Day 48 - Compass Today: Nassau Tomorrow

As I mention in my last blog our trip back from Emerald Bay to Compass Cay was uneventful. Once in the marina we settled down, had lunch and a couple of drinks. As you know, Alan doesn't swim but after a couple of cocktails, he decided he was going to tame the SeaDoo that the marina has for rent. I tried to tell him that he shouldn't be driving and drinking. The following picture is the result. I told him to bring his GPS next time!

Our short stay at Compass Cay, 2 days, brought some excitement. When we arrived Saturday the weather was calm but we knew that a front was moving in. Sunday morning had a record of 32 knots. Fortunately, Compass is a protected marina and it didn't bother us that much. On Sunday Alan was concerned about the packing of one of the rudders so when he was investigating, Spike and I took a two hour walk. We took our final trip back to south point in search of shells and we got a mother load! When we returned we got some conch shells from a neighbor boater that had gone conching during the day. Now all of our grandchildren will have their own conch shell!

We met at the marina table this evening. It was a little chilly so people didn't show up as early as usual. Eventually the core group arrived. It worked out great for us because we wanted some final pictures before we left tomorrow morning. We met a variety of people but it seems that we bonded with the core group at Compass Cay and we plan on staying in contact. If all goes well, we plan to see them next year.

We will be leaving for Nassau tomorrow. Based on the weather forecast tomorrow is the only day that will give us calm seas for our trip. Once there we will have time to relax before my family arrives on Sunday.

Day 47 - We're Back at Compass Cay

We left Emerald Bay this morning at 8:40 a.m. and arrived at Compass Cay at 1:00 p.m. We had a great trip and a very smooth ride for the 70 miles traveled. We got here and it was like "Old Home Week" there were 4 boats that came in today and we were all here 2 weeks ago. We did the usual at the marina table at 5:00 p.m.

Tonight there was a high tide. So here is a picture of me petting the Nurse Sharks. They are really very nice and don't seem interested in hurting anyone!

Day 46 - Last Day at Emerald Bay

Well this is it! It's time to move on from Emerald Bay. We plan to depart tomorrow morning around 8:00 a.m. We worked on the boat getting everything in order. I of course took Spike on a walk on the beach and I let him swim for a few minutes at the end of the walk. Then we came back to the boat, gave Spike a bath and dried him on the bow of the boat. It doesn't take long with these Bahama breezes! Here's a picture of Spike sunbathing after his bath. Spike prefers a number 8 sunscreen if he's out for an extended period of time. He has become accustomed to us leaving him by himself when we need to. He has one eye open all the time so he can see us returning!

Day 45 - Talk About Tropical Breezes!

Today yet another front has moved through the Bahamas and the wind is blowing between 25 - 35 knots out of the north, it's windy! Last night it rained really hard but the sun is shining and it is beautiful so no complaints.

I walked to the store this morning and the marina manager picked me up with his golf cart when I was finished shopping. Later Spike and I took an hour long walk along the beach. Alan worked on the boat.

Here is a picture of Alan trying to figure out how he is suppose to drive the car from the right side of the car when it's the wrong side!

Day 44 - Tropic of Cancer

Yesterday I got so involved with telling you about our trip to Little Exuma that I failed to mention that we traveled through the line of the Tropic of Cancer. I had to go on the internet to refresh my memory as to exactly what the Tropic of Cancer represented but I got the details. For those of you who need a refresh like me, it's an imaginary line at Latitude 23 26.22 and represents where the tropic begins in the northern hemisphere. The Tropic of Capricorn is where the tropic begins for the southern hemisphere and the equator is in the middle. I had our hand held GPS with us so I could locate the Tropic of Cancer when we crossed it and this picture is where it begins. Not much there! You would think that someone would set up a stand or restaurant or something on the line so people could stop and have their pictures taken.

Today we worked on the boat. We did such exciting things as defrost our refrigerators freezers, laundry and other miscellaneous duties.
Spike helping Alan defrost the refrigerator!

Another front is moving through tonight. From what we are hearing we will probably be here until Saturday before we begin our journey back to Nassau. My brother John, Teresa, his wife, Rachel, their daughter, Daniel, their son and Brit, their daughter-in-law will be joining us on March 7th. We will be making a couple of stops along the way but plan to get to Nassau a couple of days prior to their arrival to provision the boat.

Day 43 - Trip to Little Exuma

Today the weather started out terrible. It rained all last night and into this morning. We thought our trip to Little Exuma was going to be spoiled. However, that was not the case. The rained stopped around 9:30 a.m. and we departed from the marina at 10:00 a.m. There were several places we wanted to stop at but decided to go to the end of Little Exuma and work our way back. We stopped at the salt ponds and ruins and took several pictures.


The bridge to Little Exuma was single lane with the capacity of 3 tons, I hope that took into consideration the planks that repaired the bridge in the picture that is following.


