As published by “The Star Valley Independent” September 22, 2011
"Fair Winds and Following Seas"
By Pat Harris

The ship’s radio bellered: Commercial shipping traffic approaching buoy 5TB… inbound… Penobscot Bay shipping channel… standing by channels one five…one six. The clarity of the message and the very professional voice sent shivers up our spines. Either he has a very strong radio or we are very close! Lorrie was plotting our position on paper charts while I was using satellite and radar navigation at the helm. Buoy 5TB and “Mr. Big Ship” were just a couple of hundred yards off our starboard side, on the portside was the “clang clang” of a buoy and the ominous sound of crashing waves against a rocky shore. To really add to the fun, visibility was less than one hundred feet, the closely spaced lobster pot buoys would appear suddenly out of the fog, causing us to travel the pattern of a snake, much like a dangerous game of high stakes of Tetris. Several times we would pick up other vessels on our radar and make evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision just to see them “ghost by” at the edge of visibility in the pea soup fog.
“We are in the big time now… I guess this is where we find if were cut out to be mariners” I said to the first mate (My wife Lorrie). We traveled on passing buoys with horns, gongs, bells, each marked on the charts with distinctly different sounds to guide the fog bound mariner away from danger and to safe harbor. A couple of hours later, Lorrie saw a flashing light that cut through the fog and was brighter with each passing moment. Perhaps we had run into the rocks, or “Mr. Big Ship” had run us over and we had perished. Was this the Archangel Michael guiding us to the Pearly gates… actually it was the “Owl Head Light house’ marking the entrance to Rockland Harbor, Maine. We now see Light houses not just for post cards, but in a completely different light, if you will!
Our journey to complete our trek from Key West Florida to Maine began where it ended, Deltaville Virginia. Last September, after our journey to the Bahamas, we put” Godspeed” (our 35’ Endeavour sloop) to bed for the winter and vowed to be back. After returning from a Wyoming winter, we spent several weeks preparing her which included: new navigation electronics, radar, state of the art solar power system provided by Peter Hatcher of Alpine Wyoming, and the usual bottom paint etc. that goes into a vessel for re-commissioning.
July 1st we slipped the dock lines in Deltaville and sailed North into the Chesapeake Bay, transited the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, and into the Delaware Bay. With Delaware on the port side, Maryland on the starboard, a Nuclear power plant looming off the bow, we sailed through the Delaware Bay and into the open Atlantic Ocean to Cape May New Jersey. This leg of the trip went smoothly and we caught and feasted on several Blue fish along the way. The lust for fresh seafood began as we gorged on our all-time favorite “the Chesapeake Blue Crab”.
The next leg began in the evening as we sailed through the night along the New Jersey Coast with our new cruising friends on the sailing vessel “River Rat”. We ghosted along through the night about a half mile apart, keeping each other company on the radio and watching the lights of Atlantic City slowly appear on the bow and slip away on the stern. Shortly after sunrise, the skyline of Manhattan appeared. We set the hook (anchor) in Sandy Hook, NJ awaiting the arrival of our son Dylan.
Sailing by Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty struck an emotional chord as we traveled the same path of generations of immigrants. Manhattan seemed to rise straight up out of the water as we headed up the Hudson River. We moored close to a subway terminal where it was quick and easy to explore the city. Dylan arrived and we were New Yorkers for a week, seeing all we could. Godspeed lay on a mooring and was a great refuge to dinghy home to her when city life was overwhelming. Sailing in and out of New York Harbor is quite an experience. The volume of large vessel traffic is very intimidating for a crew from Wyoming but we pulled it off.
