In the fall of 2001 some members of the Hudson Beach Yacht Club asked us to lead them on a cruise to the Bahamas. We have never buddy boated as we prefer to move at our own pace but, we like these folks so much that we agreed. This will be a pretty complete log of that cruise.

We had Utopia Too for a year, but had done little to get her cruise ready. The bottom was painted, the hull repainted, we had put in an alcohol stove, but had a lot to do before we were ready. Things got complicated when we decided to sell the house on the canal so we would be free of hurricane and storm worries while we were traveling on land or sea. We did move to Beacon Woods, which is two miles inland from our canal house. Utopia Too is now docked in back of a neighbor’s house on a nearby canal.

In January and February, Sandy covered the cushions and made a dodger and bimini of green sunbrella to go with our beige boat. She also collected all the necessary stores and equipment for living on the boat. We built a frame for the dodger and bimini and a rack for the two solar panels. We improved the electrical system with a second panel, two house batteries to go with the one we had. We also replaced the starter battery. We bought a used 9.9 hp outboard to act as a dinghy motor and a backup for the 32 year old diesel motor. We painted the upper sides with Allgrip. We had to paint during a humid week and the result was clean, but dull. We were in too much of a hurry so it does not stand close inspection. Still it is clean, and the strange paint patterns of the previous owner are covered as well as my fiberglass repair.

During January and February we held weekly planning sessions with interested club members. Eight boats were in the group, some with intentions of going part way. For various reasons it ended up with five finalists. Tom and Jane Sperry on the Catalina 30 “Forever Young”, Fred and Nancy Dunlop on the 24 foot cat boat “Nauticat”, Bill Murray on the McGregor 26X “Freedom” with Joy Henderson as crew, Ed and Cindy Pastor on the Morgan Out island 33 “cyrano” would leave later and meet us in the Bahamas, and us on Utopia Too a Westerly Centaur 26.

So we were close to ready for the March first departure date, but were delayed until the fifth by weather. On the appointed day we went only eight miles to the Anclote Key to stage as an early departure was prevented by low tides. As we left the Hudson Beach water-front there were a few club members on the beach waving goodbye.

From here we will go to the log mode.

3/6/2 Engine on at 0745 to leave Anclote. Engine off at McPherson Bayou near Pasa Grille entrance and the classic Don Cesar hotel. Nice anchorage in a neighborhood, I bet the residents get tired of transient boats anchored in their back yard.

3/7/2 Engine on at 0720 to leave McPherson Bayou. We crossed the Tampa Bay entrance and continued on the Intracoastal waterway to Sarasota. In the open water of the Tampa Bay entrance we tried our automatic tiller pilot. It steered very well while motor sailing. Engine off at 1424 at Marina Jacks anchorage. The open anchorage is in front of downtown Sarasota. There are many boats anchored out. We talked to a San Francisco Tyana 40? Who had been in Mexico then trucked the boat to Texas and were on their way to the Bahamas by way of the Florida Keys. Transferred fuel from the deck cans. We had used 9.1 gallons in three days running or about 0.41gal/hr at cruising speed of about 4.5 knots.

3/8/2 Engine on at 0722 to leave Marina Jacks. Engine off at Cape Haze, another back yard anchorage in an up-scale neighborhood. The engine seems to be running hot as there is a lot of steam’ or smoke, in the exhaust. I had put a surface temperature gauge that usually reads 200 but was at 220 today.

3/9/2 Engine on at 0730 to leave Cape Haze. This was a bumpy ride as it was Saturday with all the weekend power boaters who have no concern for the other boats on the water. The boat will not run quietly above 4 knots. Engine off at Ft. Meyers Yacht Basin at 745. We were a couple of miles behind the others as we ran slowly so as not to heat the engine too much. The marina is very nice and the dock master was as nice as anyone we have met. That night Nancy Dunlop’s parents and brother arrived with Derek and Sheila Bennett. That night the 13 of us walked to a restaurant in the restored part of downtown Ft. Meyers. Another great cruisers evening with great folks.

3/10/2 No one wanted to be on the water on another weekend day so we had a lay day. The women washed clothes then went to visit the Ford and Edison summer homes. It was very interesting and informative. The men did boat work. Jack had them hoist him up the mast to change the flag halyards. That night we had a spaghetti feast on the dock after Nancy and Sheila and Nancy’s family left for Hudson. Derek will crew for Fred.

