Cabbage and Christmas Worms!

Cabbage is not everyone's favorite but the name did not deter us from exploring Cabbage Cay!

Sailing into the gin clear waters I knew nothing was going to keep me out of the sea any longer! The hole in my head had healed to a dent and that was good enough for me! I claimed the job of snorkeling to check the anchor!

I was not disappointed! Huge red and orange starfish decorated the white sands! Sand dollars and Sea biscuit shells scattered around as if having fallen from King Neptunes pockets! 

Having established the anchor was well set I headed for a tiny reef nearby! En route I made a new discovery! Two to three meter long condom-like tubes of thick clear jelly about one inch in diameter; securely anchored at one end around a tiny hole in the sand. I could spot nothing in the tubes and despite every attempt to approach the hole without being detected I saw nothing in the holes, not even movement! What are they? I searched my reef guides once back at the boat with no luck and couldn't even find them on Google! Any Marine Biologists out there that can enlighten me?

Half buried in the sands large living Sea Biscuits! Alive they look a little like an egg shaped hedgehog all spikey! 

We had heard there was a geocache on the nearby Hoffman Cay right at the blue hole in the middle of the island. We took the dinghy over and were able to log a find and place a Travelbug with a Turtle theme in honor of the lady they dedicated the cache to, who they said loved Turtles.

On the way back we spotted a shark sunning itself in the shallows and went nearer for a good look! Magnificent! It moved slowly off as we approached in the dinghy and only splashed and spun when it felt it was running into a corner! I will try post the video. 

We are having a lucky run regarding shark encounters. En route over from Bimini André hooked a fish and was reeling him in. The next minute I heard him shout my name and ran out to see! Chasing after the fish on the hook a HUGE bull shark about 2.5 meters long. He chased the catch right up to the sugar scoop and as Andre pulled it aboard he turned hunting back and forth along the line the fish had been pulled in on! He looked mad at having missed his lunch. It happened so quick we didn't get a chance to capture it on film! What an incredible moment! We always love interactions with sea creatures!

We were delighted to find the fameous 'Flo's Restaurant' was open. Sadly Flo died about five years ago but she was well into her 80's. It is now run by Chester, whom we believe is her son and is fameous for his smile and the legendary Conch Fritters made by Edna the cook! We were not disappointed! We had a great meal and actually met some friendly French! Gérald usually sails with his wife Brigitte but she was back in France working and he had a crew mate Julien. Despite our French being virtually non existent and them claiming their English wasn't that good we had a great evening and learned lots about Cuba as a cruising ground!

They had, in fact, saved our dinghy earlier in the day! We had been snorkeling and André was already back in the dinghy when I spotted a huge Conch walking across the sand! I wanted him to video it with his GoPro and called him over! Thinking he would be quick he didn't drop the dinghy anchor. Of course when he got the camera running the Conch stopped walking, he floated for a while waiting for it to do something! By then I had spotted a huge Barracuda and called him over to film it. I did my usual visual check on the dinghy only to see it disappearing on the horizon! I was nearly at it when the French guys putted over in their dinghy and caught it for us! 

We set off for Sandy Point the next day! A reunion with Alleycat and Shiloh was on the cards.

Cabbage Cay

Shark in the shallows

Geocaching in Blue Hole

Hoffman Cay Blue Hole

Fort Ladida to Bimini Bahamas!

For some reason Fort Lauderdale is known as Fort LaDiDa! Maybe because we didn't explore the suburbs further away from the town but we cannot fathom why! Yes there are huge apartment blocks edging the waterway obviously oozing money and the people we met obviously do not suffer from lack of funds but we found them friendly helpful and down-to-earth.

Each time I found it necessary to approach someone for help with directions or something they were at first a little nervous, it seemed, but as soon as I spoke they came nearer and were friendly chatty and helpful!

I think their initial reticence comes from how we look! Although we are aware they say we cruisers have a certain genre about us, we tend not to notice! Every now and again it is brought home by a comment by people we meet. Like the lady I met in the marina laundry! She and her husband and an old friend of theirs cruise in the winter months! While we were chatting she said her biggest fear when she started cruising was to start looking like a live-aboard! Sun faded clothes, no make-up and messy wind blown hair and dark tans! I had to laugh as she described us to a T. She said however it wasn't long before that's exactly what she was doing! 

So that's how the non sailing/cruising world sees us as we traipse around their towns. Who else walk around with heavy packs on their backs (usually groceries in our case, their worldly belongings in theirs) disappear to places unknown at night (our boats usually at anchor or in marinas unfamiliar to non boating locals, night shelters or doorways or wherever to theirs) yes you have it, homeless or as they seem to call them, and us, here 'transients'. We are usually greeted warmly but with curious looks by the street people in towns we visit. They hardly ever ask us for anything and probably spend the whole day debating where the 'new people' are sleeping. No wonder the towns folk are a little cautious when we first approach them but we have had nothing but kindness from everyone.

