March 17, 2018 to March 24, 2018
We got busy with our chores on Saturday morning and took the garbage into the Union Jack Dock for disposal. Two young boys carried the bags for me and deposited them in the dumpster. I gave them both a generous tip. I continued on to Bristol, the liquor store, to replenish our supply of rum, vodka and beer. As I was returning I noticed Bob was the center of attention for several island boys who had shed their clothes (except for underwear) and were wet from swimming. Bob had been taking them out in the dinghy where they jumped out and swam back to the dock. The boys were loving it!
We stowed our purchases and rode over to the Jib Room to make our reservation for Steak Out that night and to have lunch. While we were finishing our lunch a man on the deck called out, “That boat is on fire!” I heard several “Oh shits” and watched as the employees and the owner ran to put out the fire with extinguishers. Bob went over to investigate. The fire started on the bimini (a cockpit covering) caused by faulty wiring of flexible solar panels. The controller for the panels was probably undersized for the 400 watts of power production by the panels and the wiring was sloppily done.
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| The bimini was completely destroyed and there was damage to the teak and the fiberglass in the cockpit. Thank goodness the nearby propane tanks didn’t blow. |
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| Here you can see the damage from astern. |
Steak Out that night was delicious as always and we made it back to the boat just as the sun was setting.
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| A lovely ending to an eventful day |
Sunday was taken up by two walking trips to Maxwell’s Grocery Store (1/2 mile each way) and stowing our $300+ worth of purchases. We like to repackage meats to eliminate the styrofoam containers so we can fit more into the fridge. All cardboard has to be removed from items and discarded quickly to prevent roach infestation of the boat. Yuck!
We got up before the sun on Monday, hauled anchor, and were on our way back to Green Turtle Cay by 6:45. The light winds and calm seas made for an easy passage out into the ocean and around Whale Cay.
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| One of the rewards of getting up so early is a beautiful sunrise. |
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| This large schooner was anchored in the Sea of Abaco near Whale Cay. |
We were tied onto our mooring and thinking about lunch by 10:45. That afternoon the temperature was in the 80’s and I decided on a swim. Bob needed me to check the propeller for growth or vines wrapped around the shaft. I dove down and brushed away the growth and used a razor scrapper to remove the barnacles from the shaft. I was on a roll and decided to start cleaning the bottom of the boat of the growth I could reach without going under. I made it about 1/4 of the way around before I was tired out. Cleaning tasks take a lot of energy! I was done with work for the day. After a hot shower and a lobster dinner I was ready to turn in early.
Tuesday morning I defrosted and cleaned the refrigerator thoroughly. I’m excited about getting back to work on my quilt now that I have all of the Androsia fabric I need.
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Our Maine coon cat. Lizzy, passed away on Thursday morning of congestive heart failure while at a vet’s office in Marsh Harbour. Bob was holding her while the vet and his assistant did everything they could to save her. We took her to the vet because of labored breathing and refusal to eat. Unknown to us these can be signs of congestive heart problems of which Maine coon cats are predisposed. We are heart broken over her loss. This tragedy has sucked the joy out of our Bahamas adventure so we are taking advantage of a weather window to get back to the states. We left Green Turtle on Friday morning and will be in Ft. Pierce late Sunday afternoon. We will continue on to Vero Beach where we will spend 2-3 weeks.
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| This is the last picture I took of Lizzy (she is in the forefront) while she and Jack were enjoying a relaxing afternoon in the cockpit. |
Here’s to fair winds and following seas.
Thanks for reading my blog.
