July 7, 2009
Tuesday
HAPPY BIRTHDAY….KEVIN, TRISHA, JESSICA,MICHAEL AND TOM!!!!!!!!!!! You all have July Birthdays…and did not want to forget any of you.
July 8, 2009
Wednesday
Back in the heat
Upper 90’s
We made it back safely last evening with no problems at all. We were carrying a ton of extra weight back with us, but only Jet Blue charged us for overage…gotta love the Bahamas. We were at least 70 lbs. overweight and we were sent thru free and clear by Bahamas Air. I unpacked 2 of our 4 bags, but it was so hot that was all I could bare. The Regatta is going on thru 7/11 and Snappas was having a party. We headed over for a bite to eat and to enjoy the music. We are directly across from Snappas, so needless to say we continued to enjoy the music, or not, when we returned to Sea Fox. It was a relatively early night as much was to be done. Today we turned on the AC and completed the mission…we had no choice. Somehow dampness accumulated in the aft cabin closet creating a wonderful smell and adhesion of mold on some of our clothes and shoes…augh! With everything emptied we bleached and cleaned…it was great fun! At the very least the closet was cleaned and reorganized. While I was in a cleaning mode, I also reorganized Barry’s drawers to a more efficient system for him. The remaining bags were emptied. While Barry finished putting away our US boat purchases (there were tons) I headed over to get raked over the coals buy using the marina washing machines….mo money, mo money, mo money. By mid day the heat was bearing down on us once more. We spent the afternoon reading as there was not much else we could do outside in the heat. At 4:00 there was a power outage. A very common thing here as we have learned. By 7:00 the electricity returned and since the AC was running again we replaced the broken windlass. It was a fairly simple feat as Barry had done this just 3 years ago, so it was just a repeat of what he already knew. In an hour that was completed and now it was almost dark. R & R for the rest of the evening and another early to bed night…at least for me. Much more to be done tomorrow with the gas spring in the winch arm needing to be replaced and the water maker needing repairs. Barry commandeered Manis to wash and wax the boat while we are in the marina…also very much needed and something we have been putting off due to the scorching weather. A trip to the market and liquor store is needed also. Tomorrow will be a busy day. Love to all.
July 9, 2009
Thursday
90* at 8:00
It is going to be another hot one!
Manius arrived at 9:30 to clean the boat. He brought no supplies! OMG, this should be good. Barry asked what he would be using, and he asked for a rag. Rut ro! Barry offered all his own cleaning supplies to be sure the job would be done right. Anal man negotiated a very fair price for the job ($350) and you can rest assured he will get his money-worth, and I guess we will be babysitting Manius to be sure. With the air running in the cabin it keeps us dry and cool. Quite the treat from when we are anchored with no AC available, unless we run the generator of course but that is not a noisy happening. A brief shower sent Manius away. We are growing wary as only the transom has been waxed and it is almost 2 PM. We spent a good part of the day in the coolness of the cabin and at mid afternoon we headed to the market via taxi. It was way to hot to walk. We made our purchases (one was cereal that took forever to decide upon as Barry needed to read the ingredients on way too many boxes…OMG) both at the market and liquor store and headed back. Manius reappeared by then and in the next couple of hours he managed to wax a small portion of the port side of the boat….this is going to take a while! While I roasted a chicken for dinner we floated in the pool to cool down. We are going to miss the pool and the AC, but floating in the ocean will be just as wonderful, and getting back to snorkeling will be amazing. We are so looking for the girls to arrive on Monday and we talked about how to spoil them while they are here today. It is going to be great fun and quite the adventure for them. It will be like no other vacation they have ever had. One bad note from the day…we realized the ice maker died. Augh….and just when we thought we were ahead of the game, someone comes along and kicks us in the butt! Barry thinks it is truly dead….but I can only hope McGyver will prevail and repair it. I also hope Manius returns early tomorrow and finishes the waxing so we can move out to the harbor again. Another day is done….love to you all.