3/11/2 Engine on at 0730 to leave Ft. Meyers up the Okeechobee Waterway. Bill and Joy on Freedom started back for Hudson, so it is just Forever Young, Nauticat and Utopia Too from here on. We started the outboard on its bracket to aid the diesel and be able to keep up with the others. It worked with neither working too hard. Engines off at 1430 at LaBelle. Went to gas station for gas in our outboard tank and in a new deck tank we bought at the hardware store. Today as we left the Franklin Locks we passed Phase II going into the lock. We had spent some time with Austin and Terry in the Chesapeake in 1999. We only had time to yell hello, as they were busy with the lock.

3/13/2 Engine on at 0715 to leave LaBelle with both engines running. Engine off at 1500 at Hurricane Gate Marina in Clewiston.

3/14/2 Engine on at 0730 to leave Clewiston. Crossed Lake Okeechobee through Port Macaya to the Corp of Engineers locks at St. Lucy Locks. Engines off 1645.

3/15/2 Engine on at 0845. Outboard would not start. Engine off at Lake Worth anchorage at 1720.

3/16/2 Fred Dunlop could not get the outboard to start even after cleaning the sparkplugs. Left Lake Worth at 0710 for off shore to Ft. Lauderdale. While in the ship Channel Tom’s prop would not drive. He anchored and called Tow BoatUS. The operator pulled him to a quiet anchorage by Peanut Island and dove on the prop. He found a plastic bag around the prop. We then continued, but turned back after a couple of hours with the wind on our nose and choppy seas. We estimated that we could not make even the Hillsborough Inlet by dark. Engine off at 1330.

3/16/2 Took day off to go to West Marine to buy a new 9.9 hp Mercury outboard. We also did a Publix run with Jane and Tom.

3/17/2 Engine on 0615 new outboard on at 0640. Ran fine on both motors down the Intracoastal. It went well as there are mostly speed control zones and though it was Sunday the ride was OK. Engine off at 1550 at Las Olas anchorage in Ft. Lauderdale.

3/18/2 Had Claus of Claus Marine come by to check the engine. He found that it was not overheating, but that the temp sensor was on the manifold not the cooling jacket. He checked the engine and by the way it started and ran on one cylinder when the cylinder lever was released he said it was in great shape in his opinion. He left his card for me to call if I needed advice or parts. He only charged $60. I think he liked the idea of an old man struggling along on an old (32 years) engine. I also changed motor oil and filter. That day Jane and Sandy were picked up by Sandy’s sister Roe who lives in Dania. They went to the store and washed clothes at Roe’s and Marty’s. Sandy also went to BoatUS to buy a new autopilot as ours failed due to my not turning it off when I switched to manual control. She sent it back to the vendor for warrantee. We hope. Another of Jack’s $300 mistakes.

That night the six of us took the water taxi to Shirt Tail Charlies on the New River. Marty and Roe met us there. A chance for the folks to get to know them. The ferry ride was interesting also.

3/19/2 Marty and Roe came down to pick up the old outboard to keep for us until we get back. Fred says he can fix it and we can sell it for what we have in it. We had to leave the anchorage before noon as the water police only allow 24 hours on anchor. You can stay longer if you can pick up a bouy at $10 a day. None were available. Engine on at 1027. Engine off at 1057 in Lake Sylvia another 24-hour anchorage. We all dinghied to the Raw Bar in the afternoon. Marty and Roe joined us again. Fun.

3/20/2 Engine on at 1530 to go to dock to fuel. Left dock in Ft. Lauderdale at 1615 for West End on Grand Bahama Island. Could not sail high enough to cross the Gulf Stream with its three-knot current. So motored all night. The outboard was of no help in those seas. They were lumpy, but not really bad. Forever Young is way ahead. We can see Nauticat a couple of miles ahead.

3/21/2 At 0038 we were at 26 22.42N-79 31.64 about a half mile above the rhumline. At 0620 engine off, sailing. At 0745 engine on to enter West End. Checked in and registered at the Old Bahama Marina. Our autopilot handled the motor sailing OK, but had trouble when sailing close to the wind. We have to make adjustments to the gain and sea state controls. Tom and Fred both had trouble with their auto helms. Jane was a bit seasick so except for an hour she could tough it out he was steering all night. Fred had the same problem. We did not get into a good rhythm so did not sleep well. We eventually put the seat cushion on the floor in the center where the motion was easier than in the front. Then we got a couple of hours sleep each. Not a bad, but not a fun crossing.

