Adventures of a Once Reluctant Sailor
Welcome to the cruising blog of Wayne and Michele Sharp! Join us as we chronicle our journeys and adventures aboard our s/v Lena Bea, an Island Packet 445. Our maiden voyage in 2007 was from Bayfield, Wisconsin on Lake Superior via the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, Eastern Seaboard, and ICW to Punta Gorda, Florida. We traveled to the Exuma Cays in the Bahamas in 2009 and 2011, and also to the Ragged Islands in 2011. Our most recent trip in April and May, 2013, was to the Abacos, Bahamas.
Welcome to the cruising blog of Wayne and Michele Sharp!
If you want to learn a little bit about cruising, satisfy your curiosity, live vicariously, or be entertained, I think you've come to the right place.
Feel free to ask questions or post comments in the comment section of each post; I will respond to all of them. You can also email us at reluctantsailor@me.com.
We've written a book based on the blog from our first journey in 2007 - Adventures of a Once Reluctant Sailor: A Journey of Guts, Growth, and Grace. It is available online from my website at reluctantsailor.net, and from Apostle Islands Booksellers, Copperfish Books, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. Your local bookstore can also order it for you. We've included over 170 color and black and white photos.
Monday, February 10, 2020
All good things must come to an end . . .
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Our final night out, anchored at Pelican Bay
Our friends aboard Chatty Cat had a VERY lucrative fishing trip coming back and cooked us up a fabulous dinner of grilled wahoo and mahi. We spent the rest of the evening aboard Chatty Cat, playing cards and enjoying the camaraderie.
Of course, it was only fitting that a doozy of a thunderstorm hit during dinner; I think we were all a bit more anxious about that than we would have been just six weeks earlier.
Having previously cruised mostly alone and being independent spirits, Wayne and I were a bit apprehensive about traveling with so many other people. It ended up working fine, with a perfect balance of solitude and togetherness. We'd be with another boat or two for a couple of days, then do our own thing for a couple of days before meeting up with someone else and hanging out with them. Our major focus was snorkeling, which didn't seem to interest many of the others to a great extent.
The Abacos have far more marinas, restaurants, and things to do ashore than do the Exumas, so that made it a different experience as well. We almost always anchored out when it was just the two of us, but because we were traveling with other people who preferred staying at marinas, we did the same. And that was fine - we had a great time.
Of course, as always, it's the people who make the difference and we sure lucked out there. We couldn't have asked for a nicer bunch of friends to travel with, so we conclude this adventure with fond memories of them and the times we shared.
That's all for this trip. Check in with us again in 2015 for our (probable) next one.
Wishing you fair winds and following seas,
Michele and Captain Wayne
Sunday, May 19, 2013
St. James City
Thirty-six hour passage to Florida
Wayne wrestling with the whisker pole |
Two cruise ships |
Norwegian Sky |
Ha! These ship tenders appear to be colliding |
Enchantment of the Seas |
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Heading out after Hope Town
We climbed 101 steps to the top |
Lena Bea, at end of long dock Ginny C in front and Change across from them |
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Man-O-War, Mangoes, Mother's Day, and Visitors
I took a photo of Annie Albury sewing a patch on my bag. She is the granddaughter of sailmaker Norman Albury. Norman’s wife Selina, founded Albury’s Sail Shop about 50 years ago.
Annie Albury, sewing the patch on my bag |
Wayne's new bags |
Dinner with the gang at Curly Tails in Marsh Harbor |
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Saving the best till last
How I love to revel in God's creation! Few things bring me greater joy.
We saw sea turtles, sharks, spotted eagle rays, spectacular underwater seascapes of coral, fish, and plants. It was magnificent and well worth the wait! God saved the best until last. If we had snorkeled Sandy Cay reef first, our other snorkeling experiences would have paled in comparison. This way, we were better able to appreciate their more modest beauty first. We probably won't have another opportunity to snorkel on this trip unless we have to wait for a weather window, because we will be leaving for home on Tuesday or Wednesday and will be busy with other things until then.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Recap of the week
The reasons we haven't blogged all week is because, first of all, there's been nothing interesting to blog about, and second, because we've been hanging out with friends a lot and doing a bit of snorkeling.
Tuesday and Wednesday we moored in Orchid Bay on Great Guana; Thursday and Friday we anchored at Treasure Cay; Saturday we anchored in Fisher's Bay on Great Guana; Sunday and Monday we docked at Harbor View Marina in Marsh Harbor.
Showers and thunderstorms were common this week.
Did a bit of snorkeling at Baker's Bay, where we saw more golf balls(!) than fish, and around Delia's Rock on the west side of Great Guana, where we found a few small coral heads and fish. Alas, continued large ocean swells kept us away from the barrier reef on the Atlantic side.
5-foot Barracuda |
The fun part, though, is that the fish there have been trained to know that snorkelers often bring food with them, so I felt a bit like the Pied Piper of Mermaid Reef, and that was BEFORE we shared the corn we brought with us. Wayne and I photographed each other feeding the fish and got our fingers nibbled on a bit, too. Sure hope fish don't carry rabies. I'll post more snorkeling photos later.
We anchored at Treasure Cay on Thursday and went in to shore to explore the beautiful beach and the upscale (for the Bahamas) resort there. They have a nice grocery shore, but I bought nothing. As we headed back to our dinghy, we saw Chatty Cat entering the marina, so we met them at the dock. We spent Thursday and Friday evenings having dinner with them (Cathy, Glen, Jan, and Mike) and playing games, then did the same on Saturday evening at Great Guana. They are headed home now, so we won't see them again until we get back to Punta Gorda.
Broadwater II crossed the gulf stream to Florida on Saturday, which concerned us because it didn't sound like the conditions would be favorable for them. They sent us emails that evening, and although they didn't have a particularly fun day, they made it safely across.
Upon docking Sunday in Marsh Harbor, we found that Chat-Eau and Toucana were there. We hadn't connected with them since shortly after reaching the Abacos, so were pleased to see them. The six of us went to Snappas to partake of their Cinco de Mayo party, but fled after a couple of margaritas, as the DJ made it impossible to converse. We ate at Curly Tails on the second level of the Conch Inn, where we enjoyed a lovely sunset and conversation with Nancy, Steve, Jack, and Carol.
Yesterday morning Nancy and I went for a walk. On the way back we stopped by George's stand where he makes THE BEST conch salad, freshly prepared while you wait. Wayne and I ate ours for lunch, then went snorkeling at Mermaid Reef. We were expecting Change and Ginny C, who were docked at Mangoes Marina next door when we got back. Friends of Nancy and Steve from Punta Gorda, Peter and Julie, flew in yesterday afternoon, and the ten of us went to dinner at Mangoes.
This morning we had breakfast at Mangoes with Ginny, Chris, Mary, and Rich. We had a great time with everyone this week. I told Wayne no more restaurants, though, until next Sunday or Monday when Betsy and Chuck arrive. Can't wait to see them!
Chat-Eau is headed back north, so we won't see them again until Punta Gorda. Safe travels, Nancy and Steve.
George prepares conch salad |
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Blog stuff
Also, if you subscribe to the blog, sometimes you will see multiples of the same entry. Sometimes Blogger will hiccup (five times yesterday, I think) or sometimes I will go back and do an edit or add photos. You will miss nothing and avoid aggravation if you only read the most recent one.
Now that the sun is up, I can see that the sky is mostly clear. A snorkeling day? Let's hope so! It's a bit strange to wake up to the sound of crowing roosters, but I like it.
Have a great day!