Time Traveling

I love to travel on our sailboat seeing the world through salt covered eyes. The places and people fascinate me, challenge my beliefs and change my views on what is and what can be. There are so many places to go, but one place that I never imagined being able to visit is the past.

Last Saturday, Ray and I traveled over to Melbourne to get his 90 year old aunt. She had been taken to the hospital with confusion, dizziness and heart palpitations. Aunt Rae could no longer stay at her apartment and had no where to go..... or so she thought! Ray sat down and wanted to talk things over with me and then shed tears of relief when I explained that the only solution was to bring Aunt Rae to live with us. We traveled across the state and ended up at the hospital in Melbourne. It was shocking to see how thin she was and how weak she looked. We packed her suitcases with some clothing and started the three and a half hours back over to Punta Gorda. In the past week we have fed her and talked with her and she has thrived! One night I sat to talk with her and my adventurous spirit was transported farther than I ever could have imagined going.....

"Back in 1953, I was getting ready to go to Korea as a nurse with the United States Navy. I had sold my car and was ready to leave my home in San Diego and go help the troops.

All of us girls were called to the ship for a meeting and there we all met in our starched uniforms. The head nurse said that she had good new and bad news for us. The bad news was that we would not be going to Korea. There was a collective moan throughout the room until she hushed us all with her next words.
"The good news", she proudly spoke, "Our boys are coming home because the war is over!" We all stared in stunned amazement until a small clap started and ended with us all cheering and clapping. It was over, our boys were coming home!! We all were on deck when the troop ships came into the harbor. You could not hear anything other than shouts and the boom of victory shots from the battleships. Some of the boats were shooting water high up into the air. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the ships coming through the harbor. So many lives had been lost, but here were our heroes, here were our protectors and they were back on American soil.  Even now, my eyes water when I recall that day.

There is no way to convey the emotions of everyone waiting, watching and then seeing the ships with all of our military men coming home. All was right in the world again."

I sat and watched Aunt Rae as she told the story as if it had just happened. Tears ran down her cheeks and she apologized for the display of emotion over an event from over 60 years ago. I wiped my own eyes and told her that it was okay. I realized that I had traveled not just over an ocean, but through time itself. Her stories made me feel as if I were there on that ship in San Diego. Sometimes we wait for adventure and seek it through travel across states, countries and oceans. We search for what can be while sometimes overlooking what was. Talking with my aunt, I was transported back to another time when the world was so different than it is now. I stood on a ship and watched men come back from war, I felt relief and elation, I hear the cannons and the cheers. I sat on my couch and yet touched the world not only miles away, but a lifetime ago. Sometimes I think about the older generation and all of the memories that they keep inside. If we never talk to them, never let their experiences touch us, the past will die with them. Not all of us have the time or resources to leave our little piece of existence, but we all have someone that we know who has lived in a time that is now in the history books. I can get on my sailboat and adventure through this beautiful world, but  what a treat to sit in my living room and travel through the stories of my aunt.and all of her wonderful adventures. Sometimes the best stories begin in the past and when we allow ourselves to be captured into the memories of those who walked in that time, we become time travelers and we are forever changed.

We're back... so now what???

Last Friday, we turned NuTrix into the wind and dropped the mainsail for the last time. I found the red and green markers that lined the entrance to our canal system and turned our boat towards home. Ray and I were excited to see our daughter, Hannah and our kitty, Scout as well as feel the air conditioning and other landside extravagances!!

After securing the dock lines, we pretty much jumped off and fell back into the world of landlubbers. We even ordered Chinese food and plopped in front of the TV. We were back...... so now what???  The next morning we rolled out of bed and looked around at the HUGE room. I kept wondering how the bedroom became so massive?? Tons of bags lay on the floor in every room just waiting to be put away. My thoughts drifted back to the summer months of cleaning on the boat. One small bathroom, a berth which was made up of, well, a berth and a living area with a galley that housed a small sink and a three burner stove.

Cleaning up was fast and so easy! Now looking around at the three bedrooms, a living room, an office and two bathrooms not counting laundry and dishes and sweeping and vacuuming and lawn care and grocery shopping...........I think I want to go back on my boat!! Ray and I take our coffee and sit in the living room where we can be close together. The TV stations are flipped from show to show in hopes of finding something worth the 114.00 a month that Comcast charges. No luck!!! We finally flip the darn thing off and turn on our jazz music and look out at the water. Ray finally deems it necessary to start working to get everything back to normal... whatever that means?? We go our separate ways and the day trudges forward. I keep thinking about the snorkeling and swimming, the hiking and exploring, the planning and the fun that made up each day in the summer as I scrape dishes and throw dirty clothes into the washer. My heart tugs a little and I feel sad. I realize that I miss Ray!! He has been outside most of the afternoon and I have been cleaning and organizing the house. I drop what I am doing and go look for him and we run into each other as he is coming to look for me!! We both agree that we need a break from the tasks at hand so we again sit in our living room looking for entertainment on TV. The adjustment back home is turning into much more than we have ever felt upon returning. It almost feels like we are living in someone else's house. I had just mentioned this to Ray as my cellphone rang with a jingle telling me Hannah was calling. When I answered, she screamed into the phone, "Mom, I was robbed, I was robbed!"..... Dinner was forgotten, some stupid decorating show was forgotten as Ray and I  flew across town to the Subway where Hannah worked. My little girl who is 19, looked like a little six year old as she sat shaking with her hands clutched tightly together. I rushed over and held her..... so glad that the robber only took money and not my daughter. The thought stopped my breath and clenched my heart up into my throat. We stayed with her for two hours as the police dusted for prints and asked Hannah questions about the description of someone who not only took money, but peace of mind!! As I drove home, I couldnt help but think of all of the people who worried about us going on  our sailing adventure. They talked of pirates and storms and wondered if we would be okay. I didn't meet any pirates on our trip, well other than Ray and any storm that we encountered was forecasted way before it hit us. Our boat is strong and her captain competent to handle what nature brings. The people in the Bahamas are friendly and helpful and I have never been afraid there...... tonight, I was so afraid. Tonight, some crazy, horrible person stole my peace when they threatened my daughter.

