|
 |
We've only just begun. This is the
landmark lighthouse at the entry to Nassau Harbor. We arrived early on
Tuesday 12/30 after a good overnight run from Key Biscayne. |
|
 |
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Our celebration was pretty mild compared
to the big Junkanoo downtown. We did watch the fireworks displays that
we could see from the marina.
The first two photos are of the display
at Atlantis.
The last is from another resort on
Paradise Island. Hand held time exposures can be tough and I moved the
camera a little, but I like the boats in the foreground. |
|
 |
A new mask for Lynn. It's nice to have one
in the SCUBA bag and one in the snorkel gear bag. (Yes they're
different) |
|
 |
A rainbow at Shroud Cay |
|
 |
We snorkeled around Emerald Rock at
Warderick Wells. Isolated coral heads with good sea life. We didn't take
underwater photos but here we are back in the Chase Boat, our
dinghy. |
|
 |
In the belly of the whale? Lynn poses beside
the sperm whale skeleton on the beach at Warderick |
|
 |
OUR ANNUAL TRIP UP BOO BOO
HILL
1. The little lizard guards the trail. He
challenged us until we were quite close.
2. Look Ma, no knee brace. Nearly all our
past pictures of George on Boo Boo hill feature a big ugly knee brace on
his right knee. This year he has a whole new knee and it is working
great.
3. Each year it seems our old sign has
disappeared and we have to make a new one. We always think that while
home in the summer we will fabricate a new nice one and bring it, but
every year we forget.
4. George and Lynn near the top of Boo
Boo Hill with Exuma Sound behind us.
|
|
 |
On our first full day as volunteer
coordinators of the Hawksbill Cay mooring fields, we heard a radio call
from kayakers on Hawksbill trying to reach Park Headquarters. Lynn
responded. They were Paul and
Robin, a couple from Boulder, CO who were kayaking through the Exumas.
The wind had been blowing hard enough to limit their progress and they
needed to get to Warderick and then Staniel to make their flight home.
They paddled to our boat and breakfasted
with us while waiting for the Park boat to pick them up.
We were glad to be of some minimum assistance and
really enjoyed meeting them. |
|
 |
If you have a little sugar in your hand, you
can make lots of new friends. We are feeding the Bananaquits at Park HQ.
These charming little birds have very long tongues, and they lay their
beaks sideways to lap up sugar. They can feed from a hummingbird
feeder, but have to perch to do so. Their song is more of a series of
clicks and chirps, and they are classified as a type of honeycreeper.
They were a favorite of Ian Fleming (the James Bond author), who had a
place in the Caribbean named Goldeneye, and was an avid bird watcher. |
|
 |
After leaving Warderick we sailed to Staniel
Cay, filled with fuel and had a nice dinner ashore. Then we anchored
"Between the Majors" a protected area between Big Majors Spot and Little
Majors Spot islands. Winds were a little over 20 knots from a westerly
direction and it was pretty choppy out. |
|
 |
Next stop was Black Point, one of our
favorite places. After 3+ weeks we were about to run out of clothes. The
laundry bags just about filled the dinghy. Not much room for Lynn to get
in. We watched CNN and had lunch at
Lorraine's Cafe. |
|
 |
If you read our reports you will know that
the trip from Black Point to Lee Stocking Island was rough, but we have
no pictures. Once at Lee Stocking we spent about a week in beautiful
protected waters. There are many
small cays around. One set is called Tug and Barge rocks. It is easy to
see why.
We took the trail up Perry's Peak, the
highest spot in the Exumas. From there, there are many great views. We
also took some pictures of other cruisers in transit.
Where ever we are, we are suckers for the
beautiful sun sets. Here are shots of a couple from Lee Stocking. |
 |
Toby had time to run on the beach. He enjoys
it so much he doesn't want to stop until he is ready to drop. We take
water for him but even then his tongue is hanging out.
He wants to be in the middle of everything.
He likes it when we are all so close to each other that we are in
contact. |
|
 |
We toured the Perry Institute Caribbean
Marine Research Center located on Lee Stocking. The link to their web
site is in our reports.
The labs
are quiet right now, seems the scientists tend to come during the summer
months.
The grounds are pretty and if I were a
marine scientist, I would be thinking of lots of research I needed to do
here.
|
|
 |
In George Town for a few days to get some
items shipped in. A tug and barge are tied to the dock. A Bahamian barge
man rests as he waits for the next task.
When we arrived, there was no fuel at the
dock. Several days latter, the fuel tanker arrived so now we can buy
fuel before we depart George Town. |
|
 |
Last year we spent a lot of time at the
marina at Emerald Bay while we dealt with family health issues. This
year it is closed. We feel sorry for the many Bahamians forced out of
work due to the weak economy and will miss this particular spot, but,
clinging to the past, we felt the Bahamas were being over developed and
we are not sorry to see the pace of construction slowing down.
There is now a chain across the entrance to
Emerald Bay. Speaking to one of the prior employees he reported the
rumor that there is a letter of understanding/intent to buy on it and
maybe it will reopen sometime soon. |
|
 |
We have a new water proof electric dog
training collar for Toby. We hope we will have better control when he is
on the beach and off the leash. That should lead to him having more time
off leash and lots more playing.
