Life on Restless and beyond.

  Day 92- Good bye Bahamas Last night we anchored at Great Sale Cay and puzzled over why the anchor kept dragging. The culprit? Tree branches tangled beneath us! With a bit of rope and a trusty knife, we managed to set things right. Apparently, we have a knack for picking up branches—this isn’t our first time. Back in West Palm Beach we snagged one too, and sure enough, we’d been warned they were out there. No problem, we found one! This morning we slipped on our “relationship savers” (headsets), lifted the anchor, and pointed the bow back toward the States.  As if to send us off, two dolphins appeared, darting and playing at the bow. First two, then a third joined in, and finally one lingered behind—clearly the defiant child of the group—before eventually heading off after the others. The past few days have been smooth sailing—or rather, motoring—and today has been no different. Tonight, though, I’m bracing for some rolly seas as we enter the Gulf Stream around 7 p.m. If all ...

Hopetown Charm and Sailing Decisions Day 90 We spent the last couple of days in the sweetest little place called Hope Town . Picture charming pastel homes, golf carts buzzing along narrow lanes, a wide and uncrowded beach, one restaurant, and not a single grocery store. It felt like the kind of spot an author would retreat to for inspiration. Picture courtesy of the internet….mine couldn't compare! Such a cute property Hope Town is also home to something truly special—the last lighthouse in the world still kerosene-burning and hand-wound nightly by keepers . A living piece of history standing tall. Before that, we were in Marsh Harbor , hoping to snorkel, but the water was too rough and our dinghy too deflated to risk it. Instead, we met friends at a beach bar and grill called Nippers . The fun twist there? They have a pool you can use while visiting. We did, though the water was a bit “nippy” one brave soul managed a full plunge! Perfume Showdown – For the Ladies For about ten yea...

  Day 86 First Day of Spring We’ve been anchored in Marsh Harbor since Monday, and it’s been a surprisingly delightful stop. Restaurants, laundry, a great dinghy dock, and a grocery store with prices that don’t make you wince—it ticks all the boxes! The weather, however, has been less than charming. Strong winds have kept us tucked aboard more than we’d like, though we dash ashore whenever there’s a break. At night, we hear the winds howling off and on. We did manage to wander through town. Marsh Harbor still carries the scars of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, and locals still share heartbreaking stories of its impact. Memorials scattered across the island stand as reminders of their losses. Wedding Update Wednesday brought disappointing news: Sandals, originally expected to reopen in May, has now been delayed until December. That means our October plans are officially off the table. We planned to head straight from Sandals to Couples for their robust tennis program, but that’s scratche...

  Day 82   Boat tales and storm prep  Seeking Shelter We’ve been anchored at Little Harbor Cay, but with a storm brewing we’re heading to Marsh Harbor for protection. Chris Parker, our marine meteorologist, is calling for winds and thunderstorms gusting up to 40 mph—time to tuck in somewhere safer. Boat Projects The past couple of days have been all about maintenance: patching the dinghy, scrubbing inside and out, and battling the endless salt. Salt on clothes is its own lesson—turns out they won’t dry properly unless rinsed in fresh water, which we’re carefully conserving. Boat Tales Since Christmas, our nightly ritual has been cozying up with The Sopranos DVDs. Sometimes one episode, sometimes three, sometimes rewatching when someone nodded off. Many times, I got so wrapped up, I forgot I was on a boat at all. We finally finished the series—well, technically the night before, since we fell asleep and had to rewatch the finale. Now we’re left wondering: what’s next? We’...

  Day 79 Sailing into Friday the 13th! Today we are sailing to Little Harbor Cay, our first stop in the Abacos. It’s a bit rolley, so the sail is up to steady us, and the scopolamine patch is on. Step 1: Couldn’t resist sharing a shot of dinghy snorkeling—some of you will relate…  amateurs!    Step 2: Bodies actually in the water. Thanks to Mary and Tom for pointing us to a good spot. Tom even spotted a large stingray and showed us. Thankfully, he was just curious and went on his way. That was my cue—I felt I’d had enough adventure and climbed back into the dinghy… safe! Yesterday we arrived at Spanish Wells and discovered our dinghy has a leak. Since we need it to get ashore, we set off with the hand pump onboard. The new routine: pump air, head to shore, grab provisions, pump more air, and back to the boat.  Meanwhile, our watermaker is limping along. With its leak, we’re hauling water whenever we can. Yesterday we ran it for 12 hours and only got about 35 ...

