Hey all,
Here's another quick update. Mac and Sam had a great time onboard with Sean but their adventure picks up again elsewhere... meanwhile, the last leg of The Moxie continues on with Alex, Camilla, and Katherine.
There are more photos posted on flickr at http://www.flickr.com/gp/43532681@N00/61TBjW
Enjoy!
Debi
Monday, April 9, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The Exuma chain
I don't want to spend too much time apologizing for not writing. These islands do not exactly have computers on every corner, but that is why I went sailing right?
So lets see where did we leave off.....We sailed from Miami over to the Bahamas on Valentines day. Arriving in Bimini, we passed through customs and obtained our fishing permit. That was our green light to finally become the hunters and gatherers that we had dreamed of since our childhood. After a few days letting things sink in we made our way towards Andros where the new owner of Moxie, Geo, was finally able to see his E-bay purchase. It was a good couple of days. We were on the US military base there, cheap gas, free food, unlimited ice (luxury), etc..... Geo was so excited to see the boat. He is going to be a great owner and has decided to keep the name Moxie.
After leaving Andros it was on to the Exuma chain for more adventure and better fishing. Our first stop was Highborne Cay, where lobsters were a plenty and calm anchorages made for early evenings and peaceful sleeping. A short sail down the chain took us to Normans Cay. After spearing a few fish, a weather front came over the horizon and brought with it a shift in the wind direction. We decided to harness the wind and headed out of the protected water where the wind was blowing 20 kts and sending up some solid chop. We were only making a couple of knots motoring against the winds and waves when out of no where the engine died. We were in the middle of setting sail, and the main halyard (the rope that pulls up the big sail) was taut and leading directly under the boat. No problem I thought, we've been through this before ( think NYC). I pushed the engine into reverse and forward a couple of times and manged to free the line. I can't thank Bob Gerwig enough for convincing me to beef up the prop shaft and then teaching me how to do it. Bob if you are reading this, THANK YOU.
With the sails set we absolutely flew, covering 80 miles over night and arrived in Georgetown, Great Exuma, the cruising capital of the East. There were literally 500 boats here. We arrived one night too late, the pirate party had gone off without us. Luckily we managed to stumble upon our friends Dan and Laura on Barely Twisted. Anchoring next to them we were finally able to hang out with some cruisers our own age. Moxie first met Barely Twisted in Bimini as we checked in. It was great to see some friends and they had met up with John a friend of theirs from New Zealand, who was on his own boat. The three boats set off in convoy to buck the trend and beat the crowds that never seem to venture further south. In all we spent a week together exploring uninhabited islands, diving and sailing down the Ragged Island chain. We spent our first four days together without seeing another person or boat!
There are numerous stories from that week but I think Mac may have experienced the greatest thrill. One afternoon Mac headed out spearfishing with Sam. I hung back to have a beer with Dan and John. The drink of choice was Milwaukee's Best, John had loaded his boat with 150 cases before leaving the states! (Moxie had loaded down with 4 cases of Bud) As we cracked in to our first beer we were surprised to see Mac spring up on John's boat, his eyes as large as light bulbs. SHARK, SHARK, he muttered out of breath. We were all concerned for Sam so Dan, John and I grabbed out spears and jumped into the dingy to head out and look for Sam. I was scanning the horizon looking for a plume of blood or one of Sam's arms floating on the surface, when we heard some yelling behind us. Looking back we saw Sam sitting in the cockpit of Moxie. Relieved we cruised back to the boat and checked in with Sam. "Daytime poker anyone?" Sam asked between sips of his afternoon mocha. He had gotten out of the water a little while before Mac's traumatic encounter and had no idea what had happened.
We raced back to Barely Twisted to check in with Mac and get the full story. Mac had speared a Grouper for dinner and was swimming it back to the boat, when all of a sudden he felt a hefty tug. Gripping his spear he turned to see a reef shark swipe the fish off the barbed tip in one bite. With his heart racing he continued to make his way to the boat before realizing the shark was circling back for a second look. He recounts the shark charging at him four or five times before he could lodge his spear tip in to the sharks head. As a small trickle of blood appeared at the tip of the spear, the shark realized there were better places to lunch and swam away. Just another day in paradise....
