Author: ortolancat

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Lovin’ and Leavin’ Day – 2/14

Loved our time, would love to stay, conditions are right to leave today. Monday’s forecast showed 3 good days beginning Tuesday – good meaning East to ESE winds at less than 20kts –  our cue to depart on schedule. Once away from George Town we’d lack access to weather reports (SSB receiver will not receive Chris Parker’s weather) for the next few days or more.  Baked bread for sandwiches and made a small batch of chocolate macaroons (easy and I had the ingredients as any respectable chocolate lover should).

One final run to town – I sure won’t miss that ride – for more fishing supplies at Top II Bottom, Androsia fabric for the  headboard and curtains I plan to make, cheap booze (most hard liquor costs less than in the States and we found a Chilean wine label, Lazo, that sells for $7.15 or $5.75 if you buy a case- we bought two cases to save more!) and a spin through Exuma Markets. I passed up the chicken feet in favor of normal looking boneless pork chops and chicken breasts, scooped up two ripe avocados and shrugged at the lack of fruit; we’d have to make do. The market carries a good variety of foods but often runs out of items. We’ve tried to make do; when I wanted applesauce for pork chops and the choice was either peach applesauce (ugh) or none, we bought two apples and made our own. (Benj, take note)

We weren’t able to hook up with Celise/Spirit so accepted Puff’s evening invite. Our final beach walk took us in right when our new neighbors, Matina, a Lagoon catamaran, landed with their darling dog Farley (named after a well-known Canadian author). We walked over to the ocean side along the beach (so this is what you do with a dog) and shared our cruising life stories with Matt and Tina. Matt owns a very cool wind surfer and we learned he was the one zooming along through the harbor.

Enjoyed another cruiser-chat evening aboard Puff with two other couples about our age; one on a 26ft monohull- now that’s gutsy. Seabiscuit stopped by for a short time so we finally got to catch up with them- their dance card fills up fast!

Elizabeth Harbour- off Gaviota Bay (the "holes")

Tuesday morning arrived looking as promised and we raised the main shortly after the anchor, waved farewell to Polar Pacer and off we went. Two Cuban yoyos went out once through the cut and we struggled to sail with the wind SE at only 8kts.  But we did, 4.5 to 5kts, hoping for fish, running the water maker and enjoying the ride.

Six hours, 33 nm later and fish-less, we arrived at Lee Stocking Island, home of the Caribbean Science Research Center. Six brand new screw-type free mooring balls are available, so we took one. Only a caretaker was in residence so no tours could be had but we grabbed a trail map and off we went. I foolishly left the camera on board, figuring we’d come ashore Wed morning, but that was not to be.

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Arrivals and Departures 2/9 -2/12

Good things come to those who wait, and boy we’ve been waiting… 3 weeks here before boats we’d been expecting, found their way to Elizabeth Harbour.  Since most boats prefer to travel in fair winds and relatively calm seas, you can usually predict the days when lots of boats will enter the harbor. Polar Pacer, Celise/Spirit and Seabiscuit all arrived from various parts. We bid farewell to One White Tree who chose a near perfect day to continue their travels south- one year from now they plan to be in Panama.

The predicted cold front arrived over Sat and Sunday bringing the requisite 20kt winds and barely 70 degrees on Sunday. Great days to hang out the wash though. Classic cold front behavior; wind movement east to south to southwest then a quick swing north to northeast.  Suddenly, the Sand Dollar anchorage was filling up, but by late Monday many boats had moved close to the action off Volley Ball Beach.

Boats at VolleyBall BeachELVIS, a Gunboat

Crowded anchorages and windy conditions are perfect ingredients for “accident pie.”  The gusty Sunday wind pulled a trawler off its mooring and with no one on board the mad scramble to get it under control was thrilling to listen to. Fortunately, the keys were in the ignition and the guys who climbed aboard were able to get the boat anchored without any mishap.

While closer to home we had a front row seat as a tender got loose and began a rapid drift through the anchorage. Russ called a warning and a Good Samaritan dashed out in his dinghy, snagged it and tied it back up to its master which it just happened to be floating past. Based on 3 weeks’ worth of neighbor knowledge and the direction from which the terrible tender came, I made the following prediction: the couple on Boat 1 went to visit Boat 2 for the evening and Boat 1s’ tender got loose, the wind blowing it (by pure luck) back past Boat 1 where it was corralled and tied up to Boat 1 (a good reason to have “T/T Your Boat Name” on your tender). The owner did not respond to the warning call and subsequent call between Russ and rescuer because Boat 2 had the radio off so the couple could enjoy the evening. With nearly 300 boats in the harbor VHF 68, the hailing channel in GT, can be busy, busy. So, when Boat 1 gets ready to depart and sees their tender missing, they’d put out a call on VHF 68. Those of us who knew the scoop would re-assure them and their hosts would simply take them back home- a distance of 4 boat lengths.

Turns out I called that one except it got even more interesting when the older couple in Boat 3, anchored behind Boat 1 got worried that Boat 1 people weren’t home yet and where were they? Oh gosh but isn’t it comforting to know that people watch out for each other? Just before Boat 3 had a coronary, the folk from Boat 1 got on the radio, said they were on their way back in Boat 2’s tender. We were enjoying Mexican Train Dominoes with Polar Pacer, further enhanced by the daring dinghy adventures. In the middle of this, another boat calls out that their dinghy went missing and gee, it’s pitch black and the wind blowing 20kts- and oh BTW they are on near the outer edge and with tender gone at least an hour it’s got to be all the way across the harbor and into who knows where. Yes, we are easily amused. Tender was retrieved the next day.