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End of Day 2

by Eric Phinney on September 10, 2018

Heading through the falls at 08:45. Thanks to all the folks that came down to see us off. Thanks too to Sharon and Paul who brought us coffee at 0630 just befor we dropped the mooring line in Renforth

Ross Phinney and David Peer came down through falls with us and took some great pics. No that wasn’t a long selfie stick!

Arriving in St Andrews on Saturday. Thanks Scott Langelle for the picture.

At the customs dock in Eastport waiting with Q flag for the clearance.

We were in Eastport just in time for the Annual lobster crate challenge. I shot some video and will try to post it.

Well our journay has begun. Two days in now we are sitting on a mooring in Eastport Maine. Tomorrow morning we will head up the back side of Campobello and the turn south again down the Grand Manan channel bound for Roque Island. There are big rains predicted for Tuesday so we will probably just hang there till it passes.

It was a treat to watch the lobster box run. This involves about a dozen empties lobster crates that are tied together and then end with an inflatable air mattress. The object is to run over the top of the boxes and then land on the mattress. Obviously the crates will not support any amount of weight so you must be flight of foot! We saw a couple of the under 12 kids make it.

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Who are the people in your neighbourhood

by Eric Phinney on September 13, 2018

A couple years ago I read a book called “Sailing away from winter” by Silver Donald Cameron. This is essentially what we are doing. I do remember as he went through Maine he remarked about several different kinds of people he came accross. The one that caught my attention was “the Maine Automatic talker”. While I have not met one of these yet, we did meet some interesting people today as we traveled via two busses from Northeast Harbor to Bar Harbor and then to Ellsworth and back. All of this to get a SIM card so I could write this blog post.

Here are 6 amazing people that helped us today. We applaud their hospitality and dedication to service.

Bar Tender at the Cherry Stone

Several years ago while camping at Hadley point in Bar Harbor we came into town and went to this place for lunch. We had fun shopping and seeing the sights in BH. As we got off the bus today I gravitated to this place and spied the bar tender getting the area ready for opening. I asked him about electronics stores…nope. Cell phone stores…nope Hardware stores.. ah yes there was one of those. He also gave the information about the possibility of a bus to Ellsworth but was unsure if one actually existed. It seemed to be in the realm of a fantasy ferry tale but did direct us to the green bus building that held all the knowledge about local transportation.

the Gal at the True Value

We did a bit of a walk about and finally stumbled on the True Value store and found a clerk that lead us to the bundle buggie section of the store. We were blessed by her offer to assemble the beast so we could wheel it out of the store. Val commented that she was stunningly beautiful as well.

The bus office gal

Still unsure about how we would actually get to Ellsworth to get the magic “SIM” card we went to the green building on the village green in BAAAAA HAAAABAAAA We met a woman who amazed us with her helpfulness and hospitality. She dug out a schedule and then said that we should go for a walk because there were no actual signs but if she showed us where to stand (in the shade) the buss would stop and take us to Ellsworth. She walked us accross the “green” and showed us the spot of dirt to stand on. We were early so went on a bit of a walk about and then returned.

Bus driver 1 Norma

Norma showed up at exactly 1:04 and welcomed us aboard her bus to Ellsworth. We stuffed 12 dollars into the receptical but were offered no reciept or proof of purchase. When we inquired about the return fair she said that we just needed to tell Jeanne that we already paid Norma and that it was OK! She dropped us off on the highway at “not a stop” between Remys and LLBean. Val went to LLBean and I proceeded to our main reason to be in Ellsworth, to purchase a SIM card that might actually have coverage.

The Verizon guy Ivan

So I met Ivan. He is from Peru and also a church planter… who is working at Verizon until the church is properly planted in Belfast. I had to walk across the street to the Bangor Saving Bank to extract some actual cash because when you buy one of these pre paid SIMs you have to pay in Cash for some reason!!!!! The good news is that for $75 a month you have unlimited data!!!!!!!

Bus driver 2 Jeanne

After we shopped at Shaws for a while and filled our bundle buggy Jeanee showed up right on time to pick us up. She asked.. “did you pay?” We replayed that we were told by Norma to tell her that we did. We roared off to TJ Maxes were she was expecting to pick up two young boys… they were not there and after Jeannne had counted down the seconds according to her cell phone she tore out of the parking lot toward the Walmart. Only moments later she got a call from the dispatcher saying that he had just got a call form someone who said they were waiting at Shaws and that she went right on by. We had been at shaws so she wheeled around and asked us if indeed she stopped at Shaw’s and picked us up!!! We agreed that she did stop at Shaw’s and she thanked us. By this time we were passing a pizza joint and after she paused for oncomming traffic she said something like “hang on I’m going for it” and spun the bus around in a 180 and proceeded to return to the Shaws…… where ther was no one waiting! After calling dispatch again and talking back and forth about the possibility of some people that may or may not be waiting for a bus, we heard someone else break in on the radio (Norma) asking if they had picked up a man with a white beard and a woman with purple hair or not. It took a moment for us to realize that she was talking about us! Suddenly ther were two young men running toward us from the TJ Max. At last the missing riders! Off we went direct to the Walmart and then to BAAAA Haaaa BAAAA!

All in all it was a great day.

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Church the good & the bad.

by Val Phinney on September 17, 2018

On Saturday we walked into Tenants Harbour to look around the little village and to find the Church. We walked in one direction and finally met someone we could ask where exactly the Church was and they seemed a bit vague and unsure but turned us around and off we went. Again we walked a bit and asked another person if we were moving closer to our destination and again they weren’t sure but encouraged us to continue on. About 6 buildings on there was the Church! I found it confusing that people weren’t sure where it was, since the community is no bigger than Norton and the church was on Main Street. Odd…..
So we got up on Sunday morning and walked to Church, I have let Eric decide when we should leave the boat to be on time but he chronically gets us there at least ½ hour before the service begins….. can we say Reverend?? Oh well it gives us a chance to meet the local community and chat a bit. We were engaged in a conversation with a gentleman when this elderly lady walked in and interrupted the conversation to talk with me. When she found out I was Canadian she swiftly went into a rant of how we were no longer allies and glad Trump was throwing tariffs our way. She felt we deserved it because how we unfairly trade and steal from the US. Oh can you guess she LOVES Trump and thinks he is outsmarting everyone! She also had a few choice words regarding Obama. Arghhhhh! I did correct her in that the last I knew we were still Allies with the US and when she had spoke of Obama in less than complimentary words I commented that she was not speaking very Christ-like and then excused myself. I think I will give her the Crusty Award of the week. Oh my, it is so hard for me to keep my mouth shut! I had a chance to exercise grace and self control,(and for me I did a bit 😬) which is not a natural place for me or any us for that matter and I did try to be as gracious and not engage in a heated political conversation before Church started.
Church communities are a pot of individuals in different stages of personal development just like the day to day world but we have different expectations. We expect a little less hate and a lot more love but that isn’t the reality is it. We can choose to be angry, bitter, and ‘crusty’ even when we believe that Jesus is who he says he is. We hold onto hurts and refuse to let go of the past pain because so and so doesn’t deserve our forgiveness and grace. So I guess on this trip there will be lots of opportunities for me to work on being gracious and joyful. I must say, the rest of our visit at Tenants Baptist Church was wonderful with a great sermon and an invite to stay for their annual church picnic. Really it was a great visit with fellow believers along our journey. The sweet pastor is a full time ‘lobsta’ fisherman and a Vietnam Vet who loves the Word of God and the people in his community.

