This is a really nice place. I know that I've said that before and meant it but this time I really, really mean it. Unlike so much of the Bahamas which as our pal Barry says, has a history of failed dreams, here the dream is still alive. It is a working town with several boat building businesses as well as the expected tourism stuff which is far healthier than relying on the tourist dollar to see them through. Apparently there are numerous other people that feel the same way for the Cay streets are dotted with well cared for properties, many of which are second homes for folks from away. I am particularly struck with how they add small walls to the narrow roads so that they have the appearance of small English country lanes. Some people even carry that to the extent of importing and putting up British mail boxes and telephone booths as yard or driveway decorations. There is even an entire Cay that is or will be for sale just off the mouth of the harbour. It's called Garden Cay and has one compound on it along with a private harbour and dock. It would be soooooo nice to be rich and to be able to afford one of these places. All I'd need is a measly $10mil!

This morning we returned the oars that Barry and Marcia were kind enough to lend us when we lost ours in the wind storm and took the opportunity to say good-bye to Marcia's sister Allison and her husband, Joe who had been visiting for a week to get out of the snow in Baltimore. The ferry to Marsh Harbour stopped at their dock and picked them up to take them on the first leg of their trip home. They were nice people to meet and who knows, perhaps we'll see them again. As for the oars, as I mentioned in another post, one of the lost oars was found and we still had one oar from the disaster in Oriental. Just the old one was slightly larger so I had to cut it down to match the other. Almost back to normal.

Then we have finally received the replacement chart plotter! Hurrah! Now I just have to get them to honour the warrantee for the other one and I'll be a much more satisfied camper. I have saved the box that this one was shipped in to use to transport the old one back to the manufacturer and hopefully all will be rectified by the time that we get home. My only problem is that I will have to wait to do the shipping until I get back to the USA. There are many great things about the Bahamas but the various public services isn't one of them.

I have also replaced the lights in the forward head, but of course I can't get a 24VDC bulb to put in the dome light that we bought and the spares that we have aboard are for pin bulbs. I particularly want to get LED bulbs as it has been my objective to replace everything that I can with those to minimize the light amp draw. Sailorsolutions.com is my answer but again I don't want to ship anything to us here in the Bahamas, not only due to the unreliability of the post but also to the fact that the government tacks 40% duty on everything.