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Cay Paraiso Adventures ’22-23Cay Paraiso Adventures ’22-23
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Cay Paraiso Adventures ’22-23

October 2022 - June 2023
A 245-day adventure by Suzy Read more
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  • TravelerCay Paraiso Adventures ’22-23
    Day 22

    Wiscasset, Maine to Beaufort, NC

    October 30, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    We left home on the night of October 9th with temperatures in the mid 30s. The first leg was easy except for about 4-5 hours of unexpected headwinds and confused seas along Jeffries Ledge (NH, MA). We transited the Cape Cod Canal in the dark, without any difficulty. Shortly after exiting the Canal we were passed by a large cruise ship, fortunately not until the depths outside the channel in Buzzard's Bay were sufficient for us to move out of the way.

    Our weather window looked so encouraging that we decided to bypass Long Island Sound and NYC with the intention of running all the way to Cape May, NJ before stopping. The stretch from Buzzard's Bay around the outside of Block Island and past Montauk was delightful, as predicted, but wind and seas unexpectedly came around on the nose, slowing us down so much that we realized Cape May was turning out to be an unrealistic goal. We went into a marina in Atlantic Highlands, where we enjoyed six nights of milder weather and beautiful walks while awaiting better conditions to proceed down the NJ coast.

    We were blessed with west winds coming down along NJ so, although we had substantial winds on the beam, seas stayed comfortable. We got into Cape May just ahead of some high winds, stayed at Utch's Marina for a few nights, then had an easy overnight down the DE/MD coasts and into Portsmouth, VA. We anchored for one night then, as usual, opted for the Dismal Swamp/ Pasquotank River route to get to Albermarle Sound. The duckweed in the Dismal Swamp was more extensive and dense than we had ever seen. We emptied a fully packed strainer and anchored for the night by Goat Island in the Pasquotank.

    Although the engine hadn't overheated while in the Dismal Swamp, it started to the next day when we were almost to the Albermarle Sound. Additionally, we had been accumulating sea water in the engine compartment which seemed to be getting worse. Before getting any further into the "wilds" of NC, we decided to turn back and stop in Elizabeth City to sort out the 2 likely unrelated problems. We got a spot on the free dock provided by the Atlantic Christian University. Dave checked the impeller and all sea water-related hoses, finding no obstruction, and pumped air through the thru- hull to release any obstruction there. We think that's what eventually solved the problem as we've had no more issues with overheating since. As for the water in the engine compartment, we were able to identify a hose that had worn through and Dave promptly repaired that.

    Along with delightfully calm seas crossing the Albermarle we had very dense fog. At times our visibility was less than a tenth of a mile. Fortunately cruisers were communicating well by radio so, although there were 4 other boats we couldn't see with the naked eye converging with us as we approached the entrance marker to the Alligator River, we all safely made it through and the fog started to lift shortly thereafter.

    The next day we had a fair current going through the Alligator/Pungo Canal then following winds and seas, making for the best sail we've had so far down the Pamlico and Neuse Rivers. Anticipating approaching high winds, we came into the Homer Smith Docks and Marina in Beaufort, NC. We're hoping to go offshore Tuesday but haven't decided on our next destination yet. Stay tuned!    Read more

  • TravelerCay Paraiso Adventures ’22-23
    Day 51

    Beaufort, NC to Stuart, FL

    November 28, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    We left Beaufort with the intention of staying offshore as far as Hilton Head, but our conditions were so favorable that our earlier than expected arrival into Port Royal Sound would be well ahead of daylight. Instead, we continued on and went into the Wilmington River in Savannah. We stopped just for fuel then made it all the way to the Vernon River to stage for the tide going through Hell Gate, an area of the ICW known for shoaling. After all of our offshore travel up to this point, we were looking forward to a leisurely cruise down the beautiful , winding wilds of the Georgia ICW. Little did we know...

