2012-02-10 Moving around – that weather again!!
The forecast is for stronger winds from the S to the SW and then the N to NE – get the pattern??? The idea is to choose an anchorage that gives you the protection you need from the wind, but when it swings from south to west to north to north-east, it generally means you have to move from anchorage to anchorage. So yesterday we did – only to end up back where we started!!! Why, you may well ask??
Our plan was to head to a great protected bay called Gaviota Bay and pick up a mooring ball there and then hang out till the winds came and went. It all went to plan, we contacted the harbourmaster and were told there were 2-3 vacant mooring balls and all we had to do was select one. Which we did! Motored all the way into the bay where we saw 2 vacant mooring balls tucked up nice and close to shore giving great all round protection from the wind.
I must say that the mooring balls were so close that we felt we were packed in like sardines. I’m sure if we attached a line to the back end of a neighbour’s boat we could have pulled it around so that we would literally be able to walk across from ours 
Anyway, we were nicely settled in when a local water taxi arrived and informed us that we were on a private mooring ball!! Why the neighbouring houseboat owner and other permanent liveaboards didn’t tell us, I will never know!! There was another vacant private ball further out with a kayak attached which the taxi guy said we could use for a few days as the owner was away. We didn’t quite like that idea either. What if the owner arrived back late in the afternoon and then we had to vacate his mooring and find an anchorage in the dark? No thank you!!
The other option was to try for one of the other mooring balls administered by the St Francis Resort. Naturally, Bahamas style, they only started work and taking radio calls from 11.30am – nice job!! So we waited until then and tried to radio them and eventually got through only to be told there were no vacancies. So what about the vacant balls we could see? No they were prepaid and the boats could return at any time! Gill at St Francis though had a South African accent and so that is always nice to hear.
The other party was called Little Toot – no idea why – but he was on Exuma Island and only intermittently answered his radio – what a way to run a business!!!
The upshot of this is that we decided to go across to George Town itself, anchor there for a few hours, visit its great metropolis, get lunch and then some supplies. Anchored without a hitch and dinghied to the government dock to dispose of our trash and then dinghied into Lake Victoria through the dinghy channel (very narrow, only one boat can really fit at a time). Man, what an experience!! The tide was ebbing and there was a HUGE current against us!! I opened the throttle but hardly moved; opened some more with little response and had to open up almost full throttle to make headway. All the while trying to avoid being smashed onto the walls by the rushing water – well, it wasn’t not quite that bad. All ended well and we tied up at the dinghy dock. Went over to Eddie Edgewater for lunch where I had a conch burger and Mary had sautéed shrimps. All very nice but the service was very poor to say the least. We weren’t even acknowledged when we walked in and had to stand at the take-away counter to find out if we could eat in the restaurant. Fortunately, the restaurant itself was very nice and the food excellent 
After that we explored a bit of the “city” and, while quaint, we were disappointed in the lack of upkeep and general decay evident. Not much different to any of the small African towns we know so well.
The Exuma Market grocery store was great with everything that one would need available. So we stocked up on a number of items that we needed – including 2 cases of soft drink cans. Then made our way back to the dinghy and met up with the admiral from Polar Bear (met them in Allens Cay) and also caught up with Steve and Amanda of Diana. We hope to get together for a drink while they’re still here – they’re waiting for propane. The supply apparently didn’t arrive this week and they have to wait until Tuesday. And we totally forgot to tell them all about my Mahi Mahi as we were kind of being pestered by a local wanting to help with our groceries – essentially to lift them the 1 foot between the dock and dinghy.
We then dinghied out of the lake with the current and met an oncoming powerboat (actually just an ostentatious dinghy!!!) entering the channel. I went through first as, according to Mary the outgoing boats have right of way. The guy and his wife in the powerboat dinghy gave us huge scowls as we went past but we just waved nicely at them thinking they should lighten up a little – this is the Bahamas, mon! Only later did I read that the incoming boat has right of way, oops! In my defence, I must say that I had already partly entered the channel when the powerboat came zooming up!
