"Egret" N4674 - Scott and Mary Flanders
Ed. note: On February 10, 2011, Scott and Mary Flanders, on board their Nordhavn 46, Egret, arrived in the Canary Islands. In doing so, Egret became the eighth Nordhavn to circumnavigate the globe. It had been four years, five months since the couple departed Gran Canaria, intent on seeing as much of the earth as possible, although not necessarily with an end goal to circle the globe. Voyage of Egret documents the Flanders’ entire trip, an endless adventure that has put them in touch with the most fabulous places and interesting people. Much route planning and forecasting was required in order to get to some of their ports of call. But the days of detailed planning are over…for now. “Egret” is now back in Fort Lauderdale, the place the couple called home for so many years, and, ironically, the starting point of their world wide cruising escapade that began with the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally in 2004. They currently travel hither and yon, sometimes by boat, sometimes not. Here, the latest update from the Flanders as they keep us continually apprised.
April 23, 2012
Position: 24 35.50N 76 48.70W
Norman's Cay, Exuma Island chain, Bahamas (Be sure and check out the google earth photo of Norman's. You can probably see the sand flats we talked about.)
Hey mon - mis amigos, Egret is in the Bahamas. Actually she isn't in the Bahamas yet. I promised the next VofE from the Bahamas but a recollection of an event last summer had MS and I giggling when we talked about it so we thought we would pass along a little cruising story.
We met a mixed language couple (UK English - Deep South American) on a big Halburg Rassey (sailboat) in Nova Scotia last summer. They had been on an OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) outing in Newfoundland and were working their way south as most long distance cruisers do moving by the season. There were also a number of other OCC members we met making their way south but they aren't part of this particular story. So we kinda bounced along together and met by chance here and there. When we did it was the usual back and forth to boats for sunset medicine or dinner at times. We spent some days together with our now small familiar group of south bounders in Port Washington, NY - the rail gateway to NYC.
We last met in Annapolis, Md. Egret was leaving the next day so we said our goodbye's and see you when we see you the night before. They were heading to the Caribbean and Egret to Florida. So we left at daybreak with just a teeny tiny hint of sun lighting the gloom. Egret was anchored in a 42' hole where none of the usual coastal weenies dared anchored so we had it all to ourselves. The Halburg was anchored off the Naval Academy. Up came TK and we decided to pay one last visit. So Egret idled over and when her bow was a few feet from their stateroom (aft stateroom) we hit the bow thruster back and forth. Noise travels 25 times faster underwater. It must have sounded like a failed North Korean missile launch underwater next to their little sleepy heads. So we did the thruster deal a while and finally up popped a head all wild eyed, not focusing much because his head looked like a swivel trying desperately to see who or what was going to send them down to the dark place a thousand pieces dead. Of course he didn't have a lot on. Finally he figured out what was whipping then an arm only held up a pair of shorts to cover whatever. Then the other half arrived in a bathrobe. So we had a good giggle and said our goodbye's once again.
It's the people and small incidents like this that make cruising what it is. And it's Real Good.
Later. It was a Costco and Fresh Market day. Costco for stuff, Fresh Market for meat and more cheese. Egret's shopping goes like this; how much more room do we have in the freezer? OK, lets get some more. No meal planning, just stuffing everything to the max. Mary has spent the past couple hours repackaging the meat and shrimp into two person meals then putting it into the freezer. When we have a choice we like to freeze everything solid on shore power before heading off. So the lazarette is full of amber liquid, the freezers are full and the forward stateroom looks like a supermarket. We even bought BOTTLES of NZ wine instead of the usual le cask de cardborde' good enough wine. Of course it was half price of what we could buy it for in NZ, even though it was grown and produced a few kilometers from Dickiedoo's house. Go figure. Tuesday will be the last run for fresh veggies and if there is room left after tonight's freezer stuffing, we'll buy some more.
