The Yacht Seraphim

Sail Away. A book by Nicola Rodriguez

2011-10-25T10:18:00.003+01:00

My book Sail Away published by Wiley Nautical is now available on Amazon.

′A must for all aspiring ocean adventurers.′ (Yachting Monthly)

Author Nicola Rodriguez dared to dream the impossible—seeing the world with her family of four. With careful planning (and the gift of yachting equipment), her dream came true, allowing her to travel by yacht for four years while raising her family. In Sail Away, she offers practical guidance for the would–be adventurer—including choosing a boat, planning a round–the–world route, as well as a realistic look at the pros and cons of living on a boat. With information on safety, communications, children, insurance, and budgeting, this helpful guide will show anyone how to start their once in a lifetime journey.
With careful guidance on each step of the preparation process, the book also includes extensive information on routes and destinations around Europe, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and beyond.

Includes only tried–and–tested advice–based on the author′s own experience as well as many others she met in her travels
Offers advice on coping with life ashore at the end of your adventure
The author is a respected yachting journalist, who contributes to Yachting Monthly, Yachting World, and Sail magazines
Illustrated with beautiful photographs taken by Nicola′s husband, John

Whether you′re opting to cash in your savings, making use of your pension, or taking a sabbatical from your daily routine, this inspirational, practical guide shows you how to take the plunge and Sail Away."

Order your copy direct from Amazon here

Back afloat

2011-05-17T22:05:00.000+01:00

Well sort of.

We have moved Seraphim to a swinging mooring in Poole and this is her new view.
Its peaceful and reminds us of our travels.

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-19T14:00:00.002Z

All’s Well in Well House

2010-08-28T00:15:00.001+01:00

The blog has been quiet over the last two months because we have been way too stretched.

The Rodriguez family sailed into Southampton, England at 6.30am on June 14th. The two months since we arrived have been a time of stress and change. Re-entry is a transitional experience, and it is a shake up.

John has set up his yacht brokerage John Rodriguez Yachts. www.jryachts.com. He is specializing in Blue water yachts. Within the first weeks he sold a Hallberg Rassy 46 as well as listing some other ocean capable yachts and has been assured work at the Southampton Boat Show.

We initially stayed at a friends house and then with my mother whom we call Shore support (Sure Support). Just before we arrived home my mother had a hip operation, and just after we returned her cat needed an operation. Two patients in the house, I was glad the boys ran off their energies in Granny’s large garden.

The boys have met new friends from their new school, Salisbury Cathedral School and enjoyed numerous play dates with old pals. I was surprised how emotional I found buying the boys school uniform. It has been time of emotional swings as we adapt to life ashore.

In addition to all this we found and bought a house. The final negotiations for our 17th Century thatched cottage took place as we stood on the deck of the ship delivering Seraphim, our home away from home. Seraphim is now safe in Ocean Village Marina, Southampton.

We intend growing roses around Well House in Downton near Salisbury, Wiltshire in the south of England. We love this enchanting “dollshouse” where we shall take a few years out of the cruising life.

The next update will be full of pictures of our crossing on the Queen Mary II, Seraphims arrival and a few tales on Local Motion.

Back in the UK

2010-07-27T00:40:00.000+01:00

We are back in the UK after a truly wonderful Trans-Atlantic voyage from New-York aboard the Queen Mary2.

It's been such a whirlwind of things to organise that writing a Blog update has taken a back seat but it's coming soon..

Amtrak- Florida to New York City

2010-06-06T04:09:00.004+01:00

Midnight Train to Georgia.

Technically it was through the Carolinas at midnight but we still hummed the tune waiting for train 98, the Silver Meteor. A thousand miles of changing landscapes: swamps, woods, forests, rivers, shacks, villages and cities.

Twenty five hours from West Palm Beach along the East Coast to New York City via Orlando, Jessup, Savannah, Philadelphia and Washington DC. Passing over a bridge entering Washington DC we waved at the Potomac and Washington Channel anchorage, and rememberd our sweltering time in the city in July. It was a fascinating trip tracking our previous sailing along the eastern seaboard.

No 8 and No 7, the two roomettes, one for us and one for the boys were worth the $300 each extra. They gave privacy and some time out from the boys. The food included in the ticket, served in the Dinning Car, was surprisingly good.

The train was a great experience, and a great way to ease us off Seraphim. For eight years, since we married, exploring on our boat has been our focus which expanded to include Jack, and then James. The last three weeks have been a difficult time with high temperatures and emotions. Thankfully the Seawalkers, with whom we travelled extensively last year, arrived in Palm Harbour Marina on the same day. Their help and support was invaluable as we prepared Seraphim and ourselves for the Journey. Whilst President Obama gave a press conference on the increasingly serious situation in the Gulf of Mexico I cleaned out the oily bilge, I felt for the folks in Louisiana.

Saying farewell to Seraphim, even for a few weeks, was a poignant moment. I shed a tear and John had “dust” in his eyes. Our floating home has sailed us through rough and smooth seas, physically and metaphorically. We look forward to seeing her again in Southampton.

Tomorrow we have a day in New York, and on Monday we embark on our voyage to the UK aboard the Queen Mary 2.

Yachts, Trains and Ocean going liners.

2010-05-31T00:43:00.023+01:00

The Garden of the Groves in Grand Bahama is a beautiful and tranquil garden with waterfalls, peaceful glades and a labyrinth.

It is a magical place with a super playground and an excellent café run by Julie and Yvonne with chef Stephan, where the boys gave me American Mothering Sunday lunch.

My card was made from fresh flowers.

It is also a good place for reflecting on big decisions.

After chewing, debating and vacillating we have decided to ship, yes ship Seraphim to Southampton and explore homeland horizons. It was a hard decision which we have ground on for months. With hurricane season fast approaching the decision was pushed and shoved. South is out of the question. Chavez‘s Venezuela is no longer safe. Piracy has become a serious problem in the Rea Sea and Indian Ocean which blocks our way home if we go via the Pacific. Even before these dangerous waters we feel the boys are too young for the long hauls of the Pacific.

So, we were faced with heading north and then back south, along the US Eastern seaboard for the third time. This did not appeal. Since Palma in November 2008 we have sailed 4,700 miles and kept watch for eighteen months, 24/7, over two hyper boys under five. Cruising unexplored home waters will give us a much needed break before completing our circumnavigation when the boys are 9 and 7.

From July 2002 to June 2010 with two years off for babies, we have covered over 24,000 miles in total from the Hamble in the UK, down the western coast of Europe, across the Atlantic, north through the Caribbean and the Bahamas to the Chesapeake in the USA and back to Grenada. We, then the Moonshiners, survived two hurricanes. Sadly Moonshine only made it through one and she was lost in 2004.
In July 05 we set off on Seraphim through the French Canals with eight month old baby Jack. After three years in Spain and another baby, we returned to the Caribbean in November 08 where we voyaged from Martinique to Barbados, up the Caribbean chain to Florida then north to New York City and Long Island Sound, with a 100 mile side trip up the Hudson River, escaping Hurricane Bill, and back south via Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas.

What Next?

It has been an extraordinary, improbable and priceless experience of which we are very proud. The last few weeks have been a time of stress and change but it is a time of new opportunities and new dreams to fulfil.

Coming to a Marina Near You

Seraphim will be shipped from West Palm Beach to Southampton, where she will be berthed in Ocean Village opposite the berth from which we left on 7th July 05 for France. In July this year we shall start a Home Coming tour of the marinas of the south of England.

Arrive Inspired Not Dog Tired….

And if all this news has not been exciting enough? We’re catching the Amtrak Silver Meteor overnight train from Florida to New York. Followed by two nights in a secret gem, the Wall Street Inn, a new and enchanting hotel near the South Street Seaport in Manhattan.

And then … what next?

Port Out, Starboard Home!
We are Sailing to our home port Southampton in a starboard cabin on the Queen Mary 2.

Photo Credit P&O

We’re bubbling over with excitement. Flying Virgin from Miami to London was the same price as a cabin on the QM2. No brainer which way to go. We set sail on 7th June from New York and arrive in Southampton 7 days later.

Our last western Atlantic offshore voyage on Seraphim, for now, was from Grand Bahama to the USA. Seraphim slipped through a narrow weather window for a twelve hour crossing of the Gulf Stream back to West Palm Beach.

En route John caught a huge Mahi Mahi, the size of Jack, who was keen to land him and eat him. John and I did not have the heart or stomach to kill such a magnificent creature.

Reeling it in had been a Hemmingway-esque struggle, let alone landing it. Jack and James were deeply disappointed and “upset” that their “sushi” was released.

The first time we saw America on the horizon in May 03 in Moonshine we were victorious, we had discovered the New World. This time it was a bitter sweet moment full of memories and hopes for the future.

Discover Scuba

2010-05-18T03:48:00.004+01:00

A week in Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama even at a discount was expensive, and too full of sports fisherman and tourists for us. It had been a fun stop but it was time to head to the Abacos. But first, we had to find somewhere with a cheap laundry. With that intention we headed to Ocean Reef Yacht Club for a stop before the two day trip across the Bahama Banks.

Coming into Ocean Reef was another heart in mouth experience with rock outcrops on both sides. I shouted instructions and full speed aheads from the bow and John steered us through the shallow, narrow, uninviting entrance.

It's small and friendly and it suits us. Two swimming pools, a Jacuzzi, beaches, a laundry, a gym, cheap hire car and resort scuba classes.

Having seen me learn to scuba Jack was keen to learn. John gave him a special lesson.

Other resort activities include bingo of which Jack is a big fan, and, karaoke night - another Jack favourite. But most fun is the cruisers singalong.

I find the astanga yoga classes a real stretch but love them. It’s easy here and with John and I empty of energy, and our boys full of it, that’s important. Two weeks has gone quickly.

Lucayan National Park

2010-04-29T04:05:00.000+01:00

Today we went to the Lucayan National Park where they claim to have one of the most beautiful beaches in the world... they may be right.

Browns Marina

2010-04-26T22:19:00.012+01:00

We are now in Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama.

Our attempt to sail south east to Nassau and the Exumas was cancelled because this year's El Nino weather has caused constant, unstable weather. All set to go, we had eased cautiously out of Bimini Sands and anchored in the South Bimini anchorage. It didn’t look good and it got worse. After ten minutes of rocking and rolling it was anchors up. Even at high tide, it’s a tricky entry up the channel into North Bimini where we returned and tied up on Browns Marina dock.

Phillipa the manager made “her” boys, Shirley Temples. A non-alcoholic drink and all was well. More of Browns later.

The forecast was good for our second attempt to leave Bimini. this time heading north. John had plotted way points on the chart plotter for a night exit as we came through the Channel after our first attempt to leave. When we arrived a month ago there were no channel markers and a large boat was grounded. Now only some of the markers were back, even so it is still tricky in day light let alone at night. Mid afternoon we anchored at Paradise Point, off Bimini Bay in the north of the north island. At 3am with the children asleep we set off. John skippered. I kipped ready to mother watch which started at 6am.

It was a testing 62 miles with testing squally conditions and children.
However, now we are here in Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama, somewhere completely different. A change, it’s fun and easy. The marina we had hoped for is closed so we are at the Marketplace Marina where John secured a discount rate.

Thanks to the Our Lucaya Resort five minutes from the boat we have been indulging in five star beaches and swimming pools. A sales company corporate shin dig provided elaborate sand sculptures, a band and pirate party. Although watching from the back the boys were loaded up with treasure.

The Abacos are on our horizon after a huge storm system passes over. For now a little reminisce.

Browns Marina, North Bimini.

Browns Marina is next to the Government dock, both mentioned in Hemmingway’s Islands in the Stream. From the cockpit we watch the loading and unloading of the large ferries and boats, and the local water taxi. It’s quiet now, after the influx during the Easter celebrations.

Ashley Saunders writes books on Bimini. His house near the Government dock-The Dolphin House has a small museum and displays his inventive mosaics.

Boat building has been in his family for generations. His brother Ansil builds the Bimini Bonefisher, an exquisite craft made from various woods including horse flesh wood and mahogany. It is almost too beautiful to launch in sea water.

On Dr Martin Luther King’s first visit to the island he wrote his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize. His second visit to the island was at a more sober time. Saunders felt King knew the end was near, and, spoke movingly of his experience with King whom he took to a tranquil place in the mangroves to write his final speech, three days before his death. Whilst out on Saunders boat, fatigued King asked Ansil to talk saying he was tired of talking. Saunders recited a Psalm he had written. We were blown away when Ansil gave an impassioned recital of some of the poem. The air stood still. High energies surrounded him.

Still wowed by Saunders, en route home I met both Phillipa of Brown's Marina and Tammy, the baker at Taste of Heaven. I booked four guava duffs, all time melt in the mouth favourites. Locals call the bakery “Tammy Souse Souse” because of the lunch time souse (pickled) dishes she serves. Walking past the long wall of the Big Game Resort with a sea painting by Bennet Davis on the wall, past Jontras – my grocery, past our first marina the Bimini Blue Water Marina, the Anchorage Hotel and back to Browns, several locals greeted us and chatted. Bimini was becoming home and more and more difficult to leave.

Who Dat?
In the Second World War pilots flying over the Bahamas amused themselves by radio-ing “Who dat?”, and replying“Who dat sayin’ who dat?”...etc etc. The Bimini Carnival over the Easter Weekend is the “Who Dat Homecoming”.
This reminded me of Fort Lauderdale in February which went Superbowl crazy. Miami was the venue. All America celebrated when the underdogs from New Orleans, whose nick name is the “Who Dat Nation”, won.

April was ebbing and the weather looked good to head north to Grand Bahama. Armed with four guava’ duffs we bid farewell to Tamy in Taste of Heaven, Jontra’s the local grocery, and all those we knew walking down the Kings Highway.

