The Happenings in the Berry Islands

Since our first day in the Berry Islands it has been raining five out of six days. Everyone who cruises regularly said they have never had so much rain and cloudy weather. Thank heaven for the Honda Generator because we are not getting much solar.

Al and Corbett 

The one day it did not rain, we borrowed the bikes from the marina and went into the small village on Great Harbour Cay. Robin, who was a teacher also, likes to check out the schools. 

R.N. Gomez School for All Ages

It was a Saturday so we did not expect for anyone to be there, but we were wrong. 

Secondary students voluntary came to be trained.

There was a program similar to ROTC going on with about 30 secondary students.

Robin talking to the business teacher.

There were also two teachers there. Robin got talking to them and so did the rest of us. 

Al and I with math teacher and former student

We learned from the math teacher and business and computer teacher that there are about 170 students in the school. Their scores rank quite well and the community feel that education is important. The students doing the ROTC -like program are all their voluntarily. They do several days after school and on Saturday. The discipline is good for them and helps keep them out of trouble. We also met the principal who came by and a pastor who works with the community. It was interesting to talk to the local people.

The principal is in yellow, the pastor in blue.  They showed up, I guess word got around that we were there!

The unloading of supplies at public dock.

The school was near the public dock where the supply boat comes in. They were unloading the supplies people had purchased and just put them in the parking lot with their name on it. They were responsible to come and get it. I cannot see that working too well in the US!

After lunch we, Robin and Corbett and two other cruisers decided to take our dinghies and ride into the mangroves where there is a path through the water that a dinghy can go. 

Corbett and Robin following us through the mangroves.

 I felt like Katherine Hepburn in the African Queen going through the close flora. We were looking for turtles and other wild life. We saw one turtle, one shark and a few small fish but that was about it. It was neat when it finally opened up to beautiful turquoise water where there was a pretty white beach with shells.

The shelling beach.

The shells I would have liked to have!

I got all excited about the small conch but they all had a dying creature inside which stunk beyond belief. I was not taking them back to our boat. A picture is good enough.!

That evening the marina had set up a dinner for the cruisers. We placed our order early in the day and at 6PM we went to the little cafe at the end of the dock where they had set the tables for us. The food was quite good and it was a great way to get to know other cruisers. We happened to sit with a couple who had a 59' Hinkley. They invited us for a drink on their boat. It was a beautiful boat and they were a nice couple but their hidden agenda was to try and find crew to help take the boat in May to the Mediterranean. Crossing the Atlantic is not our thing, so we declined and so did Robin and Corbett.

After three days in the marina we wanted a change of scenery so we went outside the harbor to anchor where it was nice and flat. We wanted to go on the other side of Great Harbor Cay to Devil Hoffman but it was too blustery so we stayed put. We tried to do some conking but had no luck. The only thing we saw was a large starfish.

These starfish are about 10-12 inches across.

Corbett and Robin came over for a shared dinner of Shepherd's Pie, Salad and Dessert. Afterward we played Sequence and once again the guys won. I swear they have a deck of jacks hidden under the table!!!

The next day was suitable for going to Devil Hoffman so we left and had to pass Little Stirrup Cay now called Cocoa Cay. This is where some cruise ships, like the Disney Cruise line come in for their passengers to play. 

Little Stirrup Cay renamed Cocoa Cay for the cruise lines.

next cay is Great Stirrup and the Norwegian Get Away was anchored there. 

That is some paint job on the Norwegian Get Away

 Although it was gray and ugly looking, thousands of people were over on the cay pretending to sunbathe and to have fun. You can see the tenders they use to get the people there. It was a shame they had picked the rainiest week in the Bahamas to come.

The tenders along side of the ship.

We were about a half hour from our destination and it began to rain again but the most wind we saw was 21 knots. 

You could see the rain coming!

 I know it would had looked a lot prettier between Hoffman Cay and Devil's Cay in the sunlight but it still was great being the only two boats there. It continued to rain the rest of the evening and night.

Although it was gray and cloudy with drizzle the next day, Al and I put on our swimsuits with our diving tops and headed out to do some exploring .

Al at the blue hole on Hoffman's Cay.

There was a blue hole on Hoffman's Cay so we headed to the beach, found the path and hiked to it. Due to the gray skies, it wasn't very impressive but the shelf of rock around it was interesting. However, the mosquitoes sent us on our way quite quickly. (With all this rain, we know the mosquitoes are going to be bad this year.)

