GETTING DEPORTED !!!

I must be joking, you think. Well, think again. Here's the whole story:

When we entered the Bahamas with our friends Peter and Nancy, Lou went to immigration while we waited, as per the law, on board. The office was closed so he had to walk to the officer's house and return to the office with her to fill out the papers. When he handed me the papers for safekeeping, I filed them, without looking; because the officer would only give us a 3 month visa, Lou posted a reminder in the boat to get our visas renewed in April.

April comes, and while looking at our file in order to identify the appropriate papers, Lou discovers an error. Instead of 3 months, I had been given 14 days. How did this happen? We realize Peter or Nancy must have been given 3 months instead of me. So, we walk to the immigration office on Great Abaco Island, and explain the situation to the clerk at the desk who tells me I will have to leave the country. She admits that a mistake was made, but tells us that we have to take the consequences of not looking at the papers when they were filled out; that we waited 3 months to come in (despite the fact that we hadn't known) and that was that. When I tell her we can't leave, we're on a boat, she replies, "Which part of ""You have to leave the country, don't you understand?""!!! After a while of continued repartee, she leaves and returns to usher us into the office of her superior.

We take off our caps, sun glasses, and sit down. Mr. Hutcheson informs us that everything we have been told is accurate, it's the law; how do I want to leave? At this point, Lou and I are not only in shock, but are aware of the power this man wields over us. After all, he could refuse to extend Lou's visa, or not let me back into the country. I wonder to myself whether he gets a kick-back from the airline. So, we're polite; it's Mr. Hutcheson this and Mr. Hutcheson that until he drives me to the airport sans toiletries or change of clothes because it is too late in the day to make the last flight. And, it is also too late to do a return flight in the same day, so I'll have to stay overnight in Ft. Lauderdale.

At the airport, the clerk gives me a discount rate, I kiss Lou goodbye, and fly off in the Yellow Air Taxi you see in the picture above. It's an 8 seater and the 2 hour trip is gorgeous as I fly over the islands, the ocean, and approach the skyscrapers lining the Florida coast.

In the airport, I'm able to easily call the reservation desks of several nearby hotels by pressing the button aligned to the ads on a horizontal kiosk; I pick Best Western which has the best rate. Pick up and delivery are included as well as a full breakfast.

The rest of the day went smoothly and was quite enjoyable. With my free wifi in the room (thank goodness I had our laptop with me!), I was able to post 3 new updates on my blog, make inexpensive calls using Skype from the computer, watch TV (there was nothing on), take a long, hot shower, and get in and out of a bed without having to do any gymnastics.

Next morning, the full buffet breakfast turned out to be good enough despite the inedible powdered scrambled eggs. With time to kill before my flight, I walked to the nearby mall where I picked up a DVD containing 20 black and white early comedies for only $6.00. (We've already watched the Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy & Albert & Costello - great fun!)

After an uneventful trip back, Lou met me at a local restaurant where we shared stories over rum and coke.

Well, if you have to get deported, this wasn't so bad, except for the $400.00 it cost me. My son Damien, ever the financier, asked what would have happened if I hadn't had the money...good question, but I'm glad I didn't have to find out. Other than the inconvenience and expense, what I will retain from this experience were the feelings of humiliation and powerless- ness as if I were a third class citizen; and that was a result of the attitude of the immigration employees.

What would have happened if we hadn't been honest and tried to extend our visa? We've met many cruisers who say they don't do anything and have no trouble. Yet, one man did admit having the same experience the year before; his delinquent visa date was caught by accident despite numerous previous trips to the Bahamas.

Now I'm a statistic. One of the few sent back. But don't think I won't do anything. I plan to send an email to the department of tourism in response to their request for comments regarding our trip to their country.

North to the Abacos

The morning we left for the northern Abaco islands, we decided at 7:00 am to follow Ole Pot (his name on his business card!) out through the passage past the Devil's Backbone. Three other boats were supposed to leave with us, but one developed transmission trouble, so he and his buddy boat stayed behind to fix it. That left Mary T who, like us, decided at the last minute to follow the guide. It was pretty funny since he was speeding along with his little outboard motor, and we had to ask him to stay closer for our slow sail boats. In addition, it was just about impossible to understand him given his strong accent and the fact that his hand held VHF radio was full of static. It turned out that the route he followed was identical to that on our GPS, but Mary T's chartplotter showed them on the land. Well, as Lou said, " It was cheap insurance for $35.00."

