February 22-26

The Canadian Olympic team lost!

Hearing that news, not getting into Green Turtle Cay last night does not seem so bad, but we have heard a lot about it and are anxious to give it another try. We took our time getting started in the morning as we wanted to make sure we arrived at high tide. It is so easy when the timing is right.

We called Donny’s Boat Rentals as we approached Black Sound and were lucky enough to get one of the last mooring balls. After getting tied up we went in to register and have a look around. At the small marina dock a friendly group of cruisers told us Donny had just gone into town. They didn’t know when he would be back, but not to worry.

New Plymouth was the original settlement on Green Turtle Cay and remains a thriving community to this day. It is about a ten minute walk from the boat to town and it is impossible to pass anyone or any vehicle without waving hello. The transportation of choice is the golf cart, which works well because the streets are narrow and the pace is relaxed.

After a first walk through town, we came back to the boat thinking ‘H’mm, that was interesting, but is that all there is?’ With each successive visit, though, it has become more engaging. We have talked to so many people who came for a week and have stayed much longer

These two characters were sitting outside the post office trying to get their juice boxes open. I stopped to ask how they were doing. No answer. I asked what they were drinking. With a sparkle in their eyes, both answered simultaneously, ‘Beer’. The ice was broken and they chatted away.

When we first came to the Bahamas I bought a Bahamian sling. This is a spear with a rubber band that you use to spear fish and lobster. All you have to do is find what you are looking for, get within two to three feet of it, impale it on the spear and get it into the dinghy. How hard can that be? I have taken the spear snorkeling with me often and actually saw a lobster once, but have had no luck catching anything. Matt, Donny’s assistant, is an excellent diver and often goes out for lobster. We were quite excited to get some from him, along with a complementary lesson in cleaning them.

Feb 12-21

We finally found that elusive window to leave Ocean Reef Yacht Club. As part of the final preparations, I thought that it would be a good idea to adjust the ting-em.

A precious few might know it by its other name – the stuffing box. Either way, it sounds a little ominous, doesn’t it? The ting-em is supposed to drip at approximately 3 to 5 drops per minute. The reason for the drip is to keep the prop shaft cool. If it heats up, it will score the shaft, and that apparently may be the least of one’s worries.

Since it hadn’t been looked at in three years, it really did seem a good idea, and I had time on my hands. There is a very fine line between three drops, no drops and a full-on pisser. I actually spent two days adjusting and readjusting the stuffing nut and lock nut and then running the engine to check that the ting-emit wasn’t getting too hot. In spite of dripping water it inevitably heated up.

Totally frustrated, I asked around about a reliable mechanic. After checking with Tom, our neighbour at Ocean Reef, I caught a bus to consult with Charleston. When he could free up a couple of minutes I began to explain the problem and he said, ‘You thought you’d adjust it, didn’t you?’ I had the distinct impression that my reputation had preceded me. In the end he reassured me that as long as it was dripping it must not be too hot and would be ok. After yet another readjustment we were ready to go.

We got a very early start Friday morning and it was a gorgeous day. After an hour, I checked the ting-em and it was pretty warm again. With telephone assistance from Tom, we were able to get in touch with Charleston and make arrangements to take the boat into his yard and have him look at it. After some discussion, he said he could haul the boat and fix it like I wanted, but wouldn’t be able to get at it until tomorrow. We thought that would be ok and asked what it would cost. He said he would have to do some figuring but somewhere around $1500. Ouch.

‘Do you think we should be really worried about it?’

‘No. Like I told you, if it’s dripping and not smoking, you’ll be just fine.’

At some point I need to learn – If it ain’t broke; don’t try to fix it.

We were back on the water by 10:30 and pulled into the marina at West End later in the afternoon. The Bahamas Wahoo fishing tournament was taking place and boats were just coming back to the marina to weigh-in. Wahoo are great sport fish and fantastic eating. We are not likely to catch one from the sailboat though, as you need to troll at depth of 200 to 600 feet at a speed of 17 knots per hour. But the fishing was really good with the largest for the day coming in at 102 pounds.

Tides

Saturday morning was a gorgeous calm morning but we had to wait at the dock until 9:30 am in order to ensure enough water through Indian Cay cut and onto the banks. Once through the cut the wind died completely and we had an eerily beautiful ride to Great Sale Cay. Through much of the day it was almost impossible to distinguish water from sky.

We got an early start Sunday morning, another wonderfully calm morning, and headed for Crab Cay. We made very good time and began to think we might make it all the way to Green Turtle Cay. In an ideal world, we would anchor in Black Sound and find a spot at the bar where we could watch the Canada/US hockey game. We passed by Crab Cay and then, perhaps against the admiral’s better judgment, Manjack Cay and approached the entrance to the sound at Green Turtle. It carries four feet at mean low water and we were not yet at low tide. As we inched our way forward, first Corinne turned her back on the depth sounder, and shortly after I too gave up. We turned around and headed back to Manjack, a delightful spot to spend the night.

