Tag: Weather

Nassau Day Tripping With Guests

Planning for new overnight guests makes me stressed. I want to be a good host, but don’t know how to prepare people for life on board. It’s cramped, the amenities aren’t the greatest, and anything can go wrong. The weather is a huge factor and we have no control over it. Despite my concerns, we just had our first long weekend visitors, and it was a success! Since their visit was short, we spent the time Nassau day tripping. You don’t need to travel too far from Nassau for fun and adventure.

Nassau First Impressions

We sailed into Nassau last Thursday from The Berry Islands and it was a big change. Traffic, noise, big buildings, garbage and smells. On the other hand there are friendly people, boat suppliers, cute seafood shacks, and great hot sauce!

Nassau is a good location for frequent flights, marinas, and stocking up your boat. But if we had known better we would have bought more nonperishables in Florida. The supermarket prices are way higher here! A packet of hot dogs is $6 and sausages start at $10, for example.

Getting around Nassau was okay. We got lost on the bus once and walked a lot.

Brian and I spent one day and two nights in Nassau, welcomed Dave and Freya from Toronto, and got out of the busy downtown to visit some local islands for the weekend. We had a lot of fun just outside of Nassau day tripping.

Rose Island

The first island we sailed to from Nassau was Rose Island. The anchorage was beautiful with super clear water and great swimming and snorkeling. We took the dinghy to a couple of spectacular nearby beaches.

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Blue Water Sailing

Six months ago, we started looking for a boat. Three months ago, we officially bought Sava. Two months ago, we flew down to Florida and moved onto our boat. We’ve gotten used to her, learned how she works and kitted her out with the things we need for our life and journeys on board. Tomorrow is another new experience for all of us: our first “blue water sailing” trip. Destination: The Bahamas.

New Experience: Blue Water Sailing

This is not our longest trip. The sails to, from, and within The Florida Keys were further distance and tomorrow’s should take less time. What sets it apart for us as sailors is that we will not have sight of land for a few hours tomorrow. It is a bit scary but we’ve built up to this and are taking baby steps. We aren’t trying to cross an ocean here, but the Gulf Stream, which has its own set of issues, like pushing us away from where we want to be.

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A Day on a Coffee Farm in Matagalpa

Matagalpa is coffee country, and it was recommended I visit a coffee farm while here. I took the chicken bus north out of town and visited the organic coffee farm known as Selva Negra, or Black Forest. It was interesting and relaxing spending a day on a coffee farm in Matagalpa.

About The Coffee Farm

The farm, and eco-resort and restaurant, is a self-sustaining business with it’s own town. As well as offering coffee tours, there are a lot of hiking trails, so I spent an entire day there. It was beautiful and interesting.

Some interesting facts I learned: Selva Negra is called Black Forest because it was founded by Germans. Germans brought coffee farming to Matagalpa. The farm is completely organic and ecological. Selva Negra coffee is produced under the name La Hammonia. They sell to Whole Foods in the U.S., so you may have tried this Nicaraguan coffee yourself.

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