TRAVELS of "HELIOPAUSE"

With a weather window coming up in a couple days we have looked at the foreseeable weather patterns. They are not good for travel after this next jump. We were going to go The Berry Islands, then Nassau then head north to Spanish Wells. That will not be working in the 2 weeks we have left here. We would get to Nassau and be stuck again for another week. Looking at options we decide the best course of action would be to head north to the West End in Grand Bahama, near Freeport. Then we could head west along The Abacos for a week and head back to the West End to head home. The weather looks favourable for this route. Finally a plan.

So with a couple days to spare before the weather window to head north to West End we jump in “Otter” and enjoy a good day on the water. Being a westerly wind we are able to enjoy this east side of Bimini. Again we head out to our favourite low tide sand island spot. There we meet up with a few other folks and wade ankle deep around looking at conch and throwing some back in the water as they were baking in the sun. There is a small uninhabited island that we are able to wade to. It seems to have a history as we see thousands of old conch, long since their prime, very deep along the edges of the island. Scott figures this must have been a small excursion place where folks came to enjoy a conch dinner and a stroll. The view is spectacular and the contrast in colours leaves so much to the imagination. There a couple was interested in our dingy and if we liked it. Another half hour spent chatting about our favourite topic, other than our kids, boats, dingies, and outboard motors.

It’s market day too. This time we see the ship is being unloaded so we know the market is on. As we leave this little sand paradise and head toward town we stop at Joe’s Conch Shack to go to the market and leave the tender. Scott’s fitbit charger broke so he is also off to the small electronic store in hopes there is one there. Coming back empty handed he also grabs anoter homemade bread from Charlies. Bread $6.00, Lettuce, $3.00, grapes, $3.00, bananas 4 x $.75. Prices were pretty good. On the way back to the mother ship we stop at One Eye Dog to see April and Larry. Turns out they had left to go to the market. We must have just missed them. The liquor store is a small store near the ferry dock on North Bimini so we stop in there and grab some local home brew beer. Sands and Kalik beers are made in the Bahamas and about $40.00 a 24 bottle pak. With our wares we head back to the boat.

Back at HP, Scott plans our route to West End, the anchorage is chosen and we get ready for a rocky journey.

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The wreck of the Sapona is about 5 miles off the west coast of Bimini. The winds this morning are not favourable for a visit but are to lie down a bit by this afternoon.

Assessing the winds are favourable we jump in Heliopause with Patti and Todd from Alcyone and venture out to see the famous cement ship.

She was purchased and moved to Bimini, using it as a warehouse for alcohol during the era of Prohibition The owner also intended to use the ship as a floating nightclub, although this plan never came to fruition. In 1926 the ship ran aground in a hurricane and broke apart during a rum run.

During WWII the wreck was used for target practice by the US Army and Navy. Flight 19 vanished while returning from a bombing run to the Sapona.

The wreck lies in about 15 feet (4.6 m) of water, the stern broken off and partially submerged by hurricanes that struck in 2004. Little concrete is left on the hull because of the effects of bombing and weathering.

It is a great space for snorkeling and fishing as well. Scott quickly jumps in the water and checks the anchor hold. He snorkels around the wreck where people are swimming in the crevasses and jumping from what is left of the deck. As the engineer scans the wreck he quickly realizes that no one should be anywhere on or under the remains. It is barely being held together and will fall at moments notice. He only swims at a safe distance from what is left of the hull.

Coming back to the boat he notices the grasses move and determines there are conch living here. We are allowed 6 conch per day per boat. He only takes 4 and the larger ones of the lot. Conch in The Bahamas is a staple for the locals. We foreigners have restrictions but it seems the locals do not based on the amount of thrown out shells we see.

Heading back before the winds pick up yet again Patti and I contemplate how to cook this delicacy. Scott researches the internet to learn how to shuk the conch properly. He does figure that part out but the cleaning of the conch is more difficult. A local watches him struggle and comes to the rescue. He shows Scott how to do it properly but I think those skilled hands won’t be happening any time soon.

It’s a windy day but we make the best of it. Taking our bikes to the north side, via the ferry, Alcyone and us stop for coconut bred at Nate’s bakery. There are 3 islanders who create their version of bread and available fresh daily. Traveling on Queen’s Hwy we are able to be with the locals who live here. It is a small narrow island. There are homes and tourist spots like the Straw Market where you can pick up some vibrant clothing. Most are brought onto the island by the provisioning barge but the items are still unique. Lots of colour. We head down to the hardware store where the guys head in for a peak to see if they have the goodies they like to have extras of for the “just in case” moments.

