Mike Is Here

Mike Jacobs arrived in Marsh Harbor at 7 AM on Thursday. He was delayed a day because of a late flight out of Minneapolis and then again in Orlando. It worked out good because the weather here was pretty bad. You can see the sundown picture with the sun setting into the smoke because they have had big forest fires on this island for the last few weeks. The wind has been howling for the last few days and we were expecting and we did get gale force winds on Friday morning.

Mike is here to sail with me back to the USA. Since we couldn't leave right away we went over to Hope Town so Mike could see the coolest of the cruising destinations. We had a great time and I got to be "tour guide" again. We ran into Di and a few other old friends when we stopped into the Edge restaurant and had some Conch patties and then went to the Coffee House for some great coffee.

Mike is pointing at the "castle" which was build by a famous Marsh Harbor resident who became the doctor of the islands many years ago.

Our sail plan is to sail April 2 and hope to get around "The Whale" which includes a passage that can be bad if the weather isn't just right. It looks good now but we will make the real decision when we can actually see the passage.

Once beyond the Whale Cay Passage we will stay at Spanish Cay or someplace close and then sail to Great Sale Cay and then to West End. I figure we can stay in West End for a few days if necessary to get good weather for crossing the stream.

Back To The Bahamas

Our work is done here so its time to get back to Marsh Harbor. My flight leaves MSP at 6 AM.

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Back to Minnesota

I leave for Minnesota tomorrow and will be there until the 29th. Therefore I will not be posting to this Blog until I return to the Bahamas although I will read new comments and respond to questions. When I return I will leave Marsh Harbor and sail to Hope Town to hang on a mooring for a while. Hope Town is a fun destination and well located for snorkeling and fishing.

My reason for returning to Minnesota is that Mac and Jenny are expecting a baby and I want to be home when it happens. I have also been counting the days in anticipation of seeing Bev and the rest of my family and friends.

I have Summer Snow all secured, through-hulls closed, and everything powered down except the automatic bilge pump. This marina is very secure and a number of people have volunteered to keep an eye on her.

Sleepless in Bahama

A cold front came through last night and the wind blew 30+ all night. Summer Snow rocked and rolled even though she is securely tied in her slip. The rocking rolling doesn't bother me much anymore but you never seem to get over the creaks and odd noises of a sailboat straining on her lines. Then there is the unexplained POP that startle you out of the rack because you swear the gurgling sounds are now coming from inside the boat. You grab the always ready flashlight and turn on all the interior lights but find nothing. Then you peer out the hatch and see that all your lines are good and your neighbors boat looks OK (his lights are on too) so you crawl back into the rack and try to sleep again.

The morning is bright and cool (upper 60's to lower 70's) so you grind some beans and brew a big pot of coffee. You call Bev on Skype to find out what she's up to today and then it's time for the Cruisers Net on VHF 68. It'll be another good day with a nice walk and maybe a short nap this afternoon. Maybe I'll start that new book I just bought. Those boat projects will just have to wait for the wind to die down.

Island Time

Some of the cruising guides I have read talk about "island time". They imply that you must be aware of the idea that things may not happen on schedule like they did back in the "States". That the locals don't look at schedules the same as we do. I have not found that to be accurate here in the Abacos. My friend Joseph has been not only on time but often early when I needed to go someplace. Troy, the marina owner, and I were talking about boat maintenance yesterday and he emphasized how important timely maintenance is. On the other hand, the cruisers here may be up at the crack of 8 but you usually don't see any on the dock until after 9 AM and if there is a schedule or plan for the day it must be flexible because people are always asking each other "what day is it?" and 5 o'clock quitting time seems to happen at 3 PM .

I'm OK with this but the other day Bev and I had our own time issue. Her flight left at 8:05 so we figured we should get up at 5:45 AM so we had time for showers and taxi. I asked Joseph to pick us up at Harbor View at 7 so we were covered there. I don't have an alarm clock on Summer Snow but not to worry, I can set an alarm on my "smart phone", right? I set the alarm and we hit the hay. The alarm went off as set and we are both up but real groggy. We stumble around and get ready to walk to the shower and ...hmmm my watch says it's only 1 AM... what's going on ?? I check the only other time appliance, my laptop, and sure enough it's really 1 AM. Darn!! Double Darn!! How could this happen? My Droid X has let me down, this can't be. Well, guess what, the phone syncs the time from a cell tower and the nearest cell tower is in Florida, a couple of hundred miles away. When I booted up the phone it had no reference for time so it just started at midnight. So lesson learned is "smart phones still need smart people."

