Eleuthera or Bust!! Thankfully was never uttered by a soul aboard the 'Second Wind', under the captaining of Joel and Admiriling of Jamie. I only say thankfully because I've never been 'busted', but it sounds dreadful, and we indeed never made it any farther than the Sea Buoy. But as it is with every story I tell, I have to elaborate, exaggerate, and try to differentiate between what happened in my eyes, and what happened in my head. So, with that said, allow me to start at the beginning.

Are you scared....of the dark? No moon, prescious little wind, and what wind we have is out of 099 ESE, effectively square on our nose, making sails little more than a hinderance. So as Joel starts the motor, I programme my GPS with the appropriate coordinates to take us 1 1/2 mile west of Highbourne Cay Marina which was to be our first stop. The rest of the crew busies themselves with stowage of gear and generally staying awake. Glow sticks are attached to the dinks assuring us that they will not be able to stray far from the boat for the remaining five hours of darkness which now friendly encompasses our vessel and all souls aboard. Among those souls we have...

Joel              Jamie
Rob              Charlie
Geo              Shelli

After a 20 minute warm up on the engine, we throw lines, radio clearance to exit harbor, and depart. Whilst utilizing range lights to ensure we are in the middle of the channel, Rob checks the engine temperature. To our dismay he finds the temp well over 200 degrees, 20-30 degrees over optimal engine temperature range. Captain does an about face and promptly returns us to our mooring, where most involved have had less than 3 hours of sleep over the last 24 hours, and our reasoning skills are not only showing this loss, they are emphisising it proudly.

If there's a problem, yo, I'll solve it... Once we are settled, and the engine is exposed and throbbing pore wrenching heat, creating a work environment below deck that is less than ideal, Jamie ops for a nap. For the record, how this girl can sleep through the nonsense, and drunken ordeals she did this whole trip amazes me. In the midst of this first 'nap', however, was when a decision was made to get some sleep and attack it again, anew with vigor. We head to shore, whereupon I set an idea in Charlies head concerning our now one day shorter trip. Idea being, 'Maybe we should just spend a few days in the Exumas?'. After 12 minutes of lying in bed and the clock now reading ten minutes until six in the morning the phone is ringing. It's charlie with the schematics of the seacock on a website address he relays to me. One problem solved, we finally sleep with a glimmer of hope.

We're on a road to nowhere... Upon awaking, a scratch, a shower and we are on the boat again by 11. Now tools are an issue. Some noise and shuffles and some of the tools are found. Another trip to shore, for a restocking of ice and beer (to do any job right, you must first have the proper tools!!!), results in Joel and Charlie wrenching the impeller from it's home inside the water pump. Actually, what's left of the impeller, would be a more appropriate statement, it looked like a sick sandspur. 1/2 of it's little rubber arms were missing, and the remaining ones looked like they were envious of their bretheren.

Engine now pumping water after an install of our spare impeller and we take a demo run out to the tripods. We top out around 4 kts, and the engine barely got to 190 degrees. Now it's decided we go back to the hook, we wake Jamie, and all agree upon leaving at 2 a.m. Until then, however, we opt to go to the lighthouse marina for dinner. A dinner which Joel seemed to thouroughly enjoy. It was one of the better times I've had there, encompassing service, company, and food quality (except for the Cracked Lobster nuggets which were the same price each as a beer).

Second verse is different from the first... 0130 Friday morn. We again stand on the floating dock loading up two dinghies with six very tired, and worn souls. Tired and worn be damned, we are also very determined souls. Once aboard the second wind everyone takes to their rolls without being told. Joel starts the engine for warm up, I ready the dinks with lights, Jamie takes a nap. Squal line is blowing through with winds around 22 kts, accompanying these winds are a chilly driving rain, so we wait this out. Unfortuanately it looks ugly until around 0400 when myself, Charlie, and Joel go to shore to check weather RADAR. Saw nothing on RADAR which would make me want to stay here any longer. Big system building right over andros, but in the two hours it's going to take the system to be 'heavily' on top of us, we could be 1/2 way across the TOTO. So we again decide to cast off lines. Before we are even out of the harbor, lightning strikes roughly 3 miles away producing thunder. Now, it's been lightning all night, but it's been heat lightning, not a bolt that is attracted to the highest point. Post lightning strike I ask Joel, 'Is your mast grounded?', to which he replies, 'I don't know.'. Whereby I suggest putting the boat back in the harbor by other targets until this blows over. So we hunker down in a dark that is becoming less friendly and more choking with the passing of every minute until 0600 which was our agreed upon cut off for leaving.

Rapid Hope Loss... The two hours between 0400 and 0600 I did not sleep, partly becuase I still had hope that the weather would break and we could jet on a moments notice, but a larger part of my self induced insomnia was the beautiful storm this system brought. Torrential driving rains, lightning strikes under a mile away, booming thunder that resonates the wood in the salon of 'Second Wind' after the initial sound had long died. When the sky started to lighten to the east, I knew we then had two options. Go to the Exumas, and only hit two islands, or bow to the Gods which have forsaken us this weekend, and throw in our towels, which are soaking wet and starting to smell. Confronted with this lose/lose situation, the balance is being more tipped in the direction of lost due to the 25 kt winds we have this morning. Today is the day the motor boats are going, I do not envy the rides they will have.

Myself, Charlie and Sheldon again go to shore after an amazing Chicken Pad Tai dish Joel whipped up after Charlies 'BANG/POW' Coffee. Charle checks weather and there's a rather large system developing over Western Cuba. Most systems don't make it over the mountains so it could go either way. Sheldon agrees, it can go either way, be we indeed are standing firm. Her logic, 'we can't afford to get stuck over there'. Whilst In the store, one of the motor boaters informs us over a counter full of Dramamine that one of the boats that left earlier 'have 6 to 7 foot seas'. 'Nuff said. We make our way back to the boat, deliver the bad news and inform the Captain of our intent.

When in doubt... Captain Joel said earlier in the morning, 'I'm not going to shore today, I'm going to cook, and eat out here, and shit in the ocean.'. I opted instead just to get silly drunk. After their trip for conch which Rob so artfully, and equally surprisingly cleaned with his teeth. I say surprisingly becuase Joel told a story about how rob 'caught' Lactose Intolerance, by eating a roll of SpongeBob Cookie dough that was obviously bad, and since that day he has been lactose intolerant. After such an ordeal I would think one would be more careful about what he sticks in his mouth. But we all know how I feel about conch. I was 3 double tall Jack and Cokes, and 2 Jager bombs into the ball game. A perfect time to be geared and primed for shots. Which is why I ended up at the beach house, and then there's a glimmering memory of being back on the 'Second Wind' whist the kids were eating Conch Sushi.

Anyway drunken stupor aside, too many lessons learned this trip to list here. But I would say, Don't eat SpongBob cookie dough, don't be afraid of food you can't pronounce, and Pineapples suck!!