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Further adventures of the good ship Ripple

Here is the plan.

Liza and Keefer Douglas plus two volunteer crew will join the Salty Dawg rally to sail Ripple, our 1980 382 (Hull #195) down to Abaco, Bahamas starting on or around November 1, 2021. We will leave the boat on a mooring in Man O War Cay, where we have ties through Liza's family. On or around December 30, we will fly back down with our two kids and cruise the Bahamas for the winter months, then return back to the Chesapeake by end-June 2022.

Here is our information for anyone interested in following along. Or if anyone else out in the Morganverse is cruising the Bahamas this winter, hit us up and we'll be happy to meet for some grouper burgers and Kaliks!

MMSI (terrestrial-only AIS): 368064420
Predictwind GPS tracking: https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/SV_Ripple_1
Instagram: @ripple4010
Email: ripple4010@gmail.com
Offshore email: ripple@myiridium.net

As with all things nautical, Neptune and Murphy may have other plans for our plan, so I will try to post updates here from time to time.
 
Awesome! Congrats on getting started on this!
I'll be watching your instagram & tracker. Looking forward to hearing how Neptune and Murphy are treating you and Ripple.
Cheers,
-Mark
 
Happy to report that Ripple and her crew made it to the Bahamas without incident. We had two days of mostly favorable wind to start, crossed the Gulf Stream right off of Hatteras, then were mostly becalmed for the next 3 days. We only carried 10 extra gallons of diesel on the deck, and came pretty close to using all 50 gallons on board. Spent a long time motoring at low RPM to conserve fuel, and eventually a passing Hylas 56 from the rally was kind enough to stop and transfer over 6 more gallons from their very large store. Of course, as soon as that was done the wind picked up and we ended on a high note with 15-20 kts on the beam. Other highlights include stopping for a swim in calm crystal blue waters about 250 miles offshore, and catching two mahi (one of which we traded for the diesel, along with a bottle of rum).

We cleared Customs and picked up our mooring just as the heavens opened up and the wind clocked South then SW then West, a classic fall/winter front coming off of the US and leaving any boats still trying to move South beating into a near gale. That included pretty much all of the much larger Salty Dawg fleet headed for Antigua, unfortunately for them.

We were easily the oldest, slowest and smallest of the Bahamas-bound Salty Dawgs, but held our own admirably. Next time I am taking a few more jerry cans, but otherwise am happy to confirm for myself that our old boat is still very much a comfortable and capable passage maker. But all of you smart Morgan owners knew that already :)

The Abacos are still very much in recovery mode from Hurricane Dorian. They really need tourist dollars to accelerate reconstruction and get businesses back up and running, but the amenities still are not there to make it worth the trip for most folks. A real Catch-22, and COVID only made things worse. We went over for lunch in Hope Town, which in the past was a serious hub for cruisers, the harbor nearly always completely full. We anchored there with no problem, maybe 5 other boats in the entire place. Looking forward to doing our part with some more dollars to spend come January.
 
Hi Keefer - thanks for the update! It's funny, I was just looking at your Instagram and Predict Wind about an hour ago. I don't know much about hurricane Dorian, but read up and was surprised to see it's the strongest storm to ever hit the Bahamas. 185 mph winds: no thanks! And that is quite the one-two punch since it was followed by COVID. I'm hoping they can bounce back fast.

Glad to hear the trip went well.
 
Yeah Dorian was about as bad as it gets, 185 mph and just parked over the region for nearly a full day. Every single boat in the well protected harbor at Man O War Cay (a longstanding hurricane hole) sank or was driven ashore. All of the docks destroyed, and a large number of houses destroyed or heavily damaged. The last of the boats are just now being picked up by barges and hauled off. I posted on Instagram about the Valiant 40 that was wrecked on our property, and before we left I watched as they hauled her off.
 
Yeah Dorian was about as bad as it gets, 185 mph and just parked over the region for nearly a full day. Every single boat in the well protected harbor at Man O War Cay (a longstanding hurricane hole) sank or was driven ashore. All of the docks destroyed, and a large number of houses destroyed or heavily damaged. The last of the boats are just now being picked up by barges and hauled off. I posted on Instagram about the Valiant 40 that was wrecked on our property, and before we left I watched as they hauled her off.
keefer I am having trouble acessing your instagram. Can you give me some guidance?
 
