Don't Go to Sea Without a Comb

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Boston.  We had been here a week, on a mooring 100 yards from Long Wharf, home of Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, and had thoroughly enjoyed this clean, vibrant city.  It was an unexpected surprise for me, not being a fan of cities at all.  We had explored Little Italy, shopped the Hay Market (produce), eaten some terrific meals and toured the city.  It was time to leave, and we planned to head north tomorrow morning.

One last load of laundry to do in the marina, one more good dinner, and we would slip our mooring.

I put the laundry in the dryer and, since we had an hour, wandered down the street past the New England Aquarium, which was advertising Whale Watching Tours.  So, on a whim, with 20 minutes until departure, we raced back to the boat, grabbed a light jacket and hat for me, and boarded the boat.  I brought nothing else, not a purse, comb or even identification.  What would I need at sea? Ha.  We left at 1:30 for a three hour cruise.  Oh, yeah.  And left the laundry in the dryer.

We did see two hump back whales cavorting about 50 yards from us, and it was an impressive sight.  They knew we were there and put on quite a show.  And about 3:30, we started back on a one hour run to Boston.

At 3:40, there was a clunk and the engines stopped dead.  We had gone over a 5 inch in diameter research line, floating on top of the water, marked by 4 lit buoys.  It was a bright, sunny day, relatively calm seas, and good visibility.  Someone just wasn’t paying attention.  And so the fun began.

First the crew tied a squeegee to a line and tried to reach the cable.  Needless to say, the line wouldn’t reach and the squeegee wasn’t heavy enough to hold anyway.  Then they tied a bucket handle to the string.  Next they duct taped two boat poles together to try to reach the line right at the boat.  But they only tied the ends and the poles flexed so much they were useless.  By now, we were sure we were in a comedy routine.  Next they bent a piece of metal trim and snagged the line, but it was tight against the boat and they couldn’t raise it much less cut it.  All this time, the seas are two to three feet and the boat is rocking, firmly held in place by this cable.

Aboout 5:30, they called for help and we were informed a diver was on his way.  An hour later a salvage vessel arrives – sans diver – to “assess” the situation.

So the boat circled and circled, with men in life jackets on the bow watching us until, finally, they called for a diver.  Now we have wasted another hour, and it took another 45 minutes for the small boat to arrive with two divers on board.  It is now 7:30 and we are thinking we might be here until dark.

The divers went in the water with a hack saw, and then some other small kind of tool, and played around until dark.

In the meantime, we were assured that, if they couldn’t cut the line, another boat would be sent to take us ashore.

This boat had about 150 people on board, including babies in strollers, and grandmas in walkers.  About half the group was foreigners, and some had very limited English skills.  And as soon as the boat stopped, people started getting sick and kept the staff busy mopping up.

The staff was terrific, opening the food counter and passing out snacks and water.  Of course, bar items were not free.  It didn’t stop us from a G&T (and then two) when we realized this would be a long haul.

At 9:00, the captain announced that the dive operation was unsuccessful and they had sent for a boat to take us into Boston.  We were 17 miles off shore, and, since this was a sequential process, it was another hour until the Nathaniel Bowditch, a Salem ferry, arrived.

Although it wasn’t particularly rough, it was the ocean, it was dark, and the seas were three feet or so.  When the ferry tried to tie up to us, the two metal boats clanged and crashed together so that they abandoned the effort.  Just as well, because it would have been a disaster to try to pass some of these people across.

In the meantime, they had announced that women and children would board first – shades of the Titanic – so more chaos erupted.

By now, we had the Coast Guard, the salvage boat, the dive boat and the ferry circling us.  As it got dark, and the horizon disappeared, more people got sick.

Now we are on our own, and settled in to wait for the next dive team who, we were informed, would arrive sometime between midnight and dawn!  And if they couldn’t free us, another boat would come rescue us.  Sound familiar?

