02/09/2010, Thompson Bay, Long Island

January 29th, 2010 Thompson Bay, Long Island
We didn't really do too much today. After the nets Kathy spent some time puttering and cleaning the stove.
The Ministry of Tourism was sponsoring a party tonight at the Island Breeze in honor of the "Winter Residents" and cruisers were invited as well. Although food and drinks are free, we were asked to bring a salad or desert so I made a batch of brownies to take along.
Around 2pm I took the dinghy in to the Island Breeze to help Mike set up for the party. I carried tables, erected tents for a couple of hours before returning to "Sapphire."
At 6 we dinghied back just as the program was beginning. There were remarks by local politicians, and various Ministry Officials with elementary students reciting poetry. After an hour of so speeches, some well prepared, some not so, the rum punch table opened and there was a huge line for food. There were chicken wings, conch fritters, and grouper fingers left by the time we made it to the front.
There was a reasonably good band and there always a few brave souls on the dance floor. We spent another hour or so talking to other cruisers before heading back to the boat where we watched the movie "Longitude" which I had seen years ago on PBS.

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Mike
02/09/2010, Thompson Bay, Long Island

January 28th, 2010 Thompson Bay, Long Island
After coffee, I finished reading a book and then began the process of transferring fuel from our jerry cans to the main tank. We were down about 20 gallons and had about 12 on hand to move. I needed to go into Long Island Petroleum after lunch to pick up our filled propane tank anyway and though I would pick up fuel at the same time.
Next, I pulled the spark plugs from the old outboard and filled each cylinder with oil to avoid rust until such a time as I get the parts and get it running. Until then it will be stored in the one of our anchor lockers which are usually damp.
We also had some cheese in the refrigerator that needed to be used so I made a batch of mac and cheese for lunch.
In the afternoon we took the dinghy into town. I dropped off Kathy at Long Island Breeze and continued on to the gas station. After loading up three jerry cans with diesel, our new 6 gallon gas tank, and loading our propane tank, I returned back to the Island Breeze to find Kahty.
On the way back we stopped at "Savage Son" to invite them over for snacks and beers and after an hour or so of cleaning up and taking care of fuel, they arrived. During the course of conversation, Bob said that he could cure my bad elbow...(which I hurt last summer pruning trees an mom's house) so we returned with them for treatment....and to watch them eat dinner.
Bob, an orthopedic surgeon in an earlier life, dug out a needle found the spot in my elbow that hurt and gave me a shot. The pain went away. We stayed too long but made it back to the boat without incident. (it's much easier with a motor that idles).

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01/28/2010, Thompson Bay, Long Island

January 27th, 2010 Thompson Bay, Long Island
Mike from Long Island Breeze does a Cruiser's Net at 8:30 am and when it was finished I called to ask when I should meet him to make the 10 mile trek up to Simms where the mail boat ties up. He was said that he needed to go early and that I should head in immediately.
I was there in 10 minutes, but in that time there had been a change in plans and I had some time to kill. I snooped around the grounds for an hour, helped Mike unload the frozen items that a friend had brought down from the mail boat, and waited as the fire extinguisher company went through the buildings.
Finally we were off in his flatbed. Mike had some business in the northern end of the island so he dropped me at the government dock to watch our new outboard and to make sure that their produce wasn't unloaded from the cooler until he returned.
The Place was a zoo...the mail boat "Island Link" was backed into the only well at the pier and was empty when I arrived. Its cargo was all loaded in 6 semi-trailers and one flatbed. They had been removed from the ship and were lined up on the opposite side of the parking lot. On the perimeter of the lot which was about 50 yards square, there were probably 10 or 12 flat bed trucks ready to be loaded. Their drivers were milling around like old home week... if must be similar to market day back in the 1800's. One corner of the lot was reserved for folks waiting to grab smaller deliveries. Some had lawn chairs a few had beers.
No one was in any hurry whatsoever... except for the hi-lo driver... and there was only one. He was dressed in long pants...as was everyone else except for me. His were camouflage and he wore brand new high top converse and a red shirt. He was everywhere. He'd grab a palett from a semi and spin it toward the correct flatbed. If it was a mixed pallet, he dropped it in the corner where it was separated and parceled out to into three areas which represented the northern, central and southern sections of the island.
I watched everything imaginable unloaded and reloaded for an hour and a half...mattresses, palm trees, hundreds of bags of cement, lumber, meat, an electric drum set, case after case of bleach.

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