July 10, 2009
Friday
90* again…no surprises here
Manius arrived at 10:30! Wondering if this job will ever be done. I know slow is their way but this is becoming ridiculous. We still need to work on the water maker to see if it will function without touching it…that would be a great thing. The winch arm needs the gas spring replaced, still, but that will have to wait until later in the day when it cools down. Somehow I pulled a muscle in my upper back yesterday….hurts so much even to breathe. The pain needs to leave me…NOW! Maybe a Bloody Mary will help? Well, there was no Bloody Mary to be had. Barry chose to take apart the ice maker to see what ailed it…after much anguish he found that the component that makes the ice drop is broken. He tried and tried, to no avail, to fix it. We need another. There is a marine store here in Marsh Harbor and hopefully they will have one. Otherwise, he will have to order one and when I return home in September I will pick it up there. Whatever! In between assisting him with that project I soaked in the pool and used the jets to ease the pulling in my back…quite successfully. I feel much better. Manius departed around noon when a big time squall came thru and never appeared again…OMG…I am no so sorry Barry hired him for the job. It is now Friday, Independence Day for the Bahamas, so everything is closed for the day. Maybe that is why Manius is MIA…who knows. We need to fix the winch tomorrow so we can contemplate a day that we can leave here. I so hope all is fixed/repaired/whatever by the time the girls arrive so it will be a pleasure to cruise. To top everything else off we have a daily power outage at the marina. It usually happens in the evening…as it is happening now….and lasts for 2-3 hours. The cabin should be heating up quite nicely soon…I am done for the day….miss you all.
July 11, 2009
Saturday
Yep, yep, yep…hot, hot, hot
It is 10:00 and no Manius…are we surprised? No, not at all. So much to be done today. We need to wash the boat, go to the market and liquor store to provision for the girl’s arrival, replace the gas spring in the winch arm and hopefully get back out into the harbor so the blood letting of being in the marina can end. The water maker has given us a reprieve as it is making 12 gallons an hour…pretty good. Gotta go and get moving…see ya!
July 12, 2009
Sunday
Again, 90* at 9:00
We had a grueling, but satisfying, day yesterday. Manius never showed up, but we did see him cleaning a catamaran across the way…bastit! We washed the boat, vacuumed, did the marketing and most of the liquor store run. Barry examined the winch arm project and concluded that it will not be as easy to fix as he had hoped. We will wait for the girls to come so they can assist in helping me hold up the arm while he changes the spring…it is so freaking heavy as I well know from past wiring repairs. The plants were fed and placed in the dinghy for their ride out to the harbor tomorrow. Amazingly, they look better than when we left them to go home. They love being out in the sun and enjoy the almost daily rain showers and I get a break from watering them. Price Rite was jammed…perhaps they were giving stuff away…but we managed to get in and out pretty quickly. Bristol Liquors was not open and Barry is convinced they are a bit cheaper for some booze and they do have certain brands that he prefers…that will have to wait until Monday. I prefer A & K as they have the Lamouthe Parrot that I desire, and by the case it is less than $5 a bottle. Definitely my choice of poison…it is the best. There is usually an automatic 10% discount on anything you buy, and yesterday we were pleased to get 3 free cans of Coke with each bottle of rum purchased in addition to the discount. It turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous day with a wonderful breeze and no rain. Today we will change the generator oil, exchange some books at the marina and head to the dive shop for weight belts that we still have not been able to purchase. Crap has accumulated on the bottom of the boat that needs to be cleaned off and the weight belt will help MacGyver in that task. Most tasks were completed by noon and we sadly left the marina and AC behind around 2:30, shy of $894 which was our tab for 18 days. We were also shy $170 that Barry paid Manius for what Barry figured was ½ the waxing job…and I am really not happy about that. A lesson learned and will be more careful next time. It is lovely in the harbor and still catching that wonderful breeze, but we are missing the hubbub of the marina and the friends we have made while there. All good things must come to an end. But, we are both so very excited as tomorrow brings the girls to us…cannot wait…love to all!
July 13, 2009
Monday
90’s
Sunny and hot
1449 engine hours
Tahiti Beach
HAPPY JULY BIRTHDAY TO JUDY AND JENN
I am so sorry I forgot to add you to the July list…my apologies! Well, MacGyver is not a happy camper today. The satellite TV died yesterday and this is such a bad, bad thing. It has the same symptoms as when we were in Marathon, FL, and he did replace the fuse but it blew again. Getting a technician here will probably be impossible. I always keep good thoughts that he can make the necessary repairs. He is just so able and I am sure he will prevail, and of course he did! Moving on… he repaired the weather station and plotted a course for today’s fun. We plan to take the girls to Tahiti Beach today. It is a short run, but somewhere we can swim and cool off as it is very hot as usual. They arrived without a hitch at 1:30. After scooping them up at the marina we headed to Tahiti Beach. What a gorgeous day…great sun and a wonderful breeze. Barry and the girls snorkeled around the boat for a while and then the girls floated on the rafts until I finally had to drag them in out of the sun…enough for the first day even slathered in sunscreen. We had bought Mahi Mahi for dinner…delish on the grill. The girls were falling asleep around 9:30 and finally succumbed. There is a great sand bar not to far from the boat and Michelle and Donna want to hunt for sand dollars. They did find some urchens around the boat, but there will be many more to be had in other spots we will visits. Afterwards we will head to Sandy Cay where the snorkeling is magnificent and I am sure they will enjoy that immensely. Day one done of 9 more great ones to come! Love to all.
