We are currently on a mooring ball at "Red Shanks" in the Moriah National Park in George Town, Bahamas, awaiting a big blow this evening and tomorrow. Mooring balls help to ease our stress about our anchor dragging which has happened to us twice during tough wind and weather. Our provisioning is done as is our laundry, and we will be here until Monday when the weather improves.
MEANWHILE SINCE OUR LAST BLOG AT BLACK POINTE
Since the festive time at Black Pointe, Allen and I have been busy, so we have lost track of some days, and I have been late with keeping up our ship’s log. Tsk! Tsk! Anyway, here goes: We stayed in Staniel Cay two-three days since bad wind and weather was expected. We anchored behind the Grotto and went skin diving at the glorious Grotto for the third time and saw a nurse shark, a turtle, bigger fish and more fish (hundreds), and we explored more of the cavern inside and outside. Fabulous!
However, when the wind and rain got really bad during the night, we woke up too close to other boats in this crowded area of boats which also had the same idea that it would be safer on the east side of the Grotto. It wasn’t. Our anchor held but drifted out the 75-foot chain (limited due to the crowding) too near others. The radio was blaring news of several other boats whose anchor dragged and got caught in the anchor lines of other boats. Despite the winds, Allen smartly got us out of there, and we anchored on the other side far away from other boats until the very heavy rain passed and went on our way. We then had a GREAT 4 hour sail to Little Farmers Cay.
LITTLE FARMER’S CAY is a great holding place for a boat on its way to George Town. We stayed there one night. It’s a lovely place and great waypoint on our way to Gorge Town. Many other boats had the same idea.
GEORGE TOWN MEDICAL CLINIC
We had a great sail to George Town going 6-7 knots the whole way. The wind was from the north! Our first night here, we anchored just outside of Chat-n-Chill Beach with HUNDREDS of other boats (we will post photos in our next post.) The next morning, we went into town and immediately went to the medical clinic to get a prescription for Allen’s leg rashes which spread to Norma as well. The doctor was very nice, but luckily we had gotten medical advice and confirmation from a photo of the rash (impetigo) that we sent to Dolce’s Carolyn who was a nurse. She had shown the picture to a doctor relative, and it really saved the second guessing of the Bahamian doctor. Norma had a small patch on her upper arm which also confirmed the diagnosis and treatment: antibiotics and antibacterial cream. We are being diligent about keeping out of the water and keeping the rashes clean. (Damn, it itches!!)
BAHAMIAN PRICES: Afterward, we had lunch with Furthur’s Lee and Wendy and then provisioned at Shop Rite. ($Lunch was $22 for a plain hamburger and fries and $27 for chicken quesadilla and fries plus $10 for two cranberry Radlers —a 2% alcohol flavored drink, plus VAT tax--$60.00!!!) BTW, when I say Shop Rite, I hope our dear readers do not envision a big, clean, uncrowded stocked American grocery store. You have to be here to believe it! Shopping has a whole other connotation to us these days. Some prices are just extraordinary such as $1.00 per each banana or orange or tangerine, $2.50 per mango, $4.00 for a head of lettuce, $6.50 for a package of Romaine lettuce, $6.50 for 6 oz. bar of cheese, $8-10.00 for a dozen eggs, etc. We don’t care anymore, as long as they take our credit card! We gladly pay for fresh veggies and the wonderful Bahamian coconut bread $10.00. (Allen actually expects to see these prices when we return to Seattle).
With a big blow coming, provisioning was a major task for all 500 boats here and thus why the picture of the dinghy dock above. (Did you find Allen yet on the left in the blue shirt in the first picture above?) It’s hard to imagine how crowded the dock was with about 50 dinghies going in and out, ready to go shopping, getting fresh water and supplies, and dropping off garbage. This was a perfect weather day to accomplish chores.
Â
LAUNDRY, LAUNDRY: Doing laundry at home takes me about 30 minutes total. I put the clothes in the washer and then the dryer and then fold them and put away. Doing laundry here in the Bahamas takes almost a full day. First is getting there. We went to a laundromat closest to our boat— 1.5 nautical miles away in windy conditions. After leaving the boat around 10:30 a.m., we got there around 11:00 a.m. Allen met some guys on the way to the mat and went off with them on a mile walk to Brown’s marine supplies, and I took our two bags to the laundromat. Whoops, the sign posted indicated that due to unforeseen circumstances, they would open at noon.
So about 4 people waited with me. Allen returned from his walk around 11:30, as did the other men, and so about 10 people awaited the opening at noon. (Allen took the opportunity to buy a six-pack of Radlers at the liquor store next door - then got tipsy on just one due to the heat and small breakfast.) All is well, and I am the first to get my washing done, just after putting my clothes in the dryers and paying for the lady to start them, the mat lost power. We waited half an hour, and I decided to dry the clothes at home (the boat). We got a refund, get back to the dinghy, maneuver around other dinghies, and motor back for another hour, waves bouncing us around and splashing the both of us.
I then started to hang clothes on the boat’s lifelines and ran out of clothespins. Allen then creates a lovely zig zag of laundry lines, and I hang wet clothes throughout the cockpit. Over the next 3 hours, they dried in the sun and wind, including the clothes we wore to the laundromat which got wet on the way. Chore completed! And that was our big accomplishment of the day yesterday!
We just hung out on the boat today. AWAITING the BIG BLOW is our next chore. O)ur friends about 25 miles north of us just reported measuring a 49 knot gust but we have only seen winds in the 20's so far. Expecting the big wind around midnight. we feel very secure on the Mooring here but will stand anchor watch anyway
Â