Our Journey
It was in 1985 that Lucy and I finally settled on the type of yacht that she would be, and let the contract to a boat building company to build the steel hull. The contract also provided that they would supply me with an area of their premises so I could finish the Yacht with my own crew. It was about a year later that we finally took delivery of the completed hull.
The neighborhood that we lived in was very Polish. Some of the residents were new to Canada, and looking for jobs. As they were not allowed to work in Canada until being legally accepted as immigrants, I had to pay them under the table. As a result of this, I ended up with 1 Canadian, 1 Englishman, and 5 Polish men, some of whom couldn't even speak English. Their skills ranged from office work to a Veterinarian, to Chef. I don't think they had ever seen a boat before, let alone work on one. They did however, have one thing in common. They were very grateful that we had given them a job and In addition, helped sponsor them for immigration. They became hard working and devoted men who put everything they had into their work.
I think this was my proudest hour. I was able to take these men who had so little knowledge of the skills required to complete this Yacht, and create a highly motivated, skilled team of men who worked together in what was very often, very cramped quarters. And this was accomplished with not even one argument or disagreement.
I
designed the Yacht to use the very latest technology in building all the
various complex systems that were on board. These included all push button
hydraulics for the winches and sails, compressed air for the waste systems and
the latest in electronics for navigation and communications. She was also
designed with twin engines, twin diesel generators, and our own fresh water
plant capable of making 500 gallons of fresh water from salt water each day.
Lucy had the very latest in the galley area including a gas stove, microwave, freezer,
and washing machine. 
In the main cabin there was the navigation station where all the electronics, navigation, communications equipment and steering equipment was located. From here I had complete control of all the complex systems and navigation of the vessel. It took about 3 years to complete the boat during which time I went to England to buy the electric anchor windlasses, and to Holland to buy the special windows. The boat had 2 masts for the sails. The largest of which was 7 stories high and made by Rondahl of Holland. These were then shipped to Florida where Norseman Marine did all the work to customize the hydraulics, winch pads and rigging. The 2 masts were then shipped to Canada and installed on the Yacht.
A later design change added additional length to the Yacht so that when she was launched, she was 70 feet overall and weighed in at 50 tons. We needed a 300-ton crane to lift her in the water. When the day came to launch her, the crane and the huge trailer with the boat on it blocked one of the main highways cutting of the rush hour traffic. So we made it on the nightly TV. News.
All the men who had worked on her had done a magnificent job. The interior was of Solid carved mahogany and black African whengie. The exterior decks were of 1 inch thick Teak; all carved and herringboned into king planks. All the interior cabinets were done by a separate sub contractor, who also done a tremendous job. She was now one of the finest Yachts in the country.
We spent the first year sailing in lake Ontario getting the bugs out of the many systems, while I concentrated on navigation. Lake Ontario has the roughest water that I've seen from a small vessel. It was here that we experienced the worst weather of our entire trip. On a number of occasions we were caught in 15-foot waves, which made her heel to very large angles. With the exception of a few leaks in the main deck, all the equipment and the Yacht in general, performed flawlessly. We also had some very memorable sailing there with family and friends visiting ports such as Rochester and port Dalhousie. We always attracted a crowd of eager onlookers. Some times this would leave us feeling that we had no privacy. But Lucy and I remembered us, doing the same thing during the years of planning. We often would go out and answer the many questions people had about the Yacht and where she was from and where we were taking her.
On one memorable occasion, we were in Rochester, with the usual crowd around us, when I noticed 4 or 5 people coming toward me all together in a line. I was the only person on deck at the time, enjoying the afternoon sun when I realized that they were heading toward me. Once they reached the side of the boat, they started to sing "O Canada." At the end the whole crowd broke out in applause and cheering. Of course, I didn't know where to put myself. As it turned out, they were the "Singing Barbers of America," a very well known group. Apparently, when they spotted our flag, they couldn't help but to come and perform.
The day finally came in October of 1991 when Lucy and I completed our plans to sail from Toronto to the Caribbean. Maria and her 3 children decided to make the trip with us which was good, as we needed an extra hand with all the locks we were going to pass through. Our trip was to take us across lake Ontario to the city of Oswego, New York. There we would enter the Oswego River, which goes through a series of 32 locks. These locks take you up to lake Oneida, which is considerably higher than lake Ontario, and then down to the Hudson River. This then takes you down to New York City and to the Atlantic Ocean. We would then proceed from New York to Fort Lauderdale, Florida via the Intra coastal waterway.
