Wed. 17 APRIL 2019 – Man O War cay…. Sunny – prepare for sea day
We have time, but today is “prepare for sea day”… the weather for Sunday, might provide an opportunity to go north, thru the “whale cay” cut… toward Green Turtle cay, and HOME…(to the USA)… not necessarily in “ONE SWOOP”.
But… This coming Friday the forecast is for near gale force winds, following a rainy FRONT… on Thursday… PM… SO………….. today is “get beneath AB… and clean the prop; clean the hull (light brushing with terry-cloth towel…), and basically inspect…
It’s also the last “water RUN day”….in that we’ve been making water (which is good for the water-maker), but we’ve just been making enough to KEEP UP with the daily usage…. (because of the limited use of the generator, or main engine… (in the harbor, with sunny, windy days….)… NO GENERATOR or engine = no watermaker run….
(Rarely will we get enough wind AND SUN at the same time to run the water-maker without some mechanical device running).
Monday , Kathy Davis, Susan and I took the G&L ferry from MOW cay to Marsh Harbor for shopping, and brief tour… WELL……………. Interesting day…
Susan and I had never been to Marsh Harbor… and wanted to SEE IT, at least ONCE…. It turns out.. Once is enough… It’s big, and spread out… IF you’re ON FOOT… it seems even bigger… We also did not realize that the G&L ferry dock is on the Boat Harbor side of the island.. .NOT in the Marsh Harbor harbor!!!! It’s about 3 miles away from the center of town… SO……….we took a cab into town…
After a brief encounter with a bank…we walked to lunch at SNAPPA’s bar and grille… on the harbor…
Then, we hit the Liquor store, and Maxwell’s grocery for shopping… GOOD thing I brought the 2-wheeled PULL cart… Heavy STUFF…. (MOW cay is a ‘dry island’)… so IF you want to re-supply with booze…you sort of have to take the ferry, or your boat to another island).
We returned to the G&L ferry dock early… so we got a beer, and water… Then sat and talked to MAX (our ferry driver from the Great Guana (Barefoot man concert-tour) trip, a week or so ago….
His local knowledge , and family history was amazing…. Turns out, His grandfather was OUR ferry driver that day, and we had eaten in his cousin’s restaurant a bunch of times…. (seems nearly everyone is related here, in one way or another… ) ;)

Yesterday, in the “get ready for sea” mode, Susan and I put the SUP (stand-up-paddle) board back on AB.. and secured same… then did TRASH Run before assisting our neighbor, Dave Wright with securing the William H Aubrey (schooner) for the coming summer – rainy - hurricane season. Dave’s leaving the island Friday… and had to get the new masts “wrapped” and weather-protected…and “STUFF” (tools, etc.) transferred back to the main boat from the firestation (work area)…
Then… Susan and I went to the s/v LOLLYGAGGER to measure for “00” cabling to go from start battery system to the Generator… BUT as it turns out… the cost of the cabling prohibited the work HERE in the islands…. WELL over twice the cost of the same materials back in the USA….
Last evening we sailed with DAVE W. from the Eastern Harbor down to the main harbor, on the “s/v LADY DI”…. No engine, and fluky winds… It was great fun… being on a very small sailing vessel again…
When the wind gave up, DAVE would say “Give me the YELLOW PINE motor”… (meaning a sculling OAR), which by the way, he was VERY GOOD at using.
After the sail with DAVE W… we got drinks, and motored over to our neighbor boat “s/v ON-Assignment”… (John and Kate)…. They had a house very near the Chautauqua Institute… in NY… I told them we knew it well… my engineering company, including myself designed and assisted in the construction of the water and sewage treatment facilities there, and much of the institutes infrastructure… Spent a lot of time there…
NICE evening…. They invited Dave W. over too…. And He did his famous… “ODE to Diane” (rusty anchor chain)…. While he was there.  fun time.
OK…. Time to get on with this day…. Late breakfast… because I was trying to piece together this coming weather, and how it will effect our travels.
More later.