BEFORE NEXUS – CRUISING ON OUR 58’ SUNSEEKER – THE BIGGS
6/16/03 – 7/25/03 Ft. Lauderdale to The Acklin Islands – Bahamas
6/16/ – Cruised to Cay Can and anchored for the night. It was a rough night at anchor
6/17 - Cruised to Frazier Hog Cay in the Berry Islands – Anchored in calm weather
6/18 – Cruised to Staniel Cay – Anchored at Big Majors
6/19 – Fueled up and moved to Fowl Cay anchorage. Played on the beach with Isabella and took her on the waverunner. We also fed the pigs on the beach.
6/21 – Cruised to Rum Cay. Isabella loved watching the shark eat a tied up fish. She loved watching the fish under the docks.
6/23 – Left Rum Cay and hit a coral head with the side of the rudder. We cruised to Clarence Town and fueled at Flying Fish Marina. We continued to Fish Cay on the west side of the Acklins Islands. We anchored just south of fish cay. Great weather. No Wind.
6/24 – Cruised south to Datum Bay. We anchored in Jamaica bay for the night. Great weather, no wind.
6/25 – Cruised to Clarence Town again. We stopped and ate at the Grill. They put our name, “THE BIGGS” into fresh cement. We continued to Conception Island. Great weather – flat seas.
We took Isabella to the beach. She rolled around in the sand like it was flour. She LOVED the beach.
6/26 – We took Isabella to the inside lagoon. We played on the Sandbars. She loved looking for fish.
The winds picked up to 30 – 40 knots out of the west while a storm came through. The storm lasted most of the day. In the early evening we took Isabella to the beach in the pouring rain because she was getting very sea sick. We almost flipped the dinghy getting into shore. The winds calmed down that night and it was good sleeping.
6/27 The wind was expected to pick up so we headed back to Staniel Cay. We anchored again at Fowl Cay.
6/28 Mostly cloudy all day with strong winds out of the SE. We moved the big boat over to Big Major.
6/29 We went over to Sandy Cay in very strong winds. DeeDee made an airport out of sand for Isabella. We saw signs for the first time that said the island was private.
6/30 – We met Mike Mann and his wife at Staniel Cay Yacht Club while we were eating. They are the owners of Exuma Markets in Georgetown. The next day we also met the owners of Fowl Cay with Mike Mann.
7/1 – All week almost everyday we have gone to the Marina so Isabella could see the sharks and fish. She gets ecstatic about going to see them and when she sees them. Larry went over to visit Bruce (down Under) on his boat moored over by the Victoria Salvage Ship. We had met him a year earlier at Conception Island.
7/2 Went to Pirates Cove Beach with Isabella. Met the people from “Happy Hour” Got a lot of sun.
7/3 Met Keith and Jill from Minnesota. We talked a lot about dialing out on a boat. Jill left her 15 month old boy home and was dancing with Isabella. Went to Sand Dollar Beach most of the Afternoon.
7/4 – Went to Staniel Cay for the 4th of July Pig Roast. We were planning to take Isabella to the fireworks but she fell asleep.
7/5 Joe and Jazz Beltran came out for the weekend. Had a very full first day. We went to the Grotto and snorkeled the cave for a long time. We then took them to feed the pigs. Then went to Pipe Cay and Sampson Cay. At low tide we went and hung out on the Sandbar at Sampson Cay. Watched Scary movie in the evening.
7/6 – Joe and Jazz spent lots of time exploring on the wave runner. They also spent a lot of time at Sampson Marina. They went back to the Sampson sandbar until the evening.
7/7 – Joe and Jazz left. We cruised to Shroud Cay. We took the dinghy through the mangrove canals and went to a great beach on the sound side.
7/9 – We met John and Linda Coleman on King Conch. They came over for morning coffee with their dog Shelly. Isabella loved seeing Shelly. WE all went to McDuffs together to eat lunch on Normans/s Cay. Later that evening we had drinks with the Colemans.
7/10 – Cruised down to Hawksbill Cay at the northern end. Padded Pigeon cay which was so shallow we had to walk the dinghy past. The sandbar at low tide was incredible. The water and Sand was vast and gorgeous. We took Isabella around to the reef and it was so calm she got to see lots of fish. The sand bar created isolated pools at low tide that we played in. We agreed this was the best place we have been.