3/22/2 Tom, Jane, Fred, Sandy, and Jack took the local bus to Freeport. Derek stayed on the boat. Fred and Jack went to the hardware (ACE) to get some metal strips to reinforce Nauticat’s rudder that had a crack developing. JD, the bus driver took us to the hardware store and came in to help with finding what we needed. He used to work there. Then he took us back to the bus stop. He acted more like a taxi than a bus. Nice guy. When we got back Fred, with Derek and Jack helping, got reinforcements on the rudder. Fred and Derek cooked that night, broiled ham with baked beans and a salad. We have been taking turns with dinner many nights.

3/23/2 Tom, Fred and Jack took Tom’s dinghy around to the end of the island to snorkel. It was wonderful with much coral including Staghorn coral where the bright colored fish like to hang out.

3/24/2 We left West End for Grand Cay. The wind was on our nose at 10 to 15 knots so we were going very slow. We all agreed to stop at Mangrove Cay, which is about a third of the way to Grand Cay. The anchorage in the lee of the cay was comfortable. Fred and Derek decided that they should return to West End the next day as we had lost a day, at least, and they had to meet Derek’s son in West End in two days.

3/25/2 Fred and Derek on Nauticat left in the morning. It was sad, as we will miss them. Our little flotilla is now down to two. We left for Grand Cay at 0945. We motor sailed up to Grand Cay with the same wind as the day before. Utopia Too ran aground in the entrance while trying to cross to a protected spot. Fortunately, we were able to back off using the diesel and outboard motors. Grand Cay is a workers and fishermen town near the sport fishing center of Walker Cay where many of the Grand Cay residents work. Consequently, the town is more prosperous than many Bahamian villages. The commercial power is Roosevelt Curry (Rosie) who owns the tourist and fish handling facilities. It is one of the only towns we know of that has reverse osmosis water in the city water pipes. Rosie still charges $0.18 a gallon for the water. In the night Forever Young and Utopia Too dragged their anchors. We caught it in time and could reanchor, but Tom and Jane woke up to find themselves high and dry on the sand bar about a quarter mile behind the other anchored boats. Fortunately it was low tide so they were able to power off in a few hours.

3/26/2 Tom and Jane and Sandy and Jack walked the town, made phone calls to kids and had lunch in Rosie’s nice restaurant.

3/27/2 We did more walking of the town. In the afternoon we took the two dinks around the cay across the harbor to a beautiful beach where we parked the dinks and went snorkeling on some small reefs. We did see a large barracuda and some nice tropical fish.

3/28/2 We did nothing for the day.

3/29/2 The anchor came up at 0910 to leave Grand Cay for Great Sale Cay. We finally got a favorable wind and were able to sail most of the way. We anchored on the west side of Great Sale to save the two or so miles into the inner anchorage.

3/30/2 Engine on at 0630 to leave for Allen’s-Pensacola Cay. A nice, well protected anchorage, at least up in the east end. A cruiser came by to invite us to a bonfire on the beach in the evening. It was nice and we met some people. One couple is from New Port Richey, the town next to Hudson. Sandy and Jack went ashore and walked up to the old Nike missile site on the island. There was a nice beach of the ocean side. Cruisers had hung mementos and their boat names on the trees.

3/31/2 Tom and Jack dinghyed around the island to let Tom see the cruiser trees.

4/1/2 Engine on at 0630 to leave Pensacola for Green Turtle. Motor sailed arriving in Black Sound at 1425. We had dinner at the New Plymouth Inn that evening. Good, but pricey.

4/2/2 –4/10/2 Stayed and enjoyed Green Turtle Cay while weather passed. It is difficult to move to Marsh Harbour if the wind is up, as you have to go around Whale Cay into the Atlantic. The seas breaking in the pass make it difficult. We had plenty of time to visit the town. We did take the dinks to go snorkeling around the other side of the island. The seas and current were fairly strong, but the snorkeling was good. We did spend some time with Gordon and Trang, a couple of dentists on a Cal 34 from New Port Beach CA. Tom calls him 35 knot Gordon because all of his sea stories seem to include strong winds. On Sunday we attended services at the Anglican Church. The service was conducted by a Deacon, as there is one priest for five parishes. The priest was due to have the evening service that afternoon. It was interesting that there were only two men in the congregation.