As I write this update the fuel tanks are topped off and water filled. Food shopping is complete and we are ready to head toward Nassau where Mac and Sam will depart for additional surfing adventures in Panama. I have some more guests coming to finish up the last leg with me, but the trip is far from over. There are no doubt plenty of adventures still to be had. One thing that we are planning is a two and a half day solo. We will each spend several nights alone on an island with no one else. We will have plenty of water but little else. No books, no food, no radio.... simply a journal to record our thoughts and reflections. This is an Outward Bound tradition that will be challenging and down right miserable. So why do it? I think I will better be able to answer that question after completing it.
I will update this blog again on April first or second when we are in Nassau having completed our solos. There will also be more pictures up on flicker. A link will be posted as soon as they are available. Stay tuned and thank you again for your continued support and encouragement.
So lets see where did we leave off.....We sailed from Miami over to the Bahamas on Valentines day. Arriving in Bimini, we passed through customs and obtained our fishing permit. That was our green light to finally become the hunters and gatherers that we had dreamed of since our childhood. After a few days letting things sink in we made our way towards Andros where the new owner of Moxie, Geo, was finally able to see his E-bay purchase. It was a good couple of days. We were on the US military base there, cheap gas, free food, unlimited ice (luxury), etc..... Geo was so excited to see the boat. He is going to be a great owner and has decided to keep the name Moxie.
After leaving Andros it was on to the Exuma chain for more adventure and better fishing. Our first stop was Highborne Cay, where lobsters were a plenty and calm anchorages made for early evenings and peaceful sleeping. A short sail down the chain took us to Normans Cay. After spearing a few fish, a weather front came over the horizon and brought with it a shift in the wind direction. We decided to harness the wind and headed out of the protected water where the wind was blowing 20 kts and sending up some solid chop. We were only making a couple of knots motoring against the winds and waves when out of no where the engine died. We were in the middle of setting sail, and the main halyard (the rope that pulls up the big sail) was taut and leading directly under the boat. No problem I thought, we've been through this before ( think NYC). I pushed the engine into reverse and forward a couple of times and manged to free the line. I can't thank Bob Gerwig enough for convincing me to beef up the prop shaft and then teaching me how to do it. Bob if you are reading this, THANK YOU.
With the sails set we absolutely flew, covering 80 miles over night and arrived in Georgetown, Great Exuma, the cruising capital of the East. There were literally 500 boats here. We arrived one night too late, the pirate party had gone off without us. Luckily we managed to stumble upon our friends Dan and Laura on Barely Twisted. Anchoring next to them we were finally able to hang out with some cruisers our own age. Moxie first met Barely Twisted in Bimini as we checked in. It was great to see some friends and they had met up with John a friend of theirs from New Zealand, who was on his own boat. The three boats set off in convoy to buck the trend and beat the crowds that never seem to venture further south. In all we spent a week together exploring uninhabited islands, diving and sailing down the Ragged Island chain. We spent our first four days together without seeing another person or boat!
There are numerous stories from that week but I think Mac may have experienced the greatest thrill. One afternoon Mac headed out spearfishing with Sam. I hung back to have a beer with Dan and John. The drink of choice was Milwaukee's Best, John had loaded his boat with 150 cases before leaving the states! (Moxie had loaded down with 4 cases of Bud) As we cracked in to our first beer we were surprised to see Mac spring up on John's boat, his eyes as large as light bulbs. SHARK, SHARK, he muttered out of breath. We were all concerned for Sam so Dan, John and I grabbed out spears and jumped into the dingy to head out and look for Sam. I was scanning the horizon looking for a plume of blood or one of Sam's arms floating on the surface, when we heard some yelling behind us. Looking back we saw Sam sitting in the cockpit of Moxie. Relieved we cruised back to the boat and checked in with Sam. "Daytime poker anyone?" Sam asked between sips of his afternoon mocha. He had gotten out of the water a little while before Mac's traumatic encounter and had no idea what had happened.
We raced back to Barely Twisted to check in with Mac and get the full story. Mac had speared a Grouper for dinner and was swimming it back to the boat, when all of a sudden he felt a hefty tug. Gripping his spear he turned to see a reef shark swipe the fish off the barbed tip in one bite. With his heart racing he continued to make his way to the boat before realizing the shark was circling back for a second look. He recounts the shark charging at him four or five times before he could lodge his spear tip in to the sharks head. As a small trickle of blood appeared at the tip of the spear, the shark realized there were better places to lunch and swam away. Just another day in paradise....
