by Jen
03/19/2010, George Town, Exumas

Ok, Ok! I know that while I sit on my boat and enjoy the scenery of the Bahamas we are really only about 100 miles from the US. Still, it feels foreign! I have the passport stamp as solid proof. It definitely looks different than our home on the Chesapeake Bay, the water being the first sign. But it seems everything is so different here.

The sky is huge! It stretches uninterrupted in every direction and is most magnificent at night when the stars come on watch. We try really hard to stay up that late! The setting sun competes with itself alone by rising every morning performing the tried and true, but still dazzling awakening that calls us to liven. These beautiful islands emerge from the sea with a strong foundation prepared to foot an uninhabited paradise, luring us to explore. The jagged rock and coral coastline, what I would assume volcanic formations to resemble, give way to the silkiest, velvety smooth sand that I have ever tread upon.

I have not lost my fascination with the water; instead it has grown stronger with each day. Whenever we are in the dinghy, going here, going there, I pester Maxwell to slow down so that I can look below. I have seen the largest starfish imaginable! They live in harmony with the stingrays, conch and colorful fish. Even with the Barracuda who like to stalk snorkelers. We have now learned the varying depths with just a slight change in the blue of the water.

The culture of the Bahamian people is simple, kind and giving. They really cater to us as visitors but not in a service oriented manner. Instead, they open their businesses, churches and sometimes homes to the sailing traveler just as they are. They have a laid back attitude, always with a smile and "hello." Every settlement we have visited has given us the same experience. We were exploring the small town in Staniel Cay and saw a building that read Bakery on the sign. So we walked up, opened the screen door and found ourselves smack dab in the middle of a woman's kitchen! I felt a little awkward at first until I saw the 20-25 loaves of bread on the table cooling right in front of us. The big woman wearing a floury shirt greeted us and said, "All I have is cinnamon raisin in bags but the wheat is still warm." Maxwell and I looked at each other, probably thinking the same thing...warm bread, yummy! We gladly chose the perfectly brown, warm, light and fluffy wheat bread! Before we made it back to the dinghy we had eaten nearly half of the loaf, tearing off pieces like vultures. It was the best bread ever!

Hitch hiking has proven to be our way of travel. This is something that we would never have dreamed of doing back in the US. It is as simple as sticking out your thumb for the first car that passes. Someone always stops and takes you as far as they are going. Simply perfect.

We are looking forward to the future while exploring the rest of our chosen path through the Bahamas. We are especially excited about heading farther South next year when we plunge into the Caribbean.

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by Jen
03/16/2010, George Town, Exumas

I am not sure if we have shared our long-term cruising plans. When I say long term, I am speaking of the next few years. Our Bahamas trip was planned as the "shake down" cruise. We spent nine months in 2009 preparing Anastasia and planning our cruising adventure. We were not naïve enough to think that we thought of everything needed. That is why we plan to head back North to the states for the summer. We hope to spend a week or so in the Chesapeake Bay in May doing quick re-fits and then continue on North. We really want to make it as far as Maine before turning back South. That is our "Northern Goal." The trip South will bring us once more to the Chesapeake Bay, this time for a bit longer.

On our "shake down" we have found a few things we want to add/change. We have figured out which stores we need and don't need, what we like to eat and don't like. I have already started my "Provisions" list. Whenever one of us says, "I wish we had..." I write it down. Also, there are a lot of things we are looking to shed.

In the Fall Anastasia will need to be hauled for a bottom job among other things. I would really like to get a hold on some of this bright work! I found that our 1000-watt Honda generator is not strong enough to power the heat gun, which has really blown out the flame of my motivation. I hesitate to use the sander alone as it distributes sandy, varnishy, nasty dust everywhere! I spend more time on clean up than the actual job. We plan to upgrade.

After the work is done, (loose term) we will once again say our goodbyes to family, friends and home in search of blue waters. The plan (again, loose term) is to cruise South via the Western Caribbean. Cayman Islands, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia are all possible destinations. Maybe this time next year, Cuba will be open to Americans and we will hit that too. Call your Congressman!

We hope to depart at least a month earlier than we did last year. We endured far too much cold weather for our liking. Sometime around early October is our goal.

We have learned so much on this trip and it is amazing to remember where we were last year at this time. We have grown together as crew and true teammates and are looking forward to the future, whatever it holds.

