3/4/20

As I sit down, reluctantly, to work on this blog grumbling about the time involved, I'm thinking of the family aboard the sailboat Delos anchored here at Hog Cay with us.  They are one of a select few who produce videos of their life and adventures at sea on YouTube (see SV Delos).  The time required to capture video and content and then edit on a weekly basis is mind boggling!  And that's in addition to sailing all over the world and now raising a baby onboard!  I'll stop complaining and get to work hoping my efforts are worthwhile and informative for friends and family.  (And if you're on Youtube you should also look at La Vagabonde.  Another well-crafted glimpse, on a weekly basis, of life sailing the world.)
Last post we were heading back to Hog Cay for Maxine's annual Valentine's Day Party.  (Maxine is a true local from Duncan Town on Ragged Island - she has lived here all her life.)  First order of business: clear out shrubbery around the "yacht club" to keep the termite population down.

Clearing out and burning bushes.

Cruisers help Maxine and her crew put up additional shade.

Making progress.

Hog Cay anchorage fills with boats for Maxine's party!

Boat loads of families from Ragged Island joined the cruisers on the beach for the party.  About 80 people in all.  Maxine prepared and brought by boat a feast of curried goat, steamed goat, mac n cheese, fish, peas n rice, ham, turkey and more.  I would have taken pictures during the party but I helped Jerry and another Karen with conch fritters.  Maxine had a 5 gallon bucket of conch fritter batter which we cooked in a big pot of oil over the wood on our make-shift grill and then walked around serving them while they were hot.  After stuffing our bellies the annual auction began.  Cruisers scrounged their lockers to find items to donate to an auction.  Some cruisers came prepared bringing fins, fishing spears, and other useful items to donate.  The cruisers and locals bid on each item - all proceeds going to a fund for the school in Duncan Town.  A new school is being built to replace the old school the hurricanes destroyed a few years ago - they hope to have it open by fall.  I'm sure the funds will be put to good use.

Hog Cay Valentines Day Auction

It was a good cause and a good show!

Captain C, the weekly mailboat for Duncan Town, is anchored amongst the cruisers.  Waiting for their crew to come back to work after the Valentines Day party!

Another view of the Valentines Day Party.

With the winds blowing strong from the northeast after the party and no one leaving to sail away Donna suggested we have another party!  This time we all brought something to put on the grill and a dish to pass. 

What was unusual about this grill party?  A grill party here often involves a grill full of fish and lobster!

I don't see any!  I guess we were all ready for something other than fish or lobster for dinner.

Alexa and her sister put the fire to good use after dinner.  She made me the biggest and best s'more I've ever had!  And wore.

The partying ended the next day when boats hauled anchors and headed out.  Another cold front bringing westerly winds sent us all scurrying to find a protected spot.  We headed north this time to Buena Vista.  And of course approaching cold front means light winds just before the front giving Jerry and Jerry an opportunity to load their gear in the dinghy and go hunting.  Fish, lobster, fish, lobster....  While they were hunting I picked up Donna and Laurie and we went beach combing and snorkeling ourselves. 

This is Jerry and Jerry in one dinghy.  Paul in the other.  Taken from Low Water Cay while we were beach walking.

Donna and Laurie looking for treasures on the beach.

Big Tiger Grouper!

My beach treasures I collect to mark walking trails on Hog Cay.

Back to Hog Cay after the front passes.   Some of the other boats return as well - Donna suggests a pizza party on the beach!  Everyone made a pizza and brought it in to share.

What a variety!  All yummy!

Jaxson stalks a hermit crab dragging a piece of pizza crust away.  It takes him quite a while to actually do it but Jaxson snags the crust from and crab and runs for cover!  Survival of the fittest!

Pizza party sunset.

You probably think all we do is go from one party to another and dodge the cold fronts!  After the pizza party we sailed south to the bottom of Ragged Island for protection from the nw wind coming with the next cold front!  And, another chance for Jerry and Jerry to go hunting.  And another chance for a party - this time Donna and Jerry hosted on Bluejacket with a chance to meet some new people who had just sailed in.

More fish

I tagged along with Jerry and Donna one day on a hiking adventure.  4 1/2 miles of walking around slimy salt ponds, bushwacking through bushes to get to an ocean beach where we found some sea glass but no sea beans.  When we arrived back home we were covered in mud, scratches, big smiles and salt water from the rough dinghy ride. 

Little Ragged Island - Donna and Jerry on our beach walk.

Thanks for letting me tag along!

Then....back to Hog Cay and more 25 knot winds from the northeast!  Each time we move the boat we have to take the outboard off the dinghy, load the dinghy on the bracket on the back of the boat, haul the dinghy onto the cabin top and tie it securely.  We leave every anchorage by hauling the mainsail, hauling the anchor, and sailing off to the next spot.  We haven't used the motor to drive to any anchorage - I open the engine room doors every once in a while to make sure it's still there.  Yup.

When I started writing today's post I mentioned the boat Delos with the family aboard.  They happened to sail into the Hog Cay anchorage and we got to meet Brian, Karin and their baby Sierra.  Jerry decided to make conch chowder and invited them to join us and Jerry and Donna. 

Jerry's prep cook has all ingredients ready for him to make his Goombay Conch Chowder.

From left: Jerry, Karen, Donna, Jerry, Karin, Sierra, Brian

A baby on Persephone!  Donna and I had a grand time!

It was kinda funny, watching Delos on Youtube on their sailing adventures around the globe on the computer during the day, and then having the opportunity to meet them in person in this remote part of the Bahamas.  I'll finish up here, Jerry just started a batch of bread, the Delos family just stopped by on their way to Duncan Town to meet the locals and see the settlement.  Maybe they'll add Duncan Town footage on one of their Youtube productions.   I'm lucky to be able to share our lives with you on this blog.  Hope you'll send us news from your part of the world!