Date 3-7-10
Position 23 29.373 N 075 44.510W
Location Red Shanks, (Georgetown)
"Captain Carbuncle"
Well it has been a while since the last update, but we have been out of communication areas for some time!
From Georgetown we headed for the Jumentos with Kokopelli via Hog Cay Cut. It was a nice sail down and we plan on staying for a few days until the weather makes us seek protection from the west. The fronts have been coming through about every three to four days. Which is very unusual for this area, the easterly trades is the norm, with occasional cold fronts with clocking winds.
After a couple of days of diving at Water Cay it was time to look for protection from the next front which promised to be strong with 20-30 knt from the west to northwest, then clocking to the north. The closet and best spot to hide is down at Raccoon Cay, on the southeast side in "Man'O War Bay. It was a motor sail down the outside of the chain, with calm seas and a bit of wind, and no fish to be found!!
We get tucked in to Man O' War and await the next front in a day. On the way down are more friends on four other boats: S/V Wind Lass, (we know them from other yrs.), S/V Naked Sail, SV Poco Loco, and, M/V Cloud Nine. As they are on the way down the winds really pick up and they get the Hell beat out of them with unpredicted winds of 25-35 Knts with seas of 8-10. Luckily all make it safely in to the small cove where we are and all is well with a welcome bonfire on the beach to welcome them.
Now the bad news, for me any way. It seems that while in G-Town I was developing an infection under the skin, similar to a boil. Against Diane's recommendation I would not go to the local clinic, bad move!!!!!!!! The infection developed into a carbuncle, which developed multiple exit points, with LARGE chunks of infection coming from the exit points. It could become a very serious issue if the Staph was to spread to the blood system or the bone. I was informed of this from a nurse on "Naked Sail". The treatment consisted of taking a cue tip and shoving it through the tunnels from exit point to exit point, with beta dine and peroxide, then packing the tunnels with sterile gauze using tweezers to push the gauze in. The next day pull the gauze out and repeat. The openings ended up being .5 inch in diameter and .75 inches deep, and the swelling 4 inches by 3 inch.
The wound was not getting better, so we called the only clinic around, which is located in Duncan Town. The nurse looked at the spot and said I really needed to see the doctor, which by chance was making her monthly visit the following day. The doctor was very concerned and lanced the tunnels. The slices were 1 inch deep and 3 inch long. This made the packing much easier. She gave me antibiotics and told us to watch it very carefully and stay out of the water.
Well we are now pinned down in Duncan town by the weather AGAIN! After a few days the wound is not getting much better and we are running out of medical supplies, so we have to return to Georgetown.
At the same time as this is happening to me Jerry on "Poco Loco" fell and broke his are and had to be flown out from Duncan Town. So the fleet now has a vessel with no captain. We all decide to take "Poco", (the boat), back to G-town at the same time as we are going.
The fleet consisted of "Naked Sail", "Cloud Nine", "Poco Loco", and "Wind Lass". We decided to do an over night to White Cay. It took us 21 hours to get there and 98 miles. We caught a few hours and made the last 18 miles to G-Town the next day.
Back in G-Town I went back to the doctor, and she decided to lance it some more!!!!!!!!
And we are still here waiting for her to release me so we can go SOMEWHERE!!!!!!! I can't thank Tabby enough for the great care she gave me! With Tabby's and Diane's help I think I am now on the mend, with only a couple of more weeks of no swimming!!!!!!!!! And a new title "Captain Carbuncle"