Author: tim.june.sndr@hotmail.com

Yes, we are still in Hilton Head.  Our original plan was to only be here for a week.  That changed when I decided I needed to spend a week in Maine with my brother.  We had hoped to move the boat, Tim and Maggie to Beaufort, SC since there would be more for them to do that is within walking distance.  Unfortunately everything in Beaufort was booked up for their annual 10 day Water Festival.  Once we pay for 2 weeks dockage, we are basically paying for the month.  So we decided to take advantage of the whole month and use HH as a hub for exploring Savannah and Beaufort.  We also have used it as a maintenance stop.

Our number one maintenance job was finding the source of the leak along side the aft door exiting the salon.  With heavy, extended downpours we have had water dripping in the side wall and under the door frame.  It as been agonizing to watch the wood in that area discolor even as we search every possible area we can think of that water may be leaking in.  

With boats, finding the source of the leak is a real challenge.  Rain water can run along stringers quite a way before appearing inside.  We tried fixes while at Seabrook and we tore through lazarettes searching for potential sources while at Marsh Harbor.  We scraped off old caulk, cleaned and recaulked suspicious areas when we were in New Smyrna.  Still, we had a leak.  Our frustration level has been building and we decided NOW was the time to stop that damn leak once and for all.  In the past, we started our search in high, forward areas like the eyebrow.  Then we worked our way back to the lazarettes on the upper helm.  This time we decided to start with the leak and move to areas where the water would flow downhill toward the rear door.  Using the drill, Tim bored small holes in the bottom of the platform that covers the port side.  

We figured if we drilled a hole and the core was dry, we were going in the wrong direction.  If we drilled a hole and the core was wet, we were heading in the right direction and needed to keep going.  The first hole Tim drilled was a wet one.  So we kept going.  The second hole was a drainer.  Brown water drained out of the hole.  Pay dirt! This told us that water was definitely getting to this spot and had been for a while.  The next couple holes were also wet.  We finally drilled a dry hole about midway as we worked our way up the platform.  That put us just forward of the arch.  This is the area where our new bimini was attached to the platform.  Our old Bimini had been snapped down, but when Banks Sail installed the new Bimini, they used a bolt rope and track.  Surely, surely when they took out the snaps and installed the track they sealed the snap holes.  Right?  We had to be sure.  I unscrewed the track and we had our answer.  They did use silicone to secure the new track screws, but NO they did not seal the old holes from the snaps.  I cannot begin to tell you how angry we were when we discovered this.  

It would have taken a minute to seal the holes.  Tim used 5200 to seal the old holes and we resiliconed the screws for the track.  And then we waited.  We waited for the next rain. When it finally came we cheered.  Finally, no water ran down the wood or under the door.  I think we found the source.

Tim and Maggie held down the fort while I spent a week in Maine with my older brother, Dennis.  Two years ago, Den was diagnosed with a glioblastoma.  Many of you know that John McCain has recently been given the same diagnosis and Ted Kennedy and Beau Biden passed away after suffering from the same disease.  Glioblastoma is a very aggressive type of brain cancer and unfortunately there are very few survivors.  My brother has fought hard against this disease.  He has undergone 2 brain surgeries, immunotherapy, radiation and chemo.  I am so very proud of him and his strength to keep going.  His wife, Karen has been beside him cheering him on the entire time.  Despite all of this, they were told that the cancer is growing and even the wonderful doctors at Dana Farber in Boston who have been treating him do not have the answers we desperately wish for.  It was wonderful to be able to spend time with Den, Karen and many family members who were able to get to Maine to see Den.

We did a little touring of Savannah.  One day we took Maggie for stroll through the historic district.  Uggg it was almost unbearably hot and humid.  We didn’t last too long, but took a few pictures.  We returned with George and Jacola Bolger and took  the Old Trolley Tour of the area.  Since it was a rainy, overcast day, it was much cooler and more enjoyable.  But, we didn’t take any pictures.  Oh well.  

   After our trip to Savanah we remembered that the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,  had been filmed in many of the areas we visited.  So Tim downloaded the movie for us.  It was fun recognizing fountains, gardens and houses that we saw while visiting Savannah in the movie..Strange movie by the way.