Shark Encounter

2010-04-18T06:56:00.009+01:00

Bimini’s proximity to the Gulf stream and the Bahama Banks provides a unique habitat for marine wildlife. Sharks thrive here. Grant, who had introduced us to the Bimini Boa, runs the Bimini Sands Recreation and Activities Team with his partner Katie. One of their ventures is a Shark Encounter. Out near a reef on South Bimini, Jack and James, and their parents were enthralled as Grant fed Caribbean Reef sharks and a Black Tip shark from the boat.

In his fascinating commentary Grant described the shark’s feeding and breeding, and how safe it is to swim with them. The previous week when Jim was showing us the baby lemon sharks James wanted to swim with them. This time both boys were safely clipped into Grant’s boat. Still, James wanted to touch the sharks.

There are 450 varieties of shark some of which have been here for 450 million years – The dinosaurs appeared 230 million years ago.

Watch a video of our shark feed below.

South Bimini

2010-04-13T03:36:00.007+01:00

“Ain’t no time zone here”, smiled a Bimini local. It’s true. This place is really special and we’re falling more in love every day.

An excursion from North Bimini to South Bimini introduced us to the tranquility and magic of the south island. Eco-tour guide Grant met us at the dock.

He and his girlfriend Katie have established an Activity Centre at the Bimini Sands Resort encouraging eco-explorations and a Nature Trail introducing tourists and locals to wildlife of the island including the Bimini Boa, a rare and beautiful snake.

Later that afternoon, Sean, the manager of the Bimini Biological Station, or, “Sharklab”, explained the work of the centre.

Their research includes tagging lemon sharks and studies of the Bimini shark population by marine academics assisted by a team of volunteers.

The shark pen tour had been at low tide, a few hours before. Our appetite was whetted. We wanted to know more about this island.

The next day Seraphim motored down to South Bimini.

After leaving the Bimini Bay Resort and Marina we learnt of the destruction building the resort had wrought upon the mangroves, essential nurseries for marine life. When the dredgers fail to use “curtains”, silt from the construction clogs up the sea grass beds, home to juvenile fish, shrimp, lobster and conch so important to Bimini fisherman and restaurants. Bahamian politicians with incentives from the developers allowed the original site to grow almost out of control until pressure from international environmentalists forced a preservation order on East Bimini which means no resort golf course but the survival of indigenous wild life.

Even at high tide with slow rolling three foot waves, the shifting sand bars make the entrance to the Bimini Sands marina on South Bimini, a heart-in-mouth experience.

But once in, it’s great. Fishing off the dock, a swimming pool two minutes from the boat, a stunning beach five minutes away plus the other resort site the Bimini Beach Club and Mackey’s Bar.

It is a marina for cruisers rather than a boat park for weekend hoppers from Miami. First on the to-do list was laundry, epic laundry.

The scores of nappies loaded in Fort Lauderdale for James were running low. Small’s, the only grocery on South Bimini did not carry them. The supply boats bringing goods from Fort Lauderdale and Nassau arrive on Thursday. So Friday morning was a good time to cross back to North Bimini on the water taxi for essentials. Brown bread and parmesan rolls ordered from Tammy at Taste of Heaven Bakery, re-victualed and nappied up, we headed back to the ferry/water taxi. I was relieved that new friends Linda and Chrissie golf carted us to and from the dock. It’s a comparatively short walk but in 90 degrees on a dusty road with children it can become a task. Especially after one of my meltdowns when I sob that it’s all too much and want to go home. John ducks and dives through these monthly crises til an hour or so later the sun is shining in paradise, physically and metaphorically.

The mundane was forgotten when Jim the assistant manager of the Shark Lab waded out with us to the pen where young sharks were swimming. Jim fished out a lemon and then a nurse shark describing their characteristics, life style and idiosyncrasies. Touching these creatures was thrill for Jack and James. When John commented that they felt like sandpaper, Jim told that “back in the day”, sailors used their skins to sand the decks. Jim has worked, voluntarily, at the lab for almost three years since he graduated.

On Saturday, Jim was fishing for bone fish off the beach, on his day off, at the Bimini Beach Club. On the horizon is the wreck of the Sapona, on the edge of the Bahama Banks. She was a concrete vessel used for hooch. Numerous schooners were sunk on the Banks in the hurricane of 1926.

Inside Mackey’s Sand Bar there is sand on the floor and on the wall photographs of Bimini in the 20s – 50s including the harbor full of schooners, proof that the island thrived during Prohibition.

The phrase the Real McCoy comes from those spirited days when Bill McCoy was known for his undiluted liquor. Predictably there are photos of the famous writer and big game fisher with quotes from his work. Being on a Hemingway Island I messed with long sentences linked by “and” with the odd comma but after a few breathless goes, let it go.

It’s a bus or taxi to the Bimni Beach. Tony who sometimes drives a bus for the Bimini Sands, has eight children from four girlfriends. He looks after the children during the day and escapes to the bus in the evening and Sundays.

On our trips into Alice Town we met various taxi drivers. The tram was not as reliable as we had hoped so we spent more than we had hoped on taxis. $20 return. The best taxi is Milton or Scooper Taxi. Someone smashed one of the other taxi drivers windows. Our concern over a taxi war turned to amusement when we heard from a South Bimini taxi that our windowless friend is a “lover”. It was probably the fury of a scorned girlfriend. The taxi driver grinned over the “lover”. “I tell him man you got to slow down, but he don’t do dat”.

Easter in Bimini

2010-04-09T02:51:00.002+01:00

Bimini celebrated Easter with song and dance. Jack’s first Easter egg hunt of three was around the large swimming pool in the marina. In Alice Town there was a Junkanoo Carnival. The tourist officer at the Ministry of Tourism told me Junkanoo was on Friday and Saturday, and pointedly, church on Sunday.

The Anglican Church is one of eight on this seven mile long by half mile wide island. The congregation turned out in their Easter Service Best.

After a two hour Easter Service (a stretch for us let alone James), the children were given Easter baskets for a sedate egg hunt around the Church yard.

Later new cruising friends from San San joined Jack and James for a crazier egg scamper around the marina playground followed by lunch beside the infinity pool whilst the children splashed in the cold water. A delightful day.

On the beach and the boat we marvel at the colours of the sea. From palest turquoise it moves through the spectrum to azul and cyan in the deeper water of the Gulf stream. A phenomena known as the Bimini Colour Change. It’s how I imagine the stairway to heaven.

Islands in the stream

2010-04-03T05:00:00.006+01:00

BIMINI, Bahamas

The Bahamas are so close and yet utterly different to the States in all ways. Less than 50 miles from Florida across the Gulfstream, Bimini has a strange captivating charm.

Bimini claims to be the sports fishing capital of the world. These tiny islands on the edge of the Gulfstream and The Bahama Banks have attracted sports fisherman for decades.

Six hundred pound fish which fight for hours such as Marlin and Sailfish team just off these “Islands in the Stream”. Ernest Hemingway’s book was based on his three seasons here between 1935 – 37. The house he first describes, The Anchorage, still exists as a hotel attached to the Bimini Blue Water Marina where we stayed on our arrival to the “Gateway of the Bahamas”.

Two days later another cold front passed through providing a good opportunity to catch rain water to fill the tanks, one of Jack’s favourite games.

The small Bimini museum is a fascinating guide to the colourful history of the island. There are pictures of the rich Americans who made homes here and attracted royal, wealthy and famous guests. Hemingway and one of his four wives, Pauline, are photographed with Baron and Baroness von Blixen of “Out of Africa” notoriety. The photographs taken in the 1930s show fit hunters and their ladies who have no hips and long legs. The real boom time was during Prohibition when Bimini harbour was littered with liquor cases. The ultimate booze cruise, when schooners from Europe loaded with alcohol anchored in the harbour, unloaded and fast boats (rum runners) sped the illegal drink across to the US.

The north island is seven miles long and almost a half a mile wide at one point. A beach runs along the Atlantic side. Jack and James played with new friends during a cruisers gathering outside Shelley’s beach bar in Alice Town.

An evening of indulging in Shelly’s conch fritters, up-and-down island banter, the magnificent sunset and driftwood bonfire. CJ’s, next door was John’s breakfast sandwich venue.

Bimini’s main islands are North and South Bimini. North Bimini has two faces, the village of Alice Town for island life, and at the other end of the island Bimini Bay Resort and Marina.

As with many islands golf carts are the vehicle of choice. During our $40 worth of golf cart rental we discovered the Resort and Marina. John’s careful questioning elicited the useful information that although it is $3 a foot per day, it is $1.20 per foot if you stay a week, not many people know that.

Even though it is a minimum of 40 feet, it was still the same price as Alice Town but includes restaurants, (selling grouper fingers – mmm), an infinity pool, uber pool, children’s pool (pee pool), children’s playground, children’s play room and non-stop WIFI. We headed up the new deep channel cut through the shallows for a week on Wahoo Pontoon. Now we have the best of both worlds. A $6 tram driven by Humphrey or $10 taxi with Max takes us back to Alice Town, through the villages of Porgy Bay and Bailey Town. I window shop at the expensive Bimini Bay shop fronts but we head to Alice Town to shop.

Tamy runs the Taste of Home bakery, a green building where she sells many goodies. Our favourite are her Parmesan and Garlic rolls.

Just before Easter the local school sold hot cross buns. A pupil, Paulette showed us through the school grounds to the Bimini mummies working hard over the buns.

They were delicious, and literally hot.

One of our most charming father and sons moments occurred when John made a coconut sailboat for the boys, and accompanied by happy squeals set it afloat.

This Easter weekend our tranquil resort has become Miami in the Stream. One of scores of sports fishing boasts powering into the marina was 900 horse power Down Time. It took just 1 hour 20 minutes to reach Bimini from Miami, top speed is 55 knots with a cruising speed of 33 knots. Seraphim’s 50 horse power and sail took eight hours with our cruising speed of 7 knots. Sleigh riding down a big wave our top speed is 12 knots.

We’re off to see Junkanoo, the local Carnival in Alice Town.
There are at least eight churches to choose from. Wishing you all a Happy Easter.

In the Bahamas

2010-03-29T01:21:00.001+01:00

After a long, long wait for the right weather, and more waiting we crossed the Gulf stream to Bimini in the Bahamas. Two small islands famous for big game fishing and Hemingway. We are loving it here. More of Bimini sunsets and bonfires soon.

Florida part 3...still on the dock

2010-02-03T05:16:00.007Z

Here we are still on the dock at the New River Marina
Fort Lauderdale, on Riverwalk, one of the most picturesque
spots in the area.

Now we have dock fever. Three weeks longer than we intended,
seven weeks since we arrived. But it’s been an eventful time…

On Sunday 17th January a day of high winds and strong current on the New River saw the Jungle Queen crash and scrape down the side of a luxury yacht.

I was taking photos of the boys playing on the dock when I saw the large tourist boat coming towards us. Seraphim is on the curve into the river bend. The Jungle Queen misjudged the wind and current, just missed us, lost it on the bend and crashed down the side of the next yacht. Massive fenders burst. The Jungle Queen then crunched a smaller cruising yacht before pushing off from it and heading down river. I renamed her the “Bungle Queen“. Even ho hummed new lyrics to Abba’s Dancing Queen, for all of a minute. “Bungle Queen crashing its way down New River, Watch that Queen, smash that boat flying around the bend ….”

Another out of the ordinary experience fell on a night late in December as we arrived home with two sleeping children. The police were out in force with a helicopter, boats and cars, and were joined by the Coastguard launch who caused a massive wake. All hunting a “dead guy”. Ooo’rah. Just what I wanted for a late bed time - the noise of a helicopter, glaring floodlights and Seraphim bouncing on the dock. A fight between two hobos had gone bad. One flipped the other over a bridge further up stream and the swift current disposed of him.

Lets back up to December 26th when we had a Wonderful Life moment. A fire hydrant. An empty pavement, and a young man kneeling, holding a girl’s ring finger. Can only mean one thing. “He’s proposing”, I squealed. John spun the car and we caught up just outside the Church by the Sea. Yes, Will had indeed just proposed to Tiffany. I asked why there, on the pavement? Will shrugged colouring from pink to puce. The “joy-full” couple were not surprisingly bemused by these eccentric Brits curious about spontaneous gestures which would change their lives. We wish them well.

Boxing Day was a day to hit the sales in the Malls. Fort Lauderdale’s upmarket Galleria Mall with Macys and Neiman Marcus, (otherwise known as Needless Mark Up) was a far more pleasant experience than the heaving scrum we encountered at Sawrgrass Mills, designer discount shops.

Excursions with Eileen, John’s mother visiting during the Holidays, included our beach playground near Eileen‘s hotel, the playground at the Church by the sea, Miami South Beach and the Miami Sea Aquarium with an orca, dolphins, manatees, a pirate playground and a fair ground. The Ferris wheel gave an excellent view of downtown Miami..

After Eileen returned to the UK we returned from our time out to the life of fixing Seraphim, and what a lot there is to do. The cockpit tent was taken off making us feel like a yacht again, not a caravan.
Part of the reason the Seraphims are burning savings on the dock is that another and another and another thing needs fixing, also, it’s easy. The tenacious rootlets start growing as the lines are tied to the dock. No in and out of dinghy, just onto the dock. No life jackets on and off. No bags of rubbish, bags of stuff, in and out of the dinghy, just into a rubbish bin onshore. Electricity and easy access is conducive to landlubberly-ness. Also, although the outside temperatures were cold in mid January, the water was 70 degrees. It is warmer up the river because it is shallow and not open to the ocean.