4/11/2 Engine on to leave at 0700 for Marsh Harbour. The passage around Whale Cay was OK, and we arrived in Marsh Harbour at 1235. We walked the town, went to the grocery store and filled the propane tank for our refrigerator. It lasted 38 days.

4/12/2 Visited the town some more and had lunch at Mangos. It was a nice snapper.

4/13/2 Anchor up at 0953 to go to Hope Town. We anchored off the town at 1200. Tom and Jane went into the marina. That afternoon we walked the town. The houses are brightly painted with well-kept gardens. Probably because most of them are used as vacation accommodations. Anyway, it is a pretty town.

4/14/2 We visited the town again to see the east end of the island. We had lunch at a waterside restaurant.

4/15/2 We left Hope Town at 0900 for Man-O-War Cay. Tom was ahead of us as he was able to sail faster. When we entered the very narrow pass Forever Young was aground in the entrance. We tried to use the dinks to pull them off with no luck. A powerboat with a pair of 150 HP engines helped us and got them off. We had lunch on the dock, and then walked the town. This town is also affluent. There are many rather new big homes. Most belong to Americans according to an older gentleman we talked to. The island has long been active in boat building and repair. Their little catboats are works of art.

4/16/2 Engine on at 0934 to leave Man-O-War for Guana Cay. We tried twice to anchor in Settlement Town harbor, and the anchor would not bite in the grass bottom so we took a mooring for $10 per night. We went ashore and got a lift to Nippers on the Atlantic side. It is a nice restaurant on the beach. After a pricey lunch, ($10 hamburgers and $3 beer is getting tiresome) we walked the beach and Jack tried to body surf. I did catch on wave for a few feet. The clear aquamarine water was great. Sandy and Jack enjoyed the clear pool also.

4/17/2 Tom and Jane left to start back to Hudson. It has been great cruising with them and we will miss them. At 0930 the engine was on to leave for Marsh Harbour where we arrived at 2:18. We changed oil and filter. That evening we went to a beach barbeque given by the tourist bureau. Ron, a single hander we had seen in West End and Grand Cay, went with us. We also did some shopping for provisions and bought a new antenna and cable for our VHF.

4/19/2 We had Ally, a boat worker for the local Morings fleet, go up the mast to replace the antenna. The thing gets out much better now. We were late for a dinghy raft-up, but did enjoy a few minutes.

4/20/2 Bought 5 gal of fuel for $1.85/gal and 7.4 of gas for $2.85/gal. We talked to Ron on Mi Nina about leaving the next day for the Eleutheras. He said he would like to come along, so we agreed. Here we go buddy boating again.

4/21/2 Engine on at 0911 to leave Marsh Harbour. At 1323 we anchored at Sandy Cay. We snorkeled on the reef that afternoon partially to kill time for an evening departure. The engine was started at 1753 for the Eleutheras It was a 50-mile trip across the New Providence Channel. We did an overnight crossing, because if we left in the morning after we had enough light to go through the exit channel we would arrive at or near dark and could not see the water in the entrance at Egg Island. The trip started great. The night watch was beautiful as we were able to sail under half a moon. At 1230 we tied to a bouy in Spanish Wells. We stayed there for four days as Sandy had cut her arm and we had to have it stitched at the local clinic. Good service by the nurses. The doctor comes only once a week.

4/24/2 We took the catamaran ferry to Harbour Island. It is a vacation island three hours by ferry from Nassau. The Atlantic beach is the most beautiful we have seen anywhere. The sand is slightly pink from ground up coral. The sand is very fine and no shells to Sandy’s regret, but Jack’s feet liked it. The blue to green to aquamarine water and the pretty sand was great. We had coffee and donuts at bakery run by an interesting man who had spent much of his early years in Florida. He even has an island web site. We had an expensive lunch on a lovely porch restaurant then returned by the ferry. The contrast between the two towns is interesting. Harbour Island is a tourist town so many of the workers are low paid. Their homes are far inferior to those on Spanish Wells that is a major fishing port. Their boats are large and must go well off shore. There are many nice homes for the business owners, but the workers are better housed also.

4/25/2 Engine on to leave Spanish Wells. 1315 Engine off at Royal Island. Beautiful safe harbor

4/26/2 Ron of Mi Nina and Jack walked across the island. There were no snorkeling opportunities, but we looked at the ruins of a resort that was destroyed by a hurricane. A lot of work on buildings, walls and paved paths has gone to ruin. Sad.