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4 days and 3 nights was enough

by Eric Phinney on September 27, 2018

So after a 3 hour sail in windy choppy swelly water we have arrived in one of the prestigious sailing ports on this coast. We passed 2 12 meter yachts as we entered the inner Harbor, and as we walked up the hill to the grocerie store we saw the Church where JFK was married. They were selling tickets on re-enactment displays and live music to relive the Camelot era event. Hopefully tomorrow the Small Craft Advisory will be down and we can make the run to Mystic.

Two of the 12 meters that are normally here

One of the best loved America’s Cup 12 Meters, Intrepid

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Recap fro Easton to the Great Dismal Swamp

by Eric Phinney on October 21, 2018

We are in the south now. Virginia that is. Let me recount the Journey from the time we left Easton (accross from DC) to our entering the Canal known as the Dismal Swamp.

Spending a few days in Easton was a good battery recharge (Literaly as I needed to purchase some batteries for our electrical needs). It was now time to move on and press south to find some of that elusive warm weather that has been teasing us. We make a series of hops down the Chesapeake Bay and are now “in the Ditch” as they say. No more waiting out bad weather warning (we hope).

The first day was delayed a bit as there was a small boat advisory that kept us in Easton until about noon. That did calm down and we cruised down the Trend Avon River and out into the Bay. Having only a half day we only went about 20 miles to a place called Solomons Island. We were able to anchor in a harbor and get fuel that next morning and head out again.

From Solomons we went to a place called Reedville where we went up a creek and anchored in a nice protected basin as yet another cold front was moving through and we would need to stay put until about 10 or so. As we were coming in we noticed that there seemed to be the remenents of some kind of industry there. There were also some very large fishing vessels there with small tenders that looked like they were in some kind of seining operation. As val researched the community we found out that it was and still is a huge fishing community with a significant ocean going fleet. There were two Smoke stacks there. One had been demolished and the other (still standing) had a plaque on it. This may have had something to do with the fish processing industry.

See

Home

From Reedville we sailed most of the way to Fishing Bay, another beautiful anchorage that we did some ziging and zagging to get into.

View as we leave Fishing Bay, by the Dawns early light.

After leaving early we put in a full day and arrive at the Hampton Public Piers where we take a Slip, have a drink in a Brew Pub on the Dock, visit a museum and watch “First Man” on an iMax screen.

There is talk of some more snottty weather coming our way and some of our neighbors are talking about staying on in Hampton for two more days to wait it out. I see that there is going to be a bit of a break the next day before it returns to Gale force so we decide to make a break for it and head out accross Hampton Roads, through Norfolk harbour and onto the Elezebeth river and then to the Dismal Swamp Canal. It sounds long but it was only 20 miles. The first ten were against 20+ knots on the nose with a 5 mile fetch. Slowing going and keeping a sharp watch as we are in the home of the Atlantic Fleet for the US Navy. We have never seen so many Navy Ships. Some in use, some mothballed, some getting built and some getting rebuilt.

After the lock we moored to a bulkhead and met a couple from Montreal whe also just retired and are also headed to the Bahamas!

After the Elizabeth river was Deep Creek which leads to the lock that lifted us up about 9 feet to the level of the Dismal Swamp. We locked through and are tied to a free dock for the night. Tomorrow we head down a very long hand dug cut. Google Dismal Swamp, there is loads of info on it and its connections with the Civil war.

History

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We can slow down now

by Eric Phinney on November 5, 2018

Val and I have just booked our tickets for a mid November break. I have meetings with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Toronto the week of the 26th and she is going to visit Kait and the kids in Sask. I have found a place to keep the boat in Charleston for the week that I am away and the rest of the time I will Anchor in a couple of places and do boat projects.

Haven’t really got this “selfie” thing down yet!

Yesterday we arrived in Myrtle Beach and got a marina slip. There was a bit of a mix up first thing as the marina that I had originally booked, had never heard of the booking service that I used. We were trying to make an 11:00 service at a nearby church that sounded really great. Check out Barefoot Church in North Myrtle Beach SC.

We are within striking distance of Charleston and still have about 10 days before we need to be there for Val’s flight. There are a good number of anchorages along the Wackama river that we will make use of and only go 10-15 miles each day.

Yesterday we enjoye walking on the Beach. I was talking to a local guy today that said there are 60 miles of beach! The sand was like white powder and it squeezed under Val’s bare feet!

Two days ago I had to change the Alternator back to the old one. Remember Cruising is really just boat repairs in exotic locations! The new one that I had bought this summer and installed in Maryland, failed. I spent some time with the guys at Autotec on Duke street on the phone to arange to ship it back to them when I get to Toronto. When I get to Charleston I will look for a replacement.

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At Least it’s not snowing!

by Eric Phinney on November 15, 2018

Val has left for a visit at Kait’s and I am hunkered down here in Charleston SC until I head up to Toronto for the last week of November. I do have to say that the “Southern weather” can be a bit fickle! We get one day where we comment that we have “beaten winter” or “turned the corner”… and then 5 days of overcast, wind, rain and cold tempetures. I guess we will need to press on as quick as possible when we resume our trip!

The marina viewed from about half way along the pier leading to shore

In the mean time the boat is docked at the Cooper River Marina, a state park facility on the grounds of an old Navy Base. The staff is extremely helpful and the facilities are modern, clean and well stocked. It is in the middle of nowhere but the staff will always give you a lift to do some shopping or run to the airport. I have met a couple of my neighbors and they are great people.

Found a small new church plant to attend on Sunday and made a couple of connections. We were amazed at the similarities in our walk in the church and theirs! Definitely a sense of connecting to what God is doing. I will return there for sure this Sunday.

I have begun a long list of boat projects for the time that I have on the boat alone. There are a number of “leaks” to be tracked down and fixed, some improvements to the living space as well as some electrical/mechanical issues to deal with. It is great to be located in one place so that I can order stuff and recieve it. I have found that even though we are in a major boating centre it is cheaper, easier and faster to find things on line either at Amazon or an independent dealer and have them shipped directly to the marina. I have ordered some new gaskets for the ports, a new Alternator and a spare drive belt for the Autohelm.

