2026-01-04 Happy New Year - time with friends in Georgetown and Junkanoo

Sunday we left Warderick Wells and motored to Bitter Guana Cay, no wind.   We were there by lunch, so after eating we headed ashore to see the Northern Bahamas Rock Iguanas and go for a hike.

There was a tourist boat there feeding the iguanas when we got in, so we went for a hike first.  Quite a steep climb from the beach up the hill, and then wandered a bit.

The trail is just a scramble up the rocks behind Kris to the top

Nice view of the anchorage from the top of the hill

We figured we should be able to make it from where we were, to another trail to the north of us, but alas, no trail to be found.  That didn’t stop us, we forged ahead through the brush and made it.  Sometimes we are idiots. Did get to see a lovely pool on the ocean side when we got there.

Making our own trail through the brush.  

Nice protected pool on ocean side

Back on the beach saw a few iguanas relaxing in the sun.  

Back on the boat, it was getting lumpy with current and wind interaction, so we upped anchor and moved the 3 miles to Black Point for a calmer anchorage for the night.

Monday we motored again, in no wind to Lee Stocking, as west to northwest wind projected, and we figured good protection in that spot.  Happy to see our friends on Indie II were anchored there, so made arrangements to go snorkeling that afternoon with them.   Later the same day, another Manta came in, Tanget.  So 3 Mantas in the anchorage.  Had a good snorkeling trip on the east side – only possible due to very light winds.  The reef was mostly dead, but some live soft corals.  The structures were very impressive on the old dead coral.  Quite a few large parrotfish in the area.

 

Skye off Tanget snorkeling on the reef

Not much color, but some live corals

Old impressive structure on now dead Elkhorn coral

Shane and Andrea form Indie II back on the dink after the snorkel

Tuesday was a boat day, with NW winds, but Tuesday night we went over to Indie II for a nice evening of visiting and a game of cards.

Wednesday we left Lee Stocking, and sailed to Georgetown.   Our friends Jerry and Donna on BlueJacket who were also in Lee Stocking area sailed south as well.

After anchoring, we went to town with BlueJacket to the local grocery store and got supplies and water.

Water spigot at Georgetown dingy dock

Georgetown dinghy dock

That evening we went over to BlueJacket for New Year's Eve, and enjoyed snacks, good visit and games.   We did not last until midnight.  Home by 11:00, but then the music in town got quite loud, so mostly laid in bed, until fireworks, got up and watched them.  Asleep by 12:30 a.m. New Year's Day.  

Thursday was boat project day.  Kris did some miscellaneous sewing projects, and a bit of boat cleaning.  Relaxed and very slothlike for the rest of the day.

Friday, Kris went for a kayak around the area in the morning.   Not much to see, but she did find a dinghy paddle floating near shore, and went into an old cut of a failed development which was interesting to see, especially how the rain had created interesting limestone formations. 

Lots of money and time making this cut, and never used

Interesting limestone formations due to rain and wind.

 

Friday afternoon we headed into town for lunch with BlueJacket, followed by a short walk to get homemade ice cream at a new place in Georgetown.  Ice cream was great, and as usual enjoyed spending time with Jerry and Donna.   

After lunch and ice cream.  Good day

Over to BlueJacket again after dinner for a few more games and social time.

Saturday, Kris worked on an engine issue with a relay not working correctly.  After lunch, we did a bit of a run about, checking out Chat and Chill beach, and then stopped to visit with our friends Bruce and Sandra on Namid.

Saturday night was Junkanoo in Georgetown.  So we packed a picnic dinner and with BlueJacket, we went in and found a place to watch Junkanoo, and had our picnic dinner and watched the festivities.

The floats were impressive, and the costumes even more so.  Had a great time.  Enjoy the photos below.

 

Dancers were good

Incredible costume, attention to detail

Wonder how much it all weighs

Incredible

Liked the floats with the theme "Wonder of the Seas"

The seahorses were spectacular

The bands featured a lot of percussion.  The drummers hands bled from hitting the drums so hard.  

How many people must have to help get them into the costumes

 We head out today for Long Island.  

 

2025-12-28 Haul out, Christmas and moving south

 Sunday was windy, so it was a boat day, doing nothing much.  Monday, we went to town, and got some groceries, and then back to the boat, still quite windy. 

Tuesday was the big day – time to haul out.  Robert from R&B called us around 10:30, and told us to come on in.  It was quite windy with gusts up to 20, so a bit tricky to get to the dock, but all went well, and we got tied up.  By the time we were tied up, and they measured us, and adjusted the platform they use to raise boats, it was close to noon.  They shut down for an hour at noon, so we walked over to the “Snack Vault” and got lunch.  Never been there before, but it was a pretty good lunch of burgers and fries.   We took the food back to the boat to eat, as we wanted to be on the boat for when the yard came back.  

Setting the blocks on the lifting platform before we are hauled

 

The "Snack Vault" - was a decent place for lunch

We finally hauled around 1:00, and the guys got right to work draining the oil on the starboard sail drive, which was milky again already.    Once the shaft and seals were out, they cleaned everything up well, and then waited on Robert to come and do the seal replacement.   They were happy to let us watch, which we did, and they all did a very good job.

