New Plymouth Settlement is built around this harbor which is too small for most modern boats.

We don’t know anything but what we hear from friends and read on the Active Captain app, and they say everyone coming this way goes to Green Turtle Cay. The north harbor is more upscale, with two resort/yacht clubs. The south is by the New Plymouth settlement and has 5 very small marinas/boat yards. They never answer the phone so it took two days to get one of them, Donny, to answer a radio call. He could not accommodate a boat like ours but saw a space on a T head on another marina (that I could not call), so why don’t I just come ahead?

I normally like to plan ahead when coming into a tight little harbor. Hard to just float around in a place like that while trying to figure out what to do, especially if no one answers the phone or radio. Especially if the wind is over 20 mph like it was. That seems how they do it here, so we took up the anchor and chugged 5 miles over.

We arrived in the harbor and had passed the place Donny saw by the time we raised him on the radio. He could see me and said it was astern starboard. The wind was off the port bow, so we stopped the boat and were slowly blown back to where we are now.

This house says 1866. Some probably older but we didn’t look.

Turns out Donny is a legend around here. Everyone knows about him. Very helpful and will do just about anything for you whether he is making money from you or not. We have met several other boaters both here and down at Donny’s marina. Great people. Our week out at anchor was great, and we’ll have more, but it’s nice to see others now and again also.

Same house to the left. Looking down one of the two main streets of the settlement.

An hour or so after we docked someone showed up and took our money for our dock space and a golf cart rental. We went to explore. New Plymouth settlement was founded in 1786. We saw a few old homes, but did not check if any older than those were about. Just a few hundred people live here. A number of Canadians and people from northern states keep boats here and live on them in the winter. They store their boat strapped down on the hard and go back north for summer and hurricane season. Four of these couples rented long term at our marina. We’d all get together, share a bit of food and talk in the early evening.

We’ve been 4 nights in Manjack Cay. Even with many boats, none were in shouting distance. We took the dinghy to the next anchorage north of us and tied up to the pier and spent some time. We’ll anchor here next time. Usually only one boat here. Great beach, a nice pier we sat underneath with our feet in the water. Large stingrays come up and nudge your legs. A small boat occasionally brings tourists here. They feed stingrays so they tend to hang around.

This barracuda hung out a few feet to the side of the pier. 

Tourists are brought here to feet the rays. The barracuda ran right over and got caught by the guy on the right.

A quarter mile trail starting at the pier took us to the ocean side. A beautiful long totally deserted sandy beach. Brought our small chairs and sat and watched the breakers. Windier here. That was nice but I liked calm clear waters on the other side better, so we after we went back we sat down at the water under the pier. Many rays, a few other fish including a barracuda that hung around a few feet offshore. When the dive boat left we could just splash our feet in the water and the rays would come.

We sat to the left, our dinghy on the right. The dive boat was just here for 20 minutes.

At night it’s lights on and watching fish down on the swim platform at the stern. Had a bit of wind. Topped out at 35 mph but died down over the next days.

Returning home in the dinghy. A bit of wind is on the water. 

Our first day at our first destination, Manjack Cay, and it had to rain! It was over early afternoon, and we lowered the dinghy and look around in the Mangroves and at the beach.

Our recent boat repairs, the main projects being stabilizers and a new shower in the mid bath, took so long that we were able to put in a few other things as well. Some of these take the boat from “just a bit of skill to pilot and dock” to “any idiot can pilot and dock” – in reasonable weather and currents, of course. The changes will hopefully also help when it gets more unreasonable. The radar and everything else that needed it was also fixed.

Guests will be glad to know that the new shower belongs to the mid bath only. The bathtub is gone and no more double door system. We can share it and all have about the same access. While it was installed we had to use the front V berth shower and for the first time saw its limitations. It has a new faucet/shower fixture and a wrap around shower curtain on a ceiling track that keeps most of the water where it should be.

The bathtub used to be here. Sue has wanted that gone for a long time.

