the week of Feb 12thru19

Feb 19th Happy Birthday Paul Wellumson! You are getting old!

Our first week with guests is now history and I am reminiscing of this past week…

Today is a day of rest…

Sunday…

but let me go back in time to feb 12th...

We just had our first shake down crew aboard the Cricket.  My dad continued on and then we had Darrell and Nancy, our sailing mentors, came from CT to visit us for a week of sailing.  The winds have been NE 15-23k all week and even more at some times.  It was a Very pleasant week with company and conversation.

Here are some highlights:

First I have not talked about my dad enough… He has been busy doing this and that, he has fixed a few facuets, going fishing, puttering here and there, he supplied the poop pump, sailing at the helm, pulling in sheets, making coffee, etc… it has been a great 3 weeks of father daughter bonding.

Darrell and Nancy were great sports. It’s fun to have fellow sailors along like them and dad cuz they know that sail boats tip and lean over.  We sailed in a little rough seas but it all went well. We ate well most of the meals were provided by Chef Captain Pam. We played music one night, we had the boat Rockin’!.  We have a keyboard and 2 guitars, penny whistle, harmonica, things to bang on for percussion etc.  pretty much we have our own band aboard now we just need people to come and be band members. Darrell plays a mean piano! We have games and played dominos. Nancy trounced us with her mad math skills in dominos.

People we have met…

            Sailing should be how life is… you go when the winds are right… you meet people that you know God has sent to you (and there is no doubt He has sent them),             Here is a story about Marshal and Judith.  We were docked at Nassau Yacht Haven and we were docked next to Marshal and Judith.  They said, “Have you been to the straw market or down town?”  “Nope.” He said, “We are going there today you just take a public bus through the rough parts of town and you get there.”  I yelled back across the ocean wind noise and the noise of the squeaking riggings on boats, “Can we tag along?” “SURE”

            The seven of us hopped on the public bus… the music on the bus was loud gospel music and we clapped and sang as we went down the small narrow broken roads.

            What a fun adventure that was… It was all orchestrated by divine happenstance.

            The next we we were going to shove off and Marshall yells over, “Where you going?” “Don’t know, where you going?” “we are heading to Allan Cay to feed the iguanas!”  “Great we will see you there.”  Sure enough we went there.

            We fed the iguanas and went snorkeling in wavey windy strong current area. It was very sandy so not much reefs.

            Next we followed them to Shroud Cay.  That is the beginning of the Exuma Water Park where we took a long dinghy ride that was cut through mangroves and super clear water to the ocean side. We would have no idea it was there but that Marshal and Judith told us about it.

            We sailed and kayaked then ate some more… and the week had slipped away.

            Back to a different dock this time Nassau Harbor Marina Club. Much better showers. I judge a marina by the pressure of the water in the shower to get my hair clean. When we came into the dock, the owner helped us dock.  I was a little nervous but was concentrating so hard on the tasks at hand.  When you have more people… you have more people to get distracted by or more people to get nervous or more people to direct.

            (before I say our entrance… I forgot when we left Nassau I had a rough exiting the dock! I thought it should be easy. We are being blown away from the dock.  I had all the dock hands ready, I grabed the helm went to go back and the wheel would not turn!! I looked down and I had forgotten that dad tied the wheel to the post last night so the rudder would not swing back and forth – something I have never done but a good idea – now the wind caught the boat as I rushed to untie the knots –I thought “(*#$@*%#*(#” but kept my composure. I was too busy trying to get the boat in the direction I wanted it to go but too late.  Luckily Marshall and Judith had already left cuz my boat swung into their slip. It is hard to explain but all-in-all it worked out.

            So this time I went to dock the boat… I looked at Ben and he read my mind… You are the guy that will jump off the dock and set the spring line! He knew exactly what to do! So as we came into the dock – the owner was waiting for us – it was a perfect landing! Phew! The owner said it was the best landing that had seen in the past 3 windy days.  I was happy to be docked.

Now for technical stuff…

            Our electrical I am happy to report is working well! We even have a refrigerator working!

            Ben is diligently working on SSB modem. We got the unit but it did not come with the correct cords and plugs.  Grrrr…

            Our VHF had transmission problems.  We could hear everyone but we could not transmit! Our back up hand held was too low on batteries. (note to self: keep it fully charged) We have to call Nassau Harbor Control…what to do??? Luckily we have a phone and I called 4 different numbers to get the right place. Phew!

            Then we met Walter and Connie. He helped us trouble shoot the VHF and eventually we found out it was just a corroded connection. That problem took Ben most of the day to find. I was supportive by washing dishes… finding the manuals for this and that… then I took our walkie talkie with our handheld VHF then I walked a mile away and I could hear him loud and clear.  Then there was a boat that was leaving the harbor and we called them each hour and we heard them 18 miles out!!! It works!! Way to go Ben!

            Our poop story is a problem still.  Well remember last year we had problems with the head not being full but then the black water is running out the vent.  We thought we had it fixed but nope.  Then we got a pumper from Dad! The first pump out into the ocean miles out went well!  It was exciting that we can pump out! Cuz a full head is not fun! It is not the best fitting poop pump but it worked!  So the second time we pumped out… it would not work!! So now we have a full crapper and no way to pump out.  So Ben and I went to the marine store to jerry-rig something to fit. (yes like father like daughter I can Jerry-rig with the best of them.) The story is still out on that. We will work on that tomorrow.

            I have to sew the top of the main sail plug back to the hardware that slides inside the mast. I don’t know the name of it. There is also a slight rip in the cover to the jib.

            We had laundry and grocery shopping to do.

So much to talk about and so much to do.  I better get work done too today.  We were invited to go to church with Walter and Connie this afternoon at a local church it should be fun!
 smile Pam
peace to you all and warm winds to you all!