June 26 - 27 , Powell Cay to Mangrove Cay, Bahamas to Ft Pierce, FL, USA

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June 26, Wednesday

We are on our last days in the Bahamas and were waiting around to see if Bryan and Mary would be able to come for a visit but it was not in the cards for this time. We listened to the morning weather updates and the tropical wave on the weekend is expected to bring rain, rain and more rain but the next 2 days are clear. So! We decide that it is time to head home. It will take us 2 long days from the Abacos. 

Boy, do we need haircuts! 

And facials! Mani-pedi! The works!

And our dermatologists not going to be happy with us!

We left Powell Cay at 8:30 AM and headed slightly north and then west.

We arrived at Mangrove Cay at 6:30 that evening. 

Our last Bahama sunset, till next year!

Miles 69.8 (10 hrs) 

Miles total. 964.5

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June 27 Thursday

Gulf Stream crossing day!

Patches on, ocean life vests on, ditch bag - Epirb, snack meals prepped, refrigerator doors locked, items that may fly around inside laid down, tied up or put away.  We were underway leaving a partial moon and a few other cruisers still asleep.

Moonrise at 3:30
Sunrise along the Bahama Bank at 6:27

Left Mangrove Cay at 3:30 AM heading for little Bahama Bank waypoint and Ft Pierce Inlet, arriving at 5:15 and at the City Marina at 6:00 PM. The Bahama Bank and the Gulf Stream were great for crossing today! 

We crossed the bank for 5 hours

Gulf Stream crossing for 9 hours

Hours: 14 to the inlet, 15 to the marina. IT WAS A LONG DAY!

Sunset at Ft Pierce, FL, USA

The red line is our path returning in 1 day.
The blue lines are our path going there in 2 days.

Miles: 105.5 to the Ft Pierce City Marina 

Miles total: 1070

We will stay in Florida for 2 weeks and will visit with my sister and also spend a week with Bryan and Mary in Ft Myers. He's planning on taking Sea Dweller for a voyage!

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June 23 - 25, Manjack Cay, Green Turtle Cay and back to Powell Cay

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June 22, Sunday, Manjack Cay

Summer Solstice brought the heat and bugs and heavy afternoon squalls ⛈⛈⛈⛈

.... it has been HOT 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 and then buggy 🐛 at night so the AC is on! 

Today we rode over to the north side of the island to visit the rays and sharks again. Along with a little play time with them, we walked the long beach around to the ocean and found a calm and beautiful area for swim. Unfortunately I had left my camera/phone on Jasmine. It was pretty awesome walk and beach.

The rays and will come up to and glide over your feet and shoes and go away when they realize it is not food for them. The sharks must have a better sense of smell as they don't come all the way up to your feet to check it out. 

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June 23, Manjack Cay to Green Turtle Cay

Miles. 4.2

Miles total 881.7

We moved on to Green Turtle Cay in search of produce (not far, just 4 miles) anchoring off of New Plymouth. 
And we hit JACKPOT! 

We met up with Sassy Kat's Steve and Ann for a walk through town and for a late lunch and more photo opportunities. 

We love looking at the homes and architecture. In fact, we found a great fixer upper!

Of course, we had to visit Miss Emily's Bee Bar again for a Goombay Smash. 

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June 25, Tuesday
Green Turtle Cay to Powell Cay

It is time for us to start our move north and west, yes that means time to head for the barn. We will make a 1 night stop at Powell Cay and then back to Allans Pensacola for safe harborage as the next couple of days are forecasted to be squally with a wave coming from the southeast Caribbean. (Yeah) We will wait it out there and then head west, probably making a crossing as early as Monday or Tuesday. Maybe. 

We passed this beauty along the way.

So, our day at Powell had us (Steve) snorkeling the outside (it was too rough and rolly for us) and a last happy hour on Summer Breeze. We traded his catch of the day for a bag of SC shrimp. Good trade for both! 

Miles 13
Miles total 894.7

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June 21 - 22, Coopers Town to Manjack Cay

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June 21, Friday

We went back into town (Coopers Town) this morning in search for the produce again. The boat from Marsh Harbor was to be in and the shelves stocked by 1! No produce delivery as of the 2nd time we visited the store, so we went for a nice (hot) walk. Rosie picked up more welk shells and took the opportunity to take more photo references for paintings. 

The winds picked up from the north making our safe westerly protected anchorage no good anymore so we moved across the sea to Manjack Cay.

We had a spectacular sunset with the full sun setting below the clouds. We hoped for a green flash but none appeared. 

Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.  

A year ago today, we were in Chesapeake Bay and it was hot there! 

AND we (I) have to say, "it was the most hottest night ever". 

Hopefully we get to turn on our AC tomorrow! 

 Miles 9.7
Miles total 877.55

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June 22, Saturday

We went for a dinghy ride along the mangrove lined creek behind Manjack Cay and spotted some turtles. 

We then went out to the opening to the ocean and walked the beautiful beach lined with rocks and shells and a shark trolling the beach. 

The water is so clear that you can't tell that this photo is taken while I'm in the water. 

We have not been able to get any new produce so we are down to 1 orange, 2 potatoes, a couple of limes, pickles and chocolate covered mangoes. (does that count?) 

