Oneday Adventures
or
 Knitting up a Storm
 

This is a general announcement regarding our immediate plans.  We are currently anchored in Lake Worth (West Palm Beach Gardens FL) awaiting a suitable weather window to cross over to the Bahamas.  Our weather guru (who we subscribe to) has recommended to us that Wednesday the 6th January would be the first possible earliest weather window for a comfortable crossing.  However, this is the long term weather and when water and boats are the dominant factors, anything could change.  

After carefully monitoring the weather for the last week and on the advice of our weather “guru” - Chris Parker of the Caribbean Weather Center, we decided that to-day would be the day to start our crossing over to the Bahamas, but not until mid morning we were told. At 11.30 a.m. we were exiting the Lake Worth Inlet and out into the Atlantic Ocean.  The first half of the trip was extremely “roley poley” for lack of a better expression.  Preparing food was, to say the least, a challenge.  However, sustenance was necessary as we knew we had approximately 30 hours ahead of us before resting.   With a little thought, I was able to feed both the Captain and myself well.  Each day we had our mid morning coffee.  For lunch, I served up a nice Virginia Baked Ham sandwich and yoghurt, followed by our customary pot of tea for 2.  I made a couscous and tomato salad, which was served with a green salad and tuna for supper and a nice cup of coffee a little later.  The following morning, breakfast consisted of Orange Juice, Porridge, Scrambled Egg and Bacon and of course our pot of tea.  This went down really well and helped prepare us for the next 10 hours or so.

Fortunately, crossing the actual Gulf Stream was not a problem, thanks to careful navigation and planning the correct course.   The water temperature in the Gulf was a balmy 26 degrees Celsius - due to the equatorial current. We saw a great sunset, but unfortunately, the moon did not co-operate by lighting our way, so the night was pretty black out there on the Ocean.  At around midnight, the Captain requested a large cup of “Bovril” -  he needed the salt on account of all the rocking and rolling.  A few hours later and an order came in for a large “hot chocolate”.  Early on day 2, we crossed the Grand Bahamas Bank, where we saw depths of around 8 to 9 feet and of course because of the beautiful clear aqua water, were able to see easily the starfish on the Ocean floor.  This was followed by the “Tongue of the Ocean” where suddenly the depths went to between 3000` - 4000` !!  We saw several cruise ships (on their way to and from Nassau) and lots of freighters, during the night.  It was fairly cool on “topsides”, but around 19 degrees Celsius, below decks.  We were actually quite lucky with the weather since up until our departure date, we were sleeping in temperatures as low as 6 degrees Celsius!!

Sunrise on the 8th was spectacular and it was good to have day light hours once again.   We raised our “quarantine” flag once we were in Bahamian waters and removed our US courtesy flag. At around 3.30 p.m. we made our approach to enter the Nassau Harbour.  Before entering or exiting, all vessels must report to “Nassau Harbour Control”.  This the Captain did - giving our documentation numbers and details of our last “Port of Call”.  We were then asked where we were going - “to anchor came the reply”.  “Negative” we were told - if you are coming from a foreign country you have to report in before you anchor, or go directly to a Marina.  Going to a Marina is never “in the cards” for us, so we were told to pull up to the Government Dock where only the Captain was allowed to step ashore.  No problem for me, I thought to myself, I will just stay on board and start knitting another garment for a dear little Bahamian baby.   This I did (thanks PA for the suggestion of the Bamboo yarn - it's working out great and how appropriate is Bamboo yarn with a name of “Tropical Sand Multi”)?   One hour later and we were checked in and were able to once again fly the Bahamian flag. 

Off we went and anchored in our favourite place, just East of Prince George Wharf in Nassau Harbour. The voyage over to the Bahamas was good and certainly nothing like the “hell” ride we had on the return trip last year.  I for one would take the rocking and rolling any day, compared to the stomach wrenching feeling of being heeled for 30 hours and being thrown from side to side. My Captain, once again, did a wonderful job of navigating us through some tricky waters, shoals and coral reefs and looked after us both and the boat, admirably.  It sure is good to be back in the Bahamas.  From Nassau, we will make our way down the Exuma chain of Islands and onto Long Island and from there - well, who knows.  We are looking forward to stopping at all the little “out Islands” along the way and re-visiting our Bahamian friends.
 

 January 21st, 2010                                         NASSAU AND BEYOND
A couple of weeks have passed since we made the “crossing”.  We spent 4 days in Nassau, where, although crowded and touristy, it does have something special to add to our adventure.  We spent a lot of our time at the downtown waterfront, which can be very entertaining.  We saw the Royal Bahamas Police Band performing in honour of the re-opening of the Supreme Court.  We visited “Potters Cay”, which certainly showed us the true Bahamian way of life.  It is a sea food and produce market with a very colourful array of individual vendor shacks.  The boats draw up at the back door and the food (cooked or otherwise) exits by the front door.  We saw conch (a daily staple food for all Bahamians), being prepared - it is usually eaten raw in a salad which consists of lime juice, lemon juice, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and of course, raw conch.  Tony has been salivating over a conch salad for a long time - I have no idea why.  I tried some conch fritters last year, (actually, 3, just to be polite), but it was a first and last time food dish for me!!

From Nassau, we made our way to Highborne Cay and then onto Hawksbill Cay.  We are currently in Warderick Wells – Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park and have taken a mooring ball in the Lagoon.  It is such a wonderful place - there's just a very narrow channel for the mooring balls and on each side of us we have ankle high water!!  A couple of nights ago, we had 2 large rays swim by the boat and last night a shark.  We have both been kayaking in the lagoon and of course, the water is clear all the way to the bottom.  It feels as though we are floating on top of a giant aquarium - looking down on Eagle Rays, Nurse Sharks, Sea Fans and brightly coloured aquatic vegetation and fish.   To-night we had several large yellow finned fish swimming around the boat just looking for “hand outs”. 
To-day, Tony offered his services to the Park.  It was funny waving good bye to him as he went to work by dinghy with John, one of our boat friends.  For working a 6 hour day, we get one night of free mooring (a $15.00 value).  This morning, Tony and John went out in one of the Parks` Skiffs and removed one of the marker buoys and re-painted it, repaired the radar arch for the patrol boat, did numerous repair jobs in the park office and made a new sugar dispenser for the Banana Birds.   They are talking about doing the same thing to-morrow - the Park is run by volunteers and donations and they can do with all the help that they can get.

