Holiday Greetings

Happy Holidays

From Harmony

May yours be warm and Happily Memorable!

Lew & Florrie

Winters in florida

Florida in December. That is ice on the dock at 8:30 this morning. The new autohelm might be installed today and will need to be tested under weigh. Well at least it isn't snowing yet.

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Fog

Can ypu see the 3 boats behind us?

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Happy bithday Gareth

And happy Thanksgiving to all. The fog rolled in last night so we will stay here until it lifts.
Last night we we woken up by some kind of vessel I have never seen before. It had lots of spotlights and ground its way along the edge of the shore while three men stood near the bow with long Tridents. Catfish or alligator? Maybe. They disappeared into the night.

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Pictures

Full moon

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When its good.

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Red bird creek

Passed Kathy's new bargain boat. Now literally up a creek. Absolutely still at mile 606.8. Rum and apple cider time.

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Birds at dawn

6:15 am. Woken by 16 zillion black. Birds. All those little dots all around and on our neither.

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Past Charleston SC

Now at. 32 37.135N. 080 23.755W
Cut and paste in Google. It has been a long day. Full moon low tide, current against us, bad and missing marks. One eye on the debth, one on the GPS chart, one on the route in real space and one on the chartpack chart. You do the math. 50 more miles done.

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Ancor circles

I hope you can see this. This a gps picture of the track of the boat last night on the anchor. The center of the circles is the anchor. Usually the whole night goesbby and all you see is the boat staying in one area like the upper right. Some movement but generally little. Here we see the boat going completely around the anchor. This is what happens when the current goes one way strongly while the wind goes the opposite way.

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Wacamah river, South Carolina

Now anchored in the lee of Butler Island. Winds gusting to 25...30.

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FineArtAmerica.com

Good Morning Friends and Interested Strangers,
We have been in the water for two weeks now and finally there is t-shirt weather.  The trip down from Norfolk VA has been cold and rainy and also terrific in that we have again met fun and fascinating people along the way.  (I hope to tell you about Capt. Kal and Brian one of these days.)  We've had many boat systems fixed and are still waiting to find an autohelm before I will go offshore.  Lew would risk it but I am far more reluctant.  This means we zig-zag through the marshes of Georgia again, to get to Fernandina FL.
 
We're on the dock at Barefoot Marina near Myrtle Beach SC, heading for Georgetown and hopefully a shrimp dinner tonight.  This morning it is 66 degrees in the galley - up to now it has been more like 52 every morning.  We finally took the arctic comforter off our bed last night.  So, as usual, this is not the dream vacation so many land lubbers insist on believing it is.

Just before we left home in October, I joined FineArtAmerica.com as Florence Bramley Hill, submitting five of my Bahamas paintings as prints for anyone interested.  I expect to add more images about every six months.  It is an exciting development, going public in such a high tech way. I haven't figured out how to include photos here, yet, but the works on FAA are some of the favorites from shows I've had in New Jersey.
 
There was an epiphany of sorts when I realized I have met a personal artistic aspiration that began on Bequia in 1978.  That's when I was inspired by the spirit in the work of Nora Birmingham.  The Bahamas works certainly marry my training and her love of life.  If you know of Nora's works, it would be fun to correspond!
 
So, in a few minutes we're off.  It is raining a little now but at least it isn't cold!
Cheers to all,
Florrie

Mile hammock bay

34 33.13N. 074 19.51W
GOOGLE EARTH. snug as a bug.

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Jonny on the spot

If you can read this.

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Florrie

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Day after my birthday

Woke up early because our neighbors started their generator at 7:15. Got up to find Florrie bundled up writing. As you can see, it is a little chilly this morning. I can see my breath in the cabin. I now understand what my father went thru stoking up the coal furnace on a winter day. Did I say it was cold this morning?

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Dismal swamp weather

Marine Weather by Bluefin

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Dismal swamp

ZWe left at 8 and just missed the 11 opening of the lock at north end of the dismal swamp...deep creek. Anchored and were the only boat going thru at 1:30. There are at least 15 boats ahead of us at the visitors center and it began to rain so we went to the dock at the lock. It looks like it may rain the rest of today and tomorrow so we may stay here for awhile. It gets to be like a log jam . Noone leaves Elizabeth City, so noone leaves the visitor's center so we stay here. But we are well protected from any weather and the lock master has invited us for coffee and danish at 8AM tomorrow along with the other 3 boats that are here. We will run the generator for awhile for the refridgerator so we can also turn on the heater and warm up the place before bed.

