Benford Fantail 38 resurrection

[boatpoker]

Wonder if the water in the fuel was hurricane related?

Care to share places that had water?

Some of us will be right behind you ....hopefully....and it won't be soon enough!

I suspect storm water may have been an issue in Coinjock, Maybe at Kent Narrows too but I don't know if they had flooding there.

I will not be buying fuel from any place with underground tanks for the rest of this trip.

 

[FlyWright]

Dipped in flour, dusted with jamaican jerk spices then deep fried.
mmmmmmh !

What??? No cheap whiskey in this recipe like your rib recipe?

 

[boatpoker]

Just stopped in St.Augustine for a couple of days, a great relief from the focus required to traverse southern SC and Georgia. These waters have always been highly changeable but post Matthew is something else. Charted depths versus reality are bizarre.... 8' where the chart says 28', 40' where the chart says 8'.
We draw 3' and pushed through 2.5' of mud in Jekyll creek. Believing your charts will get you in trouble. 4 days of running with hand on throttle. Some skill in reading the currents will get you much further ahead.

What you see on the plotter is not what you see through the windshield......

 

[cardude01]

Yikes! That sounds stressful.

 

[boatpoker]

Yikes! That sounds stressful.

I'm on my third rum'n'coke

 

[cardude01]

I'm on my third rum'n'coke

World's best stress reducer. [emoji41]

 

[Jeffrey S]

We draw 3' and pushed through 2.5' of mud in Jekyll creek. Believing your charts will get you in trouble. 4 days of running with hand on throttle. Some skill in reading the currents will get you much further ahead.

What you see on the plotter is not what you see through the windshield......

The ActiveCaptain hazards help back there at Jekyll. One of the two bad spots has 11 feet on the red side. The other has about 3.5 feet right now, again, with some guidance from the comments.

 

[boatpoker]

Second best. My Sharon is the best

 

[cardude01]

Second best. My Sharon is the best

Well of course.

 

[boatpoker]

South of New Smyrna Florida we found a very small cove (200’X300’) with mangroves, palm trees, a small beach, a dock and a boat ramp. We tied up on the dock and for hours we watched 19 Manatees, Dozens of huge pelicans, a couple of eagles and two very large dolphins play around the boat. The Manatee’s were so close that they actually rubbed against the boat ….. our own little Marineland  What an amazing, very special day.

 

[MurrayM]

Ummm...isn't that a vulture at the back?

 

[boatpoker]

Ummm...isn't that a vulture at the back?

Yup.

 

[FlyWright]

I think that's what they call eagles down south!

 

[Moonstruck]

South of New Smyrna Florida we found a very small cove (200’X300’) with mangroves, palm trees, a small beach, a dock and a boat ramp. We tied up on the dock and for hours we watched 19 Manatees, Dozens of huge pelicans, a couple of eagles and two very large dolphins play around the boat. The Manatee’s were so close that they actually rubbed against the boat ….. our own little Marineland  What an amazing, very special day.

Close up tight with screens tonight. They don't call that area down there Mosquito Lagoon for nothing.

 

[FlyWright]

Holy smokes, you hit a sore button, Moonman! Anyone who's boated in NorCal knows we don't have many bugs. Sure, sometimes we get some of those small non-biting bugs that descend in huge numbers in the cast of every light. But usually, it's relatively bug-free. Mosquitoes are a rarity.

On my post-election "fishing trip", I found myself in the middle of mosquito heaven but only from about 4-8PM. Before or after, no problem. This happened in the middle of a marsh and duck hunting area. I made good use of my flyswatter at the cabin lights for hours of entertainment. I almost pulled out the mini shop-vac!

 

[boatpoker]

There were two Balds and at least a dozen vultures.

 

[cardude01]

Cool looking spot! Have you ever been to the Little Shark River anchorage? If you like remote places you would enjoy it I think.

 

[boatpoker]

Just this minute arrived at Ocean Reef Yacht Club (just west of Lucaya), Grand Bahama. We had a very small window yesterday for the stream and made it with a squall right on our tail. At some point we'll go up through the Grand Lucayan Canal and over to the Abacos for a couple of months.