At 11pm, all blankets, sheets, tablecloths, and even an American flag, were passed out to keep people warm.  Remember the three hour cruise? No one was prepared for a night at sea.  It actually wasn’t cold in the cabin, although cold and windy on the deck.  We managed to get a seat that we shared with a poor student who had hopped aboard at the last minute, by himself, to kill three hours until he met friends for dinner.

Back at the food bar, staff was cutting up cardboard boxes for blankets for those that were too sick to come inside, but were freezing.

The salvage boat went to the ferry and “borrowed” every bit of supplies on board.  Food, water, beer, blankets, sleeping bags were passed over to the crew as the boats pitched.

But folks wouldn’t leave a door open, so the air became stale and still.  With people still getting sick, it was uncomfortable at best.  Fortunately, the young ones slept for the most part and we didn’t have screaming kids.  And the staff kept the garbage cleaned up and the restrooms spotless, given the circumstances.

At 1am, another Coast Guard boat arrived and put two officers aboard.  Divers, we thought, but, no, medics.  T

hey began to evaluate those that were ill.  And they stayed with us until we docked.

Another cry went out for blankets, and the Coast Guard delivered.  I have no idea from where, but by 3:30 am even I had a blanket.

 

And the boat that brought these blankets brought divers, who went to work immediately.  Apparently, they had the right equipment and there was lots of banging coming through the aluminum boat, but by 5am we were free.

There is a mystery, however, as to what we snagged.  It was reported to be a research cable, a Navy operation, and the papers reported it to be a lobster line – NOT SO.  Whatever it is, it was rescued before we were.  By 5:30, it was being pulled from the sea.

At 5:45 or so, the engines were started, and we limped back to dock at half speed, arriving just before 8am.

It must have been a slow news day, and apparently it had been reported that we were stranded at sea, because there was a cadre of media at the dock to greet us. 

BOSTON (CBS) – Dozens of sleepy passengers waved from the deck of a whale watch boat that returned to Boston Harbor Tuesday morning, after a night stuck at sea.

The 157 passengers and six crew members set out for a three-hour whale watch early Monday afternoon. As they were heading home, one of the boat’s propellers became entangled in ropes.

“It was not what we expected when we set out to go see the whales, but the crew were really good,” a passenger told WBZ-TV’s Bill Shields.

Passengers from a stranded whale watch boat return to dry land after spending the night at sea. (WBZ-TV)

Boston Harbor Cruises hired a crew to come free the ship, but those efforts were unsuccessful Monday evening. The Coast Guard determined the seas were too rough to offload to everybody to another boat. That’s when passengers learned they would be spending the night about 16 miles off the coast of Nahant.

“Leaving them on the vessel was actually safer for them than transferring them from one large ship to another larger ship, in the middle of the night and with the sea state as it was,” said Coast Guard Lt. Karen Kutkiewicz.

“I thought it was fun,” 8-year-old Colet told WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Carl Stevens Tuesday morning. “We were out on a boat and we got stuck out there. We had to sleep overnight and we got to see divers go down.”

Tangled Whale Watch Returns Home

Medics were brought aboard in case anybody needed medical attention, and the Coast Guard stationed two boats nearby to bring food, water and blankets to the passengers.

A team of divers arrived early Tuesday morning and was able to cut the boat free. The boat was inspected for damage and returned to port using just one propeller.

Passengers are being compensated by Boston Harbor Cruises with $500, a $100 gift certificate, and a refund of their tickets for Monday’s memorable voyage.

(Our picture is in this one.  Should have had a comb!!)

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/07/stranded_whale_watch_passengers_return_after_night_at_sea

Our friends Connie and Richard were there too.  When we didn’t meet them for dinner last night, and our dinghy was still at the dock, they were worried and found out what had happened.  By the time I had cell service this morning, they were already ashore waiting for us.  And we were glad to see them.  And our laundry, all neatly folded (thanks, Connie).

A hearty breakfast, a catnap, and all is again well with the world.

But beware the three hour cruise.