I finally came across a lady who was in desperate need of some knitting instruction - I have been waiting for this to happen for the whole trip.  Harriet is John's wife and she was trying to knit some socks on broomstick size knitting needles and corresponding yarn and was in a bit of a mess.  She came over to our boat for a visit and wanted to see my knitted items.  I was happy to show her a multitude of socks, garments and accessories.  She was just in awe and wanted to get started on a real pair of socks.  I just happened to have 2 balls of fine sock yarn and a spare set of 2.25 mm needles, just waiting for her.  I printed out my own sock pattern and got her started.  For several days, we sent each other “sail mail” via dinghy with Tony and John being our drivers.  She is “over the top” excited that she has “found” me and needless to say, I am  just as thrilled to get yet another person enthusiastic about knitting.  There's no stopping her now and I am amazed at just how far she has come in such a short time.  She would now like me to teach her the Moebius Cast On and maybe make my Moebius Beaded Scarf design when we get to Georgetown, Exuma and I will be more than happy to teach her.

 Well, we sure have chosen one heck of a way to get to the Bahamas.  We have had to endure many bitterly cold days and nights ever since October of last year and what seemed like perpetual rain.  Having said that, and now that we are here, it was all well worth the effort.  The sun shines most every day and there's a gentle (most of the time) breeze in the air.  The water is clear and a beautiful aqua colour.  At night, the sky is filled with twinkling stars.  It really does not get much better than this and we are fortunate to be realizing this dream. 
For now - Linda and Tony (aka Mum and Dad)
Picture:
Linda on the beach at Warderick Wells -Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park with some of the sweaters that she has knit for Bahamas babies .  

5th February 2010
A very bad storm is pending, according to our well informed weather “guru” and we will have to forego the chance of
getting some propane - finding a storm hole has now become the number 1 priority.  Chris Parker of the Caribbean Weather Center broadcasts on the Single Side Band each morning at 6.30 a.m. (4.045.0 MHz).  We subscribe to this service and find Chris to be extremely accurate with his very detailed forecasts which cover the entire Western Atlantic and the Caribbean.   I am increasingly becoming intrigued by the weather patterns and it is so interesting to hear the various boaters calling in for specific weather predictions and advice.  “Oneday” will call in for information such as wind direction - sea state and what can be expected for the coming few days for either our current location or for a planned route to another location.

Staniel Cay is extremely exposed to Westerly winds and he has predicted very strong Westerly’s.  Even the Staniel Cay Yacht Club Marina will be closed as the storm approaches, since their docks are at huge potential threat of wind damage.  There are very few options for us and the only one is Pipe Creek which is not far from Staniel.  We have never been into Pipe Creek and, although it is a good storm hole, it is very tricky to get into.   Many boats, just in recent days, have been run onto the coral reefs - not only is the passage difficult, but the current rules and very strict navigational skills are necessary - even the supply boat, the Captain C, ran aground last week!!   We had to time our departure from Staniel Cay to co-ordinate with the rising tide, so at around 10.a.m. up came the anchor and we were on our way.  Within an hour of quite choppy seas, we were entering the dreaded channel into Pipe Cay.  Yes, it was scary, but as usual, the Captain did a great job and slowly “sounded” our way in.  The wind had picked up and by the time we reached our destination, was blowing hard.   Now the trick was to set the anchor in an extremely small space.  We did not have many anchoring options between the 5 boats already there.  Coral reefs and sand bars abounded either side of us, so our anchoring decisions had to be quick and “get it right the first time”.  This we did, but then were told by a nearby boater that we were to deploy 2 anchors - “Bahamian Mooring Style” of anchoring.  This we were not prepared for, but soon realized it was necessary, due to the surroundings and the strong current which reverses twice each day.  Quick action had to be taken to get ready and deploy our second anchor.  Did someone say that this was FUN?  This was the first time that we had found ourselves in a position to work with 2 anchors.  Yet another learning curve, but thankfully we are quick learners.  Well, we rode on the two anchors for a couple of days, but after listening to the forecast of 40 – 50 knot winds which were coming our way, Tony decided to replace the nylon rode with chain (our main anchor has 200` of chain and has never let us down).  This ended up being an all day event - Tony had to work underwater, with tools, to replace the nylon shackle with a shackle and swivel to accommodate the replacement chain.  This entire job he did whilst leaving the anchor in its original resting place!!  Yes, there are sharks in Pipe Creek.  Hands up anyone who wonders what we do all day!! Well, the first storm came through as expect and then we had to mentally prepare ourselves for the second storm which was due to hit us around 10 p.m. on the 12th of February. This was to be worse than the first storm.  During the daylight hours, the wind gradually picked up and around 10 p.m. the wind blew and blew and the squalls started hitting us.  It was very noisy, to say the least.  The boats in the anchorage kept their VHF radios on and kept in touch throughout the night.  Needless to say, sleep was not on the agenda.  At times it was impossible to see some of the boats at anchor, due to the extremely poor visibility.  The daylight hours finally arrived and it was good to know that all of the boats in our anchorage had remained safe.  The following day was a “write off” as we all recovered from the trauma of 2 very nasty storms.

14th February 2010

To-day, we were anxious to get out of Pipe Creek and again, had to time our exit with the rising tide.  This we did and at 8.30 a.m. had managed to raise the 2 anchors successfully - not an easy task at all.  The wind had subsided a lot, so we made our way back to Sampson Cay - Luck was on our side, as we reached the fuel dock before they closed at noon and were happy to know that they actually had diesel for us.

February 2010

To-day is Tony's Birthday, so we decided to have lunch at the Sampson Cay Club.  This was a really enjoyable treat and lunch turned out to be supper also, since the portions were large.16th February 2010 We are still trying to get our propane tank filled and the last news we had was that the first opportunity will be on Thursday.  I hope so, because we are getting very low and we rely on propane to run our stove!  

