0:00 Intro

0:36 Bahamas Sailing

We raise our anchor at the deserted island in North Eleuthera Bahamas and head west. We sail through the crystal clear but shallow water of the Bahama Banks to Chub Cay, Whale Key, Bimini, and then on to Miami.

3:49 Gulf Stream Crossing

We crossed the gulf stream with a northeast wind, perfect for some downwind spinnaker sailing on the way to Miami and Biscayne Bay. We hit 10.9 knots of boat speed during some great and fun sailing conditions.

7:00 Stiltsville

We entered Biscayne National Park through the Stiltsville Cut. It was pretty cool to sail between the old houses and buildings on stilts, which have been long since abandoned. This is a tricky entrance and we must be careful as we draw over six feet.

7:25 Coconut Grove Sailing Club

We got the last open mooring ball at CGSG, which thankfully was the only one that would fit our 46 foot sailboat. We were very thankful for the clubs hospitality. What an amazing place with excellent staff and friendly members. It helped that they were a racing club and we had visited there before while racing Melges 24’s.

7:41 Sail Loft

One of the main reasons for coming to Miami was to get our staysail fixed up. When it was originally re-cut down from a #4 jib in Annapolis the sail loft there made a mistake and made the sail longer than the hoist. So we were able to have the sail re-recut and fixed in under a week. We were super thankful to get this done.

8:39 Melges 20 and Bacardi Winter Series in Miami

It just so happened that the Melges 20 Winter Series and Bacardi Miami Winter Series was going on. Was this planned? Well, it certainly was a good enough reason to sail back to the USA and see all of our racing friends. On top of that, the race committee boat broke down, so we volunteered to be the RC boat for the day. It was lots of fun, but there were a few close calls. Luckily no boats were harmed in the filming of this video and SV Sweet Ruca came away without a scratch in her Awlgrip!

12:52 Coconut Grove

We ended our time in Miami with a stroll through Coconut Grove. It is a lovely little suburb on the south side. We took advantage of this time to get our last meals out in the USA for what we be a long time. We were also invited to go to the CGSC staff Christmas party, so we celebrated the holiday in style with our new friends before we sail away again to the Bahamas.

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The dreaded sponge. If only the wolf could wash it for me.

Doing the dishes. Everyone has to do it. Is it so jarringly exciting? The sink is smaller, and there’s no dishwasher. The dishwasher has a name and two hands that get pruney three times a day. It’s ok, though. At times it’s exhausting and other times it’s calming. It’s a routine, after all. Sometimes it’s rushed and other times it’s thorough. Sometimes it’s on the transom releasing chunks into the ocean instead of down the drain- for the lack of that grinding that usually helps out the pipes. Sometimes it’s the many licks of a hungry dog’s tongue that gets the sticky syrup off the plates or the ranch dressing out of a bowl. (Dishes are rinsed with soapy water before being used again.) They sit on a towel to dry before they are inevitably used a few hours later. They are not fancy or special, but useful. Letting them build up dirty may attract unwanted flying creatures. Fortunately, that has not been an issue for us. The dishwater usually works really well. The faucet is on and off and on and off at an attempt to conserve freshwater. Cups become plates when the boat is sailing, and moving and balancing becomes a part of mealtime. Doing the dishes is not just doing the dishes. It’s maintaining this vessel.

Laundry. Turns out it’s as essential as bathing. Sometimes we combine the two. Two birds one stone? Quarters and detergent and long pants weigh heavy when the walking distance is no longer down the stairs, but down the street. Colder climates were harder as clothes weigh more. We attempt to wear little and re-wear as much as possible to save our time and efforts on this. There is no laundry machine on the boat. The washer and dryer have a name and two hands. Sometimes four if we work together. Sometimes four dirty paws come along curiously, checking out the wet items and spreading a bit of love via dog hair. Sometimes it’s a fully clothed shower. If it’s warm and a sunny day, this chore is not so bothersome. Can clothes dry in the cold on a clothesline? A special trip was made for a big orange bucket to help when the building up of clothes occurs.

