03/09/2010, Georgetown, Exumas
Shipment to Haiti: We met some folks who were loading their boat to sail to Haiti with a load of food... we heard the other day that they made it.
If you are stuck in a place waiting... might as well have fun right? I have learned that, although our dingy is pretty slow, wet and bunpy when crossing the mile from the anchorage to town... on the down wind run, ,it can be fun if the waves are up... one can surf!! As you motor down you look over your shoulder for a particularly big wave (3') and see iff you can "catch it"... then angle the dingy to stay in it as long as possible... quite fun...
And the new battery is in and we are ready to get out of here... south and east...
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03/06/2010, Georgetown, Exumas
Isobel falls asleep in the dingy... even on the way to the beach!!
Well, we have found a temporary solution to our battery problem: get a cheap battery that will allow us to make it back to the states. We have learned a lot and bought a used solar panel to help us along... More later!
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Isobel prepares for the big blow by testing out some safety gear.
Well, we have found that we have destroyed out old batteries. Old because they are 6 years old and that is a good life for AGMs... and I have found that I have to be much more careful with my voltage... Never let the voltage drop below 12.25 volts.
During our time in Emerald Bay Marina, there was not enough wind to run the wind generator. As a result we had to charge the batteries with the engine. It was painfull to run the engine "just to charge the batteries". Well, i think there were a couple times when the voltage dropped to 12.00 and i didn't realize the damage I was doing to our tired batteries. Yet another lesson learned!!
Anyway, we have moved the boat down to Redshanks. I don't have the coordinates with me, but we are exactly 2.13 nm due south (180) of our last anchorage. Exactly due south!! Anyway, it is beautiful and a completely different topography and great view. the water is much cleaner here as there are less boats and a little more current. A great beach is nearby.
We met Chris Parker on the way back from the beach. As wonderful in person as he was on the SSB. OK, off to shop and head home for the blow. sounds like it will be similar to our first blow. Winds westerly 20-30 with gusts and squalls to 50.
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02/26/2010, Georgetown, Exumas
Isobel sports her harness and latest fashion: sun glasses!
It has been an issue for a while and now we know that there are some problems with our batteries... Energy is the issue!! We can generate all of our own power... and we need to be able to store it. When the wind blows we can top off our 440 amp hour batteries and we use about 40 amp hours per day. Usually it is not good to use more than 50%... so we can usually go a few days on a charge and usually the wind blows during that period... So we have noticed that the batteries are not holding the charge... We are now looking for ways to limp along for another month. Now, I know that some of you are asking: Why didn't you check that before you left. Well, we had a list and I was working through it with some priority around sea worthiness and safety... and we never got to testing the batteries.... And we left... so her we are!
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I''m sure you've already checked this - but you might have a short that's pulling your batteries down? You should isolate the batteries from all loads to confirm whether it's indeed the batteries...
Regards,
Bhima
i think bhima is on it.
If your 40 a/h/d is what you think you should be drawing down, based on your plan of use, then it is what it is.
If it seems the plan for loads and resources leave a gap, then you can first isolate everything but the battery-minder and see if there's any draw, and then add your main items one at a time to look for a variation from the plan.
But, really, if you move the old "el barco" every few days by power, there should be zero problems.
So, my advice, either go snorkeling (always my first advice) and have a margarita or two, or, conserve.
love to you guys, all
your jealous kinfolk,
joey and helen
02/23/2010, Georgetown, Exumas
Georgetown: Well, some people pass through looking for supplies and some people stay all winter, literally arriving in November to drop the hook and don't pull it again until spring when they head north. We are here for a few days to get supplies, fuel and water.
Are hopes of a passage to Conception Island were thwarted when we cleared the channel at Emerald Bay. There was a 8 to 10' swell running from the north and it would have made a very rough ride East. We turned south and headed for Georgetown the largest settlement south of Nassau. The other day we went ashore on Stocking Island and took a hike around the island... ending in a ½ mile walk in the water up to our hips on soft firm sand. Isobel sleep most of the way... and woke when her feet dipped in as we got into deeper water. We have reacquainted with some friends we made further north and helped someone trouble shoot an electrical problem. We hope to leave in the next few days to head to the west shore of Long Island (Bahamas!)
Our days have been pretty filled with getting the boat in order for some passage days, cleaning and lubricating winches, filling our water and fuel tanks by Gerry Jugging fuel and water in the dingy.
Another boat, Wild Iris, is taking on supplies and donations to sail to Haiti. We would like to go with the although we are feeling that the health risks to Isobel will prevent us.
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02/18/2010, Marina at Emerald Bay
Now we are off... to Conception Island. Here is a little Isobel youTube
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Love to y'all from da chilly south
02/15/2010, Marina at Emerald Bay
Let's go Papa, the bugs are driving me crazy!
The boat has been here for almost a week. Chris Parker the weather guy has indicated that the weather will be more normal for the next few weeks, so we will leave here and go out to poke around in the lower Exumas... maybe sail to Conception Island or Long Island.
Now that the wind has dropped, the bugs are out, so they will drive us to leave here. Not that we like marinas, but this one is pretty sweet. for $20 a day, we have free laundry, free showers, free internet, the slip, and they will drive us to and pick us up from the store. Very nice folks working here...
The place was full of cruisers the past week as we had two big cold fronts that were coming through. Lara was gone most of the time with Isobel, visiting Lara's Mom in Florida. With the marina full of cruisers, it was a little like summer camp with "kids" in from around the world. Canada definitely has the most participants. One night someone arranged a school bus to take us all down to a place where a local band was playing. We had meals for $15 each and "buckets of beer" (5 beers in a bucket of ice for $20.
Now, everyone is heading in different directions. But now, when we hear someone on the radio, we will know who they are... Off to wash one last load of laundry...
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02/10/2010, Great Exuma Island
We sailed 56 miles the other day down the Exuma sound. Most of the day was spent with the spinnaker up. We found that was the most comfortable ride given there were 6 to 8 foot swells from the north. Although it was challenging hand steering conditions the day went well although it stressed out shorthanded crew. We were happy to pull into this marina at about 4 pm.
The Marina at Emerald Bay is a spectacular place... in that it was built as the first part of a huge complex that was never completed. The docks are top notch and the facilities that are here are beautiful: free showers and laundry, internet and a pool table. Other than that not much! No power at the docks. A grocery store with nothing in it and a liquor store with everything!
Lara has flown to Fort Lauderdale with Isobel to see Teri and I will stay here to do some boat maintenance. We are expecting an intense cold front this weekend, so this will be a good place to be. Here is a video that is a couple weeks old... thought you Isobel followers would like it!
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Love from all of us to all y'all
Helme, Jenn & Mett
02/08/2010, Marina at Emerald Bay
I have spent the past couple hours adding some photos and a video to some of the posts going back to 1-28-10. So scroll down for more!!
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02/08/2010, on the way to Emerald Bay
What is this formation?
OK geology buffs. We want to know what went on to create this formation. Obviously the ancient reef was lifted... by what event? and what is that darker rock underneath? We would appreciate any of your thoughts...
I researched a little more on the Eemian period. This was a time about 130,000 years ago when the sea levels were 13 to 20 feet higher than now. From the little research I have done, thanks to Uncle Readie's hint, rather than being lifted, the islands of the Bahamas may have been reefs that formed when the sea levels were up. Now that they are down, they are slowly eroding back into the sea. The dark rock in the photo is older, eroded reef, and the light rock is the newer reef that grew during the Eemian Period...
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