So my produce bowl is now full of welk shells instead of apples, oranges and greens. We  plan to go to Green Turtle Cay on Monday and hope for produce there though the boat came in on Friday and it may all be gone by then. Thankfully, we are now having great smoothies every day with Amazing Grass Green Super Food mix (Costco) with some frozen fruit mix I had in the freezer. Pretty good actually! 

Awesome sunset tonight after happy hour (sundowners) with 

Sassy Kat.

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June 18- 20, Crab Cay off of Angelfish Point and Coopers Town

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June 18, Tuesday

Sunset and approaching storm photo of Summer Breeze and fellow sailers at Allans Pensacola Cay taken by Steve and Ann Bolin, Sassy Kat!

After 2 rounds of strong winds and rain this morning, we traveled to the next spot which was back to Crab Cay, just off an unpopulated area of Great Abaco Island. We had strong gusty winds all day with rain in surrounding areas but not on us. We just chilled, got some exercise in and read.

Anchorage at Crab Cay with Great Abaco Island in the background. We hung around on Wednesday, accomplishing nothing at all!

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June 20

We moved this morning over to Coopers Town and anchored just off the town sea wall. 

We went in for dinghy fuel, trash drop off and in search of any produce. We found 2 potatoes. We are down to 1/2 an apple, 1 orange and 2 onions. Oh, pickles and chocolate covered mangoes count too, right?

The town is small and the people are extremely friendly. Ms Patty at the Coopers Town Marine and Service Station is very helpful. We walked the town, getting some exercise while in search for our shopping list. 

We found some great shells along the sea wall that will make beautiful homes for some of the air plants and had lunch at the gas station. 

Cracked conch was awesome! 

Sassy Kat's Steve and Ann joined us for the day. 

Tomorrow we will probably cross over the Sea of Abaco to go to either Powell or Manjack again. 

Sunset at Coopers Town with Sassy Kat in view.

Miles: 9.9

Miles total: 867.9

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June 14 -17, Rain, Rain go away (Powell Cay and Allans Pensacola Cay). Flags, Father's Day and fishing with sharks!

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June 14, Friday

Happy Flag Day!

Sunset photo after the rains.

It rained most of the day and of course, after getting into Jasmine to bail her out and lift her, it stops raining later in the afternoon! 

Bruce spent the day reading and "making water" and Rosie spent the afternoon painting!

An abstracty creek reflections, a Toogoodoo 365 painting. 

Plein air painting I started off of Green Turtle Cay. 

Late afternoon off of Powell Cay.

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June 15, Saturday

We officially have cabin fever and the rain has stopped for now, so we moved from Powell Cay to Allan's Pensacola Cay. 

2 hours later, we are anchored again and planning to meet up with Steve and Ann Bolin, whom we met here upon the 1st few days of arriving in the Abacos in May. 

But then the rains came and came...

So we did a rain check! ☂☂☂

So, we bail some more.

Who says Hawaii is the rainbow capital? Plenty of rainbows here! (And on the Toogoodoo, of course!) 

Miles today: 16.8
Miles total: 849

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June 16, Sunday

Happy Father's Day. 

(Rosie...) I think I planned the best Father's Day ever! Who gets to spend it in the Bahamas???

We did get to meet up with Steve and Ann, and we also met new friends from the Charleston area. Turns out that our anchorage has 4 out of 7 boats with SC roots!

Our friends, Tom and Robin whom we met at the Morris Island Oyster Roast in January (also cruisers) told us to keep an eye out for a boat from Folly Beach called Teamwork. And here they sit, just 2 boats ahead of us so we went over to say hello. We had a great visit, and it seems that we have several common friends! They are quite the fisherman and lady and invited us to join them later. Bill and Betty Sue (in the photo above and the dinghy photo below) showed us some of their favorite (secret) spots. They would throw out the anchor and jump in. Bruce and Steve join in while Ann and Rosie keep watch. Not only did Bill come up with enough fish to feed the 6 of us that night, he also showed us an area where the sea glass washes up. I got some nice pieces.

It was a fun day following them around in the dinghy and watching them scout it out and there are stories! Bruce admiring their skill, nicknames them the Indiana Jones of the Abacos!

At one point, I see Bill come up with another fish but quickly drops it from his spear and yells, "everyone get out!". Yes, a shark had spotted that fish on his spear and wanted it too. Bill let him have it while the 4 of them swam to the closest dinghy. I was a bit aways from them so pulled up anchor and motor over to them while Bruce had jumped into Steve's dinghy. 

I ask Bruce, "did you see the shark?".  

He said "yes!".  

I said, what kind? 

He says, "the kind with TEETH!". 

Bill and Betty Sue graciously shared their catch with us.  Trigger fish and Hog fish dinner.

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June 17, Monday

Another rainy day in store for us.

We had a period of time where the wind and rain stopped and it was totally dead calm. It was quite eerie. 

While I cooked a pot of gumbo, I painted!
Remember the small sailboat? I decided to change the color of the sail covers to the sail color, since I have a "license" and all to do so. 

(to see more...www.rosiephillips.com)

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