So we planned to leave Fort Lauderdale on the Monday morning as the weather window was one day only and if we missed it we would have been stuck there for another week at least! Our first delay was when I 'kissed' the pavement goodbye but took it too literally and ended up in ER with four stitches! 

Although I am sure he won't read it kudos to the young paramedic who first attended to me! He was efficient, professional and did a great job! I am sorry in my state I didn't ask for his name! The second thank you goes to the young lady who, on hearing I didn't want to call 911 and needed a taxi to take us to the hospital volunteered to drive us there, despite being a visitor to the town too! No comment about the person who sutured my face! We can only assume he saw the sun faded clothes, wind blown hair and lack of makeup and decided he didn't need to do his best work as an ugly scar would give me street Cred anyway! 

There was an art exhibition on the go with various entertainment. It was while watching the people performing yoga balanced on their partners hands and not watching my feet that I did a spectacular no hands flat on my face display! 

Two days later on the Monday we got up bright and early 0500 to set off only to discover the new Inverter we had just had installed was not doing what André wanted it to! So we had to sit around until 0800 to call the installing company to come and fix it! All done it was midday and we had once again about to miss a window! Captain decided we would leave anyway or would be stuck there for another week! So we set off, arriving in Bimini at 0300 hours! Awoke to a gentle roll and clear blue water! Sweet agony as with the hole in my head I couldn't indulge and dive in!

Daytona Bike Week!

Daytona Bike Week!

Heading out of St. Augustine in the Intracoastal Waterway we motored the whole day!

We had planned to set off very early but an awesome evening, first on Rat Catcher then downtown at Legions Bar, saying goodbye to St. A. and Rosaire and Neena meant we got off a little later than planned :)

So as the sunset we found anchorage just South of Memorial Bridge in Daytona, gulped some dinner down and not long after dark were serenading the seas with snores! Well I don't snore! Of course hehehe!

Morning arrived and hearing motor bikes roaring in town we decided we could not leave Daytona in bike week without seeing the bikes and bikers! So we headed to the nearest dock in the dinghy (Rowdent) and tied her up! 

Wow the streets were lined with biking related stalls selling everything from bikes to bikinis! Roaring past us on mainly Harley Davidsons the couples went many who had obviously been shopping in the week! Bike gangs parading their colors with pride! Their 'Bitches' (their name for the women clinging to their leather tails not mine) showing off every biker chick outfit available from up-town skin tight leathers to skimpy bare-it-all fitted string vests. They obviously had seen RF's badge he wear on his flying overalls 'I am naked under my clothes' and set out to prove it! :) 

The bikes were amazing from smaller zippy ones that a young group seem to ride, must be affordability but they give a good impression of it being the only bike they ever wanted! To giant touring bike with panniers and armchair like seats! 

The trend seems to be that men have long pony tails worn low on the back of their heads and tied with numerous elastic bands down its length to keep it from flying and knotting. The 'ladies' wearing either short sassy sexy styles or long hair tied in 'little girl' pigtails on either side of their heads! Age has nothing to do with the choice!

We found ourselves in 'Dirty Harry's' bar for a mid day beer just in time to witness the wet t-shirt competition! Even with a prize of $100 they had to coax contestants into the back room where they donned tiny stretch shorts and a t-shirt tied at the back so it was form fitting! Body size and age were no deterrent! 

There were tiny girls (all over 21years apparently) with bee stings for boobies who appeared to not quite understand the concept of 'wet t-shirt' or were trying to compensate for their lack of t-shirt content and instead wiggled tiny buttocks at the crowd! I have to admire the courage of some contestants with bellys way larger than their generous boobs they jumped and bounced to the crowds delight! Saggy skin and bellys being double bounced by the boobs who took on a life of their own!

Winner!

The winner was a clear skinned baby faced girl who didn't look older than 16 with at least double FF boobs who knew how to work them. Her little face looking shy and unsure as she watched the crowd for approval and a tiny shy unsure smile when they roared for her! Second was obviously a biker of many years! Serious and committed to doing this thing but she obviously had something the men liked as the second loudest roar was for her and third the tiny girly who shook her booty instead of her boobs which she didn't have! It worked!

Serious Second!

3rd

Even the Pups were dressed!

All Welcome!

Even Chucky was there!

Eat my......

You got a bike? I'm sold! ;)

Daytona Beach!

Tales of Tails

Eye Candy

Sexy ladies

Under cover kid

We found our friend Rick from St Augustine among all the bikers!

Dice??

Pretty Lady!

Die Hard!

He died waiting for his wife to give up biking?