Port Antonio, Jamaica

It's been over two weeks since I have posted, although it seems that more time than that has passed. Enis and Ula left on Monday to return to Baltimore, and Peter left on Tuesday morning for England for a two week vacation from our vacation, leaving me alone here at the Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio. I would rather be anchored someplace where I could slip off the swim platform every day to swim with the fish and other sea creatures, but I am passing my days sitting by and swimming in the pool. I have wandered a few blocks into town by myself a couple of times, but I don't really have anything to do here.

The other cruisers whom I have met have been friendly. Pete and Gail from S/V Pega invited me over for drinks two evenings ago, and yesterday evening I visited the 51-foot boat from France which is being sailed by a young couple and their seven delightful children. Sometimes, I play with the younger kids at the pool. If I were Peter, I would be endlessly amusing myself tinkering on the boat, but I have neither the skills nor the inclination.

In my abundant free time, I will now relate the events since Enis and Ula arrived at George Town on Great Exuma on Tuesday, February 26, until my current abandonment.  Peter and I met them at the Exuma Market dock.  Once again, the dinghy motor wouldn't start, and I was anxious to get back to the Chat 'n Chill Beach for the closing ceremonies for the 39th Annual George Town Cruising Regatta. We only got off the dock after Peter changed one of the spark plugs. They were new, but they are fouling up terribly after only a few runs. We really need a dinghy motor that just fires up reliably with ease the first pull. Another alternative would be oar locks, but those are missing!

After having drinks and lunch, chatting with friends and petting the stingrays that glide in the shallow water by the conch shack, we returned to Epicurus (Oops! That was our previous boat; I meant Mantra), where Ula unpacked the abundance of food she had brought and Peter and Enis started fixing things on the boat straight away. The family from S/V Mocambo came by to pick up the inflatable windsurfer we announced we were giving away on the cruisers' net that morning. Young John was so excited, and I hope that he and the other kids in the cruising community there are enjoying it.

Stingray at Chat 'n Chill Beach 

John being towed by his mom on his new windsurfer

That evening, we dinghied back to George Town to go to Eddie's Edgewater Restaurant for dinner.  When we arrived there, we found that there was a memorial service for a local woman who had passed away, with a Bahamian band and dancing. We were assured that we were not intruding and were ushered to the back dining room, where we waited a very long time for service. The menu was on a blackboard, and some items had been erased already, so the others had to be content with fried chicken and the accompanying rice and peas, fries and salad. The restaurant had already run out of macaroni and cheese, a Bahamian restaurant staple and usually my main meal when we eat out there, so I just ate a few of Peter's fries.

The harbour was choppy, so we got a bit wet returning to the other side of the harbour, which from George Town looks like a spread-out town along the opposite shore but is really a few hundred anchor lights.

The main item on the to-do list was fixing or replacing the white mast running light before our anticipated departure from Elizabeth Harbour the next day. On Wednesday, Feb. 27, Enis went up the mast in the bosun's chair and determined that we needed a new bulb. (Ula had to have a turn in the bosun's chair to take photos of the beautiful water and islands.) A search of the supply of spare parts on our boat turned up no matches, so we would have to wait until the next morning to purchase one.

Ula up the mast

The next morning (Thurs, Feb. 28), in addition to announcing on the cruisers' net our impending departure that day, we also asked if anyone had a lightbulb to our specifications. The response was immediate, and Peter and Enis set off in the dinghy to track one down. (This is one of the wonderful things about the George Town cruising community; everyone is always eager to share expertise and parts and to help others in need.) A couple of hours later they returned, after visiting another boat and going to the Top II Bottom store in George Town.

While they were gone, Ula inflated the floating chair they had brought and we took turns enjoying it.  Evan stopped by in his kayak to visit.

Ula in the floating chair

Evan in his kayak

Enis went up the mast again to install the new bulb, but by the time the light was installed and other tasks were accomplished, it was too late in the day to leave for Conception Island to the east across Exuma Sound, so we got to stay another day.  We had lunch and drinks at the Chat 'n Chill and went to the barbecue at the Peace and Plenty Restaurant that evening, where we chatted with friends from other boats as well as people we just met.  Peter, Ula and Enis ordered the mahi mahi dinner and I ate some of their macaroni and cheese, which, unfortunately was not real Bahamian mac and cheese but lasagna noodles baked with layers of cheddar cheese.  Six weeks in the Bahamas, and I had no mac and cheese.😞

Chat 'n Chill Beach

Ula, Enis, Sherri and Peter enjoying the local beer at the Chat 'n Chill

There was live Bahamian music, and Rick, one of the other cruisers, played his bagpipes. While Peter was busy on his computer, I was drawn into the dancing crowd and got Ula to join me. Enis didn't want to dance, so Ula danced with a sweaty Bahamian with whom I had also danced.