We watched the Big Apple disappear as we traveled through the notorious Hell Gate with its extreme currents, comparable to navigating the Snake river in a 20,000 pound sailboat, and then into Long Island Sound. Lobster pot buoys began to dot the water adding a new unwelcomed hazard to navigation. The states get kind of small around there. We realized later that we anchored in a different state five consecutive nights in a row…in a sailboat…that moves about 7 knots (8 mph).
After a couple of days seafood lust, we found clamming on the shores of Massachusetts quite rewarding, we passed through Cape Cod and sailed into Boston harbor that afternoon. Once again we had a front row seat to the city, only a five minute walk from our mooring and we were on the Wharf. “How about those Red Sox” That evening the captain rested while Lorrie and Dylan Took in an exciting game at Fenway Park. After a couple of days enjoying Boston we waived goodbye to Dylan and continued North to New Hampshire and into the cool waters of Maine.
Maine’s marine wildlife is something to behold. On our first day of sailing we had several whales around us, big Bluefin Tuna tearing the water apart and passing through the air like missiles at times while voraciously feeding close by. Dolphins were constantly checking us out, while seals surfaced and would bask and stare at Godspeed as she silently slipped by. Eastern Egg Island host the southernmost colony of the Atlantic Puffin for only a short time while they breed and have their young and then they spend their lives at sea, We sailed by to see if they were home and their bright red feet and beaks gave them away. The young were in groups on the water and the adults were having words with the sea gulls on land. We were treated to see this rare site that can only be seen from the water in a private vessel. The Ocean is alive!
If given lemons, make lemonade! After a hard day of dodging those never ending lobsterpot buoys we decided to partake on what was at the other end of the line. Anchored in Boothbay Harbor, we were directed to by locals to the dock where the lobstermen unloaded. We tied our dinghy up to the dock and watched as one crate of bugs (Lobsters) after another swing by on a crane onto pallets to be processed or shipped live all over the world. We had to time the swinging crates and make a run for the office. We walked in and ask how much for a bug?…five dollars each…great we will take four please! That was three weeks ago and every little port seems to have about the same thing going on if you just follow the incoming lobster boats. The seafood lust continues!
Bet you did not know there is mountain climbing in Maine. While touring Acadia National park we climbed Dorr Mountain (elevation 1270 feet) and lorrie got into Maine’s blue berries and has not stopped yet.
Who is the captain of the boat? Not Pat or Lorrie but the weather. Hurricane Irene was not a surprise to us as the weather report is taken with the first cup of coffee in morning and reviewed just before retiring to the cabin at night. So when she came to visit we had plan A, B, through-Z. We went with plan A and took Godspeed into a little “Hurricane Hole” which was well protected by land on 3.5 out of 4 directions. It was (Say this five times real fast) in the Penobscot Bay up Eggemoggin Reach behind the bar in the Benjamin River. Irene was losing strength and falling apart so we decided to stay onboard for the fun. Lorrie watched movies all day while I read books and was tracking conditions on the internet. The local people were fantastic, they offered us shelter in their homes and use of a car if needed and gave us fresh vegetables from their gardens. Plan B was to abandon ship which we were fully prepared to do at any time but it was not necessary. There were some rolly times in the middle of the night as Godspeed slugged it out with Irene as the winds and seas passed through the unprotected .5 direction. Snug in our Hurricane Hole it was mostly a non-event, we have weathered worse in the Bahamas and were blessed to find this sheltered haven.
We are once again back in Booth Bay Harbor, Maine awaiting favorable winds to ride south. South is not a place but just a direction!