After a game of fetch in the morning, we was reluctant to give up the
ball so carried it all the way to the boat and didn't drop it until some
food appeared. |
|
 |
We don't get many meals off the boat and
those are usually pretty simple. With Lynn as Provisioner and Chef it is
hard to find food ashore as we got aboard. Still, for Valentine we did
something special having dinner at St. Francis Resort. Our server took
this photo for us. |
|
 |
Our Wi-Fi availability in the George Town
area is worse this year. We posted this picture from the J&K Computer
store. This is what a high tech outlet looks like in George Town. |
|
 |
AT THE BEACH
While on the mooring in Hole #2 we are
close to the most popular beach in the area and hub of most cruiser
activities, Volleyball Beach. One of the most photographed items is the
pole with distances to various locales. While we were here this year
this one was replaced with a new taller pole with more signs. All an
activity of the cruisers. The white structure is the Conch Shack,
where you can get a delicious conch salad, fresh from the shell.
The stacked boxes are cases of Kalik, the most popular beer in the
Bahamas.
While white folks on boats are the
largest contingent on the beach, Bahamians enjoy it as well. If it is
too warm on the beach, just move your chair into the water.
A big activity is called fun volleyball
but should probably be called geezer volleyball. The rules seem to be,
no spiking, no overhand service, and each side can hit the ball 4 times.
If you don't think you can get your service over the net, you can move
up closer. There is no attempt to set up a play, just get the ball back
over the net
|
|
 |
ST. FRANCIS RESORT
A nice facility but small for a place
with such a grand name. Indoor activities tend to be centered here.
There is a cozy restaurant (see our Valentine picture), a nice deck, a
bar and a small conference area. Texas Hold'em and Trivia nights are
held here. The upper photo overlooks much of the fleet and Volleyball
Beach (on the left).
The lower shot shows dinghies crowding
the dock for trivia night. |
|
 |
There is a mural painted and maintained by
cruisers at the Chat & Chill. Boats write their names around the border.
Every couple of years, the border is repainted and names are added anew.
Ours is in the upper right hand corner. |
|
 |
George hanging in port engine compartment to
adjust tension on fan belt. Alternators certainly work better when the
belt is tight enough to make them go around. |
|
 |
George coming out of Exuma Markets with his
new girls friends :-). Actually it was a good day. They had eggs. We
were getting low and the last supply boat only brought four cases which
were quickly gone. On a good
weather day like this, a ton of dinghies brave the waves to get into
town. |
|
 |
The music section at Beach Church. |
|
 |
After Beach Church, we stopped at the Chat &
Chill for the weekly Pig Roast. Friends on Margareta took this photo for
us. The pig is roasted in a large
grill right on the deck.
We were early getting in line but still
had to wait a while. Lynn is on the left at the end of the line. |
|
 |
Each year the major fund raiser for the
Regatta and donations to the Family Island Regatta is the sale of
T-shirts. On the beach they take pictures of the "Cruiser Rainbow" with
folks from boats wearing the shirt of the year arranged by color. Here
they are lining up by the Chat & Chill.
Lynn is in pink in the front row. |
|
 |
As Toby ages he seems to become more and
more vocal. He has always "sung" in the dinghy headed to shore. We tell
people that since he is a Swiss Mountain Dog, he is yodeling. As the
time grows near to go, he yodels, sings, talks, whatever, expressing his
desire to get going. In the lower
shot, he is in the dinghy waiting to depart in his thematic red
accessories. |
|
 |
The vast majority of dinghies here
are inflatable with by far most of those being gray. It is nice to see a
genuine hand built, wooden dinghy with nor motor, only oars. There are
still a few traditionalist left, thank God. |
|
 |
Our favorite spectator event is the coconut
harvest. One soft dinghy sans motor, 4 people, 4 swim fins, 4 life
jackets, 1 bucket, compete for points.
They have a running start down the beach to
their dinghies, then out to pick up hundreds of coconuts set afloat up
wind. As they go by boats, stealth supplies are launched into the water
behind them. This gives a small chance to those less able to make a
quick crossing to the mother lode.
Points are awarded on number collected
and then extra points were available on the "guts and butts" and coconut
toss. Lots of fun to watch. |
|
 |
Our Threesome at "Beach Golf."
Q:
How much can you have with one club, when the "fairway" is one long sand
trap, the worlds 2nd largest water hazard is to the right, and a links
type rough is to the left?
A:
Lots! |
|
 |
Lynn does the vast majority of galley duties
but occasionally George steps in. Here he is preparing his famous Penne
Ala Norcina Ala George. Oh yes, and having a glass of wine. |
|
 |
We take lots of sunset pictures but on the
full moon this month we had a really neat moon set. The rising sun
turned the sky pink so we had a pink moon. Lovely. |
|
 |
It is called Cruisers' Regatta. With
all the other activities you might wonder if any racing actually
happens. Well, it does. Water line
is not always the winner. In the top photo, Blue Blazer blows by
a much larger boat.
The graceful boats, white sails and blue
water make for beautiful scenes. |
|
 |
After a shower, George relaxes with a glass
of wine and a book. Toby can't resist the opportunity to laze on his
lap. |
|
 |
This Admiral
catamaran anchored behind us near Volleyball Beach. The two boys were
playing all over the boat. Here we see them in the sail pack. We miss
our grandkids and feel it even more when we see kids on the beach or on
boats. |
|
 |
We spent an unusual
amount of time in George Town this year but finally timing and weather
coincide for us to leave soon. We received a beautiful farewell sunset
over Great Exuma. Next stop Conception Island. |
