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Published: December 14th 2010
Greetings Everyone from Port Lucaya Bahamas! We're back on the boat and looking forward to another great season of warm weather, great sailing, and friends!
This year we left Guelph at the end of October, visited our friends Mary and Christian in St.Marys Georgia, and arrived at the boat in Port Canaveral October 26th. We decided to keep the boat further south last summer, and tried a convenient boatyard on Merrit Island just inside the lock at Port Canaveral. The boat yard Harbortown Marina is very conveniently located, and we were very pleased with the facility, and how well our boat rested there during the summer.
It took a couple of days to get our boat ready to be launched, and we stayed at a nice Best Western out on the Beach at Cocoa Beach until we got the boat in the water. After we launched the boat, we stayed on it and took about a week cleaning things, provisioning, and fixing things that were broken. This year we replaced all the batterys which turned out to be a fairly big job. (Boat jobs are always more involved then you plan). We also had some engine problems and hopefully
they are all fixed now, although we had to replace the starter motor in Freeport.
After a week in the boatyard we went down the inter coastal to Vero Beach and finished boat jobs until it looked like it was good to cross to the Bahamas. From Vero we went to West Palm Beach and anchored for the night. There had been a huge storm up north, (you know that cold air from Canada) and the seas were big... up to 20 feet even though the wind had died down. The waves were spaced far apart so by morning we felt it was ok to go. We left for the Bahamas the morning of November 17th and cleared in at West End about 4:30pm. We had another very good trip across the Gulf Stream, even though we always worry about what it will be like.
The following morning we sailed up to Port Lucaya to the Ocean Reef resort. We stayed there last year and it was great, so we decided to repeat that this year. The Ocean Reef is a Hotel/Time Share, with boat slips around the resort, that they rent out monthly for a very good
Beach at Cocoa Beach, Florida
We kept our boat near here this summer.rate. The bonus is that we get to use all the facilities - power, showers, and all nightly activities of the time resort. Of the 50 boat slips, probably 40 of them are Canadians, and many are the ones we met last year. It was like a reunion seeing everyone. This year Sharon's brother Brian and his wife Karen rented a condo unit for the month we have been here, so it was great to spend the month with them as well.
While we have been here we have played Tennis almost every day, done some great snorkeling, speared more lobsters than I have speared in all the years we have been down here, and really enjoyed the life. It's a hard place to leave because its so comfortable, but tomorrow we are going to cast off and head for Nassau.
Also while we were here we had our boating friends Ron and Jenny Huibers visit from North Carolina. We all used to sail together up north, along with our friends the Bondys. Next year the Bondys have guaranteed us they will join this very fun weekend.
Our son Steven and his fiance Audrey are meeting us
in Nassau and sailing with us to George Town. That should be nice to take our time sailing down through the Exumas, as we are usually rushing to get to George Town when we leave Nassau.
This winter Dawn and Paul and our grandkids had planned on meeting us in March in Nassau and again sailing for a couple of weeks in the Exumas. Just a few weeks ago, Paul took a job transfer to Malaysia for 2 years, so they leave in Febuary and won't get to visit. We are really, really going to miss them, and having them and the grandkids so close in the summer. Oh well, its a good opportunity for them and we will get to visit them over there, (Maybe more than they want us to) . Also I think we are to blame for giving our kids an appetite for travelling! Before they leave Sharon and I are flying home on Jan 23rd for a week to get one last fix of those grandchildren.
So that brings us to Christmas. There is no place like home at Christmas, and even though we love the weather here, we sure miss being home
Georgia Pig
This place has amazing barbaque, so it was our first stop on our way down. at Christmas. We are fortunate that Steven and Audrey will be visiting. Sharon and I'd like to take a moment to wish everyone a Safe, Happy and Healthy Holiday season. Please drop us a line and let us know how you are. Enjoy the pictures!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
Doug and Sharon
Aboard SV About Time
Port Lucaya Bahamas
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Mary & Christian
non-member comment
Glad you Done Reach
We loved hearing from you and about your crossing. Really hooted when we saw the GA Pig getting top billing. Very cold here so be glad you got over when you did. It was 19 degrees this am as we were steaming in the hot tub! see you soon... Mary & Christian / I Wanda