All i can say is the past few months i have been mega busy or lazy( which ever you want to call it ) and updating this has not been top of my priority list. Im going to blame it on being pregnant and tired all the time!So its Hallies fault not mine. Hallie is the name we have decided to call her. We were looking for something quite unusual but with meaning and found Hallie, which means "thinking of the sea" in Greek!!
A pic of me at 30 weeks when we just arrived back in the UK....Sym likes to call me the TRUCK!!
A pic of me at 37 weeks down Porthcawl - not as dreamy looking as the bahamas by no stretch!!
Anyway for those who still care, we are both fine and are back in the UK and our little girl is due in less than a week, Gypsy Moth is safe and sound ( fingers crossed ) in the Rio Dulce in Guatemala awaiting our return. We are going to wait a couple of months so Hallie can get her injections and get all her paperwork sorted and then go back to our amazing life on the boat( which we are missing more and more each day!!)
We ended up not having enough time to get down to Panama as i had to be home by 30 weeks and sailing towards the end got mega hard!!Especially the night shifts! So we found a lovely marina in the Rio Dulce which was dirt cheap and had a swimming pool!!
Anyhow ,I will keep you all informed on our new arrival and now I better get on with the ton of updating I have to do, including the Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico and Guatemala!! Here goes!!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Cuba - Part one
It took us three days to sail to Cuba, it being so slow due to the current we were sailing into!The last night was really uncomforable with the wind just forward of our beam. The sea state was really choppy and condtitons were not great, but as we came into sight of Cuba by sun rise we changed course and sailed west along the coast. We were now sailing down wind at about 6 knots and the sea was flat and gentle.....well deserved after a couple of choppy days.
We were really looking forward to visiting Cuba and could not wait to do a bit of site seeing. We were expecting the whole checking in procedure to be quite time consuming as we were told by other people how strict they were to visiting boats!!God that was a bit of a under statement to say the least. We had all in all 15 different people come aboard and it took about three hours!
The first people who came aboard were really welcoming and nice but then after we were done put their hands out and asked us for a tip....to tip what i dont understand as they were just carrying out they job...but we felt obliged to give them something and quite embarrassed really. I was pooping it thinking OMG im not keen on tipping bloody 15 people...but they were the only ones who asked thank god!
We were finally allowed to go and get our berth in Marina Hemingway - where again we had to check in and have someone inspect the boat which took another hour. I was so tired and really glad to have arrived. We spent a couple of days chilling out in the marina complex ( which had a lush swimming pool in the hotel ) so i spent most of the day in the pool cooling off...cos it was soo hot...it was 90 plus degrees the whole time we were there.
We met another British boat who came in the day after us called SARK and the were sailing with a lovely couple from Germany!! Hi guys if you are reading! I lost your details so get in contact with us on facebook.We spent a few nights on each other boats ( me drinking water AGAIN ) oh i was missing my wine and gin and tonics so much!
Me in Marina Hemmingway
We were really looking forward to visiting Cuba and could not wait to do a bit of site seeing. We were expecting the whole checking in procedure to be quite time consuming as we were told by other people how strict they were to visiting boats!!God that was a bit of a under statement to say the least. We had all in all 15 different people come aboard and it took about three hours!
The first people who came aboard were really welcoming and nice but then after we were done put their hands out and asked us for a tip....to tip what i dont understand as they were just carrying out they job...but we felt obliged to give them something and quite embarrassed really. I was pooping it thinking OMG im not keen on tipping bloody 15 people...but they were the only ones who asked thank god!
We were finally allowed to go and get our berth in Marina Hemingway - where again we had to check in and have someone inspect the boat which took another hour. I was so tired and really glad to have arrived. We spent a couple of days chilling out in the marina complex ( which had a lush swimming pool in the hotel ) so i spent most of the day in the pool cooling off...cos it was soo hot...it was 90 plus degrees the whole time we were there.
We met another British boat who came in the day after us called SARK and the were sailing with a lovely couple from Germany!! Hi guys if you are reading! I lost your details so get in contact with us on facebook.We spent a few nights on each other boats ( me drinking water AGAIN ) oh i was missing my wine and gin and tonics so much!
Me in Marina Hemmingway
Friday, May 7, 2010
Bimini
The last Island in the Bahamas we visited before leaving for Cuba was Bimini. The entrance was a bit tricky to say the least and that year a few boats had sunk. We ended up bloody running aground on the way in ( only sand thank god ) but it was so poorly marked, the buoys were more of a hinderance than a help. After pooping it , we eye balled our way through to the anchorage which was really well protected.
We stayed here a couple of days to wait for a good forecast before heading to Cuba.
Sym got to try it his new Hawain sling, where he went hunting for dinner and came back in less than five minutes with a massive lobster!!
Nice pic of Sym being a hunter / gatherer!!!
we later found out that it was out of season for hunting for lobster and there was a massive fine! so we did not do that again while we were there, even though it was sooo tempting, the water was so clear we could see all the fish and lobster when we went out in the dingy.
The Island was really beautiful and the beach was fantastic and we spent our time there going for walks , swimming and just chilling out waiting for a good forecast to sail to Cuba. The weather was not good and we had 30 plus knots for a few nights, so it was not the most relaxing!!
Check out these pics of the beach!!
Yet again immigation and customs were rude and miserable when we went to check out. We left with a good forecast but we were not overly looking forward to it. Firstly because we were sailing directly into the gulf stream which was about 2 knots against us so it would be a really slow sail and secondly because i was heavily pregnant and it was getting quite uncomfortable towards the end!!
We stayed here a couple of days to wait for a good forecast before heading to Cuba.
Sym got to try it his new Hawain sling, where he went hunting for dinner and came back in less than five minutes with a massive lobster!!