As I write this update the fuel tanks are topped off and water filled. Food shopping is complete and we are ready to head toward Nassau where Mac and Sam will depart for additional surfing adventures in Panama. I have some more guests coming to finish up the last leg with me, but the trip is far from over. There are no doubt plenty of adventures still to be had. One thing that we are planning is a two and a half day solo. We will each spend several nights alone on an island with no one else. We will have plenty of water but little else. No books, no food, no radio.... simply a journal to record our thoughts and reflections. This is an Outward Bound tradition that will be challenging and down right miserable. So why do it? I think I will better be able to answer that question after completing it.
I will update this blog again on April first or second when we are in Nassau having completed our solos. There will also be more pictures up on flicker. A link will be posted as soon as they are available. Stay tuned and thank you again for your continued support and encouragement.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Flickr
Hello fans, it's Debi again. You can view a nice sampling of Sean's photos through the link below. Enjoy!!
http://www.flickr.com/gp/43532681@N00/uh1058
http://www.flickr.com/gp/43532681@N00/uh1058
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Water Pump?
Well, would you believe it we are still here in Palm Beach. There is no need to complain, the weather is warm and we finally found the library with computers (only a three mile walk from the boat).
I didn't anticipate this water pump being a big deal to fix and the reality of the situation is that it won't be, as long as we get the pump. We have now had two water pumps shipped up from Miami and both have been the wrong size. My frustration grows everyday, but then again so does my tan. Life is good.
We may have a brief weather window on Friday to jump across the Gulf Stream, we have spent a few dollars at the fishing store getting our rigs ready. Hopefully we will have some trophy pictures to post on the other side.
Until next time,
Sean and Crew
I didn't anticipate this water pump being a big deal to fix and the reality of the situation is that it won't be, as long as we get the pump. We have now had two water pumps shipped up from Miami and both have been the wrong size. My frustration grows everyday, but then again so does my tan. Life is good.
We may have a brief weather window on Friday to jump across the Gulf Stream, we have spent a few dollars at the fishing store getting our rigs ready. Hopefully we will have some trophy pictures to post on the other side.
Until next time,
Sean and Crew
Monday, February 5, 2007
Football, E-bay and all things American
First I have to appologize for the formatting of those pictures and this text. Sorry about that.
Today I celebrate my two month anniversary. We are sitting here stationary in sunny Florida, having missed the tornadoes and drunk football fans that can be equally as destructive. Having no computer from which to update regularly I feel it necessary to bring everyone up to speed as to our whereabouts and our many misadventures.
My last post was from Beaufort NC where I spent a few days in the coffee shop, charging cell phones and thinking of creative ways to describe our leaky window, which has now been termed Niagra. Along the way there have been some great successes as well as some utter disappointment, and one sleepless night on the tiller I realized that it was most practical to let Moxie have an appropriate retirement in warmer waters. Originally the plan was to sail her back to New York City and live on her, but as some of you already know I was not accepted to the teaching fellowship and so my New York days are a thing of the past. I joined the millions and put Moxie up for sale on E-bay. Skeptical about the results I spent a day with Will Davies drafting an ad that described our many leaks as simply a boat that weeps moisture. There was instant gratification as we watched the view counter rise at an alarming pace. The bids began to roll in and within a day I had a call from a serious bidder located in the Bahamas. The real surprise about this auction was the terms on which I was selling her. You see I had sailed a good portion of the East Coast in the middle of winter and I was not about to get this far and give up the true reward of warm water and cheap rum. The terms detailed that I was not willing to give up the boat for another two and a half months. Of course as soon as the bid was over a good 25% of the winning bid had to be paid. So with a good chunk of change in hand I now have the rest of the trip financed, thank you E-bay.
I picked up two new crew members in Myrtle beach. Mac and Sam, two Maine boys in search of surf and adventure. After a day or two in the ICW getting used to each other we were finally able to jump off shore and make some real miles. We left Charleston and headed off 25 miles and pointed straight to Jacksonville. The wind was perfect and around 3 AM I found myself thinking about the first night off shore with Greg and Dave. I wish that both of them could be onboard now to take a turn on the tiller and relish in the knowledge that they both made this possible. Without the two of them putting in some long cold nights with hands frozen battling huge seas, none of this would be possible. Thank you both.
