Sept, 2005
I don't have any long term plans at this point.
A friend from Lexington is going to sail to the Bahamas with me in November but after that I have no fixed plans.
I expect to spend some time in the Bahamas visiting the southern Bahama islands and then continue south.
Along the way I expect to stop in the Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, St. Martin, St. Barts, Saba and Statia.
One of my brothers is wanting to spend some time in St. Barts about March so that is the only "schedule" I have after reaching the Bahamas.
October 2005 to July, 2006
During this period I sailed south through the Chesapeake Bay, down the ICW to Morehead City, NC, to Abaco and then through the Bahamas, on to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and stopping for the winter in the USVI. I stayed in St Thomas most of the winter but with trips to the British Virgin Islands (BVI), St John, St Croix and to the Puerto Rico islands of Culebra and Culebrita. When it was time to head north to avoid hurricane season, I went back along the south coast of Puerto Rico and headed for the Bahamas. Mechanical problems lead to a side trip to the Turks and Caicos and then on through the Bahamas and on to Morehead City, up the ICW and the Chesapeake Bay to Gibson Island.
I stayed there long enough to pull Bella Vita out and redo the bottom paint.
July 2006 and August 2006
I took two months and went to Maine for the summer where I covered a lot of the coast with freinds and relatives.
The trip was up the Chesapeake Bay, through the Chesapeake-Delaware Canal, down the Delaware Bay, into the Atlantic to New York, through Manhatten, the length of Long Island Sound, the Cape Cod Canal and across the Gulf of Maine to Maine. After a month of cruising I headed offshore to the Cape Cod Canal and then offshore again to the Delaware Bay and on to the Chesapeake Bay.
September 2006 through December 2006
I spent September in the Chesapeake Bay and will be heading south about the end of October.
I will go down the Chesapeake and probably the ICW to Morehead City again.
From there to Abaco where I will leave Bella Vita and fly to KY to see friends and family.
In early December I will leave Abaco for St John where I plan on staying for a couple of months.
No plans after that.
January, 2007 through May, 2007
I spent a little over 4 months in St John working at the VIERS facility. I left there mid May and am now heading north. I plan to be back in the Chesapeake for a while this summer to do the annual haulout. After that I have no firm plans but am thinking about another trip to Maine.
May, 2007 through Oct, 2007
I spent most of the summer in the boatyard at Gibson Island working on the boat. Between painting the deck, doing the bottom paint, some engine work, some outboard work and other work, I didn't make it to Maine or anywhere else for the summer. In Oct, I headed south down the Chesapeake to the Norfolk area getting ready to go back to St John.
Nov, 2007 through June, 2008
About the first of Nov, I headed south again. This time I went offshore by heading for Bermuda and then planning to turn south to St John. Before I got to Bermuda, the winds shifted to the north so I turned directly toward St John. Twelve days after leaving the Chesapeake I was in St John. I worked at VIERS until May, 2008, and then headed north for hurricane season. I went through the Bahamas with a couple of stops and then around Hatteras to the Chesapeake again.
July, 2008 through Oct, 2008
About the first of Nov, I headed south again. This time I went offshore by heading for Bermuda and then planning to turn south to St John. Before I got to Bermuda, the winds shifted to the north so I turned directly toward St John. Twelve days after leaving the Chesapeake I was in St John. I worked at VIERS until May, 2008, and then headed north for hurricane season. I went through the Bahamas with a couple of stops and then around Hatteras to the Chesapeake again. Then it was back to the boatyard again for the summer maintenance. Once that is done, I am thinking of going to Maine again.
Nov, 2008 through June, 2009
I plan on going back to VIERS on St John again for the winter. I'll probably stay until about June and head north again.
I took two months and went to Maine for the summer where I covered a lot of the coast with freinds and relatives.
The trip was up the Chesapeake Bay, through the Chesapeake-Delaware Canal, down the Delaware Bay, into the Atlantic to New York, through Manhatten, the length of Long Island Sound, the Cape Cod Canal and across the Gulf of Maine to Maine. After a month of cruising I headed offshore to the Cape Cod Canal and then offshore again to the Delaware Bay and on to the Chesapeake Bay.
About the first of Nov, I headed south again. This time I went offshore by heading for Bermuda and then planning to turn south to St John. Before I got to Bermuda, the winds shifted to the north so I turned directly toward St John. Twelve days after leaving the Chesapeake I was in St John. I worked at VIERS until May, 2008, and then headed north for hurricane season. I went through the Bahamas with a couple of stops and then around Hatteras to the Chesapeake again.
About the first of Nov, I headed south again. This time I went offshore by heading for Bermuda and then planning to turn south to St John. Before I got to Bermuda, the winds shifted to the north so I turned directly toward St John. Twelve days after leaving the Chesapeake I was in St John. I worked at VIERS until May, 2008, and then headed north for hurricane season. I went through the Bahamas with a couple of stops and then around Hatteras to the Chesapeake again. Then it was back to the boatyard again for the summer maintenance. Once that is done, I am thinking of going to Maine again.