My knitting keeps me occupied as always and I'm constantly finding inspiration from the flora, epiflora, the ocean and beaches.  On one of our kayak trips last week, we found a “perfect” little beach.  The next day, we packed the “dry bag” with yarn  and some of my finished garments and kayaked back for a photo shoot - it was just irresistible.  When we reach George Town I am hoping to meet up with my knitting friend, Harriet.  I last saw Harriet in Warderick Wells, where I taught her how to knit socks.  I promised her that I would teach her something “Moebius” when next we meet. I have just finished my latest Moebius design-it is called "Jester" and has what I called a "Loopy" Cast off edge which looks as if it has been worked with a crochet hook. Not being a fan of combining knitting and crocheting in one project, I created the edge with the use of my knitting needles. Another possible class for the future, At the present time, I am completing a cardigan for one of our grandchildren.

The weather has certainly slowed us down this year and the storms have been unusual.  However, for the most part, the weather is very warm and sunny - upwards of 25 degrees Celsius and in spite of everything, we love it here and can't imagine being elsewhere.  When we finally get our propane and are able to leave Sampson, we intend to work our way down the Exuma chain with stops along the way.   Black Point is a very important stop for us and it is here that I will be leaving my 4 hand knit baby garments.     From Black Point, Little Farmers Cay will be the next stop and then onto George Town and hopefully Long Island.  At that point, we will have to assess our plans and decide if we will have time to go further South or have to make our Northerly passage.  