February 11, 2010

Do you recognize this sailboat?. It is the ultra high-tech and ridiculously expensive BMWO, the American representative participating in the America's Cup in Valencia, Spain. And for those of you who may not know, the America's Cup is a 'big deal'. The winner receives the oldest active trophy in international sport.

I was reading a newspaper article today, as we sit contentedly at Ocean Reef, about the scheduled races between Switzerland, the current holder of the cup, and the United States. The first race of their three-race series, scheduled for Monday, was cancelled because of light winds. The second race, scheduled for Wednesday, was cancelled because of too much wind and apparently Friday's race has also been cancelled because the waves will be too large.

So I'm thinking, Bummer! That pretty much describes the sailing for Gorma as well.

To put another spin on it, we were on the bus into Freeport yesterday. In the lull in conversation following the discussion of the Super Bowl I asked the driver, 'So where is all that warm Bahamian weather?'

He replied, 'Ya know, mon, sometimes that good weather just slips away for a few days.'

Isn't that the truth.

We have been keeping very busy though. This is a great place to do some varnishing, make a start on the windlass installation and tend to a couple of little projects that were past due. We have made our regular walks along the beach into Lucaya and not missed any 'authentic Bahamian' Monday suppers or Thursday night movies.

Last week we stopped in at a groundhog day happy hour at one of the condos along the beach and were soon welcomed by a wonderful couple from Toronto. When they found out we were from Winnipeg, they said, 'Would you like to meet another couple from Winnipeg.'

They introduced us to Tom and Wendy, who, as it turns out, have a cabin right across the lake at Hecla. We have shared a few Kaliks with them as well as a couple of dinners. It never ceases to amaze how small the world can be.

This is one of the websites where we check the weather, as well as listening to Chris on the radio.

http://www.windfinder.com/forecast/freeport_grand_bahama

Right now it is saying that on Friday night/Saturday morning the winds will be 26 to 34 knots. Much like BMWO , it may be a few days before we are sailing either.

Oh yes, that is Corinne who fancies a spot in next year's Junkanoo.

January 15

Corinne and I went into Freeport this evening to watch Junior Junkanoo. We weren’t sure what to expect, but were absolutely ‘blown away’ by the whole evening.

Junior Junkanoo is a parade/performance/extravaganza involving almost all of the schools on Grand Bahama Island. There were 17 participating schools, from pre-primary to high school.

Students make their own costumes according to a selected theme and, in many cases, have their own band. The costumes are spectacular and the music is stunning. Instruments include drums, cowbells, whistles and, with the older kids, a brass section. It is hard to imagine the enthusiasm and skill with which these are played.

We were at the parade by 6:15 and had a curbside seat. While it was scheduled to start at 6:30, it was more like ten to seven before the first group passed by. They were so cute and very much into the dancing and performing. Every so often one of the youngest would head off in their own direction, dancing along completely oblivious to everything else. At this point one of the many adult aides would scurry off and gently lead the performer back to the parade.

There was a ten minute or so pause before the next group came by and that seemed to be rather typical of the whole evening. However, each group would take five to ten minutes to pass by, and so you really had a chance to appreciate each school. While at first this seemed a little disorganized, by the end it seemed a brilliant way to have a parade.

This last picture shows the growing crowds as the evening progressed. It seemed like there were only a few parents at first, but by the end of the evening we had no trouble believing the ten to fifteen thousand reported by the newspaper. Not bad for a school concert!

We were curious about the historical background of Junkanoo and looked it up on Wikipedia. The following is from that source.

The word "Junkanoo" derived from an African slave master and trader named "John Canoe" in the 17th century. These slaves were not allowed much freedom and would hide in the bushes when they had the chance. While in the bushes they would dance and make music while covered in costumes that they made from various paints that they made and leaves that they found. This festival represented the slave's freedom from slavery.

Modern Bahamian Junkanoo is a parade: a showcase for Bahamian Goombay music and new Junkanoo costumes. Junkanoo groups "rush" from midnight until shortly after dawn, to the music of cowbells, goat- skin drums and various horns, in costumes made from cardboard covered in tiny shreds of colourful crepe paper … It is the most visible and continually experimental artistic realm of Bahamian culture.

January 8-15

Kristi and Brett arrived Friday afternoon and we were very excited. Corinne and I were having a hard time deciding what to show them first. After getting settled in back at the boat, we opted for a walk down the beach to Port Lucaya for an early supper.

The next few days were rather cool and rainy. As such, they were great for reading and relaxing, a couple of refreshing walks on the beach, and Christmas presents.

We rented a car for a couple of days mid-week. On the first day we headed to West End. It was both interesting to get a sense of the other communities on the island, and an adventure, as apparently in Canada we drive on the wrong side of the road.

The next day we headed east to the Lucayan National Park. Along the way we pulled off the main road and headed down a small trail to a deserted beach. The tide was low and the beach was absolutely spectacular.

After hiking through the caves at the park and walking along the boardwalk to the beach, we headed back to Lucaya for a late lunch. We stopped at Garden of the Groves. If a restaurant is all about location, then it is very hard to top this one. The Garden of the Groves was the personal garden and retreat of Wallace Grove, the founder of Freeport.