Rick playing his bagpipes at Peace and Plenty

Ula dancing with a Bahamian

After listening to the 8:00 net again on the morning of Friday, March 1, and announcing that we were really leaving this time, we pulled up anchor at 8:20 a.m. and started motorsailing in light winds toward Conception Island. We pumped out the holding tank after getting in deep water and were going merrily along when the engine died, having overheated, and we were adrift. Working on the assumption that the impeller for pumping sea water through the engine for cooling had failed, Peter and Enis set to work accessing that part of the engine compartment from the aft cabin and Enis crawled in and changed the old one for a new one.  (The problem is that the sea water pump feeds both the toilet and holding tank as well as the engine, so pumping the holding tank seems to have caused the problem.  Separating the feeds has been added to the to-do list!)

Enis installing an impeller

While we waiting for the engine to cool, we noticed a half dozen fish swimming toward the hull.  They were brilliant blue and yellow mahi mahi (dolphin fish). They swam around us for a long time, and, having seen their beauty, Ula regretted having eaten their kin. Ula and I sat on the swim platform and wiggled our toes to attract them but they didn't take the bait.

Mahi mahi in Exuma Sound

Toes for bait

Still the engine was too hot, but luckily the wind had increased to 13 knots apparent, and we were able to sail on a port tack. close hauled, into Calabash Bay. Manuevering past coral heads, with me on the bow giving directions around them, we smoothly anchored under sail in the bay close to shore with 1.3 meters of water under the keel. Spotting a dolphin or two cavorting over a reef north of us in the bay, we speedily donned our snorkeling gear. We were not able to find them, but we swam around the point just north of us and found a great reef with hundreds or thousands of fish, including many stoplight parrotfish, the first tropical fish I fell in love with decades ago in the British Virgin Islands on my first dive trip.

That evening was peaceful and we enjoyed one of the wonderful meals Ula prepared and then lay on the dinghy and the pilot house roof revelling in the multitude of sparkling stars and the Milky Way arcing across the dome of the sky as an occasional shooting star darted by and burned out.

With the engine back on line, we pulled up anchor at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 2, circled around the north end of Long Island and motored down the eastern coast of the island until 1 p.m., when we were able to sail, although, with a current against us, we could only make 5.5 knots. With one reef in, we passed through a small squall and finally anchored in Little Harbour on the east side of Long Island in 5 meters of water at 6 p.m.

The next morning (March 3), we snorkeled again (because one can never snorkel too much) and then pulled up anchor at 1 p.m. to sail the rest of the day and all night to Hogsty Reef, a rare atoll in the Atlantic, north of Great Inagua Island in the southern Bahamas, far from land and lights. After sunset, the sailing was great, and bioluminescence trailed us through the water. We hove to at 2:30 a.m. and rested for three and a half hours, setting sail again as the sun rose on March 4.  We motor-sailed the rest of the way in light winds (10 knots) and calm seas and entered Hogsty Reef from the west and anchored behind Northwest Cay just after 2 p.m. We were so, so lucky to encounter perfect conditions for getting into and anchoring in Hogsty Reef. Unbelieveably, considering how crystal clear the water in the rest of the Bahamas is, the visibility at Hogsty Reef was even better than the Exuma Cays. We could count the links and see the marks on the anchor chain 6 meters (18 feet) below the water.

Northwest Cay, Hogsty Reef

We snorkeled on the reef between us and Northwest Cay, sighting the largest barracuda I have ever seen, a shark and thousands of fish. We swam in to the cay and explored this deserted island, finding parts of wrecks along the jagged shore. Ula collected sea fans that had been washed ashore and Peter claimed a four to five inch hand-made brass nail with a subtle green patina. After dinner, we watched the stars again and then Ula, Enis and I sat on the swim platform, kicked our feet and marvelled at the sprays of light as we disturbed the plankton near the surface.

(I am tired of typing, so this post will have to be in installments. More later!)