30 December 2014

Treasure Cay

On Christmas Eve we went to Hopetown Lodge for dinner. Robin had Lobster Thermidor and I Rack of Lamb, it was an excellent meal, well served with a view of the harbor. On Christmas Day we went to open air Mass under the Fig Tree in Hopetown. We opened gifts on the boat. 

On “Boxer’s Day” we went to the Hopetown Marina to hear a “Rake and Scrape” band. Rake and Scrape is a saw and washboard that are played to a reggae beat. A friend of ours had organized a Christmas Photo contest. He had all of the people in the bar do the judging. They must have had plenty to drink, my photo won! I won a Sand Dollar Christmas tree ornament and a gilded sand dollar redeemable for 1 million (sand) dollars at any (sand) bank in the Bahamas (sic).

We moved a couple of miles south of Hopetown and anchored off of White Sound. We dinghyed in to the Sea Spray Marina for a Junkanoo party and parade. Colorful costumes, lots of rum, a fun by all. We partied till midnight and found our way back to the boat.

We snorkeled the Parrot Cays in search of the elusive lobster, skunked again. I did spear a Yellow Tailed Snapper that looked large under water but shrunk by the time I got it back to the dink, funny what salt air did to it.

We sailed to the Fish Cays and tried lobster hunting again. Lots of beautiful fish, a large turtle, and lots of sea urchins but no lobster. Either they are good at hiding or we are bad at finding. We were told there were lobster there.

We sailed to Treasure Cay yesterday and met up with our friends Chad, Marsha, and their kids and also Peter and Steve on their boat “Grace”. The beach here is unbelievable soft sand almost the consistency of powder. The marina resort charges $10 dollars for all the water you want and $10 per night to anchor in the harbor. You can use all of their facilities, showers, beach toys, and pool. We washed the boat, filled our water tanks, then went to the beach.

We were worried about the availability of water, many people install water makers. We haven’t had a problem. We have learned to conserve, our 120 gallons lasts us almost a week. We have paid as much as $0.35 a gallon but usually $0.17 - $0.25 a gallon.

Our great dilemma for today is whether we go to Green Turtle for New Years and another Junkanoo party or back to Hopetown for New Years with fireworks, we’ll let you know!

The Winning Photo!

After Caroling

Under the Fig Tree after Mass

Rake and scrape, notice the saw and knife

Chad and Marsha

Sunrise at Fish Cay

Fish Cay

Junkanoo

Sunset

24 December 2014

Hopetown, Elbow Cay, Abaco

We wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!!! Particularity to my children and their families.

We left Marsh Harbor for Elbow Cay, we will have to return to Marsh Harbor when our mail arrives, we had it sent 4 weeks ago!

Bill is pretty good, when you ask what IITYWYBTHAD means the response is, “If I Tell You Would You Buy The House A Drink”.

We anchored off of Tahiti Beach, beautiful. We spent 2 days enjoying the beach, exploring, snorkeling, and fishing. We are seeing many sea turtles, starfish, and larger barracuda. The water is crystal clear aqua marine. We went to “Cracker P’s” on Lubber’s Quarter’s Cay for football, then to Chad and Masha’s boat “Free Spirit” for after dinner drinks and dessert. The next day to the picturesque town of Hopetown. 

Last night we joined about 150 other cruisers and towns people walking the streets of Hopetown Christmas caroling. A fun time was had by all, making stops at homes where shots of rum and eggnog were shared.

There is a light house here that was built in 1863 and is still in use. It is lit by kerosene and visitors are asked to carry cans of fuel up as they tour.

A typical day in the Abacos…

We find we are ready for bed around 7 pm (I know, it’s weird). We try to stay up till 8, we sleep until about 6:30, shortly after sunrise, and have coffee and listen to the “Cruiser’s Net”. The Cruiser’s Net, on VHF 68, starts with the weather report, then local happenings and arrivals and departures. Invitations are next and then “open mike” where cruiser’s can share needs, look for other cruiser’s and announcements such as birthdays etc. Applause is indicated by everyone keying their mikes, Robin giggles every time, funny! After breakfast we go about the day enjoying the weather and water or touring a town. The weather has been glorious.

