Sailing BrainWaves

After going through 2 alternator brackets and 2 alternator belts, we faced days of stop & go motoring on the ICW. At that point I decided we had completed our mission. The only reason we were going to GA was better prices and frankly the ICW is just to demanding on the weak link in our system. So we are making arrangements to store BrainWaves in Palm Beach until the ice is off the water back home, then put her on a semi and ship her back to the Sweet Water Seas. You are all invited to an alternator destruction party after BrainWaves arrives. Please bring weapons: assault, nuclear or other. The Captain (Don, via email)

After spending a night at a very classy marina. (They gave us a bottle of wine.) We headed off to check in with Customs. I wouldn't have bothered, but you know... the bishop. Two $25 cab rides later and we were no longer illegal aliens. We reprovisioned and cast off for the intracoastal Waterway. As we approached our 4th drawbridge in the first 2 hours of travel, we heard a slapping sound from the motor as the belt we replaced last week shredded itself. As we had just experienced this I expected only part of the belt would shred and the rest remain functional. But then David said he smelled rubber and I went to investigate. Smoke was coming from the engine compartment. I prepared the fire extinguisher and hesitantly opened the compartment. More smoke, but no flames. As I searched for the source of the fire, it gradually occurred to me that this was steam, not smoke. The belt had totally disintegrated. The water pump was not turning and the engine was overheating. After an emergency...

We awoke at 0400 to get an early start on a long passage. After waiting 2 days for 15-20 ft. seas to wane we were anxious to be underway. Despite the forecast (8-12 ft. waves) it was remarkably calm. Our good fortune did not outlast my sordid past, though. With their approach hidden by the glare of the rising sun, a US Coast Guard Cutter approached us and demanded to board. I was certain Cat Cay Security had gotten to them and I would be dragged back to the Bahamas to join Jean Valjean on the rock pile. Actually they were very polite and friendly and just did a safety check. We passed. Just so the story doesn't get too dull, we did average 8-9 knots in the Gulf Stream (compared to our normal 5-6) and as we approached the Florida Coast at Pa!m Beach In!et their were 25knot winds with rip tides and 6-8footers breaking on the beach and all around the inlet. If not for the courage of the fearless crew the Minnow would he lost. The Minnow would be lost! The Captain (Don via email)

Jean Valjean stole his loaf of bread and did 17 years of hard time. We ran out of bread today. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The bishop and I planned our assault on the beaches of the private island of Cat Cay. One of the homes had ongoing construction so we landed and asked if we could leave our dinghy while we go to the market. "Sure, no problem." This was too easy. We wandered through the golf course when security caught up with us. "You boys live here?" We were doomed. I thought of all sorts of lies, but I was traveling with the bishop. When my $20 bribe failed we slunk back to our boat. Now that I'm a habitual criminal I was not dissaude. I dinghies around the island to a secluded beach. (007 does this all the time.) I then proceeded to wander 4 miles all over this island looking for the grocery. What would 007 do? I asked a maintenance guy on a golf cart where it was. Undoubtedly thinking I was a lost dementia patient, he gave me a lift to t...

Stranded in paradise. Partly Cloudy, 78 and breezy. Pretty tough duty but David and I will survive somehow. Explored our anchorage by dinghy but couldn't find a place to beach our boat on this private island. Since I am already a felon on Culebra (Breaking and e entering: hopped a fence in and out and landed on a private dock so I could pay my $28.24 for a cruising sticker.) I feared a 2nd offense might make me a habitual offender and lead to time in the big house. Also I hesitated to corrupt David given the scandal it might cause. "PETOSKEY BISHOP ARRESTED!" The Captain (Don via email)

Today was the first day of our Norther . Winds blew 15-25 knots out of the north and it was cooler. Since we were on a shallow bank surrounded by a reef, this didn't really bother us much. We had a nice, if long, 74 mile reach and arrived at a beautiful anchorage on Cat Day. However out on the Gulfstream where we are headed next the seas are 15-20 ft. (wind against current) for the next 2 days, so we are stuck here in paradise until Tuesday. By the way, Michigan beat State today, just in case you didn't know. GO BLUE!!! The Captain (Don via email)