Hopefully we can leave Wed at daybreak but if it is blowing like today (Sat) we'll sit a bit. We can't wait to get under way again. The trip from Ft Lauderdale to the Bahamas Bank is a daylight crossing. We will probably run until dark and anchor on the Bank and run into Chub Key (Berry Islands) the next day to clear. It wasn't that many years ago we made our first Bahamas crossing in a fishing boat. It was not pretty (navigation) but we made it. We all start somewhere just as you did or will. I promise it gets easier each time as you get more experience. Whatever you do, do not be intimidated by the Egret's of the world or any other boats you may be following. None are smarter or braver than you. We all just started earlier. No biggie as you will see in time and join our group.
Speaking of that, we heard from N46 Starlite today (Mark and Jennifer). We met Starlite in Newport and met occasionally on the way south. This past winter they made it part way into the Caribbean. Currently they are in Long Island, Bahamas and plan to run offshore in a week or so to their home town of Jacksonville, Florida. From Jacksonville the course will be to Bermuda, Azores and Gibraltar. Exciting isn't it? We wished them the best and are excited for them.
So how did Mark and Jennifer learn? They followed the rules. Coastal cruising came first, Then Starlite stretched the miles and particularly miles in the SE trades that puff during the winter in the Caribbean. Mark is a hands on guy, both now know Starlite well and they are Ready. When Starlite reaches Bermuda they will be just as excited and proud as every other boater over the years that arrived on their own bottom the first time, power or sail. Plastic can't buy that feeling. You must earn it. You must pay the price.
Egret is getting closer to leaving. Today (Sunday) Mary and I looked at the Explorer Chart booklet for the Near Bahamas and chose a different route than before that should save a few mles and extra crabbing against the Gulf Stream. So then we put in the waypoints all the way to Chub Key where Egret will clear. We always start with waypoint #2. Waypoint #1 is named FLL - Ft Lauderdale. We entered that waypoint on May 16th, 2004 when Egret left on the NAR. Passing the Ft Lauderdale sea buoy I punched Waypoint Instant Save on the GPS and it has been there ever since. From time to time, here and there I hit the FLL waypoint to see how far away Egret was from FLL. At times it was well over 3,000nm. Of course that was as the crow flies, across continents and so forth. Today it is 1.66nm. Kinda cool, eh?
Last VofE we reported buying fuel from Anchor Petroleum in Ft Lauderdale. What we quoted in VofE was not correct. We quoted $3.74, it was delivered at $3.68, however on top of that was sales tax. So the total ended up being $3.92 for cash. Yes it is expensive but if you look at the Big Picture, 6 weeks or so in the Bahamas is certainly worth the price paid for fuel. I doubt Egret will burn any more than the 350 gallons she took (leaving a 250 gallon reserve), including generator burn. Early on we used to worry about things like this but not anymore. We look at the big picture and it is what it is. Sure beats watching TV.....or gasp.....oh my.....werking. I can't even bring myself to spell it correctly anymore.
In the Schedule department, we kinda got a reprieve of sorts. My cataract eye deal that I was jumping thru hoops for is off for the time being. I'm going to go with what I have and deal with it in the fall. So now the pressure is off and we can do what we choose.
OK, finally, Egret cleared the jetties at Port Everglades (Ft Lauderdale) at 0715 Wed am. At 0830 the giantus two speed meat stick (grande fishing rod) went off and soon after a nice fat wahoo came aboard.
So now the freezer is stuffed beyond stuffed with 12 - 2 person packs of wahoo. Wahoo is one of the best tasting fish in the ocean. We quit fishing. The run across the Gulf Stream was predictably slow because Egret was crabbing against the current. At it's peak, the Gulf Stream cranks at 3.5 knots. We ran until about 2100 then anchored on the Bank in 15'. This morning (Thurs) we were under way again at 0700 and had an easy ride into Chub. Her slowest speed - 3 knots - came when avoiding a ship and running directly into the current, and her fastest was 7.9 knots as she dropped off the Bank into the Tongue of the Ocean running with the tide. Egret ran 1450 rpm for the trip.