Walkabout Travels and Travails Dec 2 to Dec 9

Monday, December 2

It seems forever ago that Walkabout left Annapolis – the first time.  And it has been over two weeks.  The scribe wasn’t up to documenting some of our mis-adventures at the time, so here is our tale – with a happy ending, as of now.

My friend Dave came up from Panama to help me move Walkabout far enough south that she wouldn’t have to be winterized.  The plan is to put her in Wilmington NC until after Christmas and then venture south for parts unknown.   Two years ago I took her to the Bahamas, actually getting to the Exumas in time for Thanksgiving.  After that experience, which was a great time, I realized that I really didn’t want to be away for the holidays, nor to leave the boat somewhere that far away.  Thus this year’s plan.

We actually left Annapolis on Friday (hmm), November 15, with a brand new prop.  Getting to Solomons that day was an ordeal, as the boat couldn’t make over 6 knots.  So, rather than going farther, we opted to head back to Annapolis, where it would be easier to haul the boat and adjust the settings..

A couple of haul-outs later, and with the boat not fast enough to suit me, but keeping the engine gods happy, we left again on Wed, Nov 20.  And the storms arrived and the cold set in.

Based on the weather, there was no consideration of going off-shore, so we hunkered down in Portsmouth for three days while the winds howled and the Great Bridge lock was broken.

Finally, on Monday the 25^th, we headed out at 0530.  To say it was dark and cold is an understatement.  The dark finally let up.  I’m still cold.  We spent Monday night in the thriving metropolis of Coinjock.  A storm was threatening for Tuesday and I wanted to get across the Albemarle before it arrived. I had a vision of being stuck in Coinjock for Thanksgiving.

A boat tied up in front of us, upcurrent.  We told them we wanted to leave at 0530, and they were planning to leave early also.  Well, somehow, they left their stern line for last and the current took their bow straight into the channel.  Now the boat was pinned perpendicular to the dock, with their dinghy between two pilings.  I moved Walkabout as far back as I could, but my anchor still caught their dink with a loud poof as the stern swung away from the dock.  Fortunately, no one was hurt and there was no other damage, but it wasn’t a good way to start the day.

We managed to cross the sound before the wind picked up, but by the south end of the Alligator River, it was blowing more than 20 knots.  The plan to anchor just south of the canal didn’t sound so comfortable now that the weather was calling for 35 – 40 knot gusts.

We did manage to make it to Dowry Creek Marina just at dark, and were securely tied up before the storms really got bad.  We were under a tornado watch until 0800 the next morning..  We spent a fair amount of the night adjusting lines in howling wind and rain – not to mention it was COLD.  Sailing was never supposed to be a cold weather sport.  But being as there were tornados in Morehead City, we considered ourselves lucky.

Wednesday was cold and miserable.  We tried to rent a car to join family for Thanksgiving, and Enterprise kept us waiting until after 6pm before telling us they had no cars   So, it seems we were going to make do for Thanksgiving on our own.  While waiting I mixed the ingredients for a pumpkin pie.  In pre-heating the oven, the circuit breaker for the LPG kept switching off.  Bad solenoid – no baking or cooking of any kind until we can get a replacement.  I gave the pie makings to the marina owner and we borrowed the marina car and went into Belhaven for some microwave meals. Belhaven at least does have a grocery store.  And a brand new restaurant, which we tried and was not bad.  Jack’s Tavern on the Neck, or something like that.  It had been open for three weeks, but was trying entrees (rather than just pizza and salad) for the first time.  The food was good; the organization will improve.

So on Thanksgiving morning, 29 degrees out at 0800, we started the process of leaving.  All the dock lines were frozen solid on the cleats and it took over an hour to extricate ourselves.  Luckily, the sun was shining and it was comfortable in the enclosed cockpit.

We made it to Oriental in time for the Thanksgiving buffet at the Toucan.  I didn’t have to microwave a Lean Cuisine for dinner after all.

Finally, on Friday, we had a chance to play sailboat as we motor sailed past Morehead City and down Bogue Sound.  We made it to Swannsboro in time for the Parade of Lights to go right past our boat.

