sailing 3 Comments

Looking Forward While Celebrating 2010

Tuesday, January 04th, 2011 / Christie & Matt

As we look forward to what 2011 has in store for us, we reflected on our blessed-beyond-belief 2010. This has been a year of big changes, new beginnings and celebrations galore.

Looking forward to a walk like this soon

The first part of our year was filled with starting more projects than we finished on Kaleo, learning as much as we could aboard, as well as through Seven Seas University courses, and spending a few freezing weekends planning for warmer weather projects.

Spring brought warmer weather, some great sailing in Galveston Bay, the wedding of our dear friends, Amy & Jeph, and Christie’s parents’ 35th wedding anniversary in April.

May was a landmark month as we became officially debt free, gaining financial freedom. We also moved from our 1,400 square foot townhome to a 650 square foot studio apartment to better prepare for our life aboard Kaleo. And, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary at The Joule, were we stayed on our wedding night. Of course, we spent a few weekends completing some boat projects along the way.

With the Texas summer heat came lots of family and friends visiting the boat, marina BBQ’s, and more boat projects. And in June, the “Cyclin’ Sailors” geared up for our 4th annual Urban Assault Race in Austin!

The Fourth of July was shared with the Wilborns by sailing and watching incredible fireworks shows while anchored out in the bay. Then, we jetted to Coeur D’ Alene, ID to celebrate the newest Butchers, as Matt’s brother Jeff married his bride, Meloney. We topped off the trip to the Northwest with an incredible experience of sleeping 50′ off the ground in the boughs of a giant, old Washington Red Cedar Tree at Cedar Creek Treehouse and touring Mt. Rainier National Park. Of course, we spent a few weekends completing some boat projects along the way.

While the summer heat continued to bake us, we enjoyed a shakedown cruise to Galveston with the Kryzaks and a sailing weekend with The Powers. Of course, we spent a few weekends completing some boat projects along the way.

The fall brought a trip to Minneapolis to celebrate Grandma Butcher’s 90th birthday, visit with family and to Trader Joe’s to stock up on our favorite snacks. The realization that we were now within one month of tossing the docklines helped us get a lot of boat projects wrapped up almost every weekend.

October was a big month as Matt took his leave of absence from work, Christie resigned from her job, we moved out of our land home and aboard Kaleo full-time, sold a car and put another one in storage along with our belongings. We soaked up treasured time with loved ones and were given three outstanding Bon Voyage parties. We also got to celebrate the marriage of Ben and Carly (Matt’s cousin) and spent time with family in San Diego. Of course, we managed another trip to Trader Joe’s for more provisions.

November 8th marked the beginning of our cruising life. Before leaving the dock, we met up with some cruising mentors, The Sittons, and celebrated Christie’s birthday with family and a dear friend, Crystal, aboard. The month was filled with a host of new experiences – from adjusting to life aboard to overcoming unknown challenges and navigating new waters to connecting with new friends along the way. We topped it off with a roadtrip from Mississippi to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with family.

The year wrapped up by crossing the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and into Florida. It was on those passages that we learned to love the open ocean, more fully appreciate warm days and spent time digging our toes into our first white sandy beach. Christmas with shared with family and friends in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida and we were back home aboard Kaleo on New Year’s Eve.

We welcomed the new decade with the most unusual of celebrations for us at this time of year. The clock struck midnight as we pushed two carts down the isles of a 24-hour Walmart. We laughed and shared a little “Happy New Year” smooch in the canned goods aisle and continued provisioning in preparation for the Bahamas and beyond. Yes, really. Oh, the cruising life ;o).

Thank you for joining us as virtual crew along this adventure. It means a lot to us. We wish you peace, blessings and togetherness in your new year!

We’re ready for 2011 and believe the best is yet to come. God has even more amazing things He wants to do in and through our lives so we’re straining to what is ahead. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Category: Alabama, Boat Life, Coeur d' Alene, Cruising, Education, Family, Finance, Florida, Friends, Galveston Bay, Inspiration, Louisiana, Mississippi, Passage, Provisioning, Refit, Resources, Sailing, Seattle 2 Comments

Finding Our Pace in the New Year

Tuesday, January 04th, 2011 / Christie & Matt

Happy New Year! We wrapped up the decade by spending the past couple weeks with family and friends in Dallas, Houston, Crowley, LA and Clermont, FL. It was a whirlwind of visits to their beautiful and warm Christmas-adorned homes, our favorite restaurants, pampering appointments that helped transform us from salty sailors to our recognizable selves, and provisioning trips at every type of store from Target and Whole Foods to West Marine and Elliott’s Hardware. All those business trips paid off in miles for the ideal, direct flights that allowed us to be close to loved ones and bring the maximum amount of gear back with us (both in number of boxes and weight!).