Nice pic of Sym being a hunter / gatherer!!!
we later found out that it was out of season for hunting for lobster and there was a massive fine! so we did not do that again while we were there, even though it was sooo tempting, the water was so clear we could see all the fish and lobster when we went out in the dingy.
The Island was really beautiful and the beach was fantastic and we spent our time there going for walks , swimming and just chilling out waiting for a good forecast to sail to Cuba. The weather was not good and we had 30 plus knots for a few nights, so it was not the most relaxing!!
Check out these pics of the beach!!
Yet again immigation and customs were rude and miserable when we went to check out. We left with a good forecast but we were not overly looking forward to it. Firstly because we were sailing directly into the gulf stream which was about 2 knots against us so it would be a really slow sail and secondly because i was heavily pregnant and it was getting quite uncomfortable towards the end!!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Bahamas - Part Two!
The following morning we went into the marina to part with our 300 dollars and clear into customs. Is it just us or does anyone else find that near enough every country they have visited the customs and immigration are the moodiest and rudest people known to mankind??
Anyhow the day got way better as within a hour of looking on the internet we had found a second hand sail (advertised as “like new” ) the right size for the boat and the location was Fort Launderdale. There is a company called GB express that fly everyday from Fort Launderdale to the Grand Bahama, and so it was all paid for and organized to be in Free Port( 30 miles away from where we were anchored) by the following evening...what are the chances of that?? We were so chuffed as we thought it was going to be a complete nightmare but it worked out way better than expected. ( The GB express only cost us 50 dollars for the delivery of the sail...and that was next day service...how good is that!! – Highly recommended!!!
With all that sorted we decided to go for a snorkel , a swim and a walk on the beach!
We planned to sail an extra 15 miles round to the south of the island the next morning as it was closer to Free Port where we were picking up our new sail and we were not that keen on leaving Gypsy Moth unattended for half the day...take a look at this picture of our anchor and you can see why!!
Again the cruising guide only mentioned the waterway entrance from the north and so we kept our fingers crossed it was dredged deep enough at the south entrance. Luck was with us and we followed the buoyed channel in and the depth never went lower than 10 feet under the keel. It was quite a tight hairy entrance and we would not of attempted it in higher winds - but when we got into the waterway it was so dreamy. It was calm and well protected, perfect for spending a few days to sort out the sail and other repairs.
Sym up the mast taping around the edges of the spreaders with lots of masking tape to avoid any other rips and cuts in our new sail!!!
Anyhow the day got way better as within a hour of looking on the internet we had found a second hand sail (advertised as “like new” ) the right size for the boat and the location was Fort Launderdale. There is a company called GB express that fly everyday from Fort Launderdale to the Grand Bahama, and so it was all paid for and organized to be in Free Port( 30 miles away from where we were anchored) by the following evening...what are the chances of that?? We were so chuffed as we thought it was going to be a complete nightmare but it worked out way better than expected. ( The GB express only cost us 50 dollars for the delivery of the sail...and that was next day service...how good is that!! – Highly recommended!!!
With all that sorted we decided to go for a snorkel , a swim and a walk on the beach!
We planned to sail an extra 15 miles round to the south of the island the next morning as it was closer to Free Port where we were picking up our new sail and we were not that keen on leaving Gypsy Moth unattended for half the day...take a look at this picture of our anchor and you can see why!!
Again the cruising guide only mentioned the waterway entrance from the north and so we kept our fingers crossed it was dredged deep enough at the south entrance. Luck was with us and we followed the buoyed channel in and the depth never went lower than 10 feet under the keel. It was quite a tight hairy entrance and we would not of attempted it in higher winds - but when we got into the waterway it was so dreamy. It was calm and well protected, perfect for spending a few days to sort out the sail and other repairs.
Sym up the mast taping around the edges of the spreaders with lots of masking tape to avoid any other rips and cuts in our new sail!!!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Bahamas - Part One
As we had no luck extending our visa waiver in the US we were forced to leave on tuesday the 6th April, even thought the forecast was not the best. We got up at first light and left the anchorage of West Palm Beach , heading for the Island of Grand Bahama.It was 60 odd miles and with sailing across the gulf stream we were not sure how slow we would be going so we had 14 hours to make it before the sun went down. This was our first actual sail on Gyspy Moth out at sea. The wind forecast was on the nose so we thought it was going to be a bumpy ride.
Ahead of us by a few miles were four other boats and after getting out there is was choppy but nothing major or worth worrying about.We hoisted the main sail ( for the first time )...so much smaller than Quartermoons rig..i think Gypsy moth under full sail is more or less Quartermoon second reef!!! and sailed as close to the wind as we could with the engine on to keep us at a good speed to get us to to anchorage before the dark.
After 5 minutes we saw the three catamarans in front turn around and head back for west palm beach...shortly after we were called on the radio by this couple we briefly met the day before asking if we were carrying on with the trip. Sym informed them we were carrying on and told them it was flat as a pancake and he said that in America they prefer their pancakes a bit flatter!! HAHA!! as it was too much for them and they were turning around too!! I was absolutley god smacked!! Dont get me wrong i hate bad weather and will do anything to avoid it, im a right pansy, but this was nothing!! the seas were four foot at most( it was choppy dont get me wrong ) but all the bloody boats turned back - crazy Americans!! No offence!!
Anyhow we were loving being back out on the water, both of us grinning when the head sail back winded and got caught on the spreader..we looked up to see a tear about a foot long ... a second later i looked up and the whole lenth of the sail was shreaded to pieces!!! What a sickening sight, we were horrified!! Especially as we had left the states so we would have to first look for a new one then get it shipped to the bahamas... this puppy was beyond repair - god knows how long this would take...and we had just spent 500 dollars on getting a lovely navy blue sacrifical strip to go on her to match the rest of the canvas work...arrrggg!!!
Sym taking down our ruined sail!!!!