Now we are in Wilmington.  We spent a night at the City Docks and tried one of the restaurants and then moved the boat to Bennett Brothers, where it will stay until after the holidays.

Monday, December 9

It’s hard to believe that we have been here for a week already.  Well, we actually have not been here, but the boat has.  On Tuesday we rented a car and drove to Annapolis to come back in mine.  The marina we are in is not within walking distance of anything, although it is just two miles outside of town.  Golf clubs in the trunk, and solenoid in hand, we drove back on Thursday and played on Friday with friends from Annapolis (the Rocks) in 80 degree weather.   It was a great day, my down jacket had a reprieve, and we had a wonderful dinner at Caprice Bistro.

We woke Saturday to rain, blowing north winds and a high for the day of 45.  Back to winter and the down jacket.

Yesterday was another miserable day but watching the Eagles, the Ravens and the Redskins, it was a lot worse in the north.  And today it is 75 and sunny again.  There is a lot to be said for North Carolina weather – although I’m sure it is even better farther south.

We were planning to head north tomorrow but the winter storm warnings will postpone our trip for at least a day.  Right now, we plan to stay in the Annapolis area until after New Years and then move Walkabout somewhere farther south.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  And I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season.

Moving On

It has been a great time in Staniel Cay and I have met some wonderful cruisers.  There is certainly no need to feel alone here, nor unsafe.  Everyone looks out for each other, and I soon got to know the boat names on the VHF.

On Sunday, I got the most wonderful call.  Vision Quest (Nancy and Arnon) and Fraulein (Chuck and Jeannie) would be here by lunch time.  I was out in my dinghy to wave them in!!

We had all left Annapolis at the same time and they had taken a different route, enabling them to see a lot of the ICW.  Great experiences for them as first time cruisers.  But they were finally here.  Nancy and I sat in her cockpit that night marveling that we were all here, all in our own boats.

I had spent most of the previous two weeks having a great time with new friends.  A  friend from Charlotte, Jean Woods, had been here for a week and we had explored the beaches, pigs and even an underwater snorkeling trip. We had spent four nights in the marina at Staniel Cay as the wind howled.  I didn’t want to be trapped in my boat, too windy to get ashore, so instead I tied up at the marina, partied a lot and watched the playoff football games.

This week has been a catch up with old friends, and we have had lots of good times together.  And the veggie boat came in, so I now have some fruits and vegetables aboard.  We are ready for the next adventure.
In the process, we have acquired two more boats to travel with us.  Mike, the vet on Mimosa who has been trying unsuccessfully to leave us for two weeks, and Joe on Onward, who is a veteran cruiser in these waters, have decided to move south with us.  So tomorrow we pull up anchor in a three to four day trek to Georgetown.  The weather looks favorable, which is what it’s all about here.  And some of us have visitors flying in to Georgetown.  My sister Pam and her husband will be here the second week in February.

Georgetown is supposedly where it’s at for cruisers, at least for some cruisers.  It’s apparently very crowded with lots to do (bridge games on the beach, volleyball tournaments, mini-courses on a variety of subjects, bars, etc.).  I have no experience so I’ll have to let you know.  But at least it’s something we have to experience, if not endure for long periods of time.

I have to admit that I have fallen in love with this area. The cruisers are so nice, the locals so helpful that it’s bittersweet to leave.  Today Joe and I were invited to Fowl Cay Resort (read swank and expensive) to watch the pastry chef make puff pastry.  Well, it turned into a more than two hour course on pastry, with Joe being hands-on.  He even got to take the pastry home.  And the entire time, the head chef was preparing dinners.  I saw how he prepared lobsters for grilling, chicken and beef kebabs for appetizers, duck breast for cooking and how he used spices.  All while Joe was slaving away with a rolling pin :)  Oh, yes, it will be hard to leave.
So, I’ll let you know next how I like Georgetown.