Balancing boat maintenance, yacht broking, writing articles, oh, and everyday domestics including children and school is a real stretch for us. If the children are more naughty than usual we threaten them with “Dockwise home”. The most workable childcare arrangement is when John and I take turns, as at home. However, 24/7 childcare for over a year is wearing.

Fortunately we have some excellent playgrounds nearby plus the Museum of Science and Discovery which after 5 hours of non-stop play is reasonable at $29 for an adult and two children. I also saw the spectacular James Cameron blockbuster, “Avatar” at the AutoNation IMAX cinema next to the Museum. On the other end of the cinematic scale was the family outing to “Alvin and the Chipmunks” at the fifteen screen drive In.

On a literally freezing Saturday casting around for warm child friendly fun, John headed for the local movie house and Alvin, again. The boys literally danced in the aisles. (We avoid attractions and museums at weekends, too full, too mad.) The Riverfront flea pit rescued us again with “The Tooth Fairy“.

Whilst John had a day of WIFI and electronic nitty gritty, the excellent Miami Children’s Museum and I, entertained the boys. $36, £12 each was steep but you pays-for what-you-gets, and six hours of top quality “play”, was worth it. Miami and Port Discovery in Baltimore come joint first out of ten for children’s museums on the US east coast. In our order of preference: Wilmington North Carolina, Fort Lauderdale (2 visits) Charleston, Portsmouth, Manhattan, Annapolis and South Myrtle Beach.
Young At Art, in Davie near Fort Lauderdale, provided a palate (sic) of arts and crafts for children.

It’s not just the comfortable dock, it’s the city. Marina Mile provides all kind of facilities such as West Marine, the vast Sailorman New and Used Marine Store, WIFI experts, Diesel experts, and all kinds of experts to do with all kinds of boats.
Then there are the cinemas, shopping malls, Starbucks and Publix all in the area. All things lovely but lubberly. Enough already, it was time to get off the dock.

Returning the hire car is the best way to re-focus on setting off. We have returned four hire cars so far. I have provisioned for the Bahamas six times, so far.
Some hours when John is up to his elbows in grease, oil and/or ugly bilge gunge I watch the boys play fire trucks or trains or just let off steam, on the dock. Ditto, if John is working on “topsides“, (the deck), they play beside him, on the dock. Several locals walking their dogs or toddlers stop to chat “forcing” John to take a break.

And we were ready to go. When yet another !?!!ing thing needed fixing.

31st January. And another, and another. Seven false starts.

Re-commissioning the watermaker involved waiting for a new part to be couriered from Trinidad. It arrived. It broke. John searched out another in Marina Mile.
Then it was the loo pump out system which five years ago, we now discovered, had been installed back to front, and required new parts and contortionist tricks by John.
The wind generator and the stereo both died on the same day. It was not just a matter of buying a new wind generator. John checked three times with the sales guy that the new generator would fit on our existing pole. Yes, three times he said it would. No, after wasting an evening try to make it fit it did not. A great deal of time (and hire car costs) is wasted in such buy, fit, not fit, return exercises.

And whilst John was extending our US Cruising Permit the customs officer pointed out that the Ship’s Register Certificate for Seraphim is up in May. Phone calls and Fedex to the Register of Ships in the UK, and a wait. It did not help that the receptionist at the Registry of Ships left the $55 Fedex envelope gathering dust when it arrived in UK.

I wonder if we’ll ever ever get off this dock. But, as ever with these times of stress and challenge an angel is sent. This time in the form of Jennifer who lives in the huge apartment block next to the boat. Jennifer used to live on a boat and understands our travails in the valley of boat maintenance, and children, and etc ….. So she, her washing machine, top floor swimming pool and games with her little boy Andrew and husband Paul have saved us. That and the odd outing such as the deafening ride on an airboat over the Everglades at the Sawgrass Recreation Area. It is home to various creatures such as black panthers, wolves, a cougar and alligators.

A trip down memory lane took us to lunch at the Seawatch in Lauderdale on Sea, a fine restaurant where John had dined with his father seventeen years ago. After an outstanding seafood lunch the boys played on the beach away from the water line which was littered with Portuguese Men of War.

The Result of the Week was found in the Annual Nautical Flea Market (think a small Beaulieu Boat Jumble) in the form of a fold up bicycle to replace one of ours which had given up to rust.
So, we wait for the return of our Ships Register Certificate, say goodbye to our wedding present wind generator, fit the second new wind generator and see what next.

Florida part 2

2010-01-15T01:25:00.006Z

Fort Lauderdale, the Venice of America where waterways are lined with amazing residences. Here is a look back at our time there in December.

12th December.

Las Olas Marina mooring field. Seraphim was in prime position for the Winterfest Boat parade. Over one hundred brightly lit and loudly blaring competitors of all sizes sailed right on past in front of us. It was magnificent.

An extra treat was catching up with Pat and Walt on Centime with whom we sailed from the Bahamas to Puerto Rico in Winter 04 when I was newly pregnant with Jack.

On Sunday 13th December Seraphim headed along the ICW and up the New River to a marina. I was singing “Electricidad”, my version of the Spanish song, “Felice Navidad” in anticipation at being able to plug into a dock for a while.

The New River Marina was also the start point of the Winterfest parade. Half dressed and unlit Winterfest boats headed down river, as we headed up. Matt, the dockmaster gave us an excellent spot alongside the re-developed Riverwalk, next to a park. It was to be our home for two weeks, which has stretched to five.

December 14th

I would never have guessed it was a special day if James had not bounced on my head before dawn singing “Birthday”. Later I was awoken from a doze in with champagne, yummies, and “Happy Birthday” sung by my boys. (It hardly seemed a year since Rastafarian Adrian accompanied by his steel drum sang on the dock in St Lucia.) A day full of treats ensued including brunch at the Floridian Restaurant on Las Olas Boulevard, a Fort Lauderdale tradition. Highly Recommend.

Eileen, John’s mother, visited for two weeks over Christmas staying in a Best Western Oceanside Inn tucked between the Harbor Beach Marriott and Sheraton. Three minutes to the beach it was great value in a top location.

An explore by car through Rio Vista (River View) wowed us. The waterfront homes are as dazzling on the land facing side.

On Christmas Eve we attended the family Service at the Church by the Sea which included a heart warming Nativity Play. I was intrigued that the Service sheet announced who had sponsored the Poinsettias. It was the most fashionable congregation we’d come across. Supper was sorted by Tokyo Sushi, a Rodriguez celebration tradition (e.g. our arrival in the USA in May and my Birthday dinner).

On Christmas day after a present opening frenzy in Eileen‘s room, Christmas lunch on Seraphim was rounded off with a cruise of the ICW Christmas lights, aboard “Tropical Adventures“, a family run tourist boat. Father Christmas had first given us a flyer whilst we walked down Las Olas Boulevard admiring the Christmas decorations.

Florida part three comes up soon. Marriage proposal on the pavement, drive ins, dive ins, and police helicopters at bedtime….

Florida part one

2010-01-11T04:34:00.002Z

Greetings from an extra-ordinary cold Fort Lauderdale. Avocado, strawberry and citrus farmers of central Florida are distraught. Me too, fresh, fresh, fresh strawberries we feasted on last week were the best ever. This week the crop froze.

But, for now, back to early December in Vero Beach, Florida. The Gods read my smug blog - “waterproofs away”, and cracked their cheeks. Torrential winds and rain with the spin of tornado warnings. The inclement conditions forced us to dig deep under the pilot berth (a six foot by two foot sloping “garage“) and drag out the cockpit tent. Wintering in Gibraltar (05) and Palma (07) it provided an extra, upstairs room, an excellent anti claustrophobic device.

Vero Beach’s nickname is Velcro Beach. Cruisers get stuck there. During the week, free buses provide transport to Publix, (my favourite supermarket), West Marine, (chandlery), Pocahontas Playground (9/10) and pretty much anything else. The mooring price includes showers and laundry. The place was literally packed to the rafters, arf! Arf!, boats were rafting two or three abreast on buoys. A charming couple thankfully experienced with Grandchildren rafted onto us. We eyed their immaculate craft remembering pre-children chic.

In Vero we spent time with our friend Greg Von Zeilinski whom we originally met in Solomon’s island (Maryland) during Hurricane Isabel in September 03. (See archives, Hurricane Isabel on our main website here). Greg had been kind enough to let us use his address for mail. It is so exciting collecting post. Genuine jumping up and down, excitement. Even in this email centric age, cards and presents from home make a big difference to Birthdays and Christmas. I immediately hid large parcels in the pilot berth, (“garage”), making a mental note from whence I should exhume them on Christmas Eve. Curious and determined small hands can discover even the deepest crannies. (It worse than John and chocolate!) Vero Beach Community put on a Christmas Parade. The boys soon learnt that waving their flags manically attracted more candy canes.

Greg a vicar who cares for his elderly parents, ferried us everywhere and gave his expert assistance helping John fixing the stern gland. Interestingly, Moonshine’s stern gland gave up on the ICW as well.

With 11th December, the date for our arrival at New River Municipal Marina on the horizon, we un-stuck from Vero and headed south. At our new gentle, stopping for playgrounds pace it would take 4 days to cover the 163 miles. (Pushing hard we could do it in 2 ½). On the first day south of Jensen Bridge we stopped at a BTN (Better Than Nothing) playground on the pier under the bridge. We have learnt from bitter experience that the children have to be run out once a day.

From Hobe Sound to Jupiter, Lake Worth and West Palm Beach the homes become more palatial and surreal. All realms of taste, or not, are catered for. The most overt display of wealth is a mansion one block back from the water, with the precious waterside plot given over to an immaculate lawn. Thousands of dollars of real estate for serfs and turf, with fountains with running water like in ancient Rome.

The picturesque anchorage beside the ICW in Lantana had a playground. Time was against us. Fifteen bridges from Lantana to Fort Lauderdale. Most sail in the ocean to avoid waiting for bridges. John and I think this is one of the most spectacular parts of the ICW.

The pressure cranked up when with five bridges to go, and the afternoon waning, the Atlantic Boulevard bridge broke down. Whilst waiting for the electrician to fix the bridge and free the waterway we tied up to a bar with a dock, or dock with a bar, depending on your priorities. The boys swam in the bar pool. Finally the electrician fixed the bridge. The barmaid cursed. Half the bridge opened. Better than nothing. Powering ahead of other yachts, charging for bridge openings, we made it to Las Olas (The Waves) Marina mooring buoys field in time to secure one of the last buoys.

Happy Christmas

2009-12-16T18:40:00.000Z

Fort Lauderdale Christmas Boat Parade

1000 miles south. Arghh!

2009-12-04T04:37:00.022Z

The blog has not been updated recently as our four week, 1000 mile journey south with children has been a tiring experience. But now we are in Florida and can slow down, here is a review of the last month.

Travelling by car through the Fall from the Thousand Islands in Canada south to the Chesapeake Bay we were awed by the golds, reds and oranges of the autumn.
Back on Seraphim in Pleasure Cove Marina, Bodkin Creek near Baltimore we experienced an unexpected series of gear failures. Travis, the Dockmaster sympathised, “The hits keep coming.” Without Travis and Geoff (the boat yard manager’s) help and kindnesses I think we would have given up.

After ten days of all kinds of yacht work including the main sail re-re-re mended and the bottom anti-fouled, (plus a re-newed passport for Jack,) we set off on a three day spin from the north of the Chesapeake Bay to the south, via Deltaville, where we bought charts for the Pacific from British yacht Foxglove. For months we have been chewing the debate on whether to go through the Panama Canal, or not.

Hyperthermia and Hot Water Bottles.

Next a brief stop at Norfolk to visit friends our Ocean Cruising Club “parents” Greta and Gary, and new friends Ronnie and Frank. Four other Ocean Cruising Boats were on the dock, all going our way. The cold drove us on fast through Great Bridge to Buck Island, from Virginia into North Carolina and Albemarle Sound into Alligator River.

Most of the first two weeks John spent on the verge of hyperthermia. Marty, a pilot friend complained of the atrocious weather he had endured running south, nevertheless, his email concluded that the next day it had improved, sunny and clear, at 37,000 feet.

Heading back down the route we had come up in May and June, we motored with a fleet of over twenty boats across Albemarle Sound, with the odd optimistic sail up in Pamlico Sound.

In 03 we had spent weeks in Belhaven fixing Moonshine in Axon’s boatyard where we’d met Larry and Jean. Larry had just retired from a high profile Government position. Also, six years ago Rob’s Marina was an abandoned, run down shell where we sheltered during a storm. Now it’s condominiums hoping they’ll sell before the first paint peels. In June this year we had missed Belhaven, In early November, with time and tide against us, I insisted we stop to see Larry and Jean again. Skipper was grumpy. This half day stop meant a re-work of his meticulous tide and passage plan for the next three days. His mood was dispelled when Larry and Jean treated us to a picnic lunch, after which Larry drove us to a supermarket. Supermarkets and laundries on the ICW can be a challenge, so we were grateful. (The Museum in Beaufort, NC no longer offers a free car for two hours to cruisers. Few marinas now have courtesy cars because of the insurance.)

Larry’s good deeds were rewarded by the boys locking him out of his car which was parked in the Pungo District Hospital car park. Larry was up against the clock, students would be filling his lecture hall in one hour. John dinghy-ed Larry back to his water front home. Meanwhile, I ran to the Hospital Emergency Room . James was hunting through piles of shopping. In quick succession, a fire ant stung his wrist, and then a wasp had stung his neck. Ice and pain-killed, he was fine but it rattled me. Clambering and stunts on the yacht, we are alert to the dangerous, and contain them, but the sundry perils of land lubber life are limitless. A few days later John nearly rattled when James chewed through the sacred DVD power cable (which luckily fused, phew!) And the other notch in James incident belt? John had to unbolt the companion way ladder to release James’ trapped leg …well, maybe we’re not so savvy about all yacht japes.

