This morning, Leanne and the boys flew out of Staniel Cay on their way back home. Mary has accompanied them as far as Nassau to help with the transfers to the international flight to Charlotte and then San Francisco. There they will stay with Mary’s brother and his wife before flying on to New Zealand. It’s hardly believable that it’s been 4 weeks – to the day – since they joined us in Nassau!!
The time has flown by but, I guess that’s a function of enjoying ourselves and having a 3 1/2 and almost 2 year old on the boat. There was never a dull moment and it was always go, go, go! They have done and seen so much: visiting Atlantis Aquarium; seeing the iguanas on Allen’s Cay; swimming around the wreck of a sunken plane; conching; enjoying the various beaches; having fun in the inflatable pool in the cockpit when it was too windy to dinghy anywhere; seeing the swimming pigs at Big Majors; snorkelling in Thunderball Grotto and so much more 
Our only hope is that the boys will remember some of their experiences – fortunately there are many, many photos to act as reminders. We will certainly miss them.
Today turned into quite a mission. Got up early, had breakfast and had a leisurely (15 minute) stroll to the airport and got there in plenty of time. Then the lady doing the check-in arrived in her golf cart and promptly told us and another passenger that we had to have the tickets printed!!!!! They had been purchased online so we only had the reference numbers and, of course, ID!! But no, that wasn’t good enough!!
So Leanne and I RAN (well, Leanne ran and I sort of jogged/walked/jogged) back to the boat (about 500m), dumped the PDF files onto a USB stick and then printed them off at the yacht club. The other lady and her friend only had her ticket on her smart phone so had to get onto the internet in the yacht club to retrieve her email to print her ticket. Naturally, she didn’t have internet access (you have to buy time) but I let her use my internet access. In return, they had organised a golf cart to take us back to the airport.
This all took place about 5 minutes before the plane was due to land but, true to form, it was 45 minutes late so all the running could have been avoided!!! Island style, this! Of course, Leanne had had a nice shower this morning but after all the running was hot and sweaty for her journey 
Last night we indulged ourselves and had a “farewell” dinner at SC Yacht Club. And, since we haven’t been able to catch any, we splurged and each had a lobster!!! The meal was excellent and very reasonably priced Our orders had to be placed by 5pm and we turned up to the restaurant just after 7 for a drink at the bar. Then at 7.30 a bell was rung and dinner was served to all patrons who had ordered.
For $42 we had lobster chowder and a mini bread roll, green salad, 1.5 grilled lobster tails and fries (or baked potato, or parsley potatoes) and then a lemon cheesecake slice All very yummy!!
While Mary has been away I have had to replace one of my small bilge pumps which just stopped working for no rhyme or reason. Fortunately, I was able to obtain a replacement at the Isles General Store and install it with not too much trouble. Now we’ll need to tidy up the boat – it’s like a tornado has hit it – and pack away the toys, extra bedding, cushions and table sides (Leanne has been sleeping on the convertible dinette table – so it’s been a case of setting up the bed at night and dismantling it in the morning), Then it’s onwards south to meet my sister, Estelle and her husband, Alastair, in Georgetown in about 3 weeks’ time. If only the weather would play ball and the wind stop blowing…..