Here is the complete list so far and the status:

Jobs while Val is away

Remote switch for Anchor windless – done

Charging circuit for Anchor windless Battery – done

Battery Box for Windless Battery

Clean drinking water filter -done

Lift and clean dinghy. Store on deck – done

Reinstall and seal windless. – Done

Clean and mark anchor rode – on going (need to let the rope dry out, before I can paint the marks on it!)

Clean and fix oil sump and extractor pump – done

Shop for food – ongoing

Get new spare alternator – ordered

Get spare autohelm belt – ordered

Get spare oil filters ordered locally – he will call

Get oil – done

Find and fix leaks

1 Front left Staunton on pulpit done

2 Windless and foot switches. Done

3 at helm station – still a mystery, but I have some ideas!

Clean deck with hose – ongoing

Clean cockpit

Organize Vberth –

Add Velcro to screens in preparation for a climate where bugs can actually survive

Look for port window gasket – ordered

Hook on door in hanging locker

Fasten knife holder with L brackets

Get Alternator belts

Check bulbs in engine control panel

This is a Joggling board. A feature of many a fine southern home. Here is an article that explains this rather unique piece of porch furniture.

http://dhmrealestate.com/joggling-board/

We did do a day of exploring the history of Charleston when we first arrived. Spent 90 minutes on a city tour and went to the Museum. Very though provoking and informative. When Val returns we will go on a Plantation tour. I will let Val blog about this aspect of the trip as she will do it so much better then I.

Yes this is a display of Chamber Pots. That would not be unusual for any Museum. The thing that was unique about this display was its Location. It was in the “men’s room”! And yes there was a similar one in the Ladies!

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Back on the water

by Val Phinney on December 1, 2018

I think it has been a month since I have posted a rseport so I guess I am long overdue. Since Nov 13 I have been in Saskatchewan visiting with Kait, Justin, David, Nathalie and the girls. It was a great time going to Norahs hockey games, cooking and just enjoying family. I got to see a little of Cold Lake Alberta where Dave and Nathalie live. Needless to say my time flew by and it was time to head back. In Edmonton I got to visit with my brother Gerry for a few hours. Time is such a precious commodity that really one needs to cherish our moments with care. I left Canada with a thankful heart and looking forward to returning in the spring.
Eric and I returned on the same day within minutes of each other. We headed back to the boat and both were ready for a sleep. This flying is not a relaxing way to travel. In Toronto I sat in a loaded plane ready to go but had to wait for a new part to be put in the plane before we took off. Now I do appreciate the care they take in keeping us safe but I could feel myself getting anxious as we were more and more delayed. I knew I had about an hour (which I felt was great timing) to get to my connection for Charleston. Well we chewed that up in Toronto so when I got off the plane these old legs ran to the other end of the airport to see if I could catch the flight. As I was leaving the Air Canada guy had a voucher ready for me if I missed my plane. Well I made it!!!!!!!! I was the last one on with no minutes to spare.
So our first day we spent doing all the laundry we could and getting groceries so we could leave on Saturday. We decided to head out right away and not visit the plantation now and will wait until our return. We really did enjoy Charleston, the depth of history, the spirit of the place and the people. Eric went to a church there for the three Sunday’s he was there and we want to return when we come back in the spring.
I am writing as we are now on the Intra-Coastal Waterway heading to Beaufort SC (pronounced Būfort) not to be confused with Beaufort NC (pronounced Bōfort), you will be corrected if you get it wrong 😬. We have decided to push hard to Vero Beach where I have a cousin, provision the boat there and then wait for our weather window to go to the Bahamas and be there by Christmas.
So the adventure continues and we continue to search for the ever elusive warm weather. My cousin Stan tells me Vero Beach’s weather is beautiful. Let’s pray.

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Charleston is behind us now

by Eric Phinney on December 1, 2018

We were nearly a month in Charleston. At some point before we arrived I had to figure out a place that I could fly to Toronto to attend board meetings for Wycliffe Bible Translators Canada. Since I am the chair of that board I wanted to be in a place that I could prepare for a time and then fly out.

To fly out with certainty I would need to know about a month in advance where that place might be. Not having done the IWC before, I was really unsure how far we would get. Taking a very conservative approach I settled on Charleston while we were still in the Chesapeake Bay Area. Charleston has an international airport with all the major Airlines in attendance.

Upon arrival as you have already read we did some tourist things and then Val headed to Sask to visit. I spent some time prepping for the Board meeting and doing boat projects. You have already read about Vals time, so here is something about mine.

Wycliffe Bible Translators is part of a family of about 100 organizations around the world that translate the Bible into the “heart language of people”. We work usually with the established local church or other missions organizations.

Translating the scriptures used to take most of the life time of a single missionary. Years ago when missionaries were sent to remote places some were known to pack their belongings into a casket, since that was how they might very possibly return. Today a New Testament translation can be done in 6-10 years and is usually done mostly from national who have been taught how to do good translation work. Beyond translation work is also litercy and scripture use work. Often there are other ministries that spring up like church planting, education, poverty reduction, medical work, etc.

Now I know that some of you reading this blog will object strongly with the concept of bringing a western “religion” to other people groups. That is the philosophy of much of the liberal west today. Even being a christian is becoming increasingly unpopular , suspect and politically incorrect.

I meet more and more so called liberal thinking people who are intolerant of the faith that I profess. That is rather ironic because a true liberal would provide space for many viewpoints. I would like to offer a rather surprising article for skeptics to read. Even if you are not a skeptic commend this to you. I remain a believer in the Son of God and the Salvation that He so freely offers. I have always believed that it has the power to transform lives and communities.

Through our studies as board directors of Wycliffe translators, our President stumbled upon an article that draws an amazing parallel between those politically incorrect (now) conversionary missionaries and the rise of Liberal Democracy. I promise you that this is an interesting read from a very practical point of view. Another good reason to consider the claims of Christ.

Woodberry on Missions (1)

Click the link above to read the article.

One of the other significant thing that we did recently at Wycliffe was to sell our building in Toronto and move in with 5 other like minded mission agency’s to be better stewarts of our funds. The additional benefit is the building of relationships with folks engaged in the same mission.

What to see a “Stack of Bibles”?

One of our former Board Members who is now a VP of Wycliffe Canada together with another staff member made this very impressive display of scriptures that have been translated in to languages that can be understood by people in their own mother tongue. #endbiblepoverty

This is no where near all of them. Lots more in the basement.