    The Sounds in Georgia can be a challenge to get across in some conditions, but we fared well. We had favorable currents until we got into Cumberland Sound. There our speed was slow but we had enough wind to bump our speed up a little with the genoa (our big headsail). When we got to the Cumberland River, skies started to look a little dark but radar only showed some light rain east of us and moving north. Whatever it was had more energy in it than we realized and, in a narrow section of the River, just before a sharp turn, a sudden squall caught the sail and total havoc ensued. We had another sailboat right in front of us, also under sail, who heeled so hard it looked like they laid the mast down. The next 10-15 minutes for Dave consisted of fighting the wind while trying to secure and bring in the genoa, with the lazy sheet running wild and wrapping around the working sheet. For me it was trying to stay off the river bank and the boat in front of us while also trying to position the boat off the wind so Dave didn't have to fight so hard. When it was finally over, everyone was safe but it took a little while to recover. Dave could tell the genoa had torn but we didn't know yet how badly.

    We kept going, down the St. Mary's River and past Fernandina, and anchored off the Amelia River. As Dave backed down on the anchor, we heard a loud noise and the engine seized and quit. We knew we had wrapped something around the propeller. We called Boat US and they arranged for a diver to come to the boat the next morning. Fortunately, the anchor had grabbed well and we were fine until the diver came. What we were surprised by was the 4 ft section of line he took off the propeller, which we realized was a section of the genoa's lazy sheet. It had gotten cut by the prop on its wild flight during the squall and hadn't caused us any problem until we put the boat in reverse. Given the okay after the diver's inspection, we headed out again, only to hear a new loud noise coming from the engine compartment. Uncomfortable moving on until we sorted out the noise, and with Nicole approaching in the next few days, we elected to take a tow.

    Our storm plan was to go into a protected marina off the ICW but the tow driver informed us that the marina where we had made reservations requires you to enter it under your own power. He towed us, instead, to a marina in Jacksonville, right off the St. John's River where there was a mechanic on site.
    He made some needed repairs and was great to work with. The marina, however, was not in a great location to ride out the hurricane. Exposed to the St. John's River, the storm surge was considerable, covering the docks by a foot and bringing our lines up almost to the top of the pile we were most relying on. We saw winds of 52 kts (~60 mph). Fortunately we got through it fine.

    Eager to get down to Stuart, where the mooring field filled up early last year and where we hoped to leave the boat over the holidays, we pushed hard to get the rest of the way in 4 days. We had neither a genoa nor favorable conditions for offshore travel but, fortunately, had mainly fair currents down the ICW. We arrived in Stuart 3 days before Thanksgiving.

    With a new sail ordered and plans to have the motor mounts replaced while we are gone, we are enjoying being with friends and relaxing in some amazing weather that is expected to last until we fly home to Maine next week.    Read more

  • TravelerCay Paraiso Adventures ’22-23
    Day 123

    Florida to the Exumas

    February 8, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 48 °F

    We returned to Florida from Maine on January 11th, provisioned and grabbed the first good weather window we could see. For our eighth season to the Bahamas, we headed out the St. Lucie Inlet on January 20th and had an easy overnight passage across the Bahama Banks. We cleared into Customs and spent 2 nights at Chubb Cay Marina in the southern Berry Islands. We then moved east to Bonds Cay to wait for good conditions to stage at Athol Island near Nassau. We arrived in the northern Exumas January 27th, the earliest we can remember!

    We started off at Long Cay SW, a new spot for us. We were able to take advantage of some of the best snorkeling spots we've ever seen as the conditions stayed benign for days. After 6 nights there the winds and seas picked up and we moved down to Little Pipe Cay, The Mice and Sampson Cays, 3 of our favorite protected spots to anchor. We're presently at Black Point and plan to continue south. Although we generally prefer the quieter, more secluded anchorages, we decided it would be fun to return to Georgetown this year. We'll have friends there and It will be our first time there since 2015! From there, who knows!    Read more

  • TravelerCay Paraiso Adventures ’22-23
    Day 146

    Southern Exumas, Jumentos to Long Island

    March 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 37 °F

    From Black Point, we stayed on the Bahama Banks down to Little Farmer's Cay where we enjoyed a few days of scenic walks and views while awaiting suitable conditions to go out to Exuma Sound and down to Georgetown, Great Exuma Island. We fished almost all the way down to the cut into Elizabeth Harbour, but the only bite we had was so sudden and forceful that the entire rod flew off the boat, never to be seen again!