July 14, 2009
Tuesday
90’s
Sunny and hot, still
1450 engine hours
Sandy Cay and Little Harbour
Happy Anniversary Pam and Tom!
We were up and off and running to Sandy Cay…once the tide came up. First we dinghied over to the sand bar during low tide so the girls could go shelling…not much to be had, but the beach was gorgeous and there were a few trees that had fallen over and created a sort of tent on the beach…it was quite amazing as it provided shelter from the sun…so cool. Someone even built a fire pit and a bench seat under the trees fronds. Sandy Cay
was only an eight mile run. Once there the girls were very excited to hit the reef for snorkeling. I now wish I had bought snorkel gear for Michelle so we all could be in the water…we just weren’t thinking. Maybe we will find some during our travels. Michelle brought dog food to feed the fish and it was great how it attracted the fish to them. They said the snorkeling was amazing. I could hear each of them yelling their finds as they were swimming around. When they headed back to the dinghy there was a 3 foot fish that resembled a shark swimming around nearby. It attached itself by his head to the bottom of the dinghy. We later looked him up in the fish book to find that he is a sharksucker. He also has no teeth and was perfectly harmless. They mount themselves to the bottom of sharks with their sucker and feed on debris left by the shark they are attached to. Once Barry opened the bag of dog food…now drenched…he appeared out from under the boat and grabbed the bag right out of his hand. For reasons unknown Michelle started feeling nauseous (perhaps it was the beer and margarita prior to snorkeling…there will be no more of that!) and that ended the adventure. We even had to move on once back at the boat because the rocking of the boat was not helping her to feel better. So, we moved to the most southern point of Abaco being Little Harbour and home of the turtles. Donna managed to get some great pics. We had cocktails and apps at Pete’s Pub and then dinner on Sea Fox. It was another great day…even considering Michelle’s mishap.
July 15, 2009
Wednesday
1453 engine hours
Hot, hot, hot
Little Harbour
Barry and his two princesses headed to the reef. I remained behind to seek shelter from the sun…I got way too much yesterday, even with an umbrella. Their trip was very eventful as all of them were stung by jellies. Now, these jellies were all around yesterday and Michelle thought she was stung but we brushed it off as something else because these jellies are not suppose to sting. Donna said there was a wall of them. This is going to put a damper on snorkeling if they continue to be around. We saw none at all when we were here a couple of months ago. Barry thinks their presence may be due to the increasing warmth of the water…now at 88 degrees…it is like bath water. We are going to move north today and start our way back up hitting as many interesting spots in our quest to spoil the girls…It is so wonderful having them with us. After snorkeling we decided to move on to Hope Town and hopefully catch a breeze. It was so hot in Little Harbour. As we traveled a most amazing appeared…an entire school of dolphins! I was making lunch and Barry called down to me to put the windlass on. He stopped the boat and anchored right there where they were swimming and jumping around the boat. He and the girls geared up and jumped out to join them. It was a glorious sight and Donna actually got to swim with the dolphins…her dream! We arrived at Hope Town around 3:00 and the girls and I headed to town so they could explore. I love it here. It is the next best thing to a New England town. Little gingerbread houses all along the two roads with a few shops
and restaurants mixed in. It is such a delightful spot. I think I could live here. The girls grabbed some souvenirs and we made a quick stop at the liquor store and then enjoyed a margarita from the Wine Bar. We sipped these potent concoctions as we headed to the fish market and “super” market for a few provisions. Back at the boat the girls swam, Barry continued his reading and I prepared the yummy grouper we selected for dinner. We watched “So You Think You Can Dance (Barry is such a sport!) and that ended our wonderful day. Love to all!
July 16, 2009
Thursday
Hope Town
Water Temp..90*
So freaking hot
The Lodge has a pool bar overlooking the beach and that is our intention for the day. We have been told there is also a reef right off the beach that we can swim to for snorkeling. I bought Michelle snorkel gear yesterday and she tried it but she said the view from the mask was extremely distorted…Augh! It will have to go back along with the Bahamian flag I purchased to replace the battered one on Sea Fox. Barry thinks it is too big. So, the girls and I headed to town to make the returns and also to check out Hope Town Harbour Lodge. The Lodge was amazingly gorgeous. Donna has decided this is her choice for a wedding venue. Now she just needs the guy! It really is a beautiful place with vine covered arbors, a gazebo with Adirondack chairs, pool and bar overlooking the water, all surrounded by small villas. Simply beautiful. I left the girls at the bar and headed back to scoop up Barry as he remained on the boat to seek shade. There is plenty of shade here and the breeze from the ocean is better than being on the boat. We had a wonderful afternoon here. I only wish we brought the snorkel gear, but it was back on the boat and we were having a good enough time drinking and eating apps…very delicious food! Back at Sea Fox the girls and Barry swam and floated. Barry found 2 huge star fish that he brought onto the boat for pictures. Dinner and a game of cards ended another wonderful day in paradise.