Anyhow we finally made it to the anchorage of West End and dropped the hook a couple of hours before nightfall. To top it off what a crappy anchorage.. it was really rolly and exposed and we only had a couple of foot under our keel. the floor was rocky with few sand patches so whenever we swung around when the current changed we were pooping it th anchor were not going to re bite. Check out these pics!!( at some point the following day we were inches above rocks)
Although the anchorage was awful, it was amazing to be in clear water again...we had been so long in the inland water ways, it felt soo good to dive in and swim around the boat...it was the first time since we bought her we actually saw what she looked like underneath, lol
Me and Hallie enjoying our swim...there were loads of Rays around
Oh and before i forget those who are looking for a cruising guide to the Bahamas...dont get the one we have as its completly shit! Its called " A yachtsman guide to the Bahamas".We bought it off Amazon and so did not get much info on it before buying, but it is written by a power boater and therefore 99.9 % of the anchorages listed are for really shallow drafts less than 4 foot! After spending hours reading through and searching the book there were only a handful of anchorges mentioned for boats of a draft of 6 foot or more. The only two places that we actully anchored on Grand Bahama were not even mentioned in the sodding book.
Ahead of us by a few miles were four other boats and after getting out there is was choppy but nothing major or worth worrying about.We hoisted the main sail ( for the first time )...so much smaller than Quartermoons rig..i think Gypsy moth under full sail is more or less Quartermoon second reef!!! and sailed as close to the wind as we could with the engine on to keep us at a good speed to get us to to anchorage before the dark.
After 5 minutes we saw the three catamarans in front turn around and head back for west palm beach...shortly after we were called on the radio by this couple we briefly met the day before asking if we were carrying on with the trip. Sym informed them we were carrying on and told them it was flat as a pancake and he said that in America they prefer their pancakes a bit flatter!! HAHA!! as it was too much for them and they were turning around too!! I was absolutley god smacked!! Dont get me wrong i hate bad weather and will do anything to avoid it, im a right pansy, but this was nothing!! the seas were four foot at most( it was choppy dont get me wrong ) but all the bloody boats turned back - crazy Americans!! No offence!!
Anyhow we were loving being back out on the water, both of us grinning when the head sail back winded and got caught on the spreader..we looked up to see a tear about a foot long ... a second later i looked up and the whole lenth of the sail was shreaded to pieces!!! What a sickening sight, we were horrified!! Especially as we had left the states so we would have to first look for a new one then get it shipped to the bahamas... this puppy was beyond repair - god knows how long this would take...and we had just spent 500 dollars on getting a lovely navy blue sacrifical strip to go on her to match the rest of the canvas work...arrrggg!!!
Sym taking down our ruined sail!!!!
Anyhow we finally made it to the anchorage of West End and dropped the hook a couple of hours before nightfall. To top it off what a crappy anchorage.. it was really rolly and exposed and we only had a couple of foot under our keel. the floor was rocky with few sand patches so whenever we swung around when the current changed we were pooping it th anchor were not going to re bite. Check out these pics!!( at some point the following day we were inches above rocks)
Although the anchorage was awful, it was amazing to be in clear water again...we had been so long in the inland water ways, it felt soo good to dive in and swim around the boat...it was the first time since we bought her we actually saw what she looked like underneath, lol
Me and Hallie enjoying our swim...there were loads of Rays around
Oh and before i forget those who are looking for a cruising guide to the Bahamas...dont get the one we have as its completly shit! Its called " A yachtsman guide to the Bahamas".We bought it off Amazon and so did not get much info on it before buying, but it is written by a power boater and therefore 99.9 % of the anchorages listed are for really shallow drafts less than 4 foot! After spending hours reading through and searching the book there were only a handful of anchorges mentioned for boats of a draft of 6 foot or more. The only two places that we actully anchored on Grand Bahama were not even mentioned in the sodding book.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Daytona Beach - West Palm Beach
Words cannot describe how glad i felt to see Sym and be back home. The following day we celebrated my 27th Birthday by having lunch out in the marina overlooking all the boats...it felt good to be in the sun again!!
Sym had got loads of work done on the boat when i had been gone and completly built two tables( one for the saloon and a fold up one for the cockpit) and re varnished all the exterior wood work. It looks brillant and has gone from looking quite tatty to brand new!
Sym studying our charts on our new cockpit table
We did not have much time to chill out when i got back as Sym visa run out on the 6th April and we went to go and see customs ans immigration at the airport and there was no way we could extend his visa...so that left us with 5 days before we had to leave the states. It was a bit if a bummer really cos we really wanted to see Miami and hop down the Florida Keys, instead our only option was to sail to the Bahamas. We were not planning to stop at the Bahamas, just because it was out of the way and we had alot of miles to cover (heading south to Panama) in a short time , before we fly back to the UK to have our little girl.Secondaly, it costs 300 dollars to get a cruising permit.....how mad is that?? Out of all the countires we have visited the most expensive by far was 70 UD dollars to clear into Columbia. We would not have minded so much if we had a few months to chill and hop around loads of the islands but we only have time for a couple and need to start making a move to Cuba as soon as possible.
Anyway, we had 5 day to sail from Daytona to West Palm beach before having to leave and it was about 180 miles so it would give us all of a day or two to pray for a good weather forecast to cross the Gulf Stream to Grand Bahama Island.
Me chilling on deck catching some rays
The waterways were much busier as we headed south and to be perfectly honest got a bit boring after a while...its alright for the first week or so, but then it gets quite monotomous...especially with having a six foot draft and at low water, we were bearly floating in lots of places( the depth alarm beeping like crazy).
However it was very different in West Palm Beach compared to the rest of the trip...the money there is out of this world!! I have never seen so many expesive boats racing around with teenagers all drinking and partying in boats with engines more expensive than our whole boat out together...CRAZY!!
