February 28 & 29, 2020 - In Long Island

February 28, 2020. - Lyla’s Birthday

Today is my only grand daughter’s birthday and I would like to wish her a Happy 10th Birthday.  

After breakfast we went to the hardware store to pick up hooks and weighs for our fishing rod since we lost quite a few the past couple of days. We then stopped in at the grocery store to pick up eggs. We ran into Nadia who is from Switzerland and John from the US. We talked a little too long since we got caught in the rain but at least it was only drizzles. 

We changed the bedding when we got back to the boat and hand washed the others and hung them out to try. The bed sheets were like a sail since there was a strong wind. 

Steve read while I practised my ukelele playing until 4:00pm. We went to Sow’s for Happy Hour. It was busy. Guess boater’s want to get off their boats and meet other boaters. Tonight’s special was barbecue chicken with coleslaw and corn. It was good. 

When we got back to the boat, we received a surprise phone call from my sister and brother in law wishing Steve a Happy Birthday. That was a nice surprise. 

We relaxed under the stars while listening to music and then later watch TV before going to bed. 

A lot of boats came in the bay today. 

February 29, 2020 Leaping along in Long Island

7:00 am-  Prepared my dough for bread. After listening to the cruiser’s net we decided to go for a walk on the beach rather than go to the market which is every Saturday. 

It was so nice to be on the beach again. Too bad it is so far to walk to it but well worth it. 

Gorgeous display of rocks

As we sat on one of the rocks looking out at the ocean, we noticed a group of Bahamians in a distance talking. 

We didn’t think much of it until we started walking back on the street and noticed policeman and a government car all gathered. We heard about 2 missing local girls a couple of days ago and we also saw the Coast guard flying along the ocean. Steve asked one of the locals in his car about what was going on. The police made the gruesome discovery of the bodies in the Salt Pond settlement today (which is near where we were) and have a suspect in custody.  It was unfortunately a mother and daughter who were murdered. The island of approximately 3000 people are unaccustomed to violence and are all in shock. Apparently, it was a domestic violence. 

We were back at the boat around 11:00

2:30 pm- Bread is out of the oven and of course we had to sample it. Yummy as usual. 

Karen asked me to make a dessert for tonight since she invited us along with John and Nadine from s/v Paradise Sound for a chili dinner at 4:30 pm. It was a very nice get together and we got to know Nadine who is from Switzerland and John from the U.S. 

Karen, Robert, Nadia, John and Steve

7:30 pm- Once we got back to the boat, we watched a movie before going to bed. It is cooler out tonight. The wind is suppose to pick up. 

February 27, 2020 - Steve’s Bday

February 27, 2020 - Steve’s Birthday 

Happy Birthday to my darling husband

6:30 am- What a beautiful sunrise this morning before it started raining. We haven’t seen the water that calm in awhile. 

It rained really hard for a couple of hours. In fact, that is the most it has rained since we have been here. It is a sure way to rest out any leaks in our Bimini and Dodger. It past and we love it since we can sit outside even if it rains and not get wet. 

9:00 am-  I didn’t waste any time jumping in the water to do 5 laps around the boat. I got all sweaty after lifting weights and figure what a better way to cool down since the water was so calm. Steve made water. 

10:00 am-  After taking a shower, we went to get fuel at the fuel dock for the dinghy and then went to the grocery store to pick up squid for bait. 

Steve caught a nice Snapper but also many Bahamian grouper. Unfortunately, grouper isn’t in season until March so we released them all. Pork chops will have to suffice for dinner 

3:00 pm-  Steve ran the generator to heat water for 1/2 hour. 

4:30 pm- Karen and Robert came to the boat to celebrate Steve’s bday.  What a great sunset. It was the perfect evening. 

Robert

Birthday boy blowing his BIG candle

Steve & Karen

When Karen and Robert left, Steve and I watched a movie before going to bed. 

Steve was so pleased to get so many birthday wishes from everyone on Facebook. 

February 24 - 26, 2020 - Still in Long Island

February 24, 2020

7:00-  Woke up to more wind and the forecast is showing that it will continue for a while. 

Steve made water after breakfast. Today is a lazy day. We just laid low. We were going to go do a few groceries but felt it wasn’t worth battling the waves and getting wet. Don’t mind just staying on the boat. 

5:30pm- I made homemade hamburger buns and we had luscious hamburgers for dinner. 

By 9:30pm, we finished watching a movie and Steve went to bed to read while I practiced my ukulele under the stars. Hopefully I didn’t keep anyone up. 

What a nice way to end the evening. 

February 25, 2020 - Yay Yoga day!

