26 Nov '09 Thanksgiving in George Town, Exuma

George Town, Great Exuma, Bahamas

Hello friends and family,

We've been having fun and been staying busy. Sorry not to update you on the Voyage of Mystique earlier. Here's a quick recap:

I flew to Traverse City to spend 4 days with my family and help Mom and Dad get packed up for the winter in Bradenton, F. I enjoyed Big family gatherings which were lots of fun. Andy and Jess joined us for a weekend. Then Mom, Dad and I flew to Florida and got their place all set up, and the the old big baby blue Cadillac fixed with a new battery. I then drove down to Ft. Myers and spent the night with cousin Robinanne Holzworth and Alan before driving to Ft. Lauderdale to pick up my flight to George Town (about a 1 hour flight).

Our great friends here, David & Kathryn, who were so wonderful helping with Andy & Jess' wedding last June (and Kathryn was the official photographer) put me up at their house for several nights while I worked aboard Mystique during the days to get her commissioned and ready for Admiral Jan and 1st Mate Samantha who arrived 6 days later. Their hospitality was remarkable as I kept lengthening my stay and they drove here and there, and also picked Jan up at the airport when she arrived last Wednesday week.

I had positioned Mystique at the marina docks that night so we could throw luggage (and cat) aboard without a dinghy ride. We also filled up with water and fully charged the batteries. Since then we've been at anchor either just off the little town bridge and dinghy dock or across Elizabeth Harbor near the Chat 'n Chill beach bar.

It is with some frustration that I report having spent most of my time so far on various Mechanical Opportunities. A large project has been to replace the troublesome engine-driven impeller raw water pump on the generator (which as been the subject of numerous previous postings), last worked on in June by Andy & Jess during their honeymoon in 90 degree heat. The replacement pump is driven electrically by the generator and DOES NOT HAVE AN IMPELLER! This project has required numerous trips ashore to the marine shop and the hardware store.

We had invited Kathryn and David to join us on a day sail over to Cat Island for Thanksgiving. A friend from Frisco Rotary is there for Thanksgiving and we had hoped to meet up with him for some fun, food and wine! He is the traveling wine consultant at Fernandez Bay Resort which has a wonderful long sandy beach exposed to the west. Unfortunately as the date grew closer the weather forecast showed a front coming through with winds switching from the prevailing easterly trades to the west which would have made anchoring very uncomfortable. So we decided not to go and are enjoying a quiet Thanksgiving here.

We've had some beautiful weather so far. Jan's varnished half the toe rail. We've buffed and waxed the entire hull of the boat and the cockpit area (with Shorty's help) so Mystique is looking especially spiffy. We've installed the new genoa sheets. We have a new set of 12 volt LED Christmas lights which are strung around the bimini above the cockpit - very pretty at night! And I was presented with my Christmas present a bit early -- a Sony DVD/CD player which draws very little power and has a 12v car adapter which we can plug in to our electrical system. We've enjoyed great music (yes, Andy and Megan, Christmas music already) piped through our stereo and two movies so far! What a treat.

Our cruising plan is to sail the boat back up to Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos where we visited a year and a half ago. That is the best place to have her hauled out of the water for a fresh coat of bottom paint and a new survey which is required by our insurance company this winter. We will store her 'on the hard' ashore for the winter. It looks like about eight days of cruising to reach Green Turtle, a total of about 260 (nautical) miles. We hope to leave on Monday, heading back up the Exuma chain of islands to Highborne Cay where we spent much time last year, thence across the Exuma Sound to SW Eleuthera. Then up the west side of Eleuthera over the banks to Spanish Wells at the NW tip where we'll fill up with water and fuel for a long day sail across the open Atlantic to SE Abacos. From there it's a day sail over the banks up to Hope Town and/or Marsh Harbor. Then another day to Green Turtle. We have allowed for about 10 days of weather delays along the way.

On Dec 22 we fly from Treasure Cay to Ft. Lauderdale, rent a car, drive up to visit our good friend Bob Bruce in Jupiter before heading over to spend Christmas with Mom & Dad in Bradenton. This will be my first Christmas out of Colorado in 36 years and Jan's first ever, and our first spent with my parents, so this will be a very special Christmas for us!! Then Jan and I will spend our New Years Eve 36th anniversary "someplace" together before flying home January 1st.

With fair winds you'll hear from Mystique next in the Abacos! We are very grateful today for our wonderful family and friends, and this special opportunity to explore distant shores.

Click on the Flickr link to see our summer/fall photo album. Sorry, but no pics posted yet of this trip!