Me and my fat belly admiring the houses in West Palm Beach
This was one of the small ones:
Only joking!!
The houses on the waterways were amazing( must have been worth millions), each with their own pontoon with their sailing yacht, motor yacht and jet skies all moored outside. We arrived in west palm beach on the bank holiday weekend of spring break so you can imagine how hectic it was. Imagine Cowes week in the Solent , with boats being skippered by everyone under the age of 18 and it was way worse!!!
It would of been an amazing party town..if i was not pregnant and able to drink..lol..arrrggg!!!!
Im gutted i did not get to take any pictures of all the madness as at the time we were pretty stressed out trying to avoid crashing with everyone!!
Sym had got loads of work done on the boat when i had been gone and completly built two tables( one for the saloon and a fold up one for the cockpit) and re varnished all the exterior wood work. It looks brillant and has gone from looking quite tatty to brand new!
Sym studying our charts on our new cockpit table
We did not have much time to chill out when i got back as Sym visa run out on the 6th April and we went to go and see customs ans immigration at the airport and there was no way we could extend his visa...so that left us with 5 days before we had to leave the states. It was a bit if a bummer really cos we really wanted to see Miami and hop down the Florida Keys, instead our only option was to sail to the Bahamas. We were not planning to stop at the Bahamas, just because it was out of the way and we had alot of miles to cover (heading south to Panama) in a short time , before we fly back to the UK to have our little girl.Secondaly, it costs 300 dollars to get a cruising permit.....how mad is that?? Out of all the countires we have visited the most expensive by far was 70 UD dollars to clear into Columbia. We would not have minded so much if we had a few months to chill and hop around loads of the islands but we only have time for a couple and need to start making a move to Cuba as soon as possible.
Anyway, we had 5 day to sail from Daytona to West Palm beach before having to leave and it was about 180 miles so it would give us all of a day or two to pray for a good weather forecast to cross the Gulf Stream to Grand Bahama Island.
Me chilling on deck catching some rays
The waterways were much busier as we headed south and to be perfectly honest got a bit boring after a while...its alright for the first week or so, but then it gets quite monotomous...especially with having a six foot draft and at low water, we were bearly floating in lots of places( the depth alarm beeping like crazy).
However it was very different in West Palm Beach compared to the rest of the trip...the money there is out of this world!! I have never seen so many expesive boats racing around with teenagers all drinking and partying in boats with engines more expensive than our whole boat out together...CRAZY!!
Me and my fat belly admiring the houses in West Palm Beach
This was one of the small ones:
Only joking!!
The houses on the waterways were amazing( must have been worth millions), each with their own pontoon with their sailing yacht, motor yacht and jet skies all moored outside. We arrived in west palm beach on the bank holiday weekend of spring break so you can imagine how hectic it was. Imagine Cowes week in the Solent , with boats being skippered by everyone under the age of 18 and it was way worse!!!
It would of been an amazing party town..if i was not pregnant and able to drink..lol..arrrggg!!!!
Im gutted i did not get to take any pictures of all the madness as at the time we were pretty stressed out trying to avoid crashing with everyone!!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Back Home in the UK
After a 24 hour journey i finally arrived back at London Gatwick where my lovely mum came to pick me up - i was sooo tierd and felt so sick.After a few hour drive back i went back to bed for the rest of the day and counted down the days until my scan to find out what we were having!!For any of those who dont know , we are having a baby girl!! and all is well as far as we can tell, so we are both really chuffed to pieces.
It was lovely being back at home and seeing all my family and friends but at the same time it was absolutely awful being away from my hubby for 12 days... in the 7 years we have been together we have only had at most 2 days apart and we are so used to be together all the time it sucked.....we wont be doing that again in a hurry.
My little sis Abbie and my niece Leyla
The Archer family, who came to see me from Birmingham, and Syms beautiful daughter Lauren
After a hectic 12 days of doing the rounds and seeing everyone I travelled back to the airport to fly back to Sym at Daytona Beach , Florida...and what a bloody nightmare that turned out to be!!
We had to leave early hours of the morning cos i was flying at 8 ish and part of the motorway was closed so we were taken on the crappest diversion known to mankind...after half an hour fo being completly lost we pulled over on the layby to find others cars in the same pickle as - not having a clue where they were going!! Finally we get back on the road, to have further trouble when i was checking in in the airport. I tried to explain to them that i was flying in and leaving by boat but they said that i had to have a return ticket( i remembered i had a return ticket that i was using to fly back tio the UK to have the baby) so i had to go and find a computer then print it off to show them...nightmare!! i finally made it for my flight - but with no much time to spare.
Great - i thought to myself, the worst part is over and i would see my hubby soon. The flight went fine but i did not manage to get any sleep. Then the worst part happens....when i arrive there i get pulled over and interogated by immigration..and I must say, I have never meant such a bunch of complete twats(pardon my french) in all my life, talk about being on a power trip. They were so bloody horrible to me it was crazy..i was kept in this room, not allowed to use my phone with all these people - not one of them could speak a word of English...im a British Citizen for christ sake!!
Basically , as a European citizen you can fly in to the US on a Visa Waiver program which basically means you dont have to go to the hassle of applying for a visa...but then it is up to the discretion of the immigration officer whether or not they let you in. Because i had flown out and then flown back in he said i broke the law and i was not allowed to do this( later on after speaking to another customs office cos Sym was so angry - he said you can fly in and out and it was not illegal.) Anyway this dickhead said he was going to deport me as he did not believe i had any intention of leaving the US and put me on a plane back home!!Well that was it, can you imagine- i burst into tears...being 5 months pregnant, have not slept in 24 hours and they are telling me i cant get to the US where my husband and my boat are!!