As always, we love to hear from you, until next time- Linda and Tony

SAMPSON CAY - BLACK POINT
20^th February 2010 The day has finally arrived and it looks as though we may be able to get our propane tanks filled!!   With that news, we dropped everything and decided that we would be able to get to the propane store faster if we went by dinghy.   Within 30 minutes, we were at the Isles General Store which is situated on the neighboring Island of Staniel Cay.   We were told that there is a very small supply of propane left, but if we leave our 2 tanks outside and return around 2 p.m., then if there is sufficient, we could then pick them up.   I took a quick look around the store and saw some much sought after supplies, such as fresh milk and romaine lettuce, but once again, not a great supply of anything.   I was sure that if we did not pick up these precious items now, then they would not be there when we pick up the propane tanks.   We went to pay and the Bahamian clerk told us to pay for everything later - she actually let us walk away from the store without paying - such great trust the Bahamians have.   In the eventuality, we asked if we could keep the provisions in her cooler until later and this we did.   We then had approximately 5 hours to kill.  We walked from one end of the Island to the other and stopped in at the marina for a cup of coffee - $6.00 for 2 very small cups!!   It was a warm and lovely day, so we strolled through the tiny main street, stopping to talk to the locals and watched the children at play.   We later had a very good lunch at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, which compared to the coffees, was comparatively reasonable.   What should we do next - well, Staniel Cay has an airport and we thought that maybe we could find some form of entertainment if we checked it out.   The photos that I will be sending will give you a much better idea of the airport than my description will.  However, I will try and describe the Staniel Cay Airport.   Just before entering the airport, there is a traffic circle - never seen one like this before!!  Stones had been laid, by hand, in the shape of a heart, but traffic circle rules prevailed, even though there's hardly any traffic on the island.  Once inside (or should I say, outside) the “terminal” we noticed a plaque which read “no running, riding bicycles” on the runway.  The “waiting lounge” was a very crude open air structure with plank seating around the edge.   No security at this airport!!  When we arrived at the airport, there was just the two of us, except for a group of guys huddled together around one of the private planes.  Tony left to investigate and ended up helping the pilot to fix a broken part.  I stayed in the “lounge” and awaited the entertainment.   Gradually a few people joined me - some were flying out and some were waiting for friends and family to fly in to join them on their boats.   I soon discovered that a plane (Flamingo Air) may arrive at 2 p.m. or it may not!!  It all depended on whether the plane first went to Little Farmers Cay and Black Point - no one ever actually knew at what time the plane would arrive.   Also, on this particular day, the first plane from Nassau was still in Nassau at the time it should have been in Staniel Cay.  This for sure is what they refer to as “Island Time”.   After an hour or so, the ticket collector arrived - her name is Samantha and she could be nice and mean all within the span of 1 minute.   One of the locals could not find his ticket and the conversation between them went from a whisper to a heated debate, in a flash.   Samantha arrived by golf cart and I actually saw her reach in behind her seat to get out a stick and threaten the ticketless man.  It was really hard to know if she was joking or not!!   Bahamians love to debate and things can get a little heated at times and at those times, it`s hard to keep up with the conversation.  A little later, another golf cart arrived with a supply of beer for the ticketless man.  I am exaggerating when I say that he drank 3 of these beers all within 10 minutes.  Eventually, a plane did arrive and some passengers climbed out onto the wing and then onto the ground.  This was not the plane that the out-going passengers were hoping for.  Samantha told the passengers to “settle down”, another plane would be arriving.  “When” they asked - to this Samantha replied that it would be sometime!!  However people manage to get onto connecting flights in Nassau is a mystery to me.  Finally, another plane flew in and some more people flew out.  I forgot to mention, that the golf carts take on the role as “ground transportation” - or you just walk to and from the airport.  It certainly was an entertaining afternoon and I ended up laughing to myself the whole time.
Well, after hanging out at the airport, we headed back to the Isles General Store.  On the way, a little Caucasian boy came cycling by.  Once at the store, it was apparent that he wanted to talk to us.  I knew that he lived on the Island and asked him if he liked it.  He said “yes, I guess it's O.K., but school is not”.  He said that he was not sure if he could even talk about it as it was really bad.  At that, I just had to know why.  He then decided to tell all.  His penetrating steel blue eyes demanded that we pay attention to what he was about to say.  He said that if you are bad and forget to do your homework, or if you are late for school, then you get the ruler on your hand.  I actually was relieved to hear his words and to know that it was not a racial problem.  I asked him if he had had the ruler and he said yes, 5 times!!  At that, Tony told him what used to happen to him at boarding school in Africa when he broke the rules - the little boy thought for a moment and then realized that maybe school in Staniel Cay wasn't so bad after all.  We picked up our full propane cans and paid for everything and were then happily on our way by dinghy, back to “Oneday” anchored in Sampson Cay.
 29<sup>th</sup> February 2010 -Once again we have more bad weather coming our way and Sampson Cay is not the place to be.  We decided that we would wait until high tide and sound our way into our next anchoring location, which is behind the Fowl Cay Resort (Google this to get an idea as to where we are).  Again, this is a tricky anchorage to get into, but well worth it once there.   Coincidentally, there is boat right next to us in the anchorage from our home Port of Bayfield.  
The storm arrived, right on schedule and we were glad to be in a relatively safe place, although it is always “nerve racking” weathering a storm, to say the least.  
6<sup>th</sup> March 2010 - To-day, we left the anchorage via the tiny coral lined little cut by Fowl Cay Resort - yes, more scary moments, but more to add to our experience levels.  Our next destination is Black Point.
The sail to Black Point was a pretty rough one, but it was good to be on the move again.   Once in Black Point, laundry is a priority and Black Point has a very nice laundry - the cruisers all love Black Point - the people are wonderful, but the laundry is a big draw for us boaters.
 8<sup>th</sup> March 2010 -To-day is our big laundry day - laundry whilst living aboard is always a problem.  I wash all the small items of clothing by hand, but not the sheets and towels etc.  It's always a big upheaval just changing the bedding, but a necessity of course.  We bagged up all of our laundry, together with the detergent and dinghy`d to the laundromat.  On our arrival, we were told that there was NO WATER!!  What - NO WATER!!  Some people had managed to get their washing started and then the water ran out in mid cycle.  Ida, who owns the laundromat, said that there should be enough water by 1.30 p.m.  Well, 1.30 p.m. ran into 5.30 p.m.  Ida told us to put the detergent and the laundry into the washing machines, which we did.  At this point, once again, there was no water!!  The whole laundry thing turned into another day long event, but at least it was done (except for 1 more load another day).  The highlight of the day was when we went to the “All Age School” to drop off some school supplies.  We bought over some ruled paper, pencils and calculators for the kids, from the States.  These were accepted graciously and we were invited to write in the “Guest Book”.  We could hear children singing in the next room.  We just had to check it out.  Oh my goodness, the dear little children were singing with such gusto that it was a wonder they didn't completely raise the roof.   It actually brought tears to my eyes.  We were asked to introduce ourselves, which we did.  We were so happy to once again see Michael, standing in the back row.  We had met Michael in Black Point last year and I for one instantly fell in love with him.  Quite the little entrepreneur is Michael - our first encounter with him was last year, when he stopped us in the street to ask if we would like to buy a piece of wire!!  We declined the wire purchase, but gave him and his little friend a dollar for a photo shoot instead.  The school children all over the Bahamas look so smart and ready for school in their school uniforms.  In Black Point, the boys wear green pants, yellow shirt and green tie and the girls wear a green pinafore, yellow blouse and green tie.  It took us back to our school days - I loved my school uniform.  Later that day, as we walked down the street, kids all over the place were calling “Lindar, Lindar and Tony” - they remembered us and I know that Michael remembered us from last year.   They pronounce my name as Lindar, by the way.
9^th March 2010 -To-day, we dropped off the baby garments that I had knitted, to Lorraine, who runs one of the little restaurants in Black Point.  Two of these are for her newest addition, Joshua and the two little girl garments, she will distribute for me.  I just told her that I wanted them to stay in Black Point. 
Later that day, we went to Lorraine's Café for dinner.  I wore a couple of my knitted garments (yes, it was cold) and she said “wow - Jaboom” “Jaboom” - that is what the Bahamians call what I do.  She asked if I would be able to set up some knitting classes for when we return next year - more food for thought.
For dinner, I ordered “grouper” and Tony ordered a “Lobster Tail”, which was served with vegetables, coleslaw and “peas and rice” (a Bahamian dish).  Before the dinner arrived, Lorraine bought out some appetizers which looked and tasted yummy.  After we had devoured them, I asked what it was - Conch I was told - I wish I had not asked!!  Both the appetizers and the desert were “on the house” for everyone in the restaurant.  Lorraine works so very hard - she has 5 children of her own and also takes care of her 2 year old granddaughter - Lee Aysha.  She runs the café and does everything herself.  To-night, there were 11 guests in for dinner, but there could well be up to 30.  She also operates some guest houses in Black Point.  All this, and with little ones to look after - no maternity leave here!! 
For my knitting followers, since the last time I wrote, this is what I have been working on.  Do you remember the photo of those brightly coloured skeins of yarn, well, I turned them into a top down cardigan for one of our grandchildren and I will send some photos when I am able to.    I have also spent a lot of time creating and writing patterns for 2 Moebius.  One of them is my new “Memory” Moebius, which I am pretty excited about. The other one is a beaded creation, which I have almost completed.  It could possibly be called “Jaboom” - no prizes for guessing why.   I am happy to say that even though I am living a life devoid of the usual knitting inspirations, (no internet or yarn stores here), I am never at a loss for knitting ideas. From Black Point, we will stop off at Little Farmers Cay and then onto George Town and then, hopefully, Long Island.
This will be all for this time.  A big thank you to all of you who e mail us.  It's always exciting when the e mails come through the Single Side Band. 
 As always, when in the Bahamas, our e mail address is:  CFN4932@sailmail.com

LITTLE FARMERS CAY-EXUMAS - GEORGETOWN - CONCEPTION ISLAND - RUM CAY-ACKLINS ISLAND AND LONG ISLAND

LITTLE FARMERS CAY                                                                                                             12^th March 2010

We were literally blown into Little Farmers Cay to-day.  The Island was settled by a woman named Chrisanna, a freed slave from Great Exuma.  Most of the inhabitants are related to her.   Soon after our arrival here, Tony dived down under the boat to check that our anchor had been set properly.  He was promptly investigated by a Barracuda.  At that point he decided to make a hasty retreat back on board!!