Then and there, I wanted to take my children and along with my husband, sail away to where I feel safe.

On board our sailboat, we are face challenges together. No one has to go through anything alone. This land life has been the scene of many terrifying experiences for me and my family. In 2009, Rachel was in a horrible car accident that was so awful no one should have walked away. I was mere inches away from losing her! The next month, I was inches away from losing Tanner to a bullet aimed at his heart...... and now my youngest is robbed. There is no safety here!! I would much rather plot courses around storms, swim on reefs where sharks prowl the waters and climb up limestone hills with jagged edge sharp stones, than be at the mercy of people and their bad choices. The policeman who was with us last Saturday night said that all criminals go throughout their day with the intent to do wrong, our circumstances give them the opportunity. So we have to change our circumstances.... walk with other people, never close a store alone, lock windows and doors... live our lives thinking of how to deter a bad person!!!  I do not think I like that kind of life. To make matters worse, we have to be apart from our families all day long. Ray has to go to his rigging jobs and I have to go to my classroom. We say good-by at 6:30 and do not see one another until around five in the afternoon. I miss my husband!! I miss our lazy mornings, I miss our swimming excursions and snorkeling adventures. AND... I miss feeling safe! Life on a sailboat can be challenging with the small spaces, lack of AC and lack of communications with family, but really, those things can be fixed. The so called bad is far outweighed by the good.

I miss being on my boat. I miss the fun and the comfort and I miss Ray. It has been a difficult challenge getting back into our landside routines. Ray comes home each night sore and exhausted and I have yet to get back down to my classroom. We spend our evenings looking at photos of our trip and planning the next one. Ray talks about the improvements that Nu Trix needs and think of ways to make money while living aboard. Do not get me wrong, I feel fortunate to have a great job and this lovely home and our business is growing and takes care of us financially, it is just that the wanderlust gets louder with each year. The summer trips used to satisfy the hunger, but now they just whet the appetite more. There is so much to see and so many places to go and I long to go!!!  It is harder and harder to deal with the day to day problems in this reality. The political crap and the crime is out of control. Since Saturday's robbery, I check the doors and walk through the house each night, making sure someone is not making a choice to do harm. I never once felt scared on the sailboat and we don't even have a latch for the companionway!! As a matter of fact, we normally sleep with all the hatches opened! I love the feeling of watching the stars as I fall asleep and being able to sleep without a care in the world. I do not have that luxury here on land and I miss it.

So now what???... I will go back to work and the days and weeks will turn into months with the wanderlust's call getting more and more faint with the loud call of  responsibilities. Ray and I will finally fall into a daily routine of working but in the back of our minds that small pull will keep growing. We have a really great life here with some great friends and the parties and family reunions always bring smiles and happiness, but they do not dull the need for adventure. We have ten months from today before we set sail again. Ten months before we get to spend each day together, exploring and finding life. Christopher Cross really nailed it with his lyrics!! "Oh the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see" and  "just a dream and the wind to carry me, so I will be free"......... It really is a freedom!

A freedom that is hard to explain, but means that when the weather gets bad, you move, when the neighbors are annoying, you move, when you've seen it all, you move...... it is all in the mobility, the freedom!!! It really does just require a dream and the wind......of course, a great captain always helps too!!!!

sailing through the 10,000 islands

I’m not a philosopher or really even a great thinker; I dream mostly, though whether or not I’m awake or asleep at the time has baffled me on occasion. Here, I sail on the lonely waters of the 10,000 islands where civilization is held at bay by brackish water, mangrove swamps, mosquitoes and lack of internet.

The wind blows across the shallows bringing with it the distinctive smell of isolation and makes me long to wander through it all. Nu Trix has all of her sails up and we are banking off a northwest wind, riding the waves and I hang on for dear life!! I absolutely love being on our boat, but when the winds kick up and catch the sails, Nu Trix shows off by heeling WAY over and my panic button starts to pulse a little loud for my comfort.

I have heard so many people’s harsh words about my fear but they just fall off like my boat when we turn her from the wind!! I have a car that can go 120, but I really do not want to drive down I-75 that fast, and I am not going to sell it and get a bicycle because of it!! I have my comfort limits so kindly get off of my boat if you do not understand!! Ray, being a great captain, knows exactly how to adjust the sails and we had such a beautiful run up the coast chasing the wind in, literally, EVERY direction possible!! The NOAA reports said that it would be out of the SE, however, as usual, they were wrong. The crazy wind even blew out of the north today!! Mother Nature did not get the memo about it being summer and all!!! Our sails were on the port side, on the starboard, wing and wing and rolled in and then out again!!