I was there for two hours and he called Sym who had to fax them the boat papers...he was being so slow with the whole procedure , im sure he was doing it on purpose , knowing he had the power for me to miss my internal flight to Daytona Beach, he said id just have to catch another one!!! Finally he let me through and i had to run for me flight and got there 10 mins b4 the gates closed....NICE ONE MATE!!!
i cant tell you how lush it was to land and see Sym again and be back on Gypsy Moth where my crusing life starts once again!!!!
It was lovely being back at home and seeing all my family and friends but at the same time it was absolutely awful being away from my hubby for 12 days... in the 7 years we have been together we have only had at most 2 days apart and we are so used to be together all the time it sucked.....we wont be doing that again in a hurry.
My little sis Abbie and my niece Leyla
The Archer family, who came to see me from Birmingham, and Syms beautiful daughter Lauren
After a hectic 12 days of doing the rounds and seeing everyone I travelled back to the airport to fly back to Sym at Daytona Beach , Florida...and what a bloody nightmare that turned out to be!!
We had to leave early hours of the morning cos i was flying at 8 ish and part of the motorway was closed so we were taken on the crappest diversion known to mankind...after half an hour fo being completly lost we pulled over on the layby to find others cars in the same pickle as - not having a clue where they were going!! Finally we get back on the road, to have further trouble when i was checking in in the airport. I tried to explain to them that i was flying in and leaving by boat but they said that i had to have a return ticket( i remembered i had a return ticket that i was using to fly back tio the UK to have the baby) so i had to go and find a computer then print it off to show them...nightmare!! i finally made it for my flight - but with no much time to spare.
Great - i thought to myself, the worst part is over and i would see my hubby soon. The flight went fine but i did not manage to get any sleep. Then the worst part happens....when i arrive there i get pulled over and interogated by immigration..and I must say, I have never meant such a bunch of complete twats(pardon my french) in all my life, talk about being on a power trip. They were so bloody horrible to me it was crazy..i was kept in this room, not allowed to use my phone with all these people - not one of them could speak a word of English...im a British Citizen for christ sake!!
Basically , as a European citizen you can fly in to the US on a Visa Waiver program which basically means you dont have to go to the hassle of applying for a visa...but then it is up to the discretion of the immigration officer whether or not they let you in. Because i had flown out and then flown back in he said i broke the law and i was not allowed to do this( later on after speaking to another customs office cos Sym was so angry - he said you can fly in and out and it was not illegal.) Anyway this dickhead said he was going to deport me as he did not believe i had any intention of leaving the US and put me on a plane back home!!Well that was it, can you imagine- i burst into tears...being 5 months pregnant, have not slept in 24 hours and they are telling me i cant get to the US where my husband and my boat are!!
I was there for two hours and he called Sym who had to fax them the boat papers...he was being so slow with the whole procedure , im sure he was doing it on purpose , knowing he had the power for me to miss my internal flight to Daytona Beach, he said id just have to catch another one!!! Finally he let me through and i had to run for me flight and got there 10 mins b4 the gates closed....NICE ONE MATE!!!
i cant tell you how lush it was to land and see Sym again and be back on Gypsy Moth where my crusing life starts once again!!!!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Daytona Beach!!
The more we sailed south , the more we noticed the weather getting warmer and warmer and for the first time in months - what felt like years, we left the windows open while we were in bed. It was lush!!!
The sail there was not so good..we had to pass under a fair few bridges and sym for some reason called up EVERY bridge on the radio the wrong name...then when he finally got the right one he was calling us Quartermoon all day long.Mind you, its very difficult to get used to Gypsy Moth as we had Quartermoon for so long...from now on...im now in charge of calling all the bridges.
The depth throughout this stretch of water was so shallow and we managed to ground twice...oops!!( but none of which were our fault ) the depth alarm was beeping and going off all day long...definatly not the most relaxing day of all. First of which, we are heading down this really narrow bit of channel which nout water either side of us and this on coming barge about 100 ft wide was coming up the middle of the channel...as it approches closer we can not do anything apart from edge slightly away from it to avoid it hitting us and the bloody thing is so far over our side we get rammed out the channel and ground the boat...god we were livid , and thank god Sym was able to get us off, but it was really horrible to say the least.
Heres a pic of one of the barges ( not the same one that caused us to ground - as i ndid not have time to get the camera) but you get the jist of it!
After a really long day we finally start to approach our anchorage which is meant to be two miles long and at least 15 ft of depth...lovely jubbley!! When we actually aprroach we touch the ground again...bloody charts are all wrong and are half the depth stated. The poor bottom of our boat ( which we both have not still seen yet - as the water is still to murkey). After a hour of slowly looking round for some more depth , we drop the anchor in about 7.5 foot( which a crappy 1.5 foot under our keel) Oh well...here we are at the famous Daytona Beach( well famous for Bike week) not sure if you would know much about it otherwsie... and this is where i leave my poor hubby on the boat all alone for near enough two weeks.
We had two days before i was flying back to the UK and so we went for walks on the famous beach and chilled out ...sym loved it here and was quite content sitting in a bar watching all the bikes drive down the street....there were so many differrent types and colours...he got very jealous he does not have a bike anymore( pretty difficult when you live on a boat though) a??
The sail there was not so good..we had to pass under a fair few bridges and sym for some reason called up EVERY bridge on the radio the wrong name...then when he finally got the right one he was calling us Quartermoon all day long.Mind you, its very difficult to get used to Gypsy Moth as we had Quartermoon for so long...from now on...im now in charge of calling all the bridges.
The depth throughout this stretch of water was so shallow and we managed to ground twice...oops!!( but none of which were our fault ) the depth alarm was beeping and going off all day long...definatly not the most relaxing day of all. First of which, we are heading down this really narrow bit of channel which nout water either side of us and this on coming barge about 100 ft wide was coming up the middle of the channel...as it approches closer we can not do anything apart from edge slightly away from it to avoid it hitting us and the bloody thing is so far over our side we get rammed out the channel and ground the boat...god we were livid , and thank god Sym was able to get us off, but it was really horrible to say the least.