The destination to this northern Bahamian island chain would be 9 hours long - not very bad since we've traveled this long many times before. This trip, however, was different. Chaotic seas were predicted, and this was my first taste of a long sail in such seas. What are chaotic seas, you might ask? Well, the waves come from different directions and cause the boat to flop around unmercifully throwing you to and fro. After 7 hours, I had had enough, yet had to wait for a safe place to anchor. To make matters worse, the conditions caused too much turbulence in the first cut into a harbor, so we had to continue on for another hour to get to the next cut. Lou, of course, was having a ball with 20 kt winds, and I found that steering helped me and my internal system as well. I was also helped by Sturgeron, a medication for motion sickness sold here in the Bahamas which has no side effects! Two sights along the way made the trip worthwhile. First, I spotted a pod of dolphins through the clear water swimming alongside the boat. The second was something never seen before: beds of seaweed so thick that flotsam and birds were floating on top. Here you can see one of the beaches in the Abacos covered with the seaweed. Perhaps this is a seasonal or weather related occurance.

The Abacos are quite different from the central and southern Bahamas: more of a northern look, more development, more affluence, more Americans. Here are a few highlights from our few weeks there. Hope Town, Elbow Cay

Our adventure here was in a lighthouse. It's the last light kerosene hand operated lighthouses in the Bahamas. We learned that it took years to be built due to sabotage by the local 'wreckers' who made a living from the monthly wrecks that ran aground on the nearby reefs. We climbed to the top, and after taking lots of pictures, were allowed inside to watch Fred, one of two lighthouse keepers, light and crank the apparatus. Fred has worked as the keeper for 37 years, has lived on the grounds (here is his house), and has 5 more years to go before retiring.

Nippers on Guana Cay Nippers is a restaurant/bar/resort on a gorgeous beach overlooking the Atlantic. It is the site for thousands of people twice a year who gather for a concert. The place was hopping when we arrived, partly due to spring break back home. Note the interesting bathing suit on the right above.

Treasure Cay

The beach of this popular resort area, is one of the ten best beaches designated by National Geographic but today was covered in seaweed. Here are some contrasting views from our boat:

Dense palm trees on one side, and resort cottages and their boats on the other. The marina nearby was host to a fishing tournament and everyday the tall fishing boats would come back with their catch. These were pretty and small compared to what they were really after. (sorry, can't figure out how to rotate picture on this program)

Man O' War

This very religious white community founded by Loyalists is so neat and clean, you could just about eat off of the streets. You can see the pride they take in their houses and gardens; in fact, they've won national awards for it. We walked the residential and commercial streets and took a look at the beach. They were boat builders and you can still see them working in their yards.

Marsh Harbor, Great Abaco Island

The third largest city in the Bahamas, not very attractive, but full of the services we occasionally needed and yearned for. It is also the location of the airport from which I was deported for a day. (see my next post). After I returned, our friend Tony joined us for a third time to make the crossing over the Gulf Stream and help us get north faster by getting off the intracoastal into the ocean.

Next stop: The good ole U.S. of A!

From South to North: A Different Look

I'm trying something new and hope it works: I've transferred a link for a map of Eleuthera, Bahamas - Google Image Search so you can see the route we took from the bottom of Eleuthera where we stayed at a marina (the part that looks like a whale's tail), and the two islands at the top. Due to shoaling water, rocks, and impassable cuts, we were unable to simply go in a straight line, but had to travel a circuitous route of about 30 miles through the Current Island Cut. We had a wonderful sail there (without the motor!) and came into Spanish Wells, an island founded by the original Loyalists from the war of independence who ultimately turned to fishing and boat building as their main source of income. Spanish Wells has a different accent, all residents are white, and the look is considerably more like New England than any island we have visited before; in fact, the natives here do not consider themselves to be from Eleuthera. "We're from Spanish Wells," they say.

On shore, we stopped at Jean's house to pay for our mooring. (Our boat is the third up.) Jean is an American who now lives here and serves the cruising community by running a book exchange and providing vast amounts of information.

The next day, we took a fast ferry for Harbour Island through the Devil's Backbone which is named for the numerous reefs which have caused so many groundings and wrecks. In fact, the original Loyalists to both islands were shipwrecked and lived in Preacher's Cave for two years!