It certainly kept the time passing quickly and never gave us a dull moment. I pushed my fear aside and Ray smiled as we caught a puff and I gripped the starboard lifelines just a little too hard, but smiled right back at him. The water danced a dark brown and kicked up on the hull as we moved through the Everglades doing 6.8 knots. Pushing limits makes me stronger and maybe a little braver too. I probably will never be a great sailor like Ray, but I am happy to settle for being out WITH a great sailor like Ray!! I often wonder how something that captures my imagination so deeply can also bubble up fear into my throat like a hangman’s noose!! Maybe it is the same reason climbers venture up El Capitan or Mount Everest, not because it is there, but because our fears tell us that we cannot do it, but our hearts say, “Just watch me!”

We usually set our anchor off of Indian Key just before the sun dips into the water. My job is to locate the flashing markers that will guide us safely through the shallow spots to where the depths are 7 to 8 feet. As long as there is light, it is an easy job. One year, we came in the dark and what I thought was a tree was in fact the green flashing marker that had been damaged, probably by a boat. I was screaming for Ray to turn hard to starboard because we were going to go aground. He grabbed the spotlight and we realized what was really lurking in the dark. We didn’t run aground or hit a tree, but it now makes for a funny story!! Then it made for a glass of wine and a couple Advil….

When we find the perfect spot off of the channel, Ray drops the anchor and I set it! We are then “home” for the night! The sound of the birds poking along the shore and the dolphins scaring up some dinner, is the only noise that reaches our cockpit. The sky catches fire beckoning us to look on, and we, in awe, give nature what she wants!
The colors dance from a burnt orange to a deep purple playing from the sky down into the darkening water. On the bow, it seems as if the sun dives to the ocean for a quick dip to cool itself off.

Soon the surrounding air is dark and wishes start to blink about one by one until the entire heavens are bursting with twinkling hope. I like to try and find the big dipper and Ray looks for Scorpio, his sign. Lying on the deck, snuggled together with nothing around but ocean and sky, is an intimacy that is unexplainable!! The darkness wraps its arms around the anchorage and thrusts us into a different world of perfect mystery. We try to figure out sounds and shine the flashlight around getting a glimpse of red eyes floating along the edge of the small mangroves. They could be alligators or raccoons but they will stay a mystery because no one is going to go check!! In the quiet stillness, I ponder again on the journey that was this summer. It seemed to go so quickly but each day, we filled it with exploration, swimming, snorkeling, diving and dreams come true!!

We still have four days left on our sailboat and I know that we will find lots of trouble to get into because such is our story!! Even when Nu Trix reaches the dock, the story won’t end, only that chapter. Ray and I will fill as many pages in this love story as possible before we close the book. I enjoy waking up each day for that very reason!! Life is such a wonderful story just waiting to be read……I’m trying to make mine a best seller!!!!

A sailors life for me........

Living on a sailboat can be challenging even during the most adventurous of times. The spaces are small, storage is limited and travel is slow. However, those of us with an ability to adapt to new surroundings are blessed with a lifestyle that most people live only in their dreams. Many new discoveries lie in wait during each new day. I, myself, have found that I am a changed person after just two months at sea. Though the changes are numerous, some of them made it into my “Top Ten List”……. (not in any particular order)

#1: I have become more environmentally conscious……  We all hear the news reports on global changes and how we should take care and recycle, reduce, reuse…….and most of us do our part and, yeah, we think a little highly of ourselves for it!! HOWEVER, living on a sailboat, conservation becomes not just a slogan, but a lifesaver!! I tend to like water….. water to drink, brush my teeth, shower, clean dishes…..lovely, wonderful, refreshing water!!! This summer we carried 125 gallons of water into a different country, a country of small islands where fresh water is scarce! 125 gallons of water is not a lot!! I learned quickly to turn off the tap between brushing my teeth, showering and washing dishes. As a matter of fact, we use saltwater to wash and fresh water to rinse. Running out of water is a reality as we do not have a watermaker unit and rain can be non-existent in the summer months. I also have been reminded daily of how lucky I am to live in a country where all I have to do is turn a faucet on for hot or cold water!!! On my boat this summer, I have become grateful and have a new love for my world!! I reuse cartons to store food, I put drinks into washable cups instead of water bottles…..we conserve because our trash space is limited also and it costs up to 10 dollars to dispose of a bag of garbage at a marina!!! This, at first, cumbersome task, has now become second nature to me. We have limited supplies, limited storage and limited funds, so conserving, recycling, reducing and reusing is not a “motto”, it is an imperative!!

#2: I really love my husband…… Our sailboat is 41 feet long which after two months gets REALLY small!! There is nowhere to storm off to in a heated moment, no car to jump in and drive away…..you cant even slam a stinkin’ door to get a point across!!! We have to work it all out and do it quickly!! I have read that a week on a boat is comparable to a year together on land?? I don’t know if all that is true, but I do know that the relationship will only work if both are willing to talk!! Ray and I laugh together, dream together, play together and boy can we fight together!! I am usually right, but that is beside the point…… We have one captain on the boat, but all other issues are decided together and we have to work out differences because otherwise one of us would be adrift very quickly!! Some people may not understand our relationship, but it works for us! I love my husband and love being with him on the ocean. I love our friendship and our fun and the fact that he stands at the helm in the rain and I can go below…. I mean, he is the captain!!!!