7/11 – We cruised back to Staniel Cay to pick up package DeeDee’s mother had send for us.
7/12 – Met Paul, Helga, Paul Jr., Migola, ad Valentina on the boat MoMo. They were a Cuban group of six Bertrams.
7/13 – Sarah and Keith Parnes came in to celebrate their one year anniversary. We went to the cave and did lots of snorkeling. We also did a drift snorkel on the east side of the Grotto Islands.
7/14 We too a long ride to Compass Cay by dingy. We hung out at the Sand Bar by Pipe Cay. Keith pet the sharks at Compass Cay.
7/15 – We spent most of the day at he ocean side beach at Sampson Cay. We went that night to Club Thunderball for Pizza night.
7/16 – Larry took the waverunner all the way up to the sea aquarium by soldier cay.
7/17 – Keith and Sarah left for Miami and we just lounged around all day ad went to jog at night.
7/18 – Went to Staniel Cay to fuel up and left for Bell Island. We anchored between Bell and Cambridge.
7/19 – We took a cruise around Halls Pond Cay by dinghy. We stopped at the sea aquarium off of O’Brian’s Cay. DeeDee ran the path over to the big Bell Rock at the east end of Cambridge.
7/20 We went snorkeling on the reef that runs between the south end of Cambridge and the rocks running west. It was a great reef with lots of life. We saw a huge Sea Turtle.
7/21 – We cruised to Atlantis. All week we took Isabella to the “DIG”. She loved it ad ever got tired of it. She also loved going down the water slides with us.
7/25 – We cruised back to Lauderdale in very light SE seas.
Repairs – Computer board on generator failed, Lost an injector on the Starboard motor, High Pressure switch on the watemaker failed.
2/26/03 – 4/5/03 Ft. Lauderdale to Georgetown – Bahamas
2/26 – We tried to leave on the 25th but it was just too rough. We left on the 26th and cleared into Cat Cay. We continued on to Chub cay and anchored.
2/27 – Cruised to Staniel. Came into the Marina one night to fix the generator. (fuel pump wire) Spent most days going to the beach with Isabella. Great weather. Met Andy and Bar from Moxy.
3/7 – Cruised to Atlantis. The windless went dead and the Sat phone went dead. The watemaker plug blew a hole and the bold on the starboard motor which held the crank shaft failed. The kids arrived with Joel and Kaitlin at 10:30 pm.
3/8 - Took Isabella to the Marina pool and she loved it.
3/9 – Cruised down to Georgetown.
3/10 – Took Isabella to volleyball beach with Jason, Mark and Joyce from Izmo. Had cocktails on the Grey pearl with Tina and Braun. Icemaker died.
3/11 – Brandon, Joel, Braun, Mark and Larry went spear fishing over the next few days.
3/13 – Cruised to Staniel Cay.
3/15 – Cruised to Atlantis. Kids went out. It rained all day.
3/16 – Kids flew back to Dallas.
3/18 – We stayed at Atlantis an extra day. The weather was rough and we were waiting for the new anchor winch to come int. We cruised to Staniel and anchored at North of Big Major. Izmo (mark and Joyce) came and anchored next to us. We had drinks on Izmo. (We came on the sound via Highborne cay)
3/19 We cruised down to Bitter Guana and anchored there. IT was very roily, but a great spot. We also had picked up the new sat phone from Staniel Cay.
3/20 – WE cruised down to Black Point and Kept going to White Point. Both were too rough to anchor so we came back to Big Major. Isabella was feverish from teething.
3/22 – We took Isabella to the St. Luke clinic. We then picked up and cruised to Thomas/Pipe Cay with Moxy. (Andy and Barb) Moxy did not stay and went back to Big Major.
3/24 – Cruised over to Staniel Cay and Larry took Isabella to the beach while DeeDee ran. We looked at the boat Touché owned by Manly and Diane. (72’ Princess) The next few days we did the same routine.
3/28 The weather has been great although we had 40 knot winds and poring rain last night. We took Isabella to the Thomas Cay beach and hiked over to the cut. She loved the beach.
