Happy Destiny: March 2012

Saturday, March 31, 2012

The "Not-so-Big One That Got Away...I mean...Got Eaten!"

Our first caught fish in the Bahamas! We got "ripped off" by a Barracuda!

We met "River Rat" in Bennett's Harbor, who gave us on of his hand-made-super-secret-lures. It worked! Fishing had not really been our "thing" in the Bahamas, but now we were "hooked" as that line rachet kept going off over and over, we would stop sailing and reel another one in...two with missing bodies where the Barracuda got to them before we were able to reel them in! One got away trying to "land him" in our little basket.
So... here in Eleuthra, crossing from Rock Sound to Hachett Bay, we caught 5 (FIVE) FISH! Problem: we didn't know what we caught and if it was safe to eat, so we took photos of the fish, consulted our one page chart, filleted them and only ended up throwing the "Bonita" meat away. A local fisherman told us it was very fishy tasting tuna. The barracuda's stole off with half of our catch-they're faster than we are at getting to them, since we have to back the sails to slow HD down so we can reel them in without fighting the wind and the speed over ground PLUS the fish fighting for his life! So along comes Mr. Barracuda for a little snack and YIKES, all we get is half!

Met our new Bohemian friends, LaTisha and Pascal, who run the best restaraunt on the islands-Wow! "Pascal's", formerly Four Points Marina and Restaraunt, has a chickee hut out by the water, so we went by to see what was going on and met them just as they were about to close (they host a cruise ship luncheon on Sunday) for their "day off". We were talking to them about the area and our cruising plans, when they offered to drive us with them for their "date night" to Harbour Island, about 45 minutes north. So we got a full tour of the rest of the island all the way to North Eleuthra, pulled off to have a look at the famous "glass window bridge", and had a lovely dinner with the young couple in Harbor Island where they used to live and work. What a wonderful time and how we learned so much about the culture this way. We decided to definitely sail back up to Harbor Island area once we had seen what it had to offer.

Hangin' out on the bridge

There's like NO traffic-people drive like 60-80mph on the one and only highway-you're looking at it!
We just pulled off the side of the road and took pictures.

We went to an Anglican Church built in the 1600's-right on the ocean. Beautiful and 'mon, do they know how to worship! I have video, but wouldn't upload...sorry you can't see and hear it!

The Bishop was visiting and invited us to join them for lunch after church. Nice people.

Adorable Bohemian girl sitting in pew ahead of us.

Pete trying to figure out the "Ocean Hole" in Rock Sound

I found it rather boring-just a deep hole with fish-nobody knows how deep in the middle of the island.

More dinner!

You can tell a shark got this one by the "ragged edges" per the locals-Barracuda's make a clean line. Either way...

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Moving on to the "Out Islands" by Cindy

Chrissy, Jaime and Sophia barely got moved out of their stateroom, when Sunday, after church, our little Bohemian friend tried to move in! While still in Emerald Bay, we went to a "new kind of" Baptist church! The Ebenezer Union Baptist Church, where the people were friendly and the music lively. Should have brought our Rake 'n Scrape tambourine and we would have fit right in! The lovely lady who was the greeter, gave us a ride home (everybody hitch hikes in the Bahamas and the people are so wonderfully friendly and actually pick you up!) and her children wanted to see the boat, so we brought them aboard for a tour. The little guy just kept saying over and over..."Stay on the 'bo't, stay on the bo't", after the Captain's tongue in cheek offer that we were looking for crew. He was ready to go! Mama had to drag him away as his brother passed him to his sister on the dock!

Hard to say "Goodbye" to Emerald Bay Marina-best Marina yet on our trip for the past 11 months

We left Emerald Bay on Monday, crossing over to Cat Island, Bahamas, which is about 50 miles long and has several "settlements", so they're called. We've been to "New Bight", where we saw this awesome Hermitage, after hiking up the highest point in the Bahamas (206 feet), and the view was the best!

Pete getting ready for the hike up to the top, complete with walking stick.

Everything was like miniature size-this is where the Father prayed near the front door

I still can't get over the swimming pigs coming to our dinghy in Staniel Cay, Exumas! Everytime I see one of the photos I'm AMAZED all over again! (Sorry, I ADHD'd on ya!)

Back to the Hermitage...

VIEW FROM THE TOP OF THE HERMITAGE (SEE HD ANCHORED IN FOREGROUND

It looked bigger from down at sea level!

Next day we were off to Fernandez Bay, where I got the "night off" from my regular galley duties, and Kathy, from Island Hop Inn, made us a lovely dinner, including her own special Lobster Bisque, fresh grilled Mahi, and an amazing peanut-butter-chocolate mousse pie!! We'll definitely be going back for another visit next year! What a beautiful anchorage too!

