Sammie the Aussie (6.4.11)

Sammie was aboard the Clementine I when we met her and her parents (Stuart and Carly) in Green Turtle Cay.  She's been aboard a boat her entire life (all 6 years of it)!  In fact, her parents had been sailing for the past eleven years, originally from Australia.  We saw our friends again the morning we were leaving Munjack.  Since its not all that often that Grayson has a girl playmate onboard, we invited her to come over for a visit.  Carly shared a cup of coffee with us as the kids played.

Birthday Cake (6.3.11)

Somehow birthdays are better when they are celebrated with cake.

Awards Banquet (6.3.11)

Rule # 7 (part 2).  Awards Banquet.  Friday evening dinner (proper dress required).

Hats off to Lloyd who's proper planning made the night very special for all the kids.  

2nd Runner up- The Mahi-Mahi prize went to Iain (3rd highest points overall)

1st Runner Up- The Wahoo Award (2nd highest points overall)

Grand Prize-The Blue Marlin Award (Most Points overall)

(and, the  "Sportsman" prize- The Grand Slam Award (Most Sportsman points) went to Grayson, who did not want her picture taken on this special occasion.  

All tournament participants received swag from Tackle Direct, Inc.  

Manjack's Sunset (6.3.11)

Solo Stress (6.3.11)

Imagine my dismay when Lloyd tells Harrison he can take the dinghy out solo for his birthday.  Add in his sister as a passenger and you really get my heart rate up.  Harrison did great this time (remind me to tell you about another birthday when he had to be towed back to the boat by 2 strangers), and the two were proud of their journey.

Bathing off the Back (6.3.11)

I can truly tell you that we had enough water on board to last for probably two weeks, but, old habits die hard.  Lloyd and Grayson like to bathe off the back end of the boat.  Joy is their soap of preference.  I, however, was not born in a barn; I prefer a real shower.  

Sushi (6.3.11)

There's nothing better than grilled tuna steaks except maybe fresh (right out of the ocean) tuna.  Where's our favorite sushi chef when you need them???

Manjack River (6.3.11)

We were drawn northward to Manjack Cay in hopes of finding a stingray colony.  Folks at the Moorings told us they would eat green peas out of a can... (go figure).  We anchored just between Crab and Rat Cay for the night.  Some of the crew explored the mangrove creek by dinghy.  It was shallow, but sea cucumbers, starfish, and a lone sea turtle was spotted.

The Tournament Standings (6.3.11)

Rule #7.  Official start:  Sunday, May 29, 2pm EDT; Official finish:  Friday, June 3, 2pm EDT.

The time had come to tally up the Daily Fishing Logs.  The Awards Banquet will be later this evening.

Harrison Finks and the Half Fish Birthday (6.3.11)

Each of the boys caught a black fin tuna on Harrison's birthday.  However, the story of Harrison's tuna is noteworthy.  His fish was giving big fight before it unfortunately became prey to something larger. Something large enough to get GB's and Andy's attention. Something large enough to instill caution when the gaff went overboard.  Something large enough to sever a perfect cut into the body of Harrison's fish.  All I can say is that I doubt it was a barracuda.

Fish Stories (6.3.11)

Fathers and sons.  Big fish.  A day on the water.  Priceless.   

Exploring Green Turtle (6.3.11)

While the men and older boys made their way out to sea (to fish again), Mandy, Jen, and I --along with the little guys-- rented a golf cart to explore Green Turtle.  Highlights included:

Finding treasure on deserted beaches

Snacking on french fries and ice cream

And swimming at Pineapple's!

Birthday Breakfast (6.3.11)

Harrison woke up on his 9th birthday in Green Turtle Cay to pancakes and presents.  

His comment just before he crawled into his dad's lap was "This is the best birthday ever!"

The Last Day of Being 8 (6.2.11)

Here are my boys.... on the last day Harrison would be 8 years old.

There's Tennis! (6.2.11)

The one thing that was missing on Man-O-War, to my delight, was discovered as we motored in to Green Turtle...there are tennis courts here!  

Blue Pass (6.2.11)

The pass from Treasure Cay to Green Turtle Cay was difficult.  Either you had to cut out to Atlantic waters (we had just been out in those rough waters) or very carefully maneuver by line of sight through an average of 5 feet of water on the west.  GB convinced Lloyd to try, and we made it through the channel (though, not without some close calls).  It was like the blue water that you see in Anegada, but there was no margin for error.  Breathtaking and heart pounding. The picture is of "Don't Rock".

Treasure Cay (6.2.11)

We were told that Treasure Cay would be a great place for the kids to go swimming at the pool.  We tried to make this happen for Harrison on "the last day he would be 8", but from the minute we arrived, we all had an uneasy feeling.  We're sailors, you see, and the feeling of unwelcome was palpable in this "too good for us" place. We couldn't get out of there fast enough.  Adios, Treasure Cay.  We headed for fairer seas.

Barracuda (6.2.11)

As long as the dolphin were with us, we certainly weren't going to catch any fish.  So, as bittersweet as it was, we parted ways with our new friends in search of other catch.   For what seemed like hours, there was nothing--until out of nowhere--Harrison's  reel screamed like a banshee.  With help from his Dad, he reeled in a big one.  Its too bad for the other fish that we don't eat barracuda.  We had to let this guy go.

Dolphin (6.2.11)

 

Our first attempt going offshore to fish required that we shoot a hole through Tilloo Cut.  With the winds fairly strong, we were one of few boats heading out.   The waves were 6- 8 feet, and the kids were loving every minute!  I sat out front, spotting kids, but holding on for dear life.  I don't think I could have done anything to protect them had a wave caused them to slip, but I was out there nonetheless. Just when I was about to turn around to tell Lloyd that I was going to throw up (and that I could NEVER cross the Atlantic with him), a pair of dolphin shot out of the water in front of us!  Jen, Mandy, and I squealed like little girls.  There were at least 8 of them.  Lloyd killed the engines and we glided along more smoothly, allowing us to maneuver on the bow.  As the dolphin approached the boat they would swim sideways, so to be at the perfect angle to take a good look at us!  Magnificent creatures.  

The Lighthouse (6.1.11 and 6.2.11)

The Hope Town lighthouse is one of only three kerosene-powered lights in the world, and all three are in the Bahamas.  It is a signature sight-- its red and white candy stripes-- reaching 120 feet in height.   Mechanically operated, the light "floats" on a bed of Mercury and is powered by a "grandfather's clock" type chain mechanism, with pirate cannon balls as the powering weights!   Lloyd, GB, Andy, and the kids couldn't wait to visit it once we moored in Hopetown.  Jen, Mandy, and I would wait until the morning.  Both by dusk and dawn, the view was spectacular. 

Sunset Shots (6.1.11)

Hopetown, Elbow Cay (6.1.11)

Hopetown is probably one of the most picturesque moorings we've ever overnighted in.  The Lighthouse (more to come on that later) that stands in its harbor draws people in.  Half the crew couldn't wait to climb to its top.  We enjoyed a night tucked in playing music and enjoying the sounds coming from the settlement beyond. 

Tilloo Caye (6.1.11)

Working our way north, we stopped for a mid-afternoon snorkel at Tilloo Cay, a 4 mile long string bean of an island.  There was no public access here, but, we anchored the boat in shallow water and took the dinghy into the beach.   We saw sea cucumbers and starfish, but, our time in the sand was cut short because of the strong current. (To be such shallow water, the drift was surprising).  The kids stayed with Jen while I swam to shore to get the dinghy which had almost floated off by the time I returned to the beach.  Had we lost our transportation, though, I guess we could have walked back to the boat!