On the east side of the island is the Hilton World’s Resort. Biking through here you wouldn’t know you were in the Bahamas as it looks and feels like an overdone North American Resort. Trams filled with people, restaurants flooded with people, the beach is full and the cruise ship lines are in port. It is not the feel we look for and are happy that this is not our destination. It is upscale and I’m sure a good time for those looking for the condo feel and every whim cared for in one spot.

On the way back we also travel on the one land highway called the King’s Hwy. This is more of a local residents area. Many folks homes are here and beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean. The last hurricane that came through ruined many homes so lots are in partial repair or disrepair. Even though this happened years ago many foreigners did not rebuild. It is such a beautiful island and the people very kind.

Later we can take the dingy into the area separating the north and south sides of Bimini. The ferry is crossing with folks running to and from. We travel the channel and find a few small areas to anchor close to North Bimini. New construction is extending the east side of the island in and around the World’s Resort. Excavators are working to create deep waterways and using the dredged sand for extension of the island.

The winds were calm for the night for a good night’s sleep here at Pumpkin Key. In the morning 5 boats head out Angelfish Cut on route to Bimini. The cut is a narrow well marked channel to the Atlantic. We did not see less than 7 feet at high tide. As One Eye Dog and another Catarmaran, Queen of Virginia, make their way across at 15 knts, Alcyone, Santosha and ourselves take the slow rate of 9 knots across. The crossing was amazing with only 1-2 foot seas with rollers just off our beam. Winds were calm out of the south. The amazing royal blue colour of the Atlantic Ocean is fascinating. The colour is such a deep royal it mesmerizes you as you cross into the Gulf stream and have an extra couple knots of push. Scott takes advantage of the push and sets a heading so the boat will follow the heading but not have to compensate very often for the extra push on the beam.

Getting into The Bahamian waters we put up our yellow quarantine flag. Not for covid, but a custom of going into another country by boat, until you clear customs and immigration. The Captains hop in the jelopy, where Scott pulls the door closed and the entire door skin and handle fall off, and there they go to customs at the airport in South Bimini. Bahama style. The fellas get through all the government regulations and we are now legal in The Bahamas. They are chauffeured back to the boat and we replace our yellow flag with the flag of this new to us country.

We are slipped in South Bimini at the Bimini Cove Resort Marina. Water is metered as is power. There is an infinity pool that is the same colour as the ocean. Beach and snorkeling on premises and the ability to fish in the marina. Our fishing licenses come with the Custom fee paid online and our cruising permit. There is lots to see but our first priority will be SIM cards for our phone. Too late in the day to get that now so we head off to the pool where we meet our You Tube Channel Canadian influencers, C-Shels. We have been watching their videos for years. We spend about an hour with them at the pool and head back to the boat for dinner as the noseeums begin to appear.

As we decide our journey without the joy of friends and family we have decided it would be a good idea to take a month in The Bahamas. The main reason is that 180 days for staying out of the IRS system and having to pay taxes in the USA. 30 days in The Bahamas will keep us under that amount. So we are now planning that journey.

We do take some personal time and head to Crane Hammock. This is the Central Park of Marathon. There you can trek through the groomed paths for about a mile while enjoying nature and learning about the trees, history and get back to nature. The Hammock was first owned by a group of families from The Bahamas back in the 1800’s. There they made a small village of 6 homes where only one stands today. It is made of shells and limestone. It is the oldest home outside of Key West in the Keys. Here the families fished and brought their goods to Key West to sell. Then in the 1900’s the Crane Family purchased the lands with the intent of keeping it as virgin as possible. There home still stands on the edge of the Gulf in its mid century statue. While there we take on a fish pedicure. It is weird at first but then the experience is quite nice. Our feet are better than any paid pedicure I’ve had.

Provisioning for a month journey takes some planning. Food is brought into the islands by provisioning barges which makes food very expensive. A tube of toothpaste is $8.00, coke is over $20 for a 12 pack, beer and wine and meats are exorbidant too. So we are gathering up as much as we can to pack into the fridge and freezer and making sure all systems on our ship are a go.

There will be no air conditioning on this journey unless we stay in the odd marina. The islands are mostly on anchor staying out of weather and winds and navigating sands and coral heads.

Scott buys a new anchor. The one we had was a day trip anchor and not trusted in any winds of value. He had no problem changing it out by using Otter, the tender, to drop the old anchor and connect and raise the new one. We have a nice anchor for sale if anyone needs a new one. A screen door is picked up for the noseeums, food is bought, covid tests done, custom forms filled out, plotting the route complete, oil, engine, generator checks done, and travel with 5 other boats confirmed. We will be staying in a marina in South Bimini as this area has little spots for getting the lay of the land before we head into the other islands. The plan so far is Bimini, The Berry Islands, Providence Island and checking out Nassau, then up to the north in The Abaco Islands, then back to the USA to start north to head for home.

