We're C.L.O.D.S!

Yes folks, we're swallowed the anchor for a while and are now CLODS (Cruisers Living on Dirt)! We stopped in Vero Beach, FL around Thanksgiving in 2007 enroute to the Bahamas and were very impressed with the community. In 2008 our friends, Jim & Nancy, told us about the real estate situation in FL and that they had bought a condo. Diane & I had oft discussed where we would want to live when "the day" came. We were also pretty sure that "the day" was still years off. Well, guess again! We found a very nice (we think) 3/2.5 condo/townhouse with a 2 car garage (Jay's gotta have a garage). We closed in November 2008, moved a few things from TX (when I say few, I mean few as we had sold almost everything prior to moving aboard!) We visited the Bahamas for just 2 months this year and now, for the first time in nearly 5 years, Far Niente is on the hard, lashed down and prepped for hurricane season here.

I'll try to udate a few things in the weeks ahead.

Junkanoo film clip

Not great, but you'll get the idea.

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/bottleinamessage/?action=view&current=GeorgetownJunkeroo069.flv

George Town Junkanoo

We'd never been to one of these before and it was a hoot! Got up at 2:30 AM on December 26th (boxing day) and took the dink across the harbor to town. At 3AM it was in full swing. We left at 6:30. Most enjoyable. The locals take these very seriously. There are judges brought in from other islands. All materials and floats are only used once. They even sent someone to Canada to buy feathers!!!

A few more pictures of the Hermatige

Cat Island

Our visit to Cat Island was also very nice. The remants of the old plantations are impressive, but Father Jerome's "The Hermitage" stole our hearts. After ministering on Long Island, he traveled "down under" where he served as a "bush priest". When he was finally ready to retire, he came to Cat Island and constructed "The Hermitage", a minature replica of a Fransican Monesary, atop Mt. Alverna where he lived until his death. He is buried there.

Father Jerome

Father Jerome was first educated as an architect. He later became an Anglican minister and built a very nice church in Clarence Town, Long Island, Bahamas. Some years later he traveled to Rome, where for 3 years he studied for the priesthood. He returned to Long Island where he built a wonderful Catholic Church. It has been recently restored.

Wintering in the Bahamas

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/bottleinamessage/?action=view&current=MVI_0017.flv

We've had such a great time since arriving in the Bahamas in early December. So I'm just going to post a few items that were very special to us. The first is a short clip of a on-water concert we attended. The group was made up of several cruisers (from different boats) who called themselves "White folks on Boats"!

Oops!!!

We, and about 20 other boats were waiting for a bridge opening south of Norfolk on the ICW. I began slowly backing up to gain clearance from another vessel when CRUNCH!!!

I had collided with an underwater object (tree stump?) with the trailing edge (think weakest spot) of the rudder. We continued on for a few more days. The boat steered differently and the steering effort had increased.

I decided to go Jarrett Bay Boatworks near Beaufort, NC. We arrived on a Monday and they hauled the boat that morning. Pictures tell the story. They put me in touch with an on-site sub-contractor who started work immediately. A week later it was repaired as good as new. We were back in the water and continued on our way south.



This summer, after the bow thruster was installed, we decided to stay in Annapolis and work on "boat projects". Boy, did we ever!

Rigged a topping lift for the whisker pole.
Had mainsail recut to correct the luff.
Re-wired instrument panel, replaced panel glass cover and added a power port.

Re-wired solar panel and wind generator negative cables to enable the Link 2000 to show their charge.

Rewired refrigerator with #6 wire. Installed an amplified wifi antenna. Had the salon cushions recovered in Teal Ultra Leather. Replaced 2 fire extguishers w/5# Halon models. Replaced the faucet assy. in the "master's head". Install water tank gauges on all 3 water tanks. Replaced VHF antenna at masthead. Cleaned and repainted the front of the engine and replaced the water hoses and clamps. Replaced both solar panels with 130W Kyrocera panels. Removed bimini and dodger so Diana could resew (rotting threads) and replace worn zippers. Replaced glass and latches in all 6 deck hatches. Sold Mercury outboard and bought a new Yamaha 15HP two stroke. Traded the Avon (West Marine) HP floor dinghy in on a new 10'6" AB lite. Had diver clean boat bottom. Installed new depth transducer and Tridata reader. Changed engine oil and filter, changed trans oil, replaced Racor fuel filters. Cleaned all raw water strainers. Washed and wax hull sides. Replaced all zincs. So you can tell we were very busy, but the boat is in tip top shape and ready for the Bahamas!!

Everything installed!

After the install of the bow thruster, I placed a 4D AGM battery near the thruster. It's also connected to the house batteries (big cables) which brings the total to approx. 650 amps. I then re-installed the Village Marine Tech LW 160 watermaker. It really filled up the compartment under the forward berth!!

Bow Thruster

Diana & I decided that, after a couple seasons of sailing and encountering some difficult docking situations, it was time.

She also said I had a bad case of "bow thruster envy" She was so right!

Anyway, next week I will finish the installation and we'll see how it works.

Our Blog has grown so...........

IN ORDER TO SEE IT ALL, IN THE ARCHIVES SECTION, CLICK ON MARCH, 2006 TO START AT THE BEGINNING. THANKS

The Master & Commander

I'm Tinker Belle, AKA "Master & Commander" of the s/v Far Niente. I'm a 4 year old, 6 pound Yorkie, Cairn Terrier, Chihuahua mixture. The crew, says I'm a pure bred "SPOILED"! Whatever!!

Rule number one...I do not get out of bed before I'm ready. GOT IT??

Sometimes, when the seas get rough, the crew puts me in this bag so I can BARK orders and not get stepped on.

But my favorite thing in the whole world is "beach running". There are so many cool things to smell, chase and roll in. Plus it makes my lazy crew get some much needed exercise. This is me on the fly. I think I look like a greyhound only smaller....and much better looking.

Most of all I like hanging out with my crew and all the great friends they've made!