The End

            I am writing this post in my bedroom. My very own bedroom that I have all to myself. It seems so spacious and private after living in my bunk, dubbed the ‘Sarcophagus’ for so long. Being back in a house is so different and so luxurious when compared to White Seal. I’m really enjoying it.

            So as promised, here is a grand list summarizing the high points of the trip:

Top Five Big Cities:

1.) New York City

2.) Charleston, SC

3.) Washington, DC

4.)  Savannah, GA

5.)  Beaufort, SC

Top Five Lesser Known Wonders of the East Coast:

1.) Cumberland Island, GA

2.) Jekyll Island, GA

3.) All of the small towns on the Chesapeake Bay, such as Solomons, MD

4.) The Dismal Swamp, VA & NC

5.) The Alligator River and the Pungo River in NC

Top Eight Bahamian Towns (because I can’t narrow it down to five):

1.)  Rock Sound, Eleuthera

2.)  Black Point, Exuma

3.)  Orange Creek, Cat Island

4.)  Green Turtle, Abaco

5.)  Salt Pond, Long Island

6.)  Alice Town, Bimini

7.)  Spanish Wells

8.)  Hopetown, Abaco

Top Five Uninhabited Bahamian Islands:

1.)  Shroud Cay, Exuma

2.)  Cambridge Cay, Exuma

3.)  Warderick Wells, Exuma

4.)  Allan’s Cay, Exuma

5.)  Sandy Cay, Abaco (for it’s astounding reefs)

Top Five Most Memorable Cultural Events:

1.)  Junkanoo on New Year’s in Nassau

2.)  Attending a public high school in Rock Sound, Eleuthera

3.)  Going to a ‘jam fest’ in Black Point, Exuma at Lorraine’s Cafe

4.)  Seeing Priscilla on Broadway in New York

5.)  The giant ‘Cruiser’s Thanksgiving’ in St. Mary’s, Georgia

Five Things I’ll Miss:

1.)  Seeing beautiful new places every day

2.)  Being separate from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world

3.)  Meeting really interesting people

4.)  Not really having to stick to s schedule

5.)  The peaceful simplicity of it all

Five Things I won’t Miss:

1.)  Yup, you guessed it: the lack of showers

2.)  The crusty feeling of a salty pair of cut-offs that haven’t been washed recently

3.)  The lack of a fridge and the tasty food that comes with it

4.)  The daily concussion I gave myself every morning when I sat up in my bunk and smashed by skull against the ceiling.

5.)  The constant state of being in one another’s way

Some Unusual Stats For Those Of You That Like Numbers:

Number of days gone: 267 (let's hope my quick calculation is correct...)

Number of pictures taken: 7, 985

Lowest temperature: 27 degrees Fahrenheit. (In Florida...)

Number of states visited: 10

Number of consecutive days I went without a real shower in the Bahamas: 56 (I am so embarrassed.)

Highest wind: 67 mph (Bimini, the day after Christmas)

Number of sand dollars collected: 13

Number of sand dollars that are still intact: 6

Number of jars of peanut butter we bought before going to the Bahamas: 24

Number of pairs of jeans that survived the trip without getting hopelessly corroded zippers: 0

     I’d like to think that I have grown as a person on this trip. I mean it’s probably inevitable when you experience so much and travel to new places. Cruising was a wonderful experience and I’d recommend that all of you consider what I’ve done and try to incorporate travel into your lives. (Sorry, I really do hate to sound preachy…) Even if it’s not by boat, get out there and explore the world around you. It’s pretty big. It’s got something for everyone.

     Mark Twain really hit the nail on the head when he said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by those that you did.” Maybe my past nine months was a crazy, irresponsible trip. It sure wasn’t the financially responsible thing to do. But hey- it’s been one heck of a fun time, and I’ll cherish the memories from my time on White Seal forever and ever.

     Well folks, that’s about all I’ve got for you. It’s back to an un-blog-worthy life for me. This blog has been very fun to write and I hope that everyone enjoyed it. I appreciate everyone that wrote in with comments and suggestions; they were all great.

-Mary

P.S. By the way, I’m very sorry about the title of this blog, it was major false advertising on my part. ‘Mary’s Year of Sailing’ is actually only a meager nine months, but it was just easier to call it a year. I hope no one feels too cheated.

The 'rents anxiously awaiting the opening of Lock 12, the last of the locks.

That's the Champlain Bridge in the background!

:)

THE END.

There's No Place Like Home

     WE'RE HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     After nearly nine months of living on White Seal, my parents and I are now back into our house. We motored up the lake on Sunday morning, excited and overwhelmed. I can't even explain the feeling of accomplishment that I felt as we came into Kingsland Bay. It was exactly as I remembered it and a lifetime of memories flooded me as I got ready to pick up our mooring.
     When we rowed ashore I planted a big fat kiss on the ground. I met our friends Buzz and Carol on the trail and we walked back to the parking lot. The trail was exceedingly muddy, as most things in Vermont are right now. We met Roger and Arabella and headed back to my house.
     My house! Oh my gosh. After giving it a quick run-through, I took a pile of rancid laundry and dumped it into the washer. Typical cruiser. I am NOT going to miss the whole laundry/ shower aspect of boat life.
     Roger drove me over to Chelsea's and a 36 hour social swirl began. I spent Sunday night at Chelsea's with Abbey after visiting a bunch of friends. We went to the Memorial Day parade the next day and I must have hugged a thousand people. Slight exaggeration? Probably. But really, I saw a bunch of friends. I spent Monday driving around with my friends, blasting music, and generally soaking up the social life I missed so much. I spent last night at Abbey's then came home to a list of chores.
     I spent today moving stuff in and cleaning out the car. This has been the first of many house project days. I also have to meet with my teachers, take a couple of finals, and somehow incorporate a three day trip to Nantucket into this packed agenda. Adieu to the peaceful, lazy boat days. Hello, reality.
     Well folks, we did it, we actually made it. I just can't fathom that the trip is finally done. I have mixed feelings, but mostly I'm feeling happy and content. It was wonderful, truly an experience that I will cherish forever. As for now, I'm busy resuming the life I left last fall. I imagine that that will be adventure enough for the time being.