Wish us luck as we travel onto new horizons, beautiful blue waters and the amazing Bahamas.

We have a few days on our own before Scott’s sister, Heather and her hubs Joe, join us for a couple weeks. It’s so exciting to share this adventure with family and friends. They arrive in Fort Lauderdale, rent a car and drive the 3 hours to Marathon. We had a lot of windy days but we’re still able to take in a few days on the ocean in the Mother Ship, Heliopause. Scott and Joe spent some time learning about salt fishing and picked up some chum. If you chum they will come is the motto here and come they did. The chum is to attract the little fish that attract the large fish. We headed out to cast and reel in some dinner. The chum comes in a box about the size of 2 bricks and frozen. You place it in a “net Bag” and let it defrost in the water as the food melts and feeds the fish. There were so many little ones. They caught a puffer fish, fully puffed, yellowtails, a remora, and some other small sizes. A couple swallowed the hook and could not be saved. So Scott put it on the line instead of the shrimp they had been using. One bite, then 2, then 3 and whizzzzz went the line. As the fish jumped out of the water it turned out to be a shark about 6 ft long. Scott kept trying to let it run but the 250 ft line was quickly running even with the tension being torqued. He got off the line. When Scott reeled it in not only was the fish gone but the hook was now straight.

On another day we went out to Sombrero Reef to snorkel. This reef is the 3rd largest reef in the world. I ended up breaking my toe after it was caught under the mooring line to hold the boat. No snorkeling for me. Heather and Scott headed out and saw so many types of fish and coral. Stunning coloured turquoise blue water with a multitude of yellows, oranges, purples. The winds started to pick up after lunch so we headed back to the marina. The fellas decided to try their luck at trolling on the way back. After a couple hours of this we were ready to give up when the line started. Scott manouvered the boat while Joe reeled in whatever it is on the line. Joe reeled it in enough that Scott could jump from the helm, grab the gaf and grab the fish. Heather wins when she yelled tuna. A blackfin tuna on the deck, 11 lbs. There is dinner for the night.

There was a lot of pickleball, sunning by the pool, table shuffleboard and sightseeing. Key West was a treat. My toe was still really sore and thanks to One Eye Dog and their help I secured a “boot” from April and Larry to make it through the next week. We were able to walk around and snap photos of the iconic buoy at the southernmost point of the USA, the Truman area, Duvall Street, and many other sights. We are not much of the party scene so the trip took about 4 hours.

On another day we headed up to Islamorada and stopped at The Bass Pro Shop. Roosters and chickens with their young were everywhere. These Key West roosters live here in The Keys like squirrels do back in our hometown. They are everywhere clucking and doodling in the most random areas. Add that to the iquanas, pelicans, seabirds and water critters too. Here in this Bass Pro there is a restaurant and bar, as well as feeding the Tarpon. Tarpon are large 100 lb plus fish with mouths on the top of their heads. They stare at you looking for food and can make a suction sound when getting the shrimp you buy to feed them. No, they are not interested in your french fries from the table. After having a really good marguerita, feeding tarpons and wandering the store we stop for dinner on the waterfront patio. Food is okay but not great. We rarely eat out so this is a treat any way you look at it. It was so windy at the boat and it is sheltered here.

During their stay we were making some large purchases for The Bahamas trip. Our boat has no outdoor storage for any lines, fenders, propane tanks or anything you need to live on it. So we picked up some dock boxes from West Marine. They came in while Joe and Heather visited. We would have rented a car but Larry from One Eye Dog was kind enough to drive the mile to West Marine and pick them up, in 2 separate trips. The first is a 6 ft long box. Larry was not worried about putting the box on the top of the roof of the car. They strapped it down and off they came to the marina. The site was more than funny seeing the box on the top of the car and then carting it back to the boat with the 2 of them on each side. Thank goodness the small one fit in the back seat. Then came the paddleboards or sups. We decided on hard ones rather than the inflatable only because the areas we will go with them will have sharp shells and coral. We think they fit nicely on the bow of Heliopause.

We thank Heather and Joe for all the help getting Heliopause ready for the Bahamas and can’t wait to share more time next year.

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Our posts will be about our excursions and daily comings and goings while we stay here in Marathon for 5 weeks. Scott’s sister and hubs are coming into town and long time friends later on in the month.

As we get acclamated to the new life of not moving around we find ourselves tired and relaxed. The thing about doing the loop is that it is a great endeavour but it is work. Planning routes, stays, groceries, even fuel and pump out stops and not knowing the areea make the task quite cumbersome. Research of things to do, where to visit also play into the equation. Not always is a marina available so always having a 2nd back up plan is needed. Having a break for this time is well appreciated.

