This is what it's all about!!

2-15-10 Here we are anchored off Leaf Cay again. We were going to Lee Stocking, but ran out of water before we found any anchorage. So we returned to Leaf Cay. Bill had his fishing line over the side on our trip from Emerald Bay, but the fishing is going the way of the crabbing (none). The day is beautiful but no wind so the sails were hauled and then lowered. We walked the beach on Emerald Cay this morning before we left and watched the flotilla of boats leave the marina and bounce out the chanel. Now I'm watching the boats come into this anchorage - 4 so far.




2-16-10 You would think by now that we would be ready to return home, or at least anxious to return to the mainland. However, we are now saying oh no, only 6 more weeks to go! The weeks have flown by since we have been in the islands. It's Sunday and then it's Saturday again. The weather has dictated a lot of our layovers. However, how bad can the weather be in the Bahamas. Today was the first rainy day we have had since I can't remember when. It did rain all day. We are still in anchor in Leaf Cay and throwing all food and paper overboard. Well, this AM I tried to empty the coffee grounds overboard and lost the pot basket and all. Darn it! Now I guess it's camp coffee. No going out and buying a new coffee pot. Since the weather was rain, we taped, sanded and varnished some of the interior teak trim. A day's job, but one that was rewarding. We will take the looky pail out tomorrow and see if we can find our coffee basket, and then perhaps someone who can dive the 15 plus or minus feet. The looky pail is a very useful pail with a see through bottom. Great way to check your anchor and coffee pot inners. I think since we didn't get to enjoy the surroundings today, we will stay on tomorrow. Bill wants to drift = snokel with the dinghy - hoping to see some conch along the reefs. Another cruiser, High Heeled, wants to have a gathering on the beach for food and drink. So goes our demanding lifestyle.



2-17-10 Here we are at Leaf Cay one more day, but our last. We must seek out ice for the ice box tomorrow. Last night we were invited to board the Nautilas for cocktails with three other boats, Release and High Heeled that are also here in the harbor. Sue and Oscar aboard the Nautilas are from PA. Oscar just got his US citizenship. He is from Germany. Yes, he had to hear abour our GSP Oskar. It was Sue's birthday as it turned out. So double celebration, citizenship and birthday. We had various h'ordvers and conch chowder. Yummy. Today, Bill sanded and varnished the companionway again. The interior is beginning to look nice again. The trip down and all the dampness had really started to show on the woodwork. For lunch, we took our hot dogs, pasta salad and anything else we could think of via dinghy to the other end of Norman Pond Cay for a beach cookout with three other boats. We found more conch and just enjoyed the warmth. The wind and seas were rough again last night - hard sleeping with the anchor banging and the wind howling. As we do our situps and pushups and stretches tonight, the sea and wind are calm. Thankfully, tomorrow will be the same for our voyage to Little Farmers Cay for provisions.



2-20-10 Yesterday proved to be eventful. We hauled anchor and motored north from Leaf Cay, but only got a short distance when we lost our rpms and smelled engine. We dropped anchor and shut the engine down. The nipple on the cold water intake had broken right off. We radioed Ken and Francie on Release and Jackie and Chris on High Heeled looking for parts and pieces that might work. Release turned around and towed us back to the anchorage off Leaf Cay - a safe place to assess the situation. High Heeled turned around and came back into the anchorage too. When Chris on High Heeled returned he snapped the key off in his windless. And it wasn't such a good morning for Release either as they were unable to start their engine earlier and had to jump it. Anyway, Ken and Bill tore into our engine while Chris worked on a new windless key. Ken was able to dig out the parts needed. However, the engine had taken in water. They dug deeper, pulled injectors, etc. and dried everything out. Still no go. We were talking towing back to Nassau for repairs when Chris appeared with his fashioned key and another set of eyes and ideas. He sprayed diesel fuel into the engine and after some hesitation and chugging IT STARTED!. 4 pm in the afternoon the cleanup and celebration started. Another reaffirmation that our trip is more than just cruising, it is making real friends. Snow Goose, Release and High Heeled will try to head out again tomorrow (but we aren't going to tell the boats are plan).