Locks & Pictures

     Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. We're getting so close to home! We're more than halfway through the canal system and expect to spend tonight anchored somewhere on Lake Champlain. Perhaps, if things go as planned, we might arrive back at home late tomorrow night or the next day.
     This morning my mom called down and urged me to come on deck. Expecting a calamity of some sort, I immediately rushed up to find her pointing at a pasture full of peacefully grazing Holsteins. Cows, how exciting! We're really on the home stretch now!
     The air is smells earthy and fresh, a smell distinct to the northeast as it comes alive in the spring. (This odor is supplemented by cow manure in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, creating our own extra-special brand of Eau de Springtime.) Everything around, from the mosquitoes to the vegetation, is reminding us of home.
     The locks have been fun. The novelty of riding a water elevator has yet to wear off on me and my dad constantly sends me scolding glances as I excitedly prod at everything around me with a boathook.
     What can I say, the inner six-year-old within me is entertained.
     When we get home, my parents will move into the house and reside in the guest bedroom, the only bedroom that isn't currently occupied in our house. I personally think that I should be allowed to live on White Seal in by the falls in downtown Vergennes, but my parents aren't quite buying this proposal. I'll probably end up downstairs on our renter/ friend's couch or something until she moves out next month.
     I have a busy schedule the second I step ashore back in Ferrisburgh. I have to start work ASAP, get in for meetings with my teachers, and somehow try to attend my cousin's high school graduation on Nantucket. Life is about to move in fast-forward compared to the laid back, unscheduled life I've lived for the past nine months. Living on land like a normal person is going to be odd.
     After weeks of sketchy Internet, I am pleased to announce that I now have a connection strong enough to allow me to upload pictures. Enjoy!

The 'rents in New York City. This was taken on the Highline, a
park made out of an old elevated railway.

Times Square!

Grocery shopping on Broadway

The Bear Mountain Bridge on the Hudson

     I'll definitely post again when I get home. Within the next few days I also hope to upload a blog post consisting of a summary of the trip, including both statistics and fun 'top ten' lists. After that though, I'm afraid that my life will return to a depressing state of un-blog-worthiness. Mary's Year of Sailing is coming to it's inevitable end, I am quite sad to report.

Finishing up the Hudson River

     The clock is ticking away. We'll be home SO soon, probably by Monday or Tuesday. I haven't really wrapped my brain around it yet, honestly. We've been motoring north on the beautiful Hudson River for the past couple of days. My grandparents came to meet us in Hyde Park, New York for lunch on Wednesday. It was really nice to see them, I hadn't visited with them since last September. I also went to the doctor for an unexplained ear pain and received treatment for a double ear infection. Double ear infections are rather unpleasant. I don't recommend the experience.
     We unstepped the mast this morning using Castleton on Hudson Boat Club's do-it-yourself crane. It went very smoothly and was much less of an adventure than the last time we used it. It's kind of a tedious process that involves taking off the mainsail and all it's trimmings then removing about 10,000 cotter pins from the shrouds before finally attaching the big hook and giving the mast a little yank upwards. We got up before 6:00 this morning in order to beat the crowds to the crane which, needless to say, didn't appear to be a big issue to me. Deck space and freedom of movement are severely compromised when the mast and rigging are on the cabin top, but at least it will only be a couple short days.
     Within an hour or two we will enter the Federal Lock at Troy, NY. This is our last few miles of the trip at sea level. I'm trying not to dwell on the various 'lasts' of the trip, but it's hard. We did the last overnight passage. The last bit on the ocean. The last sail on the Hudson. The last this, the last that. The trip has been amazing, but now I'm going home. Time to look at the up side and not be overly nostalgic!
     I know that it has been eons since I've uploaded any pictures. They're coming soon- I promise!

New York City

            After a few days waiting out foul weather in Wildwood, New Jersey, the skies finally relented and allowed us a decent weather window to pop up to New York City on the ocean. We left the morning of the 19^th and had a rather uncomfortable. It was dreary and damp with light winds, but a week of strong wind before had made for monstrous swells. Thanks to Bonine, I survived all of this quite fine, though my poor mom got quite sick. We motored the whole way, all 24 hours. It was really a hit on my dad’s ego as a sailor and all, but if we had decided to sail it would have taken twice as long.

            The day went by uneventfully, and as night fell we began to see lightning dancing across the horizon to the east. We stayed far away from these storm cells and it was never an issue, fortunately. At about 2:30 AM (right after I ended a two and a half hour steering watch), the fog set in. The thick, deceptively bright fog banks closed in on us several different times that night and the next morning, but it never put us in any real danger.

After about two hours of sleep, my mom woke me up at 6:00 AM. We were entering the Ambrose Channel in New York harbor in the fog and I was needed as a lookout. I managed to crawl out of my cocoon and on deck and we picked our way from mark to mark, keeping just outside of the channel to avoid confrontation with the commercial shipping traffic. As the morning wore on, slowly the fog lifted and the skyline of New York came into focus. Let me tell you, after a night at sea, there is no cooler feeling than coming into New York Harbor.

The 20^th was spent recovering from the overnight. It’s SO exhausting to do overnight passages and quite frankly, I am very glad that this last little excursion was the last one. We got a mooring at 79^th Street Boat Basin and slept.

The next two days we walked all over the city. Manhattan is just plain cool. We had a picnic in Central Park. We rode the Subway to downtown and walked along Park Avenue. We often stumbled upon well-known attractions by accident, such as Lincoln Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We walked and walked and walked. We scoped out the Highline, an old elevated railway that has been turned into a very interesting park. I sipped on a Starbucks coffee in Times Square, feeling delightfully and uncharacteristically cosmopolitan. I bought some clothes on 5^th Avenue.

By far the biggest excitement came on Sunday afternoon. We sought out and acquired (drum roll, please) tickets to see a BROADWAY SHOW! The only play even remotely in our budget at that time appeared to be Priscilla, an award winning musical about three drag queens driving across the Australian Outback in an old bus named Priscilla. It was absolutely hilarious. The play was so incredibly well done and the special lighting effects on the bus were mind-blowing. Both of my parents loved it also, (although I think that my dad felt a bit squeamish during some rather raunchy scenes.)

I could have stayed in Manhattan indefinitely, if it had been up to me. Unfortunately however, time marches on and we need to get home soon. We left midday and anchored in the middle of nowhere. Today we are motoring up the Hudson in the light rain, enjoying the feeling of being back in the beautiful, lush, mountainous Northeast. We’re really on the home stretch!

P.S. I’m currently stealing WiFi from a random marina we’re passing by to upload this blog!

To Wildwood, NJ

            Ever since we crossed over the US, we have had positively delightful weather; that is until we reached the Chesapeake early last week. It hasn’t been really awful or anything, just kind of blustery and drizzly for the past few days. Oh well, if nothing else the cool weather makes for much more pleasant sleeping and the rains have kept the coat of salty grime that always encrusts the decks from building up too much.

Despite this weather, we had a lovely time on Chesapeake Bay. It’s a pretty place loaded with protected anchorages and cute little towns. After departing Solomons, we sailed/ motored up to Annapolis in a stiff Northerly breeze. I had taken a seasickness pill that morning that sufficiently knocked me out for the duration of the day. I woke up around 5:00 in the afternoon and had some breakfast. Shortly after that we went over to our friend’s house for dinner. Seeing them was great, they are awesome people and a lot of fun to be around.

