Georgetown

I know I'm way overdue for an update and I have no excuse other than we've just been busy getting to know Georgetown and some fellow cruisers. When we arrived, there were approximately 250 boats in and around the harbor. There are considerably less now, most having headed N, but some also headed S to the Turks and Caicos and beyond. After a week or more on the more remote Cays, we were relieved to arrive in Georgetown and partake of the resources available. After making sure the anchor was set well, we headed into town for cash and some provisions-in the rain. However, upon entering the Exuma Markets (the largest grocery store), we discovered there was no electricity because someone had hit the transformer. No electricity-no ATM-no cash. I thought, "You've got to be kidding me." But, the store took plastic and was running a generator. While I shopped in semi-darkness, Morgan walked to the other bank which turned out to get its electricity from a different transformer, so he was able to get cash. As we left the market and made our way into the harbor in the dinghy, I swear the skies had cleared and a rainbow stretched across the harbor. Things were looking up!

One of the boats that arrived the day after we did was the s/v Beanaugh (banoth-it's Gaelic). Stuart and Kelly are a couple we originally met in Nassau and keep bumping into along the way. They are from Ireland (though Kelly is from Canada originally) and their goal is to make their way around the world. They left about a week ago and we all wished them fair winds and following seas. They are a terrific couple and very passionate about futball (rugby). We cannot wait to hear an update from them. We also met another Irish couple, Mike and Ann on s/v Mojo, a catamaran that Mike built himself. He and Ann have been sailing on and off for 24 years or so. Once they leave here, they will make their way back to Ireland and start seeing the world on land. We've spent a great deal of time with them and have welcomed their offer to visit them in Ireland. The six of us had a great time at the Fish Fry where they have live Rake and Scrape (Bahamian music) on Monday nights. Poor Kelly wasn't too chipper the next morning when they weighed anchor!

While we haven't truly seen much of the island of Great Exuma yet, but we did see an American demonstrating a solar oven he constructed for less than $200 (he was making pancakes that day) and we have sampled a few of the local restaurants. Last Friday we went to Eddie's Edgewater for a barbecue. Not only did we have some of the most incredible ribs ever, we were also treated to free entertainment on the porch by the locals. A little boy who was only two but was the size of a four year old, decided I was his friend. He sat on the picnic bench in front of me feeding me Doritos that he had licked all the cheese off of. After my ribs came, he climbed up next to me, took my roll and proceeded to dip it in the sauce, licking it off and re-dipping. He was so cute I didn't have the heart to tell him no, though I did end up quite a mess.

Nyla's habit of trying to enter any car on land has transformed to dinghies. As soon as we approach the shore, she leaps out of the dinghy. Upon returning, she jumps in the first available, whether or not it's ours! Koki has been discovering new hiding places on the boat. We often open up the deck lockers to let them dry and air out. One night on Little Farmers we returned to the boat and closed them. The next morning we couldn't find Koki. We opened the deck lockers and in the port box locker we heard a "meow" and out she jumped! Now we make sure she's visible before we close them!

There is plenty more to write about Georgetown, but we will be here for awhile, so we can parcel it out. Toward the end of the month they are hosting the Family Sailing Regatta with all Bahamian boats and skippers. We cannot wait - it's supposed to be a week-long good time. Sara won't be here for that, but she arrives Easter Sunday for a week and we're very excited to share some of our experiences with her.

Till next time, enjoy the pics I've edited so far.

When Refrigerators Go Postal

We’ve all heard sayings such as “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.” Boaters will often remark that a bad day on the water is better than a good day at work (home, etc). While I agree in principle, I’ve got to tell you that a rough day on the water can make you wish you were at work. In as much as the wind (with few exceptions) seems to always come from the direction in which we wish to sail , the travel day can get a little bumpy when combined with choppy seas.

Of course, prudent cruisers will wait for agreeable weather before setting out (see “Mother Nature” in our January blog). That is why every book on cruising counsels on patience and frowns on trying to sail to a schedule or timetable. However, inevitably at some point in your travels, circumstances will dictate travel on a day and in a direction that you might not otherwise entertain.

Such was the case when we decided to leave Little Farmers Cay on a Wednesday morning and tried to make it to Georgetown before nightfall. If the swells, current and wind all agreed to go our way (we can hope can’t we??) we would have easily made Georgetown in the afternoon and had time left to anchor, secure the boat and enjoy a cold adult beverage at the Chat-n-Chill on Stocking Island. Of course we didn’t have the blessing of wind, swell and current trifecta, but we were optimistic that the wind may back to the N and that the seas wouldn’t be too bad. (Maybe I should re-read our “Mother Nature” blog!) We could have stayed “inside” on the Bank, but knew that we would have had to motor most of the day. Aside from our preference to actually sail our sailboat, Morgan is quite aware that every hour motoring is one hour closer to the 100 hour oil change. Therefore, despite the conditions, we made the decision to go “outside” and try our luck on the Sound. We knew it would be bumpy and wet, but we had several administrative tasks to complete by Friday. So, we closed all the hatches, secured loose items, took a deep breath and went for it.

As our previous entry may have mentioned, the wind was coming from the SE at about 20 knots and the swells were 2-5 feet. We needed to head S, so in order to move under sail, we had to “tack,” which involves sailing in a zigzag pattern as opposed to straight S. Each time we tack, we release the jib sheet (the rope attached to the sail) on one side and quickly pull in the sheet on the other side. While Morgan handles the sheets quite readily, I’m not nearly as quick or as strong, (not to mention experienced) so it’s quite a sight! Though I do have to say it’s terrific exercise, toning my arms and increasing my heart rate.

Once we were settled on a tack, it was just a matter of keeping an eye out for other boats. Quite an armada was heading the same direction and it made Morgan feel a little better to see that they, too, had to tack several times. In between tacks, we tried to keep our stomachs settled and keep an eye on the pets. Koki actually started out in the cockpit but decided to go inside when it started getting really rough. Every time the boat slams down off a wave, the water hitting the underside of the boat makes the salon floor boards jump. Poor Koki tried to enter the salon just as the aforementioned occurred. I swear she jumped two feet up and sideways! After that, she decided to stay put on the tail of the mainsheet coiled beneath the admiral’s seat where she could dig in her claws to hang on if needed.

Morgan went below to find something to drink that would sit well on his stomach. As he opened the fridge, I heard an expletive and “The fridge is throwing things at me!”. Apparently, as he opened the door, he was attacked by steak sauce and salad dressing that launched themselves at him. It wasn’t long after that we concluded, not only were we not going to make it to Georgetown that afternoon, but that our stomachs (and apparently the refrigerator) needed to seek calmer waters. We ducked in at Rat Cay and sought a calm anchorage for the night near Barretare.

Could the administrative tasks had waited? Probably. But, as we are learning, everything’s a compromise. We could have stayed at Little Farmers indefinitely, but there comes a point when you’re ready to sacrifice some comfort in order to make some progress. We left Pensacola on January 1st with Georgetown as our unofficial destination. With the tasks preying on our minds, being out of cash (and beer!), out of touch with family and being so close to our destination, mentally, we needed to get here.

So, while a rough day on the water may not be as comfortable as sitting in a recliner watching “Lost”, we know that each mile, rough or smooth sailing, is not only progress toward a particular destination, but it’s another mile of experience to draw upon in the future. All in all, I’ll take a rough ride in the Bahamas (and fridges gone postal) over yard work any day!!!