I have to say I was mostly loving the internet here at Treasure Cay. Except for during and after the power outage its been pretty strong. It may be our new pepwave slurper(modem?), but the last three posts have been from here with no problem uploading pictures. Of course once I wrote this, I spent an hour trying to get pictures up with not much luck. Finishing up from Orchid Bay Marina on Great Guana Cay.
Coming in to Treasure Cay some of the faster boats stopped to take on fuel. We should be good until Marsh Harbor.
At Treasure Cay we got our first look at Bruce in his favorite hat. It was clear he was attached to it and it will be a regular part of the cruise once we asked about the hat.
Coco’s Beach Bar was on our list of the best beach bars in the Abacos, so off we went to try out their Saturday luau menu with real Hawaiian items like lomi lomi and kalua pig. The Tipsy Splash was the hit of the night (any thing with that much rum has to be good). The food was not much of a hit, though.
Exploring our last day we found another bar on this beach at a new condo complex with much better food and at better prices. Bahama Beach Bar in the Royal Poinciana condos. They even had free kayaks and paddle boards to use. Unfortunately, the don’t take cash or AMEX so we didn’t try out their pina coladas (two for one special) on our return trip to snorkel.
Sunset from beach in front of Coco’s
Night time view at Treasure Cay, we caught Phil fishing and saw three squid in his light, they may have been drawn by his squid lure. The next day a crew went out on a fishing charter and Sharon caught a couple big ones.
Phil and Pat loaned us the golf cart they rented and we took a tour of Treasure Cay. Very nice.
We saw a lot of nice houses on our tour, but this was my favorite a compound of several structures all with thatched roofs.
On our list of the best beach bar so far with a pool and hot tub too. The owner is seated at the table behind us. He was also originally from Detroit and here on his boat.
In trying to come up with meals that would be appetizing in high heat and something different for entertainment value, I was intrigued with the idea of a kebab grill. Everyone was a good sport at having to construct and cook their own meal from the ingredients we provided.
Finally, the Tipsy Seagull bar had a tradition of leaving your mark, so of course, we had to make ours. Elise volunteered to replicate the club burgee and we cajoled her into even including the dolphin. Nice job. Look for it if you get to Treasure Cay.
Group photo under our sign.
We shred the dock and resort with a fun group. They were here to celebrate Mark’s birthday and seemed to have a blast.
For the last year I have been having severe pain in my knees, it has finally come to the point where they need to be replaced. Between that and the fun we had out west, which has led to a desire to be able to haul a boat around; we are giving up this phase of our retirement and hence the “Infinite Sea” will be listed with a Broker in Fort Myers by the end of January.
A little about the boat:
We thought we wanted a 42’ Boat, our requirements were pretty specific: Sun Deck bridge boat, full enclosures (upper and lower), 2 Diesels, Walk around queen, 2 heads. After looking at a lot of junk boats we found our Gem which lives like a 42 since it doesn’t have the space eating lower station, She is a 1988 35’ President (Taiwanese Sun Deck Trawler) which met our criteria with 2 Ford Lehmans (225hp each). She cruises nicely at 7 Knots but will do 15 if needed. After crossing our wake in 2014 in Fort Myers we became 9 month liveaboards and active members of the Cape Coral Cruise Club which got us out of the marina cruising twice a month including two trips to the Bahamas. This boat is very reliable, and loop ready.
Here are the things that we prepped, bought or replaced: dripless packing and new shafts, both exhaust hoses, numerous spare parts, new Florida style furniture (Turquoise) for the cabin and aft deck, HDTV antennae, 32” flat screen TV, 12 volt plugs at the helm and in each stateroom, LED lights, 10.5’ Caribe double floor hard bottom dingy, 15HP Mercury four stroke outboard, St. Croix Davits (one man launch and retrieve), replaced both heads with Raritan Elegance macerators and converted to fresh water flush, replaced critical thru hull valves, replaced all sanitary hoses including the holding tank and fittings and added a overboard (locked) macerator pump for the Bahamas, mounted a BBQ, added a white stamoid bimini top (black top was too hot for Florida), added a stamoid bridge cover to use on the hard so the canvas can be taken down, AGM batteries and a new Charger (AGM, gel and conventional compatible ), Integrated AIS send and receive, Integrated Auto Pilot, new radio, wood look blinds in the salon, polished the fuel, professionally flushed the closed cooling system, new electrical cords with cover, new single handle faucets the galley has a pull out faucet.