8:15am- After coffee and listening to the cruiser’s net, it didn’t take me long to pick up Karen in the dinghy and go to the community centre for Yin Yoga classes.  We got a little wet since the wind just won’t die down. It was a great hour class. 

Steve stayed on the boat and polished all the stainless. Once I dropped off Karen at her boat, Steve and I went to shore to go do groceries. 

I think we are all wanting to move somewhere else but not sure where we would be more protected than this bay. We don’t want to hurry back to a George Town since my daughter doesn’t fly in until March 20th and it is very busy there. We will discuss it with a Robert and Karen later. 

Steve heated up the water so that I can take a nice hot shower. It felt so good. It makes you appreciate these moments. 

While I was in the bow with Steve having the wind dry my hair, Karen and Robert came over for a beer. Trying to figure out our travel plan however it is showing wind, wind , wind  for at least a week. Time will tell since things can change. You have to go with the flow.  

It was taco Tuesday for us. Yummy!

Steve enjoyed them. 

We watched the sunset while we were having dinner. 

6:20pm - The moon is smiling at us tonight. 

6;30pm- We went to Karen and Robert’s boat to go play a game of euchre. 

8:30pm- Coming back to the boat, it started raining. Karen lent me her raincoat. Once we got back to the boat it then stopped. Steve and I watched a movie before going to bed. 

February 26, 2020

Beautiful calm morning. (so far) We decided it will be a fishing day. 

9:00am-  Off we went followed by Karen and Robert with our squid as bait. It was a little rocky and windy but what else is new. Between Steve and I we caught 3 Bahamian Groupers but we had to release them since they are out of season until March and we caught a bunch of small Yellow tale snapper. So no fish dinner tonight. 

On the way back, we stopped at a secluded beach and Karen, Robert and Steve went swimming while I was looking for shells. Look closely at this photo. They are swimming in the background. 

12:00pm- When we got back to the boat, I made brownies for the big guys birthday tomorrow. Not the best looking cake I made but I am sure it will be tasty. It is the thought that counts. Shh!!! Don’t tell  the birthday boy. 

Actually it is kind of hard to hide when you are baking something in the boat. 

3:00am-  We decided to go explore around another part of the island. Holy Macaroni!! We were pouncing in the waves. We managed to get around an island where it was less windy but we still had to come back. We were soak and wet once again.

6:00pm- We made great tasting pizzas for dinner and then watched a movie before going to bed. The winds died down and the moon was smiling at us. 

February 19 - 23, 2020 - Long Island.

February 19, 2020- Long Island

After breakfast we went to Tiny’s resort and went for a nice long walk 

We found we were walking on ground up coral. 

Steve found a mooring but I couldn’t bring it on he boat since it was too big 

We went for a nice long walk. 


When we came back to the boat, Steve repaired the dinghy seat while I made hamburgers and meatloaf for future meals. 

We enjoyed a Margarita on the bow of the boat with the wind flowing through our hair. Steve prepare me a strong margarita. I think I was comatose afterwards for about an hour. . At least I was ok after dinner and coffee. 

We enjoyed a quiet evening relaxing. 

February 20, 2020 

8:30- I picked up Karen with the dinghy to attend a Yoga class on land at the community centre which they announced on the cruiser’s net. Every Tuesday and Thursday a group of women organize different sessions for 9:00am and it is free to all.  This week was one hour of Yin Yoga and one hour of Pilates. There was approximately 20 women which only 4 of us were boaters. It was lots of fun and benefits. Many woman there are from Canada who rent homes for the winter months on the island.  The island offers a lot and has so much beauty. 

Karen and I then went to the Tourist office since she wanted to do a book exchange. 

We were back at the boat by noon. Steve work on odds and end jobs. 

I painted while he read and then had a little siesta late afternoon. 

4:30pm-  Went to Karen and Robert’s boat for a Japanese Chicken curry meal. So delicious. We showed them how to play euchre. 

8:00pm-  back at the boat we sat out and watch the stars. So quiet tonight since there is no wind. Nice way to end the day. 

February 21, 2020 - Gorgeous morning 

NO WIND. My ears are hurting since it is so quiet. You can actually hear a pin drop. Can you tell it hasn’t been this quiet in a long time. There is usually always wind. It will be a kayak morning 

8:00am-  I kayaked around the glass mirrored water. So nice. 

Later Robert and Karen paddled to our boat on their paddle boards. Karen and I switched. She used my kayak and I tried the paddle board for the first time in the Bahamas. 

After Robert gave me a few tips, it became more easy. 

10:00am- Steve decided he wanted to go fishing especially when he heard on the net this morning that someone caught Mutton Snapper yesterday. Off he went. It is always exciting to see if he comes back with something. 

While he was gone, I swam around the boat. I reached my goal today which was to swim 5 laps around the boat. 