Blue crab earings!



All U can eat blue crabs!!!



Is this right?



New navigational stuff.



Worlds problems...solved!



Chow Time



Boston, Check out Godspeeds location... sweet!


Dylan "Koolin' It"



Clam Bake tonight!



Coney Island hot dogs anyone? Yea, we had some and they were GOOD!



Central Park



Father, son, central Park, how sweet!!!



Subway! We did this every day for a week to get around. A bit different than we are used to OK considering where we were.



New York "Under Sail" if you will.



Our evening "Clam Bake"




High tide... check next picture.



Low tide! Same exact spot six hours later-12 foot tide.



victims



Ten dollar dinner! not each...total...well I did not figure in lorrie's butter...so more, lot's more!


Lobster Trap buoys everywhere along with lobster boats! No respect for channels



I see the light. Portsmouth Harbor light, New Hampshire



We saw over half of Maine's 68 lighthouses. Owl Head Light, Rockland, ME



Acadia National Park, Mount Desert, Maine

Pirate Attack!

You all said it was going to happen and it did! We arrived at Godspeed a couple of weeks later than we wanted with at least 2 weeks of work to do to her. Mainly improvements and routine vessel maintenance. It was during this period it happened! You may not know it but my favorite food "Hands Down" is the Chesapeake Blue Crab.
It was a hot day and Lorrie was at the pool while I slaved away on Godspeed. We had a dozen blue crabs in the fridge just waiting to be cracked when they came. Swashbucklers wheeling mighty swords and hoglegs demanding blue crabs. I offered money and jewels but they said the weak dollar and all... just give us the blue crabs. Harrowing to think that they will attack a vessel on land and get away with the booty! Lorrie doesn't believe me... AGAIN!
Anyway, July 1st we slipped the lines and headed for Reedville VA. It was a little scary for the first two miles as we motored out of the harbor and into the Cheasapeake Bay. We had not done this mariner thing for eight months. Crabpots everywhere and those annoying waves just keep on coming. Nerves were on edge when it suddenly happened, We chilled and did what we have done for thousands of miles, we hoisted the sails and it was all good with the world.
Reedville was a great "time machine". We stepped onto the dock and into the sixties. We had a soft crab sandwich for lunch and unfolded our new folding circus bikes and went on tour. There was a great fireworks show in the harbor that night and a parade the next day. We had homemade ice cream on main street and giggled with the locals until the fireworks started, which we took in on the dock sitting by some local families.
Life is good today!
They don't call her Godspeed for nothin'. We knocked off close to a hundred nautical miles the next day and anchored in Annapolis VA up Weems Creek, a rocks throw from the Naval Academy. Our good cruising friends Jim, Joanne, and Meagan the cat stopped their cruise there but it was great for us to see them. Loads of fun and they carried us all over shopping for provisions, etc. Thanks guys!
Oh, bye the way we had blue crabs... no pirates...dollar getting stronger I guess!
We knocked off another big day and...

"A Year Barefoot"

September 18th Godspeed slipped into the slings and out she came. After a barnacle scrape and pressure wash she was set on her keel and stands for a long winters nap. It took us several days to winterize and put her to bed. Then we waived goodbye, vowed to return, and flew back to our home in Wyoming.
The renters did not tear the house up and the weather was great for a few weeks as we settled back into a completely different lifestyle.
In "a year barefoot" we learned so many things. First we went from idiots to mariners, traveling well over 4000 miles and spending a 8 month stretch without being hooked to shore electricity or tied to a dock. Navigation, sail trim, anchoring etc. etc. etc...
In "a year Barefoot" we learned many other things about ourselves and the world we live in. Living at anchor and going to shore daily is much like looking in at the world from the outside of a window. Each place is so different from the last and we would go to shore and interact with people just living a life in which we were in no way involved in but were there as observers. Some were in a country way, some in a great hurry, soccer moms in beautiful homes, different industries ( if any) and how that affected the locals lives. It seemed at times that we would watch from the window until we weighed anchor, sail on, and then go to the next window and look in for a completely different show.
Our shopping only consisted of groceries. maybe a movie to rent, and maybe a needed part for Godspeed. We had no place to keep any souvenirs or collectibles and learned there is no need for such things aboard. Our small budget did not have a dining and entertaining allowance, so we cooked on the boat and did not have to worry about what to do with extra money, because we had none, just one less thing to worry about! We went without TV, hair driers, curling irons, utility bills and many of the things we all take as necesary. During this time we have learned how little it takes to enjoy life and be comfortable doing it. Sure it was nice to get our big bed set back up and take a long hot shower, or a soak in the jacuzzi instead of a very short water saver's special. We carried about 85 gallons of fresh water which would last us over two weeks without even trying. Sure we bathed, washed dishes, even drank water just like anyone else but we learned to do it using very little. I think it is called conservation or something like that.
"A year barefoot" taught us to be very in tune with mother nature. Mother nature made all decisions on when and where to move, when to hunker down, where to anchor, and which anchor to use among many other day to day factors that we just don't have to deal with on land or in a marina. Mother nature also told us when it was fine to leave Godspeed and enjoy exploring an island or go bike riding for the day, Or have a wonderful meal in the cockpit while having dolphins or other sea life for dinner guest and splash, play and feed, in a mirror flat sea.
"A year barefoot" also gave us many new friends. Cruisers come from many walks of life. Some seem to have an unlimited budget and some have almost no budget at all, but we are all out there doing it and that seems to bring a common bond that is the great equalizer. Sure there are those that are too good to mingle but that is there loss and the rest of us are enjoying new friends constantly from all walks and instantly forgiving differences in each other because we are "real cruisers" and are a part of a very small community. "Real Cruisers" have a strange bond that maybe comes from traveling many of the same miles, living like most would not understand, and seeing and experiencing life in a way that is only possible from a boat. We visited cruisers well over a thousand miles from where we met them several times, some pre-arranged some just bumping into each other and instantly resume our friendship, watching each others back, and will do whatever it takes to keep all in the anchorage safe. The cruisers were probably our biggest surprise!
Lorrie, Dylan and I, hopped on our snowmobiles and left from the house to cut our Christmas tree yesterday. We rode from the house for ten minutes and arrived at mother nature's tree lot. As we cruised on our "snow yachts" through the forest looking for the perfect tree, we were able to experience a different side of God's great creation. There is beauty everywhere and we have much to be thankful for!
The "cruising kitty" is being replenished and we plan to wet Godspeed again this spring and head north to Nova Scotia and just take it all in!
Merry Christmas and a Happy new year from the crew and we wish you all "Godspeed"!