Egret didn't clear in Chub. The robber barons have a well devised plan to strip passing yachties of their green. Either you dock and take a taxi to the airport to clear or pay the fuel dock one hundred greenbacks for the privilege of them handing you the customs forms, Then it is off to the airport by taxi. Ain't gonna do it. Tomorrow we'll head the 35nm across the Northeast Providence Channel to Nassau and clear there. For the same price Egret can be a Marina Queen for a day and have her new outboard delivered to the dock. So we'll see how this works tomorrow. Egret will be in the Exuma Islands sooner than expected.
In all fairness, I will have to say the new marina in Chub is beautiful with a giantus clubhouse and floating docks as nice as anywhere. Other than sport fish from 40 to 75', the majority of boats in the marina were in the 80 - 120' range. While it was still daylight a large tender from the marina was pulling a water skier thru the anchorage giving the half dozen or so boats a rock and roll job. It must be nice to be Blessed. I suppose the privileges of a few of the Blessed are thoughtlessness and inconsideration.
When Egret arrived in the Chub anchorage there was a French sailboat on anchor. We went by in the dinghy and 'bonjoured' them, had a brief chat and headed to the marina. Later a few coastal cruiser sailboats and a small powerboat came into the anchorage. The powerboat had an aluminum Fortress anchor. It was useless in the hard bottom and a bit of grass. Finally they found a sand spot and anchored. Later a 35ish sailboat came in with a small Bruth anchor, a bit of chain and no windlass. The owners were an elderly couple with the gent on the bow. Here again, a Bruth doesn't do well in a bottom like this. So they tried to set several times and finally got a teense of hold. This morning Mary saw they had dragged during the night, in 10 knots of wind, and fortunately hooked the French boat's chain and didn't go on the rocks, and again fortunately, didn't turn the French boat loose. So it was a cluster when the French boat tried to leave early but they were kind and it got sorted in the end. The small sailboat headed for the marina.
We won't get into an anchor discussion because it is not solvable but will say it pays to take advantage of modern anchors with a roll bar design or the French spade design. This is particularly true with smaller boats. I will say we have friends that both have 300lb - 136kg plow anchors on their N62's and they work well. However a small plow doesn't fall into the good to have category in my opinion for smaller boats.
Here's where the catch lies in anchor tests. Straight line pull in optimal conditions are one thing. In real life cruising with multiple bottom conditions and particularly in conditions where the sea breeze or current changes direction is where an anchor should be graded if an anchor test is to be useful. Many or even most anchors may set in one direction in good holding but when the wind starts puffing then swings, most anchors can't cope with the change in direction and start dragging, particularly in any bottom but pure sand or clay. I could give multiple examples but won't so just take this ramble for what it's worth.
So Egret left this morning at 0700 heading for Nassau*. Once the near shore chop settled we put out a couple worms to see what would snap. Mary ended up reeling in a couple small dolphin (mahi mahi) so now the freezer is Really stuffed and some in the fridge for later. Nassau harbor had 3 mega cruise ships docked. We putted past those giants then when Egret got close to Nassau Yacht Haven we gave them a buzz on VHF 72. Of course we didn't have reservations but were lucky and got the last slip. Customs didn't show so I took a handheld VHF in case they did, and went across the street to the Yamadog dealer and bought the last 15hp 2 stroke in stock. The owner said they ordered a year's supply of engines and they are already gone so some people aren't afraid. (Later we found out they sold 150 each of 8hp and 15hp as well as unspecified number of 4 horsepower).
*Nassau is on New Providence Island and is the capitol of the Bahamas.
Using the boom and our brains instead of our backs the engine is installed on the new 10.5' dink and the 8hp is sitting on a flybridge rail in reserve.