4/27/2 We set up the water maker for the first time since 1999. It had been pickled in sodium bisulfite for three years, but it worked the first try. We made eight gallons of water. Our electrical system, using only the solar panels, is able to handle the electrical load.

4/28/2 Engine on at 0920 to leave Royal Island through Current Cut to Governor’s Harbour. Engine off 1020, sailing. Engine on 1100 to enter Current Cut. The current was so strong that we were down to 2.4 knots at engine revolutions that should have given about 4.7. We had talked to the fishermen at Spanish Wells and they said to go through two hours after high tide. So much for local knowledge. The head winds on a course for Governor’s Harbour had us down to 3.5 knots. We could not make it in light so changed course for Rainbow Cay. Engine off at 1800. Nice harbor behind a point.

4/29/2 Engine on at 0930 to leave Rainbow Cay. Engine off at 1330 at Governor’s Harbour. We anchored in the sand near shore where the holding would be good. Our anchors do not hold well in the grass that covers most of the harbor. The water over the sand was pretty shallow. We took the dink to the dock with Ron. We walked the town and Ron bought lunch. They were preparing for an election rally for the FNM party in preparation for an election the next week. The festivities ran until 1000 with a lot of old fashioned rousing speeches and lots of music. They even had a car caravan or something. That evening we were aground at low tide as we had gone too close to shore to avoid the grass. Our boat with the twin keels sits flat so it was OK.

4/30/2 Engine on 0530 before the tide gets low enough to trap us. As we left Sandy called Ron on Mi Nina and he left with us. We had a nice motor sail to Rock Sound where we anchored at 1300. That afternoon we thought we recognized a Sharpie ketch that came into the harbor. It was Dawn Treader with Liese and Bob on board. We spent some time with them in the Chesapeake and Washington DC n 1999. We had a great evening getting reacquainted. They had just returned from the Exumas so they had a lot of advice for our cruise.

5/1/2 We walked the town of Rock Sound with Liese, Bob, and Ron. We had lunch at the Haven Bakery. The owner was very funny so we had a great time. He was for the PLP party and gave us his idea of the election to be held the next day. We filled the tanks with diesel and got some water.

5/2/2 Dawn Treader left for Governor’s Harbour. You meet friends all along the way when cruising. Lots of noise that night celebrating the election victory by the PLP, which means a change in government.

5/3/2 Hung out for one more day in Rock Sound. Did some provisioning.

5/4/2 Left Rock Sound for Powell Point at 0657. After about five miles of great sailing the tiller broke. It snapped at the rudder end so we had to return to Rock Sound to find a replacement of some kind. It was a job steering with just the bracket to hold, but we made it. Ron of Mi Nina returned with us. We anchored and took the dink to shore, and walked to the hardware store/ lumberyard. Sandy went to a local boat repair yard to look for a tiller with no luck. Jack purchased a 2x4 from which to fashion a replacement. Stubborn Sandy searched the hardware store with a very nice clerk and found a wheelbarrow handle made from red oak. The owner traded us for our 2x4 and it was back to Utopia Too to fashion a tiller. The result was great, and I am sure the tiller will outlast the boat and the crew.

5/5/2 Engine on at 0720 for another attempt at Powell Point. Again the wind was favorable and we were able to sail most of the way. We polled the jib for the first time on this trip and the boat moved very well. We arrived at Cape Eluthera Marina at 1145. It is in a good spot, but nearly empty. The facilities are lacking, no showers. Sandy and Jack walked to the beach for recreation. That evening a 50 ft. sport fisher came in to his birth near us. His captain began cleaning and filleting the catch which was good size dolphin, dorado, miamia (take your choice of name). A family of locals began fishing next to where the captain was discarding the remains in the water behind the boat. It was night and the boat’s lights made the action in the very clear water visible. The local would cast into the shadow of the boat and every cast had a red snapper landed in a few minutes. Finally a couple of large sharks that we thought were 8 ft. nurse sharks came in to collect the carcasses. By morning it was as if they were vacuum cleaners as there was not a bone left.

5/6/2 The engine was on at 0635 to leave Cape Eluthera Marina for the Exumas. The passage under motor and jib was uneventful. The entrance to Hyborne Cay was tight, but we had no trouble. The anchorage was nice and we got the hook down by 1245.

5/7/2 We snorkeled at Alan’s Cay which was a couple of miles north. Then we went to the nearby beach and cleaned the bottom of the dink. Ron was with us with his dink.