Cardude .... yes. we did the Shark River/ Everglades (2006 ?) on our way to Key West, Dry Tortugas and Cuba dates get a little vague when they are not important .

DIRT FREE has run like a charm.

 

[boatpoker]

Here's a shot of the squall on our tail as we approach West End (top of photo)

 

[cardude01]

Is this the first time you have crossed the Gulf Stream on DIRT FREE? How was the swell?

I want to do that on my boat but wife is afraid. [emoji23]

 

[boatpoker]

Is this the first time you have crossed the Gulf Stream on DIRT FREE? How was the swell?

I want to do that on my boat but wife is afraid. [emoji23]

DIRT FREE is a bit on the tender side but she has handled 12' on the stern without spilling the coffee. She is comfortable up to about 4' on the bow.

We had a wide spaced 4' swell with 2' waves on top so it was quite comfortable until the squall showed up and then we had 3' on the beam so she rolled a bit for the last hour ... not too bad but I would not want to do it for 10hrs, that would get tiresome but a long ways short of unsafe.

For a first crossing I'd be looking for a wider window than we took especially if you have a slow boat like ours. We left Lake Worth and headed SE (6kts) for about three hours before we turned and rode the stream (8.6kts) NE to West Bend. If you left from Miami (up the stream), a ride to West End could be quite comfortable

 

[cardude01]

Cool. Thanks. We are also tender. Had 3-4' short period waves on our beam from Clearwater to Panama City (about 30 hours iirc) and that was not too fun.

Have fun in the Abacos! Love that area. How much will you anchor out in the Bahamas vs marinas?

 

[boatpoker]

Cool. Thanks. We are also tender. Had 3-4' short period waves on our beam from Clearwater to Panama City (about 30 hours iirc) and that was not too fun.

Have fun in the Abacos! Love that area. How much will you anchor out in the Bahamas vs marinas?

One month over Christmas in a resort so kids and friends can visit, then a couple of months in the Abacos before returning to Canada for the summer ..... repeat ad infinitum

 

[psneeld]

I am jealous....

Underway tomorrow at sunrise....

Weather for the first week....not stellar at all.

 

[boatpoker]

I am jealous....

Underway tomorrow at sunrise....

Weather for the first week....not stellar at all.

Crappy weather on the water is still better than dirt weather
Safe travels Scott.

 

[boatpoker]

Life change (Big One) ..... We have decided to basically live in the Bahamas. We will leave the boat in Jacksonville May thru August while we return to Canada to visit family and work for for a few months and then use the Ocean Reef Yacht Club as a base for exploring the Bahamas. Life with the Amazin' Sharon is pretty damn good

 

[cardude01]

Wow! That is a big life change! That's awesome!

What was the trigger that caused this revelation?

(I don't mean to be stalking you, but I'm living vicariously and trying to learn [emoji23]).

 

[David Rive]

Hi Wallace - that's exciting news. I expect we may cross paths next winter - we are retiring next fall and coming south. Probably base around Punta Gorda somewhere but mostly hang out in the Keys and Bahamas. All the best.

David

 

[boatpoker]

Wow! That is a big life change! That's awesome!

What was the trigger that caused this revelation?

(I don't mean to be stalking you, but I'm living vicariously and trying to learn [emoji23]).

I have lived my life on a whim and it has always worked out. I have always believed that I am the luckiest man on this planet with the most incredible wife who supports me completely and without question. I simply choose to live by the (seemingly simple) aphorisms I use in my email signature.
Lots more photos on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011326131436

Never, ever do anything you don't want to do - wg
Smile - it's a choice - wg
Be the man Sharon thinks I am - wg
If you imagine it, it is real - P
I can do that - wg
Be the master of your own disaster - wg
If you're not laughing, you're not doing it right. - wg
Better lucky than good. The harder I work the luckier I get. - wg
if you can live with the consequences, go for it. - wg
Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation - wg
The difference between adversity and adventure is attitude - ma
I yam what I yam an' that,s all that I yam. - Popeye

 

[cardude01]

Any updates? Pics? Where are y'all now?