We had a big party in Toronto to celebrate our departure. Maria and the 3 children moved on board. We couldn't believe how much stuff she bought with her. We had to tell to get rid of most of it, which she did with great reluctance. Lucy and I had already moved on board with our 2 little pets, Sasha and Pepper. We left Toronto and sailed across lake Ontario to Oswego. After completing customs and immigration requirements we entered the Oswego Canal. Our great adventure had started.
This part of the trip was both exhilarating and educational. The children loved it and for the adults, it was really an eye opener to travel through these great big locks. It took us a little while to get ourselves organized. On entering many of the locks, Maria would go ahead to take the lines from us. Often she would be as much as 50 feet above us. I'm so glad she came along with us. We met some people on a 2 other Yachts who eventually became friends and traveled all the way to Florida with us. After reaching the Hudson River, we then started to make our way down toward New York City, some 200 miles away. As we moved down the Hudson, the river gradually got wider and wider until it was wide enough for shipping. We passed the world-renowned Officer training school of West point, which is on the banks of the Hudson. Eventually we reached New York City, passing under the great bridges that span the Hudson, with Manhattan Island to our left. We went into a local Yacht Club and stayed a few days. We had a great time in New York, looking at the sights and all that, but I think we were all a little relieved when the time came for us to leave. We are not that fond of big cities.
We started our trip out of New York just after sunrise. It takes about 3 hours to get out to the open sea. We had waited for a favorable weather report before leaving and we were rewarded with beautiful sunny warm day. We passed directly in front of the Statue of Liberty, which was a great thrill for all of us. Once out of New York, we turned south along the coast of New Jersey. The trip down the New Jersey coast was uneventful as we now proceeded to our next destination, Norfolk, Virginia. Norfolk is a very large U.S. Navy base, and it is here that we entered the Intra Coastal Waterway. This strip of water is one of the great American engineering feats. It stretches all the way from Norfolk Virginia, down to Miami Florida, and then up the west coast of Florida.
Some of the waterway is natural, a lot is man made. It truly is a beautiful trip. One minute you are sailing through a small town, the next, through desolate areas of untouched beauty. As each day passed the weather gradually got warmer, although it is now very close to December, and bitterly cold back in Canada. Our Trip so far has been made with the 2 masts lashed on deck, because of the many bridges that we have to pass under. Some of the bridges were so low that we had to approach the bridge at a very slow speed because we never thought we could make it under. However, we now have another concern. The Yacht draws 8 feet of water, or in other words, requires water at least 8 feet of depth. We begin to notice that on many occasions we are scraping the bottom. Some other Yachtsman tells us that it only gets worse after Beaufort, South Carolina. So we are faced with a great dilemma. If we continue on in the waterway past Beaufort, we are going to have many problems with depth, or, if we decide to go out of the waterway we are faced with the open Atlantic ocean, and Cape Fear, which we must go around. Cape Fear is a notorious area for storms and the site of many wrecks. In addition, to round the shoals of Cape Fear, you have to venture out at least 80 miles off shore. We had many discussions about this with our friends, who all had much smaller boats, capable of continuing on in the waterway. It was decided that we had no choice. We had to leave the safety of the waterway and make one long trip to Jacksonville, Florida. The other boats would continue on and we would all meet in Jacksonville.
Beaufort, South Carolina is a lovely little boating town, well known to sailors for it's quaint little stores and the board walk, stretching along the waterfront in front of all the boats. We plan to stay there for about a week while we have the Masts erected and wait for good weather. We order a crane in for the following day, and our friends fortunately, agree to help us with the large and precarious task of getting the 7-story mast up in place. The crane arrived first thing in the morning, and with a crowd of onlookers looking on, we all started. By the end of the day the entire rig was safely up in place. One of our friends went to the top of the mast to check all the important attachments and pins. Unfortunately, I have a fear of heights, although I am determined to conquer this at a later date. It took a further 2 days for us to arrange all the many running lines and tackle that make up the sailing rig and to install the sails. We were now ready to depart Beaufort. The weather had turned chilly with periods of rain. However the forecast for the Atlantic was good and stable, so we agreed that to day was the day for us to leave. I timed our departure late in the afternoon so that we would arrive off the tip of Cape Fear at sunrise the next day. At about 6:30 PM, we said goodbye to all our friends, and made our way out of Beaufort to the open Atlantic.