The following day we stayed put and walked around downtown Annapolis. We toured the William Paca house, an obscenely oversized mansion with beautiful gardens behind it. William was kind of a big deal I guess, he signed the Declaration of Independence and was Maryland’s governor for a while. My parents had toured it 20 years ago and remembered it for it’s gardens, so we brought a small picnic of cheese and crackers and ate it out there after the tour. We walked through a bunch of little galleries and stopped in for lunch at Chick & Ruth’s Deli, an awesome little sandwich shop that is well renowned for it’s tasty subs and has been in business many decades.

We had dinner with our friends again that night. They have a daughter my age and she and I had fun listening to music and chatting about life in her room. We got back to the boat around 11:00 that night and collapsed, thoroughly exhausted from a long, happy day.

The next morning we were up and out early. We motored to the top of the Chesapeake, weaving our way through a slalom course of pesky crab pots. Late in the afternoon we anchored in Chesapeake City and went ashore for a walk around town. We poked around in every single antique shop/ boutique in town then retired to the boat for the evening.

Saturday the weather was rather icky so we remained in Chesapeake City. We went to the C&D Canal Museum in the morning and entertained ourselves by trying to figure out how the steam powered water wheel worked. More boutique window-shopping kept us occupied that afternoon, though it was rainy. I went back to the boat, knocked out some schoolwork, and went to bed before 8:00.

Yesterday morning we left Chesapeake City mid-morning to catch a favorable tide out to Delaware Bay. There was thick fog everywhere but we zipped along under power without any difficulty.  We anchored in the Cohansey River, a windy, scenic creek where we stopped last fall on the way South. My mom and I went for a walk and discovered that the gently rolling hay fields and big red barns of the town look strikingly similar to those of our hometown.

This morning we pulled up anchor and headed down Delaware Bay to Cape May. It was extremely foggy. We couldn’t see the horizon most of the time, but the water was flat calm and everything went smoothly. We anchored at Wildwood, a touristy suburb that is pretty much dead this time of year without it’s summer vacationers. We got pizza in celebration of our successful trip down Delaware Bay.

We’ll probably be stuck here for a few days waiting for good water to make the ocean hop over to NYC. After we make the passage to New York, we’ll continue up the Hudson to the Champlain Canal, then up the Lake to home. The Champlain Canal is closed due to high water until May 23^rd, but I’ll be home shortly after that. I can’t believe that we are actually getting close to Vermont. Wow, this year has flown by!

Going up the Chesapeake

     Late on Saturday afternoon we arrived in Deltaville, Virginia. My dad recognized friends from our marina at home anchored next to us and we spent much of the night visiting with them. They're pretty cool people and had many stories to share.
     On Sunday morning we left for Reedsville, after a Mother's Day breakfast of French toast. It was dreary and drizzling, but after we anchored the weather cleared up and we walked around on shore. Reedsville was a pleasant place; it was the type of coastal town where people actually live and work, not one of those fake, generic touristy towns. There was a nice museum there and we learned all about the fishing history of the Chesapeake. (My dad was very in to this. He would have stayed there all night if it hadn't closed up.) In honor of Mother's Day, my ol' man decided to spring for dinner that evening at a place called the Crazy Crab. We feasted on crab bisque, crab cake salad, and crab dip at a waterside restaurant a short row from White Seal. Fresh Chesapeake crab meat is good stuff, let me tell you.
     I awoke feeling queasy this morning. It was about 7 AM and my parents were beating to windward in 20 knot winds towards Solomons, Maryland, a town inconveniently located dead upwind. I rolled over and buried my face in the pillow, trying to mentally discourage the onsetting seasickness from happening. An hour later I finally dragged myself out of bed and onto the deck where I curled into the fetal position in the aft of the cockpit. I spent all morning in either the cabin or on deck in a state of extreme discomfort. After many hours of this, the wind finally lessened and I gradually began to feel like a human again. We motored the rest of the way into Solomons, Maryland and anchored near our friends. It was an exhausting day but we only covered about 30 miles or so. Ugh.

     Tomorrow is laundry/ showers/ West Marine/ grocery shopping day. I am psyched. Today I had a rotten day of seasickness, but it's nothing that a hot shower and some fresh food won't cure. Wednesday we shall be off to Annapolis to visit with our good friends there for a few days. I'm loving the Chesapeake, it's a beautiful place!

Cruisin' in the Fast Lane

     We’re on the Chesapeake! After flying through the rest of the ICW, I finally feel like we’re on the homeward leg. After leaving Charleston on April 29th we really motivated, covering upwards of 60 miles on a good day. We zipped through all the places where we lingered last fall, never staying put for more time than absolutely necessary.  It’s very tedious to go all day long, although being confined to the boat has certainly allowed me to wrap up my schoolwork.

     A typical day these days starts off with my phone alarm clock going off at 6:00 AM. I generally doze for another hour or two, but my parents get up, haul up anchor, and motor off. My dad can’t fathom how I can remain asleep despite the throb of the engine, but I can sleep through just about anything. I really like this whole sleeping in thing, but I know that this habit will have to go when I get home. Reality is going to be harsh.

     After getting some grub I do a few pages in my math book. (I am about three days from being done, at which time I plan on baking a celebratory cake.) I’ll write a page in my science journal, update my seamanship and PE logs, and read. I’m pretty much done with English and History for the time being, but when I get home I’ll meet with my teachers and there will undoubtedly be some major studying to be done before I am sufficiently prepared to attempt the final exams.

     When I think that I have done enough schooling for the day I’ll help steer the boat or read. On the off chance that we’re actually sailing, I will assist with that. Often I just end up relaxing on the foredeck and listening to my iPod.

     It’s generally past dinnertime when we anchor. As the sun sets we all go below and get ready for bed. After a long day of plugging along at 5 knots, we are all ready to crash.

     6:00 AM comes too soon and the routine begins again.

     Hopefully we will get to spend a day or two in Annapolis later this week. We would all really like to see our friends there. From there we’ll speed on to New York City for a visit there. After that, the next stop will be home. Due to the unusually high lake level, the Champlain Canal is closed until at least May 23rd, so arriving earlier than the 26th at home is impossible. My dad still says that we’ll make it back around June 1st though. I’m a confusing combination of excited, sad, and anxious. Fortunately, I'd say it's mostly excitement.

     Here are a couple pictures of what life has been like on the White Seal as of late.

Sometimes we share the Waterway with much larger traffic. This barge
and it's load were about 1000 ft long all together.

Giving dad a haircut...

Charleston: Take II

            Charleston was as delightful as I remembered it, if not more so. We arrived there at around 10 AM on Wednesday and got dock space at the Municipal Marina. The wind was really whipping and the current in Charleston is strong, so I was very glad to be tied to a good, solid dock. The forecast was bleak; it called for thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, and basically every other type of formidable weather catastrophe possible. Luckily for us, this weather system didn’t bother Charleston, but unfortunately, much of the South has been devastated by it in the past few days. I know many friends/ family members/ blog readers have been concerned, so I just want to clarify that my family and I are safe and sound.

