101
Wind Gods Hangin’ Out in the Exumas: March 8 2020
Wikipedia
lists 101 wind gods which span the globe geographically. Could they all be hangin’ out in the Exumas
right now?! We say yes. Per the spoiler alert at the end of the last
log - off we went from Monument to Redshanks for better protection in upcoming
wind shifts (2/26). Well, this latest
change in plans unexpectedly lands us smack dab in the middle of the 40th
Annual George Town Cruisers Regatta.
Switch gears and let’s go. Holt
stepped in and immediately took us into his fold at Chat N Chill beach for
sign-ups. We are in for the Poker Run,
the Coconut Challenge and Beach Golf.
Back across the harbor to Barefeet and we are stable and solid despite
swirling winds. And Russ and Lori are
coming over for dinner – nice to be in the same neighborhood. Yippee!
Thanks, Jana, for the new recipe – Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole (recipe
below). It’s flavorful, gooey and delicious…but
not very photogenic.
The
morning cruiser’s net at 8am on VHF72 keeps us up to speed on harbor
happenings. Morning storms passed
through but the Poker Run is still a go (2/27).
Our dinghy of four was Holt, Nicki, Chris and me. It was a hoot! From 11am to 4pm 52 dinghies zipped around to
six bars to pick up a playing card at each in the hopes of assembling a winning
poker hand. Each bar had a drink special
and a food special; Twin Turtles, Peace & Plenty, Jerk Shack teamed with
Daiquiri Shack, Choppy Waters, Rusty Anchor and Peace & Plenty Beach
Club. There were frozen mango daiquiris,
rum punches, pepperoni pizza, jerk plate (ribs & chicken dripping in sauce with
mac & cheese), nibbles plate (conch fritters, fried shrimp and chicken wings
artfully drizzled with sauce). It was a
festive day with tons of laughs. Nah, we
did not win but that’s just fine. We
were pooped at the end; however, Chris rallied and played poker at St Francis…coming
in second and making the dark dinghy ride home across the harbour.
Drat
– we seem to have picked up a cold in tandem so we laid low and chuckled at my
sexy Marlene Dietrich voice. R&R was
necessary because next on our Regatta dance card was the Coconut Challenge
(2/29). The what?! This sign-up required a bit more arm twisting
by Holt but we eventually relented and we were glad that we did. Our team was Holt, Scott, Chris and me – Team
Agandau. This is how the two part
challenge works: Part 1 – the collection…four people, one dinghy (engine
removed) and two flippers paddle furiously to collect as many floating coconuts
as possible into the dinghy (1700 coconuts were dropped into the small
bay). Then madly paddle dinghy and four
people back to shore for a coconut count (we got 113). Part 2 - the
toss...one person throws backwards (Scott), one person feeds coconuts to the
tosser (Erin), two helmeted people catch the thrown coconuts in a garbage bag
(Chris and Holt) (we caught 23). Scores were merged and winners named. Holy guacamole – we came in 2nd
place!! Whoop whoop! It was a bottle of wine and a 2nd place flag
for each of us. This is Barefeet’s first
Regatta flag evah!
The
protected Redshanks anchorage understandably filled up, raucous winds arrived and
boats were calm. Plus, cruisers find a
way to enjoy it all. Tonight was
sundowners at the Redshanks Yachting and Tennis Club (aka the beach at low
tide). It’s self-park, BYOB and bring a
nibble to share if you like (3/1).
Next
up was Beach Golf on the flats below the monument (3/3). We are getting into the Regatta swirl and
having fun. I brought a batch of oatmeal
chocolate chip cookies to share and the 242 Liquor Store’s beer tent kept folks
hydrated…and sold out of inventory. Over
100 golfers were set off in foursomes every 10 minutes to make their way
through the nine hole course created by Frank (and Rose) on m/v Local
Knowledge. There were a few more hazards
this year so bring your flip flops. Everyone
is provided with equipment (by Frank); one club, four balls, eight tees, one
pencil and one scorecard. Rules are
minimal; all shots use a tee, the girls tee from the Queen (conch) line, the
boys tee from the (coco) nuts line and both stop counting strokes at 7. We were paired with s/v Off the Hook (Annette
and Steve) and had a blast. Hey, Steve
even came in 3rd overall for men.
Well done! Beach golf wrapped up
and we headed over to Chat N Chill to read in the shade until poker
registration in the afternoon. Renaldo
was busy making conch salad at the shoreline, rays floated through the shallows
and pick-up volleyball games were a combination of laughter, grunts and spumes
of sand. Chris did not place at poker
this time but the ride home with two of us in the dinghy was much easier than
one person alone.
