Last Days in Bahamas

Monday March 2, 2009
Layover Day #2
Weather is still calming down from the front that came in Sunday night. Since I had Internet access I decided to get to work on my resume and send a few out. Oh my goodness right brain has hit left brain. It is amazing how much of the brain you need to live this life. It took me awhile to brush up on a new operating program Vista which I had no idea how to use. I was having a breakdown until a friend emailed me and told me that you can Save As the document to an older operating program and actually accomplish something. That saved my day. We had a delicious dinner at the Green Turtle Club and headed to bed early to make preparations for moving on in the morning. High tide is at noon so it will not be to early a morning.
Tuesday March 3, 2009
Ran up to take a shower as this is going to be one of the last for a few days. The next one will be in the States. The same with the Internet, one last time to make contact with home and all the people who will be waiting for us to phone and say we are back in the States. We were able to connect with our daughter-in-law Karin and she kindly put our grand baby Elyssa on the video phone. Just after we were on the phone rang and Karin got up to answer it and left the baby on the couch looking at us. She sat there and looked at us and then signed Grandma and then she gave us this funny look like this is different as Mommy was preoccupied so she leaned over and all we saw is her crawl closer to the computer and then it all went blank. Either she was feeling a bit intimidated and decided to delete us or she was really enjoying herself and leaned on the keyboard and accidentally deleted us. We will never know but it was a precious moment. Time was flying by and the troops started to gather on the dock to say farewells. There was Peter and Heather from Radical Jack, Ed and Joan from Willem and Wayne and Lyndell from Solveig 11. Oh this is sad and happy and heartwarming. I took everyone's picture and demanded emails about the dreaded Gulf Crossing. Willem had gone through the Whale on a bad day the week before and had broached twice and taken on water so it was hard for them to see people head out. George and Georgia on Agapi had already left and were heading to Allan's Pensacola. When we got to the anchorage Georgia radioed us and invited us out for supper. We had beat into the waves all the way and the engine had done the no water out the exhaust thing again. It was refreshing not to have to cook. We stayed on board their boat until about 7:30 pm. When we got back on board Grace C we discovered that it was about an hour past low tide and we were bouncing off the bottom. Captain had a Lieutenant Dan experience. We are both really getting stressed about the trip back across the Gulf.
I did not sleep a wink. Not one this night. We had set the alarm and had to get out before low tide in the morning.
Wednesday March 4, 2009
Wide awake the alarm went off a few minutes after we were up and heading out of the anchorage while we were still floating. This is the first anchorage which the chart plotter was off on its depths. George was up on deck when we waved good by and then radioed to tell him our circumstance. He proceeded to lift anchor and poor Georgia did not get her tea until they got to the anchorage at night. The wind was 20 – 28 knots and it was a following sea so it was fast but uncomfortable. Fortunately we got to sail most of the way with just the Genoa and we were doing 5-6 knots. Same thing with the engine when we came into Great Sale but the anchorage has deep water and protected on three sides. I was tired and we relaxed with a movie but I could not sleep the whole night. The engine is such a worry as we will need it to make a successful crossing. I went in the head, closed the door and cried out to Jesus. Help!!!!!!!!!! I don't want to die!!!!!!!!!! Help my husband figure this engine thing out and please close the door of any route that is not going to be safe for us to travel.
Thursday March 5, 2009
George got up and went to talk to another boat in the anchorage who had a Ham radio and got a weather report. The window is moving into Saturday instead of Friday as the waters are not calming down in the Gulf Stream quickly enough. George and Georgia came over for tea and asked us if we would mind just going to Fort Pierce instead of all the way to Cape Canaveral. (Major stress reducer.)
After they left I started sorting and organizing which is a way to take back control of your life. Dick decided to take apart the exhaust system and see if he could locate the 'engine demon'.
He proudly produced the muffler and under one of the hoses he found a badly decomposed (thing that the hose clamps onto) and that would be sufficient to cause the leak. He set about the rest of the day in a passion reconstructing , and McGivering a new part to fit on. Of course he did accomplish it.
Peace is returning to the journey.
Friday March 6, 2009
Got up and tried the engine for a test of the new parts. The exhaust works fine but the fan belt is screaming. We put on a new fan belt and let the engine run to charge the battery. It is purring like a kitten. We took off in the dinghy to explore the beach we had gone to the first time we were here.
The couple on board Biscayne Bay are going to go with us on the journey back to the States. We were all invited on board Agapi for a cockpit party. When we got back to the boat we put the dinghy on board. The plan is to get up early and head out to the Way Pointe at Little Bahama Bank. 27 06.50' N
79 03.00'W then to head to Fort Pierce but if the weather looks like it allows they may change and head to Cape Canaveral.