            I have to say that the Municipal Marina was the nicest marina we've stayed at so far. When my mom went up to the office to settle up, they gave her a complimentary bag full of brochures, coupons, pens, and maps for the city. They had a laundry facility that was conveniently located, as well as a courtesy van that took marina guest wherever they pleased. The facilities were very well maintained and service was nice. And most importantly, we had access to the cleanest, nicest, hottest showers yet.

            After having lunch on the boat, we all walked into town. We explored south of Broad Street (the exclusive district with beautiful, historic Antebellum homes) for a while, absorbing the grandeur and smelling the sweet jasmine that was blooming all over the city. (My mom decided that she wanted to get a jasmine plant for the boat. Yes, a  plant. On a boat. Is it just me, or is that a ridiculous idea? Small sailboats and potted plants just don’t mix well.)

            After wandering around for a while we got hungry and decided that it was time for some grub, so we picked up a couple deli sandwiches from the grocery store. I had forgotten just how much I adore chicken salad sandwiches. Oh, how I miss having a refrigerator. I’m going to eat chicken salad every day when I get back home.

            I recently got hired as a hostess in a restaurant back home, and I had to buy a pair of professional looking black pants to complete my required uniform. My parents poked around in antique shops for an hour or so while I shopped at Forever 21. When we met up later, they were rather disappointed but not altogether unsurprised that I hadn’t exactly accomplished my mission. In my bulging bag of newly purchased clothing I had a printed skirt, a gray sweater, a blue cardigan, a tank top, and a sundress- but no black pants. I ended up coming back the following day to buy pants.

            Across the dock from us was the sailboat Calypso with Jonathon and Christine onboard. We became friends with them in the Bahamas and we ended up spending a good chunk of the evening on their boat. They’re very nice. They also have the world's cutest little dog.

            We spent Thursday afternoon walking around town some more. Every now and then the sky would spit a little, but for the most part the weather was pretty decent. We went into a beautiful church with brilliant stained glass. We stopped in at an antique shop that specialized in recovered treasure from sunken ships. My parents got pita pocket sandwiches at a tiny little café downtown. My mom and I tried on a hundred different hats at an overpriced little shop on the east side of town. There’s a whole lot to do in Charleston, and we did as much as time would allow us to do.

            This morning we left for Georgetown, South Carolina. We actually got boarded by Customs/ Police officers. It wasn't a big deal though, they had been boarding pretty much every other pleasure vessel in the harbor. They checked our passports, vessel documentation, and asked us all about our trip. It was all over in about 15 minutes and we were free to go. 

            In the next few days we will pass through some beautiful places that I loved on the way down, including the Waccamaw River. It’s interesting to be doing the Intracoastal backwards and seeing everything I saw last fall again from a different angle. Even though I have passed through these places, I am still loving the trip north!

Walking down by the Battery with my dad.

Beaufort, South Carolina

     Man, I am beat. Sailing offshore for over twenty-four hours completely and totally zaps your energy. We left from St. Augustine at around 9:00 AM on Easter morning and motored out the inlet onto the Atlantic. The sea was pretty calm, but I still spent most of the day curled up in the fetal position trying not to vomit all over the place. (Sorry, too much detail...) The sun was brutal, but fortunately there was a nice breeze that allowed us to turn off the engine.

     As the sun began to sink lower in the sky, my stomach slowly started to stop somersaulting and I went up on deck. Well-rested from my day of being incapacitated, I took the helm. I steered from 8-10, then from 11-1, then from 3-4. There was always an extra person on hand to keep and eye out for ships, but one person always got to rest. Sleeping is a challenge during these times though, considering the boat has an extremely unfortunate tendency to hurl you from your bunk and onto the floor when it rolls. Needless to say, when one is tired enough, it is possible to get a wee bit of shut-eye. 

     I woke up in a stupor this morning and proceeded to smash my head on the hatch board as I ascended the steps into the cockpit. Feeling very upset, I decided that breakfast should consist of a Starbucks frappachino and a handful of Reese's peanut butter cups. I felt a lot better after this healthy meal and fell back asleep until we neared Beaufort.

     Beaufort, South Carolina is an old town. When you walk off of the dinghy dock, you are greeted by a bustling main street lined with fanciful boutiques and decadent eateries. The side streets are shaded by ancient live oaks, draped with wispy beards of Spanish Moss that stand guard over the manicured gardens of grand estates. The houses are astounding; a huge amount of time, money, and TLC went into making and preserving such a town. 

     I spent the afternoon poking around in art galleries, eating ice cream, and marveling at the extravagant, beautiful architecture that is distinctive to the South. It was a quality afternoon indeed. It's 8:31 now and I'm the only one up. I'd love to walk around Beaufort some more this evening, but after last night's journey, I am about ready to collapse. Good night everyone, I am off to bed!

My favorite mansion in Beaufort... slightly more roomy than my current accommodations.

My second choice.

Vero, Titusville, & Daytona Beach

     I have never been the biggest fan of Florida. I imagine that it was incredibly beautiful a hundred years ago, but now that it's plastered with asphalt and condos it doesn't appeal to me as a pleasant place to live. Returning to Florida after a stay in the very laid-back, low-key Bahamas has been harsh. Even though these places are only separated by a narrow band of ocean, they're worlds apart.

     In the Bahamas you say hi. When you pass anyone on the street they greet you with a cheery "Hello, how are you today?" and you often end up having full out conversations across the street with locals. If you need to go somewhere far away, just stick your thumb out and you'll catch a ride from the first person who drives by. Smalltalk isn't just a brief ordeal; we once ended up chatting and laughing with one cashier for about a half hour after purchasing a bag of groceries from her. You never have lock your boat and I was always allowed to go for walks around town by myself. The fear of strangers that America had instilled in me was erased in the Bahamas.

     Coming ashore in America was kind of happy but also a rude awakening from my happy Bahamian state of mind. I walked into Publix and experienced a major sensory overload. All of the food stores in the Bahamas could have fit inside of the Publix in Fort Pierce. The food in the Bahamas is twice as expensive as it is here so my mother and I had an absolute field day stocking up on things like Wheat Thins and chips that had been prohibitively expensive for the past four months. We're eating well on White Seal now!

    We left Vero Beach on Thursday and made an impressive 73.5 miles up to Titusville for the night. We anchored out and went in to the marina to catch up with friends and an Irish family of five that we had met around Thanksgiving. We ordered pizza and chowed down. I felt disgustingly American sitting there with my soda and pizza in front of the TV. It was scrumptious.