"Duck Days" of summer!

I know it has been a long time since I last posted and it looks bad, dog ate my homework? Lost at sea?
We left Elizabeth City NC and took the Dismal Swamp route and My dad, Mr. Harris to you, hopped on Godspeed along with his buddy Tom and rode to Portsmouth VA where we found yet another free dock so we tied up for a few days. We then were commandeered by my parents to get a marina for a month and help them get their home of 42 years ready to sell, so we did. After doing our time, we set sail for Yorktown and anchored in nearby Sarah's Creek. We got a little to used to the place as we had daily shore excursions and Anstasia from the Bahamas was close by and also some other boats we new as well. We ended up staying there for almost three weeks. Every day these three gangster ducks would swim up and demand some type of payment for thier protection services, so we paid them in bread twice daily, in turn they claimed to have kept us safe. We got so lazy that Lorrie and I were finding that it was becoming too much work to just breathe. When we finally found enough energy to weigh anchor, the chain had barnacles all over it, what bums!
Shortly after the "Lazy Days Incident", we were called back to Norfolk for another month of moving Mom & Mr. Harris to another house. So we found ourselves as "dock rats" again and we had actually become celebrities at the marina because we were the only boat that had been anywhere. A month later and "hurricane Earl" later we were cruising the Chesapeake again. Jackson Creek in Deltaville was a great place to anchor. We met up with "Finally" finally and a new buddy boat "Heather" and had some great cruising times. There are these cool old Chesapeake Bay work boats called a "Deadrise". We got to watch them come and go each day and one Called the "Martha Lynn" would unload 20 to thirty bushels of Blue crabs a day. Well, Lorrie dinghyed over one day while they were unloading with a bucket and a twenty dollar bill, a few minutes later she came back with a bucket and a twenty dollar bill. The bucket was full of Female Blue crabs, Captain David set us up and a new friend was made. We shared the Crabs with "Heather" and moved on to Tangier Island.
Tangier Island was settled in the 1600's and the same people just kind of stayed there and kept making people to replace them until now. They speak in old English (would thy like some Gas?) but really nice people and all they do is crab. There is no place to anchor so Mr. Parks has a few really inexpensive slips that have a wicked cross current are nothing short of horrifying to crash land into. After getting Godspeed and Heather secured Mr.Parks began giving his famous golf cart tour of the island and we unloaded the bikes and peddled everywhere. Going slow it took about a half hour! That evening we asked Mr.Parks about soft Shell crabs and a few minutes later a man in a skiff knocked on our hull and sold us two dozen soft shells ready to cook and if that wasn't enough he took Lorrie and I on a personal tour of his facility and explained the entire soft crab business to us,now this is cruising.
We waived goodbye to heather and set sail back to Deltaville. This is to be Godspeed's home for a while...