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by Jen
03/08/2010, Long Island, Bahamas

Well, we are leaving Clarence Town tomorrow heading back to George Town for my parent's visit. We are really excited to see them! Our friends Chad & Nicole caught a huge mahi mahi today and shared it with us! I swear that this is the biggest fish that I have ever seen in person! When we have a better internet connection, I promise to write more.

Until then!

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by Jen
02/28/2010, Clarence Town Long Island, Bahamas

We LOVE Long Island! This is one of the larger islands in the Bahamas. It is 80 miles long and 4 miles wide. The local population is around 4,000! Much more than Rum Cay, our last stop. Some other interesting facts: 165 miles SE of Nassau, 300 miles from Florida.

For the past week we have been anchored in the Clarence Town Harbor with no more than 4-5 other boats the whole time. This anchorage is one of the most beautiful so far rivaling, in my opinion, that of Warderick Wells Cay. The only drawback has been the weather. It seems that every third day we are kept on the boat due to a threatening cold front bringing high winds and rain. We are told that this is extremely uncommon weather for the Bahamas during this time of year.

In the last entry I told you about our farewell wishes to our pals aboard Foxglove. Their journey is leading them further South and we were thrilled to find them anchored here in Clarence Town. We thought that they would be long gone but those pesky cold fronts have been holding them hostage. Lucky for us we have been able to hang out with them and also other new friends traveling with them, Shaka and Virage all week.

When the mornings are calm all of the fellas go fishing on the ocean side. The lead photo is Maxwell with his first lobster! It was very tasty! In the afternoons we tend to have a happy hour on our private beach, munching on fresh conch fritters, grouper fingers, mahi mahi, and lobster wrapped in bacon all while dancing around a roaring campfire. For dessert, you can choose fresh brownies, kettle corn or everyone's favorite: campfire marshmallows!

We have really enjoyed the company of our friends, new and "old." (If you have known each other at least a month then you are old friends.) Shaka and Virage are both families of four. Aboard Shaka is JC & Isabel and on Virage is François and Julianne. Their little people are quizzing Maxwell and I on our French of which I have to say Maxwell is much better. Both of these boats have sailed down from Quebec together and are headed to Cuba with Foxglove. After Cuba Virage is heading back North so we may meet again in our trek along the coast.

On Wednesday, Sinead and I went ashore exploring Clarence Town. What an enchanting settlement! On Long Island, farming is a big way of life, much more than the other islands. Sinead showed me the packing house where the farmers bring their goods to package and send out to the other islands for sale. The neat thing is that you can buy there too. I picked up a dozen green tomatoes, some bananas, plantains, peppers, and a papaya.

I have to mention our tour guide through the town. He was of a short stature and walked kinda fast but was very loyal. Every stop we made he waited patiently outside ready to walk us somewhere else. His name was Happy and it was a perfect name as he was just that. Happy is a black and white Boston Terrier that belongs to one of the locals but loves everyone. Even people he does not know. He guided us along the road stopping only to sniff the bushes and a tire now and again. He was a delight.

On Friday, we all ventured ashore. All twelve of us! Our destination was Thompson Bay, 40 miles North. So, for the first time in my life, I hitch hiked! We all did! It was great fun. Just stick out your finger and the first car/truck to come along will always stop to offer a lift. We rode in about six different vehicles throughout the day up and back. The local people are so kind and friendly. Some even gave us history on the sights as we rode along. It was a great way to travel.

We plan to be here for a few more days until we will head back NW toward George Town to meet my Parents. We are really looking forward to their visit...and also a hot shower in their rented cottage!

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by Jen
02/20/2010, Rum Cay, Bahamas

I must apologize for the lapse in blog frequency and also content over the past month. It was not because of a lack of Internet as we found more ways to "hook up" in George Town than anywhere else in the Exuma chain. While we were in George Town I rarely felt in the mood to write any blog entries. It was strange because up until we arrived there I was always seeing things and wanting to put our experiences down on paper. Whether I was sitting on the bow along the ICW on watch for floating logs or relaxing in the cockpit enjoying a rare but much welcomed rain passing through the Exumas, I am always compelled to share the simple beauty.

This morning I sit aboard Anastasia enjoying my much-missed inspiration all around me. We are anchored along the South coast of Rum Cay. Well protected from the NE winds forecasted for the next day or so. Yesterday we ventured ashore to explore this tiny town. And it is just that...tiny, roughly sixty people in the island! The mail boat arrived two days ago bringing the island a week's supply of fresh food and other necessities. We stocked up on bananas, eggs and some limes. We also filled our five-gallon gas can needed for the outboard engine at $6 per GALLON! GASP! Good thing we only needed the five gallons.