#3: Faster is NOT always better:….. I am sure that there are times when it is important to hurry along, but most of the time when we do anything quickly, we do it sloppily and miss out on doing it right. Our sailboat cruises along at about 6 knots. That is pretty much the speed of a bicycle so we cannot get anywhere in a short amount of time unless we are resetting an anchor!! That being said, Ray and I have found many little islands that the big and fast boats cruise on by at 50 knots. We have set anchor in little harbors and walked trails among the trees and brush, discovering beauty unimaginable, residents of the islands who will sit and chat and reveal a culture that is so foreign to me but at the same time so familiar! We swim in water that is so clear, it will make you cry and find fish and explore reefs and then watch spectacular sunsets that I think can’t ever be outdone, but then the next one comes and I am wrong!! Our days meander through time and though we get to midnight the same as anyone else, we get there with so many more memories and way less stress!!! Life in the slow lane is fast enough for me!

#4: America is not the only country…….. Yeah, yeah we all know this, but do we really GET it?? I do!! Traveling to another country is a big eye opener. No one there cares how you do it in America, because they aren’t there!! Our religion, our culture, our first world problems do not amount to a hill of beans outside the U.S.  I have been blessed to be a part of another world even for such a short time and it shades my eyes to color, race and religion. We are simply people……all a part of this big, beautiful world. Though some of us have crazy accents!!!

#5: We have SOOOO much in America:…….I could write an entire novel about how much we are blessed with in our country!! For heaven sakes we have the choice of 50 different kinds of grape jelly….not just jelly but GRAPE jelly!! We have reliable communication, (I still hate Comcast).. and can call our parents, children and friends at the touch of a button!! We have trash service and flushing toilets with unlimited water (or so we think)… we have pizza delivery and Dunkin Donuts coffee. We can open the refrigerator at any time of the day, and there is usually something in there though it is the same 20 things that we looked at five minutes ago!! All this makes us complacent and it also gives us the idea that we “do without”….. really???? The poorest in our country are  still way better off than most of the millions of people that call our world home. No one tries to sneak out of the United States!!

#6: Flushing toilets are heavenly…….before you laugh, get a manual toilet and pump up and down 40 times each visit to the bathroom!!! I won’t even go into the smell of a holding tank as that will be saved Fellow boaters can become really great friends for its own blog!!
 

#7: VHF radios can provide hours of entertainment!!........channel 16 is supposed to be a hailing and emergency calling channel, but not everyone got the memo! The snide remarks and call outs are rather funny. If you click over to channel 68 or 72, you pretty much have a party line to a plethora of conversations.  It is kind of like FB without the pictures and random recipes!!

#8: Fellow boater can become really great friends:………Ray and I always get excited when we see a sailboat come into an anchorage and for good reason! In the 8 years that we have been cruising together, some of the best relationships we have formed have been with other boaters. We met Duke and Donna back in 2010 in Staniel Cay and enjoy “running” into them each summer down in the Exumas. We made some new friends this summer as well and I have been following their travels via FB. The common bond that we share is a love for the water, cruising around, fishing for dinner and basically enjoying life while we have the opportunity!

#9: No matter how hot it is, a small breeze can cool you down rather quickly………. The hatches on our boat funnel down the lovely ocean air into the cabin. The same wind that grabs a hold of our sails taking us where we want to go, also brings refreshing coolness to an otherwise sticky situation. NuTrix also has fans that can move around the air, but ohhhh those wonderful salty winds!! When we get home, I keep notching the AC up and up….I become accustomed to the heat and the artificial air takes some getting used to!!!

#10: Freedom is more than a word……….Being tied down to material things means that the freedom to go and travel, explore and learn is also tied down. While there is nothing wrong with homes and cars, wardrobes, bank accounts and other tangible objects, sometimes they start to own us instead of the other way around. I always start our trips thinking of the things that I will do without and end up realizing how little I truly need to be happy!! Star gazing is an addictive activity and absolutely free!! Snorkeling the reefs and spearfishing a grouper for dinner also costs nothing more than know how and a little luck!  Talking with new friends, listening to a different language and deciphering the words with hand gestures, trying food that I have never seen, exploring worlds that I have only read about, wandering through the ocean pretending to have a plan…… this is freedom to me!!!

I know that there are countless numbered paragraphs that I left out, but really I cannot explain the changes in me or the epiphanies that have come my way this summer anyway. We sit today anchored off of Key Largo in Jewfish Creek and though we have many miles to go, it is all so short! I wish for June when my journey started but time only goes forward. I am so very lucky!!! I have memories and experiences that most people can only read about and for that, I am eternally grateful…….I have a wonderful captain who takes me to faraway places, introduces me to different cultures and lifestyles and most of all loves me!! We have this amazing sailboat, NuTrix, who has time and time again proved her seaworthiness!!! She loves the waves, the wind and the adventure too!! She is named because of our love for adventure….. In every life, you need some new tricks!!! So glad I have mine!!!

The road to Bimini and beyond,,,,

Here we sit in Bimini and I cannot help but think that time moves so quickly!! We were just here starting our journey through the Bahama Islands and now, we are leaving….. Today, Ray and I rented a golf cart and spent the day zipping around the island from the southern tip all the way up to the Bimini World Resort….(not impressed)!!