1000 miles at 6.8 knots

Doug on Gillaen said it best " it's like driving a riding lawnmower from Virginia to Florida". There is never a dull moment in the Intracoastal Waterway, just when you are cruising along enjoying a part of the US only few get to see something entertaining always and WILL happen!
We left Ft Pierce buddying with our good friends Dwayne and Linda on SeaVeyor and anchored in Cocoa and then again in Daytona before making a two night stop in Saint Augustine. We had a great time traveling, mostly sailing or motor sailing when the winds were light. Our sailing skills have vastly improved as we took all the bridges under sail and negotiated the sometimes tight and narrow channels with barges, tugboats, and just plain sea monsters coming at us and forcing us into tight quarters. This was not even on the menu when we were headed south in November. We dropped the hook (Delta Don)in front of the first structure in the Uninted States, the Spanish fort in St Augustine and felt historic as Delta Don grabbed the anchor ground that many explorers for the last 500 years have used as well. We then blew our entire eat out budget for the whole trip in two days, but it was worth it. Dwayne and Linda are great traveling companions and touring the oldest city with them was a ball. The next day we left Florida in the rear view and anchored by Cumberland island GA. The Girls rowed the Blond to shore and explored the island while Duayne and I Fixed SeaVeayor's generator. We then got on our "riding lawnmowers and continued north, throughout the journey, we would loose Seaveyor for a day or two or maybe a week, just to cross wakes and share an anchorage and travel time again. One day in Georgia SeaVeyor had passed us (they always do) and called back on the radio "Godspeed, it gets real skinny (shallow) up here". We approached slowly and sure enough we found the bottom-four times. As I slipped Godspeed off the bottom and back into deeper waters again, it was clear we would have to wait a couple of hours for the tide to come up enough to transit this spot, so we sent Delta Don down and went fishing. There is one little thing, or hundreds of little things that were really beginning to bug us: Greenheads, horseflies, biting flies. They were swarming under the bimini, but we had some bug spray and that kept them at bay pretty good. About that time, a sailboat came rumbling on by and I held up our handheld radio and motioned for them to talk to us. They did not get their act together in time to get our warning about the skinny water and "Bonk" they hit pretty hard. "Godspeed, Godspeed, we have a bug problem......... oh, we found the bottom too! Now picture this: French Canadians wearing their foul weather gear-hoods up (hot, 90 degrees or so) sitting hard on the bottom only concerned with the bugs. "What do you do Godspeed", Lorrie replied "do you have bug spray, that is working for us". "We have roach killer, think you that work?". We were doubled over in laughter by this time. They dove down below and we slipped through the skinny water shortly after and the Canadians were not to be seen on deck again. That evening, as we were approaching our anchorage, "Godspeed, would you like to make reservations in the resterante SeaVeyor? The menu is fillet Mignon, baked potatoes, and salad. Of course we did and another fine evening on SeaVeyor was had by all, complete with a wild anchor dance of three vessels. It was crazy, there is a nine foot tide here, which means in every 24 hour period 36 feet of water comes and goes so the currents are extreme and when the wind opposes them boats at anchor can do crazy things, we were well entertained as the vessels darted this way and that as if they were haunted. At sunrise we were headed to the dreaded "Hell Gate" named for the constant shoaling and unpredictable bottom that is attracted to keels. Before we reached it the flies