I know it's time for another blog but before I get started...did you notice my new blog profile picture?!?! David & I are holding our local St. Augustine newspaper, The Record. We'll send this pic. to the paper with a little blurb and they will post it in their travel section. It's fun to see where St. Aug. folks travel. It's even better to see where I travel!
In a lazy, down-island, lifestyle existance, it's hard to be very constructive. But we do have our bad hair days. Sailing isn't all fun and games, this is a sampling of our not-so-fun times.
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| David delving into the Chartplotter problem |
This is our mounting system for the horn, the Radar and the GPS. It should be standing up tall and proud instead of swinging by the internal electric cables. On one particular bumpy passage the whole structure came crashing down. Sailing - always an adventure waiting to happen.
Our gaily colored, light wind, spinnaker sail looks pretty when she's flying. I have no picture showing what happens when the winds pick up- the tangled lines, the sail in the water & caught under our keel. Can you visualize that picture???
The Exumas
We might have had a hard time beating our way South to get to Georgetown at the bottom of the Exuma chain, but, by damn we did it!
The reward was 6 weeks in clear, clear water & white sand beaches surrounding uninhabited islands. Along the way we found fresh bread in thesmall Bahamian settlements. We've met friendly boaters and have shared sunset drinks with some great people.
An amazing thing about these islands is how up close and personal you can get with the local wildlife. (not sure if that should include the boaters, or just the animals) |
| Curly Tails are everywhere. I was feeding this one stale crackers. |
In Staniel Cay, the local nurse sharks have learned to come by for an evening snack from the fish cleaning station. They seemed to like the shade from our boat while they waited.
Okay, so I have to explain about these pigs. On the island of Big Majors, you have an assortment of wildlife - a herd of goats, chickens & the ever-crowing rooster, and ......swimming pigs. They'll swim to your dinghy snorting 'n sniffling. But I realized that unless you managed to drop the food right into their open mouths, they couldn't eat the treats. 
So thoughtful me, I brought the food to the pigs.
Notice I'm not hanging around to socialize with these guys.
But it's the harvest from the sea that everyone enjoys.
Well, maybe those fish & conch had better days.
Georgetown
Georgetown, Exuma is a boaters' mecca. There were probably 250 boats anchored behind the protection of Stocking Island. This is Monument Hill. During a fun Equinox Bonfire Party, an intrepid group of us climbed the hill. Doing it in the dark and the rain just made it more interesting.
A long, wet, bumpy dinghy ride gets you to the tunnel entrance into Lake Victoria and the town's dinghy dock. Georgetown supplied us with groceries, coconut rum and a $20. anchor windlass part that ultimately cost us $240. Life's not cheap in the Bahamas.
My big purchase from Essie in the town's straw market. Many women "plait" with split palm leaves.
I'm going to end this rambling blog showing you what makes this sailing life so great.
Many nights we found ourselves anchored in the middle of our own private paradise. This is when I sit with my sunset drink and think..."Ahhh, life is good."
Please don't tell me you would rather be poolside at a Holiday Inn!
It's now mid April. We are presently in the Abacos working our slow way North back to the states. We'll get there eventually. Until then.....Fair winds.
Alice & David on our 36' Endeavour Cat, Alice Mae
Swimming pigs...unbelievable!!! What a great time you guys are having. What would you do if you didn't have head winds and equipment failures? Hope you have a nice tail wind to get you home and that the coconut rum holds out!
ReplyDeletexoxo
-Lisa