Getting Around

Getting from point A to point B in Bahama is not straight forward. I knew that moving from island to island with the sailboat would take some planning and time and works well in many instances but what I had not melded into the process was sailing into a very crowded harbor after dark and picking up a mooring buoy somewhere in the middle while alone or with a inexperienced crew. Well, we can deal with this. There is the ferry or we can always wait for first light, right? Right, but then timing becomes an issue with flights and all. The last ferry from Marsh Harbor to Hope Town is at 5:45 PM and the earliest ferry from Hope Town leaves Hope Town at 8:00 AM (or so).

The flight deal is easier to deal with. The Marsh Harbor International Airport is a short taxi ride ($15) to town. I knew the airport would not be a Minneapolis/St. Paul International airport but I figured it would be kind of like the Rochester, MN airport. Think again. It's OK and serves the purpose; There is a customs place in the airport but it is kind of tiny with outdoor waiting. It is safe and clean so not a big deal. Actually the size of the airplanes kind of match the size of the airport. The good news is that my friend Joseph (the taxi guy) gave me his cell phone number and is willing to pick up people any time - any where so one phone call and we're covered. So when guests get their flights all arranged we'll deal with the issues.

Most people rent golf carts to get around on islands like Elbow Cay. Some of the neat restaurants and beaches are on the far end of the island so the golf cart becomes the "family car". They have head lights, tail lights that work sometimes, and a horn so you can go all over the island day or night. You can even cram 6 people onto a 4 person cart at night with no tail lights and the tires don't blow and the cars behind you don't run you down, not that we would do such a thing coming back from a nightclub on the far side of the island where they were allegedly having a Junkanoo New Years Eve to get to the big Junkanoo in MH but I don't remember doing that so it must have been someone else.

My folding bike has proven to be really handy. You can walk to the supermarket or hardware store in Marsh Harbor but lugging stuff back to the boat without some kind of cart or bike is a real bummer. I have strapped a box on the back of my bike and problem solved :>) The folding bike is good for market trips but is not real fun to ride. If I had my Canondale here I would ride for fun but I don't so my favorite exercise is still walking.

Many people rent power boats for running between islands or to run to outside reefs for snorkeling. The dinghy isn't quite enough for the distance between islands etc. There are also many dive/snorkel outfits that take customers to the prime spots. They know the great spots and have boats that are easy to get on and off out on the reef.

The Bahama Experience

What words would I use to describe my experiences in the Bahamas? The words that come to mind are Friendly, Safe, Gentle and Comfortable. I am in the "out islands" and it is rural with small towns and therefore very different from New Providence Island and Nassau. Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas and is a very large city with the tourist-friendly experiences you would expect but also with the crime and poverty found in most large cities. Of course you can stay in the tourist zones and stay insulated from the less desirable areas just as you can in any big city. I didn't sail all the way to the islands to experience big city life or some "kind of real" Disney like tourist place.

The people that I have met and interacted with have been super friendly. Back home in Minnesota we often wave from car to car when we encounter someone we know but in the Bahamas you wave at everyone, not just a "index finger" wave but a whole hand wave with a smile. And everyone says "Good Morning", or "Good Afternoon", or "Hello, how are you?" to EVERYONE, not just people you have met. This takes a little getting used to but soon becomes natural and fun.

All the islands I have been to have been very safe. I still tend to lock things up when I leave for extended periods but it appears that few people lock up their dinghy or their boat. All the Marinas have security such as gates and keys but you just don't hear about any crime and you don't see much of a police presence. Of course on a small island you have very little room to hide any stolen property, I mean, if you steal a car or golf cart you can only run a couple of miles and you're out of road and island so where are you going to hide? Plus it seems that everyone knows everyone with such a small population (2/3 of the Bahamian population lives in Nassau while only 4 or 5 thousand live in Marsh Harbor).

The Bahamas are very Christian and rather conservative. They generally dress conservative with a kind of casual business look, very few shorts or revealing dresses although some very fashionable types. We tourists are all over the place as you may expect. Most businesses close on Sunday and the only radio station I can get plays church services and Christian music all day on Sunday. The Christian music has a great island flavor and the church services reflect the Bahama culture which is 80 percent black. Many churches are represented and while there is a Lutheran presence, I have not found it yet. I suspect they are huddled together someplace practicing waving at strangers ;>)


The people we meet seem gentle because the people are so friendly and kind. You rarely hear harsh or offensive language, in fact, one of the few times we encountered crude language was at a restaurant and it was spouting out from, you probably guessed it, an (ugly) American. Our waitress came over immediately and apologized for the lout. I was hoping he was Canadian but he had a Jersey accent :>(

The comfort level comes from the familiar language, currency, and overall culture. The Bahamian people seem to go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable and having a good time. I realize that their economy is based primarily on tourism but I get the feeling that their attitudes toward others is genuine because it is so universal. I have not seen any evidence of discrimination in their diverse society. Men, women, black, and white seem to work and play together with no apparent walls between jobs and activities. I wonder what their secret is, we've been trying to do that for 150 years and still have problems getting it right.

