Tacks Free and Friends

Sailors sail separately, but anchor together, especially when the weather is rough and wind is contrary to prevailing wind direction.  Some friendships stick and some are for the moment, but all lend interest to the trip.

Tacks Free - 39 Lagoon Catamaran

We meet Tacks Free, a 39 Lagoon Catamaran, with John and Leanne, and Leanne’s cousin Diane and her husband, John, at Ships Channel Cay, and later at Allan’s Cay, where we enjoyed yoga, husking coconuts with machetes, and cookouts on the beach. 

We chat with them on the VHF radio down the Exumas and meet them again at Hawksbill, Warderick, Staniel Cay (Big Major) and Little Bay by Black Point, and Georgetown, Great Exuma. We have a great pit fire on Pirate’s Beach at Big Major, where we collected fire wood among the swimming pigs. 

D shows how to husk a coconut for Leanne, John, Diane, Gordon, Margaret, and John.
John later buys machete at NAPA/AID, gets it sharpened at Emerald Bay Golf Course (another story!)
 and opens many coconuts for Leanne. 

Yoga on Allan's Cay -
John, Diane, Leanne, Gordon, Margaret, John, Giles, Annick 

Yoga at Hawksbill

Sunset at Hawksbill

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Did I mention Tacks Free is from Australia?
Well, the crew is.
Here they summit the peak at Hawksbill for an incredible view. 

D and Margaret on bow tying up at a mooring ball at Hawksbill. 

The day after Tacks Free leaves Allan’s Cay for Highbourne Cay, Lord Charlton arrives in the harbor and anchors behind us. They have a Highfield dinghy and so the friendship begins! We have cocktails on their boat and lots of laughs.  Amazingly, they are John and Leanne, too!! We tell them they must meet John and Leanne of Tacks Free, and in Georgetown they do, during the dinghy run event in the regatta.  They named their boat with each last name, Leanne Lord and John Charlton. Recently retired, they have cashed in their assets and bought this gorgeous 46 foot International Yacht Catamaran. A new life style indeed. There are 4 suites, teenager room, crew quarters and 5 baths!!

Leanne Lord and John Charlton of Lord Charlton

We meet up with Tacks Free at the Georgetown Cruisers Regatta and we race ‘around the harbor,’ and ‘around the island.’ We come in third in both races!  John is a great captain, new to sailing, used to big power boats. It’s his first race on the catamaran since purchasing it in December. He is competitive, fearless, and fun.  His crew, D, Gordon, Giles, and me, are all monohull sailboat racers, so first time sailing a cat.  We are proud to get a third in both races and take home 2 regatta flags and 4 Gold Kaliks!

The back story is we practiced in 30-40 knots of wind and got the boat over 8 knots!  Day of race, air goes light and we find Tacks Free is not a light air boat, so we are lucky and grateful for the win. Captain says Skill! It takes us almost 3 hours to race the 8.8 nm race course around the harbor.  

Awards ceremony at the 36th Annual Cruisers' Regatta, Georgetown, Great Exuma.

Winners!!  Tacks Free with a 3rd place in both races!!

 Captain John, Crew - Giles, Margaret, D, Gordon

Flags and Gold Kalik!!