From Solitaire
| |
From Solitaire |
|
About OKC Sail and Power Squadron OKC Member Information Boating Classes OKC USPS Calendar Safety Desk! Suggested Readings & References Recent Past Events The OKCSPS conducts the Public Boating &
Boat Smart (condensed) Courses several times each year.
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the latest! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S/V Solitaire Bahamas Bulletin Number 21 Abacos Marsh Harbor, Great Abaco Island Departed: Lynyard Cay, Abacos on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 09:32 Arrived: Marsh Harbor, Abacos on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 13:37 Time: 4 hours 05 minutes Distance: 21.4 nautical miles Weather: 25 kts. directly on our nose; making 4-1/2 nm under full power It feels as though we have come full circle. As we pulled into Marsh Harbor, we motored by Madcap and Sapphire – both Bayfield Sailboats – one Canadian, the other U.S. We first encountered these two vessels, along with Strathspey, on the Chesapeake Bay last fall and have been playing leap frog ever since. Gradually as we traveled the intracoastal and wound our way through the Islands of the Bahamas, we have all become fast friends. It seemed so fitting to be with them once again as our trip draws to an end. We splurged on a Marina slip for only the third time in six months. It was such a treat to get a great night’s sleep (without any anchor worries), to scrub down the boat from bow to stern, to stand in the shower as long as we pleased and to catch up with all “heavy laundry” – bedding, towels, etc. After happy hour on Solitaire with the crews from Madcap and Sapphire, we were joined by Restless (a Valiant that we’d also met on the Intracoastal last fall). The eight of us went to dinner at “Snappas”, followed by after dinner drinks and some out-of-tune singing back on Solitaire. What a fun night! Someone told us that we’d appreciate the Abacos more if we visited them before, rather than after, seeing the rest of the Bahamas. The advice makes sense now that we’ve seen Marsh Harbor. If we were coming here directly from Florida, the town would strike us as charming and very “Bahamian”, but after having been in the outer Islands for six months, it felt like we’d arrived back in the States at some small town in Florida during spring break. There are lots of tourists, lots of gift shops and lots of high-priced restaurants. There are also some of the best-stocked stores in the entire Bahamas. I spent over an hour wandering up and down the aisles of the supermarket – eyes full of as much wonder as a kid on Christmas morning. I returned to the boat with a treat-filled backpack. I couldn’t believe the bargain prices at the liquor store - $4.50 per bottle for French wine, less than $7 for Bacardi Rum – and they delivered my purchases to the boat for free. Our last stop was a small Seafood store, where they had just finished filleting the dolphin (Mahi-Mahi) caught that morning. You can’t talk about Marsh Harbor, without mentioning the Abaco Cruisers’ Net on VHF Channel 68 at 8:15 – 9:00 every morning. From Patti Toler’s weather report (her husband, “Barometer Bob” passed away two years ago) to community announcements and open mike – it is extremely well-run. It takes a little juggling to fit in Chris Parker’s weather, the Abaco Net, the Cruiseheimers Net, checking for emails on the SSB and eating breakfast into our mornings. On Sunday, we took off walking toward Marsh Harbor Marina where our Oklahoma friends Hugh and Myona lived on their sailboat Kachina several years ago. We had a list of people and places to look up; everywhere we went, people remembered Kachina and asked us to say hello. We couldn’t help but notice how much development is going on; Florida-style villas and mini-mansions everywhere you look. There is such a stark contrast between the “haves” and the “have-nots” – houses worth millions in one part of town and shacks in another. What was missing for us was the warm, spontaneous love and acceptance that we felt in the Exumas; the waves, smiles and horn honks we’d get everywhere we went on Long Island; and the sincere hospitality that was extended to us in Eleuthera. In Marsh Harbor, we saw more frowns than smiles from the people we met; we heard hello only if we said it first; and even the children didn’t meet our eyes as they walked by. It was the only place we’d been, other than Nassau, where it was suggested