5/8/2 We snorkeled at the near rocks then dinghyed to the marina on the south end. We got 3.9 gal of fuel. On the way back we talked to a woman from San Francisco. She was stuck on a reef in OK shape waiting for high tide to get free. She and a crew of three men had tried to cross between two rocks thinking it was the channel that is on the other side.

5/9/2 Engine on at 0735 to leave Highborne Cay for Shroud Cay. Engine off at 0755 to sail. Beautiful sailing conditions. When we tacked into the harbor we sailed to windward tacking into the anchorage. It was some of the best sailing we had, the boat was in the groove and made Jack think of the old Mercury racing days. Anchor down at 1242.

5/10/2 We snorkeled with Ron and took a walk to the well. There are a number of holes in the rocks of the island. They catch rainwater, which does not drain away. One was about ten feet across and about that deep. It contained a few feet of clear water. Someone had cemented in the edges to stop erosion. The cement contained a notch that must have been a support for a beam supporting a platform or something.

5/11 and 12 We stayed two more days. On one day Ron went with us in our dink through a channel across the cay. It was lined with mangroves and barely deep enough. On the east side of the cay that faces the Exuma sound, there is a beach with deep water off shore.

5/13/2 0812 engine on to leave Shroud Cay for Wardrich Wells. We tied to bouy 20 at the headquarters of the national park at 1335. We went ashore to pay $50 dollars for two days and associate membership. We walked the beach and looked at a whale skeleton. We talked to the volunteer and two Bahamian Navy personnel who are stationed there to protect the property and intercept Haitian smugglers.

5/14/2 We tried to snorkel the pass between the islands just south of the buoy field, but the current was too strong. We checked out a near island, but not much to see under water. We walked to the top of the highest hill on the cay. Cruisers have left signs with boat and crew names with dates. This stuff is called junk a nu. We had seen similar stuff at Allens-Pensecola Cay in the Abacos. Some are pretty elaborate. Some were just old floats that they wrote on with paint brushes. There was a group of blowholes on the sound side of the cay. They were too far above the water for spray, but the air blast was frightening.

5/15/2 Engine on at 0725 to leave Wardrick Wells. We shut off the engine at 0840 to wait while Ron on Mi Nina solved an engine-heating problem. It took two tries, but found that the drive belt on his raw water pump was breaking. In the trouble shooting process he opened the raw water strainer. He misplaced the o-ring when he reassembled the strainer creating an air leak that resulted in a second heating event. He finally found the problem when he tried to blow through the hose to remove a plug he thought was there. The problems of cruisers. Engine on at 1100 and off at 1340 anchored at Little Bell Cay/Cambridge Cay. A beautiful and protected anchorage.

The log does not have much detail of our stay of 11 days at the anchorage, so there will be little day-to-day detail. One day Ron and Jack dinghyed over to what the chart called the sea aquarium. It was in a little bight on a cay that was about 2 miles north. The place was spectacular. There was a school of about 50 jack craval. Some of them must have been over 20 pounds. One rock was beautiful and Jack vowed to come back on his 76 birthday next month and take pictures using the hooka gear on the SCUBA tank. (It never happened as we left for Florida as you will see.) While enjoying this beautiful place, Ron disappeared; When Jack went to look for him the current outside the little bight was very strong. Believing Ron had been swept away Jack tried to swim back to the dinghy. The going was so strong it was necessary to swim to the wall of the cay and crawl from handhold to handhold to get back to the bight and the dink which was buoyed to a park buoy. Jack was pretty tired so it took a few minutes to get in the dink and get ready to start the motor. Just before untying Ron showed up. He had been swept away, and decided to try the other side of the cay to return. The current was bad there also so he had to use handholds to get back. It is good that he got back when he did or Jack might have been miles away looking for him. All ended well, but a lesson was learned.

A low-pressure trough had developed running from the western Caribbean near Nicaragua, over Cuba and up the Bahamas. The resultant wind and weather predictions kept is pinned in the anchorage. We had to reanchor once because we drug one windy night. Also, the playing deteriorated due to rough water. We tried to snorkel the coral gardens to the south that are rather open to the sound with subsequent seas that made it uncomfortable. We were able to walk the cay to the beach by the sound. It was nice with an interesting rock a few yards off shore. On one day when the waves were lighter we did the coral gardens. It was mostly soft corals, but no stag horn or other big corals. We did see some nice fish, particularly a little one chasing a much bigger parrotfish away from his territory.