July 17, 2009
Friday
1455 engine hours
Water temp 88*
Great Guana Cay
We headed out early this morning and headed for our next destination…Great Guana Cay and home of Nippers. Nippers is a hot spot in the Bahamas and a stop off for many cruisers. We were a bit disappointed as the pool bar was closed and seems as though it has been closed for quite some time. But, the 2 pools were still open and we cooled off in them after the 10 minute scorching hot walk to the other side of the island to get there.
We had a couple of drinks while gasping at the squall that came through. We left the boat open and could be certain to return to much destruction from the rain…it was pouring. The menu there did not impress us so once the rain stopped we decided to survey the damage on Sea Fox and then return to Grabbers, another bar/grill on the water. We also could view Sea Fox from this restaurant and get back quickly in case of another squall. We were very surprised to see that the rain fall must have been somewhat minimal where Sea Fox was anchored because the most damage was in the girl’s cabin and just stripping the bed and putting the bedding out to dry was an easy fix. We cleaned things up and headed over to Grabbers. We indulged in decadent sandwiches…something we ordinarily would not do….and they were soooo good. More drinks, and bobbing in the pool was delightful. We also played a couple games of Bocce…the girls beat Barry and me each time. The rain did seem to bring down the temp a bit and once the sun set the air was bareable. Great, great day…lots of fun. Love to all.
July 18, 2009
Saturday
Hot and Sunny
Great Guana Cay
We spent most of the day rocking and rolling on the boat. The wind has picked up a bit and that is good for comfort, although the girls are not used to the movement. Finally at 3:00 we headed back to Grabbers for the use of their pool to cool off. I had planned black chicken and polenta for dinner, but once the drinking commenced the girls did not want to leave and we opted for dinner at Grabbers. We met a transplant local, Mike, (Horse Mike as he is known by the natives) and chatted with him for a while in the pool. He has been living here on and off for the past 9 years and also has a business in the states buying and selling horses…hence Horse Mike. I scooted back to the boat to pick up Barry and the evening continued by the pool when we met Michelle and Jacques, Canadians here on vacation. Michelle could not swim to save her life…I tried to teach her but she kept sinking. Maybe it was too much booze! They ended up joining us for dinner, but Michelle was so drunk by the time the food came they left before eating so he could get her back to their rental boat. She was so bad they left before paying the bill and promised to meet up with us in the morning to settle up with us. I can only hope he keeps his promise. I know where they live! Their boat is just behind us. What a horrific rain storm at 1:30 AM…the girls got up and closed up the boat like true mates! I love having them here. Another great day and evening in paradise.
July 19, 2009
Sunday
Sunshine galore!
1458 Engine hours
Water Temp 90*
Man O War Cay
Prior to leaving Great Guana, Jacques showed up to pay for dinner….Michelle was doing fine, drinking black coffee to get herself up to speed for the day….they have only 1 day left of vacation and then back to reality for them. We left Guana and enjoyed a short ride to Man O War. The entrance to the Cay was so pretty and the girls sat in awe of the sight. The harbor is very narrow and the mooring balls tucked in very close together. There is no anchorage area here so a ball it had to be. We snagged one and settled in. We called Water Way to rent a golf cart as we wanted to explore the island. They were closed, as it is Sunday, but the owner offered to open up for us. As I said, they are very kind and generous people. At 4:00 we picked up the cart and were on our way. This settlement is simply beautiful. Everyone’s homes and yards are meticulously manicured. There are only 2 main roads, Queens Hgwy and Bay St., thru the island with other shorter crossroads the width of the island and mainly occupied with homes. The roads are so narrow barely 2 carts can pass side by side. Every home is set way back off the street and a pathway leads to the home. They are all totally tree/bush covered resembling English gardens. The flora is magnificent with flowering bushes everywhere. As we cruised we came upon a home that was for sale so decided to explore. It is called Coconut Grove Cottage. The dirt driveway to get to the house had to be at least ½ mile long and was also tree covered creating the most splendid arbor along the entire driveway. Once down the drive we came upon the most adorable cottage with a wrap around porch. The yard was a mass of palm trees stretching to the sky…only to lead to the most magnificent view of the Atlantic. Wow! What a home. We left there to move on to the other side of the island. We met a pretty good size hermit crab walking the road on our way back…most of the roads are just dirt. The only cemented areas are pretty much in the center of town on the harbor front. We stopped along the road and joined others cooling off in the Sea of Abaco…crystal clear, clean, refreshing water. It was, oh, so nice. We jumped in with our clothes on as we had not expected to go swimming…whatever…anything goes….we are on an adventure. My attempts to finally get everyone out of the water…much to their dismay…lead to a very late dinner. The stove is now acting up. If both burners are used a fire starts under the burners…ah, just a bit more fun to attend to. Another bad storm during the night got us out of bed at midnight and again around 2 to close up and make sure everything was secure. Seems to be a pattern forming here.
