Wind , Cold And fuel leak

Ah we are still setting at the Grand Bahama Yacht club as we took a slip for a week and that ends Friday morning. The wind has been howling out of the west NW as it is bringing in much colder air. Woke this morning and it was 51 here and in Lake Worth it was 30. We knew that it was going to be blowing hard for a few days so that is why we stayed here. Our next stop was going to be the Berry Islands but we have a small window once again on Thursday and Friday before the winds come blowing again 30 to 35 kts from the WNW which looking at the Berry Island would not be good were are thinking. We are also waiting on our friends on Polar Pacer to catch up with us as they had some prop trouble and had to turn back when we started to cross last week. The last few days we have been basically hibernating below as it has been to cold to go out and venture. Jeannie is coming down with a cold so she stayed in bed most of the day on Tuesday. So I had planned on doing a few projects as one was moving the fuel vacuum gauge over to the correct side of the fuel line.

Dummy me I had it on the wrong side as it never showed that the fuel filter was plugging up a few weeks ago before the diesel quit on us. So in doing so you know there is always a little diesel spillage when you cut the hose I half and so on right. I had towels all ready and did the cutting of the hoses and replaced the old hose and installed the gauge on the proper line. So in cleaning up I though oh I should look at the bilge and get what water is in there out. As I am one that likes a dry bilge. So I pulled the bilge cover and wholly *#%! There was about 4 gallons of diesel in there. Now I thought oh god now I was not that careless as I try to take pride in what I do. So the process of cleaning it up began. Once I got it all cleaned up, I noticed that a small steady stream was still seeping into the bilge from under the fuel tank. I started thinking oh this is not good, While Jeannie is trying to sleep up in the v berth I am tearing the fuel tank out. I still had around 16 gallons of fuel in it so I had to go and round up some fuel cans from other cruisers her at the marina. Once I got most of the fuel out the removal process began. About 2 hour later I had the tank out and setting on the dock.
What I ended up finding was right on the bottom and in the middle of the tank was a small pin hole. Using a little pig putty and some epoxy on the bottom I got the first pin hole fixed. Then while I had it setting on some wood on the dock testing to to make sure it was sealed. I looked and just to the right there was a 2nd pin hole. Dam! So the process began to fix the 2nd leak. So round number 2 with the pig putty and epoxy. While I am hoping it will get us by till we get home in the spring. One good thing is we have a couple of more days here at the marina before we have to head out. With it all back in each morning now I get up and the first thing I do is to look into the bilge and pray.

Port Lucaya Bahama

Ok we made it but I know a few were worried due to our Spot Location showing it had stopped out about 50 miles east of Lake Worth. Ah it was a malfunction on our part. The crossing was uneventful as we motored all the way over. Just like we wanted it for the first time. We were part of 4 other boats that left Lake Worth around 3 pm and 3 of the 4 were firsts timers. Starting out we had just big rollers and no wind to drive us through them as the sails flogged off and on in the morning and Jeannie did not want me to go forward even though we had jack lines and harness. The most wind we seen was 18 kts on our nose and it was only for a short time. As the wind actually died late in the night. As we approached Freeport I could see quite a lot of traffic on the radar and most were floating freighters waiting to go into Freeport to unload. A few we were unsure of but stayed out of there way. The south side of the Grand Bahama Island is to dang deep for the freighters to anchor so what they do is just drift. Along with the cruise ships that were all lit up like a Xmas tree. Ya can not miss them. We left Lake worth at 3 pm which we could have left like 5 pm actually as we had to slow down when we got closer to Freeport. I did not want to go into Lucaya in the dark and the marina was not open either. The hardest part was trying to stay awake as we both slept in the cockpit on the way over and taking turns at the helm. It was a 18 hr crossing as we had to slow down so that is what took us so much longer.