There’s no missing our airport pick-up. Thanks Maurice!

Playing Cornhole Toss with the Breens and a few new friends

Returning to the boat and getting back into cruising mode punctuated just how different the pace of life is out here versus on land. While cruising, we typically do one or two things a day that take all day. Transiting from one place to another may take all day, if not longer. Sometimes we add in grocery shopping or laundry if we’re docked, but not often both in the same day. And exploring a new place will certainly take a full day on its own. While on land, we seem to do over forty things a day, everyday. Staying up as late as it takes to get it all in.

After just two months of cruising, we were surprised by how much we were affected by this intense pace that in our former land life, we could have run circles around.

Yesterday is when it all caught up with us. After getting several months worth of provisions organized and stowed away, we drafted an aggressive transit plan from our Christmas dockage to the Florida Keys with the goal of catching up with our cruising friends and making the crossing to the Bahamas by week’s end. While we felt a little worn out, we were motivated to get going so we set out for the Gulf.

After a late start waiting on bridges (Florida has strict bridge opening schedules) and two groundings, our ambition was trumped by exhaustion. While it was absolutely worth traveling back to the “real world” for Christmas, the pace had gotten the best of us so we made the prudent decision to anchor nearby in Sarasota and get some rest. We’ve dusted ourselves off and are now en route south to Fort Myers.

As we’ve learned over the past couple months, plans are always subject to change so we’ll continue on our course to the Bahamas as weather and our cruising pace permit.

N 27° 07.16 / W 82° 28.06

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Family, Florida, Friends, Provisioning 3 Comments

It Is A Wonderful Life

Sunday, December 19th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

We took it easy yesterday as another cold front was forecast to blow through the Clearwater Beach area. After sleeping in until the sedating sounds of rain waned, we decided to move anchorages for better protection from the north wind that was on its way.

We reset the hook, cleaned up a bit, and by about 3 o’clock noticed that the gray clouds of the day had made way for a little sunshine and clear skies for the evening. Given the better weather, we jumped in the dinghy and were off to see if the outdoor movie, scheduled for the night, was still a go. Yes! The screen was up right along the beach at Pier 60 for Sunset Cinema and the night’s showing was “It’s A Wonderful Life”. I love, love, love this movie because it shows that God makes what seems ordinary and insignificant in our lives into something extraordinary and significant when we are living our lives for Him. We made a date night of the moonlit movie by picking up a pizza from a local cafe and snuggled up for the show under the stars.

Sunset Cinema at Clearwater Beach

Just as it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas, we returned to the restaurant where our dinghy was tied, only to find the entrance securely locked for the night. Much earlier than they had told us they’d be closing. Our dinghy was within sight, yet we were separated by about 30 feet of cold, dark water. Matt thought about making a quick swim for it. For about two seconds. The next logical option was to call marina security for a little help. The call yielded neither an unlocked restaurant nor a boat to give us a lift. Looked like we were on our own. So, up to the roof Matt went. His ninja skills paid off as he scaled the building, crawled along the steep peaks of the roof and dropped down to the deck where he could rescue our dinghy. Whew, freezing late night swim avoided and a great laugh was had while break-in arrests were averted.

Ninja captain retrieving our dinghy

We returned to our floating home safely and tucked in for a solid night’s rest. This morning, we pulled up the anchor in Clearwater and headed back into the Gulf to sail a few hours south to Tampa. Remember when you used to ride your bike as fast as you could up those really steep homemade ramps and crash down only to get up and do them again? Welcome aboard Kaleo’s wild ride today. The first hour or so was pretty rolly and once we turned due south, the north wind propelled us along at about 7 to 8 knots! A few hours later, we negotiated a tricky and rough pass into the ICW, once again proving to us that open ocean sailing seems to have far fewer obstacles to navigate.

Running downwind to Tampa, FL

We’re now docked for awhile as we’re catching a flight to Texas tomorrow to spend Christmas with family and friends. We hope you enjoy a blessed one with those you love.

