Uproar is afloat again! This is something one takes for granted when cruising but it sure is a pain when you're not. If you followed our last two posts, you know we were laid up in Marsh Harbour for repairs.

Marsh Harbour Boat Yard was a big help in getting Uproar sorted out. There was a lot of damage to the bottom paint due to the tangle around the keel, prop shaft and rudder. They sanded the bottom and applied non-EPA approved bottom paint. That's right, in the Bahamas and most places in the world the bottom paint has all the stuff to kill growth on your bottom. After 2 seasons of Copper-free bottom paint on Uproar we are making up for those “green” years. I'm sorry to report that the Copper-free paint just doesn't cut it. Both kinds we tried didn't keep the bottom clean.

Uproar was lifted in the slings on Tuesday afternoon so the bottom of the keel could be painted. That's a thorough job. I told them I polish the bottom of the keel off on occasion so painting it wasn't that necessary. Still, they did a great job of it.

Wednesday morning we brought our last belongings from the apartment to the boat, even Sophie. Uproar was launched and I held my breath. I checked all areas in the bilge, especially where the new strut was installed. No leaks! I started the engine and shifted forward and reverse. Everything seemed to work well. We were ready to leave and it was an hour before high tide.

You always want to transit a shallow area on a rising tide. If you get stuck, you will continue to go up a little. Much better than getting stuck and the tide leaving you high and dry....or at least heeled over, right Glyn and Laura? The channel to the harbour was about 9 feet deep so we had no problems. We cautiously motored to Great Guana Cay, about 9 miles away. Everything went well.

We anchored in Fisher Bay. This was our first anchorage in the Abacos over 20 years ago when we chartered Caribbean Soul, a CSY 44. I remember we came ashore to the sound of a Reggae band around the pool and enjoyed their BBQ buffet. Then it was the Guana Beach Resort (first commercial in a series for Visa which said, “Don't bring your American Express, they only take Visa.”). Now it is Grabbers. We dinghied Sophie ashore and had a Grabbers, their rum punch. Life was good again.

We took it easy for the next two days visiting Great Guana Cay, an island we have visited quite a few times. After that first landing in Fisher Bay, Paul Alberte, Lisa's brother really fell in love with the island. He soon bought some property and built two homes on one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere. We visited often and helped build the second house.

Today we moved Uproar to Orchid Bay Marina. A strong west wind is predicted tonight. There are no good anchorages nearby for us in a west wind. I'm not taking chances! One nice thing about the marina is that getting bikes off Uproar is quite easy. We have dinghied them ashore in the past and certainly will again. We had a good 10 miles of biking today.

Life really feels back to normal. We were actually apprehensive about taking to the seas after our recent problems. That is behind us in a big way. Sophie is also so much happier on the boat. She settled right in. OK, she still barks when we are snorkeling around the boat. She must think we are drowning when we splutter through the snorkel. She even dove on top of me several years ago. On well. That's just one of the problems we are willing to face.

Thanks to all who helped us and the support from back home. Love you all.