Among other minor jobs was underwater lights to the rear. We finally got to try them out at Great Sale Cay and last night here at Manjack. They really show up the fish, mostly 3 inchers darting around. A few crabs swam by on the surface picking things out of the water as they went. We didn’t knew crabs swam like that. Thought they just crawled on the bottom. Several squid a few feet in length jerk backward and forward. We saw pipefish, 3 or 4 jellyfish with trailers a foot or so. They swim more vigorously than I have seen before. Never had the patience to maintain an aquarium. This is better.

Manjack is pretty narrow and only a few miles long. A 10 minute walk to the Atlantic side.

Twelve boats in the bay at 10 AM. A popular spot. Still a bit of wind (10 with gusts up to 20) and grey sky. No dinghies in motion yet. Everyone just relaxing like we are, no doubt. Maybe that’s we had to get old before coming here this way, to be able to relax and handle downtime like this.

We can see the bottom all around the boat. 8 – 9 feet deep most of the way.

No need to hurry in the Bahamas. We left at 9 AM Thursday, traveled north a mile from the harbor and took Indian Rock Passage north east for 5 miles. From there it was 47 miles, with a slight bend around the north of Mangrove Cay in the middle, to our anchorage on the west side of Great Sale Cay. The depth averaged 8 feet, the water very clear and flat. We saw the sandy bottom with plant growth, occasional corals and a few fish all along the way.

Past the halfway point. A catamaran sails a few thousand feet away.

Hard to believe how shallow and flat the bottom is everywhere here. Look at the Bahamas area in Google maps, satellite view and notice how different it is from the surrounding ocean.

I was fish spotting at the front of the bow much of the time. Here we run the autopilot in “N”, navigation, mode most of the time. Just set a waypoint on the screen and tell the boat to go there. It shows the ETA and sets off an alarm when you get there. Someone still needs to be on watch for other boats (there’s alarms for that too, but I only trust this stuff so much), but we travel a lot of miles before we see one.

Less than 10 miles to go. The autopilot beeps when we enter the red circle. We’ll steer from there

We arrived in “West Harbor” of Great Sale Cay, protected from all but a south wind, at 4 PM. On a day like today we did not need any protection. We could have anchored in 7 – 9 feet of water anywhere along our route and been fine weather and wave wise, but we picked a respectable distance from the two boats already there and settled in. Seven more boats joined us as the evening wore on.

Sunset at Great Sale Cay. Our third night in the Bahamas.

Normally the weather is not so fine, the people not so vibrant, the smiles not so prominent and the water not so clear as in the tourist brochures. Today was the Bahamas of the tourist brochures. It doesn’t get better than this, and we both felt reasonably vibrant.

Leaving Cable Marine East at 6:45. Left 2000′ ahead is the cruise port.

I write these as we go, but don’t put them out until have internet access, so I date them back to when written.

After all the time spent away and in boatyards we finally made it to the Bahamas. The Tuesday (12^th) weather window held, so we left Cable Marine at 6:45 and went through Everglades Cruise Port around 7. Just a couple of cruise ships including a large Princess ship. We were out of the channel and into the open Atlantic by 7:15. With the wind and waves coming from the east, we were immediately into 2 foot waves. A bit of fore and aft pitching, but due to the new stabilizers no rocking side to side.

Just left cruise port inlet channel. 2′ seas here.

In about an hour we entered the Gulf Stream and picked up northward speed, going from about 9 mph to 11.7 on our east northeast route to West End, Grand Bahama Island. Here the waves got to 3 feet, as predicted. There was enough pitching (but still no rocking) to require planning and continuous use of handholds to walk anywhere on the boat. We never did get spray over the rails or have our ship’s bell ring like it did when we were with Paul and Sharon crossing Albemarle Sound, however.

First land. West End, Grand Bahama Island. All flat lowland.

We got a good boost in speed for a few hours, after which it slowly tapered off, finally to nothing when we neared West End. The waves also tapered off, so the last half of our trip was essentially no waves at all as we neared the protected waters all around the Bahamas. No need to touch the autopilot the entire way. It automatically headed the boat more to the east as we entered the north flowing Gulf Stream. The only thing we noticed was the speed boost.