July 20, 2009
Monday
Cooler today…84*
Man O War Cay
We were up early and thought we would attempt the winch arm repair, but Barry first needed to make a call to Pat, the winch guy, for some words of wisdom. The girls and I took off to souvenir shop and hit the market. Joe’s was a tourist trap filled with delightful items, many of which we had not seen anywhere else. We all chose our items and made our purchases. Another smaller shop around the corner had nothing of interest to us so we moved on to Albury’s Market. This island is so impressive as it truly shows pride of ownership. The market was clean (some are not), well stocked and we were able to buy everything we had set our sights on. After dropping off our goods we scooped up Barry and headed out to snorkel. We were disappointed. Not a very good reef…actually not a reef at all. A local told us where we needed to go at high tide, but in Sea Fox this would not be a happening due to shallow water even at high tide. It also is too long of a dinghy ride from where we are moored so that is not a happening either. It really did not matter. We were enjoying swimming in the beautiful Atlantic….Michelle was happy, happy. She is always happy, happy…as long as she can see her feet. The water here was even clearer than the Sea of Abaco with a white sand sea floor…ahh….so very, very nice. We took a ride to see if we could find another snorkeling spot…to no avail. It was only 2:00 and we had the cart until 4:00 so we headed back to the same spot as yesterday and floated for an hour until a black cloud descended upon us. We stopped at Albury’s again to pick up a few more items and the heavens opened. We took cover as best we could until the rain let up enough for us to return the cart and return to the boat. Yummy turkey burgers with homemade rolls that we had bought from a local selling her home baked goods from her golf cart earlier this morning. The rain persisted throughout the early evening, sad but true, soaking everything hanging to dry on the bow. The generator was turned on and the soaking wet clothes and towels where spun in the washer and thrown into the dryer..sometime you just gotta do it. The day was great…just great!
July 21, 2009
Tuesday
Man O War to Marsh Harbour
Rainy
$379 for diesel fuel – 100 gal
We were up early and headed out by 9:00 so we could get back to Marsh before the wind picked up. It was a dismal day and it on and off all day. The girls and I headed to “town.” Marsh Harbour lacks a great deal when it comes to shopping and the girls were certainly disappointed until we hit Monkey’s Uncle. It is a great little gift shop and they were able to snag a couple of items. I bought Michelle a plaque for the front door that says “Welcome To My Jungle” with 3 monkeys on it…very appropriate for her zoo. We stopped at Snappas for apps and a drink and then headed back to the boat. We pretty much hung around the rest of the day….it was pretty lousy outside. After dinner we thought we would go over to Curly Tails for happy hour, but they are closed on Tuesdays as we soon found out. We ended up at Snappas again hoping to find some entertainment, but to no avail. We were told there would be a band tomorrow night. We had a twit for a waitress who chose not to serve us after the first drink as we did not order food. So, we went to the bar and got our own. When things died down for her “food-wise tables” she appeared at our table wanting to wait on us…bye, bye…I don’t think so. Donna grabbed more conch shells to clean and bring home. Then, home again we headed. It turned out to be a pretty early night…we had a list planned for tomorrow.
