Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Water Cay - Jumentos

We were quite surprised to discover that Thompson Cay and Salt Pond at Long Island were very relaxed and what we remember of cruising in the late 1990's. We attended church on Sunday and the people were warm and welcoming. I had never attended an Anglican church before, but we will go back if we find ourselves there when services happen. We do not participate in all the things that they do, but that did not stop us from worshipping with them and they with us. Olivia, who owns Fox Auto, the car rental place in Salt Pond, generously gave us a ride back to the dinghy dock. We were thankful, it was a long hot walk on the Queen's Highway to church. We have yet to find an island or cay that does not have a 'Queen's Highway.' At Long Island Breeze Resort, we rejoined cruising friends and met new ones. Mike owns the establishment and runs the morning cruiser's net on VHF. He is a very relaxed guy and always made us laugh with his joke of the day. I hope we go back there.

Today we sailed mostly down wind, working our way through the Comer Channel and down to Water Cay in the Jumentos. We had planned to sail all the way to Flamingo Cay, however the anchorage at Water Cay looked mighty inviting after a long day of watching for coral heads. Robert and Kathy on B&G took the same journey today and anchored off our starboard side. We splashed the dinghy, took a walk on the beach and to the ocean side of the cay - barefoot even. It was a tough walk across that mean rock. We stopped on one path when we ran into puncture vines - I must remember my shoes when leaving Hold Fast! While on the beach, we saw more fish than we have seen since we came to the Bahamas. Back on Hold Fast, Myron broke out a casting pole and used our conch cleaning scraps for bait. Within minutes we had three fish for a pan fry dinner. We just finished dinner and I was so glad to be eating fish again.

All in all, it was a fantastic day. Great sailing, beautiful water, no mishaps, fish dinner - I cannot find a thing to complain about.

Oh, I will mention that our Outback Charge Controller for the solar panels gave up the ghost. That was highly disappointing and a good lesson that we need a back up. Myron rigged it so that the panels directly charge the batteries, but without the smart charger, we do not get near the efficiency. For example, we used to see 40 amps coming down, but now the most we see is 16 amps. We are learning to live on that 16 amps and will deal with fixing the problem when we get back to the states.

Love to all,
Dena

Posted via Ham radio.
{GMST}23|01.761|N|075|42.929|W|Anchored|Water Cay{GEND}

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Thompson Bay

We had a wonderful stay in Elizabeth Harbor, aka Georgetown. There were opportunities to meet others in town, on the beach or when we helped someone in needed. We squeezed in a last playtime on the beach after we finished our chores Friday. We both admit we will miss that beach and the lovely walk to it. I am getting over it though. I am fairly positive there are more beaches in our future.

We extended our route today, outside the reserve boundary so we could fish. Just fishing again, no catching, other than a huge barracuda that we could not get off the line. It just about destroyed our lure and, once aboard, broke our line. As to our target species of tuna and mahi mahi, we did not even see a sign, such as flying fish (mahi's favorite food) or sea birds. As a matter of fact, since we have arrived at the Bahamas, we rarely ever see any sea bird.

Once we cut into Pigeon Cay and onto the flats, the wind subsided to basically nothing. We did not mind motoring as we were making water: 215 gallons was our total today. That should hold us for a while. With the wind absent, the crystal clear water on the flats allowed us to see the bottom in detail, about 15 feet depth. Myron went on the foredeck and would call out 'starfish!' 'conch!' It seemed more like an elegant swimming pool. So much so that we dropped anchor in the middle of no where (actually off of White Cay Bank) and went swimming. Bob and Marilyn on 'Krista Lynn,' a Pearson 424, dropped anchor as well and were game to join in the swimming.

Our next planned stop is Water Cay or Flamingo Cay in the Jimentos, via Comer Cut. We have a front coming in tonight and the winds should be favorable for a sail in that direction over the next couple of days. Maybe we will go tomorrow, maybe in the next day or two. Myron will get weather over the Ham radio and then we will ponder the timing.