Blackbeard’s Backyard

Jack was 5years old on 7th November and James 3 on 15th. On Jack’s Birthday the Seraphim crew set off on a Treasure Hunt with Captain Manley. He and the boys were in full regalia. Captain Manley conducts three hunts a day in the summer, but on this November afternoon we had him exclusively.

The boys armed with detailed, and historically researched treasure maps were led by Manley 40 steps north, and 21 south, (90 Jack steps) to discover numerous clues such as a noose, an arrow, a mallet, a logbook, and finally a large X in the sand under which they dug for … a chest with treasures.

Double dibs, Manley entertained Mummy and Daddy with his extensive knowledge of Edward Teach, Anne Bonny et al. Highly recommend.

And the treats played on. Three days after Jack’s Hunt we were holed up in South Habour Village Marina, North Carolina sheltering from Tropical Storm Ida which thankfully stormed north of us to Norfolk. It was reported as a “perfect storm“, clashing with another system.

A very wet playtime came together with the location, two children’s museums. Just north of us the excellent Wilmington Children’s Museum, and south the not so special Myrtle Beach Children Museum. Outstanding hamburgers and chocolate brownie sundae at Fuddruckers made up for the underwhelming museum.

Planes Trains and Fire Truck

As requested, (insisted) for their Birthdays Jack had a chocolate airplane with chocolate icing, and James a yellow cake (orange flavour) fire truck with yellow icing. Made by me, decorated by the skipper, undiscovered talent, don’t you think? A new Melissa and Doug train set and Playmobil kits kept them engrossed for miles, and miles. With no space and ambitious young train drivers John and I have to be highly inventive train track creators. Toys are best when they come in big boxes, but pack into a small space, such as train tracks, DVDs and the Play Mobil airplane and submarine.

On we motored to Barefoot Landing, Charleston, Fenwick Island and Beaufort pronounced Bewfort in South Carolina. Both towns were named in the early 1700s after the same aristo, Henry Somerset, Duke of Beaufort.

“Where Ever You’re Going, I’m Going Your Way”

The100th Anniversary of lyricist/sing Johnny Mercer’s death saw us by passing Georgia and “Moon River”, the first dance at our Wedding. We sailed past Georgia overnight - out of the Beaufort SC inlet and in at the St Johns, down to St Augustine.

Accentuate The Positive Eliminate the Negative

Was one of Mercer’s most popular songs. We had to hold that mind in the cold, damp grey days when the engine noise hour after hour, and children’s noise hour after hour became wearing and caused war-ing. Cooped up because it was too cold and wet for them to play on deck, the cabin seems to shrink by the hour.

Survey of the Playgrounds of the East USA, (specialising in swings and slides)

Southern Spain, the Caribbean, north east America, and now the south east. Nil points to Beaufort NC but bonus points to Beaufort SC’s ICW-side playground which was highly inventive and five minutes from the anchorage.

Whereas on our first trip we could sit and relax taking in the breathtaking marshlands and winding rivers of Georgia, not so with children. Playgrounds became our focus.

Florida. Yeaha!

After three days on the boat, the boys were bouncing off the decks. Hence a half hour stop at New Smyrna, on a dock alongside an excellent castle playground made from wood, and of course being near NASCAR town Daytona, tyres. A whistle stop to vent steam.

And on south to Titusville where the playground was above average, but the players less so.

Next.

If not quite our rainbows end, it was a good stop. Near Cocoa Village Marina there is a quaint area of shops including a vast hardware shop (Travis and Co.) and a park with a playground. Who needs more?

The village was decorated for the Christmas Tree Lighting and Space Coast Boat Parade - elf houses, ice rink and all the trimmings.

What an amazing day. “Our” space shuttle, Atlantis, flew over in the morning. In the afternoon a bouncy castle and fun slide appeared in the park. During the evening power boats turned into glittering beauties. Bands played. Choirs sang. The boys roasted marshmallows for Smoors over a bonfire. AND Father Christmas lit the tree before visiting the playground. (See previous Thanksgiving and Sonic Boom, blog entry.)

The sun is shining. The temperature is rising. The foul weather gear is packed away. Shorts are replacing jeans. Seraphim is moored in Vero Beach , then we are taking a berth in Fort Lauderdale, whilst John’s mother joins us for Christmas.

In the New Year? The Abacos in the northern Bahamas and maybe Cuba in February, but who knows, “there’s such a lot of world to see“.

Sonic Booms and Thanksgiving Gifts

2009-11-27T15:48:00.012Z

Photo credit NASA

9.40am (EST) we heard the sonic boom from space shuttle Atlantis as it flew over the space coast to land in the Kennedy Space Centre. Atlantis, "our" shuttle which we saw take off on a previous mission in May. Although a small dot speeding across the clear blue sky, it was thrilling.

We had taken a berth in Cocoa Village Marina, near Cape Canaveral, because of bad weather, an epic laundry load and Thanksgiving shopping at Publix (my favourite supermarket.) However, we could only afford one night.

As we watched Atlantis, enthralled, Cheryl who works at the marina waited on the dock with a message, a gift from berth holder John Wilson. Concerned that it was too cold to be on the hook, he paid for an extra night for us so we could watch the Christmas Boat Parade in comfort. This extra night was matched by the marina, two extra nights for free. Thanksgiving gifts and an indulgent treat which makes all the difference. John and I were deeply touched by such unexpected generosity. It brought a tear to my eye.

Heading South down the ICW

2009-11-14T05:39:00.009Z

We are heading south after returning to Seraphim in the Chesapeake.

It's been a gruelling trip with lots of bad weather and numerous repairs but the excellent staff at the Pleasure Cove Marina near Baltimore kept us going. Read our post about them on YBW here.

Currently we are in the Cape Fear area motoring down the ICW.

...coming soon Chesapeake to the Carolinas and the boy's birthdays.

Time to head south again

2009-10-17T02:57:00.016+01:00

In addition to family gatherings and catching up, we rose at speed to the top of the CN Tower in Toronto, flew kites on Coburg beach and were awed by the breathtaking fall colours. In the last two days fall has turned to winter with snow on the ground, time to head back to Seraphim and south, again.

Niagara Falls

2009-09-28T04:57:00.008+01:00

On our journey from the USA to Canada we took the boys to see the thunderous Horseshoe Falls at Niagara. Magnificent.

Canada

2009-09-25T06:58:00.004+01:00

We are taking a road trip to Port Hope, Canada to visit Nicola's relations and her mother who is flying in for three weeks.

Not always easy

2009-09-16T02:26:00.023+01:00

Buoy 61. Spa Creek. Annapolis

Seraphim is being fixed: engine, dinghy outboard, heating, mainsail, bimini and life raft. It’s all here and it’s easy. On Monday 7th September, Labour Day Weekend, the equivalent of our August Bank holiday and the last perceived weekend of summer,
Seraphim and her crew took a buoy in Annapolis. After three very tough weeks which brought on the “we-want-to-give-it-up blues”, it all began to get better.

Friday 21st August to the end of the month.

Hurricane Bill came through, thumped the Canadian Maritimes and blew out. From our safe marina in the Catskills Mountains the Seraphims motored back down the Hudson River to overnight at 79th Street Boat Basin.

Early the next morning, with the strong (ebb) tide going our way it was south along the west side of Manhattan, taking in some more spectacular views. Passed Battery Park, around the tip of Manhattan - then Wall Street, up to the East Side, South Street Seaport, under the Brooklyn Bridge, passed the United Nations and to Hells Gate, which since John had timed the tides was exhilarating but not hellish.

A couple of hours out of Manhattan, our first stop was the enchanting City Island which seemed like a little England to us. A Fish and Chip shop and pubs which actually looked inviting, not the usual fake blahs. A place to stay a while but with Newport in our sights, it was onwards. An invigorating sail revived our energies jaded from anxiety over Hurricane Bill. It was then the weather radio brought reports of tropical storm Danny and the news radio reports of Senator Edward Kennedy’s death.

Danny was an unstable system and potentially much more unpredictable than Bill. I thought of JFK’s words, or a dodgy paraphrase there of, we don’t do this because it’s easy.

For Hurricane Isabel in 04 we did not move and hoped she would miss us, she remained on track right up the Chesapeake. A direct hit. (The full account is here under Hurricane Isabel in the Archives.)

A year later, in the UK we prayed hurricane Ivan would miss Moonshine in Grenada. Ivan stalled around St Lucia, zig-zagged, and turned towards Grenada. A direct hit. We now get out of the way. Newport, Rhode Island and the rest of Long Island Sound were abandoned as we returned to New York. Danny was upgraded to Hurricane strength. Two in two weeks, enough already.

The grey, rainy trip around NYC echoed our mood. Fortunately a buoy became free just after our arrival at 79th Street Boat Basin, grateful thanks to the God of Buoys. Pedro, the charming laconic dockmaster greeted us and took care of us. I had not realised the Boat Basin has featured in several movies such as “You’ve Got Mail.”

That evening a vital part of Seraphim’s engine water pump failed. After dark the dinghy outboard died. (The spare had been lost overboard) Enough already. We had discovered it was not possible to row against the 3.6knot current in the Hudson. It was not safe to stay on the buoy without a dinghy. In the dark and wrung out we took Seraphim alongside to the 79th Street dock where we were still rolled through the night by the wakes but onto uber fenders.

To bolster or rather bulk up our crumbling energies we breakfasted at Nicks (Broadway and 77th) on the finest Eggs Benedict’s, served by Angelica who even after forty years in New York retains her thick German accent calling customers “Darlink” and “Sweethaaart“. (Think the “goyles” in the Kitkat Club in Cabaret).

The Seraphims know the Garment District of Manhattan well, it is the area around the American chandlery, West Marine. I mentioned the incongruity of the location to Ed, the manager, who replied 37th and 5th have all you could need: clothes, marine shop, porn and psychics, and our canteen “Main Noodles” around the corner.

After too many visits to West Marine Jack insisted on visiting “Encore”, his name for Concorde. On display near the Hudson River next to Aircraft Carrier, Intrepid.

After a final visit to West Marine to secure a dinghy outboard and with a spare water pump holding the engine problem, Seraphim bid farewell to New York in the same early morning light in which we had arrived, three weeks before.

And the breakages continued.

The New Jersey coast is ugly in all ways. There are few harbours and the inlets to reach them can be treacherous. The ocean floor is twenty metres deep for at least five miles out which forces an ocean of water to pile up into confused, short waves causing the boat to slam down. Uncomfortable and exhausting at best. Our trip north had been a rare window of calm.

En route north to New York the weather had been benevolent, an overnight sail took us from Cape May to Sandy Hook. However the journey south in what was considered a good forecast, a north east wind, was gruelling. Only 100 odd miles seemed a 1000 perpendicular. The mainsail ripped. We don’t do it because it’s easy.

In a mere 15 knots the entrance to half-way point Atlantic City was perilous. The anchorage was untenable and we were forced into taking a place on a dodgy dock at Kammerman’s Atlantic City Marina.

In the evening, projected light displays cover the nearby casino tower blocks. From the gambling Mecca it was a slog onto Cape May where the anchorage is beside a Coastguard Boot Camp. Reveille at dawn, marching and more marching and taps at sundown.

Weeks earlier, in 90 degrees in early August, waiting for weather on our voyage north we took in Cape May’s seaside town. It's an $8 taxi away from Utches marina which is 20 minutes by dinghy from the anchorage. The taxi driver boasted of the “old” Victoria houses, all artfully decorated to lure Bed and Breakfast guests.

Leather skinned dragons who reminded me of the Iguanas in the Bahamas guarded the beach and demanded $5 per adult. The lizard eyes fixed on us. Our polite request for a 10 minute paddle with the children was met with a $10 “tag” fee or a no. I hoped what wasn’t already shrivelled soon would be. On the bash south from New York we did not leave the anchorage.

Finally the end was in our sights but the crashing and rolling as the Atlantic ocean clashed with the entrance of the Delaware River produced some of the worst conditions we have experienced…until we entered Baltimore. Scores of motor boats regardless of the damage their wakes caused, powered out into the Bay leaving yachts thrown around and children and loose items sent flying . My contempt for stinkpots sank to new depths.

We don’t do this because it’s easy.

We anchored in Canton, a suburb of Baltimore, with a huge Safeway and a West Marine within five minutes and a playground within 10. Easy.

The nearby Inner Harbour in Baltimore has a great deal to see if you are willing to pay $15 to park the dinghy for 5 hours, or the yacht at $1.25 per foot overnight. (Evidently the buses from Canton are cheap and frequent, but extra hassle with children.) After a brief explore and a visit to Hilarie, a fellow Solomons Island Hurricane Isabel survivor, the Seraphims were left out of sorts to find we had a court summons for illegally parking our dinghy. 18,000 miles and several capital cities, this was a new one. A spotted “yuf” (possibly related to the Cape May Dragon) and his pal Goofy drove up on a golf cart, the Department of Transportation ... Spotted yuf was indifferent to our complaint, however, Goofy came up with the bright idea of just pay $1.25 a foot for our 8 foot dinghy, that would be cheaper … Good bye Baltimore. The expensive Aquarium, the Maritime Museum, Science Museum and all could wait.

Taking a buoy in Annapolis was like coming home. It claims to be the sailing capital of the East coast (as does Newport, Rhode Island.) And there beside us was the Heart of Texas, cruisers whom we had last seen five years before in Luperon, Dominican Republic when I was ten days pregnant with Jack.

Here we are in Annapolis where it is easy.