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Bimini Bahamas! 🇧🇸

by Val Phinney on December 22, 2018

This entry may be a little longer than usual so a cup of cheer may be in order. Our crossing was quite uneventful considering all that could have gone wrong. We got up at 4 am (ridiculous, I know 😬) and we weren’t heading into the night by 4:30am. What we saw was lots of water, obviously, and lots of flying fish. At first I thought they were some type of flying bugs, they are tiny, white and they don’t just jump out of the water but can keep going for quite a long way before they head back into the ocean. We arrived into the harbour of Bimini Sands Marina and Resort around 12:30. As you are coming into the banks of Bimini the water turns that beautiful aqua colour that you see in travel magazines and it is breathtaking. So we tied up and have rented a slip for a week at a whopping cost of $100 for the week. Looking at the weather we could see a nasty storm coming for the next two days. (I told a friend in Florida that I’m sure we tied a cold front to the stern of the boat and brought it every km of the way with us). We seem to arrive and it is a nice enough day to take off your coat and enjoy the ☀️ then the coat has to go back on the next day.

We are on the South Bimini Island so have to take a ferry over to the North Bimini Island, both islands are tiny they are the smallest within the 700 islands of the Bahamas archipelagos. This island is very quiet compared to the Northern island. On the resort it has the laundry, (sketchy) wifi, showers, 2 pools and of course the beach. So the first day we were here we went to both pools with no one else in them. I think that will change the day after Christmas. They say this is the quiet week with everything ramping up for the next 3-4 months, so we will enjoy the calm before the storm.

Speaking of storm we were hit with a whale of a storm with winds up to 100 km/hr. We felt we were helping our son in law Justin to break in a horse! Eric adjusted the ropes several times (5 of them) trying to snug up the boat but just the way the wind, waves and how the tiny little harbour is we had more than 24 hours of high winds. It is still rocking and rolling a bit here but certainly has calmed down a lot. I told you Susan C we bring the cold and winds with us. 😁

So our adventures: as we go out and about we have gotten another phone card Bahamian. When we sent out the text to our kids, Kait said that’s phone number 4! Yup.🙄 But with the technology we are able to keep in touch. Thank you Lord.

Bimini’s claim to fame is Ernest Hemingway loved living here for a few years and wrote a few books while he was here as well he loved the fishing. The other person who loved to come here was Martin Luther King Jr. It was a place of rest as well as a place where it is said he wrote his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace prize that he received in 1967, I think

The character of the day is a guy called Ashley aka Dolphin Man owner of Dolphin House. Today we took a second trip to the North island and were told we had to go see the Dolphin House as a touristy trip. So we did. The island is about as wide as a football field with the geography which has a bit of a little hill down the centre and the Dolphin House is at the top of the hill. As we arrive Ashley is outside and looks like a Jamaican man with The dreads and all. As soon as he started talking I wanted to head down the hill but you know Eric he won’t walk away, so we had to go on this tour. Ashley told us how the dolphins had changed his life and he was spending the rest of his life telling people about them. SO I thought we were going to learn about the life, eco system, needs etc of the dolphin. I was thinking a biology/oceanic lesson but nope it was an artistic lauding of dolphins tiled all over the walls inside and out, (over 50 drawings/ceramic tiles) thus Dolphin House! Most of the house is made out of things that he has been able to find on the beaches or anywhere else he can scrounge, including conch shells, coral rock limestone, ceramic tiles and other building materials. He has built a house that will stand against any hurricane of which it has weathered 7 if I am correct. We had the tour and had a unbelievable view of both sides of the island standing in one spot. So I walked away pondering a couple of things, hearing about the Dolphin House I had one expectation but experienced something totally different of which I really appreciated. The other is I have such a small window of giving people a chance and yet I am the one who misses the unexpected, the out of the ordinary and maybe I need to work at hearing the full story.

We have found a church that we will go to tomorrow and to the Christmas Eve service. We will write to you again soon.

Merry Christmas to you all!

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Bimini Christmas Experience Part 1

by Eric Phinney on December 26, 2018

Most blogs that I have read about doing what we are doing talk about crossing from Miami, arriving at Bimini, spending the night or maybe one day and then pressing on across the bank to Nassau and Eluthera and the Exumas. We have been totally blessed by spending a week or a bit more here. We left Miami just before a strong wind from the SW was due to blow. The predictions showed it to be up to 50 Knots. Certainly a good protected harbor would be required. In talking with a resident of Cat Cay days later, he remarked that it was the strongest wind outside of a full hurricane that he had experienced in more than 10 years. We were very glad to have crossed and tucked into Bimini Sands marina. Bimini Sands Resort/Marina is on the South Island. Very quiet, mostly residential. The north Island has all the party life, stores, infrastructure etc. We like the South Island for its peace and solitude.

So, because of the wind storm , which lasted three days and then Christmas, we found ourselves committed to at least a week. There could be worse places to be stuck. On the first day after we arrived we headed over to the North Island and Alice Town to buy a SIM card for the Phone. We decided also to do a bit of a walking tour and visit the museum. Val has written about that already. We saw a hot-dog vendor and decided to get something to eat. The young lady who ran this was quick to invite us to Church on Sunday and it turned out to be the Anglican Parish for Bimini. We knew that we would be staying on through Christmas as well, so it was decided. She described the Christmas Eve service, starting at 11:00 with a preceding Carol Sing and followed by a breakfast/midnight fellowship. I have reported in our FB posts about our Sunday Experience please check them out. Take a look at Val’s post also about Ashley Saunders, and the Dolphin House, it is all part of the bigger story!

Rev. Colin Saunders (Saunders is a very common name) was born on the island, moved to other islands as his father moved with Customs and Emigration to further his career. He studied theology at Huron College in London Ontario and after ordination was working in the Capitol region of Nassau doing a Church plant. One day about three years ago he was invited back to his boyhood home of Bimini to attend the Ordination Service of the new Baptist Pastor. Upon hearing that he would be in town and that his old home church was with out a pastor that Sunday he was called upon to fill in. His heart was stirred as he took the service and discerned that all things were not quite as he had remembered. When he returned to Nassau he spoke to his bishop and mentioned if there was ever a vacancy at his old home church, he would like to be considered. He was appointed Rector within the year. Despite the looming knowledge that a prophet was not always welcome in his home town, he began his ministry.

We began Christmas eve by taking the boat down the coast about 5 miles with the hope to dive on a wreck. When we got there we found that the conditions were not favorable and we would have to look at this another time. We found a quiet spot in about 15 feet just of the marina on our return to anchor the boat and jumped in to do my first “snorkel inspection” of the anchor in the crystal clear water of the Bahamian Bank. What was really interesting was that you really did not even have to get into the water to see what the anchor was doing. I could watch it decent to the bottom, tip over and dig in, all from the deck of the boat. Even when I had let out 3:1 rode, I could still see the anchor burying itself. I swam on it anyway and then turned and looked at the boat floating, as if in air, and could see well beyond it as well!

When we got back to the harbor I thought it would be good to see about Coconuts. I had asked the marina manager if it was ok to take one. He wondered why I might want to do so and said go ahead. I found a tree with some large ones that seemed ready and right there in the brush near by was a 15 foot piece of aluminum structural component that was just perfect for knocking those nuts out of the tree. Two swipes and two were on the ground. I found a YouTube later on that showed a guy shucking a coconut in 6 seconds. He did about 1000 a day. My first attempt was about an hour! Knowing what I know now about these beasts, I think I can best that time for the next one. Shucking is only the first part. Now you have to get the water out, crack it and get the meat out, but most of us have done that before.

