THE TREASURE COAST ...........................

Back to VERO BEACH on the Treasure Coast and back to our wonderful "Red Rocket Pick-up" kindly lent to us for the duration of our FLORIDA stay by Lauren Anne and Tony, soon to be married. With it, we have been able to achieve many projects, make new friends and do all the normal things, like soldering on a new VHF antenna up the mizzen mast, not that we needed the 'rocket' for that job. That's the "rocket" down below, and on the right are John and Marianne King from the yacht "Pura Vida" who have the ultimate of cruising yachts an "AMEL". Every global cruiser dreams of one of those. John works in the field of agricultural science and has supplied us on numerous occassions with the fruits of the land like, AVOCADOES, MANGOS, and STAR FRUIT (Carambolas) and to top that he is a powerhouse of information and ingenuity. We may have to induce them to follow us. Other friends like John and Dottie Noble, also cruisers from Vero, have been extremely supportive during our stay in VERO. Ever since the cruise-ship trip, our walks have gone to pot. The routines are upside down and the only phenomenal happening is that there have been no major tropical disturbances WHATSOEVER.

Now on the beach at VERO in the photo below, you'll see a diver's flag and a portable diving compressor with divers under water searching for relics. Numerous items have been found, from various spanish galleons and other wrecks, for after all, this is the "TREASURE COAST". If you go less than a mile offshore in this location, you will find the wreck of the "BRECONSHIRE" in quite shallow water.



THE WRECK OF THE "BRECONSHIRE", VERO BEACH FL, 1894

An iron screw steamer, built in 1884, the Breconshire was a schooner-rigged ship with compound engines of 350 horsepower complementing her sail power. She was 300 feet in length and 37 feet in breadth. A man by the name of Robert Taylor, who possessed a Master’s Certificate, commanded the ship’s crew of 24 men. Edwin H. Curling, was the Second Officer. During her last voyage, the Breconshire sailed from England to various Mediterranean ports and then on to New York. In the spring of 1894, she was ordered to proceed to Tampa to pick up an unknown cargo.
Taylor, unfamiliar with Florida’s waters, ordered charts of the coast of the state. The package of charts, however, failed to include the Florida coast for about 20 miles south of Cape Canaveral. This information was unbeknownst to Taylor when they set out because he did not bother to open the package until three days after they were at sea. The Breconshire left New York on April 25, 1894, less than five days later, she was lost. The night of April 29 was calm and clear when Taylor set his course and ordered, “I am to be called at 1 a.m.” He then went below. At midnight the Second Officer, Curling, took charge. He instructed his early morning crew to keep a sharp lookout for land on the starboard. Land was seen as a “dark streak” on the water, but each man on lookout attributed it to a morning breeze until it mistakenly developed into land. At 1:45 a.m., Curling sighted land on the starboard beam and estimated that the distance was four to five miles. Unaware of his danger, he continued his course. A few minutes later, the Breconshire hit a reef and headed for the bottom where it still rests a quarter mile in front of the Ocean Grill dining room. At low tide a watchful eye can still see the bow of the ship peeking out from below the surf. The entire crew managed to escape from the sinking vessel in the ship’s boats and after being sheltered in a nearby Coast Guard station for three days, they returned to London.

The ordeal was not ended for the Master and his Second Officer, however. Back in London they faced Her Majesty’s Justices of the Peace who determined that the casualty was primarily in negligence on the part of the officers. The courts suspended their Certificates for six months. The value of the Breconshire was listed at $75,000.
(Written by Mary Beth Herzog. Reprinted courtesy of the Press Journal, Sunday, September 1, 1974.)

And this is all that remains of the "Breconshire" just below the surface.

THE HISTORY OF YACHT "SVEA"................

We bought the yacht "SVEA", because we couldn't do anything else. She was just beautiful. Having seen her on internet, we drove to North Carolina with Lauren's daughter ANNE to make the decision..... YES or NO....... but one look inside at the magnificent construction and the beautiful teak interior, and there was no going back. Lauren's daughter was single at the time, and involved with getting her own yacht-detailing business off the ground and this was to become her 'Dream Classic yacht and office'. With the purchase came the incredible story of "SVEA's" history. ANNE is now no longer single but engaged to marry Tony Shiver in March next year in Hopetown BAHAMAS, and it all happened in the cockpit of SVEA, see for yourself. (double-click on the photo on the right). LOVE is a powerful thing. Powerful enough to change things.




