Friday January 21, 2011

I was lucky enough to wake up early again to day. Winds were blowing out of the south at about 15 to 18 knots. It looks like it might be a tough day for the folks heading back to Florida, if they head out at all. Actually one boat did try to leave. They lasted no more than 15 minutes and returned. They were headed to Port Lucaya which is about 25 miles east of West End near the largest city on the island called Freeport. This was a good day to be stranded.

We also tracked the package with the part we need to fix the motor. It had left Miami and was headed for Grand Bahama Island.

After eating the largest cinnamon bun in the world for breakfast, Dave and I headed up to the main office to try and make travel arrangements so that he could get to the airport. The receptionist at the main lobby told us that it was a $70 cab ride to the airport. That seemed just a little high to Dave and me.

We returned to the boat and called a gentleman that we had met several days ago. Dave and I met a local entrepreneur named Garvin several days ago. He was introduced to us by one of the resort workers as the best mechanic on the island to replace the impeller. I turns out that he does a lot more than just fix motors.

Garvin said that he was heading to Freeport and would be glad to give Dave a ride to the airport. He Told Dave that he would pick him up about noon. Dave had less than one hour to pack all of this gear and get ready to travel. Garvin showed up about 12:30 so Dave had plenty of time to have a nice drink of local Bahaman rum before heading back to Michigan.

I decided to go into town with Garvin to accompany Dave to the airport. Garvin picked up his “wife” Dawn and we headed toward the second largest town in the Bahamas. The ride into town was very educational. Garvin told us stories about how the locals dread and yet are able survive the hurricanes with a minimum of life loss. He told us that light skinned Bahaman’s are called “Conchy Joe’s”. I’m not sure if this is a derogatory term or not. However, his wife Dawn was a “Conchy Joe”. He told us about how the weakened economy in the USA has negatively effected the life styles of the people that live in West End.

As we drove to the airport, it started to rain. I was like Grand Bahama Island was crying and was sad because Dave was leaving. At about 2:00PM Dave grabbed his travel bag and his computer and headed past the uniformed security guard and through the double doors that lead into the terminal. (By the way Dave you forgot your hat and left it in Garvin’s truck. I guess that you will have to come back to pick it up.)

Once Dave was dropped off at the airport, Garvin drove me to the Soctia Bank. He had to make a transaction and I needed to withdraw some cash. As we pulled into the parking lot it began to rain cat and dogs. We got soaked as we ran from the parking lot to the lobby of the bank.

After the banking was completed, Garvin said that he needed to pick up his daughter Danielle. She was staying with her boyfriend in Freeport and needed a ride home for the weekend. We then headed through Freeport to the town of Port Lucaya. Port Lucaya is the type of spot you imagine in your minds eye when you think of a Caribbean village. There are straw market, and street vendors, with local business set up to sell souvenirs to tourists. I bought a T-shirt that said Bahamas. Dawn wanted nachos and so did Danielle. I felt like a big spender as I treated them to Island Nachos.

As we walked around the port, the rains stopped. Garvin’s wife and daughter bought a lot of clothes. Once the shopping was finished , we visited the local Fed Ex office. Garvin called them and asked if my package had arrived from Rhode Island. They said that it had not. Garvin had a personal bone to pick with Fed Ex.. When we arrived at the Fed Ex office, the clerk said that my package had not arrived. When she went to the back of the facility to look for Garvin’s package, I looked through the packages setting on the counter. One was from Rhode Island. It was addressed to Dave. I was my part. When the clerk returned from the back I told her that my package had arrived. She asked to my ID. Initially she told me that I would not be allowed to take the package because it was not addressed to me. I told her that if she looked closely my name was on the bottom of the form. She finally agreed to give me the package. I think she was angry that I “went through her mail.” I’m glad I did or the part would still be sitting on her counter. With the part finally in hand we headed back to West End.

Then on the way back to the West End it rained really hard. Garvin could only drive 25 miles per hours as visibility was almost down to zero. There is a spot in the road where the island narrows and the land between the water on the north shore and the water on the south shore is about 50 feet wide. There was so much rain that the two sides of the ocean met in the middle of the road. I was wondering if Dave’s flight was able to get off the ground.

Garvin dropped his wife and daughter off at their home. He then drove me to the marina. When I went inside of the boat, I noticed that one of the starboard side window was leaking like Niagra Falls. I could not believe that there was another leak to fix. However before fixing the cause of the leak, I had to mop up about a gallon of water. The seat cushion under the leak is soaked. So is the carpet. I hope that we get several hours of sunshine so that I can dry everything out. Once I got the water under control, I took the motor off the transom and Garvin took the little Honda kicker to his garage. Garvin said that he would repair it tonight and have it back to me sometime tomorrow.

As I was removing the motor our starboard slip neighbors originally from Ohio invited me to their boat for cocktails. I graciously accepted. They then invited the slip neighbors on the port side of me to cocktails on their boat as well. It turns out that the port side boat is from Harbor Beach, Michigan. (Harbor Beach is a town that Sandy will remember well. We were weathered in that little town for three wet days.)

We had good fun sipping rum and telling sailing stories based on our experiences and misadventures with boats that go slow. It turns out that we are all headed for the Abacos. I will be single handing the WaterMark but now with several other boats. These three boats all began their sailing lives in the Great Lakes and now have found their way to salt water.

Good night from the Bahamas.