We made a few phone/video calls to family while we waited for night fall. This has been one of the most difficult things: to be physically away from family during the holiday. It is nice to have the technology to talk and text and post to one another, but nothing can replace the times of visiting from house to house and hosting grand feasts. I don’t recommend being away for Christmas, it is a lonely experience.

This is the ferry dock on South Bimini looking to the North Island. You can see it approaching.

It might take up to an hour to get to church so we set out at about 9:40 pm, heading for at 10:45 pm Carol sing and an 11:00 pm service. We were early as the ferry was just arriving as we got to the dock.

Alice Town is like any other place with the good the bad the beautiful and the ugly. We have walked through the town several times now and are very aware of the more sketchy parts and the spirit that seems to go along with them. There is one particular Tiki bar in the middle of town that plays loud music seemingly 24 hours a day, whether there are customers there or not. Sunday morning it was blaring out music at about 8:30 in the morning!

That part of town has a certain darkness to it. Lots of little bars that are dark on the inside along side mini casinos, with no windows. We were also seeing people young an old driving around in golf carts with open beer. One telling sign was the fact that when you are in the liquor store there is a bottle opener beside the cash! In speaking with Pastor Colin later on he said that there are laws but they are largely ignored because of the rich tourists and not wanting to offend them. What has happened is that the locals now take it as a given and walk around with open drink all the time. It was perfectly normal to see a young man or young woman at 9:00am on Sunday morning walking or driving down the main road with a half consumed beer.

As I had mentioned in my FB post about sunday church, it was not that well attended, but what it lacked in numbers was more than offset by the quality and engagement in worship. We arrived plenty early (I think we were the first ones) We watched as people began to arrive. Those leading the service, Choir members, Lay-readers, Servers etc. I think that there were only about a dozen of us in the pews when the Choir leader stood and announced that it was time to begin singing carols. I though to my self: this is going to be a disaster, there are not enough people here. To my surprise as he lifted up his voice, the congregation responded and filled in every harmony with the richness of any trained choir that I have ever heard…. and the choir largely had not arrived! Carol after carol was sung and more people arrived. The rest of the Choir, the organist and more of the congregation. By then end we were enveloped in a full sound of glory in the highest. The service was now ready to begin.

As I described in an earlier post the style of service is very formal and Anglo-Catholic. Complete with everything you can imagine from this tradition. Incense, Sanctus Bells, as many as a dozen people assisting in some capacity with the service, candles, full liturgy. What set it apart in my mind was that there was an welcoming openness for the informal as well, and the moving and filling of the holy Spirit. This service would normally have taken about an hour in Canada, was just over two hours here in the Bahamas. Every symbol, action and word was open and available for the fullness of the glory of God to inhabit it.

We began with the blessing of the cradle, complete with procession, incense and singing. Then it was on to the opening carol and so on. Everything in the liturgy was sung with depth, and conviction. My though as we were singing the great Carols of the Nativity was this: This is how I have always imagined these songs to be sung. The only thing that came close in my experience, were the times that the clergy of my diocese got together for conference or retreat and we would sing well known hymns together. This was always good. Everyone singing songs they know well. But alas this experience has been eclipsed by the humble ordinary people of a small island in the Bahamas.

After the service we went over to the hall for “All kinds of Fellowship” I checked with Colin the Rector to see if there were others there from South Bimini so that we could be guaranteed a way back to Tevah. I suspected that the Ferry would stop running around midnight. In fact by the time I asked, the Ferry had already been put away for the night. We were glad to find a couple that could transport us back to the ferry landing. They had a small boat.

The fellowship went on past 02:00 am complete with Johnny cake, hominy, fish and chicken boiled in gravy, coffee, tea, wine, rum, beer, eggnog. Thanks to the kindness of a couple we were introduced to we got back to the boat just before 3:00 am

Christmas in the Bahamas!

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Bimini Christmas Experience Part 2

by Eric Phinney on December 26, 2018

During the service Christmas Eve, an older man got up to read the Old Testament Lesson. You would recognize it; from Isaiah 9 “for unto us a child is born” It was read with a deep conviction and drama; so much so that you would think that the author himself was rehearsing it. As we passed the peace later in the service I spoke to the man and told him what a blessing it was for us to hear him read. I said that we had sailed down from Canada. He said; That is good. I build boats. I told him that I was an amature boat builder as well. After the service Ansil invited me to come to his Boat Shop. I protested and said; but tomorrow is Christmas day. He assured me that he would be there from around 9 to 4. That is his routine, Christmas or not.

I spoke to him again at the fellowship time, just to make sure and then said that I would be over in the morning.

He had given me the instructions that his boat shop was north of the power plant, down by the basket ball court, right out on the water. I found it easily. Ansil comes from 5 generations of Boat Builders and is the last boat builder on Bimini. He has not been able to find an apprentice. He says that they might acquire the skills, but they don’t have the heart and passion for it and quit after a short while saying it it two hard.

Boat building for Ansil has really just been a part time thing for him. His real passion is Bone Fish. You have to hunt them and stalk them like deer he says. You must see them first and cast the bait just in front of them or else you will spook them and they run. He built a boat for himself so that he could become the best bone fish guide in the area, and indeed he has been dubbed “Bone Fish Legend”

Indeed he did become that and lead a client to catch the biggest bone fish ever. Still unsurpassed. This in my mind, though a great story was not what impressed me the most. It is well known that Martin Luther King used to come to Bimini to write his speeches. Ansil was asked to take Dr. King to as secluded place so that he could write (as it turned out, his last speech) I will not try to describe this myself but refer you on to some videos that I have also posted on FB The one by the fishing show I think gives one of the best accounts of this relationship and encounter.

With regard to his boat building he designed and built the perfect boat for bone fishing and had build and sold a good many of these at florida boat shows. He has one order to go and also he needs to repair his own. It came to an untimely end as he was navigating a canal at speed and hit a rock or concrete block that had been dumped in the waterway. It holed the boat and sunk her. She rolled over under the weight of the engine and tore her transoom off. The boat sits in his shop now awaiting some materials. He has a sale for her, but must repair her and likely replace her engine. I will post below some other interviews with Ansil. He told me many other things about the history of Bimini. About Hemingway, Shark research, Conch, the Sport Fishing industry and family. And as it turns out Ashley (the Dolphin house) is his brother! He has another brother Tommy who makes jewelry. Three brothers whose ancestors arrived centuries before from Scotland and married Bahamian women.