We stopped at every local store and bought bread, cake, shirts, bags, drinks and food. Along the way we smiled and waved at the passing people who were in no hurry and always had a friendly greeting for us. I look out at the homes and though there is so much poverty here, I long to call it my home too! The sea surrounds the island bringing glorious breezes that wander down the narrow streets and swirl around my hair with the taste of salt and ocean currents and I long to stop and never leave. The colors of the water never cease to amaze me and the clarity beckons to be explored. This is the first and last stop on our summer sail, so with the island comes a mixture of excitement and closure. I know that our sailboat, Nu Trix needs to point her bow towards the United States and take us back to the reality of jobs and home, bills and responsibilities, but for tonight, we sit on her bow and watch the stars and pretend that we are just starting. This summer I have snorkeled reefs, swam in crystal clear water, explored caves and walked through the past of Loyalist ruins and all with my best friend.

The wonders of the Bahamas are made so much spectacular because I get to enjoy them with my partner…….my salty pirate…..the love of my life!!!
No matter where I want to go, what I want to do, I can always depend on Ray to be right there with me, helping me adjust my mask, pulling the tender behind us if I get nervous about the openness of the reefs, letting me take the helm in heavy seas even though I am not too experienced, pulling me back into the tender when I am tired from swimming and cannot hoist myself one more time…… Ray is my champion, my defender, my biggest fan……..my captain!!! He believes in me when I have given up on myself!! He knows that I can sail Nu Trix, he knows that I feel the ocean’s waves on our boats hull and I need not be afraid.

Ray knows what I am afraid to say…… He knows that I am a sailor!!! I love the ocean, but I respect her at the same time. I once thought that was fear, but I understand now that knowing what the big ocean can do and what my sailboat can handle, makes me less afraid and more willing to go…… go explore, go see, go feel, go be!!!!!  Tomorrow, Ray and I will head back home, but the pull of the ocean will not cease. She will call and call until we can stand it no longer!! Soon, Nu Trix will be back into the dark waters of the Gulf Stream and the current and tropical breezes will take us where they will…… Soon, the land will no longer hold our hearts or imaginations and the sea will win!

Until that time, we will work and plan and scheme…… we will live and we will dream. The greatest realization of all though….. is that we will do it all together!!! My wildest imaginations could not have prepared me for what life has given to me and so with each breath, I breathe thanks and with each day, I dream of what will be…. Life is so good and I cannot wait to see each day and find the new treasures that the world gives!!

Wind to the Exumas

With the toss of the dock lines, NuTrix was off to the Exumas. No more marinas and no more AC for the next four weeks. Of course there would also be no marina bills and AC bills either. Every time we go to a dock, we seem to spend money as if it is water flowing through our fingers! We headed out into the harbor and over to Rose Island for a couple of days.

Rose Island is just east of Nassau and is a beautiful spot for swimming, snorkeling and watching the sunset. Ray anchored us just off of a huge limestone rock but still near to the beach. The surge does tend to rock the boat side to side, but the payoff is a beautiful view of clear water and white sandy beaches. It is also a safe spot with good holding. The next three days were filled with adventures, to far off uninhabited islands… well, far if you had to swim it, I suppose….and snorkeling the reefs, sitting on the beach, listening to reggae music and making many memories!! I love the island even though each afternoon, Nassau businesses charter snorkeling trips and drop off 100 people who Ray refers to as “bobbleheads” because all you can see are their heads above water!

They usually only stay for an hour and then leave us pretty much all alone, anchored in the water to take in the sunset all to ourselves! It is all magical and beautiful, but the Exumas are calling and we finally decide that the weather is perfect for crossing the banks. Sunday morning, we pulled anchor and with Ray at the helm and Robin on the bow, we motored into the wind and towards our destination of Highbourne Cay. The wind wasn’t bad, but it was in our face, so we couldn’t raise the sails. Ray tried to put out the headsail, but we had to bring it back in when the wind shifted more to the east. Robin had never been away from shore before, so she enjoyed sitting on the bow and watching the water turn from a pretty turquoise shade to an amazing color of liquid emeralds. We had reached the “yellow banks” where numerous coral heads lie in wait of yummy fiberglass hulls!! I took watch on the bow and pointed to the large ones that look like dark lines on the horizon. The water was so clear and the corals so beautiful that I couldn’t breathe! Colors, indescribable, danced on and under the water.

NuTrix glided along so happy to be back for yet another journey with us! We finally cleared the corals and Highbourne Cay came into view. We went to the beach on the west side of the marina and anchored for the night. Ray was going to dive the anchor, like he normally does, however, an enormous barracuda decided that he wanted to hang out under our boat. We loaded the tender, “Old Dog”, and headed to the beach for an evening in the water! The sand here feels like powder, it is so soft! Robin could not believe the clarity of the water which looked better than any pool she had ever seen!! We met two couples who were traveling on a large catamaran and enjoyed their company as we all floated around the crescent shaped lagoon. Soon the light was fading and we figured it was time to head back to the boat for some dinner!! Afterwards, we sat on the bow and watched the stars come out one by one until the entire sky looked as if you could reach up and grab a wish! Mesmerizing stars after a long day at sea will put you to sleep very quickly as we all found out! The next day, we took NuTrix into the dock to get some water in our tanks which depletes very quickly out on the hook. We walked around the marina and looked for WiFi but it was only for guests?? Well then!!! The restaurant wasn’t opened for lunch and though the little store had food, it was very expensive. We decided to take some pictures and go watch the sharks at the dock.