When we got into port which was at the Grand Bahama Yacht club we were greeted by Thomas the dock Master, Thomas the line handler. Thomas the everything. But he was very nice. By 10 am the 5 boat had filled out all of the custom forms and papers and off we were on a shuttle boat that Thomas ran as he took us over to the Market place where customs was at. There it took the 5 captains of the boats just over 2 hours to check in. It was actually very pleasant. We had originally wanted to go to Green Turtle cay to check in but we heard on the ssb that custom and immigration was only giving 90 day cruising permits. So we changed our minds and went to Lucaya to check in. There we got a 180 day cruising permit. That night the 5 boats all had a rum punch or 2 at the cost of $9 each and some appetizers at the marina bar. Ouch. Oh well. Now that we were free to roam the land Jeannie and I took off and walked to town. One thing we needed to get was a sim card for the cell phone we got off e-bay before we left. Once we got that we then just walked around the Market place here in Lucaya and just looked. So now we are slowwwwing down and relaxing.

In Lake Worth Waiting to Cross Over

Oh we have to back up a little here. We have heard of some concerns about people asking us about pirates and if it is a worry to us. Actually we are not to worried about them but while we were in St Augustine we did see a couple of pirate ships come in. After leaving St Augustine we started to get in the high rent district where money is no worry to some. Must be nice! Some of the homes were very nice but as some of our friends on there Blog said, You never seen the owners out enjoying it but always the care takers, Which was so true. Never seen anyone out relaxing in the pools or just sitting watching the many boats go by. Being that this is our first time being away from snow and being where it is warm.

It is sure odd actually seeing the decorations all in place around many of the homes as we pass by. Some go to the extreme as it was rather nice seeing them. I have always wondered why more homes in Florida do not go with solar as it make more sense but the investment is a big chunk of change.
Having a few panels on our boat I know the cost and this place we seen had some dollars laid out. But some of the electric companies do give out incentives as well as the government does also. Continuing south between Titusville and Melbourne we passed by an old Coast Guard buoy tender boat that it looked like someone had bought. Not sure what the heck happened here but you know ya can’t float a boat with out enough water and the tide sure does not rise that much in this area we passed by. As this boat was way out of the channel that we have to stay in. Florida unlike Georgia is pretty much a straight shot down the coast with only a few twist and turns in the ICW. We have had more rain here in Florida then any other part of the trip so far.
Usually rainbows seem to have a high arch in them but this one we were able to see the whole thing which was rather cool. One of the boats heading south was actually coming into the rainbow . So I took a few pictures as usually someplace we seem to meet up with ones that pass us.
I think we should have named our boat Slow Boat. But ya think it could be from all we are carrying aboard.
We have once again been traveling with Polar Pacer and Sn’nook which is a Baba 30. As we got into Lake Worth which is where we are thinking we will cross over from to Green Turtle Cay.Lately the wind has been out of the north for quite a few days. This is not what we want and being what we call a newbie to crossing over we want it just right if that can ever happen. So as we check out many of our weather sources and one weather man on the ssb called Chris Parker. He is one that every one listens to for crossing advice as he runs a paid weather service for cruisers which he will do a detailed forecast for you personally if you sign up for around $300 a year we hear. We have not done that but still we are able to hear him every morning on the ssb giving advice to others. Now we just play the waiting game for what is called a weather window to cross the gulf stream. The gulf stream is basically a flowing river out in the ocean between Florida and the Bahama's that flows to the north around 3 kts. Saturday night on the 4th Jeannie and I along with Sn'nook and Chris from Polar Pacer and many others sat along the ICW and watched a Christmas boat parade which was very cool. The fire works were on a barge and as they moved along the parade route they were lighting fire works off. Some of the boats were done up in a lot of lights and so great to see. But it is weird not having the snow. The weather here has turned cold as the next few nights it is to be in the mid to low 30's and north wind for the next week it sounds like. So as we sit out here in the anchorage and waiting to prepare to cross this might be our last post for a while till we cross over so check our spot location to see where we are actually at till we get wifi once again.