For more about Ansil Saunders look in youtube

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Two Days for West Cove

by Eric Phinney on December 31, 2018

This is Aviva. It was anchored beside us when we were in New York. I talked with one of the guests who was heading out for some kind of business meeting. He said that they were heading to the Bahamas as well. He mentioned that they usually don’t go into Nassau but rather a super yacht in Albany. Aviva is anchored just outside Albany now. It is actually so big that they have to take one of their Dinghys in to visit the Marina!

We have crossed the Bank and the Tongue and arrived at New Providence Island. We had no desire to go into the overly touristy and expensive Nassau, so we opted for a night stop at a protective cove on the west end of the Island. The plan was to sleep and then head for the Exumas. Plans change and there does not seem to be a weather prediction service that is reliable. We set out at dawn with moderate Easterlies as predicted. I noticed that the engine Temperature was running too high. Since we were only in about 12 feet of water we anchored to investigate. The clouds closed in, the wind began to blow and it also rained. I dove over the side to check the intake -ok. Then I pulled the strainer-ok. I opened the water pump to check the impellor-ok. Put everything back together and it seemed to be ok. It could be that something had fowled the intake and then washed away. Temp was back down to normal. The problem was we had lost a lot of time and now the wind had piped up. There was no way we could make Highbourn Cay before dark, so we returned to West Bay.

I began to read up about local attractions as I had not planned a visit to explore. Take a look at what I found in the link below.

Check it out…Flipper and Jaws!

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Tropic of Cancer

by Eric Phinney on January 12, 2019

Yesterday we did a road trip down long Island. Along they way we crossed the “Tropic of Cancer” You can click on the link to see why that is significant! Let me back up a bit and cover the time from Black Point to where we are now and then say a bit about what is to come. (I will do this over a couple of posts) You can check out our FB pages to see some pics and some of our experiences along the way.

After we left Black point we went out into the ocean through a cut in the islands. The reason for this is that the inside gets very shallow and you have to travel significantly further to get to your destination. I decided it would be good to break it up into a two day journey to Georgetown. Upon reading the reviews and recommendations I settled on Lee Stocking Island as our stop over. A short day sail with good protection. We could wait there for a weather window if needed.

We set out the next morning and had an uneventful passage down the Exuma chain and made our entrance through Adderly Cut and found our way around to the anchorage in front of the old Caribbean Marine Research Center. This is an abandoned station, that has been bought by a developer to make a high end marina someday. We have noticed that there are loads of places like this where there has been a start and a stop and an abandonment of development. Things happen on island time… or they just don’t happen at all. If someone happens to tell you that they will be putting a roof on a new building next week, chances are they have been saying that for 10 years or so. They might put a roof on it in the future or maybe not at all.

We spent the night and since the weather looked strongish the next morning we thought that we might spend one more day to let it settle some more as we did have to go out the cut into Exuma Sound again. It was at about 11:00am that we discovered we had no more fresh water. Not a problem I thought as I turned the valve for our 40 gallon reserve tank…… not a drop! Still not sure what happened but I suspect that I did not have the valve fully off and over the last couple of months the contents of it drained into our other two tanks! I used to regularly check it and top it off when I filled the other tanks, but it was never down, till today!

I knew that we were going to soon need water and also to top off on fuel and would like to do that before Georgetown, since there is no dock in GT that you can do those two jobs. In GT you need to take the dinghy into the town dock with jugs and lug back water and fuel. One would think that with 300-500 boats sitting in the harbour for months at a time, someone would have put in a proper fuel dock!

Our only option was a rather high end Marina about 13 miles away called the Marina at Emerald Bay. It is a Sandals Resort. The entrance is tricky, especially in East winds over 20. It was blowing a solid 15. I called them to ask about their entrance and they assured me it was passable. You do have to radio ahead to make sure that the channel is clear of traffic as you approach because you can’t necessarily see vessels that are about to leave.

The most exciting part of the day was about to happen. There is a phenomenon that some of you will be familiar with called “Wind against Current” When this happens the waves get steeper, break and get higher too. As we left Adderly Cut this was what we encountered. Two knots of current flowing out vs. 15 knots of wind coming in. The sailing instructions said to veer off the main channel as soon as you had cleared the submerged reefs at the entrance of the cut….. but not too soon. Waves were breaking at about 8-10 feet and we were taking some water over the bow. This is usually fine, since the boat is well designed to shed water and continue on.

When it is hot we open our hatches…….

Usually we close them before we head out….

After the first wave Val went below to secure the hatches but was unable to move toward the forward hatch due the the motion of the boat and a couple more waves soaked our sheets and mattress!

By the time we got things battened down we were out of the channel and on our way to the Marina.

At one point I saw three flying saucers… not UFOs but actual corelle saucers flying from the port side of the galley across to the navigation station. Thankyou Dow Corning and NASA engineers for coming up with a material that can stand high impact and not break!

The entrance to the marina was as advertised. We got in, took fuel and water and got out in less than an hour. One of the good things was that because the water was metered and our tanks were completely emptied we got a measurement on our capacity for water. We now know that the two side tanks are 25 gallons and the forward one is 40. I had always thought it was more than that and wondered if because of the position of the tanks they were never emptied. Now I know. 12 gallons of fuel and 90 gallons of water cost $103. Now to Georgetown.

The timing was tight. I did not want to be doing the tricky dogleg route into Elizabeth harbour in less than ideal light, even along the deep water route. We still had 15 knots on the beam so we would be able to make it before sun set.

Georgetown and Elizabeth Harbour, for most people that go there, is the “end of the rainbow” ; It is the pot of gold and the final destination. Each year yachting snowbirds sail toward Georgetown, drop the hook and don’t go any further for 2-3 months. There is a very organized community there that can fulfil every interest.

We entered the harbour and found a spot right in front of Chat N Chil and dropped the hook. Within the next few minutes we heard a chorus of Conch shells being blown to signal the setting of the Sun! We have arrived!

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Tropic of Cancer part 2

by Eric Phinney on January 12, 2019

We passed a quiet (non-rolly) night in front of Chat N Chill Our plan was to wait until about noon and then head across to Long Island. My cousin Peter has a place there in Calabash Bay on Galliot Cay. He and his family arrived on Dec 27 and will be leaving on the 15th, so our timing was just right, but we don’t want to waste any time. We go ashore in the morning to watch some of the volleyball tournament that has been organized and walk around the general vacinity. We participate in the cruisers net on Channel 72 which takes every morning. There is a whole range of information passed on this 1/2 hour special two way radio show! We check in and say that we are going to leave and return in about a week.

On the beach we find a pole with over 100 signs pointing to destinations all around the world where boats have sailed to Georgetown. We do not see one for Saint John, so when we return there tomorrow that will be one of the projects. Here is what we will put on the sign: Saint John NB 20M 1390NM This is to say that Saint John is found at 20 degrees magnetic bearing at a distance of 1390 Nautical Miles.