Most of them were Nurse sharks, but we did see three very large Lemon sharks too!! Before we left, the sky took on an ominous color and to our amazement, a waterspout formed!! It was very large and very impressive. A warning to all mariners was issued and we decided to wait at the dock for a while before heading into the waves again.  Soon the sky cleared and we continued on our journey to another beautiful destination!! Three hours later we tied up to a mooring ball in Warderick Wells, the Land and Sea Park Headquarters.
The Exuma Land and Sea Park was established in 1958 to protect the land and marine environment in a 176 mile area that covers 26 different parks and the surrounding waters. It begins at Little Wax Cay and goes all the way down to Conch Cut near Staniel Cay. The area is strictly a NO TAKE zone and nothing, either living or dead can be collected. The fish and shells are so amazing but can only be captured on a camera. The motto is “Take only pictures, leave only footprints”. When we went ashore, a huge skeleton of a sperm whale greeted us on the beach. Sadly, the magnificent creature had washed up on the shore in 1985. It was found to have been killed after consuming plastic garbage!

When careless people assume that one little bag won’t hurt, everyone suffers especially the animals. We all make a profound difference in this beautiful world, we just need to make sure it is a positive difference! The whale skeleton is quite impressive, though I would rather see a live one out in the Exuma Sound than the remains here on the beach! After taking a million pictures, we went up to the office to check in and get WiFi….. I laugh while typing that last sentence!! WiFi, in the Bahamas is like Jimmy Buffet says about religion and sex…. you just never know when you’re gonna get it next!! We paid our 20 dollars but the speed and reliability was really not worth the time or money!! Next trip, I must buy a Bahamian phone and pay for a month of internet connection. Currently, it is 20 dollars for 200MB which my phone promptly used in 6 minutes and 15 seconds! I am pretty sure there is a picture of me somewhere in the Bateleco Headquarters with “SUCKER” written below it??? But I digress!!!  Here on the island is also a Loyalist Plantation ruin. We dinghyed over to Rendezvous Beach and took a quick swim to cool off before our hike up up the mountain… well really a hill, but mountain sounds more impressive! Robin decided to float around so Ray and I hiked up the trail and found remains of stone walls where a home used to be. Trees and undergrowth covered the area so that it looked like five or six small homes but instead were rooms to a larger mansion.

I snapped away taking in the amazing sights of a home built 300 hundred years ago by the hands of long gone people. I tried to imagine what it must have looked like and I hope to maybe one day find a drawing or sketch that was made before the building commenced.  I understand that not everyone is a history lover, but I just could not get over the age of the walls and how someone had mixed the mortar and carefully carved out a life right on the spot where I was standing. The ghosts of the past just seemed to drift over me and pull my thoughts back to the 1700s when the men, women and children left all they had known to come to this far away paradise. Their excitement, terror, anguish and hope danced among the ruins and was carried by the hot breeze out to sea. For a moment, I was part of their world. For that, I am forever changed!  We made our way back down and took a dip in the cool clear water. We saw a couple of stingrays on our way  back and Ray tried to chase them with the boat, but they were too agile and fast! I had found a piece of driftwood when we were at Rose Island, and I used fingernail polish to write NuTrix 2015 as well as all of our names. Ray and I hiked up to BooBoo Hill and put it among the other driftwood gifts left for the “sea gods” to ensure safe passage on the sea. The view up at the top was amazing and I took many photos of the surrounding area including the vast expanse of the Exuma Sound. BooBoo Hill is so named because a vessel carrying missionaries ran aground on the reef and all souls were lost to the sea. It is said that during a full moon, up on the hill, you can hear the sound of hymns being sang by the lost souls!! Thus the Bahamian word for ghosts…. Booboo!!

Island hopping is an amazing adventure of new places, new faces and always beauty unimaginable! Ray is an expert captain and able to get NuTrix through reefs, shallows and sand bores. A sand bore is a living thing!! It is sand that actually moves and shifts each day. You can see them if you know what to look for! The water goes from 20 feet up to a couple of inches in a very short distance! The water that is usually a dark indigo quickly becomes an exquisite shade of light blue where the sand reflects the light of the sun. Ray sometimes takes the helm with his foot as he stands on the stern of the boat and watches the water. It is quite impressive, at least to me….. cause I am still quite taken with my salty pirate!!

Our next island stop was Staniel Cay. We anchored NuTrix off of Thunderball Grotto. There we said hello to our cruising friends, Duke and Donna aboard S/V Soon Reach. We try to catch up with them when we get to the Exumas. We first met them in 2010 and have kept up with them ever since. They are a LOT of fun and have a big boat with lots of room for sundowners!! Robin had been getting used to her mask and snorkel and she was getting ready to see what all the fuss was about!! We took her to the Thunderball Grotto and swam under the cave entrance into another world. The cave is massive and the fish swim up waiting for a treat. We saw brain coral, snapper, grouper, parrot fish and all kinds of other little fish of every color imaginable. The cave had a large hole in the top that let light filter in and dance upon the limestone rocks that made up the walls. It also let a couple of crazy 20 year olds jump down into the deep water of the cave. Our son, Keegan, did just that back in 2013 when we first brought the kids here. Im sure if Ray had found the cave back when he sailed here in his 20s, there would have been a blood stain or two from him on the cave walls!!! Like father, like son…….. bless their hearts!!!