The beach a few steps from the marina. No one else here.

We entered the West End harbor at 3 PM and backed into our slip in dead calm waters. We checked in with customs in about 10 minutes, paid our $300 and raised a Bahamian flag on the bow. We had planned to leave the next morning, but remained an extra day to sort out our phone/internet at the local BTC office.

Weather was great. Some sun but not too much, breeze just right. Not many people at West End, so the only noise is when a boat comes in or out. This is looking good.

I thought they just lived in Florida. Sue is pouring it a drink. They like fresh water when they can get it.

Sue’s addition: Weather is beautiful. We set up our chairs at the beach a five minute walk from the marina. We sat, relaxed and watched the ocean. No on else on the beach that we saw. The Bahamian marina crew are so cheerful and their accent pleasant. There are beautiful rental condos for those who take the short flight from Miami or Ft Lauderdale. Quiet here. No jet skis, parasails, etc. There are kayaks for rent. You can hire a boat and go sport fishing too.

Our recent visit to Vizcaya Museum south of Miami.

I sometimes wonder whether we’ll to sail the high seas or not. Crossing to the Bahamas would get us close to that. Maybe crossing the Gulf of Mexico last November counted also. I’m seeing a weather window opening up Tuesday and Wednesday April 12 and 13. It’s about time. It’s 2 to 3 foot waves, which should be fine. I’d prefer “less than 2” because forecasts can be a bit off and the waves a foot or so higher, but 2 to 3 will do. It’s an east wind, so we’ll hit the worst of the waves and see how they are right off. I prefer that to a west wind, where we might start out fine and flat near the coast and come into rougher water as we get way out. We’ll keep watching that window.

From the dinghy in the cruise port. The world’s largest cruise ship enters the channel outward.

Star Gazer was supposed to be ready last Wednesday but was finally ready today (Friday). With the weather window currently shut we took a side trip St. Augustine. Sue did not want to miss seeing it again, and I’m planning a high seas voyage, weather permitting, up the coast “on the outside” after our stay in the Bahamas. We would leave from the Bahamas and plan to come in at Savannah or Charleston. That would be a longer trip than to the Bahamas, but we could stay near enough to the coast to maintain radio and perhaps cell phone contact along the way.

It would be nice to go outside with the Gulf stream at our back, and we may do that as we start up Florida. The Gulf Stream comes within 10 miles of the coast where we would start northward. By Charleston SC it is 50 miles out. That’s too far offshore for us, so we’d have to chug along at our 10 mph cruise speed. In two days and one overnight we could probably reach Savannah, and if we could not there is a good inlet at Brunswick GA which we would easily reach. With another overnight and day we would go much further, perhaps to Cape Fear in NC. I would not want to go more than that outside. That would slice a lot of time off an ICW area we have already traversed 3 times and make up for our late start north (due to our late start getting to the Bahamas).

Here we sit at Cable Marine East. This has got to stop.

We’ll drive back tomorrow and be ready for that window even if it moves earlier.

Sue and the boys where we ate dinner one night overlooking Key West old town.

Here we sit in the Cable Marine East boatyard, waiting for a weather window. In Google maps, look at Port Everglades, the big Cruise Port in Ft Lauderdale. We are in the narrow channel just north of that. It runs west between SE 15^th and SE 16^th St. We have been afloat, living on board while they replaced the old bathtub, that was hard to step over and otherwise use, with a shower, among other jobs. All that is finished now and we plan to be ready to leave for the Bahamas this Wednesday (6^th).

The weather may have other ideas. A north wind came up a and the forecast shows it will still be going Wednesday. One rule is to never cross the Gulf Stream, which flows north, when there is a wind from the north on it. That apparently “stacks up the waves” making them higher and shorter frequency. They’re predicted 9’ Wednesday, more than we’ll do stabilizers or no. Saturday is the earliest possible time to leave now, and that looks doubtful.