At about noon we depart Elizabeth Harbour for Long Island. It takes us about 4 hours to cross the sound and we anchor just up the beach from Peters house.

The road up to the Yellow House — The road up to the yellow house

They are busy that night but we make arrangements to meet them the next morning. The anchorage is known to have swell in it and we do not sleep well. At about 7 in the morning just after sun up we move the boat down to the inlet to Joe Sound. This is a very narrow pass that goes into a sound behind Galliot Cay. It has total protection from surge and there are often 4 or 5 boats in there. We anchor so I can take the dinghy in to survey the cut. The actual route in is only about 25 feet wide with jagged rocks and a wreck around the entrance. Clearly you want to do this against a small current, with really good light. The water is so clear that it is very difficult to judge the depth. You might think that it is 4 or 5 feet when it is in fact 20. After I take the dinghy in twice I have found the sandy path that avoids the reef. Ive also determined the bearing to be about 72 deg M. There are a couple of markers; one a stake and the other a buoy, but they seem to be marking some deceptively shallow points as a warning where not to head toward. Once I have found the path it is and easy albeit heart stopping transit.

Pete and Christy see that we have moved down to the entrance of Joe Sound and they join us via Kayak. After a few minutes we go into the anchorage area and secure the boat with two anchors in line with the current. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbhUMQjaySg Here is a great video that describes how to do this.

The Columbus monument. This was the third place that Christopher Columbus jade land fall and the first place that he could get fresh water. We saw the pump he must have used that day as well !

Val and I are treated to amazing hospitality during our days here at “The Yellow house” , including a day trip down the island to see various churches and buildings and land features. Toward the end we come to Deans Blue Hole. This is a geological phenomenon that is quite common here in the Bahamas but it happens to be the deepest one in the world. So much of the Bahama bank is only about 15 feet deep. The Blue hole is over 600 feet straight down. It is used for the worlds free diving competition. If you google Deans Blue Hole you will find lots of information. We climbed the cliff beside it to get a view from the top.

We dined at a marina on the atlantic side and made multiple stops on the way down and back, looking for a variety of items. This is a normal shopping day.

Very unique church, built by the priest, who then became an Anglican and built a second church

The highlight however of the whole stay will have to be how we came to an understanding of law enforcement.

The day before Peter and I went out to the local gas Station to pick up some white wine. They were meeting with some other guests that night and needed to bring some wine. Unknown to us it was a newly instituted holiday. (Majority Rule Day) Look it up; it is quite a story in itself. When we arrived at the Gas Station/Liquor store the door was locked and there were about a dozen customers waiting around with the understanding that the owner would be back “Soon” remember we are on “Island Time” After about 20 minutes he does show up. Peter asks him if he has white wine and the owner says he has a good selection. Peter then goes in behind the counter and comes up with four bottles of Chardonnay, perfect for the occasion. We each come out and place the bottles carefully in the back seat. Just as we close the doors of the truck we hear the unmistakable WOOP Woop of a police siren. We see that the local constable has blocked us in with his police Jeep. We think that this is just a friendly greeting as Peter knows just about everyone on the island. It is not. A very officious young constable, badge number 313, begins to ask very specific questions. He asks if we had just purchased something from the establishment. We acknowledge that we have. He asks if it was alcoholic beverage. We say yes.

About this point he begins to tell us that we are not in any trouble but that the vendor is. He explains that this vendor has been warned multiple times not to be open on a national holiday. He may be now facing a fine of $5000 for this infraction and it looks like the constable has him cold! The officer takes our statements and then HE TAKES THE WINE! as evidence! He says that we are welcome to asked the vendor to return the money that was paid, but Peter refuses. This is a guy that Peter has known for 30 years! We really think that what was happening was that the constable was hiding around the corner waiting for someone to come out carrying a bottle of something! He never would admit to that, claims he was just driving by.

On our way home I get a call from the officer asking if he can come by in the morning to take our statement. I tell him that we are not going to be around tomorrow. Once we do get home he calls me again to say that he is on his way to talk to us and get a written/signed statement. This is beginning to remind me of Alice’s’ Restaurant. He shows up about 15 minutes later after calling one more time to get directions. (There is only one road on Galliot Cay. There is only one yellow house, which is known as “The Yellow House”

When Constable Rolles arrives he takes Peters statement and Peter signs it. We talk about all kinds of other things, like his family name and where he is from, alcohol laws, driving laws; Peter had just got a ticket from this guy the week before for doing 30 in a 20. The normal rate of speed in a 20 is about 50. Even the constable would acknowledge that. And of course we get the history of Majority Rule Day.

I ask him about open liquor in a vehicle or in a public place and there is nothing wrong with that. You just can’t be “under the influence” An open bottle of Kalik in a vehicle is a pretty normal thing. As a matter of fact when you purchase beer in any location the cashier will offer to open one before you go out the door. Such service!

At this point we figure the matter is closed and the wheels of justice will begin to move and justice will be accomplished in somone’s eyes.

The next morning as we are setting out for our road trip down the island to the Blue Hole and other places, my phone rings again. I now recognise Constable Rolls Number. He asks us if we can come into the Police Station. Chief wants to meet with Peter. Peter knows this guy but has not seen him for a decade. We arrive at a little group of buildings that include: The Anglican Rectory, the old police Station, A slightly newer police Station, Her Majestys Prison, the Department of Motor Vehicles and some other government offices. Peter and I go into the Station house and Val and Christy go to see what the Jail looks like.

Jail where we thought Peter was going to end up

I am told to wait in the waiting area and Peter goes out back, where I hear the clang of a barred door shutting! He is in there for quite a long time. I talk with Constable Rolls and his sergeant. He seems a bit nervous.

Finally I hear the sound of glass bottles and realize that the Chief is giving Peter back his wine. All is well. All was just a misunderstanding! Even the speeding ticket has disappeared.