Love to all,
Dena

Posted via Ham radio.
{GMST}23|21.250|N|075|08.153|W|Anchored|Thompson Bay{GEND}

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Georgetown - Continued

It was difficult to say goodbye to Stuart, Kylie and Samsters on Clementine, but they have their journeys and we have ours. We have received emails from Kylie and they are doing well. They are probably in Jamaica by now. Samsters has such a great attitude about cruising. She decides she loves the rain when we have to suddenly bring in our clothes from the lifelines. She did not mind that her sheets were rather salty from the open air that flows through her v-berth. Her words in regards to such things are "it is all a part of it." Sure, schooling can be difficult for any kid on board. Regardless, she is the best cruising kid you could want on your vessel.
We love the junglesk path they showed us that crosses Stocking Island from Sand Dollar Beach to the ocean side. We take that path almost every day, even though the surf lately has been more punishment than fun. We are glad the surf was agreeable when Sami was here. Here is a short clip of the Samsters taming a wave:

We are managing to carry on without them. We met Ed, Ilene and their precious dog Muffy on 'Tropical Impluse,' a Morgan 50. They used to have an FBO (Flight Based Operations) and Ed had some of our favorite birds such as a Stearman, Cub and Waco. We spent days talking about our experiences with classic birds. In the hopes of landing some protein, they took us fishing on Tropical Impulse around the outside of Stocking Island. We were all so hopeful and occasionally Muffy would bark at the flying fish - just as anxious as the rest of us to get dinner. Unfortunately it was on a fishing day, not a catching day.
Myron has volunteered his help to a couple of cruising boats in need of mechanical assistance. You always hope for a simple fix, but we found these folks were resilient even with bad news because they were pleased to finally have a diagnosis upon which they could take action. The diagnosis was not so good on the starter for Michael and Hilda on 'More Mischief,' a 47' French made sloop that looks as though she could handle a race course. A new starter is on its way. Myron threw in the suggestion that he is interested in crewing for them at the Georgetown Regatta. We are welcome if they do race, but they have not committed to racing at this point.
We stopped by the famous volley ball beach at 'Chat and Chill.' Not to play but to get a heaping helping of conch salad. The salad chef went out to the water and picked a live conch out of a bag he had stored there. That conch salad could not have been more fresh. After cleaning the conch, he gave Myron the scraps so we could feed the large friendly rays at that beach. It was the first time either of us fed these gentle creatures, an obvious remark once you see us on film:

Myron met more new folks at a Ham meeting and also learned that there is a Ham test next Thursday. He wants to upgrade to the next level,Extra. This upgraded license gives the advantage of expanded frequency usage. I am glad he knows all that stuff, it is Greek to me.
Georgetown is a great place to stop over, hang out, meet new folks, provision, regroup or just decompress. A cruiser gave John Paul, a local Bahamian, some seeds and we are feasting upon his fresh home grown tomatoes. In Georgetown, there is something for everybody or you can do nothing. We plan to hang out here for a bit and wait out these cold fronts. We have not run out of things to do or people to meet and engage.
Please remember us in your prayers, that we may be bold in truth and love.
Love to all,
Dena

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Sand Dollar Beach

Today was the first relatively calm day in some time. We were accompanied by about ten other boats heading to Elizabeth Harbour or thereabouts. There was fishing today, but no catching.

What a pleasure to find ourselves pulling into the anchorage at Sand Dollar Beach to receive a call from our Aussie friends on Clementine wanting to know our location. Shortly thereafter we spied them among the other boats then we snuggly anchored about 300 yards away from them. They came over in their dinghy, welcomed us and invited us to play on the beach. It was a nice time of body surfing (Sami boogy boarded) and a nice walk on the island. I expect more walks tomorrow. We are glad we hurried here to see them as they think they have a weather window to leave Thursday. That gives us only today and tomorrow together. We must make the most of it. We are headed to their boat for dinner tonight and a few games of Catch Phrase.

Then, after a long travel day and playing in the surf, I think I will sleep well tonight.

Love to all,
Dena

Posted via wifi.
{GMST}23|30.705|N|075|44.646|W|Anchored|Sand Dollar Beach{GEND}

Monday, February 6, 2012

Black Point (Great Guana Cay) to Cave Cay (Galliot Cut)