This was the first all night sailing we had done in the open Atlantic. As we continued on in total darkness, I think it would be fair to say that we all were a little anxious. This is where my skills as a navigator would become very important, for a mistake could be fatal. I don't think any of us was prepared for what we saw at sunrise. Unlike the weather we had left at Beaufort, the sun rose on what can only be described as an absolutely beautiful day. The ocean was a brilliant Cobalt blue, broken only by the soft white bow wave made by the front of our boat. We all marveled at our surroundings. We were now about 80 nautical miles off shore and deep into the Gulf Stream, which explained the change in the ocean color and the improved weather. We were now past any danger from the Cape Fear shoals, so we turned south on our new heading for Jacksonville. A few hours latter a small school of beautiful Dolphins joined us. Having made sure that the Autopilot was on, we all went to the front of the boat to watch these beautiful animals cross backwards and forwards across our bow in great bursts of speed. The children were ecstatic. The Yacht continued on hour after hour, with all the systems operating flawlessly. We all had a nice lunch on deck and just sat and enjoyed the wonderful sights. At about 6 PAM, We all assembled at the after seating area and watched as the sun set in great big red ball. As dusk turned to dark, we settled down for the final leg of our journey to Jacksonville, about 130 miles away.
The next morning brought us close once again to the Florida coastline. We expect to enter Jacksonville about noon or shortly after. Right on time, we are at anchor by 2 PM. right in the middle of Jacksonville. We now have to wait for our friends to catch up with us. A full 5 days go by before they finally arrive. Apparently their trip was not the pleasant experience that we had. For them, the weather was wet and cool for most of their trip. We stayed in Jacksonville for about a week, waiting for another favorable weather system that would see us on to our next destination, Cape Canaveral, some 350 miles south. This leg of the trip, for us at least, could be dangerous. Because of the 8 feet drought requirements that we had, there were very few places that we could find shelter if a storm blew up, as they often do at this time of the year. Finally a suitable weather system moved in around the end of November, and we all said good-by to Jacksonville, and made our way back out to the Atlantic.
The sail along the Florida coast was very enjoyable. I was able to use the many shore installations to accurately plot our course. We stayed about 10 miles off shore for most of the 2 1/2 day trip. About a hundred miles from Cape Canaveral, one of our friends boat, "No Problem", had a problem. His engine quit. As a matter of fact, he has had a number of problems on this trip. The other boats, unlike ours, were much smaller and with very little in the way of comfort, or available repair equipment. We were very much like Mother Hen to everyone. They also suffered a lot when conditions were a bit rough. They could not use their cooking equipment because of the wild gyrations of their boat. On many occasions, Lucy would cook up a nice hot stew for everyone, and we would then pass it over to the other boats. We took "No Problem" in tow, and towed him all night and for half of the next day until our arrival at Cape Canaveral.
The
Yacht club that we arrived at was located close to the Rocket launch pads and
just about 3 hours after our arrival, at 6 PM. a Titan Rocket was launched.
This was indeed a fantastic thing to see, especially as we were so close. It
was here at Cape Canaveral, that I was able to make contact with my sister Mary
and family, who had previously made arrangements to meet us somewhere along the
Florida coast. The next day, they arrived at the Yacht club for a joyful
reunion. At the time Mary and Allen had arrived, we had already been waiting
for about 10 days, while storm after storm had passed through. 2 days later,
good weather moved in and we said good-by to Mary and Allen as we started on
our last leg of the journey to Fort Lauderdale. We agreed to meet up again
there. 
2 days later, around December 15, we sailed into Fort Lauderdale, making our way up the New River to "Sailboat Bend". Mary and Allen were waiting for us. During the remaining days of their holiday, I was so glad that we were able to take them out sailing for the day. Mary sat relaxed in a chair on the after deck of the Yacht, as we sailed in the beautiful warm, blue waters of the Gulf Stream. A few days later their holiday came to an end and we finally bade them farewell as they left for England. This was the last time I saw Allen, I was very sad, as he passed away with cancer not to long after.
