Woohoo! We have data and cell connection! Anchored now in Staniel Cay (Big Major’s) with guest Sarah on board and am sending this update written from Warderick Wells yesterday:
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Wow – how to sum up last week? Sun, sand, snorkeling, new friends, kid boats, hiking, turquoise waters, turtles, eagle rays. Bahamas as advertised! J Only 1 day of squalls/rain/cloud but otherwise settled and nice. We volunteered in the Exuma Land and Sea Park for a day, ate fresh coconuts often, kids created a “shell garden” in the sand flats at low tide (since park is a no take zone they couldn’t keep the shells). We loved watching the spotted eagle rays swimming up and down the anchorage at slack tide each day. Magnificent. There are 10…amazing 10 that are seen regularly. Some of them are huge – must be 8ft wingspan. One turned to look up at me while snorkeling – I think my heart stopped beating in that moment as we looked eye to eye!
More boat projects – VHF radio wasn’t able to hear others past 3 miles away though it should be 10-20 miles – Mike pulled wire, investigated connections, went to top of mast doing experiments. Soldered a new connection in a few places including with a torch at the top of the mast. Installing a spare antenna from a neighbor boat fixed it! Huge success to now be able to reach over the horizon to speak to other boats. Then while paddleboarding one morning we discovered a chain plate had 2 of 3 bolts come loose (chain plates hold the wire rigging that keeps the mast standing!!). That was an all day project to figure out what to do. Other boats provided tools parts and ideas on how to approach the issue and Mike was able to to cut through just the right spot in the interior in order to access the backside of the plate. By nightfall on the same day the kids reattached the nuts in the tiny opening with their tiny fingers as Mike cranked on the bolts on the outside of the boat. Another success!
We did get lucky with a little connectivity which was a surprise here in the Park. Though it sometimes took standing one leg, while holding phone in the air, and having the sun/moon/clouds aligned! Nice to be able to check on critical things and get weather data….but also probably spent more time trying! It’s a challenge wanting to be disconnected…but yet still having so much going on that we need to be slightly connected.
Unfortunately yesterday – the day our guest travels and we were to pick her up – a large cold front arrived from the north. Whenever the east coast gets hammered, we get rough wind and have to seek protection. Sarah had made it to Florida but then her Ft Lauderdale to Staniel cay flight was cancelled. It was still sunny here, but the airspace between us was already full of squalls that the aircraft could not get around. The front was so strong with west winds that we were not able to anchor safely at Staniel Cay so we had already decided to stay at Warderick Wells and helped her find a room in Staniel to stay in Sunday night. As it turns out she stayed in Lauderdale an extra day and got the 6:30am Monday flight. We will sail down Monday morning to pick her up by midday hopefully.
Fun Afloat 