July 22, 2009
Wednesday
Marsh Harbour
So, so day
The sun was trying so hard to appear and finally did. Today was Michelle and Donna’s last day to howl. Tomorrow is not going to be fun at all when they have to depart. We let a shower pass and then took a dinghy ride to Mermaid’s Reef where Barry and the girls had a wonderful time snorkeling. They saw many different species and the fish were actually following them around. They evidently are used to being fed, but unfortunately we did not know that or we would have brought them food. We had a great lunch (the girls and Barry, evidently, claimed I was trying to starve them all week) of every left over in the fridge and a satisfying salad. Huh, trying to starve them….they all know where the food is! Mates 2 and 3 sunned on the bow in between cleaning their conch shells and Barry and I read for a good part of the afternoon. Curly Tails was open today so we headed over for cocktails and a really delish pizza. From there we headed to Mangoes, but were not impressed by the menu, so off to Snappas again. These 3 restaurants are about it for Marsh. Barry and I had had lunch/dinner at Snappas in the past and knew it would be good. And, we were not disappointed….all of our dinners were scrumptious. Disappointed again, though, as the entertainment did not show up due to the weather….incredible….it is always a crap shoot. After Snappas we suited up and headed over to Harbour View Marina and took a dip in the pool. Because of all the rain, the water was actually cold and the girls were not liking it! Hey, you never know…and you have to deal with what is handed to you. Tonight it was chilly water. D-day tomorrow….augh!!!! Love to all
July 23, 2009
Thursday
Hot and sunny
1459 Engine hours
Marsh Harbour to Guana Cay
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I am so proud of my daughter the nurse, house caretaker and zoo keeper! She is26 today..where does the time go! All good things must come to an end. They did not wan to leave, but more so I not wan them to go. Teary eyes and achy heart all day for me. I miss them so. I am certain they will return for another visit. Once the girls departed Barry and I did laundry, went to the market and headed back to Guana Cay. Barefoot Man is in concert tomorrow and Saturday at Nippers. We needed to get a spot in the harbor as we are sure it will be crowded. For those of you unaware of who Barefoot Man is…he is somewhat like Jimmy Buffet and will certainly draw a crowd. I think our best bet is to go to Nippers tomorrow and leave Saturday to all the maniacs. Tomorrow’s crowd will be bad enough…and I am getting too old for this! But, he is a favorite of Barry’s (and now Donna) so onward to the concert! At Guana the sun was streaming so Barry and I took a snorkel over to a very, very small reef. It was more like rocks in the water with a few fish swimming around, but we did see some beautiful angel fish and others that we had not seen ever before. A couple of showers ensued, but that was fine as it helped to cool things off. Another day done…so long from paradise.
July 24, 2009
Friday
Hot again, 90 @ 8:00
Great Guana Cay
Today is Barefoot Man day. We listened to the cruiser’s net and heard several people saying they were on their way over, including a dive boat full of people….all heading for the concert. I am glad we came over yesterday. The harbor, very surprisingly, has only about 6 other boats either anchored or moored here. We could not believe it. I can only imagine the stream of boats that will be joining us, or trying to anyway, as the morning goes on. Fisher’s Harbour is not that big so I am sure many will be anchored in the Sea of Abaco. I am relieved we have our spot. I want to head to Nippers late morning to avoid the droves of people that will also be going there for the 12:30 concert. Should be fun, but I don’t know how much of the crowd I am going to be able to handle. We shall see. I only wish we had known about this so the girls could have arranged their stay differently. So unfortunate that they had to leave the day before this craziness is hppening. As the morning went along and we readied ourselves to hit the road a really nasty squall came thru. It lasted a good half hour consisting of thunder that made me jump, lightening that was sometimes scary and rain by the bucketsful. We heard on the VHF that the concert was being delayed. Once we arrived the crowds were pouring in. We managed a couple of seats on the railing and watched the show. There were people here that obviously had been here for a while…they were now dancing on the tables…what a riot. Barefoot Man put on a great concert and we had a great afternoon. It was also great not to be sitting in the blistering sun as there was a cloud cover all day…no complaints here. Not wanting to eat there we headed for Grabbers, our favorite, and indulged ourselves with a Caesar salad with fish and a pizza…salad good…pizza so so. Fun day!
July 25, 2009
Saturday
Gloomy with rain
81*
Another shower came thru…no sun today until 4:00. No problem as we both did not mind hanging and reading….great book: Dan Brown’s Deception Point! A must read. We had bought some veggies from Milo yesterday and he did not have change so we took a walk up to pay him what we owed and took a walk to find Pinder’s Market. MapTech, you lied again…no Pinders Market…I really wish they would update their charts. Our clock in the saloon must be running out of battery power. We thought it was 4:00, but was actually 6:00 and everything was closed. Still, no worries! Tomorrow is another day….love to all!
July 26, 2009
Sunday
Sun and clouds
Upper 80’s
Barry headed over late morning to pay Milo and notice quite the hub bub going on at Grabbers. Lots of people and a band setting up. Around 2:00 we decided to head over and see what all the commotion was about. The place was packed and Brown Tips Band, a rake and scrape band, was playing. They were more like a Karaoke band, but they were playing what everyone wanted to hear and they were quite entertaining. Barry spotted a black gentleman that we have seen around since we were at the Harbour View Marina. As gay as the day is long and quite the dancer. He had his normal entourage of women with him and they were dancing away having a wonderful time…I have to ask this guy his name! Some of his moves were quite suggestive and was asked by the owner to tone things down, and he obliged. I was having a great time watching him and snagged several photos. I am not sure if he is a native or a vacationer, although every time we see him he seems to be on vacation. Too much! We had a couple of drinks and a wonderful lobster nacho app. After a brief dip in the pool…with the crowd….we headed back to the boat to continue with our reading…we are obsessed!