Under the ledge of rock.  If you look closely, the one rock to my right is separated from the rock below.

He is under the water, that is how clear it it!

We explored a few more beaches. We saw this white crab as we came into one. You would think it was dead, but it definitely was alive. This is a perfect example of camouflaging into your surroundings! A ray was also just lazing around in the shallow waters. 

A stingray taking a nap.

We also found a” cruiser's yacht club.” The palm trees with the make shift hammock is just what you picture the Bahamas to have. 

A cruiser's yacht club.  There was a fire pit nearby too.

Although it was a drab gray day, it still was a pretty place.

Gray days in Bahamas are better than gray days up north.

Later we headed over to Cookie Monster for a great stir fry, salad and the apple crisp I baked that afternoon.

The sun came back the next day so we headed over to Flo's on Little Harbor Cay for a late lunch.

My captain taking me to lunch!

Flo's on the hill.

Flo died a few years ago but Chester and Edna now work the restaurant.  They serve a lot of conch as you can see by the piles of conch shells.

Mounds and mounds of shells.

Chester greeted us at the bar area, more than ready to hand us a cold drink.

Chester getting us a cold one.

Edna mixing up conch fritter batter.

We had conch fritters first for an appetizer and they were delicious!

Yummy conch fritters.!

Then Al and I had the fish dinner with slaw and beans and rice, while Robin and Corbett had cracked conch for their main dish.  All were very good.

Robin and Corbett enjoying Flo's.

After lunch we went outside to enjoy the ambiance of Flo's.  There were ducks all around.  This one looked like he was trying to decide whether or not to eat this caterpillar, but none of them touched it.  It must not had been very tasty!

Should I or shouldn't I, that is the question!

This is what we came to. 

Roosters are a must in the Bahamas!

There were roosters and even peacocks wandering the grounds.  We decided to hike Chester's so called highway, a path through the brush to the other side.  The waves crashing on the rocks was a pretty sights to see.

Blue Heaven enjoying the sun,.

Afterwards we headed back to our boats to later enjoy the beautiful sunset.

A sight to behold, but no green flash!

What a way to end our stay in the Berry Islands!

Making the Move

Cavu and Blue Heaven on mooring in Vero.

We finally broke away from Vero Beach (aka Velcro Beach-since everyone sticks there longer than planned) on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, leaving our buddy boat, Cavu alone on the mooring . We had three boats on the mooring at one point, and when Ron and Maryann got back on Tuesday they could find one or two new boats tied to them.

The crowded mooring field in Vero

We enjoyed meeting up with our friends from Dawn Treader, Dawn and Ron, who now live in Ft. Pierce before we left. We left with a new buddy boat, Cookie Monster, with Robin and Corbett on board and headed to Peck Lake. It is not really a lake but a wide section in the ICW which is good for anchoring. One nice aspect is there is a path across to the beach that everyone uses there. Unfortunately, we discovered our windlass was not working. However, after a little investigation Al discovered it needed a new solenoid. He rigged it so we could use it until we got one in Ft. Lauderdale.

Cookie Monster being highlighted by a rainbow spot.

The next day we headed out at 7am motoring hard at times to get through the five drawbridges that only open at set times.
I caught a rainbow spot in the sky behind Cookie Monster after we left Peck  Lake. (I cannot think of the name for those rainbow spots.)

  I finally got a lot of hooking done while motoring.  It has been so humid I did not need wool on top of me!

About two thirds done!

Along the way near West Palm we saw some gorgeous houses 

I would not want to wash those window!

and some interesting boats. This captain had a sense of humor. 

Jaws 3, I guess?

 We got through Lake Worth and out the inlet and motor-sailed to Ft. Lauderdale. We were pushing to get south fast so that we could take advantage of the weather window that was going to be Wednesday and Thursday. Normally, we would have spent the night in Lake Worth. When we got to the Ft. Lauderdale inlet around 6PM it was getting dark but there were plenty of lights from the surrounding buildings and ships docked. It actually was a good time to come in because we saw several cruise ships come out between 4 and 5 pm and we don't like being in the channel with them. We had to wait until 6:30pm for the bridge to open and we were hoping there was room in Lake Sylvia for us to anchor. We motored past the numerous luxurious yachts and homes

enjoying the lighted palm trees decorated for Christmas. 