got to bugging us in Saint Catherine's sound and we could see the ocean. We checked the charts and it was quite safe so "Exit stage right" We slipped onto the Atlantic and the cooler air sent the greenheads back to land and Hell Gate was bypassed as well. Sailed the day with the big boys and their shipping lanes, Delta Don took a swim that evening in Beaufort SC. Along the way we passed SeaVeyor, which has never been done before because thier lawnmower goes twice as fast as ours. Dwanye was crushed and said we cheated but what the heck, SeaVeyor spent the night in Georgia, and Godspeed in SC. Score: SeaVeyor 50 or so, Godspeed 1, "Kick um while their down".
Pat's Big mean sister Melanie and her esteemed husband Norm spent the next two days with us in Beaufort SC and we dinned on Bahamas lobster, steak, you know the usual cruiser cuisine (usually Vienna sausages or sardines). Toured the town and went for a day sail where capt'n Norm sailed under a bridge and joined the "bridge Club". It was great having them aboad again.
In Masonboro NC we decided to go clamming. We launched the Blonde and had no idea at all of how to do this so we saw a guy and did the unmanly thing, asked how! He said there in the mud, go find them. Armed with this great insight we did just that. Lorrie took the conventional approach and walked around squishing her feet in the mud hopeing to feel them, while I had the scientific approach and used an oar to stab the mud millions of times hoping to make contact with these crustaceans. Lorrie got 4 and I got 2-what a score! She was sooo happy that I could not even hold her precious clams, She was now a card carrying member of the "Hunter Gatherer Club". Just enough for an appetizer for one, so we split it and dingyed into Wrightsville Beach and did the tourist thing. The next morning we were joined by Judge and Chris Point for early morning clamming. In an hour or so we had a five gallon bucket half full and so was theirs, covered in mud like a bunch of kids. Now that is quality time well spent. We then weighed anchor and then headed north to find our depth sounder had quit(that is the thingy that tells you how deep it is). Now this is somthing you need in a cruising vessel and sould not go into unknown waters without. So we did the prudent thing and went anyway- 100+ miles to Bo-fert(actually Beaufort, same spelling as the one in SC but pronounced Bo-fert). SeaVeyor called us and said "we passed O'Canada in Cape Fear inlet today. So another reuinion was had. We had a clambake aboard SeaVeyor enjoying our friends and made a plan to assault the Cobia(big knarly fish that tastes good) run that was on in Cape Lookout. So we all set sail for Cape lookout and were served lemons-no Cobia. But hey, we used our new found skills and found the(you guessed it) CLAMS! I think Elvis had a movie Clambake. Anyway we had some great times again and Jamie played his guitar and sang us into "never neverland" each night with a belly full of calms-Spectacular times!
Then onto Oriental (Still no sounder) where our adventure began. We saw all of our Friends and Dave our Yacht Broker with ST. Barts was cheery as always. OK OK, I finally got a new sounder set up and it is fabulous to say the least. After Oriental, we rafted up(tied our boats together and swung on one hook) to our Friends Paul & Susan on Slow Dancing (nice lawnmower) in a remote anchorage and they made us dinner and breakfast the next morning before we parted wakes. Tonight we are tied to a dock (I know I know, this is bad for our image) in Elizabeth City NC. Before you pass judgment, the dock is a free service of the city, so this should not go against our permanent record. Tomorrow we take on "the Great Dismal swamp" stand by for news! Pictures: Rafted to "Slow Dancing", aboard "Slow Dancing" with Paul & Susan,Jamie & Sean on O'Canada, Worlds smallest "Grey Suit" (shark), Lorrie's Clams!