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End of day

We are at port comfort and anchored in the lee for the night. Thought you might want to see where we were this morning.

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Off the hard....please

We are still on the hard in Norfolk. Gotta love Cobbs's Marina in Little Creek. "Should" splash today but it is blowing so hard that we may not be able to get off the dock.
Had lots of stuff done: New escape hatch, drained and new fuel, filters, some fiberglass work done, put everything away. One bolt for the trampoline ($31.00, go figure) cleaned out the water tanks, new bottom paint, dinghy repaired (hopefully) new cutlass bearings, installed a line cutter for those crab pots, Florrie has been cleaning "like a Trojan" and getting all the supplies organized and lots of other details I can't remember right now. Gonna be an expensive bill.
With lots of luck we might be in the dismal swamp tomorrow or the next day...just in time for the rain that's acoming. It has gotten really cold here. This is not a problem while on the hard as we have electricity for the heater. However, once we leave we may stay bundled up for several days.
We still need to bleed the engines and get more fuel before we leave and (if it arrives today) install the new eye bolt for the trampoline. Other than that, we are set to be on our way. IF THE CREEK DON'T RISE.

Chesapeake bridge tunnel

We are about an hour off the tunnel (11:52)AM. Ready for a shower. It has been a pretty good trip with good winds, little wind from every direction but not all at once. Tide is now against us as is the 5kn breeze so it is powering as it has been for the last 24 hours. The first 24 were almost all sailing with no motoring at all. No rain. No temperatures below 60 but still layered and a little nippy. 2 hours on...2 off except 10 to 2 and 2 to 6 at night so we could get a longer sleep.

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Finally, on our way south again!

Oct 17, Sunday morning @ 9:30 Harmony finally got out to sea. Terry Parker went with Lew. Terry's wife Claude and I saw them off at the dock. They will go straight through to Norfolk, rent a car and come back to Keyport. Lew & I will drive back down with whatever still needs to go on board. Then our winter starts.

On our way

Yes folks we are on our way. Left the mooring at 9:30 . 10 knots from the west. Round Sandy Hook in another half hour then south for Norfolk.

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Man plans, God laughs

The PLAN was to leave thursday night or friday morning. It is now saturday and gusting over 40 knots.

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Alexa

Oldest granddaughter at the helm this past summer

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testing out the phone

This is only a test

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almost ready

Yes we are almost ready. However, the weather is not cooperating. The forecasts are calling for 14 foot waves on the nose to get over the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel on Friday.

Senior Wedding

It ain't easy. Click on the title

Route

Comment:
this is only a test of this function of ny phone. wont leave for at least two weeks.

Hello,
Check out the Route made with the Navionics UsaEast
Click on the attached .kmz file to see it in Google Earth!

Enjoy Navionics, anytime anywhere.
The Navionics Mobile Team

Sent from my Android phone.

Nautical Phone Apps

I have been fooling around with apps for my new smartphone and found some really useful ones. So, in no particular order here are the ones I keep. If you know of others, please let me know.

WIFI Analyser: Free. Like "connect to" on my laptop, it lists the available sites and whether they are password protected or not. Hopefully, with this, I can find some unprotected networks in the Bahamas where the phones don't work. Runs on its own.

Navionics: About $15. A full charting program showing the boat within NOAA charts. I have the East Coast version which includes all the ICW and offshore charts including the Bahamas. A hand held chart plotter. Runs on it's own with the phone GPS.

Marine Weather by Bluefin: Free. Displays all the offshore NOAA weather, East Coast, Gulf, Bahamas and Caribbean. Needs cell phone tower access.

Windfinder: Free. Gives you wind direction and speed, Wave height and Temperature for every 3 hours for 5 days. You can set up your "favorites" for rapid access with some offshore references. Needs cell phone connection.

Saildroid: Free. Gives you speed, compass direction, log/distance and Lat/Long in large enough type so it can be read without my reading glasses. Runs on it's own using the phone GPS.

Avaiation Weather from NOAA: Free. Shows regional weather with indications of fronts. Needs cell phone connection.

Atides: Free. Typical tide predictor using NOAA info but with lots of stations. Needs to connect to cell tower.