    With the annual Cruisers' Regatta soon approaching, the boat count was already over 350 in Elizabeth Harbour. We joined the masses for a few days, took our favorite walk and got provisions before having our fill of the chaos and seeking out a more peaceful setting.

    We chose Moriah Harbour Cay, part of a national park that we hadn't visited before. We were able to tuck in closer to shore than the charts indicated, thanks to the greater depths we found on our hand held depth sounder. This enabled us to cut off some of the NE ocean swells that we had read about in reviews from other cruisers. In addition, a cruiser anchored nearby showed us how to rig up a swell bridle. Swell bridles only work when there is some wind and, with ESE winds of 10-15 kts, our conditions were perfect for it. We had only a few neighbors and enjoyed 5 days there, walking the long beach and sand bars, exploring the network of crystal clear mangrove lined creeks and floating down the Lazy River.

    Our weather has been as good as we can ever remember it here, which has allowed us lots of flexibility. After spending a couple of days in Red Shanks, where we had almost all around protection and dinghy access to provisions, we ventured for the first time down to the Jumento Cays. We chose the Hog Cay Cut, a way to save half a day of travel to get there, but it was touch and go with the depths. The high tide was lower than normal and we only had 6-8 inches to spare below the keel for about 20 minutes as we crossed over the bar on the west side of the cut. Not for the faint of heart....

    We spent our first night at Water Cay, anchored alone in front of dramatic white cliffs. We went from there to Flamingo Cay and anchored alone in the Bight in front of a long white sandy beach and surrounded by amazing healthy coral. We did some great snorkeling right near the boat in perfect conditions- warm water and no current. The third night we were back at Water Cay, this time anchored alone in a gorgeous little cove, also near decent snorkeling. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful at finding any lobsters.

    With the high tide prediction even lower than the one when we had come through Hog Cay Cut, we chose to go the long way around Hog Cay and headed over to Long Island. We're anchored by Bain's Bluff near Simms, the oldest settlement on the island. We took a much needed walk this morning and noticed several closed businesses and abandoned houses. Other than the private homes, high school, primary school, medical clinic and police station, there isn't much going on here, Twice, however, cars stopped and asked us if we needed a ride. Two young women even offered to take us to the store, the closest one being about 12 miles away. Not in need of anything, we politely turned them down and walked away overwhelmed by their kindness!

    We were hoping to move north up Long Island then go east to Conception Island, but now the seas aren't favorable for this coming week. We plan to move north tomorrow anyway and spend a few days up in Calabash Bay, another new destination! Stay tuned...    Read more

  • TravelerCay Paraiso Adventures ’22-23
    Day 178

    Disabled at Great Exuma

    April 4, 2023 on the Bahamas ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Well our next adventure didn't go quite as planned. We had noticed on our way to and from the Jumentos that our cruising speed was about 2 kts slower than it should have been at our usual rpms. At first we attributed it to a strong current but realized on the way back that we weren't able to accelerate normally in forward. Dave attempted to adjust the gear linkage without success and, when we tried to leave from our anchorage on Long Island, we had no forward propulsion at all. We realized at that point that our transmission had failed and that we would need to go back to Georgetown for the best access to resources.

    The silver lining that morning was having a Manatee visit us for several hours. Apparently there aren't many that reside in the Bahamas so we were thrilled! Having learned from previous stays in marinas that Manatees love getting fresh water from hoses at the docks, we fed him multiple kettles full and stopped only when we decided we had depleted enough of our water supply.

    We were fortunate the next day to have enough wind in a favorable direction to sail without the engine back to Elizabeth Island near Georgetown. Away from concentrated boat areas, Elizabeth Island would offer us room to maneuver when anchoring. We tried to time dropping the sails so we could end up in a spot close to shore and protected from upcoming winds, but slowed down too fast. We were still able to put the boat in reverse and neutral, so Dave turned the boat around and backed the rest of the way in. I'd love to know whether the small handful of boats anchored nearby were humorously entertained by this or concerned that we were complete idiots.