Nassau is packed with boats. It is high season and boats are everywhere. We had a bite tonight at the Poop Deck Restaurant in the marina and it was packed. Tomorrow it is off to the grocery store for a couple forgotten items then it is off for the 35nm run to Norman's Cay. (Cay in the Bahamas is pronounced Key) More to follow.
Later. The run to Norman's was an uphill deal against the tide most of the day and about 15-18 knots of headwinds making for a salty ride. Egret is anchored in the lee of the island instead of the usual winding channel that today is exposed to the SE winds and will be rolly. All the cleanup we did in Nassau is history. Oh well, the water in most places in the Bahamas is clean so we can run the watermaker at will during battery charging. Our usual deal is to use fresh water to rinse Egret early in the morning so the sailboaters can't see us 'wasting' water. Many of those jerry jug water from the few places it is available or pay by the gallon. In 2003*, R.O. water was .$60/gallon in Georgetown at the southern end of the Exumas.
*Winter of 2002 and 2003 Egret attended the 5F's Festival - First Friday in February Family Festival - at Little Farmer's Key in the Exumas. Both years Egret sponsored 2 classes of dinghy races - Boat Kid and Adult. The class prize was 30 gallons of RO water. The contestants killed themselves for the prize. Egret reached celebrity status in 2003 when her guest won the Cruiser Ladies Wet Tee Shirt Contest. Yup, our guest Amy (3) won the grand prize. Her daddy cut two plastic cups into you know what and made a simple string bra and put it under her tee shirt. The balance of the contestants were the usual motley crew cruisers. So the rum bottle got passed and the cruiser ladies got brave and the fresh water hose came out and the judging started. Of course Amy won the grand prize, a bottle of rum that her daddy quickly confiscated. Amy's mommy and Mary entered the egg toss contest but went out mid field. Amy's daddy entered the men's best legs contest but lost because the winner had a prop. Great fun if you happen to be in the Bahamas in Feb.
There is a lesson to be learned here mis amigos. Little Farmer's Cay is 2 days (48 hours) from Ft Lauderdale. It isn't across an ocean. Egret had two GREAT years cruising before she left on the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally. She had 7 GREAT years outside North America and has enjoyed 1 GREAT year since returning. It's all good. So here's the deal. If you have tiny bit of Weenie in you blood, coastal cruising is all you ever need to do. Coastal cruising is great fun and will be everything you make of it. However, if you have Adventure in your blood like Starlite, that changes things. Both are good.
Remember we said we anchored in the lee of Norman's Cay because of the wind direction? Well, about 0300 the entire boat was vibrating from the wind. It rained most of the night and was gusty but nothing like this. So I rolled over in bed to check the anemometer (next to my head). It was steady mid 30's. I rolled back over and went to sleep. Remember the anchor discussion? TK was buried to the roll bar nearly out of sight in pure white sand, in 9' of water and about 100' of chain out. We make light of anchoring but anchoring in anything but mild conditions is not to be taken lightly. Over the years a number of boats have been lost to inadequate anchors and anchoring common sense. Last night's blow most likely turned more than a couple boats loose here and there in the Bahamas.
So today was low tide dinghy exploring. INSERT PHOTO HERE. The new Yamadog ran like a train and we explored beach after beach. Mary found a hermit crab inside a fair size conch shell. We turned it over on the beach but it musta been super freaked and didn't come back out, even after letting is sit quite a while. INSERT PHOTO HERE. It is hard to imagine how clear the water in the Bahamas Out Islands is. There is NO pollution except for a few harbors. The water is so clear it is almost white in the shallows and the deep blues look like they have been photoshoped but they are real.
We checked the weather and it is a good thing we did. The wind is swinging 360 degrees over the next two days. Tonight (Sun) is supposed to be a hard blow out of the west. As a precaution we re-anchored in a spot where we can swing and stay in deep enough water not to hit the bottom when the bouncing starts. Also, instead of lifting the dink to the hip we put it on top so it won't be flying around.
