I haven't been able to take the computer ashore for the past two days because it's been too windy. The wind blew all night and all day at 20 knots with gusts as high as 30. We're pretty comfortable on the boat, but the dinghy ride is wet. We've been trying different tactics to try to stay dry, as we have no choice but to dinghy ashore at least twice a day with Fuzzy. This morning we went in at high tide so we could take Fuzzy right up to the beach on the east side. The wind is from the east, so that means the waves are getting smaller as we approach that shore, and we're heading directly into the waves on the way ashore. If I sit back a bit further than usual and Bud gets the dinghy into a partial plane, so the bow is high, we stay sort of dry. On the way back, going with the wind and waves is drier. At least until we get up to the boat and try to climb up the ladder on the side. Then the waves get trapped between the dinghy and the boat and you really get wet.

We decided to make only two trips in today, so we took Fuzzy's food along on the second trip. We went ashore about 3:30. This time we wore rain gear. Bud wore an old Mickey Mouse poncho and I wore an old Bell Atlantic rain suit. The previous owner left both on the boat and we kept them on board just in case. Today was that case. I had Fuzzy inside the jacket so only his face stuck out. By time we got to shore his face was wet.

We decided to go see the blowhole here. It's not far from the harbor, just a short hike across a narrow part of the island to the Exuma Sound side. These islands are riddled with caves, and this is a cave at the head of a cove that opens on dry land about 50 feet in from the water's edge. On a really windy day like today the waves get pushed so they spurt out of it. Sometimes just spray comes out, and sometimes, like in the picture, a lot of water comes out.

We met some people who'd dinghied to the beach at close to high tide and then gone walking. Their dinghies were now high and dry at low tide and yards from the water. Friends were taking them back to their boats and they were going to come back at high tide for their dinghies. I put a picture of the stranded dinghies in the gallery, so you can see how far out the sand flats go.

After we saw the blowhole we went back to Scorpio's Bar and Restaurant for Happy Hour. We sat outside and fed Fuzzy there, and we had a plate of cracked conch. It's basically conch meat in small pieces, batter dipped and deep-fried. They serve that at the bars here like they serve chicken wings in Buffalo.

We thought the wind was down, so we didn't wear the rain gear on the trip back. I was on the windward side so I put the poncho around the outside of me and around Fuzzy. It was getting dark, I still had sunglasses on and they were pretty well covered with salt spray, so I couldn't see the waves too well. I got a bit wet, but not too bad...until we got back to the boat. Then I had put Fuzzy and the poncho down, I was crouched in the front of the dinghy ready to grab the ladder and climb aboard with the dinghy line when a wave splashed right over the front. I was wet from my hat to my shoes. Oh well, at least I got to come aboard and get out of my damp clothes and get warm. It's amazing how chilly 73 degrees can be with wind and spray (I can tell all the folks up north are feeling so sorry for us).

The wind is supposed to drop a bit tomorrow, and then be pretty light on Sunday and Monday, so I'll finally get to use the computer and get these updates posted.