February 27 & 28th This was back on Tuesday and Wednesday but the snorkeling was so cool. In Staniel Day we swam in the Thunderball Grotto where 007 defeated SPECTRE. It was an underwater cave with beautiful fish and a stingray. At Exuma National Park I had the best snorkel ever with loads of colorful coral big fish, several turtles. As I swam with the turtles they suddenly got coy and headed for cover. I looked to see why as a 7 foot shark cruised by. This shortened my swim rather abruptly. Yesterday we dropped Ric off in Nassau, then David and I made like mechanics. After changing spark plugs and fuel filter on the dingy motor, we opened the engine compartment to change the oil on BrainWaves. There was black spaghetti all over the engine. The belt had shredded. THE ALTERNATOR STRIKES AGAIN!!! So with a few borrowed tools from helpful boaters we replaced the belt as well as changed the oil, then treated ourselves to a seafood dinner. Today we tried to leave Nassau Harbor but ha...

February 11, Sunday At 9:00 Don took the car to another grocery store that we found on the way back yesterday that is much closer.  He got some more supplies and had another wet ride back to the boat. At 10:20 we took the dinghy in to return the car to the airport and do a lot of downloading onto my Kindle.  Don's isn't working so he's keeping mine.  We did have the forethought to wear bathing suits under our clothes for the ride back.  Before launching we put our clothes in a dry bag.  Even with both of us in swimsuits we had a heck of a time launching the dinghy.  The wind and waves today are the highest they've been in this anchorage.  It's another beautiful day and has barely sprinkled on us. This afternoon I was reading in the cockpit while Don was napping when three young men carrying liquor bottles swam out to the boat from the beach.  They said they were tired and wanted to know if they could get on the boat and rest before swimmin...

February 10, Saturday We took the dingy ashore and walked to the airport.  It's only about a ten minute walk away.  We got updated weather and then rented a car so we could see some of the island and get groceries. The cars have the steering wheel on the left like ours but also drive on the left.  We weren't expecting that.  We had lunch at McDonald's to feed our fry craving and then drove up into the mountains.  The roads outside of town are rough, narrow, twisty and steep.  They are also very busy.  There were some beautiful panoramic vistas but no where to pull off to appreciate them.  We found a really good grocery store with really high prices but they all are here. We were able to park the car along the airport road right next to where we beached the dinghy.  Unfortunately, the surf had come up and by the time we loaded the groceries and got the dinghy launched I was wet and Don was soaked.  By the time we got back to the boa...

We've been anchored outside the St Thomas airport since Thursday.  Had to arrive early because of the weather.  It's a pretty rolly anchorage but the others are very crowded.  We're renting a car today and going to drive around and get groceries.  The steering wheel is on the normal side of the car but they drive on the left.  Don spent all day yesterday plotting courses and entering them into the chart plotter.  This will be the most complicated sailing of the trip. Deb (via email)

February 9, Saturday This continues to be a very roll-y anchorage but it's surprising how much more tolerant we are getting to the motion. Today was a lazy day for me but a busy day for Don.  He spent nearly all day planning courses and putting them into the chart plotter.  I mostly read.  It rained briefly, but sometimes quite hard, about 8 times today and was beautiful in between.  The boat and windows were really salt encrusted from our overnight trip so it was good to get those cleaned.  We were kept busy closing and opening hatches and putting the side curtains up and down. Deb (via email)

February 8, Thursday We had rain during the night and the wind blew hard all night but we both slept well.  One tube on the dinghy had been leaking badly since Don reinflated it so he cleaned out the valve for a second time and that seems to have done the trick  We left the harbor around 10:00 and headed for St. Thomas.  It was a beautiful day and a great sail.  We anchored in Thomas Harbor outside the ferry dock at 14:30 to go check in with customs.  The water was very choppy and the dinghy motor quit on the way in.  I was gamely paddling with my hands while Don kept coaxing the motor.  It finally started and we finished the short ride in.  The customs officer was another sort of surly guy.  I think there is special customs training to teach them that if they don't have the natural bent toward surliness. We left and checked out several anchorages before deciding to go into Lindbergh Bay, which is the one right near the airport....