Pickleball. Yes, pickleball. We have found at least 2 places to play. One is right across the street from the marina and the other is an Uber ride. Uber charges double the fees here in the Keys so keep that in mind if traveling here. We have found a post office close to the place to Uber to but the winds have kept us from using that ability. We have only been once. The closest one is about a 3.0 level or lower. Key Colony the Uber ride one, is 3.5+ ability. It’s still fun to have the option to play everyday if we wish.

Valentine’s Day was a big surprise for me. Scott picked up some teak chairs and had them delivered just in time for a bevy on the back deck. We had been talking about replacing our weather beaten aluminum chairs for some time. Love the new look.

We had another visitor from our marina back in Ontario. PattiJo and Doug visited us for a couple days as they trailer south for the winter. They like to stop at State Parks and enjoy the hikes, trails and wildlife. They came down to Marathon on their way just to see us. We are so happy to see them.

While they are here the winds were fairly strong still. We decided on dinner the first night while they set up their camp for the day and made their way down here from their Long Key campsite. Great tales of both our trips as we spent the evening chatting and remininscing.

We planned to bike to Pigeon Key together the next day, stop for a lunch and play pickleball. Pigeon Key is a small island containing the historic district of Pigeon Key, Florida. The 5-acre (2.0-hectare) island is home to 8 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, some of which remain from its earliest incarnation as a work camp for the Florida East Coast Railway. Today these buildings serve a variety of purposes, ranging from housing for educational groups to administrative offices for the non-profit Pigeon Key Foundation.  The new 7 mile bridge links the south of the Keys to Marathon. The original 7 mile bridge was due to be demolished once the new one was built however instead of demolishing it sections were taken out so that the land portions could be used as pedestrian and cycle paths to Pigeon Key. We wondered around Pidgeon Key for about an hour and then started back. By now we are craving lunch but the amazing views we see on the bridge take our breath away and it takes us awhile to get to lunch. We decide on authentic tacos from a taco truck. Amazing tacos at La Palapa. If you love Mexican food this place has the best tacos around.

It was then biking to pickleball to begin the first lesson for PJ and Doug. It is always a blast teaching this sport to new folks. Hopefully we will be seeing them on the courts this summer. Thank you so much Patti Jo and Doug for visiting us and enjoying the sights of Marathon. Will we see you on the water next Fall?

We are happy to have had 2 days in Naples. We enjoyed the stay but are really happy to leave. We enjoy the laid back style of life without our every whim met. That is Naples. Beautiful with an Italian flair, stunning homes, shopping til you drop at any designer you may choose to visit. For us we long for the relaxed atmosphere with birds, dolphins, nature. We are heading to Marco Island to a recommended anchorage.

As we meander through the jetty at Naples the Gulf meets us with flat, open water. With only 16 miles to go it is still a welcome sight. Flat waters, calm winds and boats everywhere. We will only be off the coastline by about 4 miles all the way to Marco Island. The waters are a turquoise blue and dolphins play but didn’t visit us today. We are running about 8 knts.

The jetty to Marco Island is busy with boats. Lots of sizes and types. The island was a brainstorm by a couple of brothers decades ago. They saw the vision of water passages with homes lining the passage, some inland homes, marinas. Their dream is shown in the landscape of the amount of the water passages, homes, restaurants, etc.

The island is a staging for boats like us waiting to head to the keys. Smokehouse Anchorage is lined with large homes, apt, condos. The waterway into the anchorage is a well marked channel with mostly 10 ft depths. The current can rush at the entrance to the channel at low tide and high tide. Watch for the standing waves if you encounter a westerly wind content. There is plenty of room for boats but I’m sure there are times when this anchorage is very full. It is so protected that many consider this a hurricane hole to hold out. The temps today finally reached over 80 degrees and the nights dropped to 57.

Scott has seen an ingress of water into the pod oil. He changed the port side, or left side, while in Clearwater. He changed the starboard side, or right side while on anchorage. A haulout is in our future to replace the seals on the drives. Boat maintenance in exotic places. We drop “Otter” and head to the grocery store to pick up provisions. The store has built a dock specifically for this purpose. The Winn Dixie is not far away. On our way we meet up with another boat that we have met a few times along the route. Indigo is anchored not far from us. We pop over on the way to groceries and decide to have docktails and share stories. It was such a beautiful night as we chatted on the patio before heading back to the boat for dinner. We are off to Marathon in the morning crossing our fingers that the weather maintains the calm seas for our 100 mile journey.

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