Bahamas!!! We're here!

Ihana and her crew crossed the gulf stream today and are safely tied up in Old Bahama Bay Resort & Marina on Grand Bahama Island. Pulled our anchor at 4 am from just inside the Lake Worth (Palm Beach) Inlets. 10 hours or so at 6 knots. Motored all the way. Seas up to 3 feet, tailwinds but not enough to bother hauling up the sails. Dinner with Buddy Boat sv-Tranquillity (Joan & Laurence Wright) in a few minutes. And now for the rum ...

Preparing to Cross - Volume 2

Possible Gulf Stream crossing on Monday. Might even sail across!

Wear a life jacket.

and keep it zipped up!

Staying inside today - very windy

More cords than an audiologists office

Lines, Hats, Tethers, Stuff

View from the navigation station

Winter Wonderland - our home in Minnesota

Marooned in paradise

With the BFN [Big Friggin Norther] due to hit today around noon-ish, we're safely docked and waiting for better weather. Will probably be stuck here for several days.
Got a date with my favorite girl. Plan for today is walk/bus from the marina to the very upscale Palm Beach Gardens Mall - for a movie and a meal, before everything shuts down for Xmas.
We expected to be marooned somewhere on a deserted isle somewhere in the Bahamas, but the Palm Beach area will do in a pinch. Besides, there probably isn't a wilder, more primitive place to hang out than in a mall on the day before the big holiday.
Still in shorts and sandals, although we may have to tote a parka in case of rain. Oh, well - we will survive somehow.
Have a happy!

TIME TO RELAX

Finally.  We're in a marina.  Life is easier, now that our two months of boat improvements, repairs, and setup are about done.  Did almost nothing yesterday; finally had time to read a book (not about boat repair, cruising guides, etc.).  AND I FINALLY updated this blog!  There is new stuff in here, going back to mid-November.
Most of this was previously posted on Facebook - that's easier since we can just hit SEND directly from the iPhone cameras.
Taking it easy again today; no weather window for crossing to the Bahamas until at least Friday, probably longer.
Meanwhile - we have Publix, West Marine, swimming pool, lounge, several restaurants within easy walking distance.  In fact, my First Mate took off an hour ago for a long walk.
But I stayed and blogged.

Crossing the Gulf Stream - almost but not now

12/23/13 The crossing is off - for now. We are staying stateside for the next several days. Most boats are tucking in; a few are possibly going to try for the Bahamas before the BIG FRIGGIN NORTHER hits sometime mid-day on Tuesday. Not us. With only about 2 hours between ETA and the BFN, we would be TOTALLY FUKT if anything went wrong or caused a delay (T.F. means 11 foot seas, 30-35 knot winds in the Gulf Stream, mutiny on the bouncy, etc.) We remember that the most dangerous thing to have on a boat is a schedule.

12/22/13 It looks like we may stay put here in Old Port Cove, North Palm Beach for several days. Weather looks semi-rough. Gulf Stream crossing is quasi-doable on monday, okay overnight monday (south-ish winds, waves < 2-3 feet), BUT it hits the fan sometime around 10am to 1pm Tuesday, winds very suddenly go to north at 30 knots, waves unbelieveable. As of now (22 December, 00:30EST) it looks too tight and unsafe to go for the run on monday [if anything goes wrong - even for an hour or 2 - we're screwed]. bonus - nicer marina than west end bahamas, also much less expensive. Chris Parker says don't go, too.

Will check weather in the morning, but it's getting close enough that the predictions might even be accurate. So it goes ...

12/21/13 Docked in Old Port Cove Marina, North Palm Beach FL. Preparing for the jump across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. Weather window possibly open on Monday - about a 50% chance now. Have to wait for the winds to switch from NE to SE and die down a little. Best guess now is 15 knots SSE - that would give us a close-hauled to close-reach, waves 2-3 feet - a screaming 10 hour ride across the Stream (sails maybe, engine definitely - we gotta get there fast).

But then it REALLY hits the fan on Tuesday (late morning to mid-afternoon?), winds slamming back to the north at 25-35 knots, seas up to several feet. IF we go, we plan to get there and hunker down in West End on Grand Bahama Island for several days. IF we don't, life is good here in the Palm Beaches.

Buddy boating with Joan & Laurence Wright, s/v Tranquillity. A 33' Tartan liferaft if we need it

CONTACT: We may be off Facebook and phones for several days. Emergency contact is Benjamin - he knows how to reach us.

Happy Holidays and all that ...

Walking the docks, at our marina in North Palm Beach.

Big boat. Little girl.

A couple of larger boats in our marina.
Old Port Cove Marina, North Palm Beach, Florida

One of two "dinghys" on a megaboat.

Sweetie Skypes Sisters on Sailboat

Sunrise, Sunset

12-18-13  Sunrise in mooring field in Sunset Bay, Stuart, FL.  Note the name on the catamaran next to us …

We're off to miss the blizzard (the wonderful blizzard of ours)

12-16-13  Home – Roseville, Minnesota – where we are not at now.

Preparing to leave

12-14-13 Getting sv-Ihana ready for departure from Indiantown on Monday AM. Provisioned. Laundried. Filled up with food, diesel, water, gasoline. Pumped out. Most stuff in storage locker (if not in boat). Arranging van/camper storage and locker for the winter. Still have to check out, load up the dinghy and kayak, top off the tanks, and remove the Chanukah lights from the boat. No good weather window for a Gulf Stream crossing to The Bahamas until late next week at the earliest, so not in so much of a rush. Headed down to Stuart (mooring ball?), then down the ditch to North Palm Beach (anchorage) to wait for the weather (and enjoy the last city food and shopping).

Green Light for solar

12-11-13 The solar panels are working! The green light on the charge controller tells us that the panels are putting out power - that means that the sun is up, without me having to look out a window. And the green light is off at night, probably because the earth is blocking the sunlight... Ain't technology wonderful.

As a bonus, the system is probably recharging our batteries also.

Here comes the sun!

12-7-13 Here comes the sun! Ihana has achieved enlightenment. (Well, I do still have to fishtape the wiring to the controller and batteries.)

and, yes, the boom clears the panels. (thanks for asking ...)

Solar Panel Mounting Frame

12-6-13 Frame over Bimini to hold solar panels. Done.

Solar goes on tomorrow when it cools off enough in the AM to be able to work.

Now 84 dew point 70. Siesta time. Until the girls-trippers (sic) get back tonite.

Girlstripping (etc.)

12-5-13 So the solar panels & Bimini-mounts showed up UPS today while we were in town grocerying for the trip and tomorrow I have to start installing it, but The Ilona & Joan will be gone girlstripping (hyphen after the "s"; I know what you're thinking) to Palm Beach, and the Craigies will be here tomorrow. And we're at the Karaoke party tonite. Wowzer. When will I get 'er done?

It's girls-tripping. Not girl-stripping...

Snow at home in Minnesota

12-5-13 Be it ever so snowbound, there's no place like home ...

Photo by Suzan Kauffman: "Bob Rouda and Ilona Rouda. Here is what it looks like. Enjoy where you are."

Party at Indiantown Marina

12-3to5-2003:  4-day delayed Thanksgiving Party at Indiantown Marina.  Free food, wine, beer, entertainment.  Karaoke, Dancing, Bands, Fun.

The Karaoke Girls

Kirsi and Joan dancing.  Ilona capturing it.

The food line

Chanukah in Florida

12-1-13 Chanukah Party at Ralines in Dania Beach, Florida.