She comes equipped with a Raytheon Chart plotter with all the loop and Bahamas charts, Digital Radar, Fender boards, a Fortress Anchor and a 45 lb Stainless Steel CRQ Anchor, Ice Maker, SS Fuel tanks, Generator, 8 fenders with covers, etc.
Asking price with the broker will be $75,000. Anyone interested before she is listed can take the 10% commission off the price. Contact us for a showing or more information. We can be reached at 586-7707784 or by email carricop at yahoo dot com.
Here are some more interior shots to show just how rich the wood interior is and how comfortably she lives.
Forward Queen berth with head:
Kitchen/Dining:
Salon:
Aft Cabin with head and walk around queen bed:
I know that last picture kind of glorifies the throne, but really, I think this may be the feature the Captain is proudest of……
As I was unable to get on the Internet at our last few stops, but want to post some of the pics and highlights, I am going to try one last post with links to pages with pictures for each stop.
Marsh Harbor stop one: Abaco Beach Resort
We hopped across the channel to the Abaco Beach Resort In Marsh Harbor, well actually outside the harbor, but technically in town.
The highlight of this stop was a side trip to Pete’s Pub. My contact at Abaco Beach Resort, Kevie, was able to arrange a taxi driver with a bus large enough to hold the whole crew, so off we went by road instead of boat, like most boaters.
After visiting Abaco Beach, we visited a more down to earth Marina, Mangoes.
From Mangoes we headed back for our long weekend stop at Bluff House Marina in Green Turtle Cay.
Here’s what you get when you tell the kids on a sailboat to go outside and play.
One of our preoccupations at this stop was the weather watching. After pushing the comfort zone crossing over, we owed the crew a decent crossing back. It looked like once the winds died, the waves were going to quiet too for a four day window. So we booked early and headed back via Great Sale Cay.
Smooth seas for the crossing back, aaahhh!
On the way to Great Sale Cay, Jon threw out a line or two. He provided the entertainment for the long trip catching two large barracuda. They were great fighters, and then they had to face Elise who wrestled the hooks out so we could toss them back as they are not good eating. Both were over 3′ long.
Another highlight was the whooo whooo we got from the guys on a passing boat when Elise and I waved them off because we had a fish on. Who would have thought the Infinite Sea would join the ranks of the Bahamian fishing fleet??
Paul took advantage of the additional captain on board to relax a bit on the ride across Florida.
One highlight was being hailed by Legacy dockmates, Gail and Chris on Tortuga who were heading up north for their summer cruise.
From Great Guana Cay we ran down the Sea of Abaco a whole 13 miles or so to our outermost stop, Elbow Cay. From here on we will start our way back, sort of.
The settlement on Elbow Cay is called Hopetown, it is the home of the famous lighthouse you see in pictures of the Abacos. It was quite visible as we motored past it on to our destination on Elbow Cay, White Sound and Sea Spray Marina. I had saved Elbow Cay and Man o War Cay for last in making the reservations, not a great idea as it turns out. Luckily, someone suggested Sea Spray, and they had room, just barely.
While the sound itself wasn’t all that picturesque from the water, the marina was cute and they had a shuttle to take us into Hopetown. On a schedule for free or for a charge on demand. We scarfed down some lunch and rushed to catch the 12 o’clock shuttle. But for the shuttle driver, we met some very nice people on Elbow Cay.
One of the first things we found in Hopetown was the beach on the Atlantic side of the island access was well marked next to the Methodist Church.
It was easy to see a dinghy was the preferred mode of transportation as there were docks into the harbor everywhere. We wandered briefly then found the Captain was in need of hydration and I wanted to see the lighthouse. So we went looking for a bar.
Just steps away from the Reef Bar (one of the top 10 in the Abacos according to a recent Marina Life article) we asked at the front desk of the Lodge about getting to the light house. She called the shuttle of the Hopetown Inn and Marina and off we went.
