Turf to Surf

A crazy adventure on the horizon

“Robert Granville, Nick Golding, Domenico Grazzani, Tasha Hacker…” “Holy shit, that’s me!” I screamed, jumping up from my seat and reaching over to high-five Ryan. After a morning of chugging coffee, chewing my nails and pacing back and forth in anticipation of this moment, it was a relief to hear my name and know my … Continue reading »

Picture Escapade: Allens Cay, Bahamas

After anchoring for a night off Highborne Cay in The Exumas, we decided to head 5 miles north to Allens Cay where an unusual species of iguanas are the islands’ main inhabitants. We’ve been known to get stuck in places to do boat repairs, but in the case of Allens Cay, we decided to stick … Continue reading »

Picture Escapade: Cumberland Island, Georgia

Just a few miles from St. Marys is Cumberland Island, a state park that was once home to a Spanish settlement, slave plantations and Dungeness, a mansion owned by the Carnegie family until 1925. The mansion burned down in 1959 with rumors of the arsonists’ identities varying from scorned girlfriends of some Carnegie sons to … Continue reading »

Picture Escapade: Long Island, Bahamas

Since Long Island has a relatively large population (4,000 people) compared to other islands in the Bahamas, we expected to see a string of developed townships as we drove through in our rickety rental car. But we were surprised and delighted to find that Long Island was as remote and sleepy as most of the … Continue reading »

Shore Leave: Renting a car on Long Island, Bahamas

With only one day to explore the 76-mile-long Long Island before pushing on to the Dominican Republic, Ryan and I decided to make the most of our last stop in a Bahamian town by exploring the island in a rental car with our friends on m/v Knot Yet and s/v Senara. A local shopkeeper had … Continue reading »

A lesson in spear fishing

Before we left New York back in October, Ryan did a lot of research into island life and what “water toys” we should have on board for our trip. We didn’t own any snorkeling gear, since it wouldn’t have been much use in the brackish waters of the Hudson River. So, before we left, we … Continue reading »

Heritage Festival: George Town, Bahamas

As much as I enjoyed the George Town Cruising Regatta while it was on, I have to admit that once it was over and the rally to Long Island shifted most of the long-term cruising “stayers” away from Elizabeth Harbor for 10 days, the anchorage took on a very different feel. A much more relaxed … Continue reading »

Bahamas detour: Fort Lauderdale, New York and back again

My whirlwind weekend in Fort Lauderdale was supposed to involve just two days of West Marine shopping, Apple computer repairs, staying with friends, possibly getting a hair cut, and returning to George Town with all the spare parts we needed to comfortably head south immediately upon my return. But when Ryan called to say the … Continue reading »

Picture Escapade: George Town & Stocking Island, Bahamas

Turning up to George Town for the annual Cruising Regatta felt a little like rafting up to a Carnival Cruise Liner or docking at a family summer camp. There were announcements every morning at 8 o’clock on VHF channel 72 letting you know the schedule of activities and events for the day, along with general … Continue reading »

Fuel filters, tanks and pumps, oh my

When we first started cruising, Ryan and I noticed some distinct differences between Hideaway and the boats of experienced cruisers: Most boats had much larger anchors and much more chain than we did. 9 out of 10 boats seemed to have a Honda eu2000i generator on board. Yet we didn’t. Jerrycans on deck were a … Continue reading »

Captain’s Log: Black Point to George Town, Bahamas

Let me tell you, nothing gets your adrenalin pumping like having your engine die in high winds while you’re sandwiched between two coral reefs. We were in a hurry to get down to George Town before the bad weather arrived and the annual Cruising Regatta started. But we know from experience that being in a … Continue reading »

Route planning: More madness than method

Sometimes all you need is a pile of socks and a few rum punches to help you decide where to go next. Ryan and I were ecstatic to be doing laundry at Ida’s in Black Point, Great Guana Cay because 1) it had been three weeks since we’d washed our clothes, 2) Ida offers laundry, … Continue reading »

Fitness Afloat: Learning to use our TRX

Like many a sailor preparing to transition to a life of cruising, I spent countless months in New York devouring sailing blogs, reading books and listening to tales of the disasters and triumphs of many old salts who once lived on the high seas. From stories like Maiden Voyage by Tania Aebi, I took comfort … Continue reading »

Captain’s Log: Big Major Spot to O’Brien’s Cay

I think there’s probably something in a sailing rule book somewhere that says you’re not a real sailor unless you have a favorite point of sail. But to be honest with you, up until now, my favorite point of sail has been whatever got me to our destination the fastest and easiest. And, most often, … Continue reading »

Fitness Afloat: Running in the islands

One thing I’ve always loved about running is how simple it is. It doesn’t require any equipment — just a pair of sneakers and a stretch of road or beach in front of me. Of course, a little sunshine and a gorgeous view doesn’t hurt, either. Except back when we were constantly pushing Hideaway further and … Continue reading »

Shore Leave: Staniel Cay, Bahamas

When we first started making our way down the Exuma chain, we were a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of islands there were to see. 365, apparently: one for every day of the year. So to help us sort through which islands to visit and which ones to skip, we jotted down a list … Continue reading »

Picture Escapade: Warderick Wells Cay, Bahamas

I was all set to write about Warderick Wells Cay being the dullest island in the Exumas chain and how we would have moved on more quickly if it weren’t for the gale-force winds that kept us tied securely to a park mooring ball. But then I downloaded our photos and had to laugh out … Continue reading »

A cruiser’s tantrum: Things I hate about living on a boat

Looking over our photos of idyllic beaches and topaz blue waters, you’d think that life aboard a sailboat looked like a Chanel perfume ad. You can just see me swinging in a hammock on a sun-drenched foredeck as a breeze lifts the hems of my white linen trousers. And in my lap is a puppy. … Continue reading »

What happened to Camp Driftwood?

It’s always a little unsettling when we pull into a popular anchorage to find it completely empty. All I can think is “Why is no one else here? Is there something we don’t know?” We got our answer, though, as we bounced and jerked in the waves trying to get Hideaway tied onto her mooring … Continue reading »

Shore Leave: Norman’s Cay, Bahamas

As soon as we dropped anchor, we were eager to get to shore and explore for bullet holes, severed fingers, buried bags of cocaine, loose hundred-dollar bills…you know, the kind of thing you’d expect to find on your average, abandoned drug-running island. After all, we were in a heavenly little spot just south of Norman’s … Continue reading »

Video Valentine: Normans Cay, Bahamas

With no heart-shaped boxes of chocolate to exchange on Valentine’s Day this year, we decided to make our own valentines in Normans Cay by exploring our surroundings and taking our GoPro camera for a ride. Happy Valentine’s Day from Turf to Surf.