Back to Amanzi, upanchored and headed back to our first anchorage where we knew we’d have a good night with the current wind direction. And we did:)
2012-02-11 Coconut Cove
This morning we moved just around the headland to take advantage of its protection once the wind shifts to the north-west and north. It’s also very sheltered here – not so much from the wind which is starting to pipe up but from the wave chop generated by the wind. So now we’re just blobbing again – Mary on the foredeck catching some sun and reading – thanks for the cooling wind – while I am doing this.
We have a great vantage point here for observing all the incoming vessels and even the few that left earlier today.
2012-02-12 bumpy, bumpy, bumpy – noisy, noisy, noisy
Yep, that was last night. The wind came up, as expected, and changed direction, as expected but swung around more than expected to the NNE. The net result was a swell swinging in around our headland. We were well protected from the wind but the swell that came surging in made for a very uncomfortable night. Imagine placing you mattress on a trampoline and trying to sleep while 2 or 3 other people are trying to bounce on the trampoline!!! Then add a couple of 2-3 year olds banging away on their toy drums all night long. That was our night.
But we weren’t the only ones. There were many other cruisers who were up in the night checking on things and we heard of more via the radio, who had had little sleep.
So, today, as planned, we up anchored and moved to a new anchorage. Just off Rocky point on the southern side of Stocking Island.
It’s still blowing like stink but the water is not as disturbed. We still have a bit of bumpity-bump but not nearly as much as last night. Pity we can’t do anything about the slapity-slap of the water on the hull – it’s very noisy!!
We’ve decided that the rest of today will be another day for blobbing. We are not inclined to take the dinghy anywhere and get soaked in the process from the choppy waters. Maybe we’ll catch up on some sorely needed zzzzz’s…….. More tomorrow
2012-02-13 Chat ‘n’ Chill
Had a great night last night – slept really well. This morning got the pumpout boat to drop by and empty our holding tank which was getting fuller. The whole of Elizabeth Harbour is a designated no-discharge zone. The aim is to keep the water in the harbour nice and clean. According to reports, though, there are about 250 boats in the harbour and only about a 45% usage of the pumpout boat. It really makes you wonder at the mentality of the people who visit here for the pristine crystal clear waters of the Bahamas and then proceed to pollute that very same water with their effluent!!! Sure it costs a bit to have the holding tank emptied but it’s not onerous (50 cents a gallon).
This morning we again bumped into Arthur and Mamiko of Matane as they were dinghying past us. It was good to catch up and, as they were going to the docks later, they offered to offload a bag of our trash there – thanks, guys!!
After all that we headed to the Chat ‘n’ Chill bar and restaurant. This seems to be the cruisers “headquarters” or hangout and is on Stocking Island across the bay from town. Most of the boats, including us, are anchored in or around this area.
We were a bit disappointed initially as we kind of expected it to be a hive of activity but there was nothing happening except a few people playing beach volleyball. We got there at about 11.30 which, it later transpired, was way too early for any real activity.
We had a great lunch at Chat ‘n’ Chill – ribs, fries and coleslaw. The ribs were done to perfection with the meat so tender it simply fell off the bone. Scrumptious While there we met a solo sailor, Randy, of Mariah, who has been coming to George Town for many many years. He invited us to come over for drinks and nibbles on his boat which is about 100m from where we are anchored. After lunch we wandered around volley ball beach some more and there were now heaps more people doing various things: playing volleyball (9 a side), basket weaving and we even saw a game of rummikub in action. We ended up chatting to a few of the regulars before heading back to Amanzi.
After lazing around for a while, we took off to Randy’s boat were we met another 2 couples, Bob and Chesley of Cygnet and George and Lynne of Sunspot Baby and had a very enjoyable social evening. It turns out that Bob and Chesley have family arriving on the same flight as our family on 25th so we’ve organised to taxi share.
We even got to return to Amanzi in the dark which was a first for us!!
