Author Archives: Mark
Our One-Year Anniversary
Exactly one year ago today, we posted Earning Checkmarks signifying our departure from Atlanta and selling our home of over 20 years. Did we make a mistake? Is it everything we thought it would be? Are we going to carry on? Mark’s thoughts…. Life on a boat is a little harder than […]
Errands
Not every day is a play day. While we’re fortunate enough to be tied to a dock this week, we are taking advantage of not having to load everything in the dinghy to go to shore. Today on our list is grocery shopping and laundry. We both really miss the days of driving to […]
Elbow Cay – Hope Town
Hope Town on Elbow Cay is the most scenic and charming island we have visited in the Abacos. We can see why it is a popular spot for cruising sailors and vacationers. The natural harbor offers protection from storms and all wind directions. The township is packed with delightful cottages. Instead of numbers, the […]
Great Guana Cay
We stopped at Great Guana Cay on our way south. Well actually, we stopped outside of Treasure Cay first but didn’t get off the boat. Treasure Cay is a resort port. Other than the marina and beach there isn’t much else there. We anchored outside of the harbor as it is a little too […]
Cookies
I love cookies. I’m not talking about the kind you get on your computer when surfing the net. I’m talking about the good ole fashioned sugary treats you wash down with a glass of cold milk. We have had a couple of nice surprises lately with the most recent one being the large variety […]
Green Turtle Cay
Green Turtle Cay offered us exactly what we sought over the holidays. We wanted a small island with the comforts of a marina and to be away from any hustle and bustle of civilization. This is the sort of place where everyone smiles and waves. We never made it into the town of New Plymouth […]
Junkanoo
New Year’s Day was incredible! We experienced our first Junkanoo. What is Junkanoo? It is an intoxicating carnival atmosphere with drums, bright colored costumes and dance. You don’t really watch it. You become a part of it. The energy of the dancers and the beat of the music will entrance people to join the […]
Top 10 Pictures of 2015
Happy New Years from the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas! Today we spent some time reflecting back on our adventures this year. Our journey so far took us from St. Petersburg Florida, up the east coast to the Chesapeake Bay and then down to the Bahamas this fall. We sailed over 3,100 […]
I Could Have Saved $3.00
I really appreciate the frugality and innovation of cruisers. Once in a while I see some creativity that just makes me smile. Let’s suppose you have a window in your home that doesn’t stay open. If you are like me you start to think about the products for sale in a hardware store specifically […]
This Old Man and The Sea
I seriously suck at fishing. It’s a darn good job we have two freezers on Cream Puff full of meat. If it were up to me to provide fresh fish, we’d die. We do have some fish aboard. Cindy knows too well about my inability to pull fish from the ocean. She bought fish […]
We’re In The Bahamas
Close your eyes and imagine being on a sailboat safely tucked away behind an uninhabited island in clear turquoise water. Imagine that all you can hear is the gentle lapping of the ocean against the hull of the boat and the occasional sea gull. We are in Great Sale Cay, Bahamas. Once we dropped anchor […]
New Canvas – Finally!
We’re hanging around the east coast of Florida for a little longer waiting for the weather to settle down. The Abaco Islands in the Bahamas were recently threatened by tropical storm Kate. Cindy was watching the system for a few days. We’re glad we delayed our departure. Although this system didn’t impact the Bahamas much, […]
Whining About Wine
Who would have thought buying wine would be hard. Seriously! Cindy and I have spent most of our married life in Georgia. Georgia had some very strange laws when we moved there. I remember the very first night we arrived in Georgia after a long drive from Texas. We checked into a Residence Inn (they […]
Dolphins Dancing in the Moonlight
I heard a shriek from Cindy. I was below in the cabin doing something inconsequential. Cindy was on watch up in the cockpit. When I hear her shriek, I have an instant feeling of panic. It takes a nanosecond for me to process the words. My panic turned to relief after a moment when I […]