75 -80 degrees during the day and 68-70 at night, good sleeping. Water temperature is around 74. Dinner out or on the boat, sundowners (cocktails) and conversation on someone’s boat, then back to the boat to read and bed.

We will spend the next few days in Hope Town. Tomorrow is Christmas and we will attend Mass under the “fig tree” around noon. One of our friends gave us a painted Sand Dollar Christmas ornament that will suffice as our “tree” and we will open gifts under it.

Again, a Very Merry Christmas to all…

At least 6 foot of water

The large dark spot is a sunken barge

Entering Hopetown

Hopetown Light house

Da Beach Bar having fun

Baltimore is only 882 miles as the crow flies

Hometown Fire Department

A ginger bread house

Christmas caroling thru town

Photo contest winner!

After Caroling

15 December 2014

Marsh Harbor, Abacos

We spent a couple of days at Man-O-War Cay, a very religious settlement with a thriving boat building business. It was settled during the American Revolutionary War by settlers from North Carolina who were loyal to England. You cannot buy liquor or cigarettes there but you may bring a bottle to a restaurant for dinner. By Bahamian standards this is a very clean and well kept town. The boat building business occupies most of the waterfront. They build mostly skiffs and center consoles from 18’ to 38’, but also the ferry boats that travel from island to island about 40’. Most food and souvenirs are expensive.

We sailed to Marsh Harbor, the hub of the Abacos. A large town with just about anything you need, a very large grocery, marine supplies, marinas, propane, etc. We are waiting for our mail we requested from our UPS box 3 weeks ago.

Our new toilet arrived the same day we got here, Friday. I received a notice from FedEx the package was at the local FedEx office. After we tied the boat, and cleaned up a few things we took a cab to the FedEx store. We got there at 1230 and the sign on the door said “Open 830-1200 Mon - Fri”, sugar… we’ll have to wait till Monday. As we were about to get back in the cab someone in another car told us the FedEx guy was coming back in 5 minutes for him. Good News! He did come back, we told him why we were there and he told us he had 2 packages for us. I had ordered the toilet and when I didn’t see a confirmation the next day I called West Marine International and was told the first order didn’t go through, they would order it again and ensure the first order was cancelled. Wrong. I had later gotten confirmation on both and that they were in transit. I called West Marine again, and was told they would catch the first one in Miami and have it returned. Wrong. Two heads in Marsh Harbor. Two charges. The FedEx guy tells us how we can return one and tells us we have to pay duty on one. We thought you didn’t have to pay duty on repair items but apparently only on propulsion or navigation items. Duty will be $170, plus $25 for FedEx to clear it for us. You pay 45% on the cost of the item and shipping. We are now at around $565 for a $200 toilet. What choice do we have? 

New manual head installed, wallet not as thick, butt is happy.

Our friend Kim from “Diesel Goose” has been here a few days and showed us around. We went to the grocery, had a propane bottle refilled, and did a little shopping. Bella had worms so we stopped at the Vet. She looked at Bella’s feces, gave Robin a pill and sent us on our way. No look at Bella, very few questions, $13. Not bad.

Sunday we watched the Ravens beat the Panthers, not many football fans here. After the game three guys were sitting at a nearby table, they appeared to be a father and two sons. Later the father played a mandolin, one son a guitar and the other a fiddle. They played lively celtic music. We believe they are Irish, and once they started playing they did not have to buy themselves drinks. I wish I could play.

Another acronym over the bar at “Snappa’s”, try this one Bill…

“IITYWYBTHAD”

Not many pictures today, the parts of Marsh harbor we’ve seen are not very picturesque.

Beach at Man-O-War Cay

Religious Community

Cotton plant

Cute Church

Beach at Man-O-War Cay

They build handsome Center Consoles here

Map of Marsh Harbor town

Diesel Goose in Marsh Harbor

The most expensive manual head ever!