West Side Story

2009-08-25T03:14:00.039+01:00

NYC 79th Street Boat Basin is run by the ever helpful Pedro. Located on the Upper West Side it’s a great place from which to explore via bus, subway, or to just hang out locally. Outside the marina a wide tarmac path is in constant use by runners and cyclists. James was just missed by several high speed bikes.

And whilst on the subject of high speed, the current through the mooring field is fast- up to 3.6 knots. see the picture of it running past the mooring buoy.

On a windy day it can make boarding Seraphim with the youngsters, extremely tricky, a rock and roll challenge.

Before hitting the city streets we often took a walk along the river in the wooded park, a gentle introduction to the bustle. Having conducted a survey of the playgrounds in southern Spain and the Balearics, the boys conducted a similar quest in New York covering six in Central Park and all those within a 10 minute radius of the 79th Street Yacht Basin.

Plus the Toys R Us Ferris Wheel at Times Square, the Natural History Museum the Planetarium and finger painting at the Manhattan Children’s Museum.

Exploring mixed in with catching up. A friend, Tim, took us to Central Park Zoo and the old fashioned carousel. We also pick-nicked in Central Park with cousin Alexander and Nick near their Upper Eastside apartment. There is a great rivalry between the Upper East and Upper West sides, both presuming superiority.

And the games continued in the Tribeca district in an ultra Vanity Fair loft conversion owned by Devrin and Jane, parents to Ocean and baby Nico. Jane and I worked together, across the Atlantic, for six years at Pearson Television International, it was a great opportunity to re-connect.

Other NYC treats included tours on open top buses, NYC haircuts, breakfast at New Wave and Zabars, outstanding burgers at Nicks (77th and Broadway) and sushi by the ton. All these feastings were paid for in long walks through the city streets.

Big Apples

For groceries we hit Fairway a supermarket boasting itself “like no other." True. It stocks everything packed tightly- as are the customers squeezing through the aisles, not a place for strollers. The Zabars Deli market is another crushed, eclectic shopping experience.

There’s A Place For Us

Dinghy-ing to the dock or sitting with a glass of wine on the aft deck contemplating our Manhattan skyline I mulled over which of the Riverside Drive penthouses, with patio gardens I would like.

On our first morning I heard “Let There Be Love” on the radio. It was rather charming to return to the streets of NYC with that in my ears. A bit less energetic than the pace set by the Jets and the Sharks.
Walking around New York is about walking in and out of film locations: Annie Hall et al Woody Allen, dozens of Scorsese-De Niros and scores of others. Up another block Lisa Minnelli belts out “New York New York“.

Around another corner is the “When Harry Met Sally café in which Meg Ryan performed “that” scene. The Friends café Central Perk was not there for us. It only existed on a set. But it is set in the south of Central Park, near Columbus Circle.

John had his outing to Wall Street, but, saw no slicked back Michael Douglas.

Whilst there we briefly took in the building site which is Ground Zero. It felt a deeply sad place, what with the eighth Anniversary coming up and listening to the radio reports of the on going in fighting about the site. The relatives have been promised that a Reflecting Pool will be ready by the 9th.

Up on the subway from the Financial District to Saks 5th Avenue for Jo Malone scent and cream, my essential luxuries. A little sprits’ of rather special scent sets a girl up for a day on high and low seas with high and low children.

I Feel Pretty Oh So Pretty

As we were preparing to leave NYC, John “lost” the new weather radio so we made an unexpected dash to downtown West Marine. Passing shop after shop of flashy and floaty evening dresses we eventually found roughty toughty West Marine in the centre of the Garment District.

Our plans to head north to Long Island were postponed as the path of Hurricane Bill turned towards New York. The forecast was for it to curve east and away but our previous experiences in Isabel and Ivan dictated safety, so we set off up the Hudson River. Initially I was livid that the first hurricane of the season, our third, should take this northerly path and blow out our plans, but, the trip turned into an unexpected pleasure. It is a beautiful river along which we passed WestPoint, the US Military Academy and further on the Hudson Highlands and several of the great Estates, palatial homes with acres of woodland cut down to provide grand vistas.

For the worst of the thunderstorms we were tucked up safely at Catskill Marina, and even witnessed the Tri-centenary Parade. Catskill is a mixed blessing of two towns. The Haves and Have Nots. Army recruiting posters are out in force, but it’s pretty and full of cat statues, or "catues" which decorate the village and are auctioned for charity at the end of each year.

Hurricane Bill passes well off to the east

2009-08-23T05:55:00.006+01:00

Hurricane Bill is passing us well off shore to the East heading towards New England and the Canadian Maritimes. However, although Bill is losing strength. New York City harbour area is on a flood watch from the storm surge.

The Seraphims are safely tucked up in the Catskill Marina, over a hundred miles inland up the Hudson River.

Storm in New York City

2009-08-21T02:01:00.006+01:00

Fully laundry-ed and provisioned the Seraphims were ready to explore Long Island Sound. The night before we were due to leave a violent lightning storm hit New York. It was shocking. A bolt crashed down next to Seraphim. It was a strike to a nearby building but the electromagnetic pulse destroyed all the instruments on the brand new yacht anchored next to us. (See picture).
Several other boats dragged anchor in the rain storm. John was prepared for one to be swept onto us by the strong current. Fortunately they were able to re-set their anchors.
The storm was over in twenty minutes moving on at thirty miles an hour to cause damage else-where in the city, knocking down over one hundred trees in Central Park.

Click below to see a short video we took of the storm approaching.

The next morning, Ken Barbour, a meteorologist we met in Palma emailed us a warning that Hurricane Bill was going to cause trouble in the North East in the next few days. John reviewed our plans and saw that in the event of a close hit from a hurricane, Long Island and the New York harbour area is subject to severe storm surge. To be safe we are heading one hundred miles up the Hudson River in company with catamaran “Catacaos.”

Follow Hurricane Bill at the Noaa website here.

And now for something completely different

2009-08-13T15:32:00.008+01:00

We are loving New York and re-adjusting to a faster pace after the solitude and laid back ways of the Bahamas (above) in the Spring.

Staten Island Ferry

Wall St

Times Square

Seraphim takes Manhattan

2009-08-10T05:15:00.008+01:00

5am Saturday. Sunrise over Manhattan, New York City.
Pretty impressive.

Early Sunday we headed up Upper Bay, passed Staten Island and Brooklyn, to a fog clad Manhattan.

Gradually the Statue of Liberty and then the tip of Manhattan Island revealed itself.

Sailing past the Statue of Liberty was an amazing moment. Paris was really thrilling. This too. John and I high fived. We were in New York. Way to go, to us.

New York. New York. So good they named it twice. Encore to that.

On up the Hudson River where hundreds of skyscrapers and upmarket apartment blocks put their best facades forward competing for light and status.

At 79th Street Yacht Basin we secured a buoy for just $30 a night.

79th Street, the Upper West Side, the middle of Manhattan.

Washington to Cape May

2009-08-06T17:15:00.026+01:00

Capital Capital

Whilst anchored in the Washington Channel we chose the C apital Yacht Club as our dinghy dock. Founded in 1842 it was worth the $15 a day to park our dinghy safely behind a locked gate. The fee secures a key to the dock, and the Club House with facilities such as showers (good), laundry, garbage disposal, internet, television and free soft drinks at the bar when there is no bar man, which after a hot walk home with the temperatures in the 80s is a much needed treat. Also, 10% off Jenny’s, the Asian Fusion restaurant upstairs. Kelvin and Manny the dock masters allowed us to keep our bicycles in the underground garage. On Saturday mornings for $5 there is an excellent breakfast from 8.30.

The Gangplank marina, next door charges, $10 dinghy for parking. Alternatively the Poseidon dock below Whites Seafood is free but not entirely secure.

Walking from the Capital Yacht Club dinghy dock L’Enfant Plaza (the Metro, shopping mall, post office and cafes) is ten minutes away. The Smithonian Castle and the Mall are fifteen minutes. Safeways which is best visited during the day is twenty minutes.

One small step for man …

On 19th July, the 40th Anniversary of the first moon landing, the family Rodriguez headed for the Air and Space Museum where thankfully our new friend Nancy and her sons from Liberty had saved us a place at the front of a long line outside. (Galvanising the Seraphim boys early in the morning is a task.) However, when the doors opened we did well in the stampede and the Smithsonian’s disorganised queuing system, finding ourselves ahead of our outside line position.

The Event? Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, the Apollo 11 astronauts and Alan Bean of Apollo 12 were signing their books. It was fast, furious and momentous. Aldrin (Magnificent Desolation) even ten minutes into the signing was a grinch, still sore he was number two on the moon, he hustled us along. Michael Collins (Carrying the Fire) and Alan Bean (Painting Apollo) were charming even taking the time to shake hands. A Smithonian grandee admonished me for seating my children on the book signing table. This was a one off and I was going to plant my children where I wanted. All the boys swore they would never wash the hands which shook with the history makers.

It was a kick to be in a city where history was literally being made everyday, five blocks from the boat, reported in newspapers, radio and television, worldwide. Judge Sonya Sotomayor was grinding through her confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The first Latino to be voted onto the Supreme Court. And a woman.
Although it is generally agreed that President Obama’s honeymoon is over, the bride (unlike others) is not yet ready for the attic. The President, five blocks from us, was pushing for a huge healthcare reform.

Monuments and Natural History

In between the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and American History Museum we bicycled around the Monuments.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is a peaceful walk through a series of outdoor “rooms” with waterfalls, sculptures and FDR‘s famous words, e.g. “We have nothing to fear but fear itself“. Then on around the lake to the other Memorials including the one to the Korean War. My father fought in Korea as a young man, it was a haunting experience imagining the fear of ambush as the soldiers emerged from the jungle.

I had been to the Vietnam Monument in my early twenties. In the cold winter light there was almost no one around. I was deeply moved.Now years later, on a hot Sunday, crowds of people slowly moved past the wall on which are inscribed the hundreds of names of those who died in a foreign field. I could only read one small section. The grief emanating from the Memorial was palpable. As a mother of two boys it was too painful. Choked up I turned away and took comfort in my family as we bicycled along the Mall to the White House.

Of all the scores of Washington DC centric films, I love “The American President“ in which President Michael Douglas falls for feisty lobbyist Annette Benning. The film spawned Aaron Sorkin’s series “The West Wing“. By chance I have dozens of episodes on board. Whilst anchored in the Washington Channel I watched two of my favourite episodes.

Down Under

When the stress and stickiness were at their height and on a day when we were sleep deprived and were screaming at the boys for crazy-ing on the pontoon, the new stroller started to slip off the side of the dinghy. Handles, wheels, odd edges … none snagged. Inches from John’s outstretched hand it tipped over, slowly, inch by grasp less inch into the Potomac’s greasier waters. To add insult to sinking it sent up bubbles. The air turned blue.

But, Pete and Raewyn on Saliander, our new friends from New Zealand saved our new stroller. After scoping around with his nifty grapple, Pete fished it out.

Elaine Campbell a school friend of mine, made our stay in Washington DC extra special entertaining us at their lovely home. It was a deliciously easy way to do the laundry (!) and connect with friends. A relaxed day of hot tub, first load of washing, swimming pool, second load of washing, hot tub, third load and dryer, swimming pool rounded off by a yumious supper. Some days it’s a treat to indulge in non-competitive laundry where no one else is hogging the machines, and, dream, briefly, if only we could have a huge fridge which opens outwards and stays cold.

Their evening on Seraphim was a jolly riot with the meal simplified by advantage of the excellent seafood dishes sold on the pier near the anchorage.

The Campbells also lent us a car which facilitated an epic shop and an another Space Museum, the Steven F Udvar-Hazy Centre, near Dulles Airport.

Elaine’s husband Preston Campbell’s ground breaking work researching Cystic Fibrosis means the cure is on the horizon. Although he insists it is a team effort I have no doubt that without his dedication and inspiration the cure would still be a long ways off.

Must See Em

While John and the boys hung out in the Sculpture Garden next door to the National Museum of Art I spun around the massive gallery checking my favourites - Monet, Constable (Salisbury Cathedral), Degas, Rodin and the eclectic shop.

Still plenty to see, the Zoo, National Cathedral and Georgetown, but with time against us and museum-ed out the Seraphim’s headed back down the Potomac to the Chesapeake Bay, know as “The Bay” by locals.

Thunderstorms are rolling through regularly. The local weather channel on the VHF radio warns us that a clear, sunny day with blue skies is about to turn into a black sky, lightening and horizontal rain. With winds up to 40 miles an hour, our Sunday afternoon in St Mary’s City spun into a maelstrom in fifteen minutes. Fortunately as the first drops fell we secured ourselves to the dock belonging to the Sailing Academy.

Solomons Island

Friends who have been with us since September 03 may remember that this is where we experienced our first hurricane, Isabel. If intrigued everyone else can read our account in the archives.

On arrival we motored up Back Creek and bowed to D Dock in what was Hospitality Harbour where we came through the hurricane.

In Washington DC there were helicopters. In Solomons Island there is the Patuxent River Naval Air Warfare Centre. The US Navy at play, all day, in the air.

With serious weather forecast we took a buoy for $30 a night at ZAHNISERS known as Zs by the locals. This included the dinghy dock, use of the pool (essential with the heat in the upper 80s, and humidity in the 90s), swings and see-saw, laundry and showers (good).

After a cooling swim we headed for a commemorative Chinese at the China Harbour Restaurant. In 2003 during a lull in the hurricane John had dashed off for a take out. It was an odd nostalgia for a time of fear, high stress and chicken chow mein.