We had planned to stay in For Lauderdale for about 6 to 7 weeks while we undertook a number of repair and improvement projects to the boat. Our location on the New River was great. We had Power and water hook ups and a great view of the new Opera house they were just completing. We used the Hydraulic Mast and Boom to lift our Honda Motor Scooter from the rear Deck onto the Dock. This would be our transportation while in Fort Lauderdale. Our Daughter Christine and her 2 children arrived on Christmas day. To say the least, we were a little packed, 5 children, 4 adults and 2 dogs. The kids loved it. Each day the "Jungle Queen" would pass us loaded with tourists. The kids were always on deck waving to everyone. After a while we became one of the tour attractions and the "Jungle Queen" would sound its siren and shine a spotlight on us while the kids were all jumping up and down. We had many laughs over this. After The holidays, Christine returned to Toronto and the work on the Yacht started in earnest.
The top part of the boat was all repainted. All the Mahogany was stripped and revarnished. We purchased a number of deck boxes to hold all the spare line, chain and anchors that we had acquired. We found a local Canadian couple that spent their winters in Florida making marine canvas covers. Their prices were very reasonable, so we asked them to make covers for everything, including 2 large awnings that would cover the decks while in the tropics. During all this work, Lucy and I had went ashore and purchased swimming masks, flippers, and a variety of other swimming paraphernalia. We also made a number of trips to "Blue water Charts", to secure the many charts that we would require for the trip to Venezuela. The trip we planned, would take us to the Bahamas, and then down through the Bahama Islands past Haiti, onto the Virgin Islands. After the Virgins we would make our way south to Venezuela, where we would spend out time waiting out the Hurricane season, before returning to the Caribbean - at least, that was the plan.
At last, the majority of the work was complete. The Yacht was gleaming with all the new paint and varnish, and the canvas covers gave her a very refined and dignified look. We continually had people come by to tell us how beautiful she looked. I was really proud of our achievement. We had rented a small van to pick up the large amount of canned food just purchased. This should be enough for a whole year. The last thing to do was to fill up with diesel fuel. A tanker truck was called and we took on about 1,000 gallons. This would be more than adequate to get us to Venezuela. A favorable weather pattern moved in during the first week of February, and at sunrise, we left Fort Lauderdale bound for Nassau, Bahamas.
To reach the Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale, you have to go directly across the Gulf Stream to Great Isaac Light, which is a distance of 50 miles. The Gulf Stream at this location is running at its maximum speed of 3 to 3 1/2 knots at right angles to our course. This means that you have to calculate very carefully, the corrected course to take. At Great Isaac, there is nothing to see but the tower itself. To the right are very dangerous reefs and about 10 miles to the left, also very dangerous reefs. This means that the safe entrance is not that large, after a 50-mile sail with a 3-knot current. At about 4 in the afternoon, it was there. 1 mile on our starboard side (right), the tower was now visible, Nassau now lay about 150 miles ahead.
We continued on all night, with all the systems still functioning perfectly as they were designed. At about 3 in the morning, we had 2 stationary contacts on our radar, directly ahead of us. The charts didn't show anything at this location. As we approached closer, we saw two ships close to each other, one, which was lit up, the other with no lights at all. When we were about 1/4 mile away, the ship with no lights, all of a sudden took of right across our bow, from right to left. He then turned left and run down past our left side. As he passed us, they turned very bright floodlights on us for quit some time, until they had passed us. The floodlights went out, and they disappeared into the darkness. We later found out that this was probably a drug deal going down and the lights were to prevent us reading the name of the ship. We were also told that they probably had some heavy weapons pointing at us, which they would have used if they suspected we could identify them. Fortunately at the time we didn't realize this, otherwise I think I probably would have had a heart attack.
We arrived at Nassau, Bahamas around noon. There were 2 large cruise ships with us. We advised the ships to proceed ahead of us, and moved to one side to watch these very large vessels maneuver in what is really quite a small harbor. We then proceeded in and docked at the main wharf for customs clearance. We stayed in Nassau for about 4 weeks. Friends of ours who live there were kind enough to show us around. We visited Paradise Island, which belongs to Merv Griffin. All in all, Nassau is a very expensive place with a high crime rate. We were ready to move on again. At the end of February, Maria and our 2 grandchildren Natasha and Shauna have to return to Toronto to go to school. Little Jamie, who is almost 4, will remain with us. Lucy and I will miss them very much. Just as Maria leaves us, my ex Navy pal Geoffrey and his wife arrive from England. The timing couldn't have been better.