Harbour Island has an upscale look compared to Spanish Wells; Many of the residents here are white as well, but black and white seem to live side by side. As we toured in a golf cart, we saw ..."seaside villas and poverty stricken hovels."(Lou's words)

When we left the following day, we hired a guide to follow through the Devil's Backbone out into the ocean and towards the northern islands: the Abacos.

Exploring Eleuthera

Another still day, this time with barely a whisper of wind.

As we motored to Eleuthera (an island even longer than Long Island - go figure), we passed a cruise ship shuttling passengers back and forth to the nearby resort. We knew we were leaving the southern Bahamas behind and entering the central islands, because cruise ships are not seen further south.

At the end of the day, we pulled into our first marina since entering the Bahamas in Bimini; the next anchorage was too far away to reach before dark. But it was no big deal. The showers were weak, the laundry had only one dryer working, but the worst was the proliferation of the no-see-ums. The boat was so hot that we escaped onto chairs on the dock where there was a slight breeze. We endured the biting and itching until the sun set. As the boat cooled down, we draped all of our hatches with screening material enabling us to pass a comfortable night.

Just as we finished anchoring the next day, we were immediately informed by a cruiser in a passing dinghy that Happy Hour was starting, so we grabbed something to share and headed out to meet and greet and watch the sunset!

The setting was perfect - all gathered under the gazebo of a defunct restaurant. Of course, getting up there was tricky - we had to walk over the rocks in shallow water and hoist ourselves up a rickety ladder. It's a sight to see all of these retirees working it out in different ways.

The next day, we headed over to Rose's home and restaurant (notice the floor of sand) on the ocean side for a home cooked Bahamian meal with Sandy and Tom Stefanic (Anania) of the Nyack Boat Club who have been our mentors throughout this trip south. Rose picked us up in her small, rickety car, and as she cooked, we walked along the beach below her house. Afterwards, she regaled us with the story of how she ended up living in the house as a widow and making do with her entrepreneurial skills.

As the inevitable cold front arrived the next day, we rented a car. See Lou waving next to the mileage signs? (Remember to look on the wrong side of the car! Bahamians drive on the left.)

We saw Surfers' Beach where we watched 2 boys and a girl trying hard to catch a wave in very windy and rough conditions while their parents watched from a covered beach platform.

Another wonderful sight was the Glass Window (Winslow Homer painted a famous picture here) named after the narrowest part of the island. Here you can see the ocean on one side (enlarge the picture to see the breaking waves) and the calm bay on the other. We crossed a bridge traversing this spot where lives have been lost by crashing waves. You could see sections of the bridge where the force of hurricane winds had separated the concrete from the pinions/posts. Such drama here on this small spot.

Upon leaving, we actually had a series of real sailing days doing about 6 to 10 knots (When we passed through Current Cut, aptly names due to the swift current between 2 islands.). Unfortunately, I broke out with a case of hives due to inadvertantly taking acitaminaphen (it was one of several medications in a cold pill) which I am allergic to. Other than itching, swelling and turning red, it was gone within a couple of hours; but it did give me a fright.

We are on our way to two islands at the tip of 'Lutra (as the natives call it) for sights very different from what we have been seeing.

Conception and Cat

We had a calm voyage leaving Long Island on our way to Conception Cay. The water was so still, it was like glass without even a ripple. Lou and Tony busied themselves taking pictures of the numerous starfish we passed as we traveled; the water was so clear, we could see to the bottom. The air was so still, that visibility was limited; not foggy, but, in Lou's words, "The atmosphere had a palpable quality to it." Bottom line: it was a uniquely stunning trip. Conception Cay is a Bahamian park, uninhabited, and visitors are prohibited from leaving or taking anything found. The north end is so narrow that you can walk from the west side to the east (the Atlantic) in about 30 steps. The interior of the island is largely mangrove lakes and creeks. We took the dinghy there to see large turtles, but due to very shallow

water, didn't explore enough to see them. A beautiful trip, nevertheless. Snorkeling proved to be dissapointing despite numerous coral heads and large reefs since they are dying and few fish appeared. Will the park rules bring back the reefs, and if so, how long will it take? We would have loved to have stayed another day, but a severe cold front was coming, and we went in search of better protection from Cat Cay, a day's sail away. We did manage to put up the sails for a while, and even the spinnaker,the colorful, billowy sail you see on boats, got some use today! Before the front hit, we managed to take a walk up to the highest point on the island to see the Hermitage, the last home of Father Jerome, the beloved priest and architect of Bahamian churches. As the day wore on, the winds increased until we were rocking back and forth so hard that we could hear all of the dishes, pots and pans, and provisions slamming into the stowage walls. Tony and I had to take pills for motion sickness and we were all asleep by 9:00. (It's said that 8:30 is the cruisers' midnight.) Tony and Marla left from Cat Cay leaving Lou and me alone again - time to catch up on chores and making future plans for the eventual trip home in a few weeks.