Radar Now: Free. Uses your GPS to locate you and give you the current radar for your area. I believe you can also get radar from wherever. Needs to be able to connect to a cell tower.

Skype mobile: Free. Unfortunately, it connects via your phone rather than the internet directly. Should be cheaper for long distance and maybe uses pictures. Haven't really tested it out yet. Requires connection to cell phone tower.

Anchor Alert: About $15. Just like the title, it is an anchor alarm which can also send a text message to another phone so you can get an alarm if you are dragging or if the boat is stolen giving your Lat/Lon as well. I contacted the designer and he listened and put in large print control so I can push a button at night and see the direction and distance to the anchor without my glasses. Runs on its own using the phone GPS.

Meet the Artist

The real Art Show info...

If you missed this show at the Oceanic Library in May, here is a second chance to see it.  

(Suggested directions at the bottom.)

Matisse believed that art should be a respite from the exhausting aspects of life, so do I.  For the past three winters Lew and I have lived in the Bahamas on our catamaran.  The artistic result has been a series of works inspired by places along the US Intra-Coastal Waterway (ICW) and the islands from the Abacos through the Exumas.  View the show at your leisure or join me on August 29 for a Gallery Talk.                                                                          

 

Bahamas Moments – "the Reprise"

Paintings, Drawings and Photographs

By Florence Bramley Hill

August 1 – September 12, 2010

 

Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse

1475 West Front Street

Lincroft, NJ 07738

732-747-0707

 

Gallery Talk & Refreshments

Sunday, August 29, 2 - 4 PM

Meeting House public hours;

Aug 1 – Aug 13…Tues, Wed & Fri: 10 AM - 1 PM

Aug 16 – Sept 10… Mon – Fri: 10AM – 2 PM

        Other times by appointment – call Florence  (732) 546-7463

New Art Show - Details

cataract surgery

The link below no longer works. Oh well. I am now recovering from this year's eye operation. This time it went really well and I can see 20/25 out of my right eye after getting rid of the cataract. No lifting over 35 lbs (e.g., picking up the mooring) for another couple of weeks. So I have been working on the cockpit table. Took it down to the bare wood and it now has 4 coats of varnish. How much is enough?

Trip home

Click on the Title above or cut and paste this: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0e5HbLxKBFOOxYALWOqIF5AhPfZttryzl

Unfortunately it is in reverse order so you have to click on the ">" button (bottom left) to see the previous day. We got home yesterday, about 2 in the afternoon. Long hot shower, 2 naps and a full night's sleep and it is time to begin the long project of cleaning and fixing the boat. Anyone wanna sandpaper a table, clean out a head, rewire an autohelm? Volunteers welcome.

Thanks again to Penny and Bob who fed us and put us up on their dock in the well protected and beautiful Little Wicomico River.

Vero to Norfolk

For a view of our trip from Vero to Norfolk, click on the first link below. George joined me in St. Augustine and we have just arrived in Norfolk...beyond mile zero. Tomorrow is Little Creek and Florrie will drive down with Gordon to crew and be taking George back. I may have to cook for myself...yeeeccchhhh!

vero to norfolk

Share your Adventures with SpotAdventures

Weather Window

It is beginning to look like a window (Quickly knock on wood!!!) from Sunday afternoon until Friday when the winds go north, north of Cape Hatteras. Click on the title to go to the NOAA forcast.

"I See You"

"I See You" is Florrie's photo of a Bahamas Conch (pronounced "conk")
preparing its get away.

It won second place in the Middletown Community Photography Exhibit in
the Still Life category. I'm not sure why in that category except
that People and Animals included dogs and cats. Live conch is not
familiar in New Jersey. Perhaps, for the moment is was "Life" and
was "Still". No matter... it is delightful that one of her favorite
moments in last winter's trip is also enjoyed by others, with special
recognition.

Saint Augustine

Meanwhile, back at the boat, I went from anchoring just north of Daytona Beach to St. Augustine yesteday. All the fuss about the shoaling at Mantasas (or something like that) inlet was bull. If you just stay in the middle of the channel you have 9 feet all the way. Me, I listened and hugged the red side and almost went aground. Well it was dead low tide.
I am now at a funky little marina around the back of St. A. Oysters are $0.49@ and booze is always at the happy hour price for boaters. But I gotta go get my laundry out of the drier now.