Meals. It’s not exotic, and that’s ok with us. The best is experimenting with how to make something new with the same old ingredients. It’s been a hobby that we enjoy regardless if the outcome is tasty. Many of our “recipes” surprise us. Measuring and ingredient lists are often made up on the fly as we “compete” in our own episodes of “Chopped”. We try to cook quickly to conserve as much propane as possible. We factor cooking time when we buy things at the store. It’s been pushed to the limit with fewer trips to the grocery store since the pandemic. We by no means have a fancy recipe with organic ingredients and everything made from scratch. Our meals are not always complete or even the healthiest. But it is nourishment, and we experience a variety. Sometimes it’s a simple salad with a slew of chopped veggies. Sometimes that salad gets… raisins? Sometimes it’s figuring out a new way to eat a hotdog. Sometimes it’s pizza dough from scratch but with store-bought sauce. Sometimes it’s beans from a can. Sometimes its beans from a can multiple nights in a row. Sometimes it’s fresh fruit for the first time since…??? The fridge space is limited, but sufficient. Snacks are harder. In some places… a bag of chips $10? A jar of peanuts $12? Triscuits $7? Oranges $5 a lb? What will become of the types of snacks we have should we continue?

Sleep? Do you enjoy movement and constant sound while you’re sleeping? There are few calm anchorages with complete stillness and no clanging lines or squawking birds. For me, personally, it’s easier if there is less sound. Most nights are easy when there’s been a long day of work, or we can limit the clanging of lines. Sometimes the rocking is a bit disturbing as you rollover unwillingly. And I am referring to this “at anchorage”, not even moving the boat.

“Moving the boat sleeping” is another thing. I’ve yet to find a real rhythm to sleep at sea between shifts with my partner. He seems to fare better than me at this. Alarms are set for a few hours rest as waves punch the hull and you lock yourself into a space so you don’t unwillingly rollover. You experience cold and hot regardless of the temperature and feel hunger and thirst at odd times, IF you’ve been able to overcome seasickness. The grinding of sails or the rubbing of sheets on rigging echo throughout the vessel. Earplugs are nice if you can decipher your name being called for help or an emergency. When you awake from each shift you stumble to use the bathroom so you don’t need to do it on watch, regardless if you need to go. You inevitably hit your head and nearly fall over putting your foul weather gear on. Moments of calm and stars make it feel worthwhile until your heart races to make sure the wind hasn’t changed. The sails need to be adjusted while also looking at the radar to make sure you don’t hit anything while looking for buoys or looking at the screen to make sure you’re on course. Your brain wanders if your partner is getting their much-needed sleep. You see them still up after an hour off shift to get a snack and sigh to yourself. You feel sleepy yourself and wish they’d close their eyes to get reenergized. When the sun rises a sense of success washes over you and you feel energized for just a moment before you think a nap is already in order. Let’s recheck the weather and run some more routes. This could and will probably be a blog post in it’s own right someday soon.

Vinegar and H2O

Cleaning. A shop vac replaces a standard vacuum. Pipes are sensitive to chemicals as well as windows, and sensitive cleaners become the sanitation of choice. A broom mops up sand, dog hair, and crumbs. Toilets and showers request more attention for some reason. Green grass grows upside down on the hull instead of right side up in the yard. Earplugs are worn to make sure no critters make themselves a new home while the “mowing” takes place. Stainless steel and aluminum polishing become the new leaf raking or gutter cleaning or window spraying of this new home. Wood. We glance around us and wonder when we will decide to refinish the wood.

Waking up. Where am I? Oh, I’m on a boat. It’s calm. It’s noisy from the birds. It’s loud from the boat neighbors. It’s hot. It’s raining. It’s cool. Check the batteries. Is the fridge running? Will we get enough solar to balance out what we used? Check the weather. Look outside. Is it windy? Is it sunny? Did we move? Check the anchor alarm. I’m hungry. What’s for breakfast? Eggs again. Toast. Save the bread for lunch sandwiches. Just eggs. Eggs and bacon on pancakes? Do I have the energy? Do I have internet? Do the worm to crawl off the end of the bed. Don’t trip on the dog. Start a pot of water for the captain to get some coffee.

Going to sleep. Check the batteries. What are the amps? Remember where the batteries are when the sun goes down to see how much energy we burn. Check the anchor alarm. Look outside. Stars? New boat neighbors? Do we need fans tonight? Will it rain, and will we need to close the windows? Does the dog have water? Lock the dinghy. Recheck the batteries. Does the computer have enough battery for a movie? Check the anchor alarm. Is it rolly? Should we adjust the anchor? Am I hungry again? Charge the phones. Oh crap we need to run the water maker. Make water for an hour and prolong sleep. Eat a snack. Fall asleep.

Showering. Turn the water on and get wet. Turn the water off. Soap up. Turn the water on and rinse. End of shower. *Warm climate- Jump off the back of the boat. Climb out onto the boat. Soap up. Jump back in the water. Use the hose at the back of the yacht for a freshwater rinse. (Yes, salt builds up in the hair!)

There are more categories to add and much more about life that is difficult to portray in text or video! I hope this piqued your interest and shared a tiny wee bit about boat life.

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