We snorkeled around the outside of the cave and saw some impressive coral formations. It is just so beautiful and a must see for Staniel Cay which is why there are always boats moored around the back side of the cave. The next day, Robin and I commandeered a golf cart and explored the island via wheels!! I had to remember to drive on the other side of the road. We laughed hysterically as we bumped along the road looking for a bakery and grocery store and laundry!! We dropped off our laundry and let a nice woman wash, dry and fold it all for us to the tune of 55 bucks!!! WAY worth it!!!! We found the bakery in the kitchen of another Bahamian woman. The US Health Department would have collaboratively fainted had they seen said bakery!! Robin and I threw caution to the wind and bought a loaf of bread, I mean all the other people on the island were still alive soooooo…… We then found the Pink store and the Blue store which were the local grocery stores. Very few choices are available on an out island which is so vastly different from what we are used to in the US!! We got the things we needed though and were on our way. We found the Taste and Sea café and ordered some yummy food!! I was going to get the fish, however, I was told that it was the WHOLE fish and I just cannot eat something looking at me, so I opted for a cheeseburger!! It was divine!!!!  Ray finally caught up to us and we all ended up meeting Donna and Duke at the Yacht Club for a frozen drink! I am not much for rum so I had a pina colada sans alcohol and everyone else had the real McCoy. They were all so pretty and tasted so wonderfully!!! Our bartender’s name was Felicia and she was hilarious! A woman came in and complained that her rum drink didn’t have enough rum….sooooo Felicia made her what she called a “Tornado” cause it was gonna knock her to Oz!!! We all just laughed because people can really be very rude when they have more money than manners!! We finally said good-bye to our new friends and headed back to our boat and our bunks!! The next day we island hopped over to Big Majors, home of the swimming pigs. It was a short hop so after we set anchor, we headed over to see the pigs.

There are two very large hogs and a couple of babies piglets. They readily swim out to any boat in hopes of grabbing a tomato or any other veggie that might be on hand….or IN hand!!! The largest pig tried to get up in our dinghy and when it couldn’t, settled for trying to take a chunk out of my backside!!!! A guy came up in a small flat boat and the pigs high tailed it over to him. He seemed to talk to the larger of the two pigs and then reached and petted the hog behind the ears!!! He grabbed two large buckets and a jug of water and gave both to the hungry mass!! We zipped away with our pictures and my body still intact!!  The beach that we found was called “Pirate Beach” and had an assortment of tiki torches, chairs, flags and wooden structures. There were two couples floating along with noodles and so we joined the hodgepodge group. Boating seems to give everyone involved a common ground to stand on and makes for a fun evening and new friendships. They were all out of Fort Lauderdale and kept us laughing with tales of their antics at sea. The one guy tried to interest Ray in a better tender than “Old Dog”…… but at 12 thousand dollars, we decided that we had all the NuTrix our Old Dog could handle!!! Going back to the boat, we cruised on our “outboard” and called it a fantastic day!! The way sleep comes to you on a boat is amazing. The rocking of the bow and the breeze blowing down the hatches, lulls you into a comatose state quite quickly! Soon all that was heard on board were the dreams of what was to come!!

The next day we pulled anchor and sailed for Little Bell Island which is now called Cambridge Cay?? I guess it sounds more impressive?? We picked up a mooring and I sent off a text to our friends Donna and Duke to come and join us! Life is so much more fun with cruising friends who know the area!! We had never been to this island before but knew that the snorkeling was supposed to be impressive. While we waited on “Soon Reach”, we hiked over to the Sound side and the impressive Bell Rock. It is massive and can be hiked but only when the tide is out. The tide was in!!!

We instead went up the hill on the island and took in a wonderful 360 degree view of the cay (pronounced key). Johnny Depp owns a small cay to the north and we could see the house from our vantage point. We snapped picture after picture and found our way around thick brush to follow trails. It was a nice hike but we were happy to be back to our little beach and the cool water! I spotted a couple of turtles but I couldn’t seem to get their picture!! It is incredible how fast those suckers swim!!! Ray spotted a small shark, but it also was not interested in having its picture taken and swam away quickly. After a while of snorkeling the rocks off of the beach, we saw Donna and Duke come in and take a mooring. We got together and decided to go over to the Rocky Dundas and snorkel the caves. Robin and I went with Donna and Ray and Duke followed. When we got over and jumped into the water, we entered a totally different world. I couldn’t believe how massive and impressive the coral and fishes were! We went into the caves and marveled at the stalagmites and stalactites that formed over thousands of years.

The second cave had formations that looked exactly like mermaids hanging from the cavern walls. I wondered what they did to make Poseidon so angry that he cast them there for eternity. We swam in and out of the caves and took in all the beautiful colors of coral and fish and the water!