we lock up our dinghy at night because of theft. Somehow I think that it probably wasn’t always like this but now it is on the verge of being a paradise lost. Great Guana Cay Departed: Marsh Harbor, Great Abaco Island on Monday, April 28, 2008 at 09:49 Arrived: Fisher Bay, Great Guana Cay on Monday, April 28, 2008 at 12:30 Time: 2 hours 41 minutes Distance: 9.9 nautical miles Speaking of paradise lost, Great Guana Cay is the fastest developing Island in the Bahamas. In just over a decade, the population has grown ten-fold. The beautiful shoreline is filling up with new homes. On the north end of the Island, a resort, golf course and condominium complex that was stalled in the courts for years – is once again under construction. Rumor has it that Oprah Winfrey has invested. The opponents point out that fertilization required for keeping a golf course lush and green will spell the death toll for the pristine reefs that surround Great Guana. The ocean-side of the cay still boasts one of the most beautiful beaches in the world – seven miles of pure white sand. It’s great for sunbathing and picnicking, snorkeling on the near-shore reefs, and walking barefoot in the surf. After our leisurely stroll, we stopped in at Nippers for a Kalik. Departed: Fisher Bay, Great Guana Cay on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 09:14 Arrived: Baker’s Bay, Great Guana Cay on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 10:28 Time: 1 hour 14 minutes Distance: 3 nautical miles We’ve temporarily retired our CQR anchor and are getting a pretty good hold in the grassy sand using our large Fortress anchor. I’ve gotten pretty good at diving down and giving the anchor an extra little push as Jim backs down at the helm – seems to work well. One of our biggest concerns about the Abacos was the reputed poor holding at anchorages – but we haven’t dragged anchor once. In between and during some rain squalls, we dinghied over to Spoil Bank Cay (aka “Shell Island”) for beachcombing. The beaches are so loaded with tiny shells that you can hardly walk for fear of breaking some beautiful find. We’ve read two good Bahama-themed books this week, Sidney Poitier’s “The Measure of a Man” where he talks about growing up on Cat Island and how it influenced his life; and “Out-Island Doctor” by Evans W. Cottman, which provides wonderful insights into life in the Bahamas fifty years ago and makes us want to turn around and head for the Crooked Island right now instead of waiting until next year. Green Turtle Cay Departed: Baker’s Bay, Great Guana Cay on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 12:31 Arrived: New Plymouth, Green Turtle Cay on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 14:58 Time: 2 hours 27 minutes Distance: 12.2 nautical miles Via: “The Whale” If your boat draws more than 3-4 feet, there is only one way to get from Great Guana to Green Turtle and points north and that is through the Whale Cay Channel or simply, “The Whale”. All of the guide books warn you that The Whale is the “most difficult and dangerous passage in the Abacos.” Reading stuff like that always makes us apprehensive. We’d been watching the weather and knew that if we didn’t make it through the channel today, we’d probably have to stay put for several days. From our anchorage at Baker’s Bay, we watched one sailboat go through and got a captain’s report that the waves weren’t “too bad” so we decided to go for it. During the first portion of the passage, we had 3-4 foot swells, gentle rolling from side-to-side and with a pod of dolphins riding our bow wave. As we rounded Whale Cay, the swells got as high as 6 feet, some of the rolls reached 20-30 degrees, and the cats retreated to their cubby holes. The worst of it lasted only a few minutes and then we were in calmer waters again. Just like the boat in front of us reported, it wasn’t too bad. We were looking forward to visiting Green Turtle Cay (GTC) ever since we got the email from Laurie Baker telling us about the Island Roots Heritage Festival. There were so many memorable events during the two-day festival that I’ll only give the highlights: An intricate Maypole dance performed by local girls; a Junkanoo parade; Rake and Scrape bands; fire-dancing; pirate and royalty re-enactors roaming through the crowds; dozens of food, beverage and craft booths; lectures on Bahama History and ecology; The Royal Bahamas Police Force Marching and Pop Bands; and meeting the Prime Minister