George and Jacola also joined us on a trip into Beaufort for the afternoon.  It is another one of the beautiful, historic towns along the South Carolina waterfront.  We were told that one of the old mansions along the waterfront played a role in the movie, Prince of Tides.  And its author, Pat Conroy, grew up in the area. So……. yes, we downloaded that movie too.  The house we were looking for only appeared for a minute, but we sat through the entire movie.  Hmmmm…Not a good film if you want a “pick me up”.  Next movie may be The Big Chill.  Jacola told us that it too was filmed in Beaufort.

We will be in Hilton Head until the 27th.  Then it is back on the ICW for us, heading north toward Charleston.

Well, things don’t always work out as planned.  And we certainly didn’t plan to be back in Marsh Harbor today.  We had thought that today would find us hauling anchor at Great Sale Cay and heading across to anchor tonight on the Bahama Banks.  That plan was canceled when my left thumb and our anchor had a wicked impact yesterday morning.

We did leave Marsh Harbor as planned on 5/30 and anchored out at Manjack.  With high tide coming around 1pm, we didn’t get out of Mangoes until 11.  We need to have enough water to leave the dock.  That put us into Manjack around 3:30.  We had hoped to dinghy in and tour the mangroves and see all the rays, sharks, and turtles that we have heard so much about, but instead our nerves had us continue to prep for an iffy crossing.  We paid professional marine weatherman, Chris Parker, for a personalized forecast because we were still wondering if our decision to go was a good one.  After a conversation and early morning email with him, we decided the crossing was still doable but we had a good chance of encountering thunderstorms on the way.  He was pretty clear that the sooner we crossed the better because our window was fixing to slam shut with storms moving across Florida.  We put the dinghy back on the roof for the first time since arriving in the Bahamas.  We entered the waypoints for our route back and Tim programmed the new route into the Raymarine.  We did everything we needed to do and then had a much needed cocktail to calm our nerves.  Making the decision to cross the Gulf Stream is not one we take lightly.  We knew the conditions would be less than ideal, but as long as they weren’t going to be bad, we were ready to tackle it.  We did know that if we didn’t make this crossing, the next one wouldn’t come for at least 7 – 10 days and possibly longer.  We opted to sleep that night  in the V-berth in hopes of getting more breeze.  We may have gotten more air flow, but we also got more noises.  Tim and I have never slept in our V berth; we now have greater empathy for friends and family who have.  The sounds made by the anchor chain pulling and relaxing, waves slapping the hull, and the movement of the boat back and forth as the wind shifted , coupled with our bad case of nerves, made for a difficult night’s sleep.  We woke to a beautiful morning and despite our lack of sleep, we felt good about or decision to move on.  Since we had already done our prep the previous night it didn’t take long for us to be ready to haul up the anchor ad be on our way.  I pour Tim and I glasses of iced coffee I had made while at Mangoes to give us a cool kick of caffeine and we assumed our positions for leaving.  Our strategy for bringing up the anchor has Tim at the helm and I take up the bow position.  I step on the windlass switch to raise or lower the anchor while he drives the boat in the direction of the anchor.  We work closely together to make sure the windlass is under minimal strain as the chain rode is hauled aboard.  The tricky part comes when the shank of the anchor breaks over the roller and is pulled on board.  We have a stainless guard over the roller that the chain and shank are pulled through.  The problem is that as the shank rises above the roller, the chain can jump out of the gypsy that feeds the chain into the anchor locker.  To avoid this, I hold my left hand near the guard to push the shank back down as the chain feeds in.  Not an easy maneuver nor one I m comfortable doing,  but it is what it is.  In the past, I’ve managed to do it without harm.  This was not going to be one of those days.  Instead I must have gotten my left thumb between the anchor shaft and the guard when the shaft bounced up.  I do wear a pair of gloves when anchoring and I think if I had not had them on the damage to my thumb would be even worse.  Tim headed the boat slowly out of the anchorage while I tried to stem the bleeding.  Once he had us headed in out, he turned on the autopilot and then came down to assist me.  Jointly we agreed that I needed to get medical services, the cuts were too deep and had bled too much.  After a lot of discussion we decided that the smartest thing to do was turn back and find a clinic in Marsh Harbor.  We knew that doing this would end our chance of crossing now.  Dr. James concurred with our decision.  I had cut through an artery on one side of the thumb and cut down to the bone on the other side.  He stitched me back together- 3 on one side, 5 on the other side- and sent me back to the boat with some antibiotics.  So here we are.  Dr. James said to give the thumb at least 7 good days before attempting to use it, so I imagine we’ll be sitting tight at least a week and then the window watching will begin again in earnest.  Oh well, waiting in the Bahamas isn’t so bad. 