4/2 – Matt Smith is coming in so we moved he boat over to Big Major. The last few days another 40 knot front came through and winds are still steady at 25 knots.
4/3 – Matt came in and he helped me braid and splice the snubber line and anchor line.
Andy and Barb from Moxy came over for dinner.
4/4 – We left for Chub Cay in 15 knot following seas. Easy cruise to Chub. We anchored very very close to the beach.
4/5 – We cruised back to Ft. Lauderdale in calm following seas. When we cleared in they gave Matt a hard time over his quick trip in and out.
Repairs – Windless died, Sat phone went dead, watemaker plug blew and the power surge protector shorted out, crankshaft bolt on the MAN engine came loose, and the icemaker died.
6/28/02 – 7/8/02 Ft. Lauderdale to Georgetown – Bahamas
6/28 – Cruised to Cat Cay and anchored for the night. (Brandon, Lindsey, Kaitlan, Ashley)
6/29 – Cruised to Nassau and anchored at Green Cay for the night.
6/30 – Cruised to Staniel Cay in a strong head wind.
7/1 – Stayed at Staniel Cay. WE went to the cave to snorkel but the current was too strong. We did a drift dive.
7/3 Cruised to Georgetown.
Lindsey and Kaitland cruised on their own to Oceanside beach, monument beach, and the mangroves areas behind Crab Cay.
7/4 – Went to Chat and Chill and took Isabella to the beach. We also hiked to the monument.
7/6 – Cruised to Chub Cay and anchored for the night.
7/7 – Cruised to Ft. Lauderdale in calm seas.
7/8 – Kids flew home.
4/14/02 – 5/4/02 Ft. Lauderdale to Conception – Bahamas
4/14 – Cruised to Cat Cay in really rough head on Seas. Stayed the night.
4/15 – Cruised to Chub Cay and anchored for the night in very rolly seas.
4/16 – Cruised to Nassau in very rough seas. Anchored off Rose Island at Green Cay.
4/17 – Went to Atlantis.
4/18 – My parents came to Atlantis.
4/20 – We cruised to Normans Cay and Anchored out. We hung out on the beach and Mom snorkeled and rode the waverunner.
4/21 – Late in the afternoon we cruised back to Atlantis. Returned Dad’s cart.
4/23 – My parents left and Howard and Lilia came in. Howard forgot his passport and had to fly to Boca then come out that night. We cruised to Staniel Cay and anchored off the cave.
4/24 – We moved to anchor at Big Major. We stayed for five days in perfect weather. The pig bit Larry on the knee or scraped his knee. Howard and Lillia tubed. We snorkeled the cave. Took a dingy ride to Pipe and Compass Cay. I towed someone in on the waverunner. We went to Say Cay in BIG wind.
4/28 – Cruised to Conception Island in perfect weather. It was dead calm. WE wet to the lagoon. Met folks on mermaid and Bruce on down under.
5/2 – Cruised to Staniel Cay, fueled up and cruised to Allan’s Cay. Stayed the night.
5/3 – Cruised to Atlantis. Stayed for the day until Howard and Lillia left. Then we cruised to Cat Cay and stayed the night.
5/4 – Cruised home and stopped briefly for the air show.
2/1/02 – 3/1/02 Ft. Lauderdale to Georgetown – Bahamas
2/1 – Cruised to Cat Cay and anchored out. Isabella’s first trip.
2/2 – Cruised to Staniel Cay. Stayed a few days. Rough weather.
2/4 – Cruised to Georgetown. Stayed in Georgetown for one week. We met Pamela and Allan on Northern Goose and gave them goat’s milk for the baby goat they found. Betzy.
2/10 – We moved the boat over to Elizabeth Island. Pam and Allan took us for a walk on the island. Two German friends of theirs have owned the island for many years.
2/12 – We cruised to Staniel Cay and fueled up and anchored out.
2/13 – We cruised to Atlantis. The Turbo on the starboard motor failed and we had to idle in on one motor. It was very calm. We stayed at Atlantis for a week and Isabella really loved seeing the fish at the aquarium. We had the turbo repaired at Atlantis.
2/17 – DeeDee flew to Dallas and Larry stayed to wait for the boat. Larry went to the boat show for the day and flew back at night.