of the Bahamas. We couldn’t believe it when the PM drove up in his own golf cart from the ferry dock and wandered through the crowds greeting people and shaking hands. Later, with some type of frozen concoction in hand, the PM was appointed ambassador to the Conch Republic by a delegation from Key West, Florida and blew a conch horn. There are strong ties between Key West and Green Turtle Cay. When a blight destroyed the sponges in the 1930s, several families disassembled their homes in New Plymouth, GTC and moved to Key West, settling in the area now known as the Bahamanian Village. New Plymouth is a great little town – narrow, well-kept streets, lined with buildings from the 1800s. On Green Turtle, you are back in the Family Islands – friendly people who greet you on the street with big smiles and go out of their way to make you feel at home. The sandwiches served at the Liquor Store’s lunch counter, the home cooking at Harvey’s grill, and the Goombay Smash at Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar are not to be missed. After church services today, we’re heading toward some uninhabited Islands in the Northern Abacos – Manjack, Allans-Pensacola, Moraine and possibly, Double-breasted – for a couple more weeks of snorkeling and beachcombing before we head back across the gulfstream to the U.S. We’ll most likely be out of internet or telephone range until we reach Florida, but we’ll be back in touch then. Nancy and Jim Aadland (and the boat cats, Tippy and Blazey) Email: WB0RVX@winlink.org (W-B-Zero-R-V-X) Website: www.nancyjim.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S/V Solitaire Bahamas Bulletin Number 20 St. George's Cay to the Abacos Current Cut to St. George's Cay Departed: Mutton Fish Point, Eleuthera on Sunday, April 20, 2008 at 08:03 Arrived: Spanish Wells, St. George's Cay on Sunday, April 20, 2008 at 13:25 Time: 5 hours 22 minutes Distance: 22.8 nautical miles (1,768 nm Trip to date) Weather: Light-moderate breeze; lazy 3-4 knot sail Spanish Wells is very different from anyplace else we've seen in the Bahamas. It is more like a small town in the Midwest. There is a downtown area, neighborhoods of well-kept homes with yards and flower gardens, a large fleet of well-maintained fishing boats, and no tourism. The other major distinction is that while most of the Bahamian Islands have very diverse populations, most residents on St. George's Cay are direct descendants of the Eleutherian Adventurers, are related to each other and are white. No Loyalists, slaves or freed blacks settled in Spanish Wells - although many blacks live across a small bay in Nor't Luthra (North Eleuthera) and take the government ferry to and from work each day. Some Eleutherians have purchased homes in Spanish Wells, but for many the high property values make ownership prohibitive. There are more unusual aspects to life in Spanish Wells - residents speak with a very distinctive accent that has changed little in the last 300 years, the sale of alcohol in stores and restaurants is banned (and there are no "private clubs" like there are in Texas - although the liquor store at the Government dock across does a booming business), most young people do not attend school beyond the mandatory age of 16 and they tend to marry young. A girl in her mid twenties is considered an "old maid". The primarily livelihood of Spanish Wellsians used to be farming; but since the middle of the last century, it has been fishing - crawfish are their big cash "crop". Lobster traps are prohibited; the fisherman dive for their catch. The harbor is filled with boats - most owned by co-ops of 4-8 working partners - when a partner becomes too old to work, they pay a young man 50% of their earnings to work for them. A 16 year-old can earn as much as $40,000 in two weeks. We met a couple from Rhode Island who own a home near the harbor in Spanish Wells and welcome cruisers to join them for sundowners at "Done Reach". The name of their home is another way of saying "We've arrived" in Bahamian slang. Their summer home is a Grand Banks trawler, "Amadon Light". Jean and Tom provide a wealth of local knowledge, a friendly place to drop-in and a great book exchange. The back of their boat card explains that the Amadon Light is what the Gaelic call the green flash. We are still waiting to see our first flash. St. George's Cay to the Abacos Departed: Spanish Wells, St. George's Cay on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 