On the way back to the boats we stopped at a cay named Rocky Dunas. The guide said there was a cave with stalagmites. Ron found the entrance, which was mostly under water. Actually, there were a few inches of space above the water. Inside it was spectacular it was a dome of about 25 feet width and height with the stalagmites and a three foot hole in the roof letting light in. It was one of the greatest sights Jack had seen anywhere. Unfortunately, the tide was rising and we had to leave. Ron and Jack had gone in so we vowed to come back when the water was calm again and let Sandy see it. The surrounding water was interesting with lots of fish and some of the most healthy stag horn coral we had seen.

We did not get back.

5/23/02 We ran the engine for an hour to charge the batteries. This is the first time we have had to charge our batteries during this cruise. The two old solar panels and the alternator have kept them charged. This is partly due to the simplicity of our system with half-watt lights etc. We had to charge because of the cloud cover of the last few days. This results from the low trough that has been over us for many days.

5/26/02 Engine on at 1030 to leave Little Bell Island. We motored past Mi Nina to say farewell to Ron who is going south. We left suddenly when we decided that the weather was not going to improve for moving south so we might as well go home. We had planned to stay in the Exumas for a couple more weeks, but did not want to do it in one anchorage. So, here we go. Engine off Shroud Cay at 1625.

5/27/02 Engine on to leave Shroud Cay for Nassau at 0606. The passage was OK with some rain and dodging thunderstorms a few times by slowing down until they passed. Engine off at Yacht Haven Marina in Nassau at 1503. We went ashore and had hamburgers at the café at the marina. Not bad if you don’t mind paying $10.

5/28/02 We went to the market, very US like. We also got propane refilled. Gas for the outboard was $2.68 and diesel $1.63. We had Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.

5/29/02 Engine on at 0702 to leave Nassau Yacht Haven Marina for Chub Cay. When we neared Chub Cay the weather was OK so we decided to continue across the bank to Gun Cay. We had been motor sailing due to light wind until 1942 when we turned the engine off to sail through the night. The conventional wisdom is not to sail on the banks at night, as there are coral heads. The chart does not show any, and the wind was light so we decided not to anchor in the 18-foot water as some boats that we passed had that night. It was a light wind night and we probably did 20 nautical miles, but we probably would have stood anchor watch anyway.

5/30/02 Engine on at 0645 the engine raced at 1010. We did not know what was wrong so we shut it down. There was 3 or 4 gallons in the tank, and it could have had some weird effect, so we added 5 gallons of fuel. We restarted the engine at 1040 and it ran fine until we anchored at Honeymoon Harbour of Gun Cay. While we were settled in we heard Cindy Pastor on the VHF. When we called she said that Cyrano was anchored on the east side of Gun Cay, about half a mile away. We put the dinghy motor on and went to visit. It was great to visit with good friends in unusual times and places.

5/31/02 We had planned an early departure, but it was windy all night so we decided to delay a day. At 0825 the wind was better so we departed for Ft. Lauderdale. We could not sail so motor sailed with diesel and outboard until gas ran out. We were able to do almost six knots so we changed to Miami as a destination as it was ten miles less to travel. That way we could enter in daylight. We met two departing cruise ships in the entrance, which was fun. Fortunately it was not windy or rough so all went well. We anchored overnight in the marine stadium.

6/1/02 Motored to a marina in Miami to obtain fuel and to call in to check into the US. No problem. Then motored to Ft. Lauderdale and took a mooring at the Las Olas anchorage for $20 a night. That night Roe, Sandy’s sister, took us to the club where Marty was playing. He is a drummer and works three nights a week at a bar featuring 40’s to 60’s music. They have a show and Marty did a great take off on Gene Krupa’s Sing, Sing, Sing.

6/2/02 We went to the Sunday morning river walk jazz event with Roe and Marty. It is one of the great things about Ft. Lauderdale. There were four groups spaced along the walk that borders the New River. Great scenery. Many people to watch showing off their children, dogs, clothes and bodies. Many food and beverage stands with lots of choices. A great morning with special people for us.

6/5/02 After four days with Marty and Roe we left the Los Osos mooring at 0900, and motored up the Intracoastal to Boca Raton where we anchored at 1224. Changed the oil and filters on the diesel.

6/6/02 The anchor was up at 0700 to leave Boca for Little Lake Worth where we dropped it again at 1340. We are starting and stopping early in the summer months in Florida to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms.