We sailed a few days later on March 4 to the Island of Allen’s Cay. Allen’s Cay is about 60 miles south of Nassau. We arrived there just before sunset. The Island is quite small with just enough depth for us to make it in. The evening was beautiful and quiet, with a lovely red sunset. Early in the morning howling winds screaming through our rigging awakened us. The winds were so fierce that we were dragging our anchors. With so little room, we quickly grounded the rear end of the boat on a sand bar. Normally, grounding is not critical. There are proven techniques, which we had used in the past to refloat the boat. Most grounding's occur while going forward. This was different. Going backwards, the first thing that got caught was our rudder assembly, which is separate from the keel. All day we worked at re-floating her using large anchors and line going to the top of the mast. This pulls the boat over, thus lifting the bottom section up. Eventually the next day we were successful. We anchored again back out in deeper water, and tried to asses the damage we had sustained. The main crosshead on top of the rudderpost which connects to the hydraulic rams had split and the rudder itself was pushed up almost out of it's bottom bearing. We ordered a new Crosshead over the radio to be delivered to us via Nassau. Meanwhile, Geoff and I worked underwater trying to get the rudder back down into the bottom bearing. About 2 days later we were successful. Inspection of the rudder and skeg assembly showed no other damage other than a small crack on the inside about 3 inches long which was weeping water. We debated weather we should return to Fort Lauderdale 300 miles back or continue on to Puerto Rico 400 to 500 miles ahead. We chose the latter. We were dumbfounded when just 2 days later; a boat came along side with our spare part. This was the quickest delivery I had seen for a long time.
With repairs now complete, we left Allen's Cay and Island hoped down the chain of Islands along Exuma Sound. Now away from Nassau, the Island people were friendly and trustworthy. On March 18, we arrived in Georgetown. This was a larger Island with a nice large and deep natural harbor. We anchored beside Stocking Island, at a place called Hamburger Beach. We were only 100 yards away from the beautiful golden beach. A few days later, Geoff and his wife had to leave us and return to England. Lucy and I were now alone with our grandson Jamie and the 2 dogs. We spent a total of about 6 weeks in Georgetown. The island is world famous for Yachtsman and derives its income from the 150 or so Yachts anchored in the harbor. Frequent trips to the famous pub, The Peace and plenty, are essential. Little Jamie got to know the locals quite well during our frequent trips to the little town and the market place. Life for Lucy and I slowed down to the comfortable pace which is common in these Islands. People don't have to many heart attacks here. During our stay here, we had made some new friends who were also heading to Venezuela. We often got together to plot strategy, routes, dates, etc. 3 of us decided to go south via Great Inagua Island and then pass Haiti. The 2 boats with us were a 30-foot catamaran and a 40-foot sloop, Elizabeth M. We didn't know at the time but the only reason the catamaran was with us was because he didn't know how to navigate. He didn't even have a compass on board.
At the end of April we all said a sad farewell to Georgetown as we sailed south from the harbor. We now had 3 or 4 hops to do of about 80 miles each to reach Great Inagua Island. This meant that we had to leave each Island before sunup, to arrive at our destination by sunset. One of the Islands we would stop at was small and secluded but with reportedly deep water. The guidebook said the entrance was only about 100 feet wide and 12 feet deep at the entrance. Once inside the depth would be about 50 feet. The entrance could be identified by a heap of stones on each side. This is the Bahamian navigational system. Trying to find the entrance to the Island was very difficult, as there seemed so many entrances looking the same. I reworked all my calculations again and I was certain that I had found it. I radioed the other 2 boats that had passed it and advised them that I was making my approach. As we got closer and closer, the long ocean swell started to pick up the rear of the boat a little, increasing our speed. I still couldn't see any pile of rocks at the entrance and was getting very nervous as we were rapidly reaching the point of no return. A few moments later, I observed a small pile of rocks on each side and as the depth meter was dropping down rapidly we committed to the entrance. As we started to race toward the entrance the depth meter, which reports the depth under the keel, was now down to 3 or 4 feet. It remained there as we shot through the entrance into a lovely round bay. Our hearts were pounding. The depth meter shot up to 50 feet. We now new we were in the correct place. We found a sheltered part of the bay, dropped our anchors and relaxed in what was one of the most beautiful places we had been.