Bill and Greg were the ace team at the Hospitality Harbour who saw us safely through Isabel . Six years on Bill’s niece Katie is the lifeguard at Zahnisers. An evening of wine and reminiscence was spent with Bill and Kay overlooking St Mary’s River.

It’s a five minute walk from the Solomons Harbour Marina dock ($2) to posh grocery shop Woodburns which stocks a wide range of produce, including Lapsang Souchong tea, last found in the English Tea House, Epcot, Florida. The post office and West Marine are close by. Solomon’s is a good place for fixing things. On both visits John was industrious.

Local buses make it an easy ride to Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, JC Penny, RadioShack - all usual mall suspects. Travelling on community buses can introduce the rider to some colourful characters but on our buses everyone had taken either too much or too little of their kind of medication.

The Calvert Maritime Museum is well worth a visit. An impressive expansion since 03. The boys loved the Otters and the Discovery Room with the sailing boat.

Provisioned and fixed up with new life lines by the workshop at Zahnisers and West Marined from bow to stern, we headed for Annapolis which not surprisingly on the first weekend in August was chocka so we stopped in Mill Creek off Whitehall Bay where the yahoos water-ski.

I’ve always wanted to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, well, the William Lane Jr bridges did for now. Through the C and D (Chesapeake and Delaware Canal), down the Delaware River (uuuuugly) to Cape May and the Atlantic Ocean. Good to be back. The Chesapeake was charming but becoming claustrophobic. We needed to go down to the sea again.

Magnificent Men in their flying machines

2009-07-16T05:31:00.018+01:00

We are anchored a few blocks from the White House in the Washington DC channel. It is administered by the Washington Harbour Patrol with whom we checked in on VHF 17.
Two anchors and an all round anchor light are required but we can stay free for up to two weeks. (Extensions are also possible.)

It’s an activity filled anchorage what with the planes flying into Ronald Regan National Airport on the other side of the river and helicopters passing overhead all day and night, shuttling Senators and Generals to and from the White House.

The chopper pilots seem to play chicken with the masts.
Certainly we feel the vibrations if not the downdraft.

If there are three or more in formation it’s the President.
Three? The eeny meeny, miney, mo theory of guess which one he is in. Their shifting formation is known as the Presidential shell game.

On the evening of July 14th at 11. 55pm, just after we had watched the movie “In the Shadow of the Moon“, Ron Howards’ fascinating and moving documentary giving voice to the lunar astronauts, three helicopters flew over Seraphim. One peeled off over the White House, the 44th President of the United States, POTUS, was going home having thrown the ceremonial first pitch at the All Stars Baseball game in St Louis.

15th July 18.02pm Space Shuttle Endeavour finally launched after over a month of delayed flights.
16th July 2009 9.32am is the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch. The mission during which Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the Moon. John hopes to meet Buzz at a Smithsonian book signing on the 19th.

And talking of pilots here is a picture taken in November 08 when we flew home from Mallorca. I felt the Easyjet pilots were too young to tie their shoes laces let alone fly but we made it to Luton safely where our boys had a picture with the flyboys. Jack is holding a compass given as a leaving gift from a friend in Palma hoping to guide his return. Seeing the Ruby Slippers from the Wizard of Oz in the Smithsonian, I was reminded that if I tap the heels of my pink Jaime Mascaro stilettos they’ll take me back to Palma.

Tomorrow we continue our sojourns around the six Smithonian museums and the Monuments of Washington DC.

4th July

2009-07-12T01:26:00.032+01:00

The 4th of July, America’s big day of celebrating Independence from George III’s England was coming up. On Greta and Garry’s dock we chewed on where to spend it. New York? Too much of a stretch. Washington DC? Too crowded. Historic Yorktown? Maybe. In the end with an ishy plan for Annapolis we set sail.

Out of Norfolk, we passed the US warships on the dock. Finally out in open water, we sailed and sailed for the hell of it. Yeehah! We needed some “where ever” time-out after the manic point-to-point of the ICW. We explored the Chesapeake Bay, “gunk holing“ just because we could. No schedule, no miles to make, bliss. Where would the wind take us? Tangiers on the east shore? Looked like a good idea. Then the wind died. So it was west under the iron wind to the Rappahannock River. Perhaps Irvington? Been there. Armed with Greta’s brochures, we chose Urbanna, sixteen miles up the Rappahannock on the south side. Rappahannock River means, in Native American, “rapidly rising and falling waters”. (I wondered what their word for “no-see-ums feasting” might have been?)

The Urbanna Creek enterance is three miles beyond Towles Point. Jetties and town houses line the channel which is 7 to 8 feet deep but keep to the centre as it shoals. Once past Bailey Point the anchorage, with good holding in six feet, opens out.

The small town of Urbanna, meaning “City of Anne” (Queen Anne) was established in 1680. www.urbanna.com

Once a centre for tobacco trading it boasts several Queen Anne homes, old to you and me. The town provides a free dinghy dock, and the supermarket was in walking distance which made it a good place to provision. There were no museums to “do“, nothing to do apart from go to the Community swimming pool.

With temperatures in the high 80s and with the wind scoops keeping us cool we spent time on the boat catching up with school, yacht brokerage and admin . In the afternoon it was time for a dip.

At the top of the climb from the dock, en route to the pool, we stopped at the Soda Fountain at Marshalls Drug Store for freshly squeezed lemonade and limeade, truly thirst quenching. Chatting to my neighbour around the Soda counter, old timer James smiled, remembering nothing has changed at the Fountain in and out of fifty years. He hi-fived our little James and headed off. A local agreed “I always know I’ll meet someone I know here”.

At $3 each, the Community Pool was great value and a good way to meet the locals such as Wendy, seen here 4th from left, one of the volunteers who runs the pool. Born and raised in Urbanna, she is now raising her own in small town America, the best place to do it.
A few days later Wendy, who works in the advertising section of the local paper The Southside Sentinel, arranged for journalist Larry to interview and take pictures of the Seraphim crew.
Read the article here.

That evening our swim was cut short for the Urbanna Barracudas versus the River Rats swimming regatta. As we arrived, the Barracudas were carefully penning “Eat my bubbles”, on team mates backs.

Scores of youngsters competed. With keen supporters rootin‘ and hollerin‘ from their garden chairs and the metal bleachers. The Barracudas, (who only lose against Deltaville) swam to a 351 to 151 victory over the Rats.

And dodgy segue of the day, whilst on the subject of swimming champions, I forgot to mention the many Mermaid sculptures around Norfolk which began as a regeneration project. It’s the same sculpture painted many different ways sponsored by local companies. Have a look at www.mermaidsonparade.com.

Stars, stripes and bangs

Well our 4th July was full of American Independent exuberance. It was as Americana as it could be.

Our anchorage neighbours in Urbanna, Ken and Vicki aboard Luna Loco, invited the Seraphims to join their family for the Boat Parade on the 3rd.

Hearing we intended to spend the 4th in Deltaville, Ken and Vicki kindly invited us to be guests at their yacht club, Stingray Point Marina just outside Deltaville. At the crack of dawn the next day we motored down the Rappahannock River. Having a slip would make setting up the bicycles a cinch.

Jack pedalled hard on a 2 mile trip to town where we joined the Centenary celebrations for the establishment of Deltaville. The small town parade was all we could have wished for.

The Seraphim crew lunched and watched the Deltaville Heritage Parade at the Coffee Creations cafe. Miss Ashley Crittenden (below centre left) who helps run the place has taken part in the parade many times, once singing all the way, holding a torch as the Statue of Liberty.

The boys also met Miss Ashley Figg, one of the other employees of Coffee Creations, otherwise know as the Oyster Queen. (www.urbannaoysterfestival.com)

Ashley C explained that “Miss Oyster Festival” was chosen from contestants who proposed the best community project. In her year Ashley C had visited all the old folks in her area. This year her sister is painting recycling bins to be placed around Deltaville. Ashley was shocked when I quipped “nothing to do with swimsuits then”. Bit too un-politically correct for this generation.

Fire trucks, clowns and men in Fezzes squashed into small cars and go carts spun around the parade. Different hand signals meant they sped off on another new series of loops and squeals . They were the Shriners, who raise huge amounts for hospitals to help disadvantaged children.

In the evening we were dazzled by three firework displays immediately in front of us and several across the Rappahannock River. New friends from Stingray Point Marina, Warren and Barbara, invited us to supper at their mobile home park where the boys swam in another pool and played in another playground, and then, made their first Smoors over an open camp fire. (Melted marshmallows between chocolate and crackers, or when I was a Girl Guide, melted marshmallows sandwiched between chocolate digestives with songs around the fire)

Luna Loco‘s kind invitation to stay at Stingray Point was complimented by the welcome we were given by the other boat owners. The swimming pool and club room where the boys could play with space to spare was a super bonus.

Somehow we found ourselves one week into July.

A look back at the Caribbean

2009-07-04T06:14:00.035+01:00

Now that we have completed the 2,500 mile trip
from the Caribbean to the Chesapeake Bay,
here is a look back at some of our Caribbean highlights.

Super-yacht racing in Antigua.
Trimaran "Region Guadaloupe" won
with sustained speeds of over 20 knots.

Drinking the legendary Espresso Martinis
in the Skulduggery Bar, Antigua

In the Thunderball Cave, Bahamas

With the Seawalk kids, St Maarten

In the Trafalgar Falls, Dominica, with
the kids from Seawalk and
Double Helix.

Our friends Molinari, living the dream
cruising the Bahama Banks

With the iguanas on Allens Cay, Bahamas

Jack's tidal beach which re-appeared
every 6 hours behind the boat.

Barracuda, Bahamas

Blackpoint, Bahamas. A typical store.
This village was one of the friendliest
in the whole Bahamian chain

Jack and James, Georgetown Bahamas

A Box fish swimming just under
the surface off Conception Island

Sunset over the Caribbean

St Thomas, US Virgin Islands

James in Anagada, BVI and all the boat kids in Martinique

Two amazing sights. One is the airport at St Maarten
and the other is the Maltese Falcon one of the world's
largest private yachts. Seen here in the BVI

Local child in Dominica

Steel band at the Shirley Heights Jump up
in Antigua

Our wonderful waitress, Kendra, in Dominica

Seacat, THE tour guide in Dominica

Seraphim cruising the BVI

Storm before the calm

2009-07-03T04:35:00.014+01:00

June 22rdrd - 28th

From Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Norfolk, Virginia, is over one thousand miles. With less than fifty six miles to go we anchored at Buck Island, a peaceful, isolated, small island just off Albemarle Sound. Our last night in the ICW, gentle, beautiful, or not.

At 1am the peace was shattered by a howling wind that left Seraphim almost on her side and the dinghy which had been lifted and horizontal alongside, now standing vertical like the space shuttle about to take off. John rapidly clipped heavy duty battery cables onto the mast and hung the other ends into the water to give any strike a path along which to ground itself. (It also grounds the boat making it less attractive to lightning as it is the difference between negative and positive potential that is the attraction.) The gas was switched off at the bottle and our computers, cell phones and VHF radios stowed in the microwave and oven. The metal enclosures act as Faraday cages and protect them from the electromagnetic pulse of a nearby strike. Finally all antennas were disconnected.

It was our closest most terrifying lightning experience. Un-forecast, and way too close with Seraphim the only 55 foot aluminium pole for miles around. I felt “fear full” when I smelt “ozone” , the scent of a near strike. Seraphim was not struck but it was an extremely tense hour as the storm passed.

From Buck Island through Great Bridge, into the lock with a two feet rise, pretty ho hum after our French Canal experiences in the Rhone locks which were up to 15 metres. Then onto Norfolk, twelve miles to go.

Norfolk Virginia

Mile "Zero"

Greta Gustavson and Gary Naigle, Ocean Cruising Club Port Officers for Norfolk, who sponsored our membership of the Ocean Cruising Club gave us an excellent welcome after 2,350 miles odd from Martinique to the “end” of the Intracoastal Waterway and a berth on their dock in centre of the historic district of Norfolk. Their condominium overlooks Portsmouth and the building in which Gary was born. We met Gary and Greta in St Martin in February 03 and I think we would have still be in Simpson Bay if it was not for their encouragement, (cajoling?), into heading for the BVIs. The gathering of friends on their dock for our arrival was all part of the hospitality offered by these real special folks.

The bicycles were out again with a new one from Wal Mart for Jack. Pedalling a go go. The historic district around Greta and Gary’s home is elegant and very Edith Wharton.

WISCONSIN

A must re-visit was the mighty Wisconsin battleship docked in downtown Norfolk with her four acres of teak deck.

The other must re-visit was the Chrysler Museum although this visit was shorter and more stressed than our visit in 2003. As with the Miro Foundation in Palma, Mallorca Jack presumed the contemporary art was painted by his contemporaries. James was within an nth of touching a multi million scribble when I grabbed his curious paw. Jack asked if they were wet? Yes. The paintings had been just finished that morning, and were still wet, so no touching.

The special exhibition by glass God Lino Tagliapietra was breathtaking, literally, particularly a work inspired by the yacht Endeavour. The Tiffany glass collection for which the Chrysler is famous was a joy as ever but could only be a brief encounter with two boys bent on playgrounds.

In our previous visit we spent hours in the McArthur Mall watching movies. This time it was the Port of Virginia Looney Tunes, an air conditioned play area, perfect when outside it is 98 degress with 69% humidity.

The Portsmouth Children’s Museum was under refurbishment with several attractions in bits, nevertheless, it gave six hours solid entertainment at half price.

The giant bubble making was original and compelling.
From here in Norfolk we are heading into the Chesapeake Bay,
heart of Civil War history, where we shall spend 4th of July.

On to Oriental

2009-06-30T05:52:00.020+01:00

22nd June

There is a strange howling noise coming from the cockpit. Not a gale, not a whale but John singing to Madness as we motor the final miles of the Intracoastal Waterway.