Oh yes – remember I spoke about how we wanted to tie up to a mooring ball the other day? Well yesterday a 48ft launch was on one through the strong winds and he didn’t break off the mooring, the whole mooring lifted and dragged!! With plenty of assistance from other boats he was able to stay out of the shallows and is now anchored fairly close to us. There always seems to be something on the go around here.
Just the other morning we heard of another boat that somehow got entangled with a coral head and again lots of dinghies went to assist. Yet another boat’s mast fell off just outside the harbour entrance and although he’s safely on his boat here (on a mooring ball!), his mast is on the beach and he’s waiting for decisions to be made by his insurance company!
Now it’s coffee time and then bed
2012-02-14 Valentine’s Day
Not much going on today. Dinghied over to Chat ‘n’ Chill for a while where one cruiser was holding an informal talk on cruising to and around Cuba. WE listened for a wile and also watched some beach volleyball and then headed up to St Francis Resort. There we spoke to Jill whom we had spoken to earlier on VHF. She is also an ex South African but she and her husband have been here for about 10 years. He is somehow associated with the St Francis Catamaran Company in SA. We also bought some internet time.
After that we took Amadink and headed over to George Town – about 1¼ miles across Elizabeth harbour. Got Amadink up on the plane but is was a bumpy ride There we got some provisions from the Exuma market as well as some fuel for Amadink. Then we headed back to Amanzi at great speed Lunch and a lazy afternoon followed with the completion of a few chores thrown in.
It’s a warm, calm sunny day today and we are enjoying the relaxation. So now its time foe sundowners and hopefully I can get onto the internet to publish this and some photos.
8 Feb 2012 – Electronics and salt water don’t mix!
On Sunday Lance did a fantastic job of getting us out of our hemmed in position in Staniel Cay Marina and as you know we headed south to Black Point. We spent two very uncomfortable days and nights in a very bumpy anchorage – neither of us really getting a good night’s sleep. Not that the wind was strong – there was just a lot of swell that somehow found its way in from the banks or from the Exuma Sound.
But Black Point was necessary as there is a wonderful laundromat there – and after all the visitors, we were in desperate need of one of those. We loaded up the dinghy with three
big bags of dirty clothes, linen and swimming towels and headed for the dinghy
dock right outside the laundry.
Now this is not just a laundromat – it offers free wi-fi, a small store, token showers, haircuts, rooms to rent , coffee and a restroom. Amazing really when seen in the context of the Black Point Settlement.
The anchorage was pretty full and of course so was the laundromat – all the machines (probably 12) were already busy! So we decided to opt for the drop off system and after using the free wi-fi on our i-pad, we carried on for a walk around the settlement.
All these islands seem to have very little in the way of arable soil – it mostly appears to be rock of some sort – so there is very little homegrown produce. Everything is
brought in by the ‘mail boats’. However we did see a few gardens where there was an odd mielie (corn) growing under what seemed impossible circumstances. One of the stores did have lovely shrubs and trees in his garden and back at Staniel Cay Yacht Club the colourful bougainvillea were wonderful – they really took me back to Africa.
We stopped in at a local restaurant, Lorraines Café (also an internet café with satellite TV) for a cooldrink and to ask about their famous coconut bread. Now Lance is no fan of coconut but was willing to give it a try. It turns out that Lorraine’s mother is the baker so we put in an order for collection later in the afternoon.
With a quick stop at the laundromat to see how the laundry was progressing we decided to head back to the boat. (The laundry was not yet underway – Ida had been distracted by some braids she was putting in a young girl’s hair – so we said we’d come back around 4pm)
Well that was when we had the fateful dingy ride back to the boat. We were trying another approach to tying the dinghy up to the boat and with the bouncy swells it made it a little more interesting. So there I was standing up in the dinghy attempting to hook the rope around the cleat when I leaned over a little too far. The dinghy moved a little away and there I was kind of suspended between the two! You know the classical picture – feet in the
dinghy and hands on the boat and the two slowly separating. The inevitable would happen!!! The easiest option seemed to be a quick dip. Of course I didn’t bargain on the backpack on my back – it was quick, fast and easy to climb up the ladder to the swim platform but by then the backpack was already filling up with water.