06:55 Arrived: Lynyard Cay, Abacos on Tuesday April 22, 2008 at 15:45 Time: 8 hours 50 minutes Distance: 52.3 nautical miles (1,831 nm Trip to date) Weather: Almost glassy seas; very gentle swell I would have liked to stay at least one more day so we could take a side-trip to Harbor Island ("Briland" in slang) - either by fast ferry or our own boat with a local pilot leading us through the devils backbone reef at northern tip of Eleuthera. However, when we listened to Chris Parker's weather forecast on Monday, we decided that our best chance for a calm passage across the Northeast Providence channel to the Abacos was on Tuesday. We had two choices - backtrack toward the Current Cut and go through Egg Island channel (recommended, but 20 extra miles) or tackle Ridley Head (not recommended). We asked around the docks and everyone told us not to attempt it ourselves. At the seafood market, they put us in contact with "Ole Pot" who must be at least 90. He arrived at our boat the following morning at sunrise in his skiff. We handed over $40 and he said three sentences: (1) turn to channel 14 on your VHF radio; (2) follow directly behind me and (3) give me everything you got. We pushed the throttle forward as far as it would go, followed in "Ole Pot's wake" and did our best to ignore the huge coral heads that were just beneath the surface of the sapphire blue water on either side of our boat. In twenty minutes, we were in safely deep, dark water - over 12,000 feet. It was amazing. The rest of the day can best be described as "boring". We motored along on glassy seas for almost nine hours. Even the cats were blasé - sleeping with bellies up on the cabin sole. We have been trying our darnedest to keep an open mind about the Abacos - we have many friends who love it and just as many who've tried to convince us we'll hate it. I do feel as though I've entered another dimension - we spent six months hearing the same boat names on the radio every day - all of a sudden no one sounds familiar. We dropped our anchor three times at Lynyard Cay - finally grabbing a tenuous hold in a small patch of sand among the sea grass. Jim from Madcap appeared like a guardian angel - dived on our anchor and pushed it just a little further into the sand, and then gave us a ride over to his boat for a wonderful evening with him and Beth. Madcap moved on this morning - we used the day to settle in - do chores - bake cookies - and read books. I finished the "Kite Runner" in one sitting. It is an engrossing and thought-provoking novel loaned to us by Christy and Bill. I may have said this before, but it feels like everything is happening in double-time as we near the end of our trip. We're already starting to talk about next year and where our adventures will take us. Nancy and Jim Aadland (and the boat cats, Tippy and Blazey) Email: WB0RVX@winlink.org (W-B-Zero-R-V-X) Website: www.nancyjim.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We departed Warderick Wells, Exuma Land and Sea Park on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 06:52 and arrived in Rock Sound Eleuthera at 13:44 covering a distance of 44 miles. Sailing was good but the 6 foot swells caused feline sea sickness. Eleuthera was named after the Greek word for freedom, eleuthros, by a group of settlers from England and Bermuda in 1649. The settlers, who called themselves the Eleutherian Adventurers, were shipwrecked off the north coast of the island and took refuge in a large cave. Other settlers in Eleuthera over the years included Loyalists from the U.S. revolutionary period, emancipated slaves, a group of shipwrecked Scotsmen and even a band of Native Americans exiled from the U.S. The only peoples without descendants here are the original Lucayans, who were wiped out by the Spanish. The history of the Island intrigued us. The Bahamas cruising community is small enough that we almost always spot someone we know when we pull into a new harbor. Today was no exception. As we set our anchor, we spotted Far Niente, Veranda and Hearts Desire. Of course, by the time we leave a harbor, we've made new friends. I've kept a list of the boat crews we've met on this trip and it now numbers over 100 boats. Everyone exchanges "boat cards" with names, addresses, websites and pictures. We couldn't wait to start exploring the Island, which is 110 miles long and only 2 miles wide. The crews from five boats got together and rented two cars for a caravan tour of