     Yesterday we headed up to Daytona Beach. My second cousins were vacationing in the area so my dad decided that we could pay for a marina for the night. Our marina was wicked nice and I managed to shower off before going out to dinner with my great aunt, second cousins, and their parents. (Not really sure how to refer to them, but the dad is my dad's cousin. Does that make him my second cousin once removed...? I'm clueless.) The two girls were seniors in high school and identical twins. And man, they were REALLY identical. If they had been wearing the same outfit, which thankfully the weren't, I would have been completely incapable of remembering who was who. They were very nice and it was cool to get to know them for an evening.

    This morning we're motoring up to St. Augustine, if the tides will allow us to go that far. St. Augustine was my favorite place in Florida last time we went through, so I'm excited. There's a great used book store that I really want to stop at, as well as a little cafe with the world's most heavenly cinnamon buns. 

     If we continue to make good time up the coast, we might be home around June 1st. No promises or anything because boats and plans don't mix at all. But tentatively, possibly, maybe, we could PERHAPS get back around then. I have a job lined up at the Basin Harbor Club as a hostess, which I am quite excited about. I've gotten to talk to a bunch of friends since coming back to the States so I'm thinking a lot more about home. It will be sad to give up the boat life, but hey- I've got another full month. May as well live it up!

     Since I have good Internet now, here are some pictures from the Bahamas. They aren't particularly recent but I thought I'd include some that show the people and buildings that make the country so special and unique.

Water spouts on the horizon. When we were sailing to the States earlier this week,
we had to stay out of the way of these bad boys.

Local kids at Green Turtle parade around town practicing Junkanoo music.

Roberta's Faith Grocery store in Green Turtle Cay. Little smaller than an American Stop & Shop, eh?

I thought that this tailor's shop in Bimini was absolutely adorable.

My mother at the helm. This was taken as we crossed the Tropic of Cancer
on the way to Salt Pond, Long Island.

There are many abandoned homes taken over by nature on Cat Island.

The US of A

    Well everybody, White Seal is back in the States. I have had a few very long days and am rather worn out, but everything has gone very well.
     On Saturday we left Manjack Cay in the Abacos and sailed 52 nautical miles to Great Sale Cay. It was a really hot, muggy day, but jumping overboard when we anchored did wonders for my mood. We moved to another more protected anchorage on Sunday and spent another night there waiting out bad weather. The sky was pretty dark and there were water spouts, which are mild, short-lived tornadoes that often form in unsettled weather. I spent a lot of time in the water, savoring the magnificent, clear Bahamian water. We explored the island for a while, but the vegetation was thick and venturing inland was quite a challenge.
     That night we had dinner on another boat and chatted about the upcoming crossing with a bunch of other cruisers. Boaters get really worked up about that sort of thing and always make a point to discuss their past near-death crossing experiences over cocktails with whomever will listen. I found it rather dull, but hey- there was good food.
     The next morning we pulled up anchor and sailed away along with a dozen other boats. We fired up the motor and cruised along the banks, trying to avoid the squalls that you could see dumping rain off to the south. I watched Great Sale Cay sink below the horizon, then West End, then Mangrove Cay. We got to the GPS waypoint by Memory Rock then headed off of the Bahama Banks and into the Straits of Florida. Memory Rock is just a nondescript chunk of rock in the middle of nowhere, but I watched it until it disappeared behind us. Memory Rock was the last of the Bahamas that we would see.
     Leaving was sad. I have had wonderful experiences there that I will never forget as long as I live. Fortunately, I didn't have much time to become a sentimental mess. We had to cross the Gulf Stream.
     It got dark shortly after and the temperature dropped to a much more comfortable level. My mom took a nap while my dad and I steered west. The water in the Gulf Stream is much more choppy than your typical stretch of deep water so I took a motion sickness pill as a precautionary measure. It was very effective, though it made me rather tired. I slept from about 9:00 until midnight, at which time a particularly large swell tossed me out of my bunk and onto the floor.
     I steered from midnight until about 3:30. My mom slept the whole time, but my poor dad probably only got about 5 minutes of shut-eye. Every time he'd lay down and things would be going uneventfully, I'd see a ship coming towards us and he'd want to stay up until it was safely by us. I handed the tiller back to him and fell asleep for another hour or so.
     Crossing the Gulf Stream is pretty awesome. The whole concept that it is basically a huge river plopped in the middle of the ocean fascinates me. The route we took was only about 60 miles, but 20 of those are provided by the strong current. Plus you just feel really accomplished when you  and your little boat go from one country to another in one day.
     Luckily for us, we were traveling with friends on another sailboat who had all the gadgetry that helps make encounters with ships as easy and safe as possible. With their handy-dandy AIS, we could see nearby any large ship's name, location, speed, and course. Their radar also helped us locate any other vessels that the AIS missed. Using this, we managed to effectively avoid getting obliterated by several massive ships that came nearby during the night. I made some snide remarks to my dad about our boat's lack of such equipment, but I'm sure we would have been fine even without access to such information.
     We drifted outside of the entrance to the channel for a while to wait for daylight. As the sun rose we motored in the cut and into the ICW. Everything seemed so oversized in Florida. So well-developed. So manicured. After spending a winter in a more primitive country, Florida overwhelmed me. (This also might have been due to my extreme exhaustion at this point.)
     The first thing that really stood out to me was that America smelled funky. It seems like a stupid thing to say, but it's really true. The Bahamas are made of rock and sand and always smell like a beach. As we came closer to the US I smelled the strong smell of soil, which is something largely nonexistent in the Bahamas. There was also a faint but definitely noticeable odor of exhaust fumes.
     We anchored by the Harbor View Marina. My mom fell asleep, but I was still functioning pretty well so I cleaned up. It's amazing how gross a boat can get after a passage. Everything gets tossed around the cabin and I spent a good half hour picking up miscellaneous items off of the floor and stowing them away. My mom had spilled coffee all over the galley and I tackled the onerous task of scraping the coffee grounds off of the stovetop.
     We got a cab and went to the airport mid-morning to clear Customs. Our Customs guy was very friendly and made the process of re-entry quick and painless. The whole ordeal lasted about 10 minutes. We zipped on back to the boat and left for Vero Beach.
     After a pleasant 15 mile sail to Vero, we got a mooring and went in to the marina to shower. During the Gulf Stream crossing I had gotten encrusted with a layer of salt so standing under a stream of hot, fresh water was fantastic. After we were all squeaky-clean, my mother laundered everything launder-able on the boat. I went back to the boat and crashed, content and cozy in my fresh sheets.
    I was revived this morning after a good night's rest. This morning we got on the bus and headed into town to do some errands. My dad did some chores at West Marine while my mom and I went to AT&T to activate my phone. I forgot how much I love having a phone, it certainly makes communication with friends so much easier. My mom and I split a five dollar foot long sub at Subway. It was then that I really knew we were in America.
     This afternoon I'll be lounging around the boat reading and doing some schoolwork. Tomorrow we'll head north towards Titusville, but the likelihood that we'll actually make it there tomorrow is pretty slim. Our trip north is going to go a lot faster than the trip south did, but hopefully there will still be some time to explore on shore a bit.
     Here's a picture of my parents looking super cute in Hopetown, Abaco. I'll try to upload some more later if the Internet is faster.

