Southern Italy
After leaving the Bahamas at the end of March, we spent about 10 days in Florida visiting family, friends and preparing for our second trip to Italy. To get to Italy we decided to take another trans-Atlantic cruise. This 13 day cruise stopped in Funchal, Madeira, Gibraltor, and Alicante, Spain before our final destination at Rome, Italy. Taking a cruise ship to Europe is a comfortable way to travel as you do not have to deal with airports, but it does take a couple weeks, so it is only really practical for people who are retired.
Fishing in the Abacos
One of the many reasons to come to the Abacos or anywhere in the Bahamas for that matter is the great fishing. The Sea of Abacos is a shallow body of water and is perfect for people who want to just cruise around to all the different Cays to anchor out and visit each island. But just outside the barrier islands bordering the Sea of Abacos, i.e., the Atlantic Ocean, the fishing is fantastic. And, mostly, there are no laws limiting fishing activities.
The Windy Abacos
I wanted to post a quick update. It has been one of the windiest winters here in the Abacos in many years. The temperature has also been lower than average. Winds have been 20 to 30 knots on many days. Daytime highs have often been about 70 degrees and night time lows have been as low as 60 degrees. These temperatures have been about 5 to 7 degrees lower than usual.
Island Life; Land versus Water
We have been in our cottage here in the Abacos for about 6 weeks and I thought I would write a short post on the difference of living on land versus living on the water on a boat. Some of the differences are obvious, but I thought I would point out the advantages and disadvantages of each lifestyle with regard to living on a small Bahamian island.
Island Life….The Way It Used to Be
We have finally arrived back in the Bahamas. This time we are boat less. We did not get around to purchasing another boat and we wanted to be in the Bahamas for the winter months. Our plan is to start looking for another boat next summer. Until then we are land bound. We will be in the Bahamas until April.
Back from Italy
We have returned from a 7 week trip to Italy. Actually the trip was 5 weeks in Italy and 2 weeks on a trans-Atlantic cruise ship. I have to admit I was skeptical that I would enjoy that much time in Italy. But after you figure out how the trains, grocery stores, and other local customs work, it was really enjoyable.
End of Summer 2014
It is very exhausting traveling around the country making short stops to visit friends and family. We are constantly packing and unpacking. I don’t recommend this type of traveling. However, since we are between boats and we wanted to see a lot of family and friends, it is something we have to do this summer.
Quick 2014 Summer Update
I just wanted to post a quick update on our situation. We dropped off “Odyssey,” our Beneteau 361, at the Fernandina Beach City Marina the third week of June. Our Annapolis Yacht broker, Tim Wilbricht of Annapolis Yacht Sales, and crew picked up Odyssey and sailed offshore around Cape Hatteras and then up the Chesapeake Bay to Annapolis arriving on 28 June.
Final Cruise of 2014 in the Abacos
Our last three weeks in the Abacos was spent in Green Turtle Cay and visiting the remote areas north of Green Turtle Cay. The area north of Green Turtle Cay has many beautiful uninhabited islands that are just teeming with sea creatures that are harder to come by in the more populated areas of the Abacos.
Spring Time in the Abacos
The month of April started out with more friends visiting us, but finished with Dena and me experiencing some real cruising adventures. Our first cruise in April found us running aground twice in 3 days. This was the first time we had run aground in the Bahamas.