We found our own replacement for the top 10 at their swim up pool bar. We weren’t sure whether to be glad or sad we couldn’t get in here. We would have been the shrimps on the docks. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best way to see the lighthouse as I trekked through a garbage dump and halfway through a working boat yard before turning back (the forklift was the last straw).
Others made it to Lighthouse Marina and had easy access to the top. My knees acting up made the climb not a good idea.
We had decided to forgo docktails and do a dinner together at Firefly, a recommended restaurant the shuttle could take us to. The shuttle turned out to have a mind of its own and only half of us got there in spite of our efforts to push. We had a nice wait at the bar for the second half of the crowd, but didn’t wait too long past our reservation as we were aware of that the shuttle was an issue.
After dinner the odyssey to return continued. We had learned the restaurant had a shuttle and being unable to raise the marina office or shuttle, we watched the sunset and full moon as we swatted the bugs and liberally applied bug spray. But we did make it home.
The next day we headed to Tahiti beach, a beauty. There was a full moon party at Cracker P’s on the island across the way, but we for went that as word on the dock was that it was buggy and one of us was having scary allergic reactions. So we ended our stay with our own full moon party on the dock where we could safely retire to shelter come bugs or rain.
From Treasure Cay we had a short run to Great Guana Cay, home to Nippers and Grabbers, two great beach bars. Paul and I had dinghied in to Orchid Bay last year and weren’t too impressed. But, it is the only marina in the island, so that’s where we headed.
Boy was our first impression wrong. The marina grounds, pool, docks, and view were constantly taking my breath away. I kept finding beautiful shots to take. I think they have done some work to the docks since last year and it makes a world of difference.
The pool here is so far, my number one pic. The temp, before the rains, was perfect, there was a great view in all directions, appropriate shade, and the prettiest cocktail yet, a Bird of Paradise. Pat had one, so of course I had to sample one myself.
Can you tell which one is the Bird of Paradise? The Pina Colada wasn’t bad either.
The first night a group of us went to find Grabbers, you know you have to find the perfect beach bar while on a cruise like this and they had made someone’s list.
Other than the fact that there wasn’t much going on and it was too cloudy for a sunset, it was right up there as far as beach bars go.
It was a good thing we got there as the next day a front rolled through and we were pretty much boat bound. The lunch at Nippers was cancelled. Sharon Ann invited us to play cards aboard the largest boat on the cruise. I learned to play Mexican Train, but jumped ship when an opportunity to play Euchre arose. It was a good way to pass a rainy day.
The next day was supposed to be our Nippers day, but 5 minutes on the back deck with his coffee had Paul in serious allergic reaction mode as the no-seeums had taken refuge there in the still after the storm. So, we spent the day on the boat doing some repairs while others par took of Nippers bar and beach. Sorry, I have no pictures.
The Taakes were gracious enough to bring along a prime rib for us long cruisers and wanting to get it out of the frig (and finding power in the pavilion at the base of the dock) suggested we have prime rib dinner our last night. Done!
Phil also used the power for docktails to do some fish bites for us. The fish was found on the dock at Treasure Cay. Not sure just what it was, other than delicious.
CCCC boats at Spanish Cay. The water was beautiful, the sharks interesting, the pool the perfect temperature. The jury is still out on the restaurant and the conch fritters.
The monotony of our long runs has been broken mostly by the passing periods.
An 85 mile run from Old Bahama Bay to Spanish Cay was more than we wanted to do in a day, so from West End we ran 50 miles to Great Sale Cay, an uninhabited island which is a favorite anchorage for slow boat s like us.
The water was so clear we could see the bottom and oohed and aahed over the sea life we observed. The guys threw out a couple of lines, one good bite got away but made for a good fight. The only one the made it in was too small to keep, so he went back in as bait.
A game of cards allowed us to watch a beautiful sunset and we were all up to see the sunrise the next morning. A cool breeze kept things comfortable. The weather this year has been much cooler than last, thank goodness.
Short on words, long on pictures. Busy, busy, I don’t know how I would fit in all the fun time if Jon and Elise weren’t on board.
We left Old Port Cove before first light and were heading out Lake Worth Inlet at dawn. Again we left as a freighter was coming in. This one crowded us to the right. I don’t know if we could have avoided the 5-6′ waves building at the inlet if we had taken the center of the channel.
