3/30/20

My view from the Hog Cay "yacht club" as I start making a basket from silver palm fronds.

How the world has changed since I last posted.  My first thoughts and prayers are for friends and family back home.  Hope all is well.  We have the luxury of internet onboard here in the Bahamas.  Please keep in touch. 

We originally planned to head back to FL and then make our way up the east coast as we usually do in April/May.  Those plans have changed.  The Bahamas seem like a safer place right now.  The Bahamian government is allowing foreigners to stay; we just have to follow their rules.  They are in lock down – only essential trips to the grocery, pharmacy or such.  All other businesses are closed.  Only 10 people allowed in the grocery store at one time.  The Bahamas has the advantage that the country is made up of many islands so self-isolating and social distancing is easy.  As of today there are only 9 cases of COVID in the Bahamas, 8 in Nassau and 1 in Freeport.  The locals here are taking the Prime Minister’s words seriously.  The restrictions were put in place promptly.  The Prime Minister is a medical doctor who was the Minister of Health previously so he is taking this matter to heart.

Since I last posted, before the COVID pandemic ramped up, we shared more dinners and played more games aboard Bluejacket with Jerry and Donna and met with others on shore.

Jerry and Susan tend the fire for the grill party at Hog Cay.

Grill party at Hog Cay!

Sierra enjoys chewing on a drumstick with her new teeth.

Donna, Karin, Sierra, Jerry at Hog Cay making smores

 

 

Karin samples a smore.

Jerry makes sure not to waste a drop of the marshmallows!

And more hiking along and on the beach. 

Hog Cay - ocean side beach walk taken from the tops of the dunes.

When I can’t find sea glass I go further up the beach, often into the tops of the dunes, to find glass bottles to break that will eventually turn into sea glass.  Look what I found! 

A glass float!

This is a glass fishing float that was used to hold up fishing nets.  According to the internet and the experts down here, they were often used in Europe and are still used by the Japanese fishermen.  I cannot find any distinguishing marks on it but it is obviously hand blown and the glass is thick.  It’s incredible to think that floats like these have bobbed along the ocean for who knows how long only to end up here in the Bahamas.  It probably was deposited at the top of the dune during the hurricanes and was safely embedded within the other bottles and sticks that ended up in a pile.   Walking around the tops of the dunes is a tricky job trying to walk around or on top of small bushes with poky features.  Jerry says my scratched up legs looked like I was attacked by a pteradactyl .  But it’s fun!  I even had something like poison ivy (poison wood tree) from one outing.  It lasted about 10 days; just like poison ivy.  My friend Susan and I have bushwhacked all over Hog Cay north to south.  Here are some pictures of the remains of a small building on the south end of Hog Cay.  The hurricanes tore the roof off years ago.

Susan, in the distance behind me, marks the trail as we bushwhack to the ruins on Hog Cay.

Stone walls from a house on Hog Cay.

A view looking north from the ruins on Hog Cay.  We can see the boats anchored at Hog in the distance.

A wash pan, fire pit, door knob and shingles found at the ruins.

When the corona virus news started expanding and rumor that there were cases in the Bahamas we decided to move to a more remote place for one boat.  Hog Cay had a record number of boats arrive from other islands and the 4 o’clock happy hour turned into a small crowd.  30 people!  Up to Nurse Cay for snorkeling/fishing and then to Buena Vista to anchor next to Blue Jacket.  

Persephone at Nurse Cay

Persephone at Nurse Cay.

Ruins from Nurse Cay. 

 

An agave or century plant.  The tall stalk comes up every 30 years or so; not once a century.

Jerry and Jerry had one more opportunity to go hunting together.

2 snapper and 1 grouper that was in the wrong place at the wrong time while spearing the big snapper.

Hog Fish

One snapper.  One porgy.