2/20 – The boat was still not fixed so Larry moved it to the Nassau harbor club and returned to Dallas.
2/28 – Larry flew to Nassau and the next day returned to Ft. Lauderdale in 25 – 30 knot winds and very large 10’ to 12’ seas. Cosmo got very sick.
Repairs – Turbo failed.
5/14/01 – 6/2/01 Ft. Lauderdale to Conception – Bahamas
5/14 – Cruised to Cat Cay in very rough seas. Chuck Smiley got very sick.
5/15 – Cruised to Staniel Cay in great weather. Snorkeled the cave.
5/18 – Cruised to Georgetown. Picked up Tony on Saturday to fix the generator.
5/20 – Cruised to Conception Island. Weather was perfect. Snorkeled the wreck. Met Gerard and Martin in Maine in Lagoon. Also had Jacque- the naked family next to us.
5/24 – Cruised to Georgetown. Went to Two Turtles on Friday night. Met Patricia and Clark on Jewel and Maynard and his wife who worked at Emerald Bay. Jacque and Virginia and Gerard and Martin all had dinner with us.
5/26 – Laurie and Chuck left – Lynne and Jan came in – Still perfect weather.
5/28 – Went to Conception Island.
5/29 – Snorkeled at North End. Went to Lagoon. Jewel was at Conception.
5/31 – Cruised to Staniel. Great weather again.
6/1 – Cruised in dinghy and waverunner to Sampson Cay and Compass Cay.
Snorkeled in the cave and went to Sand Dollar beach to get sand dollars.
6/2 – Went to Waderick Wells and snorkeled by the Big Lobster. Packed up and cruised to Atlantis in perfect weather. Cruised home at 10:00 pm after walking through Atlantis.
Repairs – Generator shut off and oil leak, Front head failed, Blower motor failed.
2/26/01 – 3/11/01 Ft. Lauderdale to Georgetown – Bahamas
2/26 – Stayed on boat until kids came down in 3/2/01 (Lindsey, Brandon, Joel, Taylor)
3/2 – Cruised to Cat Cay and stayed the night at anchor
3/3 – Cruised to Georgetown. Joel had his mother’s passport and not his. Stayed in Georgetown. The Waverunner sank and broke away from the boat in 50 knot winds. We went to get it at 3:30 AM. Very windy but also very sunny.
3/7 – Cruised to Highbourne Cay in 25 knot headwinds. Stayed the night.
3/8 – Cruised to Atlantis and stayed the remainder of the week. Kids went to Club Rush at night and slept in until early afternoon. I just hung out at the pool and worked out.
3/11 – Cruised to Ft. Lauderdale in calm seas. We arrived at about 3:00 pm and the kids flew out in the evening.
Repairs – Waverunner sank.
1/14/01 – 2/8/01 Ft. Lauderdale to Conception – Bahamas
1/14 – Cruised to Cat Cay and spent the night at anchor.
1/15 – Cleared and cruised to Nassau. We stayed at Atlantis for 10 days while they repaired the elbow connected to the exhaust elbow on the inboard side of the port motor. We met the people who purchased Kavalli. They renamed it the Grey Pearl. Bruan and I wrestled together a little while at the gym.
1/25 – We left Nassau and cruised to Staniel Cay. Mike Tobin flew into Nassau and came with us.
1/26 – Mike and I went spear fishing and caught three fish. He cleaned the grouper and ate it.
1/28 – We watched the Giants lose in the Super bowl after Mike flew home.
1/29 – We cruised to Georgetown in head seas.
2/2 – We cruised back to Cat Cay and anchored out.
2/3 – We cruised back to Ft. Lauderdale in Calm Seas.
2/8 – We stayed on the boat until 2/8. Larry went riding motorcycles with Steve Kidd and Allan up to Palm Beach.
Repairs – Port Motor Exhaust Elbow
8/18/00 – 8/25/00 Miami to Conception – Bahamas
8/18 – We cruised to Cat Cay and spend the night at anchor. (Howard and Lillian)
8/19 – We cruised to Staniel Cay in very flat water. We hit the rudder on the reef coming in at Staniel Cay. We damaged the rudder and pulled the rudder and trim tab away from the fiberglass.
