[Rhodes22-list] I'm Back from the Bahamas!!!

[Arthur H. Czerwonky]

Bill,
What a story to tell.  I am curious to watch for the moments of 'terror' as I want to do this thing too!
Art

-----Original Message-----
>From: TN Rhodey <tnrhodey at hotmail.com>
>Sent: Jun 12, 2006 5:01 PM
>To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] I'm Back from the Bahamas!!!
>
>Bill,
>
>I was wondering when you were going to posat. congrats on successful voyage. 
>and of course we are interested in pics and log!
>
>Wally
>
>
>>From: "William E. Wickman" <wewickman at duke-energy.com>
>>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>>Subject: [Rhodes22-list] I'm Back from the Bahamas!!!
>>Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 14:18:17 -0500
>>
>>And off he went in a small boat across the Gulf Stream bound for the
>>Bahamas….never to be seen again.  Actually, a better way to put it would 
>>be
>>“There and Back; A story of long boring passages interrupted by short
>>periods of abject terror".
>>
>>Joking aside, it was really a wonderful trip!  I had originally planned to
>>build up to this ambitious trip of sailing to Bimini and the Berry Islands
>>in my Rhodes22, but when opportunity knocks you have to answer, or regret
>>it for the rest of your life.  Looking back, the worst part about the trip
>>was the fear of the unknown.
>>
>>The story actually began two years ago when I had just settled into
>>ownership of my wonderful Rhodes22.  My master plan called for cruising
>>coastal destinations for a while and eventually venturing away from
>>American soil to some exotic location like the Bahamas.  Last year I had a
>>learning experience in the Outer Banks, and spent some time sailing around
>>the Destin, FL area.  My next steps included going back to the Outer Banks,
>>and taking a week or two sailing the Florida Keys and possibly out to the
>>Dry Tortugas.  After those adventures, I would take the leap and plan a
>>trip to the Bahamas.
>>
>>Like I said, when opportunity knocks….  Late last summer, my daughter was
>>accepted into an internship at Dolphin Encounters based out of Nassau,
>>Bahamas.  The internship would be the first week of June, 2006.  My wife
>>and other daughter would accompany her for the week.  Thus, an opportunity
>>opened up for my son and me to do something that my wife would likely not
>>enjoy (1-2 weeks cruising on the boat in locations that would be totally
>>remote from any civilization).  My son was graduating from high school and
>>this would very likely be the last opportunity to have him with me for such
>>an extended time.  So the plan was hatched to “go for it”.  A friend of
>>mine was going to go with us but chickened out, so we added a sailing buddy
>>of my son’s to round out our crew.  Both my son and his friend are good
>>sailors.  Both competed on the high school sailing team and will go on to
>>sail in college.  So with able crew, I was committed.
>>
>>Planning was key to making this trip successful.  I researched all I could
>>find on the internet; I emailed for advice from anyone I found that had
>>made the trip; I bought charts and guidebooks and read them twice; and I
>>spent much time creating my own provisioning checklist.  Everyone I talked
>>to was very helpful, and I would especially like to thank Chris Geankoplis,
>>Robert Quinn, and all the others on the Rhodes listserve who provided me
>>with valuable advice, local knowledge and insights.
>>
>>If everyone is interested, I would be glad to post some pictures and a trip
>>log as soon as I get it written.
>>
>>For now, attached is one of my nicer photos.  It was taken from Flo's Conch
>>Bar and Restaurant in the Berry Islands.  The harbor has very thin water
>>and other cruisers were amazed that we were able to get in there (they
>>anchored out and motored in on their dinghies).  We actually had to heel
>>the boat and just scraped over the shallows, but is was a very proud moment
>>for the Rhodes22.
>>
>>Bill Wickman
>>
>>(See attached file: View from Flo's.JPG)
>
>
>>Name: View from Flo's.JPG Type: image/jpeg Size: 
>>531317 bytes Desc: not available
>>Url: 
>>http://www.rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attch/200606/12/UTF-8BVmlldyBmcm9tIEZsbydzLkpQRw.jpg
>
>
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