Next we sailed to Orange Creek and at this writing, we are in a little "hallway" playing on the internet. Meanwhile, right outside this crusty old building connected to the "grocery store/laundry mat" next door, is the most AMAZING scenery you could ever ask for. It just seems so odd-God's indescribable beauty surrounded by dilapidated trashed out buildings where nobody lives to enjoy it?? You see that over and over in the Bahamas-amazing beauty and yet a lot of broken dreams, destroyed homes and empty resorts in many places that are absolutely breathtaking. Too bad, more people should really see the natural beauty here. Guess it's partly the, shall I say, "untidy" surroundings with trash all along the roads and yards and homes unkept, many with boards and broken windows from storms long passed, some still inhabited, apparently a lot of poverty.

Here was our "hall way" couch-looks pretty nice (from a distance-don't zoom too close)...just sitting in an empty hallway of an old apt. building, Pete's doing his "ting"-Bahama style wifi-worky!

while right across the street, sits HD waiting for our return

We dinghy'd around town

not much to see

So we went back to HD...and this! Spectacular!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

(OOPS, forgot earlier post) ECLSP and Staniel Cay by Cindy/Pete

******Wow, I just found this in my drafts...maybe parts already posted, but parts not, I'm sure. This is from BEFORE we got to George Town, so now blogging is officially caught up and "real time".

After spending a few days at the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park (ECLSP), we finally arrived at Staniel Cay in the central Exumas. A thriving metropolis of 80, it seemed to "have it all" compared to what we've seen for the past week or so. Still trying to get caught up on our blogging without internet being available for so long! All islands had amazingly clear water and many hues of beautiful blues. Sharks are plentiful around all the docks, it must be that they are getting fed by visitors. We see three foot rays on the bottom while touring around in the dingy.

But let's go back to the park for a few shots. It's a protected area 22 miles long with several islands, mostly uninhabited, although, we heard Johnny Depp owns one of them and (JIC you were planning a big event) he rents the entire island out, complete with 5 cottages for only $325,000!

Every day is perfect weather; not hot nor cool. Bathing suits during the day and a nice cool breeze for sleeping sweeps through the open hatches at night.

Nice anchorage well protected from the Easterly and southerly winds. The beach has pigs that when they hear the outboard motor they jump ion the water and come to visit looking for handouts. One tried to get up close and personal with Cin.

Tomorrow*** we head for what is expected to be the most populated town in this part of the islands with a large contingent of cruisers. Georgetown is rumored to have a real grocery store, hardware store, and other cruiser friendly services that we have mostly not have since leaving the Keys two weeks ago.
We will go through Dotham Cut from the banks side of the islands to the ocean for the 50NM trip south.
We expect to make Georgetown our headquarters for hosting Chrissy, Jaime, Sophia and Tara during the next month.
***Since we've already been here in George Town for 2 weeks by the time I added the pics to this one-here's some pics of what we've been up to in George Town so far.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

SGS Meets HD at Last by "Gigi" & "Opa"

Exuma airport was a busy place last Monday as we bid Tara farewell as she returns to school and welcomed Chrissy, Jaime and Sophia for their first visit to HD. We had some time all together as we introduced Aunt Tara to her niece for her first hugs and kisses before heading back to Georgetown and

lunch at Eddie's Edgewater, affectionately known as "Fast Eddies" to us.

HD was at anchor across the harbor which was still quite rough from the front that had just passed so the girls took the water taxi across and Jaime and I filled our three 6 gallon jugs of water at the Exuma Market dingy dock and headed to HD against the wind/waves.

Jaime's first introduction to sailing was a thorough soaking before even getting on the sail boat which I'm guessing was a welcome deprive from the dingy ride.

Now all assembled on HD we could enjoy our time together for a short five days.

Starting with....

The "Star of the Show" in George Town, Exumas

Finally, after four long months of not being able to hold her, Opa and Gigi fell in love with Sophia all over again this past week... How could we not? She's SOOOOO adorable! Look at these shots-we have hundreds more just as beautiful. She loves to smile at Opa's duck quacking and Gigi's "Pillow Puppet" actually made her belly laugh out loud!

Upon arrival, Opa shows Sophia her new bed...a lee cloth, like Mummy had long ago-all decorated in PINK, but never to be slept in...It's better by the generator to hum her to sleep!

I do not know what happened with this giggle video, but it's not working out for me with the videos so far. Looks kinda cool tho, all digitized. I like it. You'd really like the video, maybe I can post it on Facebook. I'll try later.

They left her alone with me...we had to play dress-up!

Tara's George Town Birthday by Cindy

****NOTE-LATE POSTING. Tara already left Monday...almost a week ago! Oops-a little late...

****Tara arrived Thursday and is already leaving in the morning! Whoa-the time flew by...now tomorrow we send her off and welcome Sophia Gabrielle, Chrissy and Jaime on the same trip to the airport! Tara gets to meet her new niece for the first time...Here's some shots from Tara's visit.