February 7, Wednesday Don was up by 10:30 and fixing things again.  A pin had come out of the boom and the jib sheet traveler car had come apart.  He fixed both of those and then started working on cleaning the bottom again.  He tied a line under the boat from side to side to pull himself under the water.  He got a lot more barnacles off and was also able to clean off the water wheel and get it spinning again.  He "The Man"! He woke me up at 14:30 and I immediately got started doing nothing.  Well, I did make French toast for brunch. After supper I made popcorn and we watched "The Bucket List". Deb (via email)

February 6, Tuesday Don went over to Christophe Harbor first thing in the morning and was able to call Scott and Gretchen and ask them to look up the weather.  That was just what they needed on a morning when they'd all overslept and Gretchen was supposed to take a friend of Dieter's to school too!  Scott was extremely helpful in finding weather info for Don.  The forecast hadn't changed.  It was still predicting increasing wind and waves each day for the next five days.  That meant today was the day to take off on the big overnight jaunt. We left the harbor at 10:30.  As soon as we got into more open waters the wind became more steady and less gusty.  When we got north of St Kitts, between there and Statia things got rougher.  We got some protection from Statia and then it was rough again between Statia and Saba.  We got protection from Saba and then we were pretty much in the open again.  Winds were 20-25 K and waves were 8-10 ...

February 5, Monday The anchor held all night even though it continued to be VERY gusty all night and all day today.  Don worked more on cleaning the bottom of the boat.  Short rain squalls went through fairly regularly.  About 16:30 Don took the dingy into the bar to try to get access to WiFi so we could get a weather update.  No luck.  He got WiFi but the government weather site didn't seem to be working and he wondered if the govt had another shut down.  He'll go over to Christophe Harbor in the morning and try again. Deb (via email)

February 4, Sunday Don did wake up about 4 a.m. And we left at 4:30.  By that time the moon was up which made it much easier to pick our way through the moored boats. We sailed by Montserrat but decided not to stop because of the East winds. We had to avoid a freighter that was stopping for fuel at the huge wharf there. We went by Rodonda again and got to Nevis around 17:00.  There were open mooring balls but we decided we could get to St. Kitts before dark.  We'd had good winds all day.  They were East, 15-20 K and seas were 6-10 feet  We anchored in Ballast Bay, where the entrance to Christophe Harbor is, just before it was totally dark.  Winds were 20K when we anchored but the anchor held.  After dinner, when we both were so tired we just wanted to go to sleep, Don put the snubber out and then we didn't seem to be holding.  He thought the wind was funneling through a valley and wanted to move.  We moved very slowly over to Whit...

February 3, Saturday We rolled like crazy last night.  Don slept in the quarter berth and I tried sleeping crosswise in the V-berth.  We both took sleep aids but didn't sleep much.  They are fond of a music here that is mostly non-stop throbbing drums.  I've heard it every night so far.  Last night it went on until around midnight.  I moved to the settee around dawn and then took Don's bed when he got up. We had strong off-shore gusts during the day which kept us from rocking.  It rained a bit during the night but was beautiful all day in spite of the ever present clouds over the mountains, which are very pretty.  We moved the boat in so we were anchored in about 45 feet but it started rocking again at about 8:30 p.m. Don worked very hard all day cleaning the bottom.  He got at least 3/4 of the area he could reach cleaned.  The brush we'd brought wouldn't get the barnacles of but the non-scratch spatula I suggested works quite well...

February 2 - Friday Don was up at 6:30 and off to the bakery.  He woke me up at 8:00 😒 so we could get fuel and get going.  We had to wait in line about 15 minutes for fuel.  We left about 9:00.  It was partly cloudy becoming more cloudy and eventually rained for about 30 minutes when we were just past Pointe de la Capesterre. Then the skies over the water cleared and it was a beautiful afternoon.  There are always clouds over the mountains and about 5:30 we saw a beautiful full rainbow followed by a short bout of rain. We didn't get a good look at the bottom of the boat until we were at the fuel dock.  The entire bottom looks like it is covered with long green shag carpeting with some large barnacles for decoration.  The water in the marina was too foul for Don to go in and take a look before we left the dock.  We knew the growth would affect the boat's speed but we didn't realize how much!  It cut our speed by around 15-20 percent! W...

Photo from Deb's email, February 2, 2018

February 1 Update Hallelujah!  The mechanic arrived shortly after four and was very helpful.  He and Don determined the sensor switch was faulty and the oil pressure is fine. Don checked on the suitcase just before we went grocery shopping at 5:00.  We returned to the boat, unloaded groceries and headed out for dinner.  The people from the office were just leaving and Don asked again about the suitcase.  Lo and behold it had arrived.  It looks so much more fashionable now that it's been to Paris. So, we have all our clothes and supplies and we're ready to start the long journey home after getting fuel in the morning. We're so thankful for all the good things that happened both yesterday and today. Deb (via email)