Eleuthera. Sue from Nice n' Easy has been coming here for 20 years and acted as our tour guide. We went north to Preachers Cave where the Eleutherian Adventurers took refuge after their shipwreck over 300 years ago. In the U.S., the site would be a National Park with admission fees and cordoned off areas. In the Bahamas, there is only a small sign at the end of a trail and you are free to wander, climb and explore with no restrictions. We stopped at the Glass Window - a rock formation where the Bight of Eleuthera and the Atlantic Ocean almost meet. The natural stone bridge has been replaced with a man-made bridge that periodically gets washed away by rogue waves (along with any unlucky sightseers who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time). We bought fresh pineapples in Gregory Town and tried to find the small distillery that made pineapple rum (unfortunately no longer in business). We did, however, buy several bottles of the Ole Nassau Pineapple rum, which is made with fruit grown on Eleuthera and makes a very tasty aperitif. Dinnertime found us at Papa George's Pizza Parlor in Tarpum Bay. George is a novelist, poet, screen writer and great cook. He makes his pizzas from scratch when you place your order and cooks them in a regular kitchen oven, but they rival anything you can get Stateside. We love Rock Sound. If you search hard enough, you can find anything you need - there is a supermarket, hardware and auto parts store, liquor store, bank, "department store" (more on that later), and several good restaurants. Some prices are high (cat food is a dollar a can); while others are low (rum is $8 for a 40 oz. bottle). The restaurants are so reasonably priced; you could hardly afford not to eat out. (At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it). We had three favorite places. The locals all eat at Sammy's - where you can get a sandwich for $4, hot lunch for $8 and an honest-to-goodness banana split for dessert. Apple Hole Meat Market grills the best jerk chicken I've ever tasted - a crowd forms outside at lunchtime waiting for their takeout orders - and serves such large portions that we had enough chicken for two lunches and one dinner. We had two memorable dinners at the Nort'side Beach, a small restaurant run by Rose, with help from her son, Ashley. There are several things that set Nort'side apart from other restaurants we've been to. They pick you up at the dinghy dock in Rock Sound. You are greeted in the little bar that has a floor of raked-sand by Teddy (a golden lab) and Joey (a white cat). The restaurant is perched on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and you can descend a wooden stairway to do some beachcombing before dinner. From a kitchen that is not much larger than my galley, Rose served delicious grouper, chicken or cracked conch dinners to a group of 26 cruisers, including five people who showed up without reservations. When we weren't eating, we enjoyed strolling around the little settlement. There was always something to see or do. There really isn't much of a downtown, just little shops that are scattered randomly among the houses - with names like "In da Hole" (a men's shop), "Step in Style" (shoe store), and "Butta Cutz" (a hair salon). One ambitious man opened a department store, two rooms in a somewhat ramshackle house - the shelves were crammed from floor to ceiling with just about anything you could think of from appliances to clothes - not in any particular order. A couple blocks from the harbor, we found Ocean Hole Park with a blue hole that the locals say has no bottom. The water was so full of hungry-looking fish that I declined my usual swim. We helped ourselves to ripe tamarinds from a tree in the park and snacked on some fresh sapodilla fruit offered to us by a young man on a bike. On Sunday morning Jim put on long pants (first time in six months), I put on a dress and hat and we dinghied in for services at the Methodist Church. There was visiting minister from England so the service was a combination of British and Island music - we far preferred the hand-clapping, drum-beating Bahama-style hymns ourselves. The minister was skilled at story-telling and had everyone's rapt attention during his sermon. We were all in a great mood for the rest of the day. As a cold front approached the Bahamas, the harbor started to fill with boats. Jim counted eighteen one evening. One of the boaters organized a get-together in the gazebo of a