In the meantime, for those of you who followed my San Blas adventures, you might be interested in the attached article by Wendy Clarke. Wendy is an accomplished journalist, and currently pens the back page of Cruising World each month.  She, her husband John and two kids about 14 and 12, have been cruising for almost four years now.  And we were together in the San Blas when she proposed an article on Chesapeake Bay sailors far from home.  Let me know what you think.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all.  I am back in the Bahamas and really enjoying it.  I spent a fabulous New Years Eve with Nancy and Arnon in West Palm Beach catching up and comparing our cruising adventures, and got back to Walkabout on January 2. She appeared none the worse for having been abandoned.  The freezer was still frozen, which was my big concern, the batteries were almost fully charged, and I was good to go.  Except that the day after I arrived, and well forecast, a storm arrived with 30 - 40 knot winds from the west.  And none of these islands have any protection from the west side.  So I stayed in the marina, which was full of boats running from the storm, until the next day, when it had passed.  It was cold and rainy as well as windy, and I was afraid this was a harbinger of January weather.  However, the next day was sunny and warmer, and off I went.

This is the part of the trip I was not sure about.  I am alone on the boat, and was concerned that I could handle all the boat chores alone.  I had to get the boat anchored, get the dinghy off the front deck, and get the motor on the dink by myself.  I headed back to Big Major where I knew there was lots of room and good holding.  And by Thursday, the dink was in the water and I had wheels!!!  By then, it was warmer still, sunny and beautiful and it has been every day since.

There are some great people here and it’s been a lot of fun over the past 10 days.  The wind is light enough that I can dinghy to Staniel Cay (about a quarter mile) so I’m not feeling trapped.  The mail boat did arrive (once) so there were fresh vegetables and fruit in the general store.  And, typical of cruisers everywhere, the parties are continuous.

There are about six large trawlers here who are “parked” for the winter (Fleming 65, Hatteras 60, custom steel 65 foot, big power cat, and a couple others).  These folks brought with them a picnic table, lots of beach chairs, and lumber to build an hors d’oeuvres table on the beach.  Serious partying!!!

I have met Bob on a Gulfstar 49 motor yacht, who bought the boat last April and came from Florida for the winter.  He has had so many problems that he’s heading back to Stuart to get some work done on the boat, while he returns home to Sun Valley Idaho to ski for the rest of the winter.

And there’s Mike, a 40 year old veterinarian, who sold his practice, got divorced, took a sailing course, bought a 32 ft Hunter, and headed to the Bahamas - by himself.  He is having a great time and it’s fun to watch him discover the joys and tribulations of managing his boat.  At one point he got his anchor wrapped around his keel and, not knowing what to do, looked it up in Chapmans.  

Clay and Rita Kay, on a small trawler, spend the entire year in the Bahamas, They are football fanatics and head to the marina on the weekends so they can be in their seats at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club for each game.

And of course everyone is more than willing to help each other out.  I got my dinghy stuck under the dock at low tide at the Yacht Club and Bob jumped in the water to free it.  That had never entered my mind, as there are sharks and 6 foot rays swimming right there (maybe not dangerous but still...).  I think I would still be pulling on the painter trying to get it loose!

I haven’t done much (any) sailing and am looking forward to the 50 mile trip to Georgetown.  Next week my friend Jean Woods will be here and after she leaves I’ll find a weather window to head south.  I’m hoping that Vision Quest and Fraulein will be here by then and we can all go together.

It’s very interesting to be at anchor all the time.  Power management becomes critical.  Batteries run down quickly if lights and electronics are left on, so it’s constantly a balancing act.  And at the moment the power gremlins are winning as I’m having problems getting the generator and battery charger to play nice together.  So I’m running the engine about three hours a day to stay on top of it.

Parts are coming so hopefully this is a temporary situation.  

All is well in this part of the world with new adventures daily.  I hope you are doing well and surviving winter.  At least the days are getting longer now.  

If you have a minute I’d love to hear from you.