Pelicans lining up off the docks at Robbie’s for battle. You fight them to feed the tarpon.

We have had good weather fortune up to now, never waiting more than a couple of days for weather, and rarely having to do that.

We’ve had a few day trips while here. Vizcaya mansion south of Miami is a must see, and we also enjoyed a day in Coral Gables, a 1920’s planned community containing the famous Biltmore Hotel.

Ethan and Aaron visited for a week over spring break and went on our biggest trip, 5 days in the Keys. We left early enough Monday morning March 15 to avoid most of the Miami traffic and drove the famous US 1 to Key West. We stopped at Robbie’s for lunch and to see the huge tarpon swimming around the docks.

Starting our way up under the parasail at Key West

We stayed 2 nights at the Inn at Key West, which turned out considerably nicer than we expected for what passes in that area for a low priced hotel. We swam at the public beach, took the trolley tour, ate out in the historic area, snorkeled at Zachary Taylor State park and parasailed.

We all did the dolphin pull at Marathon.

The kids had a great time when we spent 2 nights at Seashell Beach Resort on the Atlantic at Marathon. They could snorkel a thousand feet out and still only be up to their waist when they stood. They had a very long pier that ended in stairs into water that was finally deep enough to snorkel. They fished and caught some pretty good sized crabs. We also spent a good part of one day at the Dolphin Research Center swimming with the porpoises.

Fishing off the pier at Seashell Resort at Marathon. Their favorite pastime.

Once back to the boat they lost no time getting back to fishing of the dock and caught the best fish so far since they have been in Florida. Funny how that works. Their great grandfather Jack was a real fisherman. That then skipped two generations but now Ethan and Aaron like nothing better. They do enjoy their trips with us, as long as they include a lot of fishing.

We met Coral Princess as we both rounded the corner from the cruise port to the Atlantic inlet at the red flags.

We got back from Thailand Feb 19 and visited the boat the next day. A number of workers were just finishing up. LMC was able to put us back in the water Feb 25.

They fixed a number of things, but the main project was stabilizer installation. When we bought our boat I read about stabilizers catching lines and debris and getting damaged in groundings and so decided we didn’t want them. I since learned that they really can steady a boat in heavy seas. A side benefit is preventing severe rocking when a 70 foot sport fisherman boat roars past 20 feet away from us on the ICW. That type of unexpected motion has caused severe injuries to a number of loopers.

Some homes between LMC and downtown Ft Lauderdale on the New River.

We’ve learned that the advantages of stabilizers outweigh the downsides. After all, propellers catch lines and debris and get damaged in groundings a whole lot more than stabilizers do, but they are still useful to have.

After all the work came the sea trial which we took off for a few hours after going back in the water. Craig Caulkins, our installer, and one of his people came with us as we cruised back down the New River, through the Everglades Cruise Port and out the main inlet to the open Atlantic.

Along the way we again saw the fine homes along the New River both before and after downtown. Homes along the water are very expensive here, starting at several million, but more likely being 10 million and up. Too much for us, so we’ll just keep our own moveable waterfront home while here in Ft Lauderdale.

Once out on the Atlantic the wind was from the west, so waters were sheltered until we got several miles out, where seas were about 3 ½ feet with 3 second waves. Before when off the New Jersey coast we had more like 1 ½ foot waves but they had a 7 second period, which is much gentler. We had never been out in water this rough before. While there was some movement, there were no large swings or rocking.

A home along the New River. Some of these exceed 40 million.

Then Craig turned the stabilizers off. Boat movement, especially rocking side to side, became very pronounced not at all pleasant. This is the kind of movement the boat can take much better than the people in it. The stabilizers will allow us to sail in seas about 2 ½ to 3 times rougher than we would otherwise go out in.

Going out to the Bahamas should be safer and a lot more pleasant now. Now if we can just get through our yearly medical and dental visits we’ll get going there.

A boat on the hard in a shed at LMC east yard. We’re in the west yard with little boats.