The word magical just keeps popping into my head as I look around. There was an enormous and rare Elks Horn coral in front of one of the caves and I didn’t want to leave it until I got at least 100 pictures which I was sure, would not do it justice!! Finally, it was time to get back into the dinghy and head over to the beach. That sounds easy, but when you are in the water, wet and tired, it makes for a comical event. I had bruises on my bruises after trying to climb back in and I dared anyone to take a picture of my million attempts!!! Grace is NOT my name!!! We spent some time on the beach and in the blue hole that came right up to the shore until we were waterlogged and exhausted. The boat beckoned and we heeded the call and fell into a deep sleep, reliving the amazing day and dreaming of the next adventure waiting on us!

Hawksbill Cay was our next stop. The Exuma charts said that it too held Loyalist ruins, so I was anxious to get there. We picked up a mooring right off of a spectacular beach with a tall hill that overlooked a crescent lagoon. We went over with our chairs, umbrellas, music, cooler and noodles!! The day was spent floating, drinking, listening to music and enjoying each others company! Ray climbed up the hill to the small cairn to take pictures of NuTrix as well as Robin and I way down below in the crystal clear water.

I held my breath the whole time because instead of his good climbing shoes, he wore his flipflops!!! I just knew at any moment he was going to tumble down the steep rocks and Robin and I would have to figure out how to sail home pulling a body behind the boat!! I am pretty sure the Bahamian Defense Force looks down upon such activities!!! Luckily, we did not have to find out because God really does take care of fools and little children!!! After his near death experience, Ray was ready to go explore the Loyalist ruins at the north end of the island. A group of fellow cruisers had left before us on their journey to see the past, so we looked for their dinghy because we forgot the trail map! We finally found them as they were getting ready to head back to their sailboat. They pointed to the trail and were on their way. Robin, Ray and I made our way through the thick brush and found the remnants of a couple of homes as well as a large wall that ran up the hill. Again, there was no way to tell if the rooms were one home or many because the trees and brush grew throughout. It was still impressive and even unworldly to see the stones and wells that were once a hopeful plantation of a large family, all of their animals and sadly, their slaves. I commented that the back breaking work carrying the stones would have been given to the slaves.

 Plantation life was dependent upon slave labor and thus the atrocities of our past, built the homes that would one day fall into ruin like the mindset of  the plantation owners. Slaves would be freed and begin a new life filling the islands with a diverse population of former slaves, landowners who had lost fortunes, pirates and other ragtag inhabitants that sought the obscurity of island life. Looking around at the land that refused to grow cotton, I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if the cotton had taken hold and grew. The islands were once great with hardwood trees and fresh water, but now are mostly barren because when the cotton failed, the landowners turned to logging in a desperate attempt to hold on to their fortunes. Today, the small cays are home to mangroves and salt marshes. Freshwater is scarce and must be made on most of the settled islands.

Looking back, it is easy to see how our future is so determined on seemingly small, at the time, decisions that are made by people not even thinking about their descendants!! We all marveled at the sights and start our trek back down to the beach. The sun was setting lower as we motored across the colorful waters on our way back to the mooring field. We again decided to spend the evening cooling off in the water and listening to Bob Marley. Back to the boat, we settled in for a good night sleep only to have the wind totally die!! Not a breath of air came down the hatches which made for a rocky, sticky semi-sleep!! We all were more than happy to say goodbye to the beautiful island and set sail for Norman’s Cay!! This would be our final destination in the Exumas. The trip was easy, though with absolutely no wind, we motored! After dropping the anchor, we went to the Norman’s Cay Beach Club and had a 25 dollar hamburger!!! It was truly delicious, but 25 bucks!!! It did come with a salad and fries and was quite beautifully plated!! But again… 25 bucks!!! After eating, we went over to a small island with nothing more than a palm tree with a bench underneath. We swam around and enjoyed the cool water while looking at all the construction being done on a new marina. Our Exumas are changing faster than we can imagine!! Soon the large yachts will dominate the landscape and the small sailboats will have to vie for a spot in the water as do the dwindling coral heads. Major money dictates what goes where and when……. People with so much money bribe the government for deeds to land….they dredge the water and promise to “move” the coral heads and reefs so that their mega yachts can dock to get fuel and electricity.

The manager of the club told me that one man’s poison is another man’s bread. I just wonder if he realizes that the fragile landscape of the Exumas cannot handle the jet skis that speed over the fragile coral or the 25 foot tenders that pull skiers through the mooring fields not caring about the rules because they throw thousands of dollars into the Exuma Trusts as if money can regrow coral or bring back lobster that have been harvested out of season!! Money seems to talk very loudly here in the Bahamas, way louder that common sense! I fear that the day will come, when the coral heads are bleached over and covered with algae. The research students who come from America have already found numerous spots where it is happening. These Cays are where I love to spend my summers and it saddens me that the livelihood of the islands depend so much on tourism that the very rich are allowed to abuse the very thing that brings them here.  It is with an anxious heart that we pull anchor and set sail for Nassau. I hope that my beloved cays will stand the test of time and money.

The beauty is unsurmountable and the magic that the water and islands brings are inexpressible. With the headsail puffed full with air, we point NuTrix through the coral heads and towards Nassau. It will be at least a year before we feel the winds from the Florida straits blow us down to the Exumas again. Our next stop is Nassau with a dock and AC and shops so willing to take whatever money we have to give. We will say good-bye to Robin and after provisioning, head NuTrix home. Our adventure is almost complete, but as any trip, with the ending, comes another beginning!!! Beginnings are my favorite because you just never know what kind of story life is going to write!!!…………………