Sunday, April 19, 2009

A do-nothing day


Total Return at Anchor
This is a pic of another 57 Nordhavn we are traveling with. We have known Russ and Molly for a few years. Actually met them in Tennessee at Pickwick. They were doing the Great Loop and stopped at Grand Harbor.
It's nice to have a another boat to travel with.


Huh?


The Entrance to St Paul's Church


Sunrise this morning

We didn't go on the island tour with Russ and Molly yesterday. The winds were howling so we just hunkered down and had a down day. Nice to do sometimes...

Today the winds are still howling and it looks like our weather window on Monday just got smashed. The real problem is Long Island Breeze, which is the Center of the Universe here on Salt Pond, is closing. Oh No...No Net...No Pizza... No Chicken Souse...No Rum.
Oh well we will survive somehow.

Until next time... whenever that may be.

Adios,


istaboa

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Touring Long Island


Shot from the front porch of Long Island Breeze
The sun broke through the clouds and just lit up this little rock.



We rented a car and drove around the island yesterday. It is a beautiful island. Driving down south on The Queens Highway (the only highway) to Clarence Town we spotted this church in the distance. It has some history that I googled up. It was built in 1843.

Clarence Town is twice blessed with fine churches. St Paul's Anglican Church was built by expatriate architect-priest Father Jerome. He converted to Roman Catholicism and then built St Peter's Catholic Church, also in Clarence Town.


This is not a church but a private residence that is in the final stages of being built. We like that the owners have respected Father Jerome's architecture. We would love to see this when finished.

then a stop for a cold rum drink at Max's World Famous Conch Bar. Great local color and very nice patrons.
Yesterday was a good day... amongst many good days.

More I google up about Long Island.

Long Island - beauty queen
The Atlantic side of Long Island is a dramatic rocky shoreline. The lee side is the essence of tranquillity, fringed with soft sandy beaches.

Bahamian artists consider Long Island, believed to have been visited by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the beauty queen of the country.

In the 1790s, Loyalists migrated here from the US and set up prosperous cotton plantations. More arid than most of the Bahamian islands, Long Island is noted for its sheep and goat herds. Long Island mutton is a Bahamian speciality.

Many say Long Islanders are the most physically attractive of all Bahamians. Their Afro-Euro-American genes may or may not include input from the Lucayan-Arawak-Taino aborigines who lived here in the 15th century and before. Archaeologists have found ceremonial stools, called duhos, and other evidence confirming pre-Columbian inhabitation of Long Island's magnificent caves. Today, one of the caves at the north end of the island is used for dining and parties. A network of caves with stalagmites, stalactites and tiny fruit bats lies at Deadman's Cay, six miles north of Clarence Town, the island's largest settlement.



Today we still have the rental car so we will head up Island.

More later...

Adios,


Istaboa

Friday, April 17, 2009

Long Island

This is not a fellow from Long Island but I have yet to take any pics.
So... more interesting things from along way. This is a fellow who wanted his picture taken. I think this was at Farmer's Cay.


Star fish from the Deca Station


Compass Cay Sharks



Not much going on yet... We are having lunch at Long Island Breeze. A nice restaurant right on Thompson Bay where we are anchored. Nice folks own and operate the place. Jackie and Mike.
We hope to rent a car tomorrow and look at the interior of the island. We have heard it is a beautiful island. So far it is living up to it's reputation.
The folks are quite nice here. I bought fish this morning right off the boat. The fishermen were locals and were having a great time. Very friendly.
Fresh fish tonight and tomorrow and the day after. Hog Snapper and Nassau Grouper. Good fish!

Hope to have some good pics of the island in the next few days

Until then...

Adios,

Istaboa

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Interesting images from along the way


Old Conch shells at Little Farmer's Cay


as the sun sinks at Cave Cay



Tiz de I-lans... Mon
click the image to enlarge


Le Grand Bleu
380' Private Yacht
If you look closely you will see this boat has a Sail Boat and a Sport Fish loaded onboard.
She was anchored in the Sound...  out from the [now defunct] Emerald Bay Marina.


Sunrise over Elizabeth Harbor in Georgetown.
This morning.

At this moment we are waiting for the tide to rise so we can begin our run to Long Island. This will probably be the last of the net for a while.
 
Exciting day for us. We will be crossing the Tropic of Cancer and entering the true Tropics. None of this Sub-Tropical stuff for us now. 
Actually we are on the edge of the T of C now; we are just running about 35 miles south.

So until we find bandwith....

Adios,

Istaboa

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Codi from Compass


Codi is a fellow Compassite. She is back in Austin, Tx now and was nice enough to send us this pic of Mel, Radar, and herself. She and her boyfriend Brad along with Sidney and Alysha joined us at the famous Compass Cay happy hours every day.... Which went kinda late some nights. Very nice folks. Hope to see them again next time.
We are looking forward to Long Island but we miss Compass Cay. So does Codi and the gang.

Thanks Codi,

Istaboa

Georgetown

We arrived in Georgetown a couple of days ago. The run down was not bad; just wet as we had seas on our bow. We anchored out from Stocking Island and all was well. It was a quiet night and I only got up once to check our position to be sure the anchor was holding. It did.
Got up the next morning and the wind had picked up a bit but we were sort of protected so it was OK. 
Took Radar to the beach for a walk and discovered that, according to the gauge I was almost out of fuel. This is strange because I have a large tank and have not used the dink that much. So...
Did someone steal it in the night or is my gauge wrong??... or am I crazy and we have used the dink more than I remember?  Anyway, it is what it is. I need fuel.