RE: Show update

That’s a great photo. I am forward to Library so I can print it out…………….Hope to see you soon. Theresa

Show Times

It's Show Time!

Sunday was a beautiful day for the Reception.  This is the first time I've shown my work in a library.  I like the venue.  While a gallery or the Cultural Center may sound more prestigious, I love the idea that for a month the general public will be able to see some of my favorite works.   It reminds me of my years working for zoos.  Families were my audience then, too.

I will send more pictures of the works as soon as they are sized for the internet.

For those of you who couldn't make it to the reception perhaps you will be able to visit this month.  Here's a reminder of the times the library is open.

"Bahamas Moments"
Paintings, Drawings, 

Giclée Prints & Photographs
by Florence B. Hill

  May 1 - 29, 2010

Oceanic Library
Avenue of Two Rivers 

    & Ridge Road
Rumson, NJ 07760

(732) 842-2692

Library hours;
Mon & Thurs: 1 - 7 PM
Tue, Wed & Fri: 10 AM - 5 PM

Saturdays: 10 AM - 4PM

Show update

Titusville

It is almost 6 AM and I have already eaten breakfast. Yesterday I left Vero at 7 AM with a south wind and motor. I travelled most of the day at over 6 knots with 3/4 jib and arrived in Titusville at 5:30...a distance of 70 statute miles. A quick dinner and in bed by 8. Luckily, the autohelm worked all day so I could go and grab a soda.
Now I will do it all again. Sandwich is made. Snacks are out, Fridge is running. Predawn is here.

RE: Hiya

Some pictures taken by Cathy and Dave.

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Sea Frost compressor

Cleave,
 
     It is such a pleasure to deal with a professional who knows what they are doing.  Bill Rhodes, in Vero Beach was excellent.  Thank you for recommending him.  He came out within 3 hours of my call to  him and diagnosed the problem ight away.  Luckilly it turned out to be a simple one and the unit is now working.
     I am also putting this letter on the blog.

Lew
S/V Harmony
http://CatamaranHarmony.blogspot.com
 

Bill Rhodes, Vero area  772 812 1722

 

Cleave Horton
Sea Frost
372 US Route 4
Barrington, NH  03825

Phone  603 868 5720      Fax    603 868 1040      Office 800 435 6708

Cleave@seafrost.com
www.seafrost.com

 

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FW: For the Blog????

The new modern couple communicates when apart.  We have become soo dependant on WIFI that it determines where we go.  Sometimes we go to avoid emails. 
Lew
S/V Harmony
http://CatamaranHarmony.blogspot.com



 
> From: fbh_4682@verizon.net
> Subject: For the Blog????
> Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:29:45 -0400
> To: lew_hill@hotmail.com
>
> Hi Lew,
>
> What a DAY! I got five of my Bahamas photos into the Middletown Arts
> Center yesterday. Today I took Lisa's photos over there so she could
> finish color correcting the scans of my new paintings. I need to have
> new prints and note cards to show and offer for sale. It has been a
> huge project to get all 40 entries ready - and they ALL relate to the
> Bahamas. Whew! I'll send photos for the blog to you as soon as I
> can... maybe Thursday. In the meantime, "Peaceful Evening" is one of
> my favorite photos in the show. That is "Puff" on the Little Bahamas
> Banks. I hope you can use the photos I'm sending.
>
> Today I went to the carpet store and returned the too-dark sample.
> The carpet I really like is coming in on Friday so they will give me a
> swatch to test out here. If I like it they can start installing it on
> Monday! It is the best of a number I looked at so, if the color
> works, we will have a new carpet before you get home. Another Whew -
> and Wow!
>
> It is hard to concentrate on the last bits of preparation for my
> Artist's Reception on the 2nd because I am so excited about getting
> the new carpet. It has been a bit stressful living with torn up
> carpet in the living room. But I put a vase of liclas in the middle
> of the floor so that, at least, is pretty.
>
> I'm glad to hear the boat refrigeration is making more sense to you.
> It will be so good to be able to count on it next year.
>
> Sleep well!
> Nighty nite,
> Mee
>
>

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FW: I forgot the photos!

 

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Green Turtle to Vero Beach

Click on the title for a link to see the trip. Now sitting in Vero waiting for the rain to stop. The very slow speeds were when I anchored or was stopped to put oil in the engine while at sea. The last few hours before getting to Ft. Pierce were honking with an average almost 10. She sails a lot faster than she motors.