July 27, 2009
Monday
Sunny in the morning
84*
We headed over to Guana Harbour Grocery…we were very low on provisions. It was a well stocked store with everything we were in need of and the prices were actually somewhat reasonable…with the usual exceptions that were just put back on the shelf. There was even a very large can of escargot (very tempting) for about $10, but we knew we would not be able to consume all of them by ourselves so they went back on the shelf. Maybe next time we are there we will pick them up and save them for when we have company again. When we got back to the boat the seas were still rocking and rolling and probably not a good time to do boat bottom cleaning. It is amazing how much fuzzy stuff and barnacles have accumulated already. The skies were dark and threatening all afternoon and the air cooled off to 79* around 4:00. We have not seen low temps like that for a long time and we both were in T-shirts and actually had hot soup for lunch to warm up. We have been told by natives that the rain is a good thing as it keeps the temps down and deters hurricanes, and we are all for that to be sure! Since I have had so much time to read I wiped out another book today…Lisa Tucker’s, The Cure for Modern Life…another page turner and one that I would recommend. It is nearing 5:00 now and still dark and threatening skies, but still no rain. Another wonderful day in the neighborhood. Love to all.
July 28, 2009
Tuesday
Cloudy, again
We did have rain last evening, but not much to speak of…just a pitter patter shower…it was a good thing and cooled things off. We read a good part of the morning…another book completed by the day’s end. Robert Parker’s, Stone Cold…very good. After lunch I needed “off the boat time” and a walk. We headed to Milo’s and picked up some veggies. We took our books to Grabbers and hung by the pool to read. Luckily, we had closed up the boat as for the mere 2 hours we were there rain ensued…over and over again. First, just a shower…then a downpour. The breeze was wonderful and the temp could have been no more than 80*. It was a welcome relief from the sun. Great dinner on the boat and more R&R in front of the TV for the rest of the evening.
July 29, 2009
Wednesday
90*
Water temp 84*
Hot again today…back to the norm. When we awoke this morning we were very sad to find Basil had fallen overboard during an early morning rain storm with winds of up to 28 kts. We were very distressed (don’t laugh!) as we have nurtured her from bad to good for the past 8 months. She was so healthy at this point we could not believe it. Barry donned his snorkel gear and search around the boat to no avail. We don’t know if she possible bobbed around before sinking, which meant that she could have ended up just about anywhere in the bay. We put an APB out on cruiser’s net (Yes, I did…don’t laugh!!!) that if anyone were to find her while snorkeling to please return her to us. Then, we hit the dinghy and slowly cruised around the bay with the hopes of spotting her on the bottom. I will not give up on any plant until it is a stick with absolutely no hopes of recovery. Most of you know that! The bay was very choppy and it was difficult to see the bottom. Another thing we had against us is that most of the bottom of the bay is grassy and Basil is in a green pot…so hard to spot. I will choose vibrant-colored pots in the future. Our search will continue by snorkeling more once the chop calms down. She has to be down there somewhere. We read more today…not much more to do, but we are not complaining as it is so relaxing. I should start…Paula and Barry’s Book Club, like Oprah! Stewart Woods, Reckless Abandon was great…fast moving! We headed to town at 2:00 so I could mail a letter to United Health to appeal a charge from an office visit. Even in paradise there are issues that need to be tended to. The post office is open Mon and Wed 1-3:30 and Fri 1-3. I want that job! Just sit in an air conditioned office till someone comes in with something should! We have seen many others changing and washing the filters and reusing to mail or pick up…not bad. It was very hot today, but the breeze made it seem cooler and very comfortable. The water maker, again, has decided to act up. I think it just wants Barry’s attention. I am sure he will prevail. We changed filters again yesterday and today it is running like a charm. Perhaps it did not like the recycled filters, but if them….why not us? Even the manufacturer says it is a doable thing. Barry still thinks the pressure pumps need replacing, and he is probably right. Basil is still MIA and we are so distraught. It was still too rough to snorkel today and search more. Perhaps tomorrow will bring less chop on the bay and we can continue our search and rescue. By now she is probably so salt water laden that there will be no hope for her, but Barry, more than I, is determined to find her remains. Ciao from Guana…love to all!