"SVEA's" keel was laid down in Denmark in Year 1938, amidst the occupation by German forces during the WW II. She was built with oak frames and stringers and clad in solid pitch-pine built to withstand the Baltic and North Seas. The yacht had been designed as a "Spitzgatter ketch" (a Danish double-ender) by Naval Architect 'Aage Utzon' whose son, Bjorn Utzon, subsequently designed the famous Sydney Opera House in Australia. "SVEA" was hidden from the Germans in a boat-shed till after the war. It was then sailed to America and sold to a California couple who had never sailed before, but were determined to give it a shot. They succeeded in an incredible feat of circumnavigating the World. "SVEA" was then sold to a Florida couple who previously had owned a small fishing trawler, and they again sailed "SVEA" around the World and published their book, still in print under author "Sue Moesly". "SVEA" was again sold to a man from St. Augustine, Florida, who sailed her north but died of a heart attack and so "SVEA" ended up in our hands. Thus began the four-year renovation, first with a journey to Jacksonville, all under her own power, and then everything back to bare wood and removal of the masts. A labor of love, sweat, blood, tears and money........... all mixed up together.



Everything was overhauled. New flexible water tanks added, more large batteries installed, water supply was pressurised, electrics were upgraded, fuel tanks cleaned, the masts were stripped to bare wood, as was the hull, and re-coated. Rigging was checked and spreaders replaced. Old mattresses thrown out and replaced with new. VHF, depthsounder and GPS chartplotter installed. Even an electric anchor winch was added with galvinised chain and stainless steel anchors. "SVEA" became a classic yacht with modern techniques. Even the tiller got an auto-pilot to help with steering. Bit by bit she became a new "SVEA", ready for a whole new adventure and as sound as ever as a 70-year old yacht with more that 70,000 miles under her keel. Even a wind-generator was added to the mizzen mast to provide additional electrical power in addition to the solar panels and the portable generator, and for going ashore an inflatable dinghy and outboard motor. She was even equiped with a 4-man inflatable liferaft and a 406 EPIRB. "SVEA" was truly made cruise ready with an all-weather canvas dodger-canopy over the cockpit.



After five months cruising in the Bahamas, "SVEA" is now back in Florida and here is the really sad part. In growing up, and dreaming of sailing, I would have given my right arm to have been able to sail on such a grand historic yacht as "SVEA". To have been able to fall asleep with the glow of an oil lamp reflected in the sheen of burnished teak, and to have felt that rhythm of 'Motion of the Ocean' as we felt it, when we sailed her back to Florida................. Where can we find such a person, to whom such a magnificent historic yacht can be passed on................. to keep her alive and to keep that spirit alive. Or is it that nowadays everything has to be fast and plastic, sterile and something from a production line put together with payroll and deadlines. What has happened to those people with sailing dreams, who would draw the lines of a would-be 'dream' yacht with no more than the curve of a coat hanger, as I did, when I was twenty. Where are those people today?..................... Here we are, willing someone to come forward, to love "SVEA" as we do, even to finance them with the purchase of the yacht, so that their dream can become 'real and alive'. Someone who still wants to explore new places and sail to unknown destinations.....................and to cruise over the horizon, out of sight of land, to discover another world and in doing so, themselves.



They can't all be wedded to jobs and mortgages and tied to texting and football on HDTV.............................. Surely there are still some for whom " THE OCEAN IS CALLING AND I MUST GO" For surely if you double click on the photo below of "SVEA" in the sunset, you will see much more than just a screen-saver.



There has to be someone out there for whom this is their life's dream. Not an escapist but a realist. For sailing is very real and practical and requires fortitude, patience and endurance and in many ways "McGyverism".

PERHAPS YOU CAN HELP US FIND THEM....................

MELBOURNE, FL..................................

