Long Island Devastation and a New Anchorage

The first day we got to Long Island we decided to take a walk with Jim and Bess on Destiny to the other side of the island to the beach.  On the walk over we saw a Bahamian Snowman made of of rocks which definitely gave me a good laugh.  Now this kind of snowman I can take or should we call him "Rockman?"

A Bahamian style snowman!

We also saw lots of butterflies enjoying the nectar of some of the flowering weeds.

Those were palm trees.

Furthermore, on our walk we saw  evidence of hurricane Joaquin from the palm trees that had no palms left.  Once at the beach we started looking for treasures of sea glass and sea beans finding some of each.  The beaches as you can see can be beautiful,

The beautiful white sand.

but they also can have lots of trash an especially plastics on them.  Due to the container ship that went down during the hurricane, we have found unopened jars of mayonnaise, hypodermic needles, flea and tick powder for dogs and more.  So the beaches seem dirtier than ever up above the tidal line but give an excellent place for finding sea beans. 

The trash filled sections of beach.

 That evening a dinghy drift happy hour was called and people off of boats but also some of the locals came out to join us.  It was nice to meet some of the homeowners on the island.

Homeowners and cruisers came out for the fun.

Getting to know some of the locals.

We were having so much fun, we stayed until the sun set!

Donations brought by cruisers.

The next day we got to see the remnants of hurricane Joaquin on Long Island first hand because we got a tour of the southern end of the island unexpectedly.  A call out went to cruisers  over the vhf radio for  a work day to help.  They asked cruisers to bring in any supplies they brought to donate, to the dock and they would have a pick-up truck and van to load them in.  One boat, Salty Turtle, brought dinghy load after dinghy load of clothing, toys, household items and bed linens.  Our friends who we sailed over with us , Jim and Bess on Destiny, brought a great supply of tools from his father's house which he had cleaned out before he left. We had brought the kitchen supplies for the home economics department at the high school.
We lined up the dock with all that was donated and filled the van and half of the pick-up with it all.

The van packed full of donations brought by cruisers.

The back wall is totally gone.  No one is living here now.

Then they asked if we wanted to ride along to take it to the distribution center and to meet some of the locals.  All ten of us wanted to go.  We got to see the devastation.  The homes closest to the water were missing there back walls or were totally demolished.


Where there were banana tree groves and gardens, all that was left was salty soil.  Most of the vegetation had died from the salt water, so you could see how much the sea had come up.

It is hard to believe that bananas grew here.

This lady had beautiful gardens and sold plants to homeowners on the island.  This is all she had left.  These were in the house in pots so that is why they survived.  Those who had some money are slowly rebuilding.  It is very difficult to get the supplies and so many still have homes with one section open to the elements.  The October hurricane Joaquin was the first hurricane in 85 years to have the sea rise so high and do so much damage on Long Island. It sat over the southern end for two days which also was a reason for so much being destroyed.  The only positive thing was that it rained for two to three days afterwards which helped dilute the salt, so they hope the soil will be able to produce food again.

After delivering our donations we went to Clarence Town to enjoy a nice lunch at the marina's restaurant,the Outer Edge Grill, which is up and running again.

Couples from the boats, Skeeter, Destiny and Ursa Minor who helped with the donations, enjoying lunch.

We started our day at 9:30am and returned to our boat about 4:30pm.  It isn't called Long Island for nothing!  It is 80 miles long, and the dinghy dock is about in the middle of the island with Clarence Town one of the furthest towns to the south. So it turned into a long but satisfying day!

The next day we headed back to Georgetown via the deep water route so that Al and Jim on Destiny could fish. Once again, nothing! Thank heavens there is a meat market in town!

Love the sky mirrored in the water!

We both decided to go into an area called Red Shanks. It is an enclosed area with very good protection because once again we were going to get winds from the south and west. It was our first time in and rather low tide so we anchored in the first slot of deeper water. We had a beautiful sky that night which I caught in a picture. 

The next day at high tide we moved over the sand bar into the next area good for anchoring. It was not a very pretty pretty day with some rain and wind so projects came out to be done. I totally finished my rug doing the whipping of the edge with yarn. 

It will be put away now until we get home.

My story rug of our vacations.

My next rug hooking project will take probably at least a year. It is about six feet by three feet and is considered a story rug. Again, I took a class in June, and started designing it last January. It is about all the places we have vacationed except the Bahamas. That could be a rug all on its own! I decided to do it by modes of transportation on how we got there. So it is divided by car, plane, chartered boats, cruise liners, bus and riverboats. It will be a wall hanging when it is finished. Don't hold your breath waiting for the finish, it will be a long time!