 

The Abacos

            I’ve been having a lovely time in the Abacos. I know it’s only been a few days since my last post, but as long as I have Internet I thought I’d update everyone on what I’m up to.

White Seal spent two nights on the dock at Hopetown. It was a mere $20 per night to keep the boat there and the facilities were top-notch. Rachel, Jake, and I were psyched to get unlimited use of a fresh-water pool and the added benefit of laundry made it a truly great experience.

As for the actual town there, it was great. The narrow streets of Hopetown are lined with clapboard houses painted every imaginable color and the well-tended gardens add to the cheery, colorful atmosphere. There were lots and lots of little touristy shops that sold things like Bahamas T-shirts and little shot glasses and all that junk. The majority of the homes are upscale vacation homes/ rentals so expensive that only the uppermost crust of America can afford to stay there. Despite the all of the wealth, Hopetown has retained a distinctive charm.

We checked out the town’s museum one day and were impressed by how well done it was. I got a crash-course in Bahamian history there and was surprised to find it rather interesting. I learned that when the first Europeans came to the Bahamas back in the 15^th century, there were about 30,000 people already living there. These native Bahamians, (called Lucayans) were completely obliterated in the next 40 years and very little is known about them as a people.

We went over to Marsh Harbor on Tuesday and anchored among about 50 other cruising boats. I went over and met up with some friends I met in Georgetown, Courtney and Olivia. Courtney was eager to show Rachel and I a boutique in town, so we immediately set out on a shopping mission. My wallet was completely empty, but it was fun to try on ridiculous dresses anyway. (I’m a teenage girl, what can I say…)

We spent Thursday in Marsh Harbor as well. The whole ambiance of the town is remarkably similar to a city in Southern Florida, complete with a KFC, sprawling shopping centers, and the perpetual stink of car exhaust. Needless to say, I am not a big fan of this type of town so I was eager to get out of Marsh Harbor and spend some time in one more truly Bahamian town before heading back to the States. This town was Green Turtle.

Green Turtle was a friendly, peaceful little settlement. It wasn’t as flawless as Hopetown, but that was almost a good thing. My parents and I met everyone from Sisu on the street and we came to the horrible realization that we are separating soon. Our family has to start moving north quickly and we’ll be crossing back into the United States ASAP. Sisu is going to be lingering in the Abacos for a while longer. 

We all stopped by Vern’s model boat shop and checked out his masterpieces. We chatted with the owner of a gift shop for a while and heard all about her experiences as an airplane pilot in a small community. We said hello to the kids as they left school for the day and walked home. We gleefully skipped along the streets, our arms linked.

We had dinner over on Sisu last night and said goodbye. The worst part of cruising isn’t the lack of showers or the bad food. It isn’t the cramped living quarters. It’s all the goodbyes that come with the lifestyle of a traveler. Fortunately their family lives in Maine so I’ll be able to visit Rachel and Jake every now and then, but leaving behind people that have become a big part of your life still just plain stinks. I thought I had said all my goodbyes when we left home back in September. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

After a few lovely, leisurely months of slow-paced travel, it’s time to move. We’ve been dragging our feet and wishing that this could go on forever, but alas we’ll be returning to the States soon. After a cold front on Sunday, we’ll be awaiting a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream. From there we’ll cruise back to Vermont as quickly as possible, skipping many of the places we visited on our trip down last fall. I absolutely love the Bahamas and am very sad to leave, but it’s time to come home.

Up to the Abacos

            After a lovely stay at Governor’s Harbor, we sailed up to Hatchet Bay to wait for better weather. Hatchet Bay is very well protected, but we had some trouble setting our anchor and awoke one morning to discover that we had dragged across the bottom. My dad then decided that getting a mooring was a priority, so we spent a couple of nights on a ball there. The town there was rather gritty, but I had the opportunity to get on Skype for a bit and chat with friends back home, a much needed diversion.

            From Hatchet Bay we sailed up to Royal Island. Back in the 1930s, some wealthy foreigner built quite the estate on the island, with multiple fancy buildings and manicured terraced gardens. It fell into disrepair though and today is only a handful of decrepit stone structures, covered in graffiti and choked by the jungle. Exploring this place was fun, I felt like an adventurer that was uncovering Mayan ruins for the first time or something.

            My dad and I also did a little snorkeling at Royal Island. We tried spear fishing, but without success. Fortunately, our friend Erik fared a bit better and we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner of fresh fish on his boat that night. After living on a diet on beans & rice, mac & cheese, and other ‘boat foods’ for many days, fresh triggerfish was seriously heavenly.

            We sailed over to Spanish Wells on Monday the 4^th. Due to an upcoming storm, my dad miraculously decided to spring for dock space, a frivolous expenditure entirely unlike him. The marina where we tied up had a laundry facility and, drum roll please, SHOWERS. I couldn’t get into the shower fast enough. Normally I would have been disgusted by the grittiness of the facility, but after so many days of bathing in the ocean, any shower was a luxury. When I finally got out, we went and laundered the sheets. Clean laundry and a shower. Dang, my quality of life is improving!

            After using the marina’s amenities, we ventured out into town. This Bahamian island is unlike any other town I’ve been to. Most villages thus far have been a bit unkempt in appearance, lots of peeling paint and covered with trash. Spanish Wells is the opposite. The roads are lined with beautifully maintained, brightly colored houses with gardens overflowing with bougainvillea of every hue. The grocery store is giant, almost as large as the one back at home. There are trash bins at every corner and not a speck of litter ends up on the streets. There aren’t any stray dogs lying around and a single beggar did not approach us the whole time. It was entirely different than the Bahamas I had been traveling previously.

            Why is this town so much more prosperous than the others, one might ask? Spanish Wells is homeport to the most extensive fishing fleet in the Bahamas. This small settlement produces about 75% of the nations lobster, an impressive figure considering that the town has only about 1,700 people.

            Spanish Wells is a predominantly white island, another thing that makes it so different than the rest of the Bahamas. The first settlers there were American loyalists who left the U.S. shortly after the Revolutionary War in hopes of making a go of it in the Bahamas. (Since then, the gene pool hasn’t had much diversity. I swear, half the people there have the last name Pinder.) Some of the Spanish Wellsians I talked to were incredibly racist, an animosity I found interesting considering whites are by far the minority in this country.