Palm trees decorated for the holidays.

 We were lucky, “there was room for us at the inn,” so we put down our anchor in Lake Sylvia for a good nights sleep.

Robin and Corbett have friends who live in Ft. Lauderdale so we arranged to meet them at the end of a side canal at a restaurant called the Raw Bar. Getting there can be a little tricky at high tide because they have some very low bridges. Corbett actually had to lift a pipe under the bridge to make it under!

What we won't do for a ride to get supplies!

Since Joanna and Tom's car only fit five, we sent the men off to West Marine and Sailorman for their shopping, while we ladies had a beverage and enjoyed each others company. Then the men came back and we ladies went to find Costco and a Walmart. We ended up having quite an adventure as the directions from the Ipad and phone took us way out of our way and into an unsavory part of town. (I did not realize that Ft. Lauderdale had a bad section!) We eventually got to our destination, loaded up with what we wanted and headed back. We had planned to go to an Italian restaurant called Anthony's for “linner.” That is lunch and dinner combined. Since we took longer than expected., Robin who was driving their car, dropped Joanna and I at the restaurant and went to pick up the men. It was taking longer than expected and finally both our cell phones rang and our husbands asked if Joanna had the key. This was one of those cars with the push button start, only needing the key to be with you. Robin had gone to pick them up and turned off the car to give the driving to Tom in the middle of the Raw Bar parking lot. He however did not have a key and so they could not start it!!!!! He ended up calling Uber which came and picked him up, brought him to the restaurant where he got the key, and was driven back to the car. Then the men and Robin finally came where we had a delicious pizza dinner and definitely alcoholic drinks too! We needed them!

By the time we got back to our dinghies and loaded them, it was getting dark and we did not have our lights with us. The only good thing, was that we did not get caught with no lights. You hardly needed them with all the homes and boats lit up on both sides of the canal.

We prepared for our crossing and went to bed only to get up at 3:30 am to leave. We went out the inlet once again in the dark with no problems. We had discussed that it would be best to head to Miami and then across. The wind was out of the southeast which allowed us to motor sail. Once in a while we would get a little rain but nothing to fret about. As we were passing Miami, a huge rainbow appeared.

Our lucky rainbow?

Al taking a little nap as we crossed the banks .

I thought it might bring us good luck, but as the morning progressed the wind did not move more southerly and it would have been difficult to cross, not making much headway. So we decided to head into No Name Harbor. We were there about 11 am and there were only two other boats there, which was very unusual. We anchored, had lunch, took a nap and about 3pm Corbett says the wind has gone south so lets head out. That is exactly what we did and it could not have been much nicer. We did not even get the usual agitation that you often get in the Gulf Stream. The wind was steady out of the south at about 12-15knots. 

We took our turn at watches with Cookie Monster following behind us. Another boat, Pura Vida called on the VHF radio asking to join in the crossing which they did. 

We arrived in Great Harbour Cay Marina in the Berry Islands where we have never been, around 11:30am. That was only 19 1/2 hrs. which was really good time.

The entry into Great Harbour

 It was one of the easiest crossing we ever had. I guess that rainbow did bring us good luck, because a boat came in the next day making the crossing in all sorts of squalls with lightning all around them which might have been us if we had waited one more day! 

Once in we filled out all 5 or 6 pages of information they wanted for customs.  The customs official was very nice giving us 120 days which can be added on to if needed at another customs office.  Once we were all cleared through, Robin and Corbett, Al and I headed out for a walk to the beach.

Our first Bahamian beach for this trip.

The first thing we saw when we got to the beach was a sea biscuit.

We left it there for others to find.

Robin was so excited about being at the beach, she chose to go in, clothes and all!

Robin enjoying the warm Bahamian waters.

 We came back to our boats and ate a light dinner and crashed!  We were asleep by 8pm and slept until 7am the next day.  We were tired!

We were all ready to explore the island but it rained almost the entire day which is highly unusual for the Bahamas.  So we got some games in playing Farkel and Sequence.  It truly poured which was good.  The boat needed a good rinsing off of all the salt. Rain is predicted for the next week but not steady like we had our first day in the Bahamas.  We are anxious to get exploring the islands!

Busy Time in Vero Beach

Starting a new pine needle basket.