closed-down restaurant. It was another fun evening of meeting new people and renewing old friendships. We've been playing leap-frog with Jim and Beth on Madcap since we left the Chesapeake last October. The four of us rented a car the day after the get-together to do more exploring. We found a pristine pink sand beach near Governor's Harbor then headed down to the southernmost tip of Eleuthera where we found another beautiful beach and a deserted lighthouse. Beth said that this whole trip has made her feel like she's a kid again. I think she's hit the nail on the head. Nancy and Jim S/V Solitaire -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Nancy Aadland [mailto:nancy@nancyjim.org] Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2008 12:46 PM Subject: Bahamas Bulletin 18 Crossroads S/V Solitaire Bahamas Bulletin Number 18 Crossroads Exuma Land and Sea Park Departed: Big Majors Spot, Exumas on Friday, March 28, 2008 at 10:00 Arrived: Warderick Wells, Exuma Land and Sea Park on Friday, March 28, 2008 at 13:19 Time: 3 hours 19 minutes Distance: 19.4 nautical miles (1652.5 nm Trip to date – over 3,000 miles since retirement) Weather: Light breeze and calm seas; motored It felt good to round Narrow Water Cay heading into Exuma Land and Sea Park and hear Judy’s voice over the radio telling us to proceed past the red and green channel markers, keep the mooring balls to starboard, and stay in the “deeper, darker water”. This time of year, the mooring fields are usually full, but we weren’t too worried about finding a spot. As contributors to the Bahama National Trust, we are on a priority list for moorings. The only things that seem to have changed since we were here at Christmas are the names of the boats in the mooring field. We reported to the ranger station every morning to volunteer our services. On any given day, you never know what you’ll be doing. Over the past week or so, Jim helped tear apart a patrol boat that had been damaged and sunk, restored some shelving, cleaned and serviced tools and drilled holes in a steel plate for the parks’ generator. I had garbage detail (burning trash and hauling broken glass containers out 6 miles in a skiff for burial at sea), made a new back rest and cargo straps for one of the kayaks, sewed some covers for equipment, and other odd jobs. Nothing glamorous – but its work that needs doing and it helps to support the park. We’d get back to our boat in the late afternoon hot, dirty and exhausted – but feeling a nice sense of accomplishment. We weren’t too tired though to join the Saturday night crowd on the beach for happy hour. It was one of the most enjoyable get-togethers that we’ve attended so far; with the one we attended here last night in a close second place. In the process of meeting other cruisers, we discover time and time again what a small world we live in. Last weekend, we started chatting with Christy and Bill on S/V Veranda and found out they are close friends with two people we know at Herrington Harbor. This weekend, the same thing happened with Valerie and Graham on S/V Bonnie Lass – we share a friendship with a couple of former cruisers who are now in Las Vegas. Talking about the Pacific Northwest with yet another couple last night, we found out that Al from Our L’il Chickadee worked at Pender Island, BC and has met my brother Robert. Small world. Yesterday, we said “enough” to volunteering; we packed up our water bottles and a snack, donned our sturdy shoes and hiked all the way around the Island. It is a rugged, strenuous hike that took us nearly all day. There are flora and fauna in the park that are found in very few other places in the Bahamas – Tropicbirds, Hutia and Rock Iguanas. Today we are catching up with boat chores and getting Solitaire ready for sea. I baked bread, made some corn tortillas, and took two lobsters out of the freezer for dinner. Fishing season for the spiny lobster (or crawfish as they are called here) ended on March 31 – fortunately we stocked up. The end of March has brought some other changes to the Bahamas, turning the islands into a crossroads for cruisers and forcing decisions; some cruisers have headed toward the Southeastern Caribbean; some cruisers are taking a northeasterly course to Eleuthera and the Abacos; and the rest are already heading back to the United States. We have several good friends who are on their way home now and we miss them already - friendships build quickly when you are traveling