"Good morning Georgetown. Good morning Cruisers. My name is Herman and this is the eight o'clock cruisers report."
This is how things have been working in our world since we have arrived in George Town. At 8:00 every morning, except for Sunday, this is how our day gets going. First, we get the sailor's version of the weather report for the day (wind speed and direction) and a good part of the week ahead, then commercial ads, any events that are planned for the day, then for the week, community shout outs, items of interest to cruisers; taxi share, safety etc., then new arrivals or departures. Herman on White Wing is the moderator, a volunteer position which usually takes a half hour, and then he signs off with "have a great George Town day". Everyone who has something to sell, buy, or give away will contact each other on Channel 68. Amazing the number of items requested, services offered, and the bartering that goes on between the 300 boats that are here, but in that short while our whole world revolves around each other. Nobody is left out and everybody belongs; a real community on to itself. Who cares if the pope resigned, when we can learn if the doctor will be in town, or that the pump-out boat will not be available until tomorrow at 9:00 AM tomorrow? All a matter of the circle you travel inside.

There has been a change to note though. The jet stream finally found where we are, and arrived approximately the same time as Dorothy and Keith arrived from Toronto. Coincidence? I think not. They are members of Toronto Hydroplane and Sailing Club, as we are, and volunteered last summer to be our guests here and help us for a week to enjoy the beauty of the place. Then again, the week before they left Toronto to come down here, Dorothy sent me pictures of the trees in a park behind her apartment, laden with snow. The weather gods, thinking she was showing us the kind of retreat she would most enjoy, came through with the best they could do. Lowering the temperatures into the low and mid seventies as well as dispatching another "norther" to this area close to the Tropic of Cancer, it made for some strong winds and cool days on the water. On shore though, out of the wind and in the direct sun it was very warm to hot; enough to go swimming and snorkeling, feed the rays, or pin your ears back at an impromptu Cruiser's Jam on Hamburger Beach. Although the days were mostly satisfying warmth-wise, the nights were agreeable to sleep with all the hatches open with the gentle swell rocking us all night long. We filled up the days with plenty to do and see, just being great company. We had a really good time sailing the length of Stocking Island although the incoming swell that day was strong enough to keep us inside the harbour. We had great meals and plenty of laughs and conversation, pancakes for breakfast and Dorothy flambéed bananas and black berries with Grand Marnier for a special treat one evening. Keith became known as "the hose-man" fixing hoses on the macerator and hot water system. What a joy to be with two sailors (and real people) who expect so little and give so much.

Just so you know, we can we sleep with the hatches open and leave the companionway wide open all night, because there are no bugs of any kind! It might be a bit windy at times but we have never seen a mosquito or a no-see-em all down the chain. A real benefit to a human like me, with very thick and tasty blood. We have been asked how we can sleep with the doors wide open. Easy, just put your head on a pillow and in a minute you are rocked gently asleep. We have felt perfectly safe, so much so that we have never put the doors in since we arrived here; day or night. We have been away from the boat some days all day, until late in the evening and have never once ever felt concerned that anyone would ever venture near our boat. I think it is that way with most cruisers, because it is such a close settlement, no one would want to be guilty or even accused of being aboard a boat where they had no business. There are a few hapless souls though, who locks and bolts everything up just for a trip to the beach, within sight of their boat, because either they have been hit before or their possessions are more valuable than ours! Even in town no one locks their dinghy, even leaving groceries in them, along with back packs and life jackets, until they run up to have an ice cream or a quick snack. I have never heard of anyone even losing a toothpick by theft.
Now that the Cruisers annual Festival is over the boats have really thinned out. The "herd mentality" has taken quite a few, but daily we see lone boats heading north or east on their own. The season is winding down and it is very hard to believe that it is almost over. There was a meeting on the beach on Sunday for those heading out to the Dominican, Cuba and the BVIs. I listened in on advice at it was passed along by those who have gone before, mostly what to expect on arrival, although for me that will have to wait for another year. All the boats that we got to know on this trip have left and we now we have that lonesome feeling. Some have joined the herd, either because they don't trust their own skills or the weather, but Banyan, Between the Sheets, Knot Yet, Destiny, Heritage, Cottonwood, and Serendipity are all headed further south or north towards home, on their own. We are waiting for family to arrive and will be doing the same trek before the end of March. Oddly, we are looking forward to it. But,as on they say at the end of Just for Laughs "Oh Mommy, it's over". Well at least it will be at the end of April, and then only until next fall.

We attended the George Town Heritage and Musical Festival and unfortunately forgot to bring my camera. The pictures of a small local fair, with big name musicians from all over the Bahamas, would encompass an explanation of a million words necessary for anyone to write. The local population, most decked out in their Sunday best, enjoying and sharing their culture, food and music with us travellers, cause hip bones to become detached and sway in an uncustomary circular fashion. Oh what a feelin'! The food is customary Bahamian, delicious if and when you can get it. We stood in line for the advertised cracked lobster meal , watching person after person get their order passed over our heads, until everyone who was ahead of, or beside us was gone, but then so was the cracked lobster meal. "No moa lobesta, mon, jes cracked bird". We don't know what the cracked lobster tasted like, but we found out that cracked bird is chicken! A full 30 piece high school band marched in an area only a quarter the size they should have had, completely surrounded by onlookers who pressed in so tight on the sidelines, the trumpet player almost got trampled by the tuba player. The cheerleaders were so condensed they were required to perform without moving their arms lest they flail a fellow participant merciless. These people know how to have fun. Nothing special, but real fun.

We are looking to get out of "Chicken Harbour" as George Town has become to be known mainly because of the reluctance to make the big jump and go further south. For most though it is that the winter season is over and there are still responsibilities at home; one being that in order to keep in the protected arms of OHIP, you can only be out of Ontario for 212 days in a calendar year unless you apply for an exemption. We are especially looking forward to friends and family and the good times that summer holds for everyone in the "unfrozen" north. Like the old axiom and sums it up for both of us;" I used to be Snow White, but I drifted". We will be glad to be returning home yet a bit sad to have the year pass so quickly.