There are petty theft problems in places in the Bahamas. Nassau is bad and a few others. So we not only have a padlock thru the handles* of the 3 outboards but also have a stainless steel cable threaded thru the engine carrying handle of the dink we are using, then the cable passes thru the gas tank and gets locked to a dock or whatever. Master Lock makes a bar lock that encloses the handles of the outboard that is better. We'll get 3 when back in FLL and will be super careful while here.
*Padlocks thru the handles discourage most thieves but not a determined one. The handles are just cast aluminum and can be broken with a hammer, long screwdriver or even a rock. Pros carry bolt cutters so lifting the dink at night even to the hip makes it that much tougher.
OK, it's Monday and time to fire this VofE into space. There is no internet so we are using the Iridium phone to send this posting. Text doesn't take that long but photos take around 8 minutes each so there will be few photos unless we find internet down the way.
Happy Monday. Ciao.
April 12, 2012
Positon: Still in Ft Lauderdale........not for long.
Hello mis amigos, MS is still not back and I’m doing boat chores. One task today was adjusting the valves. So let’s talk about it. Lugger recommends adjusting valves every 1200 hours. Lugger’s Operator’s Manual is Very Well done and has quite a bit of useful information. Lugger assumes you have a brain and it’s so much more refreshing than the ^%$#$#%^ manuals that send you to ‘an authorized service representative’ for anything but the first pages of don’ts and be carefuls.
Page 11 of the Operator’s Manual for the 4 and 6 cylinder Lugger engines including Egret’s own LP668D starts with the words Valve Clearances. First let me give you a heads up to simplify your life. Assuming you have a 6 cylinder Lugger, mark a BIG X thru the 4 cylinder engine drawing.
Second. Be VERY careful how you read the rocker assembly diagram at the top left hand corner of the page. Depending on which side of the engine you adjust the valves, the diagram is either right on (if you adjust the valves on the left side of the engine facing aft) or 180 out, in Egret’s case where we adjust the valves from the right side facing aft.
Just remember, the first rocker toward the front of the engine is an intake valve.
So here’s the deal. The first photo has the tools* you need except for the ½” breaker bar used to turn the crank. The socket sizes are 13mm, 14mm and 17mm. The 13mm socket is to remove the fiberglass shroud covering the serpentine belt and crankshaft pulley, the 14mm is to screw in the 3/8” x 1 ½” stainless steel bolts (coarse thread) into the crankshaft pulley and the 17mm to remove the valve cover. The box end wrench is a 17mm x 19mm for the valve adjustment screw locknut. (The nut is 17mm). The slot screw driver** is to turn the valve adjustment screw and the Phillips screwdriver is to line a hole in the flywheel up with a hole in the transmission casting. The feeler gauge is a good one 
and kinda special. I’m not sure you can see this detail in the photo, but the open gauge says .012 - .014. This means it is a 12 thousandth to 14 thousandth, go-no go gauge. The intake valve clearance specs are from .012 - .015. We set the intakes at a ‘tight’ .014 and the exhaust (.016 - .019) at a ‘tight’ .018. About half of the valves needed adjustment, of those, all were a tiny bit loose. A tiny bit loose is OK, tight is NOT OK. (more on the actual process below).
*Tools. Do yourself a favor. If you think one of those swell $69.95, 614 piece tool kits in the cute plastic box is all you need, think again. This stuff belongs on a coastal weenie girl boat with gas engines that have Tow Boat on speed dial. El Junko Does Not belong on a passagemaker. Good tools are the way to go. Also while we are at it, buy 6 point sockets, not 12 point. If you have rusty nuts and use a 12 point socket you may end up with round rusty nuts. Of course if you need to remove rusty nuts at sea it will be at night and you will be bouncing and round is not good particularly after you hurl dinner over your rusty nuts because the engine room is hot n’ bouncy and now the rusty nuts are slippery and because you have coastal weenie girl tools that won’t grip round rusty nuts you are really in a jam and tow boat can’t help because you are at sea but if you persist and call tow boat on the iridium phone, salvage comes to mind and Al Golden will shred your file because you have girl tools and got in trouble, the admiral doesn’t want to know about it and besides you know better than to whine to the admiral and it hasn’t been dark long so it will be a long night. So just buy good tools and six point sockets. The admiral will think you are a genius and life will be good and maybe Al can retire. You get the picture.