I had a special interest and excitement about going to Black Point that were not shared for other destinations. I had no idea of the reason for these emotions, but it was revealed to us as we set about the settlement. It is a quiet settlement, not touristy. The laundromat tops any I have been to in the states, and the laundromat owner, Ida, invited us to Luke Baptist Church, one of the three churches in town. While doing laundry, I met Sharon and Charlie, missionaries that spend six months a year in Black Point to teach Bible studies for church leaders and work with the local children. Time flew by in the company of these lovely people. On Sunday, Jack, Nicole and their 16 month old, Marietta, from 'Kitty Hawk' a CSY 44, joined us in attending Ida's church. It was a service where the Holy Spirit was welcomed and God's Word was taught. For those so inclined, we invite you to join us in praying for this small church and the typical struggles of small church.
A nap was due after church services, especially since the Super Bowl would run past my 8:30 pm bedtime. Even though we made reservations in advance at Lorraine's Café and got there before 5 pm, the place was packed with cruisers and we could not find a place to sit inside. There were no TVs outside. We are glad we did not pay in advance. We walked a few paces down the road to DeShaMon's Restaurant. The first area was taken up by cruisers, the next area was too warm. As we continued through the small building Myron found a back patio. Local men there were in the process of setting up a very nice flat screen TV with surround sound. One of the locals waved us to come on out and have a seat. There was a cool breeze on the patio that compensated for the lack of shade. This apparently was where the local men, women and kids were going to watch the game and we felt privileged to be invited to join them. At first the crowd was quiet. As the game carried on, there was more yelling than I have ever heard watching the game back in the states. At first it was intimidating because I could not understand what they said. Then I began to get better at interpreting the accents and could pick out when they were yelling in advance for one of the teams to "foomble!" There was also a lot of very loud arguing about referee calls. Ida and her husband joined the crowd. We had conch fritters, conch salad and a pepperoni pizza that was too large for us so we shared with a local named Kevin. No one seemed to mind that we did not drink alcohol and we acquired a new liking for a soda called 'Fruit Champagne.' We could not have been happier and thank God for the opportunity to be part of the community. Oh, and it was a great game too.
Today we re-positioned to Galliot Cut, hoping for a weather window to sneak southeast tomorrow. If that works out, we should be near Georgetown and hopefully find our Aussie friends on Clementine before they leave that area. The water at this anchorage is strikingly blue, but it will be a rolling anchorage because, as you can see on the map, we are right at the cut we will exit.
Love to all,
Dena

Posted via wifi.
{GMST}23|54.834|N|076|16.861|W|Anchored|Galloit Cut{GEND}

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Black Point – Great Guana Cay

Here is a picture of those rock iguanas that we visited everyday while in Allen's Cay:
From Allen's/ Major
Tonight we will enjoy another mahi dinner. We thank God for providing such a bounty on our fishing excursion on the Sound.
From Allen's/ Major
Big Majors Spot was a good place to wait out a blow. The holding is good and there is plenty of room. Once the winds were under 20 yesterday we took to the dinghy to explore. First we visited our anchor neighbor (Greg and Marie on ‘Second Sally,’ a Peterson 44). Then we headed to the beach to see these swimming pigs. Sure enough, the pigs swim to arriving boats looking for handouts, with a face only a mother could love.
From Allen's/ Major
Then we headed off to dive The Grotto, also known as Thunderball Cave (a scene from a James Bond movie was filmed there). It is an easy entrance for a snorkel in a cave, or somewhat of a cave as there were a few openings in the top to let sunlight in. The fish there came out to meet us as well. We saw all sorts of beautiful fish and coral. It was truly a memorable snorkel.
This morning we sailed in light air around Harvey Cay and into the anchorage at Black Point. It was a nice sail, the kind of sail we are now referring to as a ‘Shari sail’ because we think Shari would really enjoy it. For that matter, who would not want all the sailing to be that nice!

We visited Black Point Settlement to locate “Lorraine’s.” We had previously made reservations at this restaurant for dinner and to view the Superbowl. We are expecting another blow for the next couple of days, but hopefully the weather will subside by Sunday to allow us to go to church and attend our dinner/Superbowl event. The place looks like it could seat about 20. There is one TV in the main room, but they said they had two. Maybe another one will show up before Sunday.

We also visited the ‘Garden of Eden.’ It is a garden of drift and other woods that resemble things in life. Willie arranges them and he gave us a personal tour. He also showed us the fruit trees and vegetables he is growing in old coral around his house. It was amazing to see how he could encourage food out of such a harsh environment. We saw healthy trees for almonds, sweet apples, mangos, avocados, bananas, limes, guava. He also had corn, sweet potatoes, pigeon beans. There were other plants new and foreign to me and I cannot recall the names. Willie has been growing this food for over ten years. His neighbors said only a fool would try it, but now they want his help to do the same.

Love to all,
Dena

Posted via wifi.
{GMST}24|06.134|N|076|24.088|W|Anchored|Black Point{GEND}