Hhhhmmm…we
woke up this morning and the wind gods said what?! Okay, seasonal wind patterns have been windy
for 5 – 7 days (or more) then a front barrels through. Ahead of the front are milder winds for 1 – 2
days. Plenty of life long islanders have
said this is the windiest winter they have seen in 40+ years. All that backdrop plus current weather
forecasts mixed together led us to decide to scoot north TOMORROW to
Staniel and tuck in for the next front.
We have decided not to continue further south and to wrap up our time in
the Bahamas in the hopes of having more time in the Chesapeake later. Only time will tell if this pans out over the
next couple of months. We made a final
run into town for a haircut for Chris, trash disposal ($2 for a small bag, $3
for a large bag) and a peek inside the supermarket (3/4). Hey, they’ve got artichokes – dinner menu is
made. We’ll have steamed artichokes
dipped in butter and lemon, grilled steaks and baked potatoes.
Our
plan is in motion so let’s get moving.
Anchor up at 6am and we soaked in the George Town vibe one last time as
we slowly slid past the Elizabeth Harbour anchorages and out Conch Cay Cut
(3/5). We would have liked a bit more
time with new and old friends but Mother Nature is never biddable. It was a smooth ride north with loads of other
boaters also on the move – headed both north and south. Back into the Bahama Banks at Galliot Cut was
no drama – love that. At 2.30pm we
arrived at the Big Majors anchorage at Staniel Cay where we nuzzled as close as
possible to the northern shore (for the most protection during the next
front). A quick swim off the boat was
perfect in the hotter temps due to warm southern winds. Now it’s time for a burger in paradise at the
Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Carl is still
behind the bar and the laid-back vibe endures.
Making a slow dinghy ride home through the anchorage we checked out the
beach pigs (looking a bit too inbred and quite indifferent to swimming) and
spotted former Monument anchorage neighbors s/v Mahina. Hey guys – we’d love to come aboard for a
cocktail. Cheers.
The
seasonal weather pattern we mentioned earlier has us currently in the mild wind
portion of the cycle so it is time to play before we are boat bound by high
winds. We dinghied to familiar Pipe Cay
at low tide (3/6). Wow – it just never
disappoints. There are countless shades
of blue woven through the water and the sky, blinding white sand soft under
foot and not another soul on the beach.
We are very lucky. Back aboard we
policed outdoor items ahead of the winds tonight and made a chicken stir fry
with Diana’s tangy tahini sauce for dinner (recipe below – thanks Diana). The front passed through as expected in the
wee, dark hours of the night and scoured the boat with a fresh water rinse. Boats rotated without issue and have now
settled for the days of 25 – 30 knot strong winds from the north/northeast.
The
sun is brightly shining but winds are strong (3/7). Time for chores on the boat; two loads of
laundry, make water, sharpen kitchen knives…so it goes. Also, freezer consolidation happened which
has Chris doing the happy dance. One
less freezer drawing power is marvelous for Barefeet’s overall energy budget. The day clicks along and the winds do not dip
or stumble. It seems the happiest person
in the anchorage is the kite surfer. Well,
it looks to be windier tomorrow…and even windier the day after that?! Really?!
That said – this is truly one of our favorite places on the planet. And Mother Nature always keeps it interesting…like
this school of fish that swarmed the boat.
What are they doing?! We’ll ponder
that and sit tight until the winds mellow for continued movement north.
Chicken
Bacon Ranch Casserole
(Jana and WholesomeYum.com) serves 8
2 lbs chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
8
slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3
cloves garlic, minced
¾
cup Ranch dressing
1
cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1
cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1
lb frozen spinach or 4 cups broccoli (cut into florets)
·
Preheat
oven to 375 degrees F.
·
If
using frozen spinach – thaw and squeeze to drain first. If using broccoli – place in a pot of water
and bring to a boil. Simmer 1 – 2
minutes until bright green. Drain.
·
Combine
chicken, bacon, grained spinach or broccoli, garlic, ranch dressing and half of
shredded cheeses in a bowl. Stir until
well incorporated. Transfer to a greased
9x13 casserole dish.
·
Top
with remaining cheeses.
·
Bake
until bubbly (approximately 15 minutes).
Diana’s
Tangy Tahini Dressing
2
cloves garlic, minced
4
Tablespoons tahini
¼
cup maple syrup
Juice
of 1 lemon
¼
cup soy sauce
Pinch
cayenne
1
½ inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
·
Combine
all ingredients (whir in food processor if you have one). Set aside.
·
Cook
chicken pieces, if using. Set aside.
·
Steam
veggies of choice.
·
Combine
back in pot – veggies, chicken and tahini sauce. Cook together for a few minutes.
·
Serve
atop rice or pasta.