Friday midday update – 3/8/19

Friday morning quick update:

It’s a blur of fun, cousin silliness, endless eating and non stop activity!  Yesterday the land crew opted for a sleepover night on Amel so we packed them all up and headed out midmorning for some sailing and exploration in a nearby island called Bitter Guana Cay.  Gorgeous white cliffs to explore and climb, iguanas to play with, shells on the beach to discover.  It was cooler – in fact – don’t let Greg and Sarah know – but it was the coldest day we’d had since Christmas!  When the sun hid behind a cloud it was chilly, but in the sun by the afternoon it felt warm (it was at least 72F).  Didn’t stop the fun though.

Sleeping last night was a tight squeeze but we made it work.  Sarah and girls in the aft cabin, Greg on the salon couch, the boys went to sleep in the VBerth then got moved to the dining room table bed once the adults went to bed so Mike and Tina could sleep in VBerth.  Everyone even slept in till 7:30am – a miracle!

We just finished eating (again) with a pancake feast while underway back towards Staniel.  Only schedule today is hitting slack low tide to show them Thunderball Grotto this afternoon.

Hard to believe it’s already our last full day together! Everyone having so much fun.

Day 93 – The Cold front arrives – 3/6/19


After 2 glorious hot sunny days, we woke to the arrival of a cold front today.  Wind slowly strengthened through last night, still sunny in the morning but lots of clouds, then more winds.  There were a few scattered squalls around us but we got no rain (poor Amel is still very salty).  Overall it was a relatively mild wind event compared to some we’ve had.  Everyone enjoyed a low key slow morning then Mike picked up the land dwellers late morning, unfortunately just as heavy clouds arrived, making for a very long, very wet cold dinghy ride.  It was totally the right weather to bake a pan of brownies though and eat them hot from the oven!!  They were so good there was no time for a photo before the pan was emptied.  J During a late afternoon break in the clouds we all ventured out to “pirate beach” so the kids could run around for a bit (after playing card games all day they were ready for some exercise).  The girls of course ended up in the water then turned into ice cubes in the wind.  The clouds filled in again, the wind kicked up and felt cold, back to Amel and time to return the shore party to the cottage. The kids all agreed that the ocean felt like a nice warm bath tub by comparison to the air.  Separate dinners tonite – lucky girls get to go to the Yacht club for dinner!  The boys, after deciding it would be fun to jump off the boat, then froze being on deck in the wind, and needed sweaters and hot chocolate to warm up inside! They warmed back up with a chili-and-movie-night on the couch. Mike now has William’s Montreal sniffles and is off to bed early. On the plus side, the stars are even more amazing with the cool dry air.  Hoping a good night sleep will be had by all!

It’s a ‘fast boat’ day – Tuesday March 5


Today was a new speed for us – FAST!  Greg and Sarah rented a “go fast” boat, as the kids call them.  A 17’ Boston Whaler so we could get out and explore nearby islands in comfort, speed and with shallow depths.  Going 25 knots is a new experience when we are used to 6 knots on Amel!! It was so much fun to explore areas between islands that have sand bars, shallow water – places we haven’t been before.  We also took them to some of our favourite places like the Sea Aquarium at O’Briens and Rocky Dundas snorkel-caves near Cambridge.  Everyone had such a good time.  We finished off with a quick early dinner on Amel then sent them back to Staniel at the last light after sunset.  There is a big front coming tonite so this morning at 7am we re-positioned Amel from town to north piggy beach so we’ll get better protection.  It’s a long way from the other “shore party” at the cottage but hopefully we can move Amel back to town on Thursday.

Emma and Ella are having a sleep over in the cottage and we have the boys on board.  Not sure if we will meet up as a bigger group tomorrow or not. Depends on how bad the winds are and whether we can a) dinghy in the high winds/waves to get all the way back to town and b) if it’s safe to leave Amel in winds/squalls.  We’ll do the normal weather update at 6:30am tomorrow to find out…. Stay tuned!