During the rest of our kids’ visit at Lauderdale Marine Center (LMC) we dropped the dinghy and took several rides. We retraced our incoming path to downtown Ft Lauderdale on the New River at night. We passed homes decorated for Christmas and a number of tour boats and water taxis.

Boys on the boat just after Christmas. Jordan left us just before this.

Super yacht seen on the Dania Cutoff canal

Later on Adam, Aaron and I went further up the New River past a number of other boatyards, many containing huge yachts both floating and on the hard. We then took a connecting channel southwest to the Dania Cutoff canal. This we took east past several boatyards and residential areas back to the ICW. Just before the ICW we passed under the flight path at the edge of Fort Lauderdale airport. We traveled the ICW north past container ports until we hit Everglades Cruise Port which was empty of cruise ships on that weekday. After that we traveled about 5 miles up the New River back to LMC.

The world famous (?) Jungle Queen. From our dinghy on the way back up the New River.

Adam, the two boys and I took a day trip west into the everglades and had a 3 hour airboat ride through the swamp. Much shorter rides are available closer to Ft Lauderdale and Miami, but only in large 150 – 200 passenger “airboats” at small crowded parks sponsored by some TV adventure show personalities. Our boat could hold 6 people including the driver. The kids could sit right up front as we zoomed over the grass and past trees and water plants.

Flight simulator at Ft Lauderdale Science Museum. Not busy so they got extra time.

Maybe the 3 hour trip flying over the everglades was the highlight.

There were beach trips and fishing from the dock. Only one grandkid, Aaron, fell off the docks, and only once.

We floated in the LMC marina for the rest of our kids’ and grandkids’ visit. We took them to the airport Jan 2 and LMC hauled Star Gazer out on January 5.

Boats in “alley” off the ICW in South Florida

We got to Lauderdale Marine Center from Lantana in a day. It was easier than I anticipated to wait for the bridges. The weather at the time precluded running outside in any case. Our next trip, in a few months, will take us to the Bahamas. Running outside will be necessary for that. We’ll just have to wait for the right weather.

We left Lantana on Sunday the 20^th and headed south on the ICW. The south Florida east coast is all hotels, condos and houses with the occasional bridge and office building. We avoided any severe waits at the few hourly bridges and got to the mouth of the New River a bit after noon.

Homes along another alley off the ICW

Before going up the river we took a detour a mile to the south to travel through the Everglades Cruise Port, which must be the largest in the world. To get there we had to pass under the 17^th St. drawbridge. This is 55 feet high closed, but commercial ships taller than that were waiting to get through so we had to squeeze around them to the side. Sunday is a big day for ending and starting cruises, so about eight ships were in the port. The largest we saw was the Royal Princess.

17th St. Bridge with cruise port beyond. For those of you familiar with our former hometown of Coeur d’Alene, ID, Hagadone’s Lady Lola is white yacht at right, just to the right of the yellow water taxi.

The Royal Princess was the largest ship we saw.

Everglades Cruise Port in Ft Lauderdale

We returned north and started up the New River. This flows east through downtown Ft Lauderdale. A number of boatyards catering to superyachts are located beyond downtown, so there is more traffic for its size on this river than you would expect. Boats larger than about 100 feet are moved by “tugs”. One small boat with big outboards pulling at the front and another applying tension to a line off the rear. I think these big ones only move against the tide flow, so all go only one way at any given time. It would get interesting if two of these met just about anywhere on the New River. Boats our size just get out of the way when we see the big ones coming.

Downtown Ft Lauderdale from the New River. Not much room here.

Water taxis and sightseeing boats, some 3 decks high, also move along this river. There are three or four drawbridges, but we just barely squeezed under all of them. This last day was one of the most scenic on the trip.

When we finally reached our goal it was Sunday and no one was around. We finally reached a security guard who said to come in and take any bare spot we could find along a dock. Funny way to arrive at a place like this. They call this the largest boatyard in the world. There are larger places for commercial vessels but they are called shipyards.