Heres a pic of one of the barges ( not the same one that caused us to ground - as i ndid not have time to get the camera) but you get the jist of it!
After a really long day we finally start to approach our anchorage which is meant to be two miles long and at least 15 ft of depth...lovely jubbley!! When we actually aprroach we touch the ground again...bloody charts are all wrong and are half the depth stated. The poor bottom of our boat ( which we both have not still seen yet - as the water is still to murkey). After a hour of slowly looking round for some more depth , we drop the anchor in about 7.5 foot( which a crappy 1.5 foot under our keel) Oh well...here we are at the famous Daytona Beach( well famous for Bike week) not sure if you would know much about it otherwsie... and this is where i leave my poor hubby on the boat all alone for near enough two weeks.
We had two days before i was flying back to the UK and so we went for walks on the famous beach and chilled out ...sym loved it here and was quite content sitting in a bar watching all the bikes drive down the street....there were so many differrent types and colours...he got very jealous he does not have a bike anymore( pretty difficult when you live on a boat though) a??
Friday, March 12, 2010
Florida!!
Sorry for the delay in keeping everyone posted but we have been rather busy with lots of sailing and me having to fly back to Wales for two weeks to go and have my 20 week scan and get checked out!!
Anyhow, ill get to all that in a bit. The first place we anchored in Florida was St Augustine, which was a really fab city. It was soooo touristy there it was nuts but it was definately worth a visit so we decided to stay a few nights there and have a good look around, as we were really close to Daytona Beach, where i was flying from and we had about 5 days to spare.
St Augustine is a beautiful city and is the oldest city in the whole of the USA and was first discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. The oldest school and oldest drug store are housed here and are still in tact and set up as little touristy shops now.
We spent the day on shore walking around all the little shops( a little bit peeved by the fact that the marina charges 11 dollars to tie your dingy up for the day ) and had lunch. There was a chilli shop there that was absoltely amazing and served up nachos so you could walk around the store trying all the different types...i stopped when we got the the " hottest chili in the universe' but do you think sym would. Some boys i saw running outside and nealry puking - it looked quite bad. Sym walks up and smotheres his nacho in it...the kids looked at him and laughed saying that was too much, which obviously made the situation worse.He rams in in his mouth whole and after 20 secs says it ok , a tadge hot....WELL after a minute i did not know what to do...i stopped wetting myself and got a little worried. Syms face was bright red and he was coughing his guts up saying the pain was so bad he did not not what to do with himsel...its quite amusing now, but was not at the time. He says the burning sensation lasted a good few hours, lol.
The Oldest School ...
We then walked throught the town to the sea food festival, where we had to leave early cos syms guts were so bad and their loos which comprised only porticabnins were not the most appealing - to say the least.
Obviously before the "hottest chilli in the Universe"
Anyhow, ill get to all that in a bit. The first place we anchored in Florida was St Augustine, which was a really fab city. It was soooo touristy there it was nuts but it was definately worth a visit so we decided to stay a few nights there and have a good look around, as we were really close to Daytona Beach, where i was flying from and we had about 5 days to spare.
St Augustine is a beautiful city and is the oldest city in the whole of the USA and was first discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. The oldest school and oldest drug store are housed here and are still in tact and set up as little touristy shops now.
We spent the day on shore walking around all the little shops( a little bit peeved by the fact that the marina charges 11 dollars to tie your dingy up for the day ) and had lunch. There was a chilli shop there that was absoltely amazing and served up nachos so you could walk around the store trying all the different types...i stopped when we got the the " hottest chili in the universe' but do you think sym would. Some boys i saw running outside and nealry puking - it looked quite bad. Sym walks up and smotheres his nacho in it...the kids looked at him and laughed saying that was too much, which obviously made the situation worse.He rams in in his mouth whole and after 20 secs says it ok , a tadge hot....WELL after a minute i did not know what to do...i stopped wetting myself and got a little worried. Syms face was bright red and he was coughing his guts up saying the pain was so bad he did not not what to do with himsel...its quite amusing now, but was not at the time. He says the burning sensation lasted a good few hours, lol.
The Oldest School ...
We then walked throught the town to the sea food festival, where we had to leave early cos syms guts were so bad and their loos which comprised only porticabnins were not the most appealing - to say the least.
Obviously before the "hottest chilli in the Universe"
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Day Two / Three
We planned to get up early but for some reason did not make it out of bed until past nine( oh how thats goinna change when our little munchkin arrives...). The weather forecast is really sunny - up in the 70 's for the next four days so we wanted to get some serious mileage under our belt so that we are in florida in ther next few days as its noticabley warmer there.
We cross the border around mid day...goodbye south carolina and welcome to the state of Georgia...we have been told that Georgia is one of the best parts as its so secluded with nothing around apart from wildlife and that was definatly the case. We have seen so many dolphins it madness - apparently they all come in into the rivers from the ocean in the cold weather so they can feed on the the fish!
Today we passed under another two bridges that we had to radio to open for us.
its not the ones that open for you that are scary , its the ones that dont. As you apprioach them...with only a little bit of room to spare you crap yourself and think the top of the mast is going to get chopped off.
Anyway after a good day and 45 miles under our belt we drop the anchor in Red Bird Creek.Getting there was a bit dodgey as it was low tide and we did not have much space under the keel and we went through some patches with only a few feet under us!
It was so secluded at the anchorage - there was absolutely nout around. I really wish i never watched that movie before going to bed. I have been reading the twilight series and finished book two yesterday so was dying to watch the film last night...for those who dont know it is all about vampires and werewolves, its really wicked but the movies are not a patch on the books. Anyhow after seeing it i went to bed and was awake at 3 ish thinking about the bloody vampires and how we were in the middle of nowhere...i was frigtening myself for a few hours before i got off back to sleep.....no more horrrors while in Georiga.
