Intro

Captain Claiborne Hamilton is a born adventurer.  A native Floridian, he is from the 50’s generation of surfers who claim the sport as a lifestyle and willing to travel the globe to catch the perfect wave.  His other passion is sailing; his beloved Blue Moon, a 35’, more than well-equipped Erickson (for crying out loud, the boat has a wood-burning stove installed in the main cabin,) is his get-away vehicle for his yearly solo trips to the Bahamas.  His voyages usually last around 6 weeks and are packed with mind-blowing stories of discovery, natural beauty, and even philosophy.  I’ve heard many of these stories throughout the years, only because I manage to keep in touch with him between his off the grid antics (he is good at returning phone calls whenever he is in town, usually two -three weeks after I contact him).

Captain Hamilton is not a writer.  He does not sweat, share, or document life: he lives it.  I am privileged enough to have come across a rare find of documentation in his archives: his log from 4 years ago.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Captain’s Log
Claiborne Hamilton
May, 2010

Week 1
Although I gave up the redundancy of logs many years ago, I feel compelled to jot down just a few notes regarding sailing conditions and the highlights of this journey. Chris Carillo – a neighbor and surfer buddy who just finished his first year of law school – joined me for the passage.

The first leg from Jax Beach to St. Augy was like a jungle cruise.  The Intracoastal teemed with life: first a manatee, then the alligators; bald eagles plus a giant nest, a flock of geese in flight, numerous thick schools of baitfish, and a porpoise family with babies for escort.

The small marsh creatures stroke up a harmonious chord at last light, prompting the captain (me) to remark, “My, the woods are full tonight.  Let’s camp here and get a fresh start in the morning”.  We pleasantly anchored at 9 p.m.

The next morning we woke up and out the inlet we went: blue water (about 250 miles worth) to Walker’s Cay. (read more of CH’s log)