Right now, it’s calm as can be and the stars are out.  Hard to believe tomorrow could bring up to 30 knots of wind!

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3/4/19 – The Canadian cousins have arrived to Amel!

The Canadian cousins have arrived!!!! Let the fun begin! We managed to only get 3 of the 4 burned today….that poor winter skin didn’t have a chance against this hot sunny day! Everyone still smiling. Sailed Amel up to pipe creek for swimming , snorkeling, conch shells then motored back to Staniel for sunset dinner in cockpit. William sleeping with us on boat while Ella and parents enjoy air conditioned cottage on shore. We are jealous…I have sweat oozing from every pore as I contemplate how to fall asleep….!! This is a first!

Saturday – North Bitter Guana and South Staniel cay 3/2/19

Saturday Update – Exploration of new places –  March 2, 2019

With apologies to those in the path of winter storms…. today was HOT.  There may be a “cold” front on Wednesday due to bring wind and perhaps rain, but you wouldn’t know it today.  Almost cloudless skies and light winds resulted in more swimming than usual and we found ourselves hiding from baking hot sun at lunch.  We found it amusing (foreboding?!) to be booking return flights home this morning and be waiting extra time on hold with the airlines due to winter weather delays. 

We explored the south side of Staniel Cay by dinghy, an area we’d never been to before.  We found isolated beaches and good coral reefs for snorkeling near Staniel – even found another plane inhabited by fish in just a few feet of water.  Back near Amel, we made it to shore under human power, with the boys swimming and the girls paddle boarding. We found a new beach also full of iguanas, this time under stunning white cliffs.

Sunset brought yet another tasty dinner from Tina, another green flash and another round of the conch horn. This time all 4 of us gave the conch horn a try for a change – luckily there was only one other boat nearby!!

PS Tonite’s post was brought to you entirely by Mike giving Tina the evening off (or rather time to work on flight issues….!).

March 1 Update – Bitter Guana Cay, Exumas

Wow.  March 1st.  Here we are .  The month that starts in the Bahamas for us and ends back in CO.  Our days here are numbered! Need to enjoy every last minute.

After a day of chores, laundry and hot walking around town, today was a refreshing change.  We were “underway” for all of 20mins to move the boat from Black Point a little north to Bitter Guana Cay.  Anchored in turquoise water, huge sandy beaches, happy to find good snorkeling , tons of fish, super clear water, iguanas on the beach. We do love the Exumas!  Zero boats anchored with us during the day. Weather was calm, hot and sunny, which added to the relaxed atmosphere.  No schedule just explored and enjoyed. When not swimming and paddle boarding – kids figured how to the take the “boat swing” to a new level – pushing from the boom and swinging all the way up towards the bow and making it all the way around to the other side of the boom.  They love it all!

Sailing the Exuma Sound – 2/27/19

Sailing across Exuma Sound – Wednesday 2/27/19

What a day.  Sailed 40 nm from Little San Salvador across the Exuma Sound to Black Point, Exumas.  The wind and sea forecast was a bit off.  We started with 8 knots in the anchorage and a forecast of falling winds, but ended up with wind on the nose, rising gusting over 20, waves 5-7ft splashing huge amounts over the bow.  The close-hauled point of sail had us heeled over (20 deg +/-) and waves occasionally caused the starboard rail to go in the water!  Not unsafe, just a bit more than we bargained for.  Our average speed was 6.5 and max 8.7!  A new record for us (and that was with 2 reefs in the main and a reef in the genoa, no mizzen sail today). 

Kids did great and were not seasick – even ate some real food (not just saltines) which is huge progress.  Roald Dahl audio books saved the day and got us through some rough hours.  Sadly, once again, no fish on the hook. 

We are tired, Amel is so salty, tomorrow’s excitement is a day of laundry….splurging and using real laundry machines on shore.  It doesn’t get more exciting than that folks!