8/20 – Cruised to conception and had great weather. We spent the day with the cat and the dog on the rafts at the beach.
8/22 – Hurricane Debby was coming in and we had to head back. WE cruised to Atlantis and stayed the night.
8/25 – We cruised back to Miami but Debby broke up overland and never hit us.
8/24 – We cruised to Walters and stayed the night. Cosmo left the boat and we lost him for 24 hours.
8/25 – We took the boat to the boatyard for repairs.
6/20/00 – 7/9/00 Miami to Conception – Bahamas
6/20 – Left in the morning and cruised to Highbourne Cay. Anchored off the beach. Great weather – very flat. (Lindsey)
7/1 – Cruised to Little San Salvador. Stopped to eat lunch and went on to Conception Island. Weather was great. We took the dinghy around the entire island. Took dinghy and wave runner into Lagoon and saw many sharks and sea turtles. Jumped wave at the South Beach.
7/3 – Cruised to Staniel Cay. Met Roy and Melinda chartering Absolutlee. Met Don and Faith who were the owners of Absolutlee. Met Mike and Kyle Christina and Mark on Intrinsic. Lindsey babysat on Intrinsic and slept over. Met John and his wife on Zuyderzee. We loved his boat. It was a Neptunas 65’. Lindsey put over 100 miles on the wave runner. We watched fireworks at Staniel Cay yacht Club on the 4th.
7/7 – Cruised to Atlantis. DeeDee and I did the big slide. Lindsey met a friend. DeeDee and I vegged out at the pool. We heard a guy got his arm chopped off at the airport at Staniel Cay.
7/9 We cruised home. – Great Trip.
5/25/00 – 5/29/00 Miami to Staniel Cay – Bahamas
5/25 – Left and stayed at Cat Cay overnight. (Brandon, Lindsey, Matt & Kelly)
5/26 – Cleared customs and cruised to Staniel Cay. We stopped in the tongue of the ocean and swam with a huge pod of pilot whales.
5/27 – Went snorkeling around the southern island. Went wakeboarding all afternoon at the beach just north of the Pig.
5/28 – Went to the Cave late morning then went to the ocean side to do some spear fishing. No luck.
That evening we went wakeboarding again until sundown.
5/29 – Cruised back to Miami. Again we saw the pilot whales and we stopped to swim with them. We stopped at the west end of Nassau for lunch.
Repairs – Port anti-freeze leak, Inverter went out, water maker would not turn on or off.
4/28/00 – 5/6/00 Miami to Compass Cay – Bahamas
4/28 – Left Fischer Friday evening and had a fuel leak at the spin on fuel filters. I lost the bolt trying to fix it and we had to come back on one motor.
4/29 – Drove to Diesel Tech to get a new bolt and we tried to leave again at noon. When we took off, the hydraulic pump for the tabs stopped working. I came back and did it manually, but it was too difficult and returned after a 3rd attempt to go.
5/1 – Got the pump fixed and took off again. We anchored at Chub Cay for the night.
5/2 – Cruised to Highbourne Cay and fueled up. We then went to Compass Cay. It was our first time.
5/3 – We were blown away by how the colors of the water were.
5/4 – We took a dinghy ride south to Pipe Cay. The water was some of the best we have ever seen.
5/5 – We went North to Waderick Wells. We found a great quiet anchorage between Waderweck Wells and Hog Cay. On the 1st day coming to Compass, we also stopped at Hawksbill Cay. It was a great anchorage at a long beach.
5/6 – We cruised all the way back to Miami. Tough start but great weather and a great trip.
Repairs – Fuel leak, hydraulic trim tab pump.
3/3/00 – 3/9/00 Miami to Georgetown – Bahamas
3/4 – Guy arrived in the morning and we cruised to Staniel Cay. We had a fuel leak on the injector pump on the port motor. (Brandon, Joel, Alex, Guy, Little Alex)
3/5 – Cruised to Georgetown. The oil pressure tube on the generator was leaking so we stayed at Exuma Docking Services the first night.
3/6 – We hung out on volleyball beach and moved the boat to the anchorage that afternoon.
3/8 – Cruised to Staniel Cay and hung out and snorkeled the cave.