A close up of our river boat trips and our bus trip to the National Parks.

I finished another sea glass candle holder

Sea glass candle holder.

similar to the ones auctioned at Staniel Cay that got fifty dollars for the benefit.

I also am working on my pine needle basket making some progress adding decorative sliced walnut shells that I got when I ordered my supplies. It is a true learning experience, but it will get done, just slowly.

The base of a pine needle basket.

The next day was breezy but not enough to keep us cruisers from going to shore to get a walk in. We are anchored behind a private island that about six or seven years ago a resort was started to be built but stopped. We got a good walk in but got told by someone in a car on our way back (which we did not expect to see) “Did we know this was a private island?” Robin said yes, but all we wanted was to stretch our legs after being on the boat for a few days and he seemed okay with it. It seems there is work being started again so we won't be able to take walks there anymore.

The following day I got to do some kayaking to get some exercise. It is interesting to see some of the formations along the shore line and saw a few fish beneath the surface. 

You wonder how the soil stays in tack on the top.

The sand is a bit stirred up from all the wind we had

 Later that afternoon we went to a potluck on the beach on a very small uninhabited island nearby. It worked out great with a bonfire and all. We got to meet a lot more cruisers that we did not know. It was a great evening and I don't know if it was the bonfire or the cigars that the guys were smoking, but the bugs were not bad!

The Red Shank Beach Party

Enjoying the bonfire and potluck.

Lisa from Saraid, Bill from Cool Cat and Robin from Cookie Monster having fun!

Hoku learning how to do rug hooking.

The next afternoon I had Hoku, a twelve year old girl from Makana come over to learn how to do rug hooking. She had shown an interest in it the last time we were down when I showed my rugs at the art show during regatta. So I brought my small hooking frame and backing cloth for her and gave her a lesson. She did a fantastic job. I think she was better at keeping the loops even than I am. She hooked her own design of a flip flop and got it done except the background in two and half hours. She was very happy with it and so was I.

Hoku showing her flip flop she hooked.  She will finish the background on her own.

We plan to move closer to Georgetown and maybe back to Red Shanks at the end of the week for more west and south winds.

 

Once in a Life Time Happening, We Hope!

I did not expect to do a blog so quick but due to the unexpected happening this week, I thought it best to do so. Facebook followers may have knowledge of it, but there is a little more detail here.

With rain and sun we get lots of rainbows.

Our first few days in Georgetown were fairly uneventful. We were doing the typical chores of getting free water at the dinghy dock at Exuma Market, waiting for the supply boat to come in to get fresh produce, milk and bread and getting fuel for our outboard engine. Once again, NO BANANAS! Are we not in the tropics where they grow bananas????

We had some minor squalls come through when we were anchored at Kidd Cove on the town side and had a nice rainbow appear off our stern early in the week.

Putting my last few loops in the rug.

I finished hooking my rug which I started back in April 2015. I am very proud of it. I did 95% of the dyeing of the wool which consist of eight shades of each color. I was complimented by my teacher at the workshop I attended on my dyeing and the hooking of the roses.  It was designed by Pearl McGowan Flynn and called Rapture Plus Four. Now all I have to do is finish the border.

My first fine shaded rug.

We moved over to Sand Dollar beach after getting our food supplies. The next day was rainy and dreary but we had a bright spot in the day when a dolphin kept circling our boat. 

A single dolphin circling our boat and going under our dinghy.

Look how close they are and the dolphins liked it.

 Then about an hour later five dolphins were in the anchorage and people got in and they swam with the dolphins for about a half hour. They were not afraid of the people and came quite close to them. It was fun to watch and a really cool experience for the swimmers.

Later that night the wind switched causing some rocking and rolling in the anchorage, so first thing in the morning we picked up our anchor and once again went over to the town side to Kidd Cove. (We did not know what a fortunate decision this was until later that night.) Since we moved so early we were able to get in fairly close to be protected from the west wind but also from the north. Mid afternoon we went into town to walk because I had not been off the boat for several days. It felt good to stretch our legs. We got over to the other side of town where there is another small market. I said to Al, I just wanted to see what they had, and lo and behold, they had bananas!!!!The banana blight on Blue Heaven was finally ended!