Our time in Vero Beach has been quite busy with doing a variety of things. I have taken a lesson once again on doing a pine needle basket from Prue on the boat Exhuberant. I had learned how to do one two years ago but have not done one since.
I needed some reinforcement on how to get started but have not had much down time to work on it because of the many social commitments we have had. One other educational opportunity I had was to go to a yoga class. I have done yoga on the beach in Georgetown, Bahamas but never here in the states. I found out about muscles I did not know I had!

The entry to Chef Lins Chinese Seafood Buffet

We have had lots of get-togethers with friends mostly centered around eating. (Isn't that always the way!) Thirty-one cruisers went to Chef Lins Chinese Buffet for a great buffet lunch.


We also have had a great Happy Hour at the marina catching up with past cruising friends and meeting new ones. They even had a jam session making for a fun time.

Jamming at the marina happy hour.

 Another night we had Happy Hour with our friends, Tom and Cathy on Zin, formerly Perserverance II. They went to the dark side with a tug/trawler.

Over the weekend we rented a car from Enterprise. I had reserved a weekend special for $9.99 a day. It was $40.38 for Friday to Monday. We were suppose to get a small compact car but they offered us a Chrysler Town and Country Minivan with 80 miles on it. What a deal!

Mckee Botanical Gardens

Maryann from Cavu and I took advantage of the car and drove to McKee Botanical Gardens in Vero Beach.

It is eighteen acres of native and exotic botanicals with streams,

One of the many beautiful water lilies.

waterfalls and ponds throughout.

 We spent a very enjoyable afternoon seeing unfamiliar flowers and watching the butterflies enjoy them as well.

An unknown to me and there was no identity tag.

Monarchs flew all around us.

Another butterfly enjoying the nectar.

Saturday we traveled to Ft. Lauderdale to see Al's Aunt Betty Jane and cousin Leslie and her husband, Thomas. We had a very enjoyable day catching up on our families and an enjoyable lunch out. The time sped by quickly before it was time to leave.

Al's Aunt BJ and cousin and her husband.

Besides the Happy Hours and the Chinese Buffet, we met our friends, Skip and Harriet for dinner at Bone Fish Grill. They used to be cruisers and decided to buy a home in Vero Beach and give up boating. Another night we met the Wismers, Bill and Sandy for dinner. They live in Jensen Beach and got to know them through mutual friends on one of our river boat cruises. We also got invited to the Thorsens, another CLOD (that stands for, “cruiser living on dirt.”)  We had a great time catching up with what they had been up to all summer long.

Good bye dinner for Cavu

Another night we had Ron and Maryann over for dinner because they were heading home for the holidays. We won't be seeing them any time soon. We plan to move on before they come back, and they are staying in Florida for the winter. So it was sort of a good-by dinner. We hope to meet up again in the spring.

The Veteran's Memorial Park

With all this eating we have tried to get off the boat and walk daily. Vero Beach is great for walking because it has lovely shady neighborhoods or Riverside park to do so.
Over in Riverside they have a small island dedicated to Veterans. It is quite pretty and a great memorial to all who served our country.

All the armed services are recognized.

I prepared for our cruiser's Thanksgiving by baking an apple and pumpkin pie. The boat was a mess while doing it but the results looked pretty good.

They tasted pretty good too!

We shared Thanksgiving with about 200 cruisers at a community center that the town of Vero Beach loans us. It is close to the marina which makes it convenient.  The CLODs bring the cooked turkeys and hams, and the cruisers bring all the rest.  You can see there was quite a variety and that was only one of the six tables of food!

This was just the salad/vegetable section.!

There was plenty for all with even desserts left over!
Some get fancy with their table settings, while others bring paper plates. No matter what we all have a good time!

How about this one with a silver wine bucket!

After dinner the musicians brought out their instruments and the singing began.

It seems strange sitting outside on Thanksgiving day enjoying the entertainment.

The few youngsters in the group provided us with some entertainment as well!

These young girls did a dance to the music.

This little guy showed his moves too!

The day ended and Kathy from Five and Dime who was in charge of the dinner, finally enjoyed her glass of wine or two,
 

Our fearless leader finally relaxing.

While Al and Corbett from Cookie Monster enjoyed their cigars.

Hope everyone else had a grand Thanksgiving.  We did!