Keefer, you are correct in describing Dorian as the worst ever seen in the Bahamas. We were in The Abacos the first winter after Dorian and the destruction everywhere was simply unbelievable. All Cays were devastated, none more so than Marsh Harbour, which looked quite literally like Hiroshima after the nuclear explosion. Knot Tied was owned by my friend Rich Miller from Montana. Rich did the most beautiful and intricate knot work, hence the boat name Knot Tied. With the loss of his boat Rich sadly has retired from sailing. Enjoy your stay in Man-o-War. We are hoping to be in Abaco in January - if you're still there we'll say hello. BTW can you give an update on the mooring ball situation in Man-o-War - the Eastern Harbour was always a favorite place for us.
 
Hi Bob,

Currently Edwin's is the only game in town, and has three moorings all in the settlement harbor. Ripple is on one of these, and there is a larger Morgan (Catalina Morgan maybe?) on another. The Eastern Harbor has a bunch of moorings but all seem private as of now. That said, everything is still a little chaotic down there - no one in charge, hard to get accurate information about anything. At least as of now you will have no trouble anchoring there, or just about anywhere else you'd like. Maybe that will change as the season gets going? Seems doubtful, though the reports I hear suggest that they are expecting a return to more normal numbers of boats elsewhere in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

Scuttlebutt around town is that someone from Marsh Harbour is in the process of purchasing the Marina with the aim of rebuilding. Many docks and structures have been rebuilt, but that property remains a glaring hole. Consensus is that until that and a restaurant or two come back, Man O War is going to struggle to attract many visitors.

We plan to spend 2 weeks or so in Man O War in January (and then likely cruise the Abacos with that as a home base) before heading further south. Would be happy to meet up.

Small world re: Knot Tied. I mentioned on Instagram but she really is a tragic case. Obviously a well-loved classic, very sad to see her end up like that.
 
Glad to hear you had a good trip. Conditions were much the same for my trip to St. Thomas. Used about 60 gallons. Not a fan of motoring, and happy to be in the trades with better sailing until i reach the west coast
 
Update! After about a week in Florida waiting out asymptomatic covid cases in both kids (just like everyone else it seems), we finally flew back to the Abacos on January 6. True to form for January, the fronts coming off of the US have been relentless, pounding us with strong NE-NW winds and preventing much cruising around here. Luckily we have a rebuilt house to stay in while we wait out the blows.
 
Keefer
Have there been any restrictions on travel to or from the Bahamas? When will you be bringing Ripple back to the Chesapeake? Bonnie and I are planning a journey down to the Bay for September and October.

Jim
 
Hi Jim,
Travel is open within the Bahamas, but getting in is still a bit of a pain. For a while you needed a rapid test negative within 5 days before arrival, then they shortened that to 2 days. Then they announced that a PCR would be required, then they rescinded that because they realized no Americans could get one in that time frame. And then there was supposed to be a requirement to test again within 48 hours of arrival, which we diligently did (for $33/test!), only to be told it wasn't really a requirement since the government has no system to record and track those tests anyway. Whole thing is your typical SNAFU, but the main concern of the current government in Nassau seems to be keeping the tourist dollars coming in at all costs, which is a good thing from our perspective. Life is mostly normal here, people do mask indoors, but the indoor spaces we've been to so far are few and far between, as it should be!

We made the jump from Abaco to Eleuthera yesterday, a wild ride in 20-25 from the West and 6-10 foot seas, averaging about 7 kts with two reefs in the main and only the tiniest corner of jib. Ripple handled it just fine, the rest of us might have preferred a little less wind.

We will be back in the Chesapeake by late June, would love to see you and Bonnie again this fall.
 
Keefer

I guess with all the damage that the hurricane did in the Abacos, they need all the bucks they can get. We're glad you are getting to enjoy those beautiful Islands and people. We made that same trip you made only in the opposite direction from Eluthera to Little Harbor with no wind and calm seas. Enjoy a Kalick for us.