6/7/02 Anchor up at 0645 for the trip up to St Lucy Locks. We tied up to the Corps of Engineers docks at 1530. This was a longer day than usual, but this is a special place and we did not want to anchor in the river.

6/8/02 We stayed at the docks for a day to visit with Jack’s cousin Eilene Worth. She came by car from her nearby home accompanied by a friend. The four of us had lunch at a Hops restaurant.

6/9/02 We left the docks at 0605 for the trip across the lake to Clewiston where we docked at the Roland Martin Marina. We had hamburgers at the bar on the dock to celebrate jack’s 76th birthday.

6/10/02 We left the marina at 0722 for La Belle where we docked at a park at 1430.

6/11/02 We left at 0630 for Ft. Meyers Beach where we anchored at 1715. We had to anchor in the channel entrance due to a heavy thunderstorm that had limited the visibility. The winds were so strong that we were cautious about passing under the bridge. We had planned to stay there for a few days as we had enjoyed the place in 1999. We decided not to go ashore as the number of occupied derelict boats was a safety concern. When most of the residents are rowing out to their boats, you wonder if motor theft is a problem. We did stay a day in the anchorage to read and rest a bit.

6/13/02 We raised the anchor at 0700 to leave. It went down at 1220 at Cabbage Key. We had read in the guidebook that the resort at Cabbage Key was worth visiting. Hamburgers were $7.00, and not worth it. The ambiance was not worth the prices, and the walks that the guidebook raved about were not apparent. Next time we will anchor in the next spot a couple of miles north.

6/14/02 We left Cabbage Key at 0637, and anchored at Venice anchorage off the yacht club. We enjoyed watching the children sailing Optimist dinghies in the club-training program. Suddenly, we found that we had dragged our anchor and were in the Intracoastal channel. So we moved to the county docks nearby. It was a good spot. We walked to a nearby pub for a good dinner. On our return to the boat there was a couple on the dock who had just bought a boat that they intended to cruise and came to the dock to talk to any cruisers. It was a pleasant hour or two talking boats with them and the other single hander docked near us.

6/15/02 We left the Venice docks at Heigel Park at 0830 after a walk to a convenience store for a pastry breakfast to satisfy Jack’s sweet teeth. We anchored at Marina Jack’s in Sarasota at 1530. Again, we could not leave the boat due to the number of derelict resident boats. A pretty town.

6/16/02 The anchor was up at 0728. We motored across the Tampa Bay entrance channel then anchored at McPherson’s Bayou at 1432. It is where we stayed on the way down in March. A small anchorage in a residential community. I wonder what the folks think about all the transients in their back yard.

6/17/02 We left at 0615 heading for home. We ran into, or rather, a thunderstorm ran into us from behind at the entrance buoy for the Anclote River. It was so heavy rain and wind that we had to drop the anchor until it cleared. We then went up the river to the Anclote Park anchorage, arriving at 1305.

6/18/02 The anchor was up at 0615, and we were tied to our dock behind Jim’s house at 0945. That is the end of our 2002 cruise, which lasted three months and thirteen days, and covered over 1000 miles.

This was a wonderful cruise for us. It proved that Utopia Too is a cruisable boat. It is certainly smaller than Utopia and has much less in the way of creature comfort, as Tom Sperry likes to talk about. Still for a few months it is adequate for us. The old and new places, for us, were great to visit. We found that the Exumas is a fabulous cruising ground, which is not a surprise with all the clear water and great snorkeling.

We found that we can buddy boat, and enjoy it. Of course, Tom, Jane, Nancy, Fred, Derek, Bill, and Joy are great people to share a trip with. We should mention Ron of Mi Nina with whom we spent about a month. We also ran into old friends on Dawn Treader, and said hello in passing to Austin and Terry on Phase II. Then to hear Cindy and Ed on Cyrano on the VHF was a wonderful surprise. We also talked to a Canadian who we had met in Marsh Harbour in 1999. Jack did manage to talk to Sandy of Little Bit on the ham radio. She and Del were in the San Blas Islands of Panama at the time.

Our weather planning went well. Our only heavy weather was at Ft. Meyers Beach and Anclote entrance. We were careful by monitoring weather broadcasts from various sources, particularly the waterway net. We did use the weather fax to back up the radio reports. The sole regret was that the persistent trough in the Bahamas prevented us from visiting the rest of the Exumas. We will just have to do it again.