Merry Christmas to All

I am home from the Bahamas for the holidays.  I flew to BWI on Thursday, and it was 60 degrees when I landed at 9pm.  That was a pleasant surprise, as I only had a light jacket, and no socks!  So far, the weather has been really balmy for this part of the country.

The last three weeks I spent in the Bahamas were truly wonderful, and I’m looking forward to getting back there.  For most of the time I anchored in Big Major Spot, also known as the Pig Beach.  I was ahead of the cruisers, most of whom are just getting to that area now.  So it was relatively empty, and those boats that were there quickly got to know each other. 

The weather was beautiful, although the wind seldom stopped.  We were about a half mile, by dinghy, from the nearest groceries, and the nearest bar.  But only about one of ten of those days were calm enough to even consider the trip.  And what a treat when we finally did get to “town”.

On a few occasions, the cruisers gathered on the beach for cocktails and whatever goodies emerged from the still fairly well-stocked pantries. ( I can’t imagine what April will be like!  )

One of the “chores” of gathering like this is to burn the trash.  Trash is a real problem in the islands, and there are very few places to process it.  The custom is to burn whatever is burnable on the beach below the high water mark, and let the sea handle the ashes.   So a bonfire becomes part of the ambience.  I haven’t yet seen s’mores, but it’s probably just a matter of time.

The beach we were using is about a quarter mile from the pig beach, but on the same island, and, sure enough, a couple of the smaller ones found us.  Smaller is still intimidating, and his arrival tends to break up the party if he can’t be coerced into leaving.

One day we chose to venture to Pipe Creek, a well-protected anchorage a bit farther north.  We arrived in this narrow creek with the current just rushing through, and dropped the anchor.  Next thing we knew we were perpendicular to the wind and the anchor was behind the boat! Not liking that arrangement at all, we poked our way to another spot that had a bit more swing room.  And nothing we did would make that anchor hold at all.  After an hour of flexing Dave’s big toe, and putting the chain up and down with the windlass, we agreed to try the Delta.  It has a sharper hook than the CQR and we did get that to hold.  Unfortunately, the last 50 feet of chain have to be retrieved by hand as it is not rigged on the windlass, so the next morning Dave got his exercise for the year while I shouted encouragement.  With that we were out of that place, most likely never to return. 

Weather is the bible we live by at anchor in the Bahamas, and the forecast for the last week we would be there was for calmer winds, with no cold fronts.  So we were planning to leave Wednesday for Compass Cay Marina, where the boat is docked for the time I’m gone.  However, by Monday morning, the forecast had changed and winds were supposed to increase each day through Thursday.  And it was already blowing.  Dave suggested leaving but I wanted one last trip to town, so we delayed departure until Tuesday. 

We had a great day on Monday, with lunch at Staniel Cay Yacht Club, and visits to the two grocery stores.  By Tuesday morning, however, we were sorry.  It was really blowing as we left.

When we left the wind was already at 20 knots, and it was quite a bit higher as we got out on the banks.  Through all this, however, the sun is shining and the temperature is in the 70s, so it’s not uncomfortable.  As we headed north, we were taking waves on the windshield, so we were glad we left as early as we did. 

The channel into Compass Cay is long and winding and the wind had whitecaps on the water so it was difficult to see any marks.  Fortunately, I had been in there before and had a track on my GPS, or I wouldn’t have attempted it.  We were welcomed by Tucker, the owner, and his brother, and neatly tucked in.  I feel good knowing the boat is in good hands.  Lunch on Tucker’s famous burgers and a bit of boat cleanup, cocktails with cruisers on Exodus, a 65 Fleming, and we were ready for the last night onboard.

Dave is now safely back in Panama and I am at John’s.  I have spent the last week catching up with friends and the Christmas spirit, to say nothing of last minute shopping. 

So to all I say Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year.  I hope your year has been great and that 2012 will be even better. 

I am leaving on Dec 30 to spend New Years in Florida with Nancy and Arnon on Vision Quest, and then flying back to Walkabout on Jan 2.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Warm and sunny in the Bahamas

Week One in Paradise

We have now been in the Bahamas for a week.    And already some fun times, and lots of adventure.