Jim
 
Greetings from Emerald Bay, Exuma. We have now done all of Eleuthera and most of the Exumas, and are taking a little break at the nice marina here and entertaining some visitors. Ripple continues to perform like a champ, only minor issues thankfully and the biggest of those (windlass not working) was caused by some questionable wiring by our installer just last winter. Mounted the up/down switch control box directly below the chain fall where it routinely gets soaked, leading unsurprisingly to the solenoids failing. Thankfully visitors means spare parts, and I have a plan to get it to a better location.

Will spend some time in George Town after this, and are considering our options for where to go next. Any opinions among the Morganeers with Bahamas/Caribbean experience? Not sure how much we want to beat Eastward from here, but will consider it if the destination is worth it. General plan is to go back through the Abacos in May then cross back to the US from there, but everything (including that) is up for negotiation.
 
Greetings from Emerald Bay, Exuma. We have now done all of Eleuthera and most of the Exumas, and are taking a little break at the nice marina here and entertaining some visitors. Ripple continues to perform like a champ, only minor issues thankfully and the biggest of those (windlass not working) was caused by some questionable wiring by our installer just last winter. Mounted the up/down switch control box directly below the chain fall where it routinely gets soaked, leading unsurprisingly to the solenoids failing. Thankfully visitors means spare parts, and I have a plan to get it to a better location.

Will spend some time in George Town after this, and are considering our options for where to go next. Any opinions among the Morganeers with Bahamas/Caribbean experience? Not sure how much we want to beat Eastward from here, but will consider it if the destination is worth it. General plan is to go back through the Abacos in May then cross back to the US from there, but everything (including that) is up for negotiation.
Keefer Good for you and nice to read the update! Please tell a bit more about your windlass and ground tackle setup. Georgetown is a nice spot, with a cool, little library,. a grocery store and some services, sometimes referred to as "chicken town" because so many cruisers stop there-many for a long time-- and then head back as the next stop--or stops are few and far between. As you asked who wants to "beat Eastward" ?? Parties on the beach! How is the boarding ladder working out?
 
Keefer & Family

Glad to hear you are faring well in the Exumas. Bonnie and I are having a bit of envy. In the spring of 2010 we visited the Emerald Bay Marina. At that time the Marina was for sale. To make it look better for prospective buyers they decided to fill it with boats. So they charged us $.50 a foot to stay as long as we liked, including all the facilities. It was a great stay, especially as the Northwesters were rolling through a lot. When we arrived at Georgetown we anchored in Sand Dollar Bay. There was good holding in sand and not as crowded Chat & Chill beach. There were about 200 boats in Georgetown that year. We never went beyond Georgetown. At that point we hadn't done the Abacos so we turned back North.

Enjoy the rest of the winter in paradise. Hope to visit with you in the fall in the Chesapeake.

Jim
 
Keefer Good for you and nice to read the update! Please tell a bit more about your windlass and ground tackle setup. Georgetown is a nice spot, with a cool, little library,. a grocery store and some services, sometimes referred to as "chicken town" because so many cruisers stop there-many for a long time-- and then head back as the next stop--or stops are few and far between. As you asked who wants to "beat Eastward" ?? Parties on the beach! How is the boarding ladder working out?
Hi Paul,
The ladder is working great - that was my first project when we got back down to the Bahamas. Was able to get the windlass working again thankfully. Peace of mind as we wait out a 30+ kt blow here off of Chat & Chill. Kaliks and good company certainly do help the time pass quickly. I think we will probably hit up the Raggeds next, then back here to restock, then maybe Long and Cat and on back North. I like it here, but definitely not one of those "chickens" that could spend a whole season!

I know I have discussed our ground tackle reconfiguration somewhere in another thread, but briefly again: we removed the upper anchor tray, and then divided the resulting space into fore and aft sections. In the forward section we have a Fortress anchor with 200' of rope to serve as a backup, and also installed a deck wash with salt/fresh toggle. This is accessed by a new, smaller barn door style hatch. The aft section houses the chain fall and windlass motor/wiring. We put in a vertical Lofrans mounted on a 3" block to get it up off the deck and improve chain angle to the anchor roller. We have 150' of 5/16 chain, plus another 150' of 3/4 rope in there. Have yet to need any of that rope, though I think we came close in Block Island last summer. Certainly not necessary for the Bahamas. Our one big headache is the 45 lb CQR. It is plenty of anchor for the boat, but does not always set well in sand. Luckily I can always dive on it in the crystal clear Bahamian water, but if we ever come back I'm getting a more modern anchor.
 