like this. We’ve decided not to head any further south this year nor are we quite ready to wrap up our Bahamas adventure – so we are taking the middle road and heading over to Eleuthera. Until we started planning this trip, we’d never even heard of Eleuthera – there is interesting history to learn more about, intriguing places to see, and some pockets of racism that we’ll probably try to avoid. We have also heard that it is a little off the beaten track – very friendly people, good provisioning, and not a lot of tourists or other cruisers. Sounds like it just might be our kind of spot. We were planning to leave the Exumas today, but overheard someone on the HF radio early this morning talking about 8-10 foot swells and 6 foot waves coming from different directions. Confused seas with large swells are NOT our idea of fun (and we do have some obligation not to torture our cats anymore than necessary while under sail). We’ll wait until tomorrow for our passage across Exuma Sound to Eleuthera. We’ll be in touch, Nancy and Jim Aadland (and the boat cats, Tippy and Blazey) Email: WB0RVX@winlink.org (that is W-B-Zero-R-V-X) The Captain has added a journal entry and photos to our Website: www.nancyjim.org Bulletin 17 Bahamas Bulletin Number 17 Bouncing around the Exumas with Company Staniel Cay Departed: Little Farmers Cay, Exumas on Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 08:40 Arrived: Big Majors Spot, Exumas on Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 11:50 Time: 3 hours 10 minutes Distance: 19.2 nautical miles (1594.7 nm Trip to date) Weather: Light southerly breeze; good motorsailing With good friends Dana and Laurie arriving from Oklahoma City in one week and a cold front bearing down on us, we decided it was prudent to head back north toward Staniel Cay to guarantee we'd be at the airport to meet their flight. For several days the winds blew, the boat rocked and the skies sputtered rain. Every time we thought a downpour was imminent, we'd scrub down the decks, hang out everything that needed a fresh water wash down, then grab the soap and shampoo to stand on the foredeck and wait for nature's shower --- all we got was a sprinkle. While awaiting our company, we cleaned Solitaire from bow to stern and tried to create as much extra room as possible for a live-board, cruising sailboat. Some friends once told us that the most important thing you can do for guests is to make sure they have some "space" to call their own. We tried to carve out an area in the forepeak and also in the forward head (we think that it worked out okay). The other helpful hint was to make sure that you give guests a thorough briefing - We demonstrated on how to use all the day-to-day conveniences (hatches and ports, toilets, etc.) and where to find anything they might need (refreshments, snacks, medical supplies, and the like). Jim covered the safety briefing - communications, navigation, life jackets, and other emergency equipment. This was the first time we've had guests aboard Solitaire since we started cruising and were a little apprehensive; but we couldn't have had more perfect company. Dana and Laurie are both boaters. They are active in the US Power Squadron and are very easy to get along with on board. We've never picked anyone up at an airport before in a dinghy. What a kick! We pulled up on a sandy beach about two "blocks" from the runway. There is no airline terminal at Staniel Cay - just a small gazebo to provide shade. When the plane from Fort Lauderdale landed at the air strip, we walked over to the plane, greeted our guests and helped unload baggage and cargo from the Cessna Caravan. Not only did our company show up with soft-sided luggage, they brought ships' stores (liquor, tobacco, goodies and mail) for us and for some of the Islanders we've met. We reciprocated our friend's generosity with a lobster dinner unlike anything you can get in the States. Each lobster tail weighed in at over a pound and a half and was caught fresh the day before. We added baked potatoes and green beans. What a feast! Later that evening friends from Strathspey came over to celebrate Blair's birthday with homemade rum cake and champagne. Little Farmers Cay (one more time) Departed: Big Majors Spot, Exumas on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 11:19 Arrived: Little Farmers Cay, Exumas on Friday, March 17, 2008 at 14:38 Time: 3 hours 18 minutes Distance: 19.2 nautical miles (1613.9 nm Trip to