After a quick stop in Jacksonville for Sam to grab a hideous straw sun hat from Walmart, we spent a day and motored to St. Augustine where we were escorted in to town by two lovely dolphins. Anchoring for the night seemed fine until a late arrival dropped their hook a little close to us. Shortening our anchor line later proved to be the wrong decision as we dragged anchor and collided with a yacht in the middle of the night. Why does everything have to happen in the middle of the night. Problems never seem to occur during daylight hours, that would just be too easy. At least that was my thought until our off shore leg to Palm Beach. Conditions were great and we were sailing along fine at 5 knots, a slight heel and all was good in the world. The lights of Cape Canaveral kept us company overnight and I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to be sailing by as a shuttle took off. Along with dawn came the lightening of the winds and we began to motor down the coast of Florida. There is no need to go in to detail here but lets just say our head (toilet) had reached its capacity. It took a few hours to clean up and get ourselves rehydrated. A quick ocean swim helped with the clean up and we were underway again until a clangy metallic sound began to vibrate from the engine. So much for problems only happening at night.
60 miles away from Palm Beach we discovered the water pump had chewed trough the bearing and was rendered useless. Luckily the winds began to peak and we were under a full set of canvas once again. Overnight our progress continued and we sailed in to Palm Beach at dawn and sailed on to the hook just in time for a morning dip.
I apologize for the length of this post but I must take a minute to say thank you to the hosts of what has been a four day super bowl party. Arriving in Palm Beach I had no idea how long our search for a new water pump would take but we have once again had the good fortune of landing in the hands of gracious friends. The Gerwig family has put up the Moxie crew, supplied us with warm showers, comfy beds and amazing culinary creations, the likes of which can only be described as Southern Hospitality. This trip would not be possible without the help from so many along the way. We are close to our jumping off point where we will them head to the Bahamas. We have made some critical last stops; the fishing store, the barber, and of course Tony’s, this amazing Jamaican spot serving up the best grub outside of the Gerwig residents.
Next stop Bahamas!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
breaking the literary fast
I have been onboard now for 6 weeks, it feels like forever. My beard has continued to sprout and my memories of the past month have slowly begun to smooth around the edges like a stone tossed about in the waves. The tough times and cold nights fade to memories of having other crew members onboard, playing cards, and cooking for more then myself. It was a lonely stretch from Norfolk VA to my present location of Beaufort NC. The reality of the situation was long days on the tiller with little or no time to make a cup of tea or simply relax under the shade of a long blink. The nights have seemed long with the darkness enveloping the boat around five and not lifting until seven in the morning. With such limited light I have pushed on but look forward to the addition of two crew soon to join the adventure.
The solitaire has been challenging for a social butterfly such as myself but there certainly have been some upsides. It forces me to meet more people (is that possible?) and tell the tales of Moxie to all who are interested. That is probably the most intriguing aspect of the trip so far. I have met couples, families and singlehanders who are all on their way somewhere. The boats they travel on are as varied as the folks themselves.
I have spent the last few days in Beaufort where I have been able to rendez-vous with a colleague of mine from Outward Bound. Will Herbert Davies, also a captain at Thompson
Island, is making his way from Baltimore to Seattle on a 38' catamaran (check out his website at www.sailbravo.us) This guy is crazy just look at him. There is some low level chatter about jumping onboard with him to sail to Seattle. It just so happens there is a girl in Seattle I have talked with a couple times and it would be great to see her. What an anachronistic throwback to an era of romance that was easier on the environment and warmer on the soul (that was Will's sentence!) I told you that kid is crazy.As I mull about towns and meet various folks the most asked question seems to be how I can afford a trip like this. As I briefly reflect on my response I realize just how spartan my accommodations are. When any sailor estimates their latitude by the viscosity of their olive oil you know they are lacking in their electronics budget. The ice box has not yet seen ice, clearly illustrating off-season rates do apply. When you wash your dishes in the shower at the marina you haven't payed for, you might be a Moxie sailor.
Monday, January 8, 2007
ICW, finally!
Well, there have been many adventures and misadventures since my last post. For you loyal readers I appologize for the delay. Lets see.... where to start. Well, I wasn't going to write about my first night of this year but I think it is worth retelling.