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Pigs, Iguanas and Family

by Val Phinney on February 6, 2019

Hi everyone, it has been a while since I have written a blog and my dear mother in law reminded me of such yesterday so I guess this one is for you Ruth Anne.
Eric has pretty much kept you up to date to our little day sails to different points here in the south of the Exuma Chain of Islands. The Bahamas are 700 islands with only 30 inhabited, this is not counting the Cays (keys). The islands are divided up like provinces, ie; Berry Islands, Abacos, Bimini, Grand Bahama, Andros, Exumas, Long Island, and there are others. We have visited very few when you consider the vastness of the area that these islands would have. So we are just finishing a 4 week visit in the Exuma and Long Island area.
This past week, Jan 27 – Feb 3, we had Andrew and Amy come and spend time with us. For me, it was just what the doctor ordered. It was such a blessing to have them with us, even though Amy was pretty sick when she arrived, we were concerned that they might not make it! I’m sure it was out of her sheer will that she got here. While they were here Amy had a few activities on her wish list, seeing the swimming pigs and iguanas and Andrew wanted to snorkel and scuba dive. I think we checked everything on their list and maybe a few more experiences.
On Monday it was overcast and we pretty much relaxed. Amy was pretty much spent from the travel, short on sleep from coughing and getting up early to catch their plane. Eric and Andrew went into Georgetown in the evening for Rake and Scrape. It is the type of music that is native to the Bahamas. It involves hand made drums(Goombay), hand saw/hammer, guitar, accordion and what other instruments might be available. On Mondays you can go the local pub and possibly join the ad hoc band. Andrew got the privilege and joy to play with them for a song, I know he would have loved to play with them more but it was not to be.
Tuesday we sailed to White Bay Cay (key) . On White Bay Cay we saw the swimming pigs. Yes they do swim….. out to your inflatable dinghy…. and then try to get in so they can eat all the carrots FIRST! Yikes!!!! They are quite aggressive, they don’t share well to the point of biting each other, running each other over so they can get the carrots, hmmmm so when you call someone a pig it is definitely not a compliment. It was wild there for a while, you had to hide that you had any carrots or they would be all over you. As soon as we ran out of carrots they literally ignored us, the ungrateful wretches! They just threw themselves down on the sand and went to sleep which was nice for us, since we could then look around and we found 2 litters of piglets who were about 3 weeks old.
Wednesday we went over to Leaf Cay to see the rock iguanas. On this wee island there are about forty iguanas of all sizes sitting on the beach. We had cabbage to feed these much more patient and polite reptiles. Yes some of the old codgers were staring each other down but none of us felt we in danger of getting our fingers bit off or toes trampled on.
Thursday -Saturday we hiked, snorkeled, scuba dived, got tattooed and just enjoyed one another. Sunday came all too early and I must say they were wishing they could stay as well. They returned tanned, relaxed, refreshed and for Amy almost healed ready to return to the winter life looking forward to spring to come soon.
We now have done laundry, got some provisions and today (Feb 6) we are now heading back up the Bahama islands. We are going to stop in a few places that we didn’t get to see on the way down. I have another blog percolating in my head that I will write soon. Thanks for following us

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Baseball and Willie Nelson, Gators and Strawberries

by Eric Phinney on March 3, 2019

We have been in Vero Beach Fl now for just over two weeks. Let me recount our return from the Bahamas first and then bring you up to the present and have a look into the next season for us.

After we said goodbye to Andrew and Amy we began the journey north up the Exuma Chain of Islands. We hit a couple of places along the way that we missed on our way down, notably Stanial Cay and Compass Cay. Pigs, Caves, Sharks etc.

One of the things that has become clear is that not many people actually live in the Exumas other than Black Point and Georgetown.

Many of the other places are really just Marinas for mega yachts and extremely expensive.

To change things up a bit we decided to go into Nassau for a couple days to see where most of the people actually do live.

I met the Bishop of the Bahamas while I was there and got some insight into the nature of the church. I am impressed with the overall health and ministry of this part of the Anglican family.

Our plan was to sail from Nassau to Mackie Shoal, and then to Bimini,and then finally to Ft. Lauderdale. Due to circumstances beyond our control (weather), 29 hours after we left Nassau we pulled into Lake Sylvia in Ft Lauderdale. The weather was mostly great….except for the last hour, when we found ourselves under a thunder cell. Rain and Wind.

The next day we moved up to West Palm and picked up Stan and Susan, Val’s cousin. We then traveled up the ICW as far as Stuart where we enjoyed a Cruisers Pot Luck and live music. The final leg to Vero happened the next day.

Vero Beach is known by cruisers as Velcro Beach. I asked one cruiser when he got back from the Bahamas and he said in less than a month it would be one year! It really is a great place and I could totally understand someone sailing down from Canada and just stopping here for the winter. Everything you need is here.

While here we have seen Aligators, Manetees, Pigs, Baseball, Willie Nelson and eaten a lot of Strawberries.

See our FB posts for details and pics

We are heading back over to Tampa on Tuesday to attend a conference about Seafarers sponsored by the North American Maritime Ministry organization. When we return we will begin to move the boat North again. Out plans are to stop in a few places that have some history to absorb, notably St Augustine, Savannah, and Charleston again.

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A Re-Visit to St Augustine

by Val Phinney on March 13, 2019

I did promise another blog sooner than this but have failed in that sorry.We spent almost 3 weeks in Vero Beach at my cousins, Stan and Susan, ahhhhh family there is nothing like it. I wanted to acknowledge the people who we have met over the past months. We have seen and experienced many wonderful unique events and Eric and I couldn’t have imagined the joy and awe in God’s creative hand. The fish, underwater beauty, flowers, islands, I could go on and on BUT I want to say that as we are now turned around and heading North I am reflecting on the individuals that we have been impacted by. Some we know their names and some we don’t yet my life is fuller because of them. Everyone from Miss Alice in Elizabeth City to Fr. Ethan in Georgetown Bahamas, each person I saw a passion in them to live beyond their own wants and needs, to give, love and bless others. During this Lenten season I am challenged that this is what living and life is all about, to love, give and see others in a gracious, merciful and sacrificial way.

Now here we are back in St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest city in the US and saw many different countries govern them over a 200 year period. The architecture is spectacular and the history is deep. When we were here in December we only saw the external buildings and read a tiny bit of the history. In December we knew we would come back and stay for a few days and really take our time and explore the city which we did! This city has been governed by the Spanish, British, Spanish, and finally the Americans. In the early years the French Huguenots also made an appearance and bid for Florida. What all this change of governments did was to create a very diverse community that was a welcoming and safe place to live. There was an underground railroad that led south as well as north, Florida was the destination for slaves who were on the run from plantations just up north.

A huge part of the history here is from a man by the name of Henry Flagler. He seems to be the man who could see the potential of tourism in St Augustine. He built a beautiful hotel which today is Flagler College, plus another hotel, several churches(Grace Methodist, Ancient City Baptist and Memorial Presbyterian Church),a railway, and a hospital! Each building is quite extravagant in design having Mr. Tiffany designing beautiful stained glass and nothing but the best for his buildings. Our heads are on overload with all the information and history that we have taken in these last few days. We visited the Catholic Church and the Presbyterian churches and wow!!!! They were beautiful. After we visited the churches in the morning we did a Winery tour, a Distillery tour and a Micro Brewery in the afternoon! A bit of a fall from grace, maybe??

By the time the 50 & 60’s segregation was quite entrenched in St Augustine and became a pivotal city regarding the civil rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr marched here, it was the only other city that he marched in other than his participation in the march in Selma Alabama.

This city is full of history, architecture, and fabulous food. If you are heading to Florida and have a little time stop in and enter a city that will entertain you, teach you and just fill you with awe. As you can see we have quite enjoyed the days that we have spent here. Tomorrow morning we will head off and continue up the ICW.

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