**The slot screw driver has green bottom paint on it from when Mary was using it for whatever helping me paint the bottom. Do you think I said anything to her about getting bottom paint on My screwdriver? Are you mad?
The Lugger Operator’s Manual very simply explains the valve adjustment procedure so I won’t cover this except to say they mention two Lugger tools most folks don’t have including Egret. I’ll show you how to adjust the valves with these simple Lugger tool replacements. First, the crankshaft pulley has drilled and tapped holes for 3/8”-16 (coarse thread bolts). Screw three bolts into the holes and use the ½” drive breaker bar to turn the crankshaft pulley (clockwise). You may use bolts in the flywheel pulley instead of the Lugger gear drive tool that turns the flywheel on the back of the engine. 
When #1 cylinder is at top dead center, cylinder 1, 3, 5 exhaust valves will be loose as well as cylinder 1, 2, 4 intake valves. Also, as a double check there is a hole on the back of the marine gear. Insert the Phillips screwdriver into this hole. It should line up with a hole in the flywheel so the screwdriver tip goes in an inch or so. Leave the Phillips screwdriver in place until you have finished adjusting the valves. Remove it before rotating the crankshaft pulley 360 degrees (CW) to adjust the remaining valves. Re-insert the Phillips screwdriver for the remaining valves adjustment to make Sure. (There are just two adjustments) Here is a Big Tip. Mark the crankshaft pulley with a line showing top dead center. This way every time you adjust the valves you will have a head start on finding #1 top dead center. In this photo you can see the crankshaft pulley with the bolts threaded in as well as the top dead center mark at the top of the pulley.
WHEN YOU ARE DONE, MAKE SURE, REAL SURE, THE PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER IS REMOVED FROM THE FLYWHEEL as well as the THREE BOLTS before you start the engine.
The last tip is Take Your Time and double check everything. Do Not be in a hurry. Get every adjustment PERFECT. With practice you won’t even bleed.
Print this page and put it in with your Lugger Operator’s Manual. Between the few tips here and Lugger’s simple and intuitive instructions, you won’t have any issues. If you still doubt yourself, hire a mechanic to walk you thru adjusting the valves the next time and once you see how simple it is you will be confident to do it yourself in the future.
Mary comes home this evening. So you know what I did today, right? Yup, clean everything, washed clothes, took the few dishes I have been using out of the drainer and put them away just like a real home boy. Of course I left a little something she can fix so she doesn’t have to look so hard. It’s like going thru survey. You know your boat is perfect but it pays to disconnect the bilge pump float switch or something so the surveyor will find Something to put in his report. After he leaves, plug the wire back together and everyone is happy. Same deal.
Tomorrow is a short list of to do’s, dinner with friends but the big push this week is to coordinate hauling with Naiad repairs. We should know tomorrow. More to follow.
Well, OK, it’s a lot later and we have been crazy busy. Of course nothing is easy including this trip to the yard. Instead of a 3 day up and down it stretched into 10 days or so. The Turkish bottom paint was nearly gone from the miles but the Interlux Micron Extra we applied in the Canary Islands popped off the Turkish paint during pressure washing and made for a rough bottom. At fuel prices today we don’t need a rough bottom. To make a long story short we soda blasted the bottom then used the last of the European Interlux Micron Extra bottom paint. The soda blasting was not cheap but I believe we will get that back in a couple years of more speed with less effort. Egret’s perfect bottom and computer balanced prop* proved itself in spades on the NAR but that is another story. (Egret burned more than 300 U.S. gallons less than any one of the other 4 46’s on the rally and Egret most likely weighed the most)
*Frank and Jimmies Prop Shop in Ft Lauderdale.