Bad, bad news for our i-pad and Bahamas phone!! Although I hurriedly rescued them – they were already wet. The i-pad cover only seemed to have a little water on it but obviously enough to cause it to cough, splutter and die! The calamity is that we use the iPad as our main source of navigation because of its simplicity and ease of use. So, no more iPad navigation!!!
And so with that, Lance’s plan of redundancies came into
play. We do have a Raymarine chart plotter on board (on the flybridge and at
the bottom helm station), with brand new charts that we bought in Baltimore and
we also have the full set of charts on both lap tops. So we can still find our
way – they are just so cumbersome as opposed to the i-pad. When underway this
is usually mounted on the flybridge and it is so easy to plan a course and of
course so easy to zoom in and out with the touch screen.
We have no redundancies for the phone though, but we’ll see
if we can get any kind of cheap phone in George Town. It has been quite useful
having the phone to be able to call marinas etc if we were still out of VHF
range. Although we’ve been unable to send or receive texts from NZ we’ve been
able to send messages via my brother in the USA who we can contact with no
problem.
So for now it’s email access only.
The camera and video camera survived the dunking – probably
somewhat protected by their individual zip bags (although the camera is itself
waterproof although it did have a few issues in the Thunderball Grotto).
The hand-held VHF also survived – but I guess it is
waterproof and floats!
The money in my wallet of course dried quickly although the sea
water had quite an effect on discolouring the coins.
I have put the whole episode down to our sleep deprived
states – interestingly enough when we chatted to Mario from Schmetterling he
also was feeling sleep deprived and wished he could just get a good night’s
sleep – even one in every three would be good he said!
But this is the Bahamas, with the wind, the strong currents
and the surge into even what we would expect to be calm anchorages.
Anyway when we collected the laundry later only two of the
bags had been done – the last one had been missed so I ended up doing it
myself. It wasn’t all bad though as Lance was then able to get a haircut. I
wish I’d had the camera with us. Picture Lance sitting on a chair in the sun outside the laudromat, looking down and across the anchorage. I bet it’s the best view he’s ever had while getting a hair cut!
The coconut bread was wonderful too – Lance even liked it as the fresh coconut was just a seam along the length of the loaf rather than mixed through the dough.
Oh yes – in case you’re wondering – we made sure that all the clean laundry was securely tied in big black bags – we’d had enough dunkings for one day.
The next day we moved only a few miles to a lovely quiet anchorage – well mooring field actually – in Little Farmers Cay. There was a strong current and the boat swung slowly around at each turn of the tide but it wasn’t bumpy at all. Sleep still eludes me though.
As the mooring buoy belonged to a restaurant and bar called Ocean Cabin we dinghied over to the shore to go and pay our dues for that. As we landed there we spoke to some local people who were cleaning some lobster on the docks and asked if we could buy some. They directed us to the green house along the road – so we decided to stop there on our way back
We proceeded to Ocean Cabin where we were able to get wi-fi (the lap top we took ashore was well wrapped up in double layers of plastic bags!) and a couple of beers. Terry the owner was very friendly and amazingly knowledgeable. He knew that Amanzi was Zulu but he did go on a little about why we were no longer in South Africa helping to rebuild the country.
On knocking at the front door of the green house we asked about lobster and yes indeed, this was Jeff and he went to the back of his ‘store’ and into a large freezer and
promptly brought out a big bag of lobster tails. We bought two – $12 each and so
had a great dinner that night.
We’re hoping that we’ll still be able to hunt and gather our own lobsters at some point, but meanwhile we’re more than happy to enjoy them the easy way. In fact we wish now that
we’d bought a few more for the freezer!
PS I’ve included a photo of the clinic in Black Point. This was a quite a large building compared to others we’ve seen. The books say there is a nurse on duty – but just remember when we sing the woes of our own healthcare systems we can’t really complain.