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Florida, Sailing Tags: Boat Life, Cruising, Florida, Sailing 2 Comments

Opa! We’re At The Beach

Friday, December 17th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

Clearwater Beach, FL has given us our first full day of powdery, white, sugar sand and endless sunshine at the beach!

After the past two long offshore passages, we were particularly grateful for such a perfect day to stretch our sea legs and be part of the action on land. Kaleo spent the day quietly anchored while we explored and soaked in almost every inch of Clearwater Beach as well as the neighboring towns of Dunedin and Tarpon Springs.

Kaleo resting at anchor

“Bubble and Squeak” (our dinghy and motor) quickly propelled us from our anchored floating home to the city docks within a short walk to try out the highly recommended, original Frenchy’s Cafe for lunch. Patio dining in t-shirts were topped with Prince Edward Island steamed mussels, fries and sangria for me, Baja Grouper tacos, coleslaw and Rolling Rock for Matt. What a way to start the day!

Within a block, we were digging our toes into the fluffiest, sugar sand we’ve ever felt! Yet. For the next few hours we played and lounged, taking in the serene sights and gentle sounds of a relatively secluded beach on a Friday before Christmas. We can’t think of a better way to have beat the holiday chaos.

Jolley Trolleying

Next up, we hopped aboard the Jolley Trolley and were whisked about town, stopping off to experience the street fair on Pier 60 and were convinced that we should check out Tarpon Springs for an authentic Greek dinner that night. Authentic Greek in Florida? While we were a little suspect of such authenticity, we were up for an extended Christmas lights tour aboard the trolley so we went for it. And so glad we did! We stepped off the Jolley Trolley in Tarpon Springs and into a genuine Greek community, ambushed by aromas of Souvlaki and Baklava just waiting for us. Considered the sponge capital of the world, the Sponge Docks of Tarpon Springs brought Greek Spongers in 1905 and is still a working port with sponge and fishing boats, shops and incredible Greek dining. We’re sure glad they came! We wandered about for awhile taking in some of the history and ventured down a side street where the inviting windows of Costa’s Restaurant called us in. There we enjoyed our fill of hummus, pita, Greek salads, Spanakopita, Souvlaki, and of course, more sangria.

The Tarpon Springs Sponge Boat

Were we done? Of course not. You can’t fully appreciate Greek cuisine without diving into their rich, buttery pastries so we walked back down the main street to the must-stop of Hella’s Bakery where we sipped cappuccinos and split a Saragli (walnuts rolled in filo and dipped in honey). Ahhh, we have truly lived today!

With rain in tomorrow’s forecast, we plan to stay on the hook, order some parts to be shipped before Christmas, go for a run and if the weather clears, check out the outdoor movie at the beach near Pier 60.

N 27° 58.59 / W 82° 49.29

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Florida Tags: Boat Life, Cruising, Florida Leave a Comment

Carrabelle to Clearwater Passage

Thursday, December 16th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

The past few days have been spent waiting out a cold front at C-Quarters Marina in Carrabelle, FL. We spent most of the time staying warm, doing some housecleaning, running few errands and checking the weather to plan our next long offshore crossing. A highlight one evening was getting to catch up with our good friends, The Powers.

It looks calm here but coming in to C-Quarters Marina it took eight people, each with a line, and three tries to wrangle Kaleo into the slip as we fought against 35 mph winds and 2 knots of river currentSkyping with the Powers

Our Spot Tracker route from Carrabelle to Clearwater

The forecast was iffy and the weather window short but after a talk with some cruising mentors, and knowing the next window was over a week away, we decided to go for it. While most of the time was spent motoring as the wind was on our nose, it turned out to be a relatively calm and easy passage.

150 – nautical miles traveled in 30 hours
35 – miles offshore at the farthest
10 – average knots of wind with 1 to 2 foot seas
2 – distinctively inspiring books absorbed, Maiden Voyage by Tania Aebi and The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau
2 – movies watched on our iPhones, Letters to God and Bobby
0 – land in sight at 360° around us
1 – powerful bible verse shared with us by friends and fellow cruisers, The Claytons, that brought a great amount of security and peace, Numbers 6:24-26. Thank you!

We were reminded that being out at sea is actually more peaceful than sailing near shore or in channels like the ICW. When offshore, the boat basically handles itself and we each take turns on watch, routinely checking the horizon, course and instruments. When closer to land, we have to be constantly vigilant for hazards such as other boaters, floating debris, shoaling, crab traps, and missing or incorrectly marked navigation aids.

