Docked - Slip C-17 port side to, bow in Old Bahama Bay Marina, West End, Grand Bahama Island

The cold front came through Wednesday and the wind is still howling. Strange clear conditions and the wind is just blowing out of the North 25-30. Been tough sleeping at the dock with the fenders rubbing the pilings. One night, I forget which one, the fender on the exact other side of the hull from my head just kept rubbing the piling and I couldn’t sleep. I tried to ignore it and go back to sleep. I should get up and fix that I keep thinking but my body would not rise up out of the bed and go outside in the howling wind to adjust the noisy fender. It’s Saturday. And the least I’ve seen the wind was 22 knots. Everyone is staying in the marina. Forecast is up to 40 knot winds tomorrow. It’s been blowing and occasional a Gee Whiz what was that gust. We are tied up in our slip until probably Sunday morning. I certainly hope this front passes faster than forecast.

West End, is a strange sort of place. It’s pretty and has lots of neat looking homes and cottages. Funny thing is they all seem vacant. And, it’s run down with basic repairs not being done. Kind of like a big development that didn’t get finished and has run out of operating money to me. John Travolta reportedly has or had a place here. There is one restaurant that serves breakfast and dinner and a Tiki bar that serves lunch. But there are few customers. We ate breakfast at the restaurant and there was only one other customer in there. We asked the waitress if we here in a low season and she said yes. It is busier in the summer months. Susan and I are beginning to think coming to the Bahamas in the winter is not such a good idea. The summer has calmer winds. This is the 3rd time we have come south for the winter. All three times it has been very windy. Yes we are not freezing in Virginia. But, it certainly is not paradise either.

Friday night we had a captains meeting of minds at the restaurant bar. Everyone is seasoned and feels no real pressure to leave. But all of us want to get on to whatever adventures lie ahead. Right now our consensus is Wednesday looks like the next good day to leave. I’m starring at Tuesday as leaving here and anchoring at Great Sale Cay. Two of us agree on that. It’s supposed to be windy that night. But safe. I will probably not sleep at anchor that night. We will see. The anchorage is at an uninhabited cay. So, if things get bad we will just have to deal with them. I’ve said this before. When you are over here in the Bahamas, you are the weather forecaster, you are the doctor, you are the mechanic, you are the problem solver for whatever comes up. It’s nice being alone in paradise. But in many places, you are ALONE! The Bahamas are huge geographically. But 70% of the population live in Nassau. A bunch live in Freeport. That leaves very few people for the other 700 islands, 2400 cays. So, you are your on your own in lots of places.
One other thing I have to tell you is while I was in the Bahamas Customs Office Tuesday afternoon, I had to chuckle to myself looking at the pencil holder. It had a sticker “MADE IN THE USA” I guess the Bahamas are making America Great Again” One pencil holder at a time. Of course I’d been underway for almost 12 hours in rough conditions. Anything would amuse me.

Today’s picture is “Honey I don’t think we should leave today.” “ Don’t worry it will be all right.”