We had to drive through MELBOUNE, FL to get to Jacksonville after our short cruise-ship cruise and so here is the connection to the mailbox on the left. First there were the Indians living in Florida's coastal region. Then came some settlers who called the place "Indian River", then by some law the region was called "INDIAN RIVER COUNTY", how am I doing so far?......................... Well one of the settlers opened up a trading post, a mini WALMART. The guy's name was "Cornthwaite John Hector" and he became the first official postmaster for the area. He was known as 'C.J.Hector' for obvious reasons, and had spent most of his early life in MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA, before moving to remote Florida. He soon named the community of "Crane Creek" on the Indian River settlement in Florida "MELBOURNE"., supposedly for nostalgic reasons that we have all had to endure. So now you know where the name came from.......................Not only that but,

"The importance of the waterway as an avenue of commerce and communication is pointed out by a plaque in a small park overlooking the Indian River Lagoon. The plaque reads: "To honor Peter Wright, early settler. A black freedman, the legendary sailing mailman, (who) sailed regularly from Titusville to Malabar to deliver mail to riverside settlements."



So you see, there was a time when SNAIL MAIL was really "SAIL MAIL" or "PADDLE MAIL" or "ROW MAIL" or simply "NO MAIL"............................

And all of this in no way explains why we ended up in MELBOURNE, FL eating Chinese at the best buffet in the World. It just so happens that it is the best ever buffet in the World, and they have this wonderful mix of baby squid in seaweed. Worth getting from one Melbourne to the the other just to taste it.........................
The servers are WEINI and QINT LIN, charmingly Chinese and full of good humor.



And if you thought that on the cruise ship, the food, the gambling, the drinks, the dancing, the shows, the chocolate on the pillows and the cute towel animals are enough to " DRIVE YOU UP THE WALL", then they have one of those too. It is on the afterdeck and you can climb it to your hearts content......................

THE EIGHT-YEAR HONEYMOON CONTINUES................

Yes it looks like we are not done with sea-turtles just yet ............... As our Anniversary draws near, plans are laid for some more 'blue-water' adventures and another 4-day cruise-ship booking is made. This is the best-ever value for money, even if it is a 'sleep-eat-eat-eat-sleep-eat-eat-eat-sleep-eat-eat...........' cruise. There is plenty to be done, including our daily two-mile walk, in circles on the upper-upper deck. We departed on Sunday, Sept. 20th, from Cape Canaveral, from which many an astronaut has left at a somewhat greater speed. We waved good-bye to the Florida coastline and set sail for the BAHAMAS and some really blue-blue water. We have great faith in the crew of these cruise ships, despite the fact that they may, on occassions, put the flags upside down. This in nautical language means " WE ARE IN DISTRESS ". Then again, seeing some people after four days of solid eating, this could in fact, be true.



After a full night sailing across the Gulf Stream, we docked early in FREEPORT also known as LUCAYA HARBOR, on Grand Bahama Island, to some wonderful blue blue water and once on shore, found the sea-grapes well advanced and ready to pick and eat. This was done with relish, I mean....... enthusiasm......... Not having seen TV in months, we came face to face with CNN on board, and saw the graphic pictures of a dust storm to hit Sydney, Australia. My Daughter-in-law Jane, sent this picture of the Sydney Harbour bridge, taken in the middle of the day. AWESOME...........



It did not take us long to find a deserted beach and spend five solid hours in the water. One of our projects while in FREEPORT, was to visit the factory where the magnificent (at least to us) RICARDO MANGO RUM is produced. There is a limited production of this 'out-of-this-world' concoction, and it is only procurable in the Bahamas. As soon as we arrived, we were informed that the factory had been destroyed in a recent hurricane and the operation had been moved to NASSAU, the Capital of the Bahamas. Good 'Karma' quickly moved in, for NASSAU was to be our next destination.



Back on board, it is time to celebrate in style, fancy clothes, with lobster on the menu and desserts to die for. The MENU itself is as long as a sleepless night. I don't know how they do it. For the 2000 odd guests, there are 750 crew, who also eat, though not a lot, for we never saw a fat one, not even a chubby one. The cost of the 4-day cruise for the both of us together was under $500.00, so you do the maths. Then again we didn't drink or gamble. On our last cruise we can still hear the booming voice of one guy who kept yelling " How could I possibly have spent 1500 dollars on drinks in four days !"................
By the time we are satiated beyond description, the Cruise-liner "SENSATION" is well on its way to NASSAU and on returning to our cabin, we find the bed turned down and chocolate mints on the pillows............... need we say more.....