An amazing sunset in the anchorage
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Last night tied to the dock!!
For our last night our good friends who we met in the marina, Pat and David took us out to our favourite restaurant the foolish frog and we had a brillant night. We are both so glad to have met such wonderful people and they have helped us out so much in the last two months,...id like to say once again thank you so much and hopefully we will meet again soon(maybe in Panama). Everyone had a fair few to drink(apart from me of course...oh how i cant wait for a glass of vino...nearly half way through now!!!) and Pat ordered Sym his first take away beer in a polysterine cup!! after the bill was paid...apppentely this is completly normal here...but he was so embarrased and i laughed my head off of how much of a red neck hick he looked.
Anyway the morning of departure came and Pat and David and their little cross poodle and yorkie Sitka came to see us off!!The weather for once was amazing...and we planned to go the 20 miles to Beaufort. It was so wicked to be back out on the water i cant explain...me and sym were grinning like cheshire cats the whole way.It was also really nice to spent a week or so on a river before going back out to sea to give us chance to get used to it again as well as getting used to the boat!! I have my fingers crossed that im not going to get sea sick when we get out there( not that ive ever been before thank god...but ive never been preggers before)so we'll see!!let hope not cos otherwise the next few months are really gonna suck!
Anyway we made really good timing and we went under our first bridge which was well exciting!!
Sym had to radio them to request to go under and they swung it open for us...most of the bridges in the ICW (Inland costal waterways) are above 65 feet so we can just squeeze under them as our mast is 60 feet high, but there are a few that have to open for us. We made really good timing and got to beaufort just after mid day so we decided to carry on and so another 17 odd miles to the anchorage of Skull Creek near Hilton Head.We arrived about 4 ish and dropped the anchor...for the first time in months( i thought it may take some time to get used to - after being tied on the dock for so long but she bit in well and we had the most peaceful sleep ever.
Anyway the morning of departure came and Pat and David and their little cross poodle and yorkie Sitka came to see us off!!The weather for once was amazing...and we planned to go the 20 miles to Beaufort. It was so wicked to be back out on the water i cant explain...me and sym were grinning like cheshire cats the whole way.It was also really nice to spent a week or so on a river before going back out to sea to give us chance to get used to it again as well as getting used to the boat!! I have my fingers crossed that im not going to get sea sick when we get out there( not that ive ever been before thank god...but ive never been preggers before)so we'll see!!let hope not cos otherwise the next few months are really gonna suck!
Anyway we made really good timing and we went under our first bridge which was well exciting!!
Sym had to radio them to request to go under and they swung it open for us...most of the bridges in the ICW (Inland costal waterways) are above 65 feet so we can just squeeze under them as our mast is 60 feet high, but there are a few that have to open for us. We made really good timing and got to beaufort just after mid day so we decided to carry on and so another 17 odd miles to the anchorage of Skull Creek near Hilton Head.We arrived about 4 ish and dropped the anchor...for the first time in months( i thought it may take some time to get used to - after being tied on the dock for so long but she bit in well and we had the most peaceful sleep ever.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Ready to set sail south!!
We have now been in Dataw Island Marina for nearly two months and we are finally ready for part two of our adventures!!! and we cannot wait!! We are boooked out to leave the marina in South Carolina tomorrow moring where we are going to have our first stop a few hours away in the beautiful town of Beaufort. We will then take our time and travel down south through the inland waterways where we will cross the state of Georgia and then Florida. We plan to arrive in Daytona Beach around the middle of march, as im flying back to the UK ofr a couple of weeks.
Yes , im now nearly 17 weeks pregnant and im getting fat!! We searched for some cheap options so we could get a ultrasouind scan over here...but the cheapest we could find was about a 1000 dollars and so the best option was for me to fly back and have it done in wales for free!!At least i get to see all my family and friends again too!! So poor Sym will be in Florida on the boat all on his tod for a couple of weeks...(i bet he cant wait )we are mega excited as we will then get to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl...none of us really have a preference but we just wanted know cos it makes it easier when chossing names and we can start shopping!!
Not sure how much internet access we are going to get whilst travelling down to Florida but ill try to keep you posted as much as possible!!
Weather forecast for the next few days is high 60 , low 70 's with light windss so its going to feel like a heat wave compared to what we have been used to the last few months..
Yes , im now nearly 17 weeks pregnant and im getting fat!! We searched for some cheap options so we could get a ultrasouind scan over here...but the cheapest we could find was about a 1000 dollars and so the best option was for me to fly back and have it done in wales for free!!At least i get to see all my family and friends again too!! So poor Sym will be in Florida on the boat all on his tod for a couple of weeks...(i bet he cant wait )we are mega excited as we will then get to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl...none of us really have a preference but we just wanted know cos it makes it easier when chossing names and we can start shopping!!
Not sure how much internet access we are going to get whilst travelling down to Florida but ill try to keep you posted as much as possible!!
Weather forecast for the next few days is high 60 , low 70 's with light windss so its going to feel like a heat wave compared to what we have been used to the last few months..
Thursday, March 4, 2010
A quick catch up on the last few months!!
Well our boat is finally looking really good after all the work Sym has put into it and the transforamtion is unbelivable. It looks a completly different boat now and we have spent a small fortune on her...but its been worth it!
When were bought Gypsy Moth she was sooo basic and there was hardly anything on her whatsoever. The owner had become ill and so she was left for a couple of years in the marina without any looking after her atall, so she had been a bit neglected to say the least.
