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The music continued till 1 AM but it did not bother us. I had set the alarm clock for 8:30 but we woke up before 8. The wind was still blowing from the NE at 15 Kt with occasional stronger gusts. We prepared the boat and Bradley came at 10 with a loaf of fresh bread from his wife. While he was securing his skiff and I was getting ready to depart it fell overboard and drifted away. He said he had another one in the boat and would give it to us when we got back to Spanish Wells. The wind was a little brisk but the waves had not built up much so we had fairly easy passage. The sky was cloudy and the reefs were not as visible as on the way over so it was good to have and experienced pilot. We rolled out a little jib at the start and when the course fell off to a beam reach we rolled out the rest and made a quick passage back. Bradley gave us the loaf of bread as he left and we continued on to the Yacht Haven. The wind had picked up a bit more and we had a little difficulty but the dock master Anthony helped us get into the slip and we were soon secure. Our neighbor on Crazy Eights also helped us and afterwards we talked a little. They have been coming here for 20 years and said that Heizenga bought property on Harbor Island and is building a house for himself and others for relatives. They were at Great Harbor in its heyday and knew of the original developer, Chesler who was Canadian and associated with the mob (Mayer Lansky). They also said that Blackwell (worst dressed list) has a house there. It was 12:30 and the bank was going to close at 1 with our package so Jill ran off to find the bank. I stayed to finish tying up the boat and dingy. Jill came back without the package but with a long story, the package was in Nassau, Fed-X does not deliver but if we could get them to deliver the package to the MV Eleuthera Express it would bring the package here on Thursday. After several calls and on hold for 10 minutes somebody finally agreed to try to deliver it. I hope it makes it.
We got to the restaurant just after it closed at 2 so we went back to the boat and had sandwiches made with the Bradleys bread. We put up shades and rested on the cockpit for the rest of the afternoon. Then we took showers and at 8 went to the Yacht Haven Restaurant for dinner. They have a bar next door and would order drinks thru a pass thru from the bar. I had shrimp and Jill had a great piece of tuna. After dinner we walked along the waterfront and looked at the mooring area. The town was very quiet except for a number of people working on one of the fishing boats hauled out on the marine railway. The sky was cloudy but the almost full moon would shine thru every now and then. The wind dropped down but there was still enough to make for a cool night.
We got up early and prepared for Bradley to come and pilot us back across Devil's Backbone - to Spanish Wells. He was right on time. He brought us a loaf of bread :) - very good. One loaf he brought fell in the water and floated away in the plastic. Promptly at 10 AM we headed back. The winds were a little strong - but all went well. I took a picture of Bradley at the wheel :). As soon ass we got docked at Harbor Marina (with dockmaster Anthony's help) I ran over the hill and back to town, Banc of Canada for our FedEx package. Well, to make a long story short - Rich had to call dad for the tracking # and the package was sent to Spanish Wells by the MV Eleuthera Express from Nassau. It should arrive here Thursday at 11:30 AM! Too funny - I signed us in at the office while Rich made calls. We had lunch with some of that home made bread and read. Our MV neighbors gave us the Miami Herald - Her name is Carol, she's a nurse and has had colon cancer. They told us that a Canadian named 'Chesler' bought Great Harbor Club and Marina and Tamboo Club. And that Heizenga has a house on Harbor Island. Lots are going for $400 - 700K.
We showered - ahhh and went to the restaurant for supper. I had tuna and Rich had shrimp - sumptuous. We then took a nice long walk down the waterfront - dark and cool with a few clouds and a near full moon.