date) Weather: Thin overcast; Light and Variable winds We didn't change our routine for company. They woke up at 6:30 to the sounds of Chris Parker's weather report, the generator starting up, and coffee grinding. After breakfast, we dinghied over to Big Major's - fed the swimming pigs, hiked the middle beach, and snorkeled a bit before setting sail. Dana marveled at the beautiful colors of the water - she said to forget the comparison to Windex, Bahamas water is more like the color of Listerine. It was so much fun to show our friends some favorite places we've discovered that we probably packed too much into each day. (As it turned out, one of their best times was the day we just lazed around the boat - fishing, reading, visiting and weaving.) On Saturday, the crew from S/V Mad Cap (Jim and Beth) joined all of us at Oven Rock Cave for some exploring and swimming, and then beach combing on the ocean side of Great Guana Cay. We found several more sea beans and brought back armloads of floats that had washed ashore to give to the fishermen at Farmers Cay. In the afternoon, we attended the Little Farmers All-age School Fair. We enjoyed some of the best cooking on the Island. Lunch was only $8 and included (Ribs, Chicken or Fish, with Rice n' Peas, Cole Slaw and Macaroni n' Cheese). There was so much food that none of us could finish - although we did make room for dessert - Earnestine's yummy Guava Duff. The students sang the National Anthem and the Little Farmer's Cay Song, and then performed step dancing and marching routines for us. The locals stayed at the Fair until late that night - dancing and enjoying themselves. After walking around the Island, we retreated to our boat, exhausted and full, long before the sun had set. Staniel Cay (again) Departed: Little Farmers Cay, Exumas on Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 12:17 Arrived: Big Majors Spot, Exumas on Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 15:40 Time: 3 hours 23 minutes Distance: 19.2 nautical miles (1633.1 nm Trip to date) Weather: Light and Variable winds Dodging the cold fronts to make sure that we met airline schedules kept us bouncing back and forth around the Exumas. We'd wanted to do some fishing for Mahi Mahi out in Exuma Sound, but the winds weren't favorable, so we said goodbye to Little Farmers and headed north again to Staniel Cay. As we pulled away from our mooring, Calvin from Goat Cay came alongside with 7 pounds of lobster tails he'd caught for us. We saw a pod of dolphins as we sailed on the banks. Later that day at anchor off Big Majors, Dana and Laurie tried a little fishing and attracted an 8 foot shark - thank goodness it didn't take their bait. No trip to Staniel is complete without a visit to Thunderball Cave. The current was a little stronger than we'd reckoned so it was a challenging swim into the grotto, but both Dana and Laurie put on their snorkeling gear and joined us. We'd watched the old James Bond movie the night before to see how Hollywood portrayed Thunderball and were surprised that only a few frames were shot in the cave. For our company's last day in the Bahamas, we rented an electric golf cart and toured Staniel Cay, stopping for lunch at Club Thunderball. It was so good to see our old friends - Solitaire feels a little empty without them. Yesterday afternoon, we watched as a sailboat flying a Norwegian flag anchored in front of us, two young children lowered the dinghy and expertly motored over to us. The little girl was 11 and her brother about 8. They were selling jewelry they'd made from seashells. We bought a necklace and when the little girl admired a basket I was making, we invited them to come back later for a weaving lesson. After supper, the girl came back over with her 10 year-old sister. As I covered the basics of weaving palm baskets, we found out that the family had sailed here from Norway. The girls were fascinated that Jim's ancestors came from Norway - and they giggled when he said "Thank you" and the few other Norske phrases he knows to them. We are staying around Staniel Cay long enough to file some tax returns and wait for the seas to calm. In the spirit of Captain Ron, "we're not sure where we're heading, but we'll know when we get there". Until then, Nancy and Jim Aadland (and the boat cats, Tippy and Blazey) Email: WB0RVX@winlink.org (that is W-B-Zero-R-V-X) Website: www.nancyjim.org
 SAFE BOATING DONE  WE ALL HAVE FUN |
Links Boating Links About OKCSPS |