            We spent a ton of time walking around town, just taking it all in. One day I went to an assembly at the high school with Rachel and Jake. It was the school’s annual “Cultural Fair” and this year the focus was on Spanish. We met some local kids there who ended up giving us a brief tour of the island later that afternoon. I also bought a cup of cookies and cream ice cream, which completely made my day. It’s funny, when you live on a boat; the simplest things cause such great happiness.

            After a pleasant stay in Spanish Wells, we left for the Abacos. The Abacos are the northernmost Bahamian archipelago and the last group of islands we will be traveling through before returning to the States. Our sail up took us over a section of the ocean that was 15,000 feet deep, a fact I probably would have thought was awesome if I hadn’t been face down in the cockpit dying of seasickness. I arrived alive however and spent the evening watching Shiloh with Rachel and Jake over on their boat and eating a pan of brownies.

            The next morning we motored over to Little Harbor. The entrance into the bay is very shallow and we barely made it in even at high tide. The harbor has lots of sea turtles and there is a big cave on one side that my parents and I climbed around in. There is a foundry on this island that was started by Randolph Johnson, a reclusive artist that spent the latter years of his life out on this island casting beautiful works of bronze. We got a tour of the foundry, which is still in operation, with a bunch of other cruisers. It was very interesting to see how something so dense can be melted into a liquid and turned into art.

            Saturday we left Little Harbor and anchored off of a nearby island called Sandy Cay. My dad and I went snorkeling on a spectacular ocean reef right off of the island. There were mountains of corals of every shape and size and brilliantly colored reef fish darting about everywhere. Sea fans waltzed gracefully as the oncoming swell rolled over. Angelfish nibbled algae from the menacing looking columns of elkhorn coal. It was the most fascinating, mysterious, and serene place ever. We anchored at a neighboring cay for the night.

            Yesterday morning we pulled up anchor and headed up to Hopetown. My father, ever the diehard sailor, insisted that we sail there, despite the fact that the winds were under 5 knots. After inching along under the hot sun for a few hours, even my dad became a bit disgruntled by our painstakingly slow pace and we fired up the engine. We got dock space at a lovely marina for only $20 per night, with access to a pool, Laundromat, and lovely gardens.

            We climbed the lighthouse here, which is one of three lighthouses world that still uses kerosene to produce the light. The panoramic view from the top was amazing. We walked around town for a bit after that. The island is dripping with charm. Brightly painted houses sit poised in their gardens along the narrow streets. Little shops sell flip-flops, groceries, sunscreen, and other necessities.  A large number of the homes are second homes to wealthy Americans, but it still has a nice, friendly atmosphere. Hopetown is very sweet.

            Today we’ll spend another day here in Hopetown, thanks to a whole lot of pleading on my part. My dad anticipates that we’ll be back in the US in about 2 weeks, but this is weather dependant and thus very subject to change. Leaving the Bahamas and returning to the fast paced life of America is going to be a major culture shock. I’m not sure that I’m ready to be headed north, but I’m sure that I will have fun. Here are some pictures of our adventure!

The view of Royal Island from the ruins.

Fishing boats at Spanish Wells.

Going for a golf cart ride with my cruiser friends on Spanish Wells one evening. From left to right there is Katie,
Jake, Eli, myself, Rachel, and Jessie.

Elkhorn coral off of Sandy Cay. The colors are much more vivid than this, my camera
doesn't quite do it justice.

Cat Island & Eleuthera

Well folks, White Seal has finally pulled anchor and sailed out of Georgetown, Exuma. It was sort of sad leaving, but to be completely honest, I was ready for a change of scenery. Since departing Georgetown we have visited three towns on Cat Island, the island of Little San Salvador, and Rock Sound, Eluethera. I’ve had the privilege of sharing these adventures with my friends Rachel and Jake which has made everything 32948x more fun.

            Cat Island was another island that is almost surreal in it’s beauty and peaceful atmosphere. Our first stop there was at the town of New Bight. From the beach it is a pleasant walk up the highest mountain in the Bahamas, a whopping 206 feet above sea level. Atop this hill there is a little churchlike castle known as The Hermitage that was built about a half century ago by Father Jerome, a well-known architect and priest. From The Hermitage one can obtain a 360-degree view that can best be described as indescribable. I know of no adjectives that could effectively convey how astonishingly pretty it is up there. We hiked up there one sunset with Sisu with the intention of viewing the green flash, but alas the clouds foiled that hope. But seriously, it was prettiest man-made spot in the Bahamas.

            From there we went on to Orange Creek, a pleasant little town on the northern end of Cat Island for a few days. Orange Creek is a sleepy little town that consists of little more than a handful of houses and a general store. One day we embarked on a long walk that ended up taking us to a blue hole and a cave, both of which were pretty awesome. I also picked up a bunch of sand dollars from the bottom while snorkeling. I meticulously packaged them in hopes that they make it to Vermont intact, but the likelihood of this happening is rather slim.

            We also spent one day exploring the town of Arthurs Town on Cat Island. It was a very sweet, quiet place. We struck up a conversation with an old woman who owned a bar there for quite some time. She was full of strong opinions and seemed to enjoy offloading her thoughts onto my dad.

            After Cat Island we went to Little San Salvador. Fifteen years ago this island would have been paradise; peaceful, uninhabited and unscathed by humanity with a magnificent sandy beach to boot. A few years back however, the Holland-America Cruise line purchased the island and proceeded to wreak havoc upon the shores. It has now been transformed into a tacky American outpost of sorts, with three thousand plastic beach chairs, restaurants, water slides, and a gargantuan pirate ship/ bar plopped right in the middle. A guest can even ride ponies on the beach if they so desire, but of course only while wearing a helmet, life jacket, and under the strict supervision of a professional. The morning after we arrived we were joined in the anchorage by a 1000-foot cruise ship that had come to deposit their passengers onto the beach for a day of genuine Bahamian relaxation on their private cay. We pulled up anchor and got the heck out.

            We arrived at Rock Sound, Eleuthera mid-afternoon after motoring all day in heat that nearly boiled me alive. We went ashore and were greeted by two high school students who introduced us to their delightful town and told us all we needed to know. Rachel, Jake, and I hung out with a couple of local kids and walked around town and browsed the local CD/ DVD store. My parents and I walked over to an inland blue hole which was really, really awesome. I wanted to swim in it but I didn’t have my bathing suit. While returning to the boat my parents got slightly sidetracked and we ended up in a bar. The three of us played dominoes and got absolutely obliterated at it by the Bahamians. The fellows there were a lot of fun and talking with them while I munched away on my chicken and fries was very entertaining. I’ve resolved to master dominoes.

            Thursday morning we woke up and headed into town with the intention of going to the Island School. I stuck out my thumb and we managed to hitchhike very successfully about 25 miles to Powell Point where the well-renowned high school is. (Note to Aunt Annie or anyone else who is horrified by the idea of me hitchhiking: Hitchhiking in the Bahamas is considered far safer than doing so in America. It’s a common mode of transportation here, but you may rest assured it’s not something I’ll ever do in the States.)