We left Nassau on Monday, with the wind still blowing over 20.  It had been supposed to subside, but then the forecast changed, and it was going to blow until Wednesday.  I just couldn’t wait, so off we went.  We did have an adventure at the fuel dock, culminating with having to cut a dock line to free the boat before it took the dock down, but all ended well, thanks to quick thinking on everyone’s part.  So we motored thru the coral heads, and put up the sails. 

We had two great days of sailing, once my heart adapted to the 10 foot water depths, ending in the Exuma Land and Sea Park.  This is a most beautiful preserve, in crystal water.  The sharks and rays swim under the boat, the snorkeling is great, although this time we opted for looking from the dinghy, and the trip to the top of the hill had an awesome view of the ocean (well, Exuma Sound ) on one side and Walkabout nestled in the lagoon on the other.

Since our goal was getting Pam to see the pigs, we left Thanksgiving morning for the 20 mile trip south to Staniel Cay.  There was no wind (feast or famine) and we motored out into the sound and then thru one of the cuts back to the banks. 

By 11 am we were anchored and watching those pigs swim out to the dinghies that approached.  Pam had her pumpkin pie in the oven: as soon as it was finished we headed to shore.  Pam had her carrots ready.  Like a herd of cattle, I think they smelled the carrots, and soon all 4 500lb pigs were heading our way.  As Pam gave out carrots, one tried to get into the boat.  It had two feet on the pontoon and was trying to scramble in when I went off the other side.  I could just imagine that fiasco.  Pam and I waded in shallow water while she distributed her Thanksgiving gifts.  The pictures of the four pigs begging were a riot.  Then the carrots were gone and she tried to pet one of them.  It turned around and nipped her on the hip.  She will have a big bruise from that one.  And she was indignant that I didn’t get a picture of it.  I was trying too hard not to laugh and to escape at the same time.

We had a great, traditional dinner on board, with turkey, dressing, potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole and champagne for dinner.  And the best pumpkin pie ever for dessert.  Pam truly is a genius at making marvelous meals come out of that tiny galley. 

Friday, Pam and I took the dinghy to Staniel Cay in spite of the strong winds.  It was about a half mile ride, and by the time we got there we had water up to the gunwales.  And that was with her bailing the entire way.  Waves were coming over the bow faster than we could get the water out of the boat.  And of course we were so drenched we left puddles on the bar floor as we drowned our insides to match.  Okay, another experience we won’t repeat, it’s now a conundrum as to how I get her ashore on Tuesday for her flight.  Stay tuned.

Today is Sunday.  I haven’t had a connection to send this, so here’s the latest update.  We spent last night in Sampson Cay Marina.  I am trying to figure out where to leave the boat while I come home.  I wasn’t impressed, but the VaTech game was on tv so Pam contributed to the bar’s profit.  We left with the wind still howling for Compass Cay Marina this morning.  There is a long, winding channel to get in here, with a few balls as markers, when you can see them, and depths that read 1 to 2 meters at low tide.  Nonetheless, Tucker was on the radio assuring me I could make it as I wound through the coral and other things lurking beneath the surface.  And the journey was well worth it.  The marina holds about 15 boats and has a small shack with a refrigerator (beer) for an office.  Outside the door are steps down to the water. When we got here the dock at the bottom of the steps was under water by about a foot.  People were standing on the dock and SHARKS were putting their heads on the dock to be petted and fed!!!  Apparently these are all pets, although they are not caged.  They just don’t leave.  There are about 10 sharks from 2 to 10 feet, mostly nurse sharks I think.  And lots of bonefish and snapper in the mix. The sharks don’t eat the fish, so they say.

Pam put on a mask and snorkel and went to play.  I took pictures.

So all is good here.  Weather is beautiful in spite of the wind, warm enough to swim but not warm enough to need to.  Pam heads home Tuesday, so we’ll head back to Staniel Cay tomorrow. 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  I look forward to catching up with you when I come home.