We’ve had 12 wonderful days with great friends, Mark and Beth Atherton and now it’s time for us to head to new places.

Tim and I have valued the time spent with friends- old and new- more than we ever imagined we would.  We find that we do more, experience more and enjoy more when we have company.  Not that we don’t enjoy each other’s company, I think we try harder to make the most of the limited time we have with friends while they are with us.  We want to be sure that all of the “Gotta dos” get done and all the extra stuff gets fit in as best we can.  We certainly did that with Mark and Beth. Continue reading 5/30/2017. Friends are Gone, Time to Move On.

Finally the winds have begun to subside.  Here that means movement as everyone starts pulling anchor or untying from the dock.  We have had such high winds for so long that many cruisers have delayed heading back to Florida or changed their cruising plans.  Now there is a stream of boaters heading west over the Whale to get ready to cross the Gulf Stream.  Our friends Rob and Kim, All is Good, have already crossed back with Long and Day, on Lucy.  Today a couple of DeFevers will begin their trip back.  Slow Flight and Izzy R plan to anchor tonight somewhere past Great Sail Cay on the banks and then run up to Ft. Pierce.  

Us?  We’re spending the day chillin at Leeward on Green Turtle.  This area has become a favorite for us.  The marina is friendly and small enough to be quiet.  Yet we are close to town so its easy to find noise and fun times when we want it.  Gilliam Beach is just a short dinghy ride and walk away.  The water there is some of the prettiest Ive seen.  At low tide you can walk in  white sand and knee high water way out to a sand bar where you can sit and be amazed at the beauty surrounding you.  It’s great for shelling and finding sand dollars.

Yesterday we took a snorkel trip with Brendal’s out of White Harbor.  We’ve realized that we aren’t going to be able to get our big boat close enough to reefs so we decided to book a trip.  So glad we did.  The dive boat took us on the oceanside of Manjack snaking through the coral reef to anchor in crystal clear water.  Tim and I were joined by a few other snorkelers.  The trip also had some scuba divers along.  The reef was pretty shallow, maybe about 20 feet at the deepest with many coral heads barely a foot below the surface.  This shallow reef meant that snorkeling gave us as good a view as the divers got. Our big mistake was not bringing the GoPro with us.  A Hawksbill Turtle stopped munching on sea grass to swim up to me allowing me to rub its shell and neck.  It seemed to have no fear of us as long as we moved slowly.  He was happy to swim with us several minutes.  After a short break, the boat was moved to another side of the reef.  Following us were 3 reef sharks.  Evidently this is pretty common and since they didn’t seem to bother the dive masters, I wasn’t going to let them bother me either.  Tim unfortunately skinned an ankle on coral during the last swim and decided to sit out the afternoon swim.  It is a strange feeling snorkeling along watching sharks swim a few feet below you.  Too cool. ​

http://www.mvsubjecttochange.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/img_5609.mov​We also took advantage of the calmer weather to enjoy more time at Hopetown.  We took a mooring ball at the foot of the lighthouse for a few days.  From here we were able to dinghy south to Tahiti Beach and over to Cracker P’s on Lubbers Quarters Cay.  We got an interesting history lesson at The Wyannie Malone Museum.  In the 1800’s life being hard on Elbow Cay with farming impractical due to the poor soil and little means of support, many inhabitants found salvaging shipwrecks as a way to provide for themselves and family.  So when the government decided to build a lighthouse to help guide ships through the shallow waters and to minimize wrecks, the locals were not happy.  Many protested and sabotaged the building of the lighthouse.  Despite their efforts, the lighthouse was completed and there were fewer shipwrecks.  Rough life.

I promised some more photos that I wasn’t able to post last time.  So here are some from when Jess and Mackenzie were with us