Thursday, April 2, 2009

Crooked Island

Yesterday was the first day of proper cruising in a while. I have guests
onboard who helped me sail from San Juan, and now I have given them control
over the Itinerary for the remainder of their stay. They like to move every
night, which is not my favorite way. It lets you see more, but you
experience less.

The day before yesterday, we caught another big Mahi Mahi. This one was
about 4 feet, and had a little more fight in him. We gave him a shot of rum
as his last meal (which stuns the fish). It put him to sleep until his death
throws, which are violent, bloody, and thankfully short. Madness is now
decorated with a few blood stains; tattoos from her Caribbean adventure.

Yesterday we hove to for about 5 hours , ate about a quarter of our big fish
for dinner and watched a movie (Pirates of the Caribbean). Heaving to is
setting the sails so that you do not go anywhere, but the motion of the boat
is OK.

Around three AM we set sail for crooked island Bahamas, and arrived around
10:00. We are now within about 100 miles of Georgetown, were my family flies
out to see me.

The people here are very nice. It is a very very small Seventh Day Adventist
community. We first met Woody. When we asked him where we could snorkel, he
said that he could show us a few spots. We were kind of standoffish,
thinking that he was looking for business as a guide, and that it would be
very expensive, but as we got to know the island more I have become
convinced that his offer was for free.

At our request he directed us to the local diner, which turns out to be his
sister Willy's place. There were no menus so she asked us whether we wanted
the chicken or the conch salad, and I asked How much is the conch salad, I
need to make sure we can afford it. She declined to give a price, but said
"you can afford it, I will give you the sailor's special price". Some of
these places can be very expensive, but the way she said it made me know
that it would be a good value, by local standards at least.

She served us a very nice, meaty conch salad, chips and drinks for $7 and
told us to be back for dinner.

We met up with a pilot and took him snorkeling with us. Later we met him and
his passengers for dinner. They were a group of Norwegians who had done very
well in the Cruise line industry. Remember the Big Red Boat? That was his
until he sold it to Disney. They were good company for dinner.

More later.