On Thursday we were invited aboard Exhale, a catamaran owned by John and Joanne, a wonderful couple we have met at Ocean Reef. We motored down to Petersen Cay, about ten miles away, and anchored for a couple of hours for lunch, snorkeling and checking out the beach on the cay.

How quickly a week passes, though. All too quickly it is time to see the kids off and think about where we are headed next .

December 31 – January 7

New Years Eve.

We planned with fellow cruisers to go to Bikini Bottom, a neat little bar on the beach, for dinner and then to Count Basie Square in Port Lucaya to ring in the New Year.

And who knew Count Basie was Bahamian?

It was a beautiful evening and we watched a gorgeous sunset as walked along the beach to the bar. After a couple of beverages we had a great dinner of pulled pork, peas and rice, mac and cheese and coleslaw. A great band plays at Bikini Bottom every Saturday night, and they were a highlight this evening as well. Their playlist includes a number of rather cheeky songs, including the ever-popular Who Put the Pepper in my Vaseline.

Just before 11:00 pm we flagged down a taxi into Port Lucaya and caught the last part of the stage show. The packed square was charged with excitement and while the Michael Jackson impersonator may have left a little to the imagination, there was a terrific fireworks show at midnight. We then headed back to the boat, celebrating the fact that this was the first time we had been up this late in quite some time.

Since New Years the weather has been rather cool. This just means, among other things, that it is good weather for fishing. John and I headed out a couple of times, and much to my surprise, were rather successful. We caught ten or twelve fish the first time out and five or six the next time. The peculiar thing about this is we basically had no idea what we had caught as there were at least eight different varieties. When we returned home each day, we would get the fish identification books and the underwater chart, a couple of Kaliks and try to figure out what we had. Along with the help of passers-by we determined that we had some porgies, a red hind, a couple of angelfish, some grunts and …

The other highlight of the week was finding the perfect spot on the beach to watch the 49er World Championships. These sailboats are absolute hot rods and the racing was very exciting in brisk winds. As the boats round the mark, which you may be able to see in the picture, there were occasions when one would tip, causing all sorts of commotion. It was not uncommon to see a crewmember catapulted at least ten feet through the air. Definitely a younger man’s boat, although Corinne likes to tell that I sailed a Sunfish in much the same way when we were first dating.

December 21-30

We passed a Bahamian fellow the other day in a neighbouring resort setting up a table with souvenirs to sell and he says ‘Hey mon, how you doin?’

We replied, ‘Terrific. How are you doing?’

He said, ‘Great, it’s the Bahamas, mon!’

And it really has been a lot of fun. We have been walking the beach almost every day, doing some snorkeling and exploring, and generally beginning to find our way around. Our walks often take us to Port Lucaya for our three Kaliks, and the other day I introduced myself to my second most favorite pirate.

Christmas Eve was a bit of a sad time – we really missed being with family and friends. Christmas day was a beautiful day, though, and we were up pretty early for a long walk on the beach. Christmas dinner was a pot-luck around the pool, not 50 feet from our boat, with 45 to 50 people attending. After dinner we had a monstrous gift exchange. I had at least five different gifts pass through my hands and ended up with a rope puzzle that has no directions. I wonder how our family would feel about the possibility of stealing presents after they have been opened.

We always say that we meet so many interesting people cruising. Seated at our dinner table were Chas and Kat, a couple who travel around the world presenting seminars based on dolphin therapy, and Sara, a retired bobby, who is currently refurbishing a sailboat she bought on Ebay.

Buses seem always to be a source of stories. The other day we were returning from Port Lucaya after visiting friends who had just crossed from Florida. The buses quit running ‘about’ sunset, which it was, so we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to catch one back to Ocean Reef. We wandered over to the bus stop, where another group was also waiting. They were in conversation with Gynger, spelled with a ‘y’, who promptly came over to introduce himself. He was a Bahamian fellow who assured us that a bus would be along shortly, and if not, he would have to go and steal one. Two more groups gathered at the bus stop, and Gynger introduced himself to everyone once again, as if for the first time.

Just when everyone was wondering if there would be another bus, one pulled into the bus stop. Buses are vans, often Toyotas, and twelve of us were more than happy to squeeze into this van with Gynger. Just as we were all settled into our seats, Gynger burst into a raucous stream-of-consciousness Christmas carol for the entire, thankfully short, ride home.

As we neared our stop I said, ‘Gynger, I’ve heard a lot of Christmas carols this past week, and I can’t say that I remember anything like that.’ He replied, ‘Merry Christmas, mon, and began humming.’

Do you recognize this boat? Apparently the second and third sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean were made on Grand Bahama Island. Ghost is, we believe, one of the pirate ships in those movies. It is moored in one of the canals just a short distance from the marina where we stayed when clearing customs.

The Bahamas have two or three national dishes, but my advice is to skip the first two and hold out for a conch salad, and on a really good day, a side of conch fritters. Today was a really good day!