If all goes well, I would sure enjoy joining a gaggle next spring to go over to the Bahamas — got to get back to Nippers some day. It’s going to be fun to follow the adventures of the three folks testing the rivers all the way to Pittsburgh. Makes for different cruising, especially since so much of that is “upstream.”

Our various siblings, relatives and friends enjoy keeping track of us on our “spot”. We consider that a good investment, for fun and hopefully, like an e-perb, not for critical necessity.

We will be having a new “restored, redecorated, or whatever” Cobb Island Marina renamed “RIVAH!!” doing its initial opening next week. Initially it plans to provide an “upgrade” sea food menu (while still retaining it famous Friday Steak Nights either at the ScuttleButt restaurant, or included at Rivah. LIFE JUST DOESN’T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS!!!.

Ta! To all — Catcha Wherever and Whenever. May the breezes be nice, sand soft and bottoms well below the keel!

Don and Barbara Thayer “Island Swan”

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Arrived back in the states late on Wednesday April 11th after an uneventful crossing. We checked the weather and it looked like a short window for a crossing was open for Wednesday

Three RMHYC boats left Marsh Harbour on Monday April 9th, and 7 hours later after cruising by Matt Lowe Cay, Fish Cays, and the dreaded Don’t Rock Passage to avoid the Whale Passage out into the ocean, then past Green Turtle Cay, and Powell Cay, Double JJ anchored in a really nice calm anchorage called Crab Cay for a peaceful overnight. Next day left Crab Cay and slowly cruised westward to Mangrove Cay in calm winds and perfectly clear water… a really nice day … the surface of the water was so calm you could easily see the bottom as we slowly cruised along… saw lots of fish, a couple of big turtles and starfish… anchored with the winds about 5 to 10 mph from the east under the lee of Mangrove Cay. We were able to pick up the NOAA weather information on VHF and it still looked like a good weather window for the crossing. We could always duck into Lacayan Canal if the weather turned bad, but it looked like it was good. Early the next morning we left Mangrove at 4 am (ugh!) with a bright moon and winds still in the 5 to 10 mph range and headed west towards the edge of the Bahamas Banks and into the Atlantic… by daylight we arrived at the edge of the banks, and the water turned from the brilliant tourquoise of the Bahama Bank to a really deep dark blue color of the Atlantic … the ocean swells were 3 to 5 feet high, spaced well apart, with a slight 1 to 2 ft chop on top.. not too bad.

As we got out to the edge of the Gulf Stream the waves picked up with whitecaps and occasional larger waves that bounced us around … This where it became the Gulp Scream with only one gulp and only an occasional scream. We got dumped on good by one or two big waves that sprayed water all over the boat, but by mid stream it calmed down somewhat and as we got closer to the Florida coast it was back to small ocean rollers with no whitecaps.. pretty easy ride. All in all, a nice crossing.

We are presently at Ft Pierce municipal marina — will stay here for a day or two washing all the salt off and generally tidying the boat up… it takes a while to go from sand in our shoes, to civilization. We both slept in late this morning and we’ll spend some time relaxing with our friends (we crossed with two other boats of the RMHYC) and generally decompressing from the winter…. and getting ready to come back to the fast pace of civilization. We’ll be heading up the ICW in a few days.

I expect we’ll be back in Green Cove Springs – Reynolds Marina – in another week where we’ll put the boat on-the-hard and head back out west in our RV motorhome for the summer.

Our GH-37 Double J is still for sale at a way reduced price of $275,000 (or reasonable offer) and we are hoping the economy will pick up enough so someone out there who would like a great boat at a very good price will be interested.

Judie and Jonathan Jenkins
GH-37 Great Harbour Double JJ

We are currently on an 8-day offshore power boating course. Our charter vessel is a 1987 42-foot Grand Banks. Quite a contrast in many respects. It would have been fun to compare notes.

Well, both of your boats look to be in great shape. We trust you are back in the winter wonderland of New Hampshire to celebrate the holidays and bring in the new year with family and friends.

Wishing you all the best,

Dick & Phyllis Hermann
N37 Dreamers and GHTA Affiliate Members