    We were towed to an out-of-the-way location which was protected from most wind directions and accessible to a dock, important since we would end up being there for almost a full month. Unable to find an exact replacement for our old transmission, we were able to find a guy in Virginia who could get us a new one that could be modified. He fabricated the parts we needed for the modifications and assembled what he could before sending it to Florida. We found a broker in Georgetown who would arrange for it to be shipped by boat from Florida to Georgetown. We picked it up by dinghy and carried it the 3 1/2 miles back to the boat, hoisting all 50+ lbs up the boat ladder.

    Dave was cautiously optimistic that he could install it himself. We lifted the engine with the halyard to gain the necessary access. Right off the bat the shaft coupling didn't quite fit and would, ideally, need slight boring at a machine shop. Well, there are no machine shops in Georgetown and the closest one was in Nassau. Unwilling to give up and send it elsewhere, Dave managed to file it by hand using a coarse semi-round file and, believe it or not, a diamond knife sharpening tool. Many hours later he was successfully able to attach it.
    The rest of the actual installation went quickly but adjusting the gear linkage was a big challenge. Our friend Hayden gave Dave the tip he needed to complete that part of it.

    Between getting back to Georgetown with no engine, finding someone to tow us, finding the parts to fit an older boat, locating a broker to arrange shipment and Customs clearance, and solo installation, so many things could have gone wrong or gotten even further delayed. We got underway again Sunday. Needless to say, I am so impressed and grateful for Dave's tireless determination and astute problem solving abilities in tackling and successfully completing such a huge job almost entirely on his own.

    We happily spent our last three nights at Little Pipe Cay, which seems to have become our Exumas home base. Before crossing back to the States, we anticipated making it as far as Grand Bahama then needing to wait out a front affecting both the southern U.S. and the Bahamas. We realized, instead, that if we sailed straight through, we could be in Florida in under 48 hours. We left Pipe Cay Friday morning, had a challenging first night (higher winds and seas than predicted) then a great night crossing the Gulf Stream. We made it into Ft. Pierce around 9 this morning, just before the winds quickly started to pick up.

    We are homeward bound!    Read more

  • TravelerCay Paraiso Adventures ’22-23
    Day 244

    Bittersweet

    June 9, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    It's hard to believe we've been home over a month already. Getting home during the second week of May this year reminded us that early Spring up here can be beautiful. I love not missing the May wildflowers.

    We left Fort Pierce and went offshore all the way to Charleston. During that trip we had two unusual visitors, a Blue Grosbeak and a huge dragonfly! (See photos). Also during that trip Dave had the revelation that now is the time for us to switch from sail to power. We're not getting any younger and we're not ready to give up this lifestyle. So our search began, knowing generally what we wanted.

    We spent several nice days in Charleston, always a favorite destination. From there we went offshore to Beaufort, NC where weather kept us for a week. Beaufort is a great place to "get stuck!" While walking in town one day we saw a Back Cove 37, exactly the boat we were leaning towards. The owners were gracious enough to invite 2 complete strangers (us) aboard for a tour. Our visit confirmed our conviction to find the same model and we made plans to stop and look at one in MA on our way north.

    Seeing very few on the market and watching a couple go under contract while we were looking, we knew we might have to act fast. We made a non stop trip from the Little Alligator River in NC to South Dartmouth, MA (3 overnights!) in order to get a jump on the one we saw there. It had the lowest engine hours of any we were watching. We put it under contract and, exhausted but present for the survey, we left for home in Cay Paraiso with a new (to us) boat waiting to be picked up.

    The remainder of the trip home went smoothly but it was a little bittersweet as we turned into the Sheepscot River, knowing that this would be our final trip home with Cay Paraiso. She has taken great care of us and we will miss her. We are in the process of spiffying her up and hope she finds new owners who appreciate her as much as we do...♥️    Read more

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