Swing Set: Cruising Full Time
06/13/13Swimming with the PigsWe didn't waste any time arranging to have our new credit cards sent to Staniel Cay Yacht Club via Watermakers Air from St. Brendans Isle, our mail forwarding service. The staff at Staniel Cay was very helpful, even though we aren't staying at the marina, but are on the hook just off of Big Majors Spot, an island just across from Staniel Cay. We also showed up with two small trash bags, and as we were pulling up on the very nice dinghy landing at Staniel Cay Yacht Club, we ran into one of the crew on a sailboat that we keep bumping into. Nick has been traveling with his girlfriend and two other girls on their sailboat from Michigan. They've been waving at each stop, and we briefly talked to one of the girls back in Wardrick Wells, but this was the first time we... |
|
06/12/13Allen's Cay To Staniel CayWe had a nice stay anchored between Allen's Cay and Leaf Cay. The water was calm and crystal clear, but we had no wind and it got hot! The upside was that laying on a raft behind the boat was like laying in a backyard pool without the backyard. We visited the iguanas on the beach, but Rosie and Holly both stayed in the dinghy. We watched other visitors approaching the iguanas with food (which you aren't supposed to do) only to see them scamper away as the quick iguanas would run toward them to get the snacks. We took several long dinghy rides in search of the folks that our friend in South Carolina wanted us to look up. Luckily, we didn't find them, because our friend Abby didn't actually know the people, she'd just seen a TV show about them. Johnny... |
|
06/03/13Last Night In Nassau Before Making North Exuma IslandsOn Friday morning, our work was done. We'd have liked to leave Nassau and head for the Exumas, but the wind was still up and it rained...and rained. Not only that, but with the exception of our first night in Nassau with Rick and MP, and the following day at Paradise Beach, our time in Nassau was not all that enjoyable, and we wanted to turn the tide in that regard. This is the view we had from our cockpit for the week, and this isn't even low tide. The little structure houses trash cans, and most of the time they were overflowing and bags of trash were piled around them. The harbor on the New Providence side, or the Nassau side, was littered with sunken vessels. Lots and lots of them, with seemingly no intention by anyone to get them removed. The marinas on this... |
|
05/31/13Swing Set Status Report From NassauIt has been raining heavily here in Nassau all week, and we are tired of it and the place...ready to move on. On Wednesday, we walked to the Fresh Market, a modern grocery store just a short walk from the marina. It's set in a new plaza that looks similar to any shopping center short of a mall in the U.S. The only thing different is that there's a security cop about every 50 feet. In fact, most of the businesses here along East Bay Street require visitors to buzz in at the door before being allowed to enter. I don't see how this is a deterrent to robbery, because if I was a robber, I'd just piggyback my way in like everyone does anyway. Perhaps I missed my calling. At any rate, we did some shopping, and like in the U.S., large portions of meat are at... |
|
05/28/13Problem Solving In NassauAfter our late night on Friday with Rick, MP and Danielle at Johnny's nightclub, and our trip to Paradise Beach on Saturday, Sunday was a "down day" for us. The wind was picking up, but we still entertained the idea of going exploring in the dinghy, but for one reason or another we just didn't go out. But, I hated the idea of sitting around all day and getting nothing accomplished in regard to our windlass and steering problems. So, I grabbed my toolbox and took it to the bow and started messing around with the windlass, checking on electrical connections and just looking at it. I had sent an email to my contact at Good Windlass for them to receive first thing after the holiday weekend, outlining just what was going on with the windlass. The idea came to me that... |