The Alligator River, Albemarle Sound, passing ospreys nesting on the mile markers, we’re nearly there.

Oriental
13th - 21st June

A most useful, quaint and charming stop and everything was bicycle-able. With a population of 900 with over 2000 boats it was our kind of town. Original America before the strip malls turned it into generica. No KFC, Wal Mart, Sears, just the Town and Country grocery, numerous touristy shops and restaurants. Our bikes from Palma were exhumed, WD-40ed and Oriental was ours….

Seraphim was berthed in the Oriental Harbour Marina managed by Tom and Cathy McInnery. $68 a night including electricity. A night turned into a week because Will Flannery (offshorerafting.com) fixed our dinghy which was falling apart. As well as dinghies Will takes folks on eco tours around the Outer Banks.

A favourite haunt beside the pond where the Oriental dragon floats, was the Bean coffee house run by Eric (left) who is also a volunteer fire fighter. A good meeting place. On the day that the Endeavour space shuttle launch was scrapped we met there, by happy coincidence, a cousin of one of the astronauts (Massimino) on “our” Space shuttle mission STS 125.

And the second coincidence that day was meeting Jim from Green Dolphin whom we had met in Autumn 03 when he and Stephanie and their girls were cruising to the Bahamas.
Jim now runs a sailing school, charter and brokerage business.

The Toucan, the Oriental Marina restaurant, provided the most outstanding dinning we have indulged in for a long time. The Neuse River Yacht Club puts on a top breakfast too.

The marina swimming pool was an every afternoon energy spin off for the boys.

“Beware of Snakes” the sign read and when I asked, the dock master informed me that the area around A dock, our dock, was perfect for water snakes, for example the deadly water moccasin. Rattlers too but they were not so aggressive or deadly. I began to hear hissing in my head and every shadow coiled into deadly reptiles. I renamed the path to the dock Snake Alley. Thankfully the week was comparatively cool and on our last day none felt like sunning themselves in the 103 degree heat.

Dinghy fixed, friends made and caught up with, the Seraphims headed back to the wide Neuse River and on past Belhaven.

And I’ll close today as we opened with John belting it out with Dusty Springfield and her Preacher Man.

Southport Harbour Village 8th June 2009
(Trying singing it to “Sweet Home Alabama“)

A long day along “The Ditch” came to an end in Southport South Harbour Village Marina with the Southern welcome from Bill Gregory, an ex Detective Yankee from Detroit with a great deal on dockage, $1.30, a foot, yehaa! (Usually upwards of $2.00). And it got better.

A playground down the road which was even better than Brittlebank in Charleston which we’d voted no 1.

And the Dead End restaurant, where Tina, our think-of-it before-you-do waitress served us mussels from heaven, in a cream and wine sauce which beat all the many mussels we have had in many places. Tina was not just the best waitress ever (because she is) she was the best waitress ever because she lent us her Mercedes for the following day.

As we were about to leave, Tom the owner came over to chat about the Bahamas and the Chesapeake.

En route to the restrooms with James I passed the exhausted bar tender. She had been “shippin’ liquour too many hours” and “needed a break“, she dragged hard on that cigarette.

We carried Jack home, and James gambled along the pontoon, the moon was full and “awsum”, we smiled and smooched and thought of the folks we had met that day. The dock master who was a detective, our playground chums such as the retired nuclear submarine commander (who named his boat after a Greek girlfriend who left him) and the petite Mummy who was a Southport fire fighter. Meeting these folks is why we go cruising.

Charleston

2009-06-20T00:06:00.015+01:00

Doin’ The Charleston

After an overnight sail from the St Marys Inlet, John slowed our arrival at Charleston to co-incide with the flood tide. The current in Charleston is between 2 and 3 knots and the anchorage off the town dock is tricky. The holding is poor and the bottom is littered with old moorings and other obstructions.

The Charleston City Marina is now known as the MegaDock. If anchored out it is $5 to use their dinghy facility.

Ten minutes by dinghy up the Ashley River at Brittlebank Park with a free dinghy dock, is a great playground, it is also on the downtown CARTA bus route.

Jack and James spent hours in the city Aquarium intrigued by a huge, two storey tank full of all kinds of sea life, touching and holding sea creatures and playing on a replica fishing boat.

The other big hit was the Lowlands Children’s Museum which offered a water play area, shrimper fishing boat, castle, arts and crafts room, play shop and Toddler’s area where James tumbled about with John participating from a bean bag. It is more an excellent facility for childsplay than museum but at $7 a day we didn’t care. The boys were entertained and a little educated.

The next days visit to the USS Yorktown an air craft carrier (submarine and other ships) on a permanent berth at Patriot’s Point spun Jack up even more. The boys had Top Fun in the cockpit of a WWII plane. For us it was an exhausting visit negotiating the boys through submarine watertight doors, up and down steep metal ladders which even with their boat training were intimidating. Of course it’s not so easy to order them “stop running”, when a whole hangar or flight deck with fast planes stretches out around them. Incidentally, but importantly, Jack had not seen Top Gun, he has seen the “making” of the film - lots of fast fighter jets doing tricks, Daddy’s day care.

On leaving Charleston the anchorage served up it’s final ugly experience. Our first choice was the charming, safe and good holding of nearby Wappoo Creek, but, we didn’t follow our instinct and experience, and suffered accordingly. As they left, Synchronicity pulled up an anchor, probably the same one we helped to untangle on another boat four years ago, Seraphim pulled up a twenty foot log, and Seawalk a bunch of roots

And onto North Carolina, 460 miles to Norfolk.

Toward Charleston

2009-06-17T21:15:00.003+01:00

Charleston, South Carolina. 5th June 2009

From Cape Canaveral we headed north in the Intracoastal Waterway, (ICW) winding along from Titusville to St Augustine where we arrived in an anchorage up the Sebastian river to find mud. Tired after a long day, special help came which gave us everything we needed right there, right then, landed angels if you will, in the form of two good ole boys, Chuck and his pal who agreed a no questions asked, off the dock before the boss gets in at 9am, cash in hand deal of $40. Win win. The supermarket, electricity, water, rubbish and a secure dock in a mean current, all sorted. Officially it would have cost $90. (Another bonus was also a short walk to Theos, a top breakfast, but, our diet and early deadline meant that remained a delicious memory from 03).

From Florida into southern Georgia we motored on, dolphins, oyster catchers, ospreys and pelicans entranced us along the way. One night in a creek Jack watched egrets yanking worms from the mud at low tied, washing and gulping them. John suggested missing Georgia, which we remember as being stunning but the rivers wind in great loops, and it takes hours to travel one mile as the crow flies.

Seraphim and her companion boat Seawalk and new friends on a catamaran, Synchronicity sailed on the “outside“, in the Atlantic, which was flat. An overnight sail cut out five days chugging on the ICW. Sailing into any city is a kick, and Charleston is impressive.

Manatees and Astronauts

2009-06-17T20:58:00.003+01:00

Mummy manatee

Whilst staying at the Harbor Town Marina near Cape Canaveral Jack and James were intrigued by a mummy manatee and her calf. A marina resident knew manatees prefer fresh, running water so left her tap running for the manatees to drink from it.

The Right Stuff

After days of Disney Jack still preferred his two days at the Kennedy Space Centre where he met a Shuttle Astronaut, Col John Fabian, played on the Space Playground, stood in a real shuttle and capsule, saw a launch pad, and stood under the massive Saturn V rocket. The real stuff outshone fake. And the boys really didn’t like best because we did, they liked it best because they did.

Reel Talk

I have lost count of the number of fishing boats that we have passed named “Reel Talk/Time“. It’s also an opportunity to cut in a segue but we haven’t had one for ages so, whilst anchored off Rose Island with the lights of Nassau on the horizon we watched “Deep Blue”, a disappointing film about treasure hunting, filled with exquisite bounty, sorry, bodies, of both varieties but filmed in Nassau.

And when we were in Titusville with the lights of the Nasa launch pads on the horizon we watched the film starring Ed Harris, (and other sculptured torsos) based on Tom Wolfe’s book about the first astronauts, Alan Shepherd, Gus Grissom and of course, John Glenn, performed by Ed Harris. (Not too many prizes for guessing my favourite.)

Mickey Mouse

2009-06-17T19:57:00.014+01:00

Mid May 2009 M I CK E Y MOUSE

From Fort Lauderdale we pushed hard for 200 miles to Cape Canaveral to arrive in time for the Space Shuttle launch. Orlando was 45 minutes from Harbor Town Marina, a useful stop for the Space Coast and theme parks.

Our first park was the Magic Kingdom, which with boys of 4 and 2, was by far the most appropriate. The morning procession with dancing through the shimmering heat was a cracking way to start the children’s first day. Way after bedtime, at 9pm, came the procession of lit up floats in front of Cinderella’s castle followed by fireworks and Tinkerbell “flying” from the castle. Disney at it’s most spectacular and slick. It was a joy for us to see Jack and James’ simple delight in snuggling the Disney characters and giggling on rides such as it’s a “Small small world”, (which Sergej our Dutch friend informed us had nothing to do with Disney and was a copy of a famous Dutch ride in an Award winning park).

Other high points included, “Soarin’” at Epcot where we “flew” on a journey across the States, after which Jack was literally high as a kite. Flying over London with the Peter Pan ride, the spinning saucers in the Mad Hatter’s Tea party, the famous Dumbo ride, the huge “Honey I Shrunk The Kids” playground were other favourites, but watching a youngster being trained to fight Darth Vader was a bit “scaredy”. My favourite was the “Encounter” with Crash, the “dude” cartoon turtle from Nemo who really did interact with the audience. “Cooool.”

Dizzy-ing Nausea

Our name for Disney after two parks. $600 plus $12 a day parking, plus exorbitant food and tolls on the roads surrounding the parks, we felt that we’d been pummelled by Pete the thuggish dog (wolf) who demands payment from Mickey even when he’s trying to save Daisy and Minnie, to hell with them, pay up.

Fast Pass

I wish we could Fast Pass some experiences in life, supermarket queues, adolescence and heart ache. At least in Disney if you secure a fast pass you can return later and jump the “line”. Otherwise it can be an hour and a half wait for a 3 minute ride. Our only long line was 40 minutes for Winnie the Pooh, out of date, but thankfully the children did not notice. We got wise about the Fast Pass after that.

English Tea

I ran out of my favourite tea, Lap Sang Souchong, mid Caribbean and finally found it in the Twinnings cottage in the Great Britain part of Epcot’s World area. Charlotte from Hedge End, (fifteen miles from my mother) served us. Long dark hair and green eyed Charlotte is spending her gap year “having the time of her life” working in "England" in the plastic UK.

Six Packed

By this time we had done six parks: Magic Kingdom, twice, The Disney Studios, twice, Epcot, and the Animal Kingdom ,which we left appalled by the desperate gorilla in it’s plastic jungle, and hippo in a dirty pool, we were jaded by stroller police, (park your pushchair in the wrong place and you‘re told where to put it), and the trudging from ride to ride with tired children and worst of all the overt commercialism. Off the ride, through the shop to the exit.
Gradually the dream was fading. By our fourth parade the smiles on the melting dancers were grimaces. It was a pop rock version of the Red Shoes. The bubble was beginning to wobble. We were resenting every penny. As we were dragging ourselves home from the Studios, a fresh faced manager asked me to put my 2 year olds shirt on. I pointed out it was wet with ice cream, the automaton told me it was company policy. I told him we were leaving.

For three of our six days it rained, not just pitter patter, but, torrential, vengeance of God stuff. It thinned the crowds and stopped the rides. But whilst on our mission to “do” Disney, we carried on. The boys seemed to have more fun playing in the puddles.

The ICW

2009-06-17T19:28:00.007+01:00

We are currently cruising north on the East coast of the USA along the ICW, the Intracostal Waterway, a system of rivers, lakes and canals that stretches over a thousand miles from Florida to the Chesapeake Bay.

Controlling depths vary from 7 to 12ft. Non-opening bridges have a 65ft clearance with one exception at 56ft in Miami. (The latter can be passed by a brief stretch in the ocean). Other bridges open on demand or to a published schedule. Bridge operators can be contacted on either vhf channel 13 or 9.

An excellent resource for those wishing to make this trip can be found by clicking here.

Our intention is to go to New York via the Chesapeake Bay both in the ICW or “Ditch”, and in the ocean. In early June we cut out most of Georgia, and four days on the ICW, by sailing in the Atlantic ocean. Four years ago we spent days winding through the beautiful grasslands of Georgia, breathtaking but felt like we only made about a mile an hour.

Guess where we are?

2009-05-15T14:46:00.004+01:00

Space Shuttle

2009-05-12T03:00:00.005+01:00

14.01 Eastern Time. 11th May 2009. Space shuttle Atlantis blasting off, viewed from Seraphim at anchor in the Cape Canaveral Canal. A very special once in a lifetime wow.

Watch a video of it here

2009-04-26T04:34:00.005+01:00

The US Virgins is where yachts heading north to the US say their final farewells to those leaving their yachts in hurricane holes in the Caribbean, or those heading back to the UK. Physical goodbyes could have been made several weeks and islands before but this is where the hard graft north begins, and paths divide. We continue to sail in company with Seawalk, sailed by Sergej, Isabelle, Alec (6) and Katie (3) but it was “Fair Winds” to amongst others Double Helix, Exuma, Odyssey and Nutmeg.

