As I started to write this I asked Linda what was the date we went to the party given by the Watsons (owners of Indiantown Marina, FL) at the Chat ‘n Chill on Volleyball Beach, Stocking Island, Exuma, Bahamas. Holy Cow! We are starting to forget days and dates. We’ve already taken to looking at one of the battery clocks to remember which day of the month it is, but forgetting what happened when is new. Guess we’re really getting into the swing of retirement cruising. Anyway, since our last post, we’ve been hanging around Georgetown, anchoring between Volleyball Beach and Kidd (yes, the real deal) Cove at Georgetown. Took in a local music fest with some pretty bad bands, but good food (BBQ ribs, mac-n-cheese, and coleslaw for $10), Kalik beer ($3, usually $5), and a fair junkanoo: like Mardi Gras or the Philadelphia Mummers (see the pics); $20 to get in and $10 for the food: not bad for the Bahamas. I’ll bet Linda knows how the Bahamians make their mac-n-cheese, but let me tell you it is the best ever: almost crispy on the top and lightly moist thru-an’-thru.
Three Sundays ago, we hopped a SkyBahamas flight to Nassau connecting to Marsh Harbour ($148 each), taxied ($80) to the Green Turtle Cay ferry, and then on board to New Plymouth at Green Turtle Club ($22). We hung around the club after lunch to meet with Lee and Kathy Maidenberg (our dear friends whom we had cruised with annually since our Ionian adventure in 1998), Tony and Trixie DiDiminico (we’d met them 11 years ago here at G.T.), and Pat and Shirley (ya, ya, “Don’t call me Shirley”) Payne (Likewise 11 years ago plus a week’s cruise in St. Maartin). A week of food and drink debauchery coupled with sunning, beachcombing walks, and electric cart exploration. “A good time was had by all!” New Plymouth hails back to 1780’s when American Loyalists fled the brand new U.S. of A. for Canada and the Bahamas to set up a fishing, wrecking and sponging village. My “relies” also fled PA for Ontario, Canada to set up a grist mill. The trip back took all day having to layover at Nassau for four hours. It was great to dingy back across Elizabeth Harbour to the Second Pond at Stocking Island where we had left our home well tied to a mooring ball ($15/day) provided by the St. Francis Resort and Marina. They are somehow affiliated with the St. Francis catamaran of St. Francis Bay, South Africa. St. Francis is a cat similar to our Royal Cape in design and cost: both lovely and comfortable.
Jose and Bill left us this morning to head back N. They need to be in Indiantown, FL by the first week in May. Their friends Pierre and Diane left yesterday after 10 days of sun and fun aboard Caper and Kuhela. A delightful couple also from Canada whom we were sorry to see leave, too.
Chris Parker, our weather guru on the single side band radio (4045 MHz) at 0630 daily except Sunday, says we may be down to one more front in a week or so. So, it looks like we can take off for parts east and south: Conception, Rum Cay, Samana where Columbus may have first landed in 1492 (according to National Geographic), Mayaguana, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Winds are probably going to be out of the E and NE which are conducive for sailing most if not all of the way in this direction for the rest of the Spring and into Summer.
The way things stand we’ll probably start out on April 17, ‘though we could go on in the 16th even if it is bad luck (Christ was crucified on a Friday, don’t-cha-ya-know) to start a journey then. In actuality we are just continuing a journey that started in January however slow it is going so I ‘spect we’re ok. We’ve hooked up with two other boats, both sloops: Lapidus, Larry and Paula Waller; and Solar Eclipse, Doug and Marlene Ridgewell. We will be chasing another cat, Naughty Naughty, Alan and Patricia (?) whom we haven’t met except on the radio and a steel trawler Peking, Jerie and John Miici. We hope to catch up with them in Luperon, D.R. We would have gone with them except that we had to repair our jib using our Sailrite sewing machine which kept breaking needles on the very stiff and thick cotton strapping at the head, foot and clew. We ended up drilling needle holes and sewing through them by hand
Dingy dock at lake Victoria, Georgetown, Great Exuma Island, Bahamas
Linda’s B-day celebratory hat at Bollinger’s home on Green Turtle, Abacos, Bahamas
Junkanoo at Georgetown
New Providence, Green Turtle, Abacos, Bahamas from Pineapples
Party! Party! Party! At Pineapples: (L-R): Shirley Payne; Trixie (Shirley’s sister); Pat Payne; Kathy Maidenberg; Linda; Lee Maidenberg; and Tony (Trixie’s better half)
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