I was fascinated by our circumstances. Here we were in the middle of nowhere, at this island with no inhabitants, and yet we lay at anchor in this beautiful spot enjoying the finest food and wine with no hustle or bustle. It was a magical moment. Early in the morning of May 6 1991, we left Aucklin Island bound for Great Inagua Island some 80 miles to the south. The guidebook said that this stretch of water, which was open to the Atlantic, could be rough with heavy currents. As we rounded the corner of the island, the swell was fairly heavy with winds at about 20 knots. 2 hours later, Elizabeth M called to say that they had blown out a sail and would have to return. They said not worry about them; they would see us the next day. We continued on.
Our Yacht, which was so large and heavily constructed, was now in it's element. All the sails were fully powered, providing tremendous energy in our forward motion. It is not often that the conditions are so perfect in providing such an exhilarating ride. We were shooting along at about 10 knots breaking through the waves sending spray all over the boat. Hour after hour she ploughed along leaving a creamy white wake behind us. The charts and guidebook indicate that this particular area has a northerly flowing current of about 3 knots. This meant that our speed over the ground was only about 5-6 knots at the most. In addition, there was a dangerous reef that we had to avoid which was close to our course line. I made many calculations and sights to ensure that we safely passed the reef, which can sometimes be submerged. By 2 in the afternoon we were well pass the reef continuing along at 8 to 10 knots. Despite the rough weather all the systems were functioning perfectly. The autopilot kept us on course as Lucy and I settled down to discuss our arrival plans.
At about 4 a clock, I went down to the after cabin for something and got the shock of my life. Suddenly everything had changed. I discovered the floor area under water. Lucy and I got the pumps out and managed to pump the bulk of the water out. At this point I could get to the rudderpost where I looked down and could see the blue ocean. I immediately new what the problem was. The damage that we had received at Allen’s Cay had weakened the skeg and rudder assembly, and the skeg was separating from the hull. We both new this was very serious and so I placed a May Day call. The call was acknowledged and a helicopter dispatched. Great Inagua was only 10 miles away. To reduce weight on the rudder we quickly furled all sails and started our engines. Our speed had now dropped to 4 knots and it was getting dark. Almost simultaneously as the helicopter arrived, the steering failed completely and the boat went into a tight circle. Water now poured into the after cabin. I new that the skeg assembly and rudder had ripped away from the bottom, tearing a large hole in the hull. Lucy and I, both new in that sickening moment that she was lost.
Water was sloping around all over as the boat lurched and rolled as each wave struck us. In what was usually a bright and cheerful cabin, there was now an eerie feeling of impending death. The cabin now was damp and dim. We immediately grabbed what we could and took Jamie and the 2 dogs to the rear deck where we got into the dinghy. The helicopter pilot said it was too dangerous to pick us up from the deck. Lucy and Jamie were taken up first and then I followed with the 2 dogs. The last I saw of our beautiful Yacht "Barrosa" was half way up to the helicopter. She was about 500 yards away, lights all on and the back end of the boat drastically down. Half an hour later we were at Great Inagua airport standing in our shorts and tee shirt clutching all our worldly goods. Without a doubt, this was the worst day of our lives. I had a great feeling of emptiness come over me that probably could only be experienced by someone who had just watched the house that he spent a lifetime building, burn to the ground. Of course we were very lucky, no life was lost, but even so, only if you have experienced it, will you understand.
The
wound still hurts but it is healing. I have no regrets. I feel that I was
blessed with the opportunity and resources to do what most people only dream
about. Creating a yacht like this with your own bare hands and experiencing how
well all the systems worked, and how beautiful she looked as she sailed through
the warm blue Caribbean Sea, was a sheer thrill. She took us to places most
people only read about, she provided for our comfort, the finest food possible
and all the latest amenities. It was indeed, all worthwhile.
Lucy's Bed & Breakfast, 5465 Middleport Crescent, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, L4Z 3V2
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