We spent the final few weeks of The Ryba Family Sabbatical in Spanish Wells, where it began 4 months earlier. Once tied up at the familiar docks of the Yacht Haven, we were greeted by “Bill Something,” a crusty Canadian retiree who had been living aboard at the marina since the early days of the... Continue Reading →
Convincing the kids to skip 4 months with friends, their television and their wifi; convincing them to skip the Holidays, in favor of a cramped and (frankly smelly) sailboat, where they would share a cabin—this took some negotiation. The parties agreed that in exchange for their cheerful cooperation and commitment to completing “boat school” in... Continue Reading →
On February 15 we left the comforts of Georgetown and Emerald Bay, leaving friends and the southern Exuma cruising community, to start the long sail back to the US. https://videopress.com/v/KqApM7ji?autoPlay=true&preloadContent=metadata Pushed by a spritely southeast breeze and 4-6’ waves from astern, we made good time, sailing at 6+ knts northward. For the next few days... Continue Reading →
23.62°N — 75.92°W. It’s been a while since we've posted. So, this is a bit of a long one. Bear with us. . . . One of the things we have come appreciate about the tropics is the accuracy of the marine forecasts, especially this time of year. We have advance notice of “northers” and... Continue Reading →
24.17°N —76.44°W We stayed in Staniel Cay for longer than anticipated while Joy recovered from a nasty ear infection. After tying up at the Yacht Club, we were able to hail St. James Clinic on our VHF radio and schedule an appointment. There, Joy underwent medical treatment from "Nurse Gray," the only medical practitioner on... Continue Reading →
For four nights we waited for good weather at Cape Eleuthera Marina, at the southwest edge of the Island. It was worth it: the kids caught up with their school work; their parents caught up with laundry, a bit of work, and some basic boat maintenance. We also grilled a bag of lobsters that I... Continue Reading →
24.83°N - 76.34°W We departed Spanish Wells on January 4th on a lively northwest breeze. At 1000—and with full knowledge that our Raymarine and Navionics charts were “for shit” according to captain Bandit—we sailed out the inlet that ran us aground three weeks earlier. With Joy at the helm, she pointed the bow southwest to... Continue Reading →
25.5469° N - 76.7639° W After spending the Holidays in Spanish Wells—much of it at Buddha’s snack shack—we moved back onto the OG on January 3. Camping out at the “Palm Cottage” for the previous ten days proved prudent, as one low pressure system after another made its way through the northern Bahamas. From December... Continue Reading →
On December 19, the family (including the dog) began making our way back to the Eleuthra Islands. Prior to Covid, the plan was for the grandparents to take possession of “Kitty the dog” on Christmas Day and to take her south for the winter. Because of Covid, however, Don and Flav remain semi-quarantined in Florida,... Continue Reading →
25.7617° N, 80.1918° W Fair warning: this is a long one. I left Chicago for Miami Beach on December 2 and spent the next 2 days cleaning and preparing the boat for departure. Mostly, however, I read weather reports in anticipation of crossing the Gulf Stream eastward toward Bimini, Bahamas’ closest port of entry. Miami... Continue Reading →
Voyages of Olivia Grace 