We got a tour of the campus and learned about what they’re studying there. It was an extremely cool school. They have an extensive ‘wet lab’ with huge fiber glass tanks full of fish, as well as hydroponics gardens, a small farm, a windmill, and the largest solar panel system in the country. They compost everything, recycle everything, and produce enough energy on site that they sell some of it back into the grid. In addition, the location is on a pristine section of beautiful Eleuthera. Perhaps if the tuition wasn’t so obscenely expensive I would apply to go there for a semester.

            For the past couple of days I’ve been exploring the extensive cave system located just outside of Rock Sound. In the afternoons all the kids generally migrate towards the ocean hole to impress one another with daredevil dives and other highly treacherous antics. I went to church Sunday morning, (a rare occurrence) and found it to be a very interesting experience.

           I went to the public high school at Rock Sound on Monday. It was a very interesting experience, I hadn't been in an actual school in months. Religion is a central aspect in their educational system, which was quite different from what I was used to. I attended biology, math, commerce, business, and PE classes while there. I did have to wear jeans and I ended up sweating more than I thought humanly possible.

          Tuesday we headed up to Governor's Harbor. We reunited with friends on the boat Curiosity and went out to the movies with them. The only thing playing was The Roommate, a movie that we all agreed was imminently forgettable. The village here is very sweet, but due to the weather we have to leave today for a more protected anchorage. We're going to be pulling anchor soon and heading north to Hatchet Bay where we will wait out a norther. Hopefully I'll be able to get internet access there and upload some pictures, my mom has been a little camera crazy and we have a bunch of awesome shots from the past weeks. Hope all is well with all you readers!

Regatta

     Many cruisers look down on Georgetown and the boaters who choose to reside there all winter. The scores of people and the assortment of organized activities make the whole place seem like a summer camp for retired people. Many scoff at the idea of staying in one place all winter when the Caribbean is full of other wonderful places to sail and explore. I happen to greatly enjoy Georgetown, and even though spending the duration of the winter here seems like too much for me, I can understand why many people love to do so. The harbor is safe, the people are friendly, the atmosphere is happy, and of course the supermarket is well stocked. The cherry on top of the winter season in Georgetown is the annual Cruiser’s Regatta, which is currently under way.

            The Regatta is a blast. It would be easy to laugh at it’s corniness and just not participate in the various events, but if you’re willing to make a fool of yourself and have a good laugh, Regatta can be a whole lot of fun. The first Regatta event we entered was the Coconut Challenge. Rachel, my mother, our friend Marilyn, and I all donned t-shirts with drawn on coconut bikinis and piled into an engine-less dinghy to paddle our way around the harbor on a desperate quest for floating coconuts. We didn’t do particularly well, but we had so much fun dousing our friends with bucketfuls of water while in pursuit of coconuts.

            I spent one day volunteering at the Regatta Children’s Day events in Georgetown. Rachel, Jake, and I were too old to participate but we helped supervise and oversee the games that the little kiddos were playing. It was very cute. They all beat me at Simon Says though, a slight hit on my ego.

            My parents and I also signed up for the rowing races since we are one of the few boats with a dinghy that has no engine. My dad won in the men’s category, beating even a couple of very strong young fellows. My mother came in first in the women’s category by a large margin as well. When it came time for the kid’s rowing race, I discovered that I was the only person signed up. The race never happened but I got to claim the candy prize just for showing up. My parents each won a blue flag and a bottle of rum for their achievements. The next night they went to Trivial Pursuit and ended up winning more flags as well as ten dollars in gift cards to the grocery store. The Langworthys are cleaning up the prizes around here!

            My friend Reg from the sailboat Messenger invited me to be a part of the Regatta’s inflatable dinghy sailing race with him. We spent the better part of one afternoon lashing an extremely tippy mast and two sails onto his dinghy. We got slaughtered in the race against the other home-made sailing rigs but it was very fun. I made up a little flag with our names and everything.

            We entered White Seal in the Elizabeth Harbor Race next. The course had the boats sailing through the anchorage, which meant we had to be on our toes at all times. Fortunately, White Seal is very nimble and quick to turn so maneuvering through the haphazardly anchored boats wasn’t too sketchy for us. We got third in our class and it was so much fun. It was my first race and I discovered that I really enjoy the intensity and strategy that define sailboat racing. The wind was around 20 and we were MOVING.

            We also participated in the around Stocking Island Race, which as you might infer took us all around Stocking Island. The course was about 18.5 miles, half of which were out in the ocean. The wind was 16-18 knots and the pounding of the waves offshore caused me to be quite ill. We were one of the first boats to cross the start line and we quickly established a solid lead over the other small boats in our class. Much to our surprise and delight, the larger, faster boats that started a few minutes after us didn’t catch us until we were about 3 miles from the finish line. As we rounded the buoy back into Elizabeth Harbor we were still the boat in the lead, which gave everyone aboard a feeling of extreme satisfaction. We crossed the finish line third, a dang good race for us considering our competition. We got third in our class again.

            In addition to the constant stream of organized Regatta Events, my life has been loaded with parties and girls nights with my wonderful cruising friends. In addition to Rachel and Jake, I’ve been hanging out with Michelle, Reg, Eric, Courtney, John, and Michaela. Unfortunately we all will be splitting up soon, but until then we are all just living it up and spending a ton of time together. It is so nice to have a social life again after months of being home with your parents on Friday nights. I’d almost forgotten how nice it is to have an Oreos and peanut butter feast/ toenail-painting extravaganza with your girlfriends. (Depressing, eh?)

            Regatta ended this weekend and tomorrow we will slowly begin our long journey back north. Yes, north. Back towards home and the life I sailed away from last fall. I thought I’d be relieved and happy to turn back, but to be totally honest I love it here and leaving Georgetown is going to be as sad as leaving Vermont was-if not more so. I’m trying to soak up as much happiness from this place as possible; I haven’t yet wrapped my brain around the devastating concept that I am soon leaving my Georgetown friends and adopting the solitary life patterns of living and traveling on the ICW. But enough with this sadness. Regatta has been great, but heading north will be wonderful too!

            Tomorrow we will go to Cat Island along with our dear friends on Sisu. From their we will head up to Eleuthera and maybe then to the Berry Islands. It will be nice to be on the move and see new places for a change!

            P.S. Enjoy the pictures, the Internet finally cooperated and decided to let me upload them!

Our Coconut collecting team and our classy uniforms...

White Seal crossing the finish line after the around Stocking Island Race!!

My old man crossing the finish line at the rowing race. Go Charlie!

My fam up by the monument on Stocking Island.

The L.N. Coakley High School band in Exuma plays some songs for visitors.

Reg and I preparing to set sail in our home-made sailing rig.

The ocean side of Stocking Island