 We dinghy`d to shore at Little Farmer Cay and were greeted at the dinghy dock by the local fishermen who were busily bringing in their catches.  At a first glance there appeared to be nothing worth staying for.  However, we decided to walk a little (I especially wanted to find the school).  What unfolded was certainly worth finding.  The “All Age” school was situated in the central part of the island and the Principal welcomed us in.  He introduced himself and his wife, who is the teacher.  They are not Bahamian, but are here on a three year work contract.  The school hours are from 8.45 a.m. - 3 p.m. and there are 18 students altogether.  The students all wear a school uniform, as do the children at all the other Bahamian schools we have seen.  The children look so smartly dressed for school - long pants, shirt and tie and black shoes for the boys and a pleated tartan skirt and blouse for the girls.  It was lunch time when we arrived so only a few of the children had returned for the afternoon school hours.  Whether in school or on the street, the Bahamian children are so polite and always greet us with a “good morning” or “good afternoon”.  They are taught to be polite and certainly it is paying off.   They were eager for us to return for the School Fair at the end of March. A little further down the road is J.R. Tinker`s Wood Carving Gallery.  We met Mr. Tinker and he was anxious to show us his work - carved fish, parrots, men and women.

Back we went to the dinghy dock where we talked to a man who seemed to be in charge of everything.  It was busy down at the little dock, where men and women were cleaning fish.  Tony asked if we could purchase a fish for our supper, so Julian, one of the men, cleaned and filleted a freshly caught fish for us - we are not quite sure what it is, but it looks like a snapper, or at least it did until Julian brought out his fish knife.  The Bahamians like to cut their fish into small pieces before cooking them, possibly because less fuel would be required to cook smaller pieces.  The man in charge at the dock suggested mixing some flour and spices together - coating the fish with egg and then dipping the fish into the flour mixture and then browning the fish in the frying pan.  He was a big man and said that he could eat the whole catch!!  We had to go to the local super market to pay.  When I say super market, it`s nothing at all like the ones in Canada.  It’s a small room with just a few supplies and expensive ones at that.  I didn`t see any fresh produce or fruit at all.  I purchased a tin of corned beef and Tony bought us a luxury (a couple of chocolate bars).  There was no cash register in the store and the lady who ran the store just wrote the sale down on a piece of paper and put the money in a tin.    We really enjoyed visiting Little Farmers Cay and as we left, the men and women at the fish cleaning station expressed a wish for us to return again and hopefully we will.  I couldn`t help but notice how happy these people are - they have so little and yet they seem to be so happy, just laughing their way through life.   The next evening, we decided to have dinner out at the Little Farmers Cay Yacht Club.  We had to call our order in by 4 p.m. and this we did.  We were the only guests that evening, but had a very warm welcome by Roosevelt Christopher Nixon, who owns and operates the yacht club.  It appeared that most of his family members were on hand this night and they really seemed to enjoy our company.  One of Roosevelt`s granddaughters, Shona, was visiting from Nassau and wanted knitting lessons.  Unfortunately, it was late at night and we had to leave the next day so this was not possible.

GEORGE TOWN 14^th March 2010
Getting in and out of Little Farmers Cay is always best done on a rising tide, so we had to leave fairly early in the morning for our departure to coincide with the tide.  Late this afternoon, we arrived in George Town (not my favourite place to be).   You either love or hate George Town, but either way, it is a rather necessary stop.  It is the home of Exuma Markets, which is the best grocery store this far South of Nassau and there`s a bank machine in George Town - another first since Nassau.  Financial preparation is a must while cruising the “out islands”, because not only are there no bank machines, but most places will not accept credit cards.  We found a suitable place to anchor and settled in for the night.  The next couple of days were devoted to re-provisioning (both food and money). It is always a rough dinghy ride to get into Victoria Harbour, George Town, but once there, the dinghy dock is good and there`s free water provided by Exuma Markets.  Some cruisers stay anchored in George Town for all of the winter months - needless to say, I don`t understand why.  There`s a huge cruising network in George Town with a lot of organized activities - which is probably why I do not like George Town.  So, we did our necessary chores and left as soon as the weather permitted.

CONCEPTION ISLAND/RUM CAY   18^th and 19^th March 2010
From George Town we sailed to Conception Island and then the next day moved onto Rum Cay.  Coral heads abounded on the approach and in the anchorage at these two places.  We were hoping to get fuel at Rum Cay but were told that the supply boat would not be in until Tuesday of next week - it`s a good thing that Tony installed that extra fuel tank before we left Bayfield!! 

LONG ISLAND 21^st March 2010
Another long day at the helm, but now we have arrived in Strachan Cay which is the anchorage adjacent to Clarence Town, which is the capital of Long Island.   A trip ashore found us on a beautiful beach with a labyrinth of sea treasures - beautiful shells, coral, sea fans, sand dollars, vividly pink conch shells and twigs onto which coral residue has migrated.  Tony went off in one direction and I the opposite.  When we both returned to the dinghy, it was interesting to compare our findings.

The next day, we dinghy`d into Clarence Town, quite expecting a lot more than what was actually there - after all it is the Capital of Long Island!!  The day was hot and we walked and walked, looking for the local attractions, but none were to be found.  However, Clarence Town is famous for its beautiful twin churches situated on two hilltops - St. Paul`s Anglican Church and St. Peters Roman Catholic Church, both of which were built by Father Jerome Hawes.  He first designed the Anglican Church and then the Catholic Church after his conversion to Catholicism.  Many of the other Churches on Long Island were also designed by Father Hawes.  Right at the Government dock is the “Packing House”.   We were fortunate enough to be able to buy some very reasonable fruit here - 2 large pawpaw and a bunch of sugar bananas.  The only problem was the colour - all the fruit and vegetables were very green.  We were assured that if kept in a dark place (the bilge), then the fruit would be ripe in 2 days.  Sure enough, 2 days later, we had the most delicious pawpaw (papaya), that I have ever tasted.  Not so for Tony, pawpaw was a daily staple whilst he was living in East Africa.  We hit the packing house on just the right day as everything was packed in brown boxes ready for shipping the next day. 
 