Busy, bustling NASSAU, and onto the traditional 'straw' market that has been in existence since the Pirate days. This is where the 'Banana' boats would unload their cargo and where the 'Calypso' songs were born. Colourful, vibrant and loud. Very loud. A perfect place for Miss 'CLEO' and a thousand other Miss Cleos. In the centre of town we discover the Bahamian police directing traffic. This is necessary because the lights on the traffic lights don't really change, then again they may be waiting for a replacement green cover and perhaps new bulbs for the others. Tourist flock here just for these quaint things..........



One of the other great things about NASSAU is that there is a special shop that stocks "SPEEDOS". The only place we have ever found, and while I am not to appear actually wearing speedos on this blog (as requested and agreed to), I can certainly show you where I got them......................... We did have a lifeboat drill very early on, while no-one had eaten anything or hit the bars. At that time it was still doable............................. getting into a lifeboat, I mean.



Now these next pics are priceless................ After a crazy taxi ride, in which the driver managed to down two bottles of beer and run one red light (and this one actually worked), we escaped from him and fled into the rum distillery security gate. I had the video camera on, to record the drinking and the speed at the same time, in case we crashed and lived to tell about it........ Now, more sober than I have ever been in my life, and more shaken, we met the delightful Pattina Cartwright, who gave us the complete tour of the facility. And I should tell you that, after a production run of RICARDO'S MANGO RUM has been bottled, the building has to be 'fully aired' with large fans, so that the odour doesn't contaminate other flavours to be bottled. I guess a seasoned drinker might not know the trouble these people go to.................... You can do some double-clicking on these pics, though I doubt you'll get the magnificent flavour of the 'Mango'. It is just AWESOME to hold and feel 2000 gallons of Ricardo's Mango Rum, so close yet so far. The closest I came to it, was to hold a roll of the labels. Just the thought of it was enough to get a grip on myself.........................and imagine if I was a serious drinker instead of a part-time 'wannabee' or a 'mightabee'.

Safely back on board the "SENSATION", with 4 bottles of RMR dutifully handed in to Customs for safe-keeping, we continued with swimming, reading and deck-strolling on our way back to Florida and Cape Canaveral, with blue-blue water, speedos and Mango rum now all ticked off our list................



Needless to say this on-going honeymoon is continueing. We are truly lucky and very blessed. Now while it was not part of the overall plan, I did get pulled in to the " HAIRY CHEST COMPETITION". Pulled in was more like "dragged-in". The person responsible was the 'Activities Manager', a fellow Australian, to whom I had been talking, one of four Australian crew members on the ship. Thank God, I was eliminated at the first round by public acclaim. Not enough 'hair-on-chest'............................. Some others on the other hand, would make the Georgia carpet weavers at Dalton do a double-take. That's from the front, not counting what's on the back. They sleep without a blanket........... don't need one.



A Delightful trip away from Florida's heat, and in air-conditioned comfort. Great to be spoilt rotten and waited on hand and foot. Great to get back to our own cruise ship and to start on the engine adjustments and repairs. Things still to be done before we set sail for the Caribbean on "ARITA". Thank goodness our engine is just a simple 85 HP Perkins 4-236 diesel engine, and not one of those below, with what looks like giant turbo-chargers. Thank goodness our propellor shaft is only an inch and a half and not this humungously long propellor shaft shown below. Photos compliments of the Italian ship's Engineer Mr. Roberto Genovese, who took the photos for us.



And speaking of ENGINEERING, we saw this dredger at work in NASSAU harbour. The rotating cutter-head (that pointy bit with the serrated teeth shown below on the left), is huge and when dropped down to the bottom, grinds away at the cemented ocean floor, while the giant pumps then carry away the rubble to well over three miles in a submerged pipeline. Part of the pipeline is shown above water on the right. Do a double-click on the pic if you are into this sort of thing. The waste material then re-surfaces on the other side of the harbour to make a section of re-claimed land which in time will probably become the grounds for a new hotel. The pipeline that carries this slurry was at least three feet in diameter. The whole set-up was probably designed by a frustated dentist turned engineer.......... and instead of being strapped in the chair the big black pylons on the stern are driven into the ocean floor to hold the dredger in place. The pipeline is clamped together in sections and when the cruise ships leave the harbour they pass over the pipe-line. Cutting and pumping at the same time is an art and when the pipe breaks and comes adrift, and hell breaks loose, then the engineers wish they were just dentists going home at the end of the day.......................