Leavin' Footprints

The rhythm in walkin' keeps me movin' along; The rhyme in my mind keeps me singing this song. I'm gonna keep searchin' for my mother-of-pearl; I'm gonna leave footprints all over the world.

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Pizza and beer? Yes please. We are back in Green Cove Springs. Our sailing adventure is over and a thousand mile van ride back to Indiana awaits. But first we have some gear transfer and local exploring to do. We are scheduled for the boat lift this coming Tuesday. I think we will hit up St. Augustine again, get some pirate clothes there and then plunder Angel's dining car in Palatal, then sleep beneath a natural canopy in camp Chowenwaw. That should wrap this trip up nicely. Cheers! #leavinfootprints #missionaccomplished #pizzahut #Budweiser

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🚧 Well, we rode the incoming tidal flow upriver to Jacksonville but repairs to the Main Street vertical lift bridge, which were to be completed earlier this month, are still underway. What this means is that, instead of opening on demand, it is under a revised opening schedule abs we have to wait til noon to pass through. That's cool though, Liz is baking cookies. 🍪 It makes me think of the bridge scene in Monty Python's Search for the Grail though..."None shall pass! You must answer me these questions three." #leavinfootprints #Jacksonville #livingaboard #noneshallpass

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⚓Dropped the hook in Trout River on the northeast side of Jacksonville for the night. Tomorrow we request that the Main Street lift bridge open for us so that we may slip under it and three other bridges before the river opens up before us and we can sail for Green Cove Springs. There we will unload our gear into our waiting van, which we hope will start, and then have "Footprints" lifted out of the water for dry storage. We may get to Green Cove tomorrow, but it will take a few days to get our gear out and get the boat prepped for long term storage. We will have basically wrapped up our trip though. Time to get ourselves back to Indiana for the summer!

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⛵ Sailing under the Palm Shores bridge on the ICW. And yes, there are some palms on these shores. The kids understand we are on our way home, although they're not thrilled that we still have "a long-long way" as they put it. #leavinfootprints #palmshores #sailing #icw

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⛵ Well, it ain't the Bahamas but it's good to be "home" in the USA. It took us 17 hours from Little Grand Cay to Fort Pierce, and now we're making our way up the intracoastal waterway. Here the girls found a natural playground on a spoil island north of Vero Beach, one of many such islands created when the waterway was dredged many years ago. After we stretched our legs for an hour or so we sailed up to Dragon Point, Indian Harbor Beach where we'll anchor for the night. #leavinfootprints #icw #florida

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Today's a big day. It's a long 24 hours across the bank and Gulf Stream to Florida, and we leave at noon. The wind is settling down and will be at our backs. With the Gulf Stream current running 3.5 knots (4 mph) northward, we will be carried approximately 20-25 miles north as we cross it perpendicularly. See you on the other side. So long, Bahamas. We hope to see you again soon. Thanks for the memories and experiences. #leavinfootprints #Abacos #bahamas #livingaboard

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Sailed down wind over the bank in a stiff 18-20 to Old Yankee Cay. 'Cuda country. Didn't keep any for dinner though, we had pork chops marinated in the fridge. Chops beat 'cuda any day. Heading to Grand Cay today tomeet with some friends and check out a fishing tournament and homecoming, and even an Easter egg hunt. It be our last stop in the Bahamas, as we will be "jumping off" from Grand Cay likely next week. #Abacos #bahamas #leavinfootprints #cuda #sailing #livingaboard

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We have arrived safe & sound at Allen's/Pensacola Cay. I've just cleaned the Spanish Mackerel we caught along the way and Liz has hit the beach in the dinghy. The kids didn't want to go to the beach. I guess it's time to come home. Beaches are officially blasé. #leavinfootprints #Abacos #bahamas

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Cruising up the Abacos to Pensacola Cay, taking advantage of a slight decrease in the recently stronger breezes. We still have reefed the main and jenoa to keep things comfortable as it's blowing 17 knots. The plan is to get to Grand Cay by Thursday night to weather a blow, then take advantage of some light weather early next week to cross the gulf stream back to the good ol' USA. Unless...wait, is Trump still president? 🤔 #bahamas #abacos #leavinfootprints #cruising #livingaboard #igotthebahamablues (at Cooper's Town, Abaco)

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Today we thoroughly enjoyed Green Turtle Cay, Abacos. While the anchorage provides poor holding (we dragged anchor for the second time ever on this trip - a whopping 300 feet total) the quaint historic loyalist fishing village offers so much color, rustic beauty and delicious food, we forgive its shortcomings. This image will likely be one of my favorites of the trip - Kailani and I walking off of the quay down the small road where town meets the water's edge. #greenturtlecay #Abacos #Bahamas #leavinfootprints DC (at Green Turtle Cay)

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We found a beach swing back on Tilloo Cay, Abacos. That kept daddy busy awhile, with the kids screaming "Again! Higher! More!" #leavinfootprints #abacos #bahamas #livingaboard

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🙈 Man in Speedos alert! 🏖 Van Herks in our natural element. We spent the noon hour in the tranquility of Tilloo Cay's Lee shore beach, eating lunch and finding conch, and otherwise swimming and playing in the light offshore breezes and ice blue waters of these Bahamas. We're gonna miss this...

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Wind blown hair, don't care. I fixed the steering and am celebrating aboard "Footprints". Cocktails and Cold Front Cookies! We are ready to safely move again. Cheers!

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A cousin of a friend of a friend. You know, it's good to know somebody in the Abacos. That could be a song. Big thanks to Trent Glaub @djnoworries for connecting me with Phillip Rolle who just happened to have the day off today and was able to pick me up for a car ride to Marsh Harbour to get some hydraulic parts made. Turns out we had plenty in common and had some good conversation there and back. I hope to see him and Trent up at Walkers Cay next weekend during the time of homecoming, Easter party and fishing tournament. #friendofafriend #Bahamas #abacos #leavinfootprints

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8 am. We made it! Little Harbour, Abacos. It wa a nasty sail with a steep wind cross-swell, rolling us around pretty miserably. It feels good to be in a calm anchorage. And in this tiny harbor filled with mooring balls, we dropped our anchor. Let's see how many complaints we can get! We have plenty of room.

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Goodbye, Eleuthera. You've been so good to us, but we are bound now for Abaco. This is one of very few overnight sails, the second all winter. We have 55 miles to go with the wind at our backs, so not the fastest point of sail. To be sure we arrive in the daylight hours to spot the entrance through coral reef, we go now rather than chance arriving at dusk or later tomorrow. Wish us luck and I'll keep you posted! Cheers, Chad & crew

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⛵ Moment of Zen from Eleuthera, Bahamas. We had to visit some friends from back home who call Eleuthera home part of the year, and have been doing so for over thirty years. Here we are at the Gibson's with them and they're Hoosier friends and neighbors the Furrys, checking out the custom pool built by a handful of skilled craftsmen and their family and friends. 😜 What a story! Kids loved it. And so did their parents...