"Back in the USSA"

I know, I know, it is a long time between posts! Hey you kreeps, it is very tuff to get wi-fi on the aqua trail, and when we do, buisiness is first and land lubbers second. Abacos is what we are talkin' about! We left Spanish Wells early one morning with "Slow Dancing" right behind us. We had no problem heading north to the Abacos. We did not even blink an eye as we navigated the "Devils Backbone". Nobody bothered telling us you always hire a guide boat to get you through this or you will certainly die a horrible death! So we thought nothing of it and easily saw the ominous coral reefs and thought it best not to run into them! no harm done! Back into the deep water we went. Slow Dancing,in thier larger boat, smoked us bad on the Ocean Passage but we caught a nice "Bull Mahi Mahi" and shared some of it with "Slow Dancing" and "Hocus Pocus" the next evening before entering Hopetown. Hopetown is the place of friends from Wyoming, and as we got close the radio sang "Godspeed Godspeed, Touch and Go". "Lorrie answer that, I think it is Peter!" She did and it was Peter Kline! We hooked up and had a great afternoon with his people on thier privite island in the Parrot Cays. The next day Peter (Big Bamboo Outfitters from now on) took me Bone fishing.
Let's get this right, I have guided Peter many times to sucesful elk hunting in WYO and was looking for payback. Payback is what I got! Quick into the hunt Peter said "put it there" so I did and the fight was on! Severeal hours later, the fish was wore out and picture time. Too bad Peter did'nt catch one but it was a great day and thanks Peter! By the way, Please comment, my friend!(or used to be!).
Now that is not all the services Big Bamboo outfitters offers, Mr. Big Deal Kline also fancies himself as a sailboat rigger. Being as we had an open account from the Bone fishing rip off(He actually caught the fish and photoshoped my head on his not as good as mine body, I'm sure you all picked up on that already anyway!) so up the mast he went. I must say my money was well spent (Did'nt give the Kreep a dime!) he actually did a great job, centered, straightened and tensioned the mast. Posed for pictures, looked real pretty, all the things I would expect from a "Big Deal Guy". After it was done he was real lucky or he had it together because Godspeed sailed better and the mast quit "Creeking" during stress. I would recomend the "Mast Tuning" from "Big Bamboo Outfitters" but don't take the bone fishing thing, you are just there to take his picture!
We also visted the second home of Pete and Les Mead from Alta Wyoming in Hopetown and had a great time as Pete schooled me on fishing and Les and Lorrie did girl stuff-great times.
Paragon, SeaVeyor, and Anastsia caught up with us in Marsh Harbor and several great times were had. One day, we went off shore fishing on "Hocus Pocus". We lost a few and then Mr. Lucky went off! I grabbed him and went to work as I watched another rod bend over with a fish and leave the boat with a tuna on it, so if you ever catch a tuna with a rod and reel attached, let me know and I will give you bill's address so it can be returned!
Green Turtle Cay has a place in my heart because I was last there 31 years ago as a starving college kid. The visit was great and it was more developed, but I still was able to find the old places that I remembered so well, little did I know that one day I would sail into that harbor in my own yacht one day, CRAZY TALK I mean CRAZY! We were lucky enough to be there for the pirate festival when Lorrie's favorite 20 year old girl friend hailed : Godspeed Godspeed, Moon Shadow. She screamed and yet another reunion was had. They watched movies and giggled while I made them popcorn and treats-Women!
Three fabulous days of high speed sailing lie in front of us, following seas, hull speed, and the rear view full of "catch Godspeed if you can" (and they did'nt by the way). The "Little Bahamas Banks" was where the buck stopped and the washing machine started, it had enough quarters to run all night! We all arrived early evening and were pertched on the edge of the Gulf stream anchored in 25 feet of water with Godspeeds bow pitching at 15 feet or so. Very uncomfortable to say the least as we had no sleep that night. At dawn Godspeed made her intensions known over the VHF to weigh anchor immediatly and set sail for florida, the next few minutes were not for the weak of heart or stomock as Lorrie did a great job at the helm and I prayed alot while hand over handing the heavy anchor and chain on board in the violent seas. We had a following of vessels and eight hours later we set Don in USA sand for the first time in months. Very important and official US customs people made us take a taxi to the airport in Fort Pierce and show our stuff. SeaVeyor, Not Ha Gan, and Godspeed shared the wonderful experiance and were allowed entrance "back in the USSA"(humm a Beetles song when you say it).