Charm up and out of the water. 

The guys taking off the prop and working to remove the shaft 

Kris taking a look at the shaft while it is being cleaned up

R & B boatyard office has nice mural on the front

Once the seals were replaced, Kris added new oil, they lowered us back down, and we headed out.   We were lucky, the tide was going out, and ½ an hour later we would have been stuck overnight waiting on a higher tide to leave.

Wednesday, we sailed the 42 miles over to the Exuma’s.  We had northeast winds, which made for a nice downwind sail, although a bit lumpy.   We anchored somewhere new, at Lobster Cay, and would not do it again, and there is a fair current, and makes it a bit choppy at times, but it was fine for a couple of days. 

Christmas was quiet, as we were anchored by ourselves, which was fine.  Dean made cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and chips and dip for lunch.  And Santa gave us each some candy in our stockings for Christmas.

Yummy

Our Christmas stockings and presents

Friday we headed south, motoring down to Warderick Wells where we got a mooring ball.   Went for a nice walk along the trails, up to BooBoo hill and back.

 

Kris in front of the old whale skeleton at the beach in Warderick Wells Cay

Charm on the mooring at Warderick Wells Cay

At the top of BooBoo Hill, looking at all the boaters memento planks

Beautiful view from the top of the hill, ocean side

Dean crossing the causeway on our walk

Rugged causeway trail on Warderick Wells Cay

Saturday, Kris took the kayak for a nice paddle, and then midday we went for a snorkel.  Saw a few nice Eagle Rays, barracuda and other assorted fishes.

 

Large barracuda showing us his sharp teeth

This little fish was not afraid of us at all

Eagle rays swimming around - very large, around a 5 or 6 foot wingspan

Today we will head south again, motoring as there is no wind, down to Great Guana Cay, planning on making to Georgetown by the 3^rd for Junkanoo.

2025-12-21 Change of plans

 Sunday we had rain in the morning.   Kris decorated for Christmas, and put up the “tree”

Sunday afternoon she checked the oil from the starboard sail drive, and made the determination that yes, it was milky.  So we drained the sail drive best we could and replaced the oil.  So a haul out is in order to fix that problem.  

Working on removing the sail drive oil

That's not normal looking oil - definitely wrong

We were planning to head south, but the only haul out facilities were north of where we were, luckily there are two places on Eleuthera.  We planned on going to Hatchett Bay, as they have a haul out facility, but on calling them Monday, found they have no room in the schedule to haul us.  Called R&B boatyard in Spanish Wells, and they said that they could get us in the following week on Tuesday the 23^rd.  We feel very lucky that we were able to get something that quickly.

The winds would be contrary to going north until Thursday, so we set about getting a project done while waiting in Rock Sound for better winds on Thursday.

Monday, we started working on replacing the Strataglass in our dodger.  We had replaced the panel directly in front of the helm, but not the rest, so Monday, part of Tuesday and part of Wednesday that was the focus.

Cutting out new Strataglass

Kris working on the dodger.  It would be nice to have a large table to work on, but the floor is all we have.

Tuesday, we walked into town to get some groceries.  We were planning on having lunch out, but due to rain we decided to not, and dined on the boat instead.   

Grocery store decorated for Christmas

The main road "Queens Highway" in Rock Sound was being freshly paved

 

Wednesday we finished up the dodger project, and yet more rain.

 

The rain is great to clean off the boat and fill the tanks, but not great for outside projects

Thursday was a nice day, and we had a beautiful sail the 56 miles from Rock Sound to Meeks Patch.  Nice to have the sails up and sailing finally.

 

Downwind, wing on wing for most of the trip, was quite nice.

When we went to hoist anchor in Rock Sound, the windlass would not work, but then it did.  Same thing happened when dropping anchor.  So Friday morning we took the motor off the windlass and Kris worked on the brushes.  This is the second time we have done this since the motor was new in 2021.

Kris working on the brushes.

Our friends Jerry and Donna on BlueJacket were at Meeks Patch as well, so Friday went over for a visit and a nice game of cards.   Always fun to spend time with them, but we forgot to take any photos.  We are just not very good at that, I guess.

Jerry and Donna left Saturday morning to head south.

Bluejacket heading out

We moved over to Spanish Wells, as NE wind predicted for the next few days.   

Our port head macerator was making funny noises, so Dean took it apart, and we found the usual culprit, hair wrapped on the shaft, so Kris cleaned it and got all the hair out (mostly hers anyway) and Dean reinstalled it, and now it is working great again.

Dean working on the head macerator

We went to town, and talked to R&B boatyard about our scheduled haul out on Tuesday, and then went for a nice lunch at Budda's Snack Shack.   Had a nice lunch.

Budda's was nicely decorated for Christmas

Kris got a kick out of this sign posted at Budda's

Dean visiting the Pirate on the walk back to the dinghy

We will be here until after Tuesday for sure, then hopefully head further south.