I'm all psyched up to sun myself and do a big wash tomorrow. :)
After relaxing yesterday, today is a work day. We got moving around 9 and
Jill went off to do the laundry. I cleaned the dingy, transferred fuel and
bought more fuel and gas. After buying the fuel and putting it away I walked
around the dock for a while to cool off and look at the other boats, a 35
catamaran was tied to the end of the dock for several days. While walking back
to the boat I saw something in the water on the E side of the dock. I could not
believe it at first but it was a manatee sticking its snout out of the water. It
slowly swam under the dock and surfaced on the W side. I tried opening one of
the water valves on the dock but the fresh water did not attract it. I watched
it for a minute and it seemed to be resting on the bottom so I ran quickly back
to the boat and grabbed the video camera. When I returned it was still on the
bottom but soon surfaced for a few breaths. Again I turned on a water tap but it
was not interested. I walked to the laundry facility to get Jill. We also meet
the dockmaster Anthony who said the manatee had shown up about 8 months ago and
came around the docks occasionally. It stays in the mangrove areas to the N of
the channel. Some people from Nassau had come to net it once and take it to an
aquarium but could not find it. We walked back o the dock and got several more
good pictures of it before it disappeared. We finished our work around 12:30 and
went for lunch. Jill noticed that the bar/lounge was air conditioned and the
restaurant adjacent to it was a bit warm last night for diner. They passed
drinks thru a small sliding opening to us last night so perhaps they would pass
food the other way. We entered the bar and ordered some beer and struck up a
conversation with another couple at the bar, George and Martha. They live here 6
months of the year. He was a charter boat operator and professional captain.
They live in the yellow house, 4th from the end of the island. They
are having a party on Friday and invited us if we are still here. They
recommended several books (The Perfect Storm) and we said we would send them a
copy of Sonny's autobiography. We had several drinks and they did too. Then we
ordered lunch and had a few more drinks. They just had a few more drinks and
when they tried to order lunch the restaurant was already closed. They called a
friend to drive them home.
We decided to try the pool and went back to the boat to put on our swimming suits. The pool is salt water and only 5 deep but it was very refreshing on this hot day. We met another couple there, Axel and who have a large trawler. Their friend John just arrived today and they are going to Harbor Island tomorrow and then rent a car to drive around Eleuthera the next day. They invited us to their boat for drinks an later we had dinner together at the restaurant. We (I) had a lot to drink that night and fell right to sleep.
I washed all morning. I loaned 2 cook books for Margaret in Yacht Haven Restaurant. We went swimming in the big round salt water pool and met Mary Lou, Axel and their friend John from Chicago. they live at Honeymoon Island Fl. We visited, had a drink and all went to dinner together. Nice people. Mary Lou gave the tour of their yacht Rudy Anna II. Swanky - washer and dryer and big freezer - big ice machine. They paid $800 for the pre-paid Bahamian phone and it rarely worked. :) We had a nice happy hour with them. Axel is 74 or so and getting nervous about cruising. They only have 4.5' draft but he always goes to marinas. I think Mary Lou said that she was 28 and he was 56 when they married. They have 7 children, 13 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren! Axel was off his feed today.
We got an early start today and by 10 we were tearing the boat apart, moving everything around. We sorted out magazines to leave at the marina office and made room to store things we were not going to use under the forepeak (winter woollies). We cleaned and filled the water tanks and then put everything back. We actually have some spare room left over. At 11 we walked in to town to find out about the Eleuthera Express which was supposed to bring our package. The road along the water front runs past a marine railway with a small bridge over the railway. This morning the bridge was out and they were pulling 2 houseboats up the railway. We watched them for a while and then walked around thru town to the other side and asked at Pinders Grocery store about the boat. It would arrive around 11 and stay till the next morning. We walked a little further and had lunch at the Snack Shack. While we were eating the ship arrived and after lunch we joined the throng of people watching boxes and packages being unloaded from the ship. We asked the captain if he had a package from Fed X for us but he said he did not. We walked back to the marina and they were just putting the bridge back together, a few girders with wood slats over it. We called Fed X and they said they could not find the ship but would deliver the package to the North Eleuthera airport tomorrow. I asked at the marina office and they could arrange a water taxi to Eleuthera and then a taxi to the airport. After thinking it over for a while we decided to rent a car and tour the island for the day and pick up the package that way, probably no more expensive than a taxi ride and more fun. Jill looked in the water beside our boat and thought she saw a sting ray. I looked and it looked like a spotted leopard ray. I jumped and grabbed the video camera and walked around the dock but the ray turned out to be an old woven fish trap. We were expecting too much after seeing the manatee yesterday. When the sun went down a little we walked to the swimming pool and soaked for a while. I returned to the boat and washed off the dirt we had accumulated since leaving Marsh Harbor and then took another dip in the pool. We both took showers and then headed for the lounge and a few happy hour drinks. The pool table was free so we played a few games, we each won one game. We had dinner at the marina restaurant again and then went for a walk across the island to the ocean side. There was a lot of traffic for this small island but we made it safely back to the boat.