Like many families at this time of year Double Helix will be heading home soon. Catamaran Double Helix, with John, Lizzie, Ellen (5) and Ana (3) completed their Atlantic Crossing in Bridgetown, Barbados. Seraphim, Seawalk and Double Helix then sailed together from Barbados to Martinique and north through the Caribbean islands to Antigua. The ebb and flow of cruising friends adds spice for the adults but is sometimes difficult for the children. After a tearful farewell from the British yacht Nutmeg girls in St Lucia, we had a deliberately casual “we’ll see them again soon” with the Double Helix girls in English Harbour, Antigua.

Soon after, along came Charlotte (6) on Heatwave, a Leopard 42. Mummy Judy is two months younger than me and was born in the same hospital as John. Jimmy, her Dad was a New York fire fighter, then a cowboy in the West, and now a sailor, all in one lifetime …

Jack first came across Charlotte in McDonalds in St Martin which was a focus for parents with children. The offspring crazy-ed on the huge, padded climbing frame whilst the parents did ditto on free WIFI. Charlotte and the boys remained pals from St Martin to the British Virgins and the US Virgins. In Charlotte’s case the anticipated farewell play date was postponed as weather dictated we head out sooner. To paraphrase the Beatles, “All say hello and too soon say goodbye”.

Decisions to move on from Antigua, to St Barts, to St Martin, to the Virgins, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos and Bahamas are primarily based on the weather for that day or week. In December the Caribbean chain stretched out before us with literally months to go, however, as we discovered in our 02/04 journey, the time swiftly passes with exploring new places, fitting through weather windows plus all the usual mundane stuff - supermarkets, laundry and boat maintenance. Our momentum is also kept up by the knowledge that it there is a Shuttle Launch in Florida in May, it is over a thousand miles to New York and hurricane season is on our summer horizon.

The Atlantic from the US Virgins, through the Spanish Virgins to Puerto Rico and the Dominica Republic is difficult to navigate. The sea bed is mountainous with numerous shelves, changing rapidly from thousands of feet to twenty under the keel, and from smooth waters to confused and steep waves. Violent currents sweep yachts off course which when negotiating small islands and coastlines is hazardous.

The Mona Passage has a fearful reputation however, our crossing from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic was not so awful. To greet us on the east coast of DR was Punta Cana, a huge new marina, which was almost empty. Luxury apartments overlooked swimming pools measured by the acre which overlooked a long Caribbean beach. At one end of each pool was a bar with seats in the pool. Rest day’s toughest choice was which pool next? They even had their own lifeguard, and, dull but essential, free laundry.

Covering the miles from the Virgins north to the Turks meant a lot of engine hours. Twelve hour days of pounding engine was exhausting. But, at the end we had powder sand and crystal waters, pretty much everyday, unless it was Ocean World where we had dolphin shows, seals shows, shark shows, parrot shows, love birds and tigers. A totally different experience to Luperon, the third world anchorage which is the usual jump off from DR to cross the Mouchoir Banks to the Turks.

Big Sand Cay in the southern Turks and Caicos is where the real superlatives start. Idyllic, paradise, and heavenly all applied as we worked our way to and through the Bahamas. Although late in the season we had hoped for whales, and at day break as we sailed into Plana Cay, in the southern Bahamas, a sperm whale swam past.

Plana Cay where we spent Easter Day was heaven on earth. It's a hard won paradise surrounded by at least forty miles of Atlantic Ocean which even in the best conditions can force an arduous passage.

From Plana it was onto Conception Island (where Jack was made) George Town, Rat Cay, Black Point where we visited the Garden of Eden, Staniel Cay where the boys swam in the James Bond Thunderball Cave and then to Wadderwick Wells in the north of the Exuma chain. All are sublime, breathtaking and glorious.

As Wifi is sporadic here, we’ll post more pictures and more about them all when we arrive in the USA in a week or so.

The Maltese Falcon

2009-03-25T02:49:00.033Z

The Maltese Falcon, the largest sailing yacht in the world in full flight in Leverick Bay, Virgin Gorda, on Saturday 21st March.

A few weeks ago, in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua we had walked along her length, craning up, at her shining masts. The children skittered around her equipment on the dock. From Shirley Heights during the Jump Up the crowd saw her motoring into the sunset.

On Saturday afternoon as we dinghied passed her at anchor, I had a hopeful muse, not quite a wish, to see the Falcon in her full glory.
It came true. She passed us, at sunset, her sails unfurled.

Scores of cruisers stood on their decks awed by the rare and magnificent sight.
And on our VHF radio, we heard Sir Richard Branson wishing them a safe voyage. His island, Necker, is around the corner from the tip of Virgin Gorda.

It had been a busy day what with our walk from the Bitter End Yacht Club, pretty damn good resort, round and along to the Biras Creek Resort, described as a place of “understated wealth” where we were refreshed with lime juices in preparation for a crazy dinghy race home. And, a jaunt on Charlotte’s ski-bob for Jack. Charlotte (5) is his new friend sailing on Heatwave, a Leopard 42, more of them next time.

Plans changed on Sunday as the winds were coming from the south. Anegada beckoned. Fourteen miles to the north of Virgin Gorda, a taste of the Bahamas in the Virgins, it is an eleven mile long island of white, tranquil powder beaches oh, and sumptuous lobsters.

Anegada means the drowned island. After the Great Barrier Reef, and Belize, it is the third largest reef in the world. The island is only twenty eight feet high making landmarks hard to distinguish from the sea. Also, coral heads, the surrounding reef and over 300 sunken vessels along with hazardous currents make this a destination only for experienced yachts.

In March 2003 we sailed here competing in the Annual Dark and Stormy regatta from Tortola to Anagada and back with a one day break for snorkelling, or strategising ...

2009 our journey is of course children focussed. For Mothering Sunday, the boys collected shells “for Mummy” on coral strewn beaches, drew a card on the sand and treated me to a lobster dinner at Potters, which I did not think could be beaten until, I tasted John’s luncheon lobster at the Big Bambo on Loblolly Beach, in the north of the island.

Here John and my sons joined me in yoga on Pomato Beach, more powder sand which stretched on and on and on.

Anegada has a special, potent energy, unspoilt and not yet trampled too much. Old magic still exists here. I wanted to stay much longer than our two days but time as ever is pushing us north.

Coming soon, the updates promised in the previous blog entry!

2009-03-13T02:44:00.019Z

St Martin 12th March 2009. The family Rodriguez flew into Martinique on November 28th. The next morning Seraphim sailed in on Super Servant 4, a Dockwise yacht transporter. Since our arrival we sailed south to St Lucia, back to Martinique for a better wind angle then sailed south east to Barbados before returning to Martinique. In early January the Seraphims headed north to Dominica, the Saints, Guadeloupe, Antigua (our favourite) St Barts and now St Martin.

A synopsis of the catch-up since our arrival? Birthdays, Christmas, New Year, John and the boys winning the ARC costume party, several volcanoes, deep caves, rainforests, several waterfalls, an orchid garden, two tropical gardens, a monkey sanctuary, exquisite beaches, the Jump Up at Shirley Heights, John’s Birthday at the Admirals Inn English Harbour, the thrilling start to the RORC 600 race, and a collapsing cricket pitch and banking system are some of our experiences and discoveries.

Over the next few weeks I shall be keeping up to date (ish) with our present explorations with the odd extra catch up thrown in.

Our departure for the Caribbean from Palma Mallorca was bitter-sweet. We underestimated how difficult it would be to say fare well to so many friends. Jack and James had a delightful Birthday Party in their favourite park on the edge of the historic district. Sadness at leaving Palma, and Mallorca which we had come to love merged with excitement at the upcoming adventure.

Whilst Seraphim crossed the Atlantic on Dockwise, we fitted in a high stress trip to the UK. To add a spin to an already hectic visit I organised (another) Birthday Boys party for 25 munchkins. They loved it. Magician, tractor cake, games with pals and more pressies to squeeze into Seraphim. For several days before our departure to Martinique I found myself humming “Leavin’ on A Jet Plane”.

John and I felt a surreal high on arriving back in the Caribbean. Maybe it was jet-lag, but, I think it was remembering our experiences during the 02-04 trip with hopes for this. Nevertheless, re-entry onto the boat in Martinique was extremely difficult. The heat, humidity, the jet-lag, the loads of stuff to be stowed, all compounded by filthy Echinacea resistance colds picked up on the plane, plus, as ever the needs of two small boys.

Having partially organised ourselves we headed south to St Lucia to meet the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, wave the Ocean Cruising Club flag, and particularly meet our Dutch friends SEAWALK whom we had last seen in Alcudia, Mallorca with a promise to take their lines after their crossing.

In St Lucia. Rodney Bay Marina was a sea of mud and industry. Anticipation for the arrival of scores of competing yachts on the ARC mixed with panic that the marina would not be completed. Jack and James were in Bob The Builder heaven.

On the morning of my Birthday John arranged Rasta Adrian to serenade me on his steel drum. Post sunset, various ocean crossing folk toasted me with rum punch.

The following night 15th December we celebrated the arrival of our friends the SEAWALKERS, Sergej, Isabelle, Alec, Katie and their crew, Yannick.

We knew their estimated time of arrival and listened to them crossing the finishing line on the VHF radio. Waiting eagerly on the dock, watching for their mast light in the dark we could barely contain ourselves but we kept radio silence, they did not know we were there. Their thrill on seeing us grinning on the dock, and our delight at taking their lines, just as we had promised in Alcudia, was a special moment. Bubbles of excitement all around.

Crossing an ocean is a massive achievement. It does not sink in immediately but re-living it was a highly charged experience. I found Seawalks’ midnight arrival very emotional. It reminded me of Moonshine’s arrival in Antigua in December 02.

As part of the numerous celebrations, the ARC ran a Costume Party which attracted many hot entries. However, it was won by non-Arc-ers. John, Jack and James (although the latter was asleep for the prize giving). John also gyrated his way to winning the best limbo dancer against equally athletic but not such skilled (!) competition.

Tracking Father Christmas on the NORAD website, hoisting Father Christmas up the mast and decorating Seraphim culminated in a cracking Christmas for the boys in a smart beach hotel where we joined twelve other families at a chaotic lunch, playing in a Jacuzzi in the middle of a circular swimming pool and on the white beach.

New friends living on the island, Nick and Jasmine, gave us an excellent private tour of their plantation house and garden, the Tropica Gardens. Nick cut the boys sugar cane, their first taste … chew and sugar juice dribbled down their chin. Literally heaven on a stick.

We have been surprised by how many boats with children we have come across. Since December a floating village of up to twelve yachts from American, Australia, Germany, Holland and Norway and UK has gathered in St Lucia, Martinique, Antigua, and St Martin. Some heading north to the USA, some to the Pacific via the Panama Canal.

After Christmas most of the ARC boats headed south to explore Bequia and the Grenadines. Seawalk and Seraphim headed north for five hours to Martinique for New Year in the pretty anchorage of St Annes which provided a glorious sunset to end 2008. The two boats were rafted together so we could leave the boys sleeping on Seraphim five feet away, and celebrate on Seawalk.

Woo We’re Goin’ To Barbados

Barbados is the best place for cruisers to pick up visas for the USA. It was an awful sail south east from St Anne’s to Port St Charles. But, the island is beautiful as was the Kennedy-eque young man who gave us ten years worth of US Visas, ensuring entry to Disney Land’s Mickey Mouse Club House and the space shuttle launch. Amongst other Barbados tourist-musts are the Harrisons Caves, a spectacular underground network of Cathedral size caves through which we were trundled in a large rolling train, slightly Disney-esque but awe inspiring. The touristing also took in the Barbados Wildlife Sanctuary, mostly monkeys and tortoises with one enormous boa constrictor and dinosaurs, well, iguanas, (with rabbits) in ornate cages ! One viewed the aviary, from above. A day waiting for weather was filled with a trip to the Orchid Garden full of exquisite blooms.

The sail along the south coast of Barbados, past the Cloudy Bay hotel, was glorious. As we scoped out an anchor spot in the Bridgetown anchorage two little girls ran out and jumped on the trapezes of their catamaran, our first impression of DOUBLE HELIX who had just crossed the Atlantic from the Cape Verde islands.

Seraphim and Seawalk rolled and rolled and rolled however, not DOUBLE HELIX. John, Lizzie, Ellen and Ana, became our next set of new friends. Trampolines, space and calm for those of us on monohulls weary of gunwale to gunwale rolling. DOUBLE HELIX became the “platform” for Katie Seawalks Birthday party and many other social occasions from Barbados, to Martinique, Dominica, Guadeloupe and Antigua.

Although Barbados is not a really cruiser friendly island, it is a friendly island where the customs officials were helpful, a rarity, and the Bajans, a delight. Everyone was courteous and welcoming. Bridgetown seemed like 1950s England.

The two official anchorages are open to swell. Bridgetown’s anchorage also has a nightclub which thuds until four every morning. One band sang the worst ever covers of Earth Wind and Fire, the lead was flat. By the time we left I was half mad with sleep deprivation. I felt like Van Gogh with the mistral.

We were sad to leave Barbados, but, time and wind dictated that we head north.

Coming soon ........

John in a waterfall........the Double Helix gang.......the French islands …. Dominica …… Antigua … our return to Nelsons Dockyard plus more from St Martin, and a preview of the British and US Virgin Islands.

2009-02-24T03:37:00.010Z

Welcome to our new blog page for Seraphim. From now on this is where we will post regular updates of Seraphim's voyaging. All our previous newsletters and photos will remain in the archive on our main web site.

After two years in the Med we are back in the Caribbean and slowly heading north to the USA. Since our arrival in Martinique on the 28th November 2008, we have sailed to St Lucia, Barbados, Dominica, Guadeloupe and Antigua. During the trip we swam in rainforest waterfalls, climbed volcanoes and had some terrific sailing. Detailed posts and pictures will be following very soon.