Harmony weather window

Click on the title and be taken to the spot site showing how I left Green Turtle Cay this morning about 7AM. Travelling with "Puff", we left. At 8AM I listened to Chris Parker (weather guru) on the Single Sideband Radio (SSB). He was talking about a front coming down the US coast and getting to Fort Pierce, our destination, on Sunday morning with squalls. Since we were not going to do an overnight, we would have been in the Gulf Stream when it came through. It was either that or stay at Great Sale Cay, an uninhabited island with a good harbor a full day's sail from Green Turtle, until Monday or Tuesday. As long as we were going to be holed up, we decided to come back to GTC. After all, we are still paid up at the mooring until 5/1. So here I am.

Once again: Man plans and god laughs.

Spot Track

Black Sound, Green Turtle Cay

Use the "x" to get rid of the stats and zoom in by hitting the "+" or double clicking on where you want to zoom.

Reply from Florrie

HiYa Lew,
My goodness, you haven't been bored! I hope you can get everything
working right, soon.
What a yucky job - good luck with it. (No you hadn't told me.)

As you know, a big storm hit here on March 30, causing serious leaks
in our living room and flooding the unit downstairs. The insurance
adjuster came on Saturday. Sunday I finished cutting up the carpet
and padding for an 8' x 12' area in front of the sliding doors. What
a job! ( I had started the job the night before, after I bought a
carpet knife at Lowes and looked at carpet samples.) I threw 9
kitchen bags full of carpet residue over the balcony rail then hauled
them to the dumpster.

The garbage disposal is stuck... whatever was in there over the winter
has solidified around the moving blades. I can't take the time to
call the fix-it man yet - gotta work on the art show. Also - my
printer won't work - I think I have to take it somewhere and get it
cleaned. I took the inks out of it when we left but whatever was left
in the machine's innards might have solidified. It is good that my
car battery was recharged the day after I got home... at least I can
move around easily now.

Owning a home is fixing things in a predictable place.

I am getting scans and prints of the new work that will go into my
show on May 1st. I'm including photos this year as well as the six
new acrylics and a couple of drawings. I figure there might be 30
pieces in the show.

Correction: The Artist's Reception is Sunday, May 2 from 2 - 4 PM
(For more information look back in the blogs of last month.)

Gotta Scoot! There's lots to do today. I miss the beautiful water
but am glad to be here for now, in spite of all the problems.

Letter to Florrie

Luv,
  I don't remember if I told you but after you left, the fridge kept tripping the off circuit on the compressor.  I guess it misses you too.  I put some more 134A into it but it didn't help.  I finally figured out that it might be poor heat exchanging so I looked at the strainer.  It was full of that seaweed that sticks to metal under the boat.  I put in a new strainer and now it works...well at least for about 10 minutes then shuts itself off again.  I have put clorox thru the system to kill whatever might be left.  Right now we get 1o+/- minutes then have to wait for about an hour before we can get another 10 minutes.  The temperature goes down a couple of degrees  In between, if I try to turn it on, it turns itself off within 15 seconds.  The weird thing is that it is and has been pumping out water just fine the whole time which may be why it took me so long to think of the strainer.  Looks like it is time to take the whole thing apart and make sure there is no seaweed in it.  YUCH.  It is a good thing I can get good ice here.  Well it could be worse...it could be the head.  Been there, done that.  Thank goodness it is a fresh water system.
  Anyway, I have also checked the strainers for the salt water intake for the engines (they are fine) and plan to check it for the generator (which is working fine) today.
Cruising IS fixing your boat in exotic places.

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FW: "Bahamas Moments"

Hello All,
This is to announce my art show in May.  We're in Treasure Cay, Bahamas, with good emails for a few days so please put this on your calendar.  Thanks!  Hope to see you there.
 