26^th March 2010
Based on a rather impulsive decision, to-day we choose to leave Little Harbour and cross over to Long Cay, Crooked Islands/Acklin Islands.  Our friends from Bayfield/London on SV “Meredith” were there and knew about our dinghy problem through listening to our plight on the Single Side Band radio.  Bob contacted us and offered us a spare part (he had 2), should we need it.  At this point, Tony had not taken the dinghy motor apart and didn`t want to without a repair manual.  Bob also had a manual.  So, off we went to Long Cay - it only took us another 9 hour day!!  The next day, Bob appeared with the manual and Tony started to disassemble the motor.  Everything seemed to be in order and the impeller was fine.  To cut a long story short, the problem was a minute piece of coral which had managed to get imbedded into the water flow outlet and was acting like a check valve.  When Tony checked it and blew in one direction, it was fine, but when water tried to flow in the other direction, the piece of coral blocked the flow.  All in a day’s work!!

Whilst anchored in Long Cay I noticed that the water temperature was 28.1 degrees Celsius - yes, we are now in tropical waters, being just South of the Tropic of Cancer. Now we had another decision to make - should we join our friends on “Meredith” and make the crossing to Cuba or go back and continue our circumnavigation of Long Island and explore more Bahamian Islands, as previously planned.  Cuba is only a 24 hour trip away from where we are now and it sounds very tempting and something that we have talked about doing at some point.  After much thought, we decided not to go and why - well for one thing, we are not prepared.  We have electronic charts for Cuba, but not paper ones and I for one felt that it was a little late in the season to be heading even farther South.   Lack of preparation is a sure precursor to disaster!!  It was tough seeing Bob and Connie sail away, but we made the right decision. 

28^th March 2010
After a horrible night at anchor, due to a huge swell in the rather open anchorage, we decided to leave and go back to the southernmost tip of Long Island.  It was not a good trip, even the Captain said so.  We kept going until we found what was to be the only possible anchorage that night.  South Point faces a spectacular beach - Gordon’s Beach and we were looking forward to “shelling” the next morning.  However, that was just not going to happen.  The anchorage got to be extremely rough during the night - I actually had to hold on for fear of being tossed out of bed!!

LONG ISLAND AND GEORGE TOWN

 Salt Pond - Long Island                                                                                             2^nd April 2010 

Well, we just love it here in Salt Pond, Thompson Bay-Long Island.  At most locations, it is almost impossible to find the facilities that we need so much, all in one place.  But, here in Salt Pond, there are 2 grocery stores and diesel is available at Long Island Petroleum (can only get to the dock on a rising tide, but they hardly ever run out of fuel and the fuel is clean, which is not always the case in the Bahamas).  Long Island Breeze Resort is a wonderful place and the people who own it, go out of their way to look after the cruisers.  They offer so much, including a clean laundry and the restaurant is one of the very best that we have come across in the Bahamas.  The food is outstanding and well priced.   We have taken advantage of this great place on several occasions.  They also offer free and good, internet service.  Propane is also available on a weekly basis.  We cannot say enough good things about Long Island Breeze Resort and Long Island in general.  It is somewhat of a sanity saver (for me) and it will be hard for us to leave.

                                                                                                                                    5^th April 2010

To-day the Salt Pond mini Regatta is taking place and Tony went to watch and “treated” himself to a fresh Conch salad - raw conch, straight from their shell, hot peppers, sweet peppers, raw onion, tomatoes and fresh lime and orange juice.    

                                                                                                                                   10^th April 2010

To-day we hiked, in the hot midday sun, across the width of Long Island.  We wanted to go to the Salt Pond Atlantic side Ocean beach.  Yet another treat was in store for us.  The colours of both the sea and the shore were just amazing and being a knitter, seamstress and quilter, all I could think of was capturing those colours in the form of yarn and fabric.  The sea was many shades of blue and aqua and as for the shore line - here we saw pastel colours of pink, mauve, and aqua, green, yellow and beige - unbelievably beautiful.  The sand itself had a pink hue to it and upon closer inspection, tiny fragments of red coral were visible in the sand granules. 

                                                                                                                                    11^th April 2010

To-day seemed like a good day to leave Long Island (that`s if any day is good to depart here) as the weather was favourable for the 6 hour trip to George Town.   On the way, much to our delight, we were entertained by 2 dolphins as they swam by our side like torpedos through the water and then up to our bow to ride our bow wave - something they love to do.  What a beautiful sight it was to be sure.  We have seen many dolphins when transiting the ICW, but this was a rare sight for Atlantic waters.   They looked to be having a lot of fun just riding along side of “Oneday”.   On the way, we saw so many beautiful and pristine white beaches and little islands dotted around.  The navigation got to be rather tricky as we approached George Town, but Captain Tony worked his skills once again. 

                                                                                                                     GEORGE TOWN - EXUMA                                                                                     13^th April 2010

To-day we did a little shopping at the Straw Market and almost caused a little raucous as the Bahamians were vying for our custom.  We met Essie and Sandra here and with a little careful handling of the situation, we were able to leave both women happy, thankfully.  

George Town was just a hive of activity, as the locals were building their crude little shacks in preparation for the up and coming regatta week.

To-day, we also met Mr. Coconutt (yes, he puts 2 t`s in his name).  He told us that he was an artisan and that he makes all sorts of drinking vessels out of coconut shells.  It appeared that he had been using those containers all day long for his favourite concoction of rum and grapefruit juice.  It was hard to get away from Mr. Coconutt, but the wind was picking up and we knew that we would have a rough dinghy trip back to the anchorage on the other side of Elizabeth Harbour.
                                                                                                                                   21^st April 2010

To-day is the start of the George Town Family Regatta.   For days, the little sail boats have been arriving, mostly by freighter, from the outer islands that make up the Exuma chain.  There are 3 classes of boats - A, B and C Class.  The competition is fierce and the rules are very strict - so strict that they are not allowed to have any type of instrumentation of any sort on board.  The rules that govern Bahamian sloop racing state that competing boats must be designed, built, owned, skippered and be primarily crewed by Bahamians.  Before the start of each race, the boats get to their starting position and then have to anchor.  When the starting gun is fired, they have to pull up their anchor and then hoist their sails - it is here that the race can be won or lost. 