The last couple of months have consisted of me on the internet day and night finding everything we needed to buy and getting it shipped over, while Sym's job has been near enough everything else. On the outside of her we have got all new canvas work( a sprayhood,bimini, stack pack for the mainsail and sails over hauled) in a navy blue colour cos we were thinking that when we have the boat taken out the water back down in Panama we are going to paint her navy blue !! The new canvas looks really good although we had a nightmare with the guy who was making it...his estimation of 3 / 4 weeks turned into six weeks , hence us STILL being here in the marina...and the weather has been lousy....
all the locals have been complaining about how its been the worst winter in like forever...bloody typical !! its been so cold its made being outside a chore most of the time, and we have been dreaming for warmer weather.It even snowed here, can you believe that...the secone time evfer in like 20 years!!!haha!!
Enough of the rant of the weather...we have bought everything from new dingy and outboard...a 15 HP this time!! on Quartermoon we had a 8 and it was never fast enough..it would plane with the two of us but any time there was weight from shopping bags and stuff we would get soaked...our new one is like a wippet!!! we now also have two massive solar panels giving out 400 watts of electericity...no messing around this time( not like we have not got the room on this beast) and we thought the extra electricity would come in handy when having the baby.
The electronics on the boat were really non existant and now we have everything we need,,,apart from a SSB!! we want to get one for the pacific so will look for one on ebay over the next few weeks...problem now is we are going to get back out at anchor , so we wont have a mailing address!
The inside of the boat we have a complete new galley and we have bought all the stuff for the new bathrooms x 2 ( buts its not been installed yet) she is looking tip top now and we are really chuffed.
Anyhow it has not all been work and no play. My mate Sara from back home came to visit us a couple of weeks ago for a week,, so that was a nice break for me and it was so lovely to see her. We went out for lots of meals and went for walks and a bike ride around the gated communnity of Dartaw Island!!Honestly it is like something out of the movie the Stepford Wives.
Sara on her bike(they dont have brakes like normal bikes in Britain...you have to cycle backwards to brake...takes lots of getting used to !!)
Anyhow i better get off now cos im getting evil looks from Sym and really should be helping him get the boat ready for our trip tomorrow.
When were bought Gypsy Moth she was sooo basic and there was hardly anything on her whatsoever. The owner had become ill and so she was left for a couple of years in the marina without any looking after her atall, so she had been a bit neglected to say the least.
The last couple of months have consisted of me on the internet day and night finding everything we needed to buy and getting it shipped over, while Sym's job has been near enough everything else. On the outside of her we have got all new canvas work( a sprayhood,bimini, stack pack for the mainsail and sails over hauled) in a navy blue colour cos we were thinking that when we have the boat taken out the water back down in Panama we are going to paint her navy blue !! The new canvas looks really good although we had a nightmare with the guy who was making it...his estimation of 3 / 4 weeks turned into six weeks , hence us STILL being here in the marina...and the weather has been lousy....
all the locals have been complaining about how its been the worst winter in like forever...bloody typical !! its been so cold its made being outside a chore most of the time, and we have been dreaming for warmer weather.It even snowed here, can you believe that...the secone time evfer in like 20 years!!!haha!!
Enough of the rant of the weather...we have bought everything from new dingy and outboard...a 15 HP this time!! on Quartermoon we had a 8 and it was never fast enough..it would plane with the two of us but any time there was weight from shopping bags and stuff we would get soaked...our new one is like a wippet!!! we now also have two massive solar panels giving out 400 watts of electericity...no messing around this time( not like we have not got the room on this beast) and we thought the extra electricity would come in handy when having the baby.
The electronics on the boat were really non existant and now we have everything we need,,,apart from a SSB!! we want to get one for the pacific so will look for one on ebay over the next few weeks...problem now is we are going to get back out at anchor , so we wont have a mailing address!
The inside of the boat we have a complete new galley and we have bought all the stuff for the new bathrooms x 2 ( buts its not been installed yet) she is looking tip top now and we are really chuffed.
Anyhow it has not all been work and no play. My mate Sara from back home came to visit us a couple of weeks ago for a week,, so that was a nice break for me and it was so lovely to see her. We went out for lots of meals and went for walks and a bike ride around the gated communnity of Dartaw Island!!Honestly it is like something out of the movie the Stepford Wives.
Sara on her bike(they dont have brakes like normal bikes in Britain...you have to cycle backwards to brake...takes lots of getting used to !!)
Anyhow i better get off now cos im getting evil looks from Sym and really should be helping him get the boat ready for our trip tomorrow.
Monday, February 8, 2010
The first inside pics we took of Gypsy Moth
Here are some of the first pictures we took of the lovely, spacious inside. This was the first time we viewed here so please excuse all the naff decoration as it was not ours then!!haha. Its is sooo much bigger than Quartermoon its ridiculous and thats one of the main reasons we fell in love with her(perfect for our new family)
Sym's favourite part of her is the massive amount of headroom inside because he was always ducking on Quartermoon giving himself a bad neck.....My favourite part of her is the amazing double bedroom in the aft of the boat, with a ensuite shower room and toilet....it beats the crap out of our last bedroom. Oh and not to forget the roomy cockpit...oh yes lots of people can fit in this puppy for BBQs and parties...it is lush.
Me in the Saloon - just infront of the forepeak
The forepeak
The pilot birth and navigation room
The Saloon with its horrible , chipped , plastic table......that is being replaced pronto
Symi in the galley
Me and my favourite part of the boat, hahah!!
Sym's favourite part of her is the massive amount of headroom inside because he was always ducking on Quartermoon giving himself a bad neck.....My favourite part of her is the amazing double bedroom in the aft of the boat, with a ensuite shower room and toilet....it beats the crap out of our last bedroom. Oh and not to forget the roomy cockpit...oh yes lots of people can fit in this puppy for BBQs and parties...it is lush.
Me in the Saloon - just infront of the forepeak
The forepeak
The pilot birth and navigation room
The Saloon with its horrible , chipped , plastic table......that is being replaced pronto
Symi in the galley
Me and my favourite part of the boat, hahah!!
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