We anchored in front of the once-home of Edward Lockhart.  His family used to live on Buena Vista years ago and he decided he wanted to return there to live and he did so for a number of years.  But the years and hurricanes took their toll.  The roof blew off his house during the last hurricane.  He survived – he tied himself to a tree.  Locals and cruisers helped Edward prop the roof against his house so he’d have some shelter.  But with failing eyesight and other health concerns the family said no.  You’re coming to live with us in Nassau.  So, Edward is well taken care of though I imagine longing for his simple, self-sufficient, hard but peaceful way of life back at Buena Vista.  There are still 2 roosters and a hen (and eggs), a peahen (the peacock is gone), and goats that are surviving somehow.  I’m sure any cruisers, such as ourselves, stop by to feed and water the birds when we’re there.

Edward's place on Buena Vista after the hurricane.

his is the tree Edward tied himself to during the hurricane.

Lots of conch were processed and consumed here.

Looking out from Edward's causarina tree towards the water. 

Edward's bible, saw and a stuffed animal someone found along the beach.

We found an egg.

Edward's goat pens - the goats are now roaming the island.

One of the two roosters and one hen on Buena Vista.

Edward's water collection method for the animals.  We fixed things up and made sure that it would still work.

A very lonely peahen

Jerry and Jerry stand next to Edward's boat on the beach.

From Buena Vista we had to make a trip back to Georgetown.  We were low on propane, water, fresh fruits and veggies, and we had to go to immigration to extend our stay.  We happened to arrive the night the Prime Minister gave his speech and set restrictions.  We were still able to do laundry, stock up with fresh food for ourselves and others we left in the Raggeds, buy gasoline for the dinghy.  Those are considered essential.  We filled up our water tanks (120 gallons) by taking our 5 gallon jugs to the dinghy dock, filling them from the hose, hoisting them on deck, and putting them in the tank through the deck fill.  Lots of work but that will last us a long time at 2 gallons per day.  We dinghied to shore north of town, carried the empty 20 lb propane tank up and over the hill to Sun Oil where they filled it for us.  Yes!  We have propane!  We will be able to cook!  There have been many times that propane was not available on island.  Glad they still had some!  The only thing we didn’t accomplish was immigration.  The sign on the door said “Closed – Until Further Notice”.    So off we sailed to Thompson Bay, Long Island.  Jerry rented a car and drove to the airport to extend our immigration.  Officer Smith met Jerry outside in the breezeway wearing mask and gloves, put the rubber stamps in our passports and sent him on his way.  Now – ready to head back to the Ragged Islands!

2 stalks of bananas from the farmer's market.  Grown on Exuma!

Bananas from the grocery store.

 

We had a nice sail from Long Island – 13 hours in total to end up at Buena Vista where we had left from 6 days before.  We anchored next to Jerry and Donna on Bluejacket, put on our masks and rubber gloves and delivered some fresh produce.  Later in the afternoon Brian from Delos arrived with someone to video his grocery pick up.  (We were helping out, as other boats did, so Delos, with a 7 month old baby on board, didn't have to go to Georgetown for provisions.)  When you have a YouTube channel your life is consumed by recording footage to edit and publish including a pick-up of groceries!  Brian arrived with a scuba respirator, mask, gloves and a scan gun to check our temperatures.  We loaded their dinghy with their grocery wish list we had picked up in Georgetown of fruits, veggies, cans of beans and tomatoes, rice, flour, and more. 

Brian, of Delos, brings a scan gun and checks our temperature when he boards.

Brian, from Delos, with a thumbs up and a dinghy load of food.

Hey Brian!  You forgot the potatoes!

Then onto Hog Cay to deliver more bananas!  For the next 14 days we are considering ourselves somewhat quarantined – no boarding any other boats or joining the gatherings.  As a matter of fact, there’s a cold front approaching Wednesday (no joke!) and we will have to scurry out of wifi range for a few days where we will be isolated anyways. 

Please send news when you can….and it seems that many of you are “stuck” at home for the time being.   We’d love to hear from you!