One very sad and devastating thing we came across upon anchoring here in the harbor was a sailboat on the reef. Upon further inspection we found it to be a French-Canadian friend we met while in George Town. He had engine problems while navigating the tricky channel lined with dangerous coral reefs and found himself hard aground and sinking. He lost control of the boat when the rudder broke off but thankfully he is safe. It is a sobering sight to see his boat lying sideways, now a new part of the reef. I imagine the island will have a salvage company remove it and drag it out to sink properly in the Atlantic waters not even a mile away but thousands of feet deep. It cannot be a good advertisement for the local marina.

It is also here in Rum Cay that we waved tearful goodbyes to our friends aboard Foxglove. They are headed farther South for Cuba, Costa Rica & Panama. We met them in Nassau and became fast friends as we hopped down the Exuma Chain, popping up unplanned in the same anchorages. Two days ago, sailing East from George Town to Rum was the first time we sailed side by side. Our boats match well with similar displacement and hull speed.

Saying goodbye has to be one of the hardest parts of cruising. So far we have met some great friends that would be lifelong companions under normal circumstances. However, our floating lifestyle takes us all in different directions bringing farewell sentiments so much earlier than we care for.

Yesterday, Maxwell decided to go for a short fishing trip on the nearby reef. With the random dinghy traffic in the harbor I decided to stay in the dinghy as a look out for safety. While still in Florida we picked up a Hawaiian Sling (spear) that has turned out to be a great tool in reef fishing. He has gotten quite good at the technique and speared a Yellow Jack in the first fifteen minutes yesterday. He tells me that it is definitely a sport as the fish see you and scram into their protected crevices very quickly. If I hadn't called him in, he would have been out there for hours.

To keep me occupied, I have picked up basket weaving as a pastime. It is a technique that the local Bahamian women developed using palms to make the baskets they sell in the straw markets. It is time consuming and at first I did not enjoy it but after a few attempts, I have really mastered the method and developed my own variations.

We are really not sure where we will go from here. Our original plan was to head East to San Salvador but we may show up in Clarence Town, Long Island or even the Acklins Group of islands. At this point, our only commitment is to be back in the George Town area for my parent's visit mid-March. Right now we are enjoying the serenity of this small oasis and will push off when the either the spirit or weather moves us.

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by Jen
02/15/2010, George Town, Exumas

The lead photo is Maxwell's parents on the scooter in front of us!

Under normal circumstances we set our anchor and settle in for a few days in each anchorage then move on to another destination. We have now been here in George Town since January 24th!! Our plan when we arrived was to stay here a few days, case the joint, and then pop over to Long Island for a bit before we would need to be back here for Maxwell's Parent's visit. Well, we never got to Long Island and have been here for what seems like forever! We got suck in this time warp where there was not enough time to go anywhere, so we stayed, stuck in this "seasonal society."

For many cruisers this is the end of the line on their trip South. They arrive here some time in late December, drop the hook and stay until March or April when it is time to migrate North again. Year after year these "veterans" make the voyage to George Town, take their places on random committees, play volleyball daily, and colonize the cruising community into an organized list of volunteers selling t-shirts, teaching classes, and attending weekly trivial pursuit.

This is too much for us! Don't get me wrong. The first week was cool. But at this point, we have been here too long! The organization is killing us! We need a break from the structure! One of the reasons we are taking this trip is to escape the trappings of modern society and here it is all around us! Will you be at the knot-tying seminar today? Will you be attending poker tonight? Don't forget the cruisers net in the morning, broadcast at 8AM with all of the important details of the day's activities!

What happened to paradise and all of it's natural beauty? Why does it have to be colonized by cruisers?

Final verdict: George Town is a cool place to visit but if you are looking for the raw beauty of the Bahamas, it is not here. Only a bunch of displaced boaters who have claimed it as their "seasonal society."

Shifting gears: We are really enjoying the visit from Maxwell's parents! It is so nice to see them! We have tried to stay busy with exploring every day. We rented scooters to explore the South side of the island and it was a blast. What a way to get around! We just had to remember, KEEP LEFT! They drive on the "wrong" side of the road down here.

At the end of the week we will make our much anticipated departure from George Town over to Long Island and then on to Conception and San Salvador.

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