One of two magnificent sunsets on this passage

Open waters of the Gulf as we neared Clearwater

Tonight we’re anchored in Clearwater where will spend a few days before moving the boat to Tampa and flying to Texas to spend Christmas with family and friends.

N 27°58.54 / W 82°49.30

Category: Cruising, Florida, Passage Tags: Cruising, Florida, Passage Leave a Comment

Pensacola to Apalachicola Passage

Saturday, December 11th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

Early Friday morning we set out on a 97 mile offshore passage from Pensacola to Port Saint Joe, FL. Almost 22 hours later, we arrived at the channel entrance a few hours ahead of schedule. Feeling motivated and with favorable conditions, we decided to press on past Port Saint Joe for another 25 miles through the ICW to Apalachicola. There’s a harsh cold front forecast to blow through the area this weekend so we wanted to get as far down the line as possible before being held up by the weather. We’re now tied up to a city dock that’s a little rolly, but coming off the past day’s adventure, we’ll probably sleep though just about anything.

Kaleo cutting through the Gulf

It took almost 13 hours to cover just the first 50 miles from Pensacola to Destin because of 17-19 knot winds right on the nose (coming at us) and 3 to 4 foot seas.
Just after nightfall, the winds settled to about 12 knots and the seas were nearly flat, helping us to cruise along at 6.5 knots.
We enjoyed the most spectacular night sky scattered with dazzling stars burning brighter than we’d ever seen. To top it off, seven shooting stars blazed above us throughout the night.
At the farthest, we were about 20 miles offshore.
Other than those twinkling stars, the only company we had along the way was one offshore fishing boat and an unidentified object that our hull hit in the night, giving us quite the jolt. (We couldn’t see what it was and there didn’t seem to be any damage but we’ll check it out more thoroughly when we can dive under in clear water.)
We took shifts checking the engine’s vitals, the bilge, wind conditions, sail trim and our course while the auto-pilot did most of the steering.
If there was a theme for the night, it would be set to the Garden State soundtrack. (Which we both listened to throughout our shifts.)
Other than being pretty cold, our first overnight passage of 122 nautical miles was less intimidating than we had imagined and we are grateful for being blessed with a safe trip.

Peaceful seas and a beautiful sunset

We’re off to get some rest and we’ll see what the weather brings in the morning to decide when and where we’ll head next. Ideally, we’d like to make another offshore jump to Clearwater/St. Petersburg/Tampa area once the weather clears. We’re looking forward to possibly catching up with some dear friends there.

N 29° 43.72 / W 84° 58.96

Category: Cruising, Florida, Passage Tags: Cruising, Florida, Passage One Comment

Ahoy Pirate’s Cove

Thursday, December 09th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

We slept in a bit today knowing that we had just a short hop to cross into Florida and stage for a longer Gulf sail tomorrow.

Talk about hospitality! We discovered a freshly delivered USA Today at our companionway doorstep. Thank you Marina at the Wharf! After breakfast and catching up on all the daily headlines, we fueled up and headed back into the ICW toward “The Sunshine State.” Before we dared to cross the state line, there was a must-stop in Josephine, AL. Pirate’s Cove! Legendary hamburgers, white sandy beach, clear waters, and a mandate to stop by almost everyone we’ve met who knows these waters. It was just as they had described and the only way it could have been better is if they were docked there with us.

Kaleo waiting while we enjoyed lunch

One of the dogs took this photo while our burgers were on the grill

After our fill of burgers and wings, we motored over the Florida state line and into Big Lagoon where we tied up at Lost Key Marina & Yacht Club in Pensacola, FL. (For any cruisers out there, this is a hidden gem, not in the guide books, at $15/nt with power, water, and spacious, well-kept shower facilities.)

It’s off to get some rest now as we prepare for our longest run yet out in the Gulf. We’re planning to shoot out of Pensacola Pass tomorrow morning and sail for about 24 hours straight to Port St. Joe, FL. Yes, mom and dad, we’ll be taking turns between sleeping and sailing so no over-caffeinating will be necessary ;o).

N 30° 19.5 / W 87° 21.3

Category: Alabama, Boat Life, Cruising, Florida Tags: Alabama, Boat Life, Cruising, Florida 2 Comments

Crossing a Cold Mobile Bay

Tuesday, December 07th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

Matt’s hands are raw and tingling at their core from puppeteering Kaleo’s lines as she sailed hard across an agitated and arctic Mobile Bay.