"Bahamas Moments"
Paintings, Drawings and Photographs
by Florence B. HIll
 
Oceanic Library
Avenue of Two Rivers and Ridge Road
Rumson, NJ
May 1 - 29, 2010
Artist's Reception
Sunday, May 2
12 - 4 PM
 
Library hours;
Mon & Thurs: 1 - 7 PM
Tues, Wed & Fri: 10 AM - 5 PM
Sat: 10 AM - 4PM


For the past three winters, Florence and her husband have lived on their catamaran, Harmony. The artistic result has been a series of acrylic paintings, pastels and other drawings as well as some photographs. These works have been inspired by places along the Intracoastal Waterway, Bimini, the Exumas and the Abacos.
One of Florence's favorite themes is Junkanoo, a seasonal celebration unique to the Bahamas, which features lavishly colorful costumes.
"As we make this trip, I am very aware that my palette changes drastically from the ochres and olive greens of the States to the elusive nuances of the Bahama waters and the brilliant colors of the island homes and celebrations."

Treasure Cay, Bahamas

View Larger Map

Here we are. Zoom in and you will see anchored boats. Zoom out or move the map with your cursor to see the beach just north of us. The last few days have been very windy. We have been safely sitting with 2 anchors out while we visit some friends here, go to the beach, have a Bahama Momma at the beach bar along with the college kids on spring break. It is a tough life.

emergency contacts for yachts in the Bahamas

How to contact a yacht IF there were an emergency:

Cruisers@OII.net provides a free emergency service and contacts the Cruisers Net in Marsh Harbour. The cruisers net does a morning net and most boats listen to it.

Chris Parker does the weather every day except Sunday. If we don’t hear him, others near us will. He also provides emergency messages. Chris @MWXC.com 863-248-2702 WWW.MWXC.com

US Coast Guard, Miami: 305-415-6800.….305-535-4300.….1-800-874-7561

State Department Overseas Citizens Service: 202-647-5225. They will forward messages to the Consular Officers in any country.

The SSB if you know a short wave ham. The Cruisheimers Net 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM on 6227.

weather Abacos

TUESDAY...SE-S@10-15K before sunup, becoming S-SW@15-20K till about midmorning, then become S-SW@25-30K G35K for the afternoon, evening and overnight / Atlantic seas building to 9-14ft by evening / high temp mid 70’s / mix of sun and clouds with squally rain arriving with the COLD FRONT in the evening. GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED N OF 25N TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY! Please note this warning-if you are on a boat get to a marina or double check your tackle and secure all outdoor items.

WEDNESDAY...GALE TO NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS CONTINUE OVER ABACO THROUGH THE MORNING, NW@33-35K+ subsiding to NW@15-20K by evening / Atlantic 8-14ft / high temp in the low 60’s / mostly cloudy, breezy and cooler

Harmony update, Green Turtle Cay

I was recently reminded that I haven't been a good host. No entries in over ten days. Sorry.
We are back in Green Turtle just after a front came bashing thru last night. Pre-frontal squall with winds about 60 just as we were watching a DVD of “When Harry met Sally“ while drinking cheap champagne. We were rocking and rolling on the mooring but glad not to be doing the "deck dance" (that is where you get up in the middle of the night, usually in high winds and rain, and pull up the anchor in order to reset it because it is dragging and you are either near the rocks or another boat).
Today the sun is out but it is still blowing hard (25). My WeatherBug keeps showing some sort of winter alert for Keyport but as I sit here in shorts and no shirt, I just don't have the heart to see what is going on after 20 inches in 2 days. Before you get jealous, the temperature here is in the 60s and maybe low 70s on a good day. If you are in the sun and out of the wind, it feels warm. Needless to say, I haven’t done very much swimming….just some. It was in the 30s in southern Florida last night. What a year with the jet stream all the way down to Orlando. When will it go north?
We have decided to remain at Green Turtle for the next two months with side trips to other islands. Home base. Forgive me if there isn’t much on the blog.
Florrie is working hard for a NJ show in May. We will put some of her new works on soon.

a day in the life

For those who don't know the layout of Harmony, here it is. A double berth forward, Galley (kitchen) down in the port (left) hull, Florrie's studio on the port side aft. On the starboard (right) side there are closets, heads (bathrooms) and a double berth aft. The cockpit is actually quite a bit larger than shown because there are Daybeds over the aft staterooms so almost the whole width is seatable space.















Florrie, of course is more civilized as she talks with her son, Gareth, who is taking a break from shoveling snow in Maryland. We use Skype which is a telephone program over the internet. The program is free and you download it onto your computer. All calls are then 2.1 cents per minute. That is not a typo...two cents per minute. You just need to be connected to the internet.


Here is our valiant skipper attempting to get on line. The "hotspot" is in someone's yard at the side of the road.