July 30, 2009
Thursday
86* at 8:30 AM
1460 Engine hours
Great Guana to Treasure Cay
I peck at the keys…the captain sleeps. Barry wants to move on today, but not until our continued search for Basil. He is determined to find her, but the wind and chop are substantial again this morning. It will not be an easy feat! We are having thoughts of moving to Treasure Cay or Green Turtle Cay. Treasure has a parrot sanctuary and that would be lots of fun, although we have been told not much else to do there and we will certainly miss Grabbers, the pool, and easy access to all our amenities. We will have to discuss this more when he gets his butt out of bed. Very unusual for him to sleep in. I had a great time speaking with Pam, Danielle and Jon on Face Book last night…it was a freebee and managed to get caught up on stuff at home. So, when the captain rose from his bed we headed out in search of Basil, snorkeling a good 2-3 hundred yards around the boat, fruitlessly. She was gone for good. Sad, but true. Marsh Harbour has a nursery and perhaps we can replace her, but I doubt it. At 12:30 we decided to leave this delightful 7 miles of land and move on to Treasure Cay. It is a short 10 mile run and about an hour away cruising at about 10 kts. The entrance to the harbor was actually marked; something we hardly ever see down here. Treasure Cay boasts one of the best 10 beaches in the world, according to National Geographic. Three and half miles of white sand beach, and within walking distance of the marina. As we entered the harbor we came upon and old friend, Randall, and his vessel, William. We met Randall in Vero Beach as we were making our way down the coast and he turned us on to some very good information including the purchase of the soda maker that Barry received as a gift from my kids at Christmas. The soda maker has been a God send and we use it every day. He also suggested a broker for boat insurance whom Barry ended up purchasing from. Two great suggestions…thank you Randall! The beauty of this Cay is probably one of the better we have seen. Very upscale condos surround the marina, that we found later to be packed with tourists. We took a ride in the dinghy to explore the settlement. Several turtles in the harbor greeted us! It is more like being in Florida with cement walls lining the channel and homes that are all well maintained. We headed over to Treasure Cay Marina to check in as a sign on our way in advised. $10 a day to anchor in the harbor and the use of the marina facilities…showers, pool, trash bins, etc. The usual stuff offered to guests. It should be free….but whatever. We have never been charged to anchor anywhere, and only one other place was there a dockage fee for the dinghy. The Typsy Seagull is a huge bar and grill with Thursday night being pizza night. The barmaid headed us in the right direction for the market and other shops. The strip mall was not even a 5 minute walk from the marina and everything one might need is all located here. Well stocked grocery store, liquor store, cart rentals, and even a deli. Back at Tyspy Seagull we met up with Randall and his friend, Billy, for dinner…pizza all around. Pre-made pizza shells covered in your heart’s desire. Not Barry’s pizza, but still good, especially since I did not have to cook it or clean up afterwards. It was amazing to me to see the bar and dining area fill up with hundreds of visitors…wow, I can’t imagine where they all came from, but they evidently emerged from all the condos and villas around the marina. Another Karaoke type duo entertained us for the evening. Great night!
July 31, 2009
Friday
Sunny 84*
Treasure Cay is truly a treasure. Being so hot we stayed at the boat a good part of the day to stay out of the sun. I had gone thru the Treasure Cay Marina’s website and found that the beach, only a 5 minute walk from the marina, had tiki huts on the beach along with a beach bar and grill. At 3:00 we finally headed over figuring it would be a good time of day to go. The beach is all they described, and more. Tiki huts, umbrellas, lounge chairs, and of course that fabulous white sand. Gorgeous beach. We settled in with our books and enjoyed the wonderful breeze off the ocean. It was grand, until we had to head out and hit the market for provisions. The market is only open until 6:00 so we had to boogy. I went to the market and sent Barry to the bar, as the sun was screaming down at us and this would not make him a happy camper. I picked up what we needed for pasta, meatballs and sausage…I was craving Italian. At 7:00 the temp dropped to 84* and a welcomed relief of 90*+ earlier. It is R & R after dinner…no party for us this evening. You can go to www.treasurecay.com for a gander of what we are now experiencing…worth the look! Bye for now!
August 1, 2009
Saturday
Hot and Sunny
Treasure Cay
Love it here. Today is opening day for lobster, and we are yearning. Did laundry early this morning and met Eric and Donna…the owners. Wonderful people. We got to talking and I inquired about fish and how to acquire some! Eric offered to take me to Treasure Cay Seafood…he is part owner with a friend. So as my clothes did their thing Eric drove me in his car…certainly not a walk. It was a good 3 miles from the laundry area nearby the marina. His freezer was stocked with grouper and lobster tails…or as they refer to it…crawfish. I scooped up some of each and we headed back. When we returned Donna had folded all my laundry, packed it up and it was waiting for me! I called Barry for a pick up after my very eventful morning. I love meeting the locals, and they love having us by showing their appreciation often. Barry wanted nothing to do with the beach, so I packed a small bag and headed over on my own. Absolutely gorgeous day in paradise!
