Our Plans Are Where the Winds Blow: April 10 2015
Red
Shanks was a great spot to avoid the strong winds...especially after hearing
that many boats dragged in anchorages all along Stocking Island from
Sand Dollar to Hamburger Beach and Monument. Cover of darkness,
blaring air horns and skittering boats is an anxious combination to be
sure. However, Red Shanks feels a bit isolating to us so we moved
a few miles north after the winds settled out to Sand Dollar Beach
(Mar 28). Sand Dollar has us back among the dozens and dozens of
cruisers still in the harbor as well as close to a lovely hike ashore from the reef side of the island across
to the ocean side of the island. Wow - the vistas never
disappoint...and the sandy path is so clean that it can be walked barefoot.
Our
run of light winds has halted and been replaced with cooler temps and
gusty winds...but it is still beautiful A cold front passed through for a few days which had
us wearing fleeces and using a blanket on the bed. Yes, 75
degrees F can feel chilly. Joking aside, the downside to the
front is the choppy water conditions created from the wind. We
had a wet ride to Splash restaurant at Hideaways Palm Bay Resort located three miles across
the harbor to watch Duke play Gonzaga (Mar 29). But it was worth
it! Duke won and we returned to the boat in fading daylight. Onto the Final Four.
The
cold front persists which keeps us boat bound but we are well
distracted (temporarily). Chris and I focused on computer
projects; me on updating our website and Chris on automating his
maintenance log/spares inventory list. However, after awhile we were
feeling a bit of cabin fever and jumped at the suggestion on the
morning cruiser's net for a sundowners party ashore at 5pm (Mar 30).
We met nice folks, shared drinks and bits and even gathered some
practical info such as a favored taxi driver for airport pick-up (Taxi
12 Leslie Dames 242-524-0012) and pros and cons of a crane vs boom
dinghy lifting apparatus (a potential summer boat project).
Settling
into George Town has given us a chance to observe the rythms of
the Bahamas and get caught up on changes since our last visit in 2011.
The coconut rum is as delicious as ever, supermarkets have an
increased variety of products (non-perishable and fresh), trash
disposal is now for a fee of $2 per bag, Texas Hold 'Em still plays
weekly at St Francis and J&K Productions are still computer
specialists who also sell groceries. However, the big change is
a 7.5% value added tax (VAT) implemented on January 1...apparently, the
original proposal was 15%. This is
really ruffling some feathers - with both locals and visitors.
The VAT applies to everything; from groceries to hotel rooms to
taxi rides to laundry to ATM withdrawls. Yep, you read correctly
- ATM withdrawals. It will be interesting to see how this
plays out. Other countries such as Grenada and Malta have
implemented a VAT only to discontinue it after two years...then
re-instate it a few years after that (stating that original
implementation failed due to poor planning...hhhhmmmm...sounds
suspicious).
We have started to slow down and enjoy the
slower pace. Fewer/smaller boat projects...more beach combing and
cooking and reading. It is nice. We have found a helmet shell the size of an apple
and a sand dollar the size of a saucer as well as some sea beans - all
lovely. They were lucky finds and we might have used up our treasure
finding luck for this season...but we will keep at it. It's fun.
Chris and I dinghied around and checked out some coral with
snorkels and fins (April 2). It was quite alive and varied.
Full of fish and sea fans - swaying in the water. Then we spotted
a barracuda and I immediately took out my earrings and removed my
rings. Barracuda cannot really hurt you but they love shiny
things and are very curious. Their big eyes make them look especially
sinister and spooky so we tend to give them a wide berth.
Added free time has allowed us to meet other cruisers in the
anchorage for sundowners, burgers on the grill and walks ashore. Current boat count hovers around 215 boats.
Nice folks who, like us, are enjoying life on the
hook in a beautiful place. Plus, several Selene owners have
dropped by who are
happy to help us transition to a new boat - thanks. Additionally,
we have met an underwater neighbor - specifically a green turtle.
The brown and tan speckled fella swims around the boat in the
morning and afternoon. He idly munches and looks at us with
barely a glimmer of interest as we oh and ah at him. He takes a
couple of
breathes and paddles on the surface before diving deeper and out of
sight. Can't wait to spot him again. In other news we
caught the Duke win over Michigan State at nearby St Francis (Apr 4).
Onto the finals...at 9pm...eeek.
A
few boat projects have snuck in including changing the dinghy engine
oil and lower unit oil as well as fixing a cross-wired plug in the
salon. Erin's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have been a real
hit at sundowners and visits as we meet more folks and learn about a
lot of great
ideas for our trawler from other motor boaters (Apr 5). We have
also met new friends ashore (Apr 6). Over a period of thirteen
years they have carved out a
stunning corner of the world with all the amenities of home despite
being totally off the grid. It is an amazing accomplishment with
spectacular vistas in every direction.
The calendar keeps
flipping and we are ready for a visit from Lino and Phyllis. They
are coming from the arctic north of Boston. It is still beautiful
here and we hope a perfect contrast to the white mess they have had to
battle for the last few months (Apr 10).