Merry Christmas

I have had a very nice Christmas day in Marsh Harbor. I miss being with Bev and everyone and I miss the "white" Christmas my family is enjoying in Minnesota but I have met many friendly and interesting people here.

Brock and Brianna came zooming in with a rented 24 ft powerboat just in time to help me turn Summer Snow around so the bow will be facing the big wind predicted for the next two days. I skyped with Mac and family so I did get to talk with most everyone so that was fun.

The marina sponsored a pot luck Christmas dinner so I made a loaf of bread and also some scalloped corn. There was probably 60 or 70 people and the food was fantastic. I ate too much and there was none of my corn and just the heel of my bread left when it was over.

Patrick and Jessica are on the late flight from Ft. Lauderdale and will arrive at 6:50 this evening. I have arranged with my friend Joseph (a taxi guy) to pick me up at 6:30 so we can pick them up.

Boats and Marinas

Most of the boats that are here are sailboats and are here for the winter. I would guess that about half are from Canada with a few from Europe and the rest from the USA. During the peak of the winter season there has been as many as 100 boats in this harbor but the economy has taken its toll here so numbers have been down the last few years. There is very little agriculture or manufacturing in the Bahamas so their major revenue source is tourism and therefore they have really felt the economic downturn.

Of course I am in the Abacos which is less developed than the major tourist ports of Nassau or Free Port. I'm not really into water parks and tourist traps so the Abacos really fits my style. Marinas are about half the cost of similar marinas in Florida and are very nice with swimming pools and restaurants on site. Marsh Harbor has many restaurants and shops along with two large supermarkets.

In the Abacos you can sail to a different island every few days so in a few hours you can experience a whole different flavor of the Bahamas. The second largest coral reef in the world is here so snorkeling and diving are major activities along with all types of ocean fishing. The temperatures here average 70's during the day and 60's during the night. If you are looking for very warm weather you should probably go the the southern Bahamas but I find these temps "just right".

If you come without your own boat there are ferries that provide regular service to most of the populated islands. You can also rent sailboats (Moorings and Sun Sail) or power boats here in Marsh Harbor. I have included a short slide show of powerboats near me in an attempt to make John's day ;>)

Boat Repairs

Everything was in working order when we left Florida but by the time we arrived in Marsh Harbor we had quite a list of necessary repairs.

The "no reverse" problem is fixed. It was just a linkage problem, or I should say, a storage problem. I have this huge spotlight, which really came in handy when we were motoring south on Lake Worth at 3:15 AM, which was stowed in the sail locker. Unfortunately it is so big it was blocking the shift linkage from moving back so I couldn't hit reverse. I have found a new place for it so problem solved.

I put mid-ship cleats on both sides of Summer Snow which will take the place of the sliding cleat that I have been using for the spring line. The sliding cleat is the one that broke when we were docking. I replaced the stock stern line cleats last spring with big 8 inch heavy duty cleats and so I will use the old stern cleats for the new mid-ship cleats. I sure am glad I have my portable drill with!

The toilet became difficult to flush the other day so that became my next project. Brock opted to go to the Internet Cafe while I worked on the toilet. I put on my oldest cutoffs and t-shirt, got out some rubber gloves and my snorkel mask and prepared to do battle with the feared "JOKER VALVE". The joker valve, I don't know who named it that, is the part of a marine toilet that seems to give the most problems because it is the part though which all the "stuff" goes through. Yuck!. My strategy was to dump a few pails of sea water in the toilet and force it through to clean it out as much as possible first. The first bucket was very difficult to get flushed but the second was much easier. I did a third and wa-la, it was back to normal. Yippee!!!

The last project was to replace the broken anchor locker latch. There is a marine supply store in Marsh Harbor so I walked up town to buy a new latch. The store guy was very helpful and pointed out the latch I needed. $65 BUCKS! NO WAY! It's just a little latch, it can't cost that much. I say "thank you very much but I think I'll find a different solution". So back to the boat I go. I have this habit of keeping lots of junk stashed in secret places and that is where I found the old latch that I had bought for the sail locker but never used. It works just fine and actually looks like it belongs there :>)