We dinghy`d in to watch some of the races, which were exciting, especially at the windward turns.  For me though, the best entertainment was on shore - here the Bahamian excitable spirit really comes alive as the crowds argued and debated like crazy people - it was a whole new form of entertainment, to be sure.  It`s a wonder that no one gets hurt, but I didn`t feel in any sort of jeopardy at all.                                                                                                                                                     

                       22^nd April 2010

We had a real treat in store for us to-day.  In conjunction with the regatta days, 2 free tour buses had been scheduled - 1 going East and 1 going West.  We signed up for the East bound tour.

Our tour guide/bus driver, Patrick Dorsette, did a great job of both driving and commentating and was very knowledgeable, having lived most of his life in Williams Town.   We travelled through many little communities and stopped to view loyalist tombs dating back to the 17^th century.  At one stop we were able to check out the view from The Salt Beacon which used to guide boats when they transported salt from the salt pans, many years ago.  We saw remains of loyalist John Kelsalls cotton plantation and the remains of some of his slave quarters at Williams Town.  We saw “dilly” trees the fruit of which is similar to an apple, but much sweeter.  Dilly crabs (a delicacy here) live in the ground, under the dilly trees.  When the fruit falls to the ground, up pop the dilly crabs for their feast. 

Rolle Town is a very interesting place - all the inhabitants have the surname “Rolle”.   Rolle Town is generation land, deeded to Rolles in perpetuity.  The land is free if your surname is Rolle, but you cannot sell the property.  There are no “for sale” signs in Rolle Town.  It is here that we saw television star, Esther Rolle`s tiny little house.  In comparison to Esther Rolle`s house, we drove by one of the mansions owned by drug lord, Mendoza, who apparently is going to remove that brick wall surrounding his property so that it is more “in keeping” with the surroundings …………….. Mr. Mendoza - that will not make your property “in keeping” with the nearby houses!!   We drove as far as Williams Town and then retraced our tracks. 

On our return trip, we stopped for a break at “Santana`s” Grill Pit.  This outdoor bar/grill is where Johnny Depp spent his leisure time during the filming of the “Pirates of the Caribbean”.  There was a large photo album on the counter with lots of photos of Johnny Depp and many other famous celebrities.   Many of the scenes from the movie were shot right here.   The crew built a wooden planked walkway to the beach in order to get their equipment over the sand.  Our tour guide, Patrick, told us that he was in the same class at school in West Palm Beach, as Johnny Depp.  His parents and Johnny`s were very good friends.  He said that Johnny dropped out of school.

Next door to Santana`s is the home of Mom`s Bakery.  Mom`s bakes fresh bread, which is so good.  She comes into George Town by truck twice a week and sells her goodies from the back of her truck.   To-day, Mom was feeling the heat and said that right now she would prefer to be shoveling snow - we assured her that “no” she would not want that.
                                                                                                                  23^rd and 24^th April 2010

Both of these days were taken up by more regatta festivities.   It would not be possible for me to convey by words just what goes on during regatta days.

We have decided that for events, such as these, we need a video camera - that will be one of our next priority purchases. 

People come from far and near to be in George Town for this event.  The noise from the boom boom music is deafening and literally pulsates through your body - the women dress up in the raunchiest gear that I have ever seen - everyone is literally “dancing in the street” - alcohol flows like water.  We watched an onion peeling contest (no knives allowed) and a conch cracking contest.  We watched the children participating in 3 legged races and wheel barrow races.  On the last evening, the Exuma Youth Band paraded through the street, followed by the Royal Bahamian Police Band. George Town Family Regatta is quite a spectacular event and if one just sits back and watches, as I did, then it becomes yet another “cultural experience”.   

As for my knitting, not much to report this time, as I`ve been out and about “having fun”.  However, I am just putting the finishing stitches in my cabled vest.  My next project will be to design yet another Moebius - this time it will be a lacy one, which when done, will complete my summer teaching projects.   We will be coming back home for a “holiday” this summer and we are very much looking forward to it.   It`s been a long time on the water.        

 Until next time  -  This is Linda and Captain Tony signing off. Whilst in the Bahamas, you can contact us as:  CFN4932@sailmail.com Whilst in the States/Canada:  sellickl@gmail.com  Remember that we love hearing from you.   You can check out our current position by going to:   www.winlink.org/user maps/position reports  -  our Call Sign is:  VE3 CLX

NEW PLACES AND PEOPLE

George Town - Exuma                                                                                             29^th April 2010 

Before leaving George Town, we had some provisioning to do, as always.  So to-day, we took the bumpy dinghy ride into town once again.   We had an appointment to meet with Mr Coconutt (this is the way he spells his name), to pick up a coconut order.  We had previously made arrangements with him and were really not sure it he would actually come through with his promises for us, as his machine had broken down and he was waiting for a new one to arrive from Nassau.  Anyway, sure enough, Mr Coconutt stood by his word and had our order waiting for us at the Straw Market – our friend Yvonne was taking care of the transaction for us.  Mr Coconutt came along just at the right time and we were able to take his photo, although he was not wearing his trademarked Mr Coconutt hat, because he was riding his Vespa scooter.

Well, here is another people story – Each time that we were in George Town, a Bahamian man with long dread locked hair was always walking the streets carrying a large basket which held baked goods.  To-day, we decided to investigate.   

Here is the story of Trevor.  His wife, Candy, bakes yeast bread tarts (coconut and pineapple) and also makes “Mac and Cheese” (another Bahamian staple).  Trevor walks around from dawn until dusk, in the blazing sun, selling Candy`s treats.  We got talking to Trevor and he says that he is determined to one day have a nice house and life for his family, so rather than sit around all day long (there`s not much employment in Exuma), this is what he and Candy are doing.  I asked him if he had any children and was surprised to hear that he had a 13 year old daughter and a 12 year old son – Trevor didn`t look old enough to have children of that age.  He proudly pulled out his “New Testament” from his pocket and in between the pages was a picture of his son and another one of his daughter, both dressed in their school uniforms.  His dream is that one day he will be able to purchase a little pull along cart (something in the nature of a portable hot dog stand), so that he can go from location to location in George Town and at the same time, he will be able to keep the goodies warm.   We purchased some treats from Trevor and they were absolutely delicious.  We finally said our good-byes to Trevor and said that we would see him next year.  Trevor said that he would like that as long as his Lord thought it fit.  Trevor`s story surely makes one sit back and think just how lucky we all are.

