Comfortable in Man-O-War Cay

We have been bouncing back and forth between Marsh Harbour and Man-O-War Cay. It was a pleasant surprise to find that we just happened to be in MOW Cay for all the days of the missionary conference at New Life Bible Church. We heard from a number of individuals who reach out with the gospel and help the ‘least of these’ (Matthew 25:41-46). It was a great source of encouragement as well as good contacts. As we travel, we submit to service to God on a daily basis and have no idea how He might use us. Out of deference to those we encounter, we do not share their names or stories in our blog.
Lots of folks tell us we are having unusual spring weather in the Bahamas. They say April and May are normally mild and favorable. To the contrary, we have been experiencing strong winds, heavy rain or both. I think it has been raining for over a week now – something that might be expected in June. This weather has made route planning from here to St. Mary’s inlet very difficult. There have already been two named storms in the eastern Pacific and one named storm in the western Atlantic. We are currently waiting on a low that developed out of the Caribbean and should come over us tonight or tomorrow. It has a 60% chance of becoming a tropical storm. We had hoped to be in the northern Abacos by now, exploring new areas such as Crab Cay, Fox Town, Double Breasted and Walker Cays. Those plans have slipped away while we wait out this low. We know of many boats in the Abacos waiting for weather windows to go north, south and east – none of which look much fun right now. We are carefully watching and planning around weather.
We have found that it is easier to be patient waiting here in MOW Cay. There are a few reasons for that: Not only do we get good internet, it is protected and comfortable in here so we can dinghy to shore and get off the boat periodically. Also, we are on a mooring right next to Barb and Barry. This afternoon they had us over for Barb’s key lime pie. Some people excel in a specialty and Barb has key lime pie well covered. It is the best pie ever! Barb also taught me to make pine needle baskets.

Patience is easier to come by when I have fun craft projects keeping my hands busy – and it is a big plus when the project does not require juice from the batteries. Our solar panels are nice and clean from the rain, but cannot contribute if they do not see the sun. The Honda 2000 is quite handy except we must bring it in out of the rain. A rain cover for that faithful generator is another item for the project list while in the U.S.
Tonight we had a wonderful curry dinner with Brad and Sabrina aboard ‘Joint Venture,’ a Beneteau 39. We have crossed paths with them over the last few months and it was good to finally spend time with them. They are a young couple and we wish them the best. Among our discussion topics tonight was possible weather windows for sailing north as we had all hoped to get some time at Cumberland Island in early June. We would sure like to see some normal weather soon!
[Personal Note to Jonathan and Ellen on sailing vessel Cupcake: You folks were the only vessel we knew in route to Beaufort, NC when tropical storm Alberto formed along your path. You have been in our prayers. Please leave a comment to this blog to let us know your welfare. We can read comments but not respond, so please also provide your contact information.]
Love to all,
Dena