It's been a whirlwind. Thursday i motored over to Hope Town, on Elbow Cay so i could get my bike fixed. I had a broke back brake. Then Friday i went to Man O War Cay. M.O.W is a cute little island of almost exclusively locals. (not all touristy like Hope Town, or Treasure Cay.) This morning early i nearly died and came back to Marsh Harbor to wait out these storms. (i'll include that below)
THURSDAY 4.19th – at anchor outside Hope Town / across from the Lighthouse
on the radio I caught myself listening to a local Bahamian
song with crazy lyrics…
“Oh Lord don’t let me cheat on my girlfriend. But Lord, if you cant stop me from cheatin,
don’t let me get caught.” (My response; Oh good
grief! Lord, please just help me find a
girlfriend and I wont cheat. I promise.)
Yesterday I rode my bike to the little canvas guy who works
in his garage, Marsh Harbor. My forward
hatch cover lost a seam and was flapping in the wind about to tear if I didn’t
get some stitches in it. So I pulled it
off and rode my bike to his shop. $20
and 20 minutes and it’s better than new. But during the ride my back brake broke. Plus my front tire was going flat. It has always had a slow leak, but now it
goes flat in two days. So I have to ride
across town to the one gas station with an air pump and fill it up….
This prompted me to make a boat trip to Hope
Town and a visit to the bike shop.
Martin the mechanic found one rear brake assembly and installed it while I
waited. Then he pulled the front tire
and we found a hole in the tube. A quick
inspection found some tiny microscopic little sticker that was coming through
the wall which Martin pulled out. Then
he put on a new tube and my old tire.
$40 and better than new!
I climbed these steps to the front door of the house.
Lighthouse Keeper at his home front door
2 brothers / painters up top
After my trip to the bike shop I went up in the Light House
again. The view never disappoints. Today there were two brothers at the top, outside, painting. Outside, on the top rail, painting. I visited with them a few
minutes and then – met the Lighthouse Keeper.
He told me he winds it every two hours all night. Well, I’ll be. I had seen 3 – five gallon cans of Kerosene
on other trips and knew he had to pour in kerosene and pump up the tanks, but
he also has to wind it every two hours. “ELBOW
REEF LIGHTHOUSE, The Last of its Kind in the World.” Kerosene burning, operated lighthouse.
Excerpt from their brochure:
“Built in 1864, the Lightstation at Hope Town. Originally the light showed a single fixed
light. By 1936, the Imperial Lighthouse
Service saw the need for light that could be more easily identified by ships at
sea. Thus the lighthouse received a
refit, of a rotating Fresnel lens. The
lens and turning equipment were made in the early 1900’s by Chance Brothers of
Birmingham England. Weights on long
cables, when wound up to the top of the tower by a hand winch, are able to
through a series of bronze gears, rotate the heavy apparatus, once every 15
seconds. (weighs about 4 tons = 8,000
lbs) It works like a gigantic
grandfather clock. This 19th century system operates totally without electricity and runs very smoothly.”
So here I sit, outside the harbor directly across from the
Light House, anchored with the radio playing loud raucous Bahamas music.
I’m about to cook supper when I finish typing
this.
In the morning I will have to
decide whether to go back to Marsh Harbor or over to Man-o-War Cay.
Man O War Cay
FRIDAY 4.20th – anchored outside Man O War Cay
It’s calm and flat on the Sea of Abaco this morning. The weatherman predicts rain starting any
time but heavy on Saturday and Sunday.
So I think I’ll pull anchor and go to Man O War Cay. This will give me all day today to check it
out before the ‘weather’ hits.
I got back from my Man O War walk-about so late and t.i.r.e.d that i didnt really do much. Cooked a world class chicken dinner and then watched a movie and went to sleep. Wiped Out, 10pm.
[2 chicken breasts, cut in half then 'pounded flat' by my bat were sauteed in grape oil with salt, pepper, garlic, onion. The sprinkled with Cajun seasoning. Best ever! (I have two servings left) THEN I got out my Rocky Road ice cream onto a cut banana, with smoked almonds AND a scoop of coconut ice cream! (eat your heart out) Best Ever!]
SATURDAY 4.21 - from Marsh Harbor, Abaco
YIKES AND OTHER CHOICE WORDS!!!
Yesterday I chose a spot off away from all the other boats to anchor outside Man O War so i would not be too close to anyone. Then some time after i went to bed, a Catamaran anchored near me. As the wind clocked around during the night, it became directly behind me. Then early this morning... My anchor drug with a wind storm this morning and the boat behind me was almost 'with me' as I went dragging directly toward it... got the anchor up, motor started and missed them by ~ 40' but I have not YET been able to relax. I got up at 615am to listen to the 6:30 morning weather report on my SSB radio. sat in the cockpit watching the sun come up drinking my coffee... then I glanced around and realized the Catamarn behind me was almost kissing my boat butt. I was dragging directly down onto them. I jumped up, put on shorts and shoes, started my engine and proceeded to jockey forward and pull anchor chain. I would run up to the bow to pull in chain then run back to the cockpit to motor forward. (this is in winds of 23knts plus gusts) Not so much 'running' as "walking with a purpose." I was scared to death! Like, "Holy Crap, Holy Crap, Holy Crap... what do i do?" Fortunately it's not my first rodeo and i survived. (i anchored about 1/2 mile from anyone, as you can see in the rainbow photo above, till the Cat anchored in my back pocket after dark.)
After i expertly missed them, I tucked my tail between my legs and motored over to Marsh Harbor where i am safely anchored now - till Wednesday and a move to Treasure Cay. *you should have seen THEIR faces as Prodigal drifted past them once i got the anchor up. I'm just a cork on the water slowly scooting down their beam close enough to talk to. I apologized for scaring them. ('them'?) They were up on deck ready to try and drive their boat out of "that crazy mans way" soaking wet from the rain and wind which had blown up to make it all more interesting...
Stay tuned and follow the SPOT to track my travels.
Any MISS is a victory! - Scared Pirate Skip
ps. the bike slipped and i got 'Sprocketed.'