For biz reasons we needed internet and the Marina in town was available so we took a slip at Exuma Docking Services. 

Georgetown is an interesting place. During the winter it is totally taken over by Sail Boaters (for the most part) and they create a rather unique style of transient society. They are mostly gone now as they leave in early spring but there are a few left over. They are typically friendly but you feel a sense of resentment wafting across the anchorage when we use fresh water [we have a watermaker] to wash off the salt on the boat. We normally offer up ice as a peace offering. They normally accept it with a smile.
If some of you don't know.... Typically, Sail Boaters and Power Boaters are a bit like cats and dogs. We, by nature, are not supposed to get along. We were once Sailors but that doesn't matter because to some we are traitors. We don't feel that way.

Some of the locals are less than friendly because they think we are all trying to get something for nothing. Again they will go into that patois speak when we ask questions. Oh well.
It took me all day and a long walk to register for internet. Then it would not work. When I called Tech Support I was told just keep trying it might work. I asked if I could get a refund if it didn't and he told me no. NO REFUNDS. I told him that was a very clever business plan and that we hope it works for him.

As you can see it does work now... kinda. But sorry no pics. It doesn't work that well.

All in all...  it was a less than great day. But it's the Islands Mon. Sometimes paradise bites a bit.

We have a weather window to run to Long Island tomorrow but not sure if we are going to take it yet. It's a small one day of lite winds then picking back up for a few days. We will see then will let you know.

As I write this the Cruiser's Net is on the VHF radio. The Cruiser's net is a organic radio program organized by the inhabitants on boats in the harbor. 
Weather, local business, and items of concern are announced and discussed. At this moment they are announcing the latest episode of the on going saga of Reggie the Rat. This is a rat hiding on some boat that has managed to remain hidden and alive for months. Every morning they add another episode of Reggie the Rat.

Until later.

Adios,

istaboa

Monday, April 13, 2009

Cave Cay and Musha Cay


Total Return
on the way from Compass to Black Point


Copperfield Bay on Musha Cay

It was a nice day yesterday so we left early to run to Cave Cay. Got to the entrance of Cave Cay Marina on a good rising tide and tied up for the night. Cave is a rather peculiar marina that looks as if it's under construction but we saw no workers. It is a great natural harbor that is a hole in the island. Protected from all sides. It could be a real jewel someday.
Molly and Mel went exploring and Russ and I opted for snorkeling.

Wow! the snorkeling was the most beautiful swim I have ever had. I don't have an underwater camera but I don't think a camera could convey the incredible images we saw in the most crystal clear water I have ever been in. We were on the ocean side and it was a perfect day. Flat like a lake.

Later we took the dink out for a sunset dink and drink over to Musha Cay. It is owned by the Magician David Copperfield and we read he rents it out for $345,000,000 a week. It is a beautifully manicured island and looks like paradise to be had for a price.

Then the sunset



We have had a change of mind and have decided to head to Georgetown before crossing over to Long Island.

So for now....

Adios,

Istaboa

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Talk about a Boat dog


This is an unbelievable story that you must read. Click Here>> Castaway

We just got tied up at Cave Cay. Last night at Black Point.

More later.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

New Horizons


Our German Friends... Torstren and Deter onboard Sand Piper

Yesterday did turn out nicely. We went snorkeling and found Conch then came back to clean them. That turned out to be an interesting lesson that Tucker was kind enough to teach us. I am afraid we may have butchered a couple but we ate them anyway.

Today the whole Compass Crew is leaving. This is Dennis and Gail onboard Gadabaut. They are heading to the Berry islands before going home.

Russ cleaning up after cleaning his share of Conch.
Russ and Molly will be leaving with us heading for Long Island.


Mel, Radar, and Karen
Karen runs the day to day operations here at Compass. She has become a dear friend. We will miss her as well Mano, Tucker, and the rest of the crew.

Today we are leaving our favorite place in the world... Compass Cay. It's time to see some different sights and we have charted a course for Long Island. Columbus once landed here and it is said he called this, "The most beautiful island in the world". We never met Columbus so we cannot verify that but will make up our on minds when we see it for ourselves. We have never been this far south so it should be interesting.

Who knows what's next?

Until we find internet again...

Adios,

Istaboa

Friday, April 10, 2009

Dingy ride to Staniel Cay

So yesterday we followed Russ and Molly from Total Return over to Staniel Cay to pick up some supplies and have lunch with Rich and Karen from New Horizons. Lunch was at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club and was quite good. The Staniel Cay Yacht Club sounds a bit pretentious but it's not. Just a bar and restaurant.
We walked over to the Yellow Store and bought fresh baked bread and on the way passed the police station. (Pictured above)



The Yellow Store

Today the Blue store (Which is right behind the Blue Police Station) was the only one open so that's where we shopped. They had what we needed. Limes, Coconut water, Bisquick for Cracked Conch, and a few items we didn't need... just wanted.



The Pink Store
The Supermarket


Samson Cay Easter Decorations

On the way back we stopped at Sampson Cay Marina so Russ could fuel up his dink.

After leaving Samson we ran by an old abandoned US Navy outpost that folks around here call the DeCa Station for some reason unknown to us. But more on that later.

Here's to a great Good Friday!

Adios,

Istaboa