James and I were spending another night in Ocean City, Maryland, due to weather. We had a mellow New Years Eve (I went to bed before 6pm). It was on the first and we had been having some trouble with our little outboard engine. A couple of days before we were heading ashore when it began to rev and failed to push our humble inflatible forward. After making it ashore and grabbing a bite to eat, we managed to phone a mechanic and line up a diagnostic visit. I called the cab company and found out the cab ride was going to be $35. No way! forget it. We were towed back to the boat where all the tools were. I called the mechanic back and told him we wouldn't be able to make it. He suggested two things, 1) add some oil to the gas\oil mix 2) possible check the shear pin, it may have snapped off.
I thought the first option sounded the easiest so I added some oil and gave it a pull. Nothing. A few more tries and it was on to option two. Taking the propeller off I quickly saw some pin (apparently the shear pin) was snapped in half. I fabricated a new one from a spare cotter pin and hopped in to try it out. We were back in business and it was running fine.
Fast forward 30 hours. I had spent my evening in a coffee shop with wireless access. Around 10 I headed back to the boat where James had stayed. I was no more then 300 yards away when the engine on the inflatible died. I started it again only to have it quickly go silent. By this time the current was working against me, and pushing me out of the inlet at about 3 knots (fast!) I managed to paddle with the one oar (we l0st the other one when we had the raft flip during the 40 hour nightmare) and make a small barrier island. I realized what was happening and felt as though I was prepared. When I had added the oil to the outboard, I overloaded the oil mixture and ruined the spark plug. Having an extra spark plug with me I grabbed my handy Leatherperson and changed the plug. I launched the
( I just got a warning that I have to get off the computer, oh well, to make a long borring story short I had some major struggles that night. My laptop computer which was with me, was in a waterproof bag, (LL Bean) but it had a hole in it. Saltwater and electronics do not mix to well, I knew that before I started but I thought it would last a little longer, oh well.
So here I am now, things are beginning to settle down, I am alone on the boat making my way down the Intracoastal waterway. I spent last night in Coinjock, N. Carolina and will be heading south again tomorrow in the AM. Computer access is limited to say the least and my phone rarely has a full charge. I miss you all and can't wait t share stories.
Here comes the guy to kick me off,
take care, sorry no photos, hopefully soon.
Se
James and I were spending another night in Ocean City, Maryland, due to weather. We had a mellow New Years Eve (I went to bed before 6pm). It was on the first and we had been having some trouble with our little outboard engine. A couple of days before we were heading ashore when it began to rev and failed to push our humble inflatible forward. After making it ashore and grabbing a bite to eat, we managed to phone a mechanic and line up a diagnostic visit. I called the cab company and found out the cab ride was going to be $35. No way! forget it. We were towed back to the boat where all the tools were. I called the mechanic back and told him we wouldn't be able to make it. He suggested two things, 1) add some oil to the gas\oil mix 2) possible check the shear pin, it may have snapped off.
I thought the first option sounded the easiest so I added some oil and gave it a pull. Nothing. A few more tries and it was on to option two. Taking the propeller off I quickly saw some pin (apparently the shear pin) was snapped in half. I fabricated a new one from a spare cotter pin and hopped in to try it out. We were back in business and it was running fine.
Fast forward 30 hours. I had spent my evening in a coffee shop with wireless access. Around 10 I headed back to the boat where James had stayed. I was no more then 300 yards away when the engine on the inflatible died. I started it again only to have it quickly go silent. By this time the current was working against me, and pushing me out of the inlet at about 3 knots (fast!) I managed to paddle with the one oar (we l0st the other one when we had the raft flip during the 40 hour nightmare) and make a small barrier island. I realized what was happening and felt as though I was prepared. When I had added the oil to the outboard, I overloaded the oil mixture and ruined the spark plug. Having an extra spark plug with me I grabbed my handy Leatherperson and changed the plug. I launched the
( I just got a warning that I have to get off the computer, oh well, to make a long borring story short I had some major struggles that night. My laptop computer which was with me, was in a waterproof bag, (LL Bean) but it had a hole in it. Saltwater and electronics do not mix to well, I knew that before I started but I thought it would last a little longer, oh well.
So here I am now, things are beginning to settle down, I am alone on the boat making my way down the Intracoastal waterway. I spent last night in Coinjock, N. Carolina and will be heading south again tomorrow in the AM. Computer access is limited to say the least and my phone rarely has a full charge. I miss you all and can't wait t share stories.
Here comes the guy to kick me off,
take care, sorry no photos, hopefully soon.
Se
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