I went over and took his B/P and told him to get Gaitor-aid or chicken soup, etc. B/P was 100/90. Her's was 120/70, Johns was 150/78. :) When I got back Rich was filling the water tanks. He already gassed up while I was washing yesterday. Rich and I swam this PM. At 11:30 AM we met the Eleuthera Express but our package wasn't on it. :( Rich called and they are flying it to North Eleuthera. Sooo we arranged to ferry over there tomorrow and rent a car and drive for it. :) That will be a big outing!
We arranged to meet the rental car person, Abraham Johnson at 10 and got a
water taxi to pick us up at the dock at 9:45. It was a short fast ride to the
dock at Eleuthera. As we passed the Spanish Wells dock we saw the large 70 barge
affair with a makeshift roof and a small outboard in back. We watched several
people yesterday making some apparatus on the barge yesterday while waiting for
the Eleuthera Express. They had a bench made of 2x4s and put several 2x6s on it
and nailed pieces of aluminum roofing on top. This made a rectangular box 8 x
4 x 6". They stacked this in piles 6 hi on the barge. The water taxi driver
said they had discovered this new way to catch lobster. The boxes were sunk in
the shallows and lobster hide under them. At the dock in Eleuthera we meet Mr.
Johnson who took us on a fast ride in his taxi to his house where we picked up
the car. We filled the gas tank and then drove out to Current Cut to look over
the village. They had a nice dock and were building a Tiki hut near it. There
were a few fishing boats at the public dock and a few more anchored in the
shallow water offshore. We could see the deep water beyond but not the cut
itself. In town we meet Axel, his wife and friend with whom we had drinks and
dinner the day before. They were also touring the island in a car. There were
several impressive resorts on the way including one for the 7 day Adventists. We
retraced our route and drove to the airport to see about our package. Nobody was
at the Bahamas Air office so we checked out the store across the street. Later I
went back to the airport building and got the package. We meet Mr. Johnson at
the airport, there were about 20 taxi drivers standing around but there did not
seem to be much activity at the small airport. We headed back S and stopped at
the Glass Window with a bus load of tourists from one of the island resorts. The
land slopes down from some impressively high rocks to just a few feet above sea
level and the island is only 50 wide at that point. The bridge over the chasm
is 100 long and was displaced about 5 from its original position by a rouge
wave. A large chunk of the guard rail was also broken off. They just braced the
bridge in its new position and the approach roads do not coincide exactly with
the bridge anymore. Because of this there is one way traffic only and you can
not see oncoming traffic until you are on the bridge itself. It did not look
particularly safe but we made it over. We drove to Gregory Town and meet Axel
and party again. We found the restaurant Chatterley's where the Spanish Wells
Yacht Havens dock master's wife works but she was off duty today. We had sodas and
lunch and then drove to Hatchet Bay. On the way we saw the remains of large
concrete silos from the old farming days. There were about a dozen of them on
the road we traveled, each 20 in diameter and 60 hi. The bay is impressive and
there were several boats anchored out and several at the marina dock. There were
2 catamarans on the dock, apparently rental boats.