Luckily the waves spread out, but the first hour was hold on tight as the 3-4 foot predictions I’d been looking at held true. That meant we saw 5-6′ waves, and the period made them more frequent than was comfortable. The seas did die as the day went on, but again the last third was confused, luckily they were down to 1-2′ by then. Good news is no one had to use the bucket although we did have to get it handy.
Old Bahama Bay was lovely. We found a picnic table in the shade of a large yacht on the T dock for docktails after getting checked in, washed down, and for some of us enjoying a cool dip in the pool. A sunset walk yielded nice photo ops, but unfortunately the no see ums were out and one of us paid for being healthy.
The Infinite Sea had to leave early, but not too early as we wanted to time our entrance to the Bahama Bank for mid tide rising.
Day break came early, but it sure was pretty
Day 2 started at the crack of dawn with alarms buzzing so that we could be at the Moore Haven lock for its first opening of the day. What followed was a long day moving east across the state.
The theme of the day developed into misinformation in the early afternoon as it became apparent our plan “A” of stopping before the St Lucie lock because we wouldn’t be able to make it there before it closed at 5 was blown out of the water. The good news was this allowed us to catch up to the fast boats for the night at Sunset Marina in Stuart.
We were passed by the fast boat flotilla soon after we reached the lake.
More misinformation continued around the marina’s fire pit as Rich McGloin shared two weather sites that showed our crossing to be calm where my five sites showed 2-3 footers with a tight period; and a miscalculation of the distance to our next Marina on my part. Maybe I should be putting my mouth in timeout.
Day 3
As soon as we left the marina we called for an opening of the Old Roosevelt Bridge, notice the railroad and highway bridges immediately behind it.
Inspite of the longer than anticipated journey, we took time on day three to walk into downtown Stuart which was reported to be close and cute. We decided to follow the crowd to Maria’s Cafe for breakfast and were not disappointed. On the way back we took the river front walk and ogled the fish and crabs that could be seen in the water.
We all wondered how Rich could be so sure he’d see us off in the morning
Getting into Old Port Cove a day early allowed us to take care of chores necessary after four people have shared a boat for almost a week; pump out, showers, reprovisioning, a little clean up and making sure everything was set for the start of the cruise and the arrival of the rest of the boats.
In the theme of misinformation the jury is out on the weather for our crossing. I have been checking five sites twice a day and it looked like it was forming up to be doable, but on the edge of comfort with 2-3 foot waves with just over a four second period (6 seconds should be comfortable for this size wave). We would prefer what I saw on Thursday, perfectly flat, but we’re planning to go anyway as we have a two day run to the second Marina at our speed. Rich showed me two of his sites that showed a perfectly calm crossing on Wednesday. I am hoping he is right.
II 2? Second attempt at the second cruise to the Bahamas.
Our original plan was to cruise with the Cape Coral Cruise Club to Marathon then hop on our own down to the Keys and finally work our way up the east side to meet up with the group for the long cruise to the Bahamas.
Alas, a happy calamity pushed us to plan B when the Coast Guard started broadcasting severe thunderstorm warnings and in the process of outrunning the storm at full throttle, we blew out the flange on the port exhaust elbow. So back home we limped to undertake repairs. We were all in agreement that if this had happened crossing to or in the Bahamas it would have been disastrous.
Beautiful sunset from our dock behind Hidden Island.
Luck was with us as parts were sourced quickly and repairs worked the first time. So plan b came together and allowed us one last weekend and picnic with the club at Hidden Island, a fantastic steak cookout featuring filet mignon hosted by the Brehms.
A first for our picnics was the appearance of this Barred Owl. In Hawaii I learned this is good luck.
The four of us as we depart. We are looking forward to traveling with Jon and Elise.
Of the six boat flotilla four of us left from the island immediately after the picnic with the well wishes of the group ushering us out.
Surface Interval looked impressive as it passed us. Happy Ours and Y Knot passed a few minutes before.
The Infinite Sea being the slowest of the bunch left first but could not make it through the Moore Haven Lock before they closed at 5 o’clock, so we tied up at the city docks just before the lock. Having had a large lunch, dinner waited until after a few chores and a well earned cocktail were done.
All in All a good start to our long cruise.
Travels of the Infinite Sea 