  March 12, 2026 Day 78  Conch, Knots, and Sunset Cleaning Yesterday brought us to Ships Channel Cay, where curiosity (and snorkel gear) led us beneath the waves. The water was alive with coral reefs, an assortment of fish, and—much to our surprise—plenty of conch. Diving down to collect them was exhilarating, though I quickly discovered one small problem: I can't get back into the dinghy. Trying not to panic ..I got Steve’s attention. Luckily,—our ever-resourceful knot master—came to the rescue. With a few clever twists, he rigged a knotted rope ladder that made climbing back aboard possible ( The yellow line). Of course, the real challenge came afterward. Cleaning the conch is no small task, and we worked until the sun slipped below the horizon. I joined in with a knife, though my contribution was more “a little bit” than “a lot.” Still, it felt good to be part of the process. Now comes the fun part: turning our catch into dishes that are edible …wink! This morning we left a...

  March 11, 2026 – Day 77 Staniel Cay & The Land and Sea Park We’re motor sailing toward Ships Channel today, planning to anchor overnight before heading out early tomorrow to Spanish Wells and then on to the Abacos. The Abacos will be our last big stop before returning to the States. L We would have loved more time at Warderick Wells—the Land and Sea Park—but with a weather window opening to reach the Abacos, we decided to take it. And yes… Here's a birthday pic. Note the candles… yup... cut up straws!  Sunday – Staniel Cay We spent Sunday at Staniel Cay, enjoying lunch at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. It was such a lazy, lovely afternoon—I could have stayed there all day, just watching boats and people come and go. Of course, we spotted more nurse sharks. See his eyeball! Monday – A Bit of a Blur Monday is fuzzy in my memory, but I do know Steve spent the day making water. Unfortunately, our water maker is leaking. He doesn’t want to tackle the repair until we’re back in t...

  March 7 - Day 73 Someone’s birthday and what a coincidence! Today is Steve’s birthday, and when I tallied up our time at sea it came to 73 days—quite the coincidence in the air! Wink wink. I’ve been wrestling with some technical hiccups uploading videos, which explains the delay in updates. Hopefully I’ll get that sorted soon. Last night, with too much on my mind to sleep, I slept out in the cockpit. With the wind screens up and cushions down, I managed to snuggle in until daylight. Yesterday we explored Bitter Guana Cay, picnic in tow. The iguanas were everywhere—like a mini Jurassic Park—and I was not a fan. Lunch with the dinghy half in the water didn’t help; they still came charging. Shy of a panic attack, I had Steve whisk us away in record time. However, this is a pic at mini Jurassic. From there we cruised to Big Major Cay to see the pigs. I made it clear: shoreline cruising only, no getting out. I was not in the mood to be chased by pigs! Cruisers know laundry is a big de...

  March 1, 2026    Day 67  Our friends came back from Miami yesterday and brought us our new water pump so Steve installed that in the afternoon.  So now we have an operating generator!!!  Last night at dinner we all planned to all go snorkeling Sunday since we weren’t planning to leave for several days.  However, when we woke at 6:30am our friends announced they were taking advantage of the good weather window and heading north in order to get on the west side of the Exumas.  That definitely got us moving! We scrambled for last-minute provisions, finished our prep, and set off for Galliot Cay.  Restless is modeling with my daughter Caitlin during a photo shoot 😀 Before we left, we attended the Georgetown Variety Show — such a cute performance, especially the act about being an older woman. It was a fun way to wrap up our time there. Last night we had dinner at the Rust Anchor. We made it safely and lets see what tomorrow holds!