Keefer

Glad to hear you guys are not going to seduced into staying in Georgetown for the remainder of the season. Not many can breakaway from Chat & Chill Beach and go on. It's like being in an adult day camp there.

You will definitely see a big difference in a new modern anchor and your CQR. Especially in the soft sand of the Bahamas. We have been using a 45# Manson Supreme since our Bahama trip and have slept well ever since. The unfortunate problem in choosing is that there are so many very good anchors on the market now that it is hard to get solid information.

How are the kids enjoying the journey? Have they connected with other boat kids?

Jim
 
Part of the pull of Chat & Chill is of course all the kids. We have made a bunch of friends on the way through the Exumas, but there is nowhere else with quite the critical mass that George Town has. Not sure the call of "better spearfishing" in the Raggeds will make up for the loss of all this community in the kids' eyes! But we will continue to balance friends and beautiful empty anchorages. They report being happy overall so far.
 
CQRs were once the standard cruising anchor. Not a great design, however. I depend on a Spade and have never regretted the choice.

Keefer, your choice to alter the chain snchor sounds interesting. Three questions: (1) How far forward of your anchor bulkhead did you place the divider? (2) Does your anchor lid leak when taking water over the bow? If not, how did you accomplish that? I made as shoebox kind of lid with rubber gasketing, But when we are constantly taking lots of water over them bow (we had 3 days of that returning from Hawaii), it still leaks. (3) Did you place a floor in the locker with overboard drains? Or does the locker still drain into the bilge? I would like to have outside drains, but without a floor, the drains would be under water when the boat is healed. By the way, I know a fellow with a Fast Passage 39 (great sea boat) who installed a Beta 43. His exhaust elbow cracked, like yours. I begin to question the quality of Beta's marinization. Is your 43 still performing ok?
 
1) In the aft locker section there is about a foot or a little more between the V-berth bulkhead and the divider. Plenty of space for what we've got in there, though the rope section is coiled on a peg hung near the top to make sure the chain can sit as low as possible. With that set up, 150' of 5/16 chain piles to just about the level of the bulkead access panel.
2) It definitely still leaks in big seas. The windlass itself seems to be the worst culprit - got a cover made for it and that helps, but water still pools in the bottom of the anchor lockers, because:
3) It all still drains to the bilge, and the path is both narrow and subject to clogging with sand/mud/etc. In big seas it actually gets high enough to leak through the bulkhead and pool under the V-berth cushions on the low side (especially port when we're on starboard tack for some unknown reason). Not ideal.

I have so far been hesitant to put in a floor and overboard drains because the divider already makes the two chambers small, and I'm just always wary about new holes in the boat. That said, a better solution of some sort is on the list for next winter, and it may end up being overboard drains. Even without putting in a floor, if I can limit the amount of water that can pool to the point where it stays in the locker until the last of it can drain to the bilge, that would be better than what we've got now.

Whatever we end up doing, I'll be sure to make a new thread and report back!
 
Years ago I discovered during 100 miles pounding into a small gale that the anchor locker bulkhead was not tabbed to the deck, which let water in to the forecastle. I fixed that pronto. I carry 240 feet of 5/16" chain in the lower and carry a back-up rope rode in the upper locker. It works, but the last 60 feet of chain does not self stow. I would like to figure out haw to remedy that.
 
I won't be able to see it until the chain is out, but I could swear that the bulkhead is already tabbed to the hull. But even so this is likely the fail point, and redoing it is top on my list!
 
I was chasing a leak on Sonata and found the same. Lots of smeared silicone in my case, but the top of the bulkhead was not glassed to the deck. Even condensation in the anchor locker created moisture and problems below.
I rectified that issue pretty easily. No more leaks there anyway.
Mitchell
 
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