The good news was the folks from Naiad came and completely took Egret’s Naiad assemblies apart, cleaned them in the shop and only needed a single wiper ring and one piston seal after all these miles. I’d have to say that is pretty good engineering. Going back together Egret got new Naiad shaft seals so all should be well for some time. Naiad Multi Sea II makes child’s play of ye ol’ days of gyro stabilizers.
Our good buddy bought the last N46 made (46-82). It looks like new. I always thought Egret had the best N46 maintained gel coat but Anita Cay is nicer. Well, you know how that goes. So you know who donated his back* to Egret’s latest shine job spending more than a couple days with the buffer, compound and wax. Of course I won’t say anything to him about it but when he sees Egret he’ll get writers cramp sending checks to the wax guys. Oh well, you know how we boys are.
*If you had known you could have bought TYL (Tylenol) before the haul. TYL stock jumped 3 points during the wax job.
Egret hauled at 1st Performance Marina in Ft Lauderdale. They were my customers for years and one of my favorite yards. Egret could have hauled anywhere but we went back there not because of price but how they treat their employees. Ricky runs the travel lift and is a general yard go to guy. Ricky has been there over 20 years. Tommy, the fiberglass and reconstruction guy has been there nearly as long. Mike, the same, Jo Ellen in the office and so on. You can trust these guys and girls to do whatever their task is and that means a lot to us.
A boating friend gave Egret a roll up dinghy that most likely has never been in the water. When we bought the second inflatable last year we didn’t need a third. The boating buddy didn’t want it back so we gave it to Ricky so he and his 8 year old granddaughter China can use it together. So now Ricky can give his grandchild the gift of water. China will never forget their time together on the water. And time together on the water is something plastic cannot buy. You get the picture.
Both MS and I have been making the doctor rounds. We are both perfect. Well, I’m almost perfect. Of course she Is perfect. I have a cataract forming on my right eye. Today we made an appointment next week for the first visit and will schedule the lens replacement in 6 weeks or so. So that means 2 months in the Bahamas has been shortened. &^%$#$^* You all really need to get gone before the cutting starts. What a pain this is. After watching the crazy traffic, a bit of crazier, depressing news at a friend’s house during the haul we NEED to get gone. Most of you haven’t experienced true peace since you were a child. We didn’t for sure until we retired. Even then it took a few years to really settle down. Only when we return and have a ^%$##%^ schedule does the BP ratchet up. Grrrrrrr.
So that’s about it. Nothing new but the techno at the beginning is worthwhile. Coming up is provisioning, fuel and one last doctor visit.
The bulk provisioning will come from Costco and specialty items will come from Publix or the new to Ft Lauderdale, Fresh Market. MS found it the other day and went crazy buying the grand opening specials.
Fuel will come from Anchor Marine Fuel in Ft Lauderdale – 954 467-2407. Anchor has been serving FLL for years. They quoted $3.74/gallon pricing for between 300 and 1000 gallons. Less for more, more for less. The trucks have a 300’ hose so fueling behind a home like Egret’s berth is no problem.
I guess I should mention that I had to go fishing the other day with my check writing for wax job buddy. It was a good day even if He caught all the fish and we both got bogged in the mud when we had to push the flats boat the last few feet after getting stuck on a falling tide. The birds snaps were taken early in the morning on the way to the Secret Spot. Check out the osprey carrying the fish fore and aft for less windage.
Oh ho hum, the next posting will be from the Bahamas. Ciao.
Ed. Note - The glossary of Egretism terms will be posted on the Captain's Log home page for easy reference.
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