There was a falling down pier
and a few sunken boats in one corner of the harbor. We walked around for a while
and then drove back looking for Surfers Beach. We saw a sign pointing to a beach
but the road was horrible. We walked up it a ways and another car came down the
road so we tried it. The rocky road leads to a maze of small roads, the start of
a subdivision with a few houses scattered around. We did not find a passable
road leading to a beach but after driving around on small 2 track roads for a
while found our way back to the highway. We stopped at Mr. Johnson's ice cream
shop in Lower Bogue for refreshments and then drove to the little community of
Bluff before returning to Mr. Johnson's house. His wife meet us and we drove to
the and she drove the car back. We picked up a few bottles of rum at the duty
free liquor store by the dock and then took the water taxi back to the Yacht
Haven. It was about 5:30 and we went swimming in the pool before dinner. Back at
the boat as things started to cool off I opened the package and used the repair
kit to repair our galley pump. The hard part was getting it back in and bolted
down under the sink. The position was awkward and the nuts and bolts have to be
operated by feel but eventually everything was back and functioning.
Off on the ferry to Eleuthera. Daniel picked us up at the dock and took us
to his house - 10 miles for an a/c olds (88?) rental. We were to have it back
about 5 PM, when his wife will take us to the ferry. So, off we went to the
airport - North Eleuthera. Quaint! Our package was there - also 3 letters - from
Rusty, he and Tricia got their own apartment! Barb's mom died :( and Sally got
herself a new place. She pleads undying love to Al...:( G.M. is threatening to
close all North American plants because of strikes. Sally is probably glad that
she's close to retirement. Anyway, back to Eleuthera. We left the airport and
drove South. The island is narrow. The ocean is cobalt blue to the left and pale
emerald to the right. About 10 - 12 miles we came to the Window. There is a
place where North and middle Eleuthera narrow to a rocky, high ledge. There used
to be a natural stone / coral arch - 100 years ago a storm surge broke it down
and killed 6 picnickers. Now a bridge crosses it. A bridge that was a 2 lane,
which became a 1 lane after a huge wave moved it 5 - 6', destroying one lane. It
is now just patched together - pieces of concrete hang, attached by rusted
rebar. On the ocean side we saw a beautiful sea turtle swimming against the tide
on the cobalt water. Rich got a good movie! We watched him for several minutes.
A bus with German and Spanish speaking tourists was there when we first arrived.
The breeze off the ocean was so nice and cool. Like a/c. Then we drove on South
- toward Gregory Town and lunch. After the Window we drove about 10 - 12 miles
passing 20+ grain towers - old - from the days of slavery? heavy framing?
Eerie... sad to see the rugged, hot land - no trees - rocky fields - towers like
ghosts along both sides of the road. Imagine slaves working, hot, thirsty,
hungry, dying... Now there seems to be few farms there - mostly we saw bananas
planted, some papayas and small melons - there were pineapples for sale along
the road... We bought one for $2.50 in Gregory Town. We drove all the way to
Hatchet Bay. It is just the most beautiful place- Never cleaned up after the
Andrew Hurricane of 92?93?. We drove outside of town. The bay is in the center
of a high valley. The dock is rotting away. Several boats were sunk - one right
at the dock! The dock is rotting and sunk. Sad to see. many houses are rundown.
As we left town we saw a "Beach" sign. Well, we took that road. I drove. I've
never been up and down such steep grades - except in a pick-up! We went up and
down and around for several miles. The final steep grade that may have gone to
the beach was too too steep! We drove parallel then along the ridge above the
beach. Obviously, these two-track and gravel roads were laid out like a
sub-division. The road names were faded, but there. Sometimes we would come upon
a house - in the middle of no-where! Rich taped a huge place under construction
by a dentist :). We were relieved when we found the road out of there. ha, ha.
We ate lunch at Chattie's in Gregory Town. We ran into the Rudy Anna II crew. We
also stopped at Lower Bogue for ice cream at Mr. Abraham Johnson's store. When
we arrived back at the North Eleuthera dock Rich went to the Liquor Store at the
dock. We rode Daniel's speedy boat taxi back to Spanish Wells. Relaxes... Nice
side trip. Oh, that car had a/c. :) Swam in the eve.
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