                                                                                                                                    30^th April 2010

To-day we set sail for Cat Island – it was quite a long day of sailing, actually, 10 ½ hours in all.  We were happy to finally set the anchor in New Bight. 

                                                                                                                                      1^st May 2010
We really wanted to stop for a day  in New Bight because Mount Alvernia is right here and it is the highest point in the Bahamas at just a little over 200`.   Right atop Mount Alvernia is the “Hermitage” – this was the retirement sanctuary for the beloved Father Jerome.  Born in England in 1876 as John Cecil Hawes, he first became an architect, then an Anglican priest and finally a Catholic priest.  After the 1908 hurricane, which devastated parts of the Bahamas, Father Jerome was sent to the Bahamas to restore the damaged churches.  He went on to build many Catholic churches as well as the St. Augustine Monastery in Nassua.  On Father Jerome`s first approach to New Bight in 1937, he immediately selected Comer Hill, the highest spot, as the site for his retirement home.   Although it was quite a hike to the “Hermitage”, it was well worthwhile.   From an architectural point of view, the “Hermitage” is quite an amazing feet.  For anyone interested, it would be well worth googling – I don`t have the time to elaborate any further, but there`s a lot more knowledge to be explored.

                                                                                                                                    2^nd May 2010

To-day we are heading for Little San Salvador Island – this Island has been purchased by a Cruise Line Company, so there could well be a huge cruise ship in the anchorage!!

Sure enough, well before our arrival at Little San Salvador, we could see a huge “blob” on the horizon – yes, a cruise ship was in the anchorage.  Before setting our anchor, Tony radioed the Captain of the cruise ship to make sure that anchoring would not be a problem (not that the cruise line owns the water, but the ship is much bigger than us).  The reply came back that we would be O.K. if we kept 2 cable lengths away – not a problem. 

This anchorage was like no other – “Carnival Liberty”, the cruise ship was there and the beach was just a hive of activity.  Thousands of people were “doing their thing” – sun bathing, jet skiing, parasailing, paddle boating and banana boat riding.  There were even 5 minute horse rides through the water close to shore.  It was a very strange site for us as it is very unusual to even see 1 person on a Bahamian beach, let alone thousands.  Boom boom music was echoing around the anchorage, but we knew that it would not be for long.  By 4 p.m. all of the passengers had been ferried back to the ship and at 5 bells, “Carnival Liberty” was on her way – thankfully.   Tonight was a very uncomfortable night at anchor and we hardly had any sleep at all.  There was a very strong surge from the Ocean which kept us rolling around all night.                                                                                                                                       3^rd May 2010

At 7 a.m. to-day, yet another cruise ship was making its approach to anchor and I`m glad to say that we are leaving to-day.  To-day`s destination – Rock Sound – the Island of Eleuthera.  Eleuthera has a lot more hilly terrain than some of the other Islands that we have visited.  The anchorage at Rock Sound is big and well protected and it looks as though we will be able to get a good night’s sleep here. 

                                                                                                                                      4^th May 2010

We had heard good things about Eleuthera, so to-day we decided to go ashore at Rock Sound and check things out.  Our immediate reaction was a good one.  Here, we found quite a bustling little community and it was quite apparent that the economy is on an upward surge, unlike most other places in the Bahamas.

Within 1 minute of walking (once again in the mid-day sun), a truck stopped and the driver asked us where we were going – “to the grocery store and the bank”, we replied.  Hop in the man said, so we did (no, we would never ever do this back home – but this is the Bahamas and this is how it is here).  The man immediately realized that we were English – firstly because of our English accent and secondly because Tony was checking his watch – how observant.  He then introduced himself, but says that he goes by the name of “Lord Josh” and that he is well known all over the Bahamas.  Within a short period of time, we were at our destination and thanked Lord Josh for the ride.  We could not believe our eyes when we saw an outdoor “strip mall” – complete with Bank, Hardware Store, Liquor Store, Grocery Store and a Napa (auto parts) Store.  What a treat to have all of these facilities in one place.  We made our purchases and were then offered a ride back to the dinghy dock by one of the grocery store employees.  We love it here in Eleuthera.

At around 5 p.m. there seemed to a lot of commotion going on at the fish cleaning station on shore.  Tony dinghy`d in and was able to purchase enough cleaned grouper for 4 meals for the both of us – yet another treat.  Tony said that there was a lot of arguing and shouting going on, particularly on the part of one man who insisted that he should also have the skin from the conch that he had just purchased.  He was going to boil up the skin this evening.  Bahamians shout and debate a lot, but it`s just a “Bahamian Ting” as they say!!
                                                                                                                                    5^th May 2010

We had previously made a decision to leave to-day, but having been told that we could purchased 1 day of internet that we would be able to access from “Oneday”, then a change of plan was called for. 

Early to-day, we dinghy`d to shore and did a little “walk about” of Rock Sound.  We particularly wanted to see the Ocean Hole, which amazingly sits just outside of the town`s center.  On our arrival we found a local scenic park and at the Ocean Hole, fish performed for us for breadcrumbs.  We even had some beautifully coloured turtles swim by us for a photo shoot.

As for my knitting, I have completed my beautiful cabled vest which I am very happy with.  I designed and knit a “Watch” cap, just like Grampa`s for first mate Braeden and am now working on a new design of my own. 

So, here I am writing this document and I hope that the internet access is all that it has been promised to be.

To-morrow, we will be leaving Rock Sound and will make our way to Governor`s Harbour on Eleuthera, which apparently is another place well worth a stopover.   After that we will make a flying visit to the Abaco Islands.

As you can probably tell, we are gradually making our way North in preparation for the crossing over to the States. For now – Linda and Tony