lagoon 380

Cruising Friends

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments

#sailing It’s Wednesday again and time to post about cruising in the Bahamas.

I thought it was time to share some other boats that we cruise with. Buddy boating is a lot of fun, and we tend to meet with different friends on and off throughout the season. Here is Jabulani (Africat 42) chasing us into an anchorage after a beautiful day on the Bahama Banks.

We have a Lagoon 380, S2, but hang with all kinds of boats. The power catamaran can blast past us if they want, but they like to be social too. Part of the fun of being in the isolated anchorage is bringing our own friends with us.

Someone always catches a fish, and then they get to provide dinner.

Kayaking Dog

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

#dogs Farley loves to kayak, although today I think I might have overdone it with him. Don’t you think he looks tired? Even though it’s me who does all the work, he gets a nap.

If you’re thinking of bringing your dog cruising and bringing a kayak, it’s a good idea to test the kayak first. I had to find one big enough that Farley could get in it too.

Guests on a Cruising Catamaran

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

#Sailing  Keeping guests entertained is easy on a catamaran, especially it the guests are adventurous. This was the first time spearfishing for our guests and they loved it. Not only was it an adventure – they brought home dinner. Lucky for us we had an excellent chef visiting too.

Other things to do with your guests . . . beach walking, playing the surf, swimming, kayaking, windsurfing, shell collecting . . .  You get the gist of it.

Happy Spearfishing!

Tides and Cruising

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments
Sand Dollar Beach, Bahamas

#Sailing

This is what happens when we don’t pay attention to the tides.

The tides affect our lives every day on a cruising boat. Our Lagoon 380 draws 4’. It’s a shallow draft that’s great for tucking into anchorages in the Bahamas, but we still need to know what the tides are doing when we anchor.

Anchoring at low tide is great because we always know there will be enough water below our keels. At any other point in the tide cycle we need to make sure the water will be deep enough at low tide. This includes knowing the water within our swing range. A middle of the night squall can swing the boat 180 degrees and there better be enough water. I don’t know why, but squalls always seem to hit in the middle of the night.

Sailing through cuts is another time the tides are important. Wind against current is a bad thing in a narrow cut.

Back to the dingy . . . does my husband actually think he is going somewhere in the beached dingy?

Cruising and Exercising

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 1 Comment
Stocking Island, Bahamas

#sailing

Keeping fit while cruising is sometimes a challenge. If you’re a runner, you can find beach in the Bahamas that will fill your need to run.

The photo is of my favourite beach on Stocking Island. It’s 2.5 K each way, meaning I can get in a 5K run. (10K if I’m feeling ambitious and the tides are right.)

The tides are a factor when choosing what time to run. Low tide is the best. High tide is a slog. But everyday the beach has a different surface so it’s like getting new workout equipment at the gym.

Ankles and knees can be a concern on the angled slope, but the calves really get a workout.

Typical of this beach, there is no one on it. It is one of my favourite spots in the Bahamas.

The little dot beside us is my wheaten terrier, Farley. He loves an off-leash beach run.

Related articles and other ways to keep fit . . .

Snorkelling from a Cruising Catamaram

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

#sailing Oops. Dropped my snorkel.

The Aquarium is located in the Exuma island chain of the Bahamas and is a spectacular place to snorkel. It’s in a protected area, a land and sea park, making it a must see if you are cruising these islands.

This is a no take zone, meaning no spear fishing, lobster or conch hunting.  We had to dig into our freezer for dinner, but the snorkelling was worth it.

Where’s Farley?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments
Star Fish Beach, Bahamas

#sailing #dogs

Sailing with dogs is sandy business if you like to go to the beach. Farley, our wheaten terrier, is the colour of sand, and maybe we should have called him Sandy.

He loves to dig a hole and hide in it. He’ll sit perfectly still and make us play the Where’s Farley game.  I think he might actually be making fun of us, but who knows?

If you’re thinking of cruising with a dog, an outside freshwater hose is a must. Ours is on the back step of our catamaran. Farley gets a rinse before he’s allowed passed the stairs. Then he gets a rub down with a towel. That’s the other item we brought . . . Farley has his own set of towels.  One more little thing to keep us all happy.

Related articles

Spotted Eagle Ray

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments
Near Cambridge Cay, Bahamas

#sailing The Bahamian waters are crystal clear and make viewing sea life easy.

This beautiful spotted eagle ray swam along side our Lagoon 380 at slow speed. I was so excited that I had time to get my camera and snap this photo. The water is nine feet deep here, but it looks like we are about to go aground.

Sailing and Kayaking Together

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#sailing  The Bahamas provides a wide range of wind for a cruiser. Sometimes it too much and we have to find a protected anchorage. Sometimes it’s too little for windsurfing.

So for the light wind day, our friends brought out the kayak – sailboat.  It’s an interesting contraption. For kayaking, the rider pedals the boat to propel it forward. If it’s windy, then the wind does the work.

There’s always a new way to spend time and here is Matt trying out the gear.

Check out the colour of the water!

Fishing Off a Catamaran

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#sailing Does it get any better than pulling a Mahi Mahi up the back steps of your catamaran? Bahamas offers incredible deep sea fishing. The catamaran offers a great platform to fish from.

Get your gaff ready, fish bag open, and pull it aboard. Then get ready for a fantastic meal.