As we were enjoying our drink before dinner celebrating the finishing of my rug and the end to the banana blight, we were commenting on the ominous looking clouds to the south of us and the dark skies to the north of us with some lightning behind all the clouds. We knew squalls were a possibility that day but never expected what we got! As I was just clearing the dinner dishes off the table a gust of wind hit that shook the entire boat. Al jumped up to put on the windlass (for you non-sailors- it allows us to raise the anchor), and start the engine just in case it was necessary. Another gust hit us which made the boat tilt at least 45 degrees knocking my glass of water (thank heavens I did not have red wine that night) onto the settee and some other small things to fly across the cabin. As Al was on the helm, I was trying to close the hatches. Did you ever try to close something when it was blowing 50 knots?! I finally got them closed and went up to be a second set of eyes to watch if other boats were dragging down on us. We saw up to 60 knots at one point with a steady 35-45 for the next two hours! Boats dragged all around us but our rocna anchor held! We love our rocna anchor!!! At one point we saw a huge catamaran which had been way up in the cove dragging down on us, and their anchor finally caught about three boat lengths away. We were so lucky. Others did not fair so well. The other side of the harbor where there are three main anchoring areas, Monument Beach, Volleyball Beach and Sand Dollar Beach had it much worse because they were more congested and were out in the open. We were in the lee of the island. The waves in the harbor were probably 4-5 ft. Someone on that side saw 90 knots on their wind meter. Boats dragged and damaged other boats or had to leave their anchors behind to get out of the way of dragging boats . Lots of dinghies were flipped or lost, as well as many paddles, oars, and fuel tanks. The good news was there were no people hurt! There were about four boats with lots of damage but that really is not many for what went on and for so long! What was this? The weather guru, Chris Parker, called it a dorecho. I looked it up and it said “It is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line wind storm that is associated with land-based, fast moving group of severe thunderstorms. It can cause hurricane force winds.” (Sorry I had no photos, but I was a bit busy!)

The next day dawned bright and sunny and people were out helping all those who needed help. I believe all anchors and the chain that people lost were found. When water can be this clear it helps.  

This is our anchor chain going from the boat, but you can also see our chain on the bottom half buried in the sand.

This photo was taken two days after the windstorm.  A lot of the small things people lost were found. One dinghy that had to be cut loose was never found but overall we are thankful nothing worse happened. All the sailors were saying, in all their years of sailing, our 42 years included, we have never experienced that much wind. A fellow sailor who said he was in gales at sea, only had 45 knot winds. It was a freak occurrence of two fronts coming together and it happened from Georgetown and north to Warderick Wells Land and Sea Park.

We are trying to get back to doing normal “Georgetown things.” I went to water aerobics to get some well needed exercise. There is no one to lead yoga yet, so water aerobics works. We anchored at Sand Dollar beach so were able to get off and walk the trail over to the ocean side.

Walking to the ocean side.

Passing the snacks around.

It is a beautiful as I remembered. Later we had a dinghy drift happy hour with a few boats at Sand Dollar beach. The bugs were too bad to be on the beach, so we just tied our dinghies together and passed the snacks around until dusk when the mosquitoes will find you anywhere!

Matt and Marty from Runaway joined the raft.

We  left to sail to Long Island. Long Island is one of the islands that was devastated by the last hurricane. They are in need of lots of supplies for the schools and for the people in general. Many cruisers are bringing books and school supplies.  One cruiser had his father's tools which he collected when cleaning out his house.  We have cooking utensils and supplies for the high school's home economics class that we purchased in Vero Beach to donate. It does not look like much, but every little bit helps. 

Our donation for the high school home economics class.

A fund raiser is in the process of being planned back in Georgetown by the cruisers to help out.  When we get back in a few days from Long Island, I plan to get involved. 

Yes, They Have No Bananas

The view of Black Point harbor.

While at Black Point we got laundry and the blog done at the newly renovated Lorraine's Restaurant.  The next day we played a bit, by walking to the beach where on the way I took this shot of the harbor.  It was taken directly into the sun which makes it look like a black and white shot.  Sometimes black and white is all you need for a great shot and how appropriate for a place called Black Point! 

Our sea glass find.

At the beach Al and I searched for sea glass. We got a pretty good haul that day which I needed to make some more sea glass candle holders for the benefit auction at Staniel Cay.

The pigs come to see the tourists, or is it the other way around?

We returned to the Staniel Cay area the following day and to the Big Major spot, where we once again anchored not far from Pig Beach. People come to see the pigs on tour boats from resorts and tenders from all the huge mega yachts that come for the holiday week . The pigs love to be fed and I am sure the mega yachts have plenty to share with them. This year the huge yachts seem to be more plentiful than ever. At one point we counted seventeen of them.

