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.)

George Town Fun

Here we are at last...I've finally been able to update the blog with another post; this time, our fun in George Town. This is the final winter resting place for many cruisers to the Bahamas. It is located in the southern Exuma island chain on the largest island in the Bahamas, Great Exuma. The town of George Town has an internet grocery store where you can use your laptop for $5.00 daily and have an ice cream pop or buy a box of corn flakes. You can get freshly made bread from Mom's van, get gas @ $5.00+gallon and water (free, here, but you have to fill your jugs in your dinghy and lug them back to your boat). Two big events in the winter/spring draw cruisers here. The first is the Cruisers' Regatta (races along with fun activitires-see the cruisers parade to left), and the second is the Exuma Family Regatta. In addition, over the years, the cruisers have developed a network of communication and daily activities which rival any adult day camp. The Cruisers' Net is broadcast every morning on the VHF(Ship to Shore) radio. After a synopsis of the local weather, the local businesses advertise any new events or services; next, announcements are made about the regatta. Following that, a Community Forum allows anyone to make announcements relevant to the cruising community; and finally, Boaters' General gives everyone the opportunity to advertise any needs or wants. For example, through the Net, we were able to upgrade to a bigger outboard motor for our slow dinghy, network with other boaters regarding electrical problems, give away an old charger we no longer wanted, attend some seminars about weather and racing, enter the T-shirt design contest, and so on. Activities here are held on Stocking Island which faces 5 mile long Elizabeth Harbor along George Town, and are limited only to the cruisers' imagination and willingness to organize them. Since the cruising community has many retirees, their experience and knowledge is used to benefit other boaters. Some examples are Rockin' Ron and his wife Karen who throw a weekly Rock n' Roll dance; a seminar on boating insurance given by the owner of Tabby Cat, an insurance agent, and daily yoga and pilates 'classes'. In addition, one can learn bridge, basket weaving, exchange videos, get together for a musical jam session, learn basket weaving using local plant fronds, play bridge, golf, poker (Texas hold 'em) softball, tennis...and that doesn't include the Regatta activities! We attended the opening festivities for regatta: a juried pet parade where cruisers dressed themselves and their pets, a cat walk replete with painted back drop, lights, and masked, costumed cruisers dancing to music, skits written and performed the boaters; and finally, dancing under the stars on the beach to rock n' roll. These are examples of a few of the catwalks.

We also signed up for the race around Stocking Island and came in 3rd (only 2 seconds after the 2nd place!) In addition, Lou submitted a water color design for the t-shirt contest for 2009, and came in third. Here is the design (which I think is fabulous), and will make up t-shirts when we get home. Justine and Damien, my kids, came down for a week with us. Here is Stocking Island while taking a walk with Lou and Justine followed by Justine next to a conch salad stand on Volleyball Beach. Both of them were intent on getting tans. Damien had a unique way of facing the sun.

I can't believe we were here for over 25 days (we came and went, then returned), and we were really ready to leave.

Next stop: Long Island (in the Bahamas, silly!)