How to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in this world is what New Horizons is all about. Please check out our website at www.newhorizonsofswfl.org We provide educational opportuinities for at-risk children in Southwest Florida. We are able to provide humanitarian aid to our Caribbean neighbors with our 68-foot cargo schooner, "Star of the Sea." The schooner is also used as a teaching tool for the "Call to Adventure" program that mentors young men at sea.


Tuesday, November 30, 2010

In Memory Captain David Nichols March 16,1934 - November 27, 2010


After unloading our cargo I received a phone call from home informing me of my dad passing away. I will fly home to spend time with my mom and sisters and then fly back to
Cat Island to continue our voyage, dad would have wanted it that way.

Capt. Dave or Captain Nine Knots as he was known to his many friends, passed suddenly Saturday morning at home while having a conversation with mom. I thank God he did not suffer and ask for your prayers to help comfort mom and my sisters. Dad was a generous and caring man who shared his knowledge of the sea with generations of boaters. His love of the sea was only surpassed by his love of his wife Debbie and his children Sharon, Robert, Susan, Stephanie and his many grandchildren and great grandchildren. I will miss him greatly

Cat Island landfall
















We arrived on Cat Island at daylight Saturday November 27. The crew and vessel have performed great and after a quick breakfast we opened the cargo hatch and discharged the much needed food and general cargo. Brother Alfred Moss Jr. brought the kids down to help with the offload and told me that our arrival was an answer to prayer, the food for Nov. had not come from Nassau and the children's home was down to the last of their stores (check out the before and after photos!). I am always amazed at the strength of Bahamian children, the kids had the schooner emptied of cargo in about an hour!

November 23-27




Trying to sail East when the wind is blowing from that direction is never easy. We spent 30 hrs. crossing the Gulf Stream because of wind direction and then motored across the Great Bahama Bank in a calm. As the wind picked up while we approached the Berry Island Chain I noticed some rigging in need of attention. Up the mast for a quick fix and then a long 26 hour motor sail down the Tongue of the Ocean which is located between Andros Island and New Providence Island. After an all day slog to windward navigating the Decca Channel we completed an exciting night time transit of Conch Cut in the Exuma Island Chain. Once again the wind on the nose made for a long night on the trip across Exuma Sound to Cat Island.

Sunday sendoff




My wife Ellen brought some of the children from Super Kids Church down to the boat to see us off on Sunday morning. We set sail at mid-day with 3,000 lbs. of cargo for the Old Bight Children's Home on Cat Island, Bahamas. The next morning we arrived in the Florida Keys where we anchored for the day awaiting better weather to cross the Gulf Stream.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Star of the Sea sails again!




November 21, 2010 Schooner Star of the Sea is leaving today for the Old Bight mission home on Cat Island, Bahamas and then on to Aux Cayes, Haiti. This trip has been made possible by the generosity of Mr.&Mrs. Robert Sparkman and HGL Dynamics. Thank you for believing in our mission and your commitment to blessing those that are less fortunate! We've got some crew changes on this trip with long time friend and ocean voyager Jay Swett flying in from Maine to make the trip and new friend Zach Griffin from Arkansas, answering the call to help children in the Caribbean. I will post when possible and as always appreciate your prayers for our safety.


Blessings Capt. Bob