Just one of seventeen!

The yachts are not so bad, but it is all the play toys they bring. Some have more that two tenders, most have several jet skis that their passengers zoom around the anchorage creating wakes going every which way and so do our boats!

Just some of the play toys on a smaller yacht.

To get away from all the wave action, we took our dinghy over to Staniel Cay to walk around and see if there was any fresh produce to be had. Unfortunately, the boat was due in the next day. But I did get two oranges and a box of oatmeal. We checked out Staniel Cay yacht club which had recently added an addition.

Newly remodeled Staniel Cay Yacht Club

They were prepping for their Pirate Party that night but this is all we saw of it.  We were too far away to come in after dark.

Aargh!  Too bad we could not make the pirate party.

Later in the afternoon we had a happy hour on Middle Beach which our friend Marty called over the vhf and got a pretty good crowd to come.

People coming in for the Happy Hour on the beach.

The supply boat, the Captain C arrived around 9:30am the next day, so around 11:30am we went to Isle's General Store hoping the food would be out but it wasn't. Just as we were about ready to leave, the pick-up truck came with the first load. The owner a Bahamian woman said it won't be long. She would not let us in until all was unpacked and that included the second truck load as well. So about an hour an half later (that is the Bahamian for “not too long”)we finally got to shop. People were waiting outside because the boat did not come in Christmas week due to too many people taking off for the holiday week so there had not been fresh food for two weeks. We returned to the boat with our fresh supplies except for bananas. Yes, they had no bananas, just like the song says!  Two weeks without bananas, I don't know if Al can survive!

Tourists and cruisers arrive for auction and dinner.

About 3PM the benefit auction started at Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Cruisers donate items and businesses on and around Staniel Cay donate services to raise money to pay for the free dinner and drinks attendees and the prizes for the regatta winners.

The auctioneer taking bids.

 I donated two of my sea glass candle holders that I made (and forgot to take pictures of) and two small purses that I had made at home. My candle holders went for fifty dollars and the purses for fifteen so I was pleased with the results. After the auction they put out a free nice meal and free rum punches or beer for all who attended.

Ladies dish out the food.

The meal was delicious with barbecued chicken, fried fish, conch fritters, conch salad, and chicken salad. While waiting for the food you can entertain yourself by watching the sharks and rays that swim around the pier.

One of the many entertaining sharks.

The next day was the Bahamian Boat Regatta. Two Bahamian Class A boats that compete with at least two Bahamians on them and the rest crew made up of cruisers. We have never tried it because we are not racers and second, we don't want to climb out there on those boards and hang out!

Not for us!

We will let that for the younger folks! I would rather try to get some decent pictures of them. It wasn't easy being in the dinghy because it was blowing 17-18 knots and the waves were kicking up. However, I think I got some decent shots.

Lady Muriel soaring by.

I actually got both in one picture!

When we got back after the first race, I did have to rinse the salt water out of my clothes and other items. There were three races in all with Lady Muriel beating Tida Wave in this regatta.

Several of the cooks for New Year's Eve

That evening was New Years Eve so 10 of us got together on Runaway for drinks and dinner. We had a ham, turkey breast, garlic mashed potatoes, salad, homemade bread and carrot moush? (mashed carrots and plantains). Of course we started with drinks and appetizers and ended with cherry cheese pie and oatmeal raisin cookies. Pretty good meal for being on boats! We did not quite ring in the New Year at midnight but more like cruiser's midnight which is 9PM! Al and I did wake to hear the boat horns blowing at midnight. Welcome 2016!

The next day was the Cruiser's Regatta which is when cruisers enter their boats in the races. Al never does that because he says it is our home and he isn't going to take any chances. He has crewed on others boats before, but the weather was to improve to head south which is what he wanted to do. So we left and anchored at Cave Cay for the night.

The next day we hauled anchor and headed to Georgetown. We passed by Musha Cay heading out which is the island David Cooperfield owns and “disappears” to once in a while.

David Copperfield's house on Musha Cay.

Chris Parker, the weather guru, said it was going to be the mildest day for a while. It it was the mildest, I am glad we left, because it wasn't horrible but not easy either.

Where oh where are the mahi?  Not where Al is!

Al fished but all he caught was a barracuda which luckily he gaffed and was able to pull his lure out without getting bit!


 
We anchored off of our favorite spot called Monument Beach. It isn't very crowded yet, so there was plenty of room.

It feels good to have made it to Georgetown where we can relax for a while.