Next stop is Eleuthera, one of the largest Islands in the Bahamas.

Lots to Do and See on Long Island

What? Long Island? Are we home already? No, it's Long Island in the Bahamas! It's 75 miles long, though only a few miles wide in some places. While we waited out a cold front (cooler temperatures, high winds and a rough sea state making it difficult, uncomfortable and dangerous to travel) - we rented a car with our friends, Tony and Marla who returned once again to sail with us. Here are a few sights we traveled to: The Salt Pond Caves: Located in the town of Salt Pond, along the coast, and hidden between a house and a gas station,we explored three chambers, each one distinct and amazing in it's own way. The first contained skylights with intertwined vines growing from the earth into the cave; the second was open to the sky due to a previous collapse; and the third was totally dark and contained some new and old stalagtites and stalagmites (and bats!).

Dean's Blue Hole: The deepest in the world dropping to 663 feet. This place was spectacular, protected on one side and open to the ocean on the other. As we traveled up and down Queen's 'Highway' (The main drag that flows north to south through the island), we passed enumerable churches, mainly Baptist, Catholic and Anglican. Here is St Mary's, the first Long Island Church, along with a Catholic Church built in the 20's by Father Jerome, an influential British architect and priest whose numerous churches are found through the island and beyond. Occasionally, we saw domestic sheep and goats romping alongside the houses. When Lou spotted mutton on the menu at Harbour Rest, Lou had to have it. It came prepared in a delicious sauce, and we ended the meal with Guava Duff: dense bread slathered with guava jelly and covered with a creamy sauce. Very tasty, very Bahamian, very satisfying. The Long Island Library, Museum, and Community Center:

The library is upstairs, and the Center in the back. Three rooms in the museum gave a beautifully displayed overview of the history and culture of the island which were elaborated on by a museum docent. This endeavor was developed by a group of diverse and talented Long Island natives. On the way back to return the car, we stopped at Max's Conch Rest for fresh conch salad (yum!)and wifi! This was one of very few places for us to check email and I couldn't update the blog due to very little time left with the car rental. While there, we met another cruising couple who had a larger version of the boat we have and the next day we visited them for a tour. Their boat is 10 cubic feet larger and is more like a home afloat for their live-aboard experience. When we weren't driving, we walked over to the other side of the island, the Atlantic Ocean side. Several of the Bahamian islands are further east bordering the ocean rather the Sound, and that is the course we will be taking in the next few weeks. We climbed enormous rocks jutting out from the beach, swam in a protected area, and snorkeled a shallow reef. Marla sat for hours watercoloring; she is getting to be quite good, making great progress from the days motoring down the intracoastal waterway. Here are a couple of pictures of the few birds we have seen on any of the islands. The ubiquitous plastic flotsam and jetsum, too, are always there as we beachcomb. (We were recently told that years ago the eggs were taken to ward off hunger and it's taking years for them to return - fact or fiction?) Along with the multicolored plastic washed ashore, there are always the coconuts. An unusual sight - a new growth out of a coconut seed! The night before leaving, we met our friends from Renaissance, Lynn and Al, who we had traveled with in the Exumas. They were now anchored on the other side of the island while Lynn's son and companion visited, and were able to meet with us while they were in a rental car. Here we all are at the bar of Parrots of the Carribean. During our weeklong stay in the Thompson's Bay anchorage, we spent time with our French-Canadian friends from Ahora, Patrick and Catherine and their two year old, Rupert. We are sorry to leave them as they wait for the arrival of Patrick's parents. This morning we are on our way north to a new island...not sure which one -depends on the wind and the seas and the whimsy of the captain. Don't forget, we would love to hear from you; click on the word Comments at the bottom of this post and send us a public message! (...and remember that you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.)