11:30pm- No luck in fishing today so Steve jumped in the water to cool down then he made water and filled up the front tank which holds 70 gallons. I did some painting. 

A plane landed in the bay near our boat. He had to take off and then land again since he landed  too close to the rocky shores the first time which prevented him from steering in the water.  Very interesting to watch. 

After lunch, I practiced my guitar while a Steve read. 

We got on our dinghy at 3:30pm for “Happy Hour” at one of the local bars “Sow side” today at 4pm.  They had ribs, Mac & cheese and potatoes salad for $10.00. 

Met a lot of boaters. 

We made it back to the boat before dark and before the winds picked up. Glad we didn’t get wet. 

Once back to the boat, we listened to satellite radio until bedtime. 

February 22, 2020 - Here it comes

7:00am- Here comes the rain. We have a northern cold front coming down and we can see the dark clouds coming our way as we were sipping on our coffee. Glad we are tucked closely to shore for protection.  

Our plan was to go to the town’s outside market for 8:00 am but it started down pouring. 

Instead we just did a lot of reading, painting and napping. 

4:00pm-  A cruiser’s pot luck on the beach was organized and therefore since the wind was down a bit, we decided to go. It was encouraged to bring an instrument if you can play. I brought my guitar and impressed myself since I played beside a boater who used to play in bars. He was really good and had a big catalogue of songs. They even had a bonfire going. Everyone brought appetizers. I brought an olive tapenade.  For those non boaters, in order to make it I had to put the generator on to get hydro to use my blender. 

It was a lot of fun and I had a good time playing beside John. He was not intimidating and very encouraging. 

6:15pm-  We all rushed back to the boat since it started raining. I didn’t want to get my guitar wet.  

Steve and I weren’t very hungry for dinner When we got back so we just nibbled on Fritos and Oreo cookies with our coffee. Can’t always eat healthy. 

We watched a movie before going to bed. 

11:00pm- The wind really picked up and the boat is sure swinging on the anchor however it is not uncomfortable in the boat. 

February 23, 2020

5:45am- The wind was hauling so much that Steve went outside with a flashlight to make sure all was well and that everything fine. All was well so we went back to bed.  Steve figures the winds were blowing up to 33 mph. 

There are 45 boats in the bay this morning. One of the regulars, who gives information on the net, said this was the most boats that she has ever seen in this anchorage. They are all trying to get protection from the northerns. 

Chocolate chip Pancake Sunday for us. 

Today was a cooking and baking day for me. I am making Catalina Cranberry chicken with rice for dinner tonight since Karen and Robert are coming over. I also baked a loaf of bread. Steve is reading. 

4:30pm- Karen and Robert came over for appetizers and dinner. 

It was a lovely evening and the winds have really subsided. 

8:00pm -Steve and I watched Star Wars before going to bed. It is a lot cooler tonight. 

February 18, 2020. - Exploring Long Island

February 18, 2020- Rented a car

What a busy day. 

9:00am-  After breakfast, we rented a car with Karen and Robert to explore Long Island. There is so much to see 

We went south all the way to Gordon’s beach hoping to find unique shells. I guess this beach is know for shelling however today was not the day. We did see a sunken Haitian ship   

Along the way we would encounter herd of goats along the road. 

Karen and I walked up the St Peter and St Paul’s church which was designed in 1939. It overlooks the harbour and 3 large cays in Clarence town. 
Had lunch at the Lighthouse Restaurant and I must say that was the best Wahoo fish tacos we have had. 

Steve, Karen and Robert went snorkelling in the Dean’s blue hole which is the deepest known salt water blue hole. 

Afterwards, we went to Hamilton’s caves where Leonard took us on a tour which were situated on his property. He charged $15 per person but it was well worth the tour. These caves has many passages which are at least 50 ft wide with a ceiling of 10 feet wide. Many Lucayan arrifact were discovered here in 1025. 

Then they went swimming in the shrimp hole. There were all kinds of red shrimp in this pond. 

We stopped in the Long Island Museum where Karen and Robert went in for a fee of $3. Steve and I explored outside the building. 

As we were headed to the south side of the island, the car electrical went and we believe the alternator died. The car rental didn’t waste time showing up with another vehicle so we can finish site seeing before it got dark. 

We made it to the Christopher Columbus monument. Since last year, they built a new wide road leading up to it. A lot better than when we went last year.

The sun was setting as we view the monument 

Stopped to show Karen and Robert Santa Maria resort bit it was too late to get a drink since it was getting dark. Scary to drive on the road at night especially when you have to drive opposite sides of the road. 

It was a busy but great day. When we got back to the boat, Steve and I had leftover pasta with a glass of wine. Now we have to sort they all the photos I took.