Spot Tracker plot of our route from Moss Point, MS to Orange Beach, AL

The day began when we pushed off from the dock a little after 5:30 this morning and made our way back down the Pascagoula River to the mouth of the Mississippi Sound, before sunrise, to resume our route across the Gulf Coast. From there, we set course for Dauphin Island Bridge, the west entrance to the bay.

Kaleo sliced through the remaining Mississippi Sound and with winds building, we began our march toward Mobile Bay with a little trepidation about the conditions that would await us. The metal steering wheel was ice in Matt’s hands with air temperature at its high of 40°, the wind meter reading about 20 knots (23 mph) and with sea water breaking over the bow. But we had come this far and Kaleo was sailing admirably, so we pressed on. Gusts of 25 knots became the norm and then wind continued to build with it blowing up to 27 knots. To meet the ICW entrance on the other side of the bay, we had to change course and the waves starting rolling on the beam (perpendicular to the boat). To ensure that we didn’t have too much sail up for the wind conditions, Matt added a second reef to the main and rolled up the jib completely and she was still cruising along at 7 to 7.5 knots (that’s mighty fast for our sailboat). With a little prayer that the winds hold steady or subside, we sailed on with Matt rotating between checking our course at the wheel and staying out of the wind and sea spray under the dodger.

Midway through the bay we were greeted by dolphins swimming alongside and jumping out of the water just off the port beam. Around 3:30, we sailed into the ICW, the wind dropped and we motored toward our berth for the night at The Marina on the Wharf in Orange Beach, AL. Since we spent most of the day freezing and with temps forecast to be in the low 20’s, we decided to treat ourselves to some shore power heat and a movie at the Wharf theater. This area has been newly built with tons of little shops, bakeries, bars, restaurants and even a gigantic Ferris wheel and movie theater making it quite the treat to walk around.

Other than numb hands and windburned cheeks, Matt said he really enjoying getting to sail Kaleo in those conditions. We look forward to getting a warm night’s rest and crossing into Florida tomorrow!

N 30° 16.76 / W 87° 41.00

Category: Alabama, Cruising, Mississippi, Sailing Tags: Alabama, Cruising, Mississippi, Sailing One Comment

Inside Our Home

Tuesday, December 07th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

We had some down time while staying warm today and thought we’d share an inside tour of our little floating home. Kaleo has a salon (living/dining room), galley (kitchen), head (bathroom with hot water shower), v-berth and quarter berth (bedrooms) although our quarter berth has been converted into our garage, navigation station (home office), and a cockpit and deck (patios). There are several book nooks on board with the main one being tucked behind the fold-down salon table. Kaleo also has a ton of storage space in virtually every nook and cranny of the hull which helps keep the living spaces more organized. Ah, and there’s our trusty infirmary (Adventure Medical Marine 1000) tucked above our closet if needed. We even have a water car (dinghy) that resides on deck when we’re not using it. Welcome to our humble abode.

Entrance view of the salon and galley from the companionway (front door)

Inside the salon with hallway to the head and v-berth

The galley with refrigerator in the countertop cabinet on left and a pantry in the countertop cabinet on right

The v-berth

View of the galley, navigation station and companionway from the salon

Category: Cruising, Galley, Head, Inspiration Tags: Cruising, Galley, Head, Inspiration 3 Comments

Ice Cream Monday

Monday, December 06th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

Today was all sunshine, yet a brisk 34° as we spent most of the day keeping warm with a mega migas breakfast, laying down a couple coats of varnish to the coaming tops, some housecleaning (how does a boat get so dusty in just a day or two!?), and looking forward to plans with our new friend and fellow sailor, Dick.

We really enjoyed and appreciated him taking the time to point out some anchoring and route alternatives for the next leg of our journey, being treated to shrimp po-boys at Bozo’s and walking up to get ice-cream cones at Edd’s Drive-In. After treats at Edd’s, we were introduced to some favorite, local ham while picking up a few groceries (Matt’s looking forward to lunch tomorrow!). Throughout the evening, we learned more about the history of Pascagoula and enjoyed hearing stories of him growing up in the area. It really does make such a meaningful difference to connect with new friends in places that could have been just another pin in the map along our route. Thanks again, Dick!

Walking up for ice cream at Edd’s

Tomorrow we plan to get the boat prepared as we’re hoping to untie from the dock early Wednesday morning. Though it will still be quite cold, it’s forecasted to have lighter winds making for better conditions to cross Mobile Bay.