Hang on Austin!

Wild and crazy Grandpa

All alone in Church Creek where we anchored for the night. Beautiful, peaceful and another gorgeous sunset.

All these sad goodbyes

It's alway sad to say goodbye to cruising friends that you have been cruising with for the last few months. After our time in Marathon, cruising the Islands, and then making our way up the ICW to Brunswick, Georgia together, it was time for Tide's In (Pam and Stephen) to head to North Carolina to pick up their grandsons and for us to spend four days in Brunswick getting fuel, hair cuts, new computer for Stephanie, oil and filters, provisions, bank, West Marine, dentist, and wait for our Grandson and a friend of his to fly in on Friday to cruise with us for the next two weeks. Who says we cruisers don't support the local economies.
The good news is that we will meet up with Tides In up North and hopefully cruise part of the time with them up there, then back to the Keys where we will both spend the winter, and there are plans to cruise the Islands together again next spring. Pam and Stephen have become great cruising buddies and I hope  our future cruising plans work out. Even though most of our trip up the ICW was not fun in the smoke, the smoke did clear for our stops in Ft. Peirce, St. Augustine, and Brunswick. We must be living right!
Friday afternoon we picked up our Grandson Austin, and his friend Connor, who will be cruising with us for the next two weeks. Should be great fun, so stay tuned. First stop, Blackbeard Island. ARRGH!

September Song (missing the Islands) out
Bob


While crossing the Bahama Banks we saw a phenomenon called fish wash.

That's Tides In coming into it. At first we thought it was a sand bar.

While in Fort Peirce, this plane made an emergency landing. He ran out of fuel on the way back from the Bahamas.

A few hundred Moms and baby pelicans. We call it Poop Island.

No, that's not our slip or a face dock. The current was ripping and it caught the bow of September Song. The only thing I could do was to position the boat to rest up against two fingers to keep from running into other boats and wait for slack tide. No harm, no foul.

We saw this guy sitting on a trash can last fall when we stopped here in St. Augustine and he was there again on this stop. I asked him if he is here often. He said he comes here every day, sits on his garbage can, and people watches. OK, what can I say?

We always meet fun people in the funky bars. He is a diver (Jeff TMD) and she is just wild and crazy.

Can't go to St. Augustine without going to Scarlet O'Hara's

Time to take on some cheap fuel. Well, the cheapest on the East coast. 800 gallons at ONLY $3.55 per gallon.

Our last day/night with Tides In before they head North. We look forward to connecting with them up North in a few weeks. We will miss you guys! It has been great cruising with you for the last few months.

looks like it's time to kick this little one out of the nest Mom.

Had to buy this "red neck wine glass" for a special friend from Tennessee who will remain nameless.

The smoke in Florida and South Georgia has been with us almost every day. At last count there were over four hundred wildfires in Florida. This is a look at the sunrise through the smoke. Your eyes burn, it smells bad, and you can hardly breath. What a welcome back to the US.

The sub barns at St. Mary's, Georgia through the smoke.

The shrimp fleet in Brunswick, Georgia as we head to the fuel dock and then on to our marina. Thank God the smoke cleared for now.

Another sad goodbye

Well, we are back in the US. I would say it's great to be back, but it's not. We spent our last couple of days in the Islands visiting one of our favorite bars and a beautiful beach before saying goodbye to our beloved Islands. It has been a wonderful trip with some great cruising buddies, and we all hated to leave. When you go to the Islands, especially with your best friend and the love of your life, and great cruising friends, you fall in love all over again.
I shouldn't complain. We had a great time and we will be back next spring.
We have a lot to look forward to here in the US this year. We are headed North, hopefully to Maine with many stops along the way, including a stop in New York to see our good friends and cruising buddies Joe, Julia, and Salty on Sea Pearl, then exploring our way back South to the Keys for the winter, (a few trips to Key Weird I'm sure) then back to the Islands.
 I know I have said it before, but I love this life, and especially to be able to share it with the love of my life, my best friend, and the admiral of September Song, Stephanie. I love that lady! (ed.note - and she loves you!)
Thanks to all our Bahamas cruising friends for all the great times we had together, and the memories that will last a lifetime. We will be together again soon. Love you all!

September Song (the adventure continues) out
Bob

\
Dolphins saying goodbye.

Nancy, showing off our version of Wilson.

Nancy found a beautiful starfish at the beach.

Nancy and Jay making their way to the last beach day in the Islands.

Stephen, enjoying his last day in the gin clear waters.

Our version of Wilson, left on the beach to wait for our return.

Cassie found a conch shell, drug it up out of the water, and guarded it.

Looking back at Tides In (our buddy boat and good friends Stephen and Pam) and our last sunset in the Islands before our 26 hour crossing back to the US.

We left Half Note on the upper deck, so Pam and Stephen (great cruising friends) gave us a ride to Pineapples.

Last bar day in the Islands. Here's to you Bahamas!

Our beautiful mixologist at Pineapples.

Our great friends and cruising buddies Jay and Nancy.

Sad goodbyes

We have had such a great time while The Gypsies (Doug and Tammy) were cruising with us this last week. We probably had way too much to drink and way to much fun, but we don't get to see them that often, so we cram as much fun into the little time we have together.
It's always sad when they have to go, but we look forward to the next time, where ever that will be.

September Song (miss you guys!) out
Bob


A last afternoon around the pool before Doug and Tammy had to leave.

Happy girl!

Conchy Joe's, one of our favorite places in Marsh Harbour to get cracked conch. Just a barge on the water, but what great seafood Miriam puts out.

Cleaning the conch for our cracked conch. (deep fried conch bits)

Oh Ya!

Couldn't let Doug and Tammy go home without getting some of Conchy Joe's cracked conch and trigger fish. Even better poolside

Rake and Scrape. a Bahamian band that was great.

The only instruments were saws and knives. You couldn't sit still when they played.