On the way back, based on a recommendation, we stopped at a restaurant Club LaShante for lunch. It turned out to be one of the best we ate at. Following is a picture of Jan and Spike at the restaurant. It's not uncommon that most restaurants may look like houses or like places that you wouldn't patronize. Word of mouth is the best way to go.

We continued on to George Town and stopped at the Straw Market to do some shopping for our grandchildren. Then headed back to the marina. The last picture shows the tranquil environment of the marina while we had our first cocktail.

It seems like the more places we explore the environment only gets better. For example, we met two couples at Club LaShante, they are on a sailboat. We asked how did they got to the restaurant, they said they hitch-hiked. Unkown to us, in most islands other than New Providence, it is a common practice and very safe. To prove they were right, they were only 5 minutes behind us at the Straw Market in George Town. We are learning something every day!

Days 40 - 42 - Visit From our Friends Grace & Newt

Sorry for taking 3 days to update the blog but we wanted to spend our time with our friends and not on the computer. They left us today after a 3 day visit. We had a great time! We picked up Grace and Newt at the airport on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Here is a picture of Newt and Grace as they are clearing Customs. Grace is behind the bag that Newt is holding up in front of her face! Nice going Newt!


We went to dinner at the Grand Isles Resort restaurant across from the marina on Friday night. Saturday morning was a real concern because our friends came to visit for some sun and fun and it was raining. So we went for breakfast around 9:30 a.m. and then proceed to the beach which was just steps away! After about an hour the sun finally came out. Here is a picture of us on a small cat....


On Sunday we headed down to George Town to take a ferry over to Stocking Island to have lunch and relax at a place called Chat 'N Chill. That's what we did! The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. We sat on another beautiful beach and chatted and we chilled as you can see from the two photos.




Today, Monday, Grace, Spike and I walked on our favorite beach for an hour. On the way to the airport we stopped for lunch at Houseman's. The owners brother lived in Somerville, NJ for 10 years. A great time is always had by all when the four of us get together!

Day 39 - George Town International Airport

Knowing our friends Grace & Newt are scheduled to fly into George Town tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 19th Alan and I thought it would be a good idea to make sure we knew the way to the airport to ensure that we wouldn't be late picking them up. Sometimes traffic could be a problem. As you can see in the first picture a customer is waiting to get on his departure flight. The second picture reflects the airport terminal after the passenages have deplaned. Except for the driving regulations, stay to the left, there wasn't much going on at the airport. No parking meters, no reserved parking spaces, no police chasing you away from the terminal. There should be no problem with lost luggage. We tried to get the customs agent drinking his beer but he turned his back. I guess what happens in the Bahamas, stays in the Bahamas!

Days 38 & 39 - Hit With Another Cold Front!

Enough already, we keep getting all of these cold fronts that are coming through from the United States and we're over it! Yesterday it was only 72 degrees and today its starting to warm its way back up to 76. However, I was able to walk on the beach and get some sun yesterday so I guess it's not sooo bad. The golf course runs along side the marina and the beach so there are some really beautiful views. I guess I should take my camera next time so I can capture them on film. Today our rental car is being delivered so we will have transpartation when our guests arrive tomorrow. We are so looking forward to Grace and Newts visit.

Days 36 & 37 - Emerald Bay

Yesterday was a pretty quiet day. The weather finally broke and many of the boats left the marina for other destinations. Alan and I worked on the boat installing two new scones in the Master Stateroom. Then Spike and I went for an hour long walk on the beach. As always, Spike attracts more attention than I do! Everyone wants to pet him! If nothing else, we are getting a lot of exercise which is good for both of us!

Today we are planning on doing odds and ins around the boat in preparation for our friends Grace and Newt's visit. They will be arriving Friday and we need the boat in tip top condition! We are planning on renting a car and touring the Great Exuma & Little Exuma Islands plus going to Stocking Island one afternoon. The car ride should be interesting because they drive on the left side of the rode and some of the cars have the steering wheel on the right side. I of course will be taking my camera with me so I can capture all of those Kodak moments!

Day 35 - Continues Happy Valentines Day!

As promised here is a picture of Alan with his snack bar and beverages watching the NASCAR race today. He worked very hard to find a TV to watch this race and he found it! YEAH! It was very difficult since the people in the marina TV room were more interest in the Olympics. Spike and I joined him for the race after we spent an hour walking (running) on the beach. We have to get our exercise to keep in shape! The weather is beautiful and it's great being here away from the cold weather! When we hear the S word down here we can only think of sunshine not snow!

Days 34 & 35 - Loving it here at Emerald Bay

Yesterday was a pretty interesting day, the front moved through and it was a little rough here in the marina! The day was a mixed bag of warm air at the beginning of the day and then the cooler air with the winds picking up but nothing like what everyone seems to be experiencing in the states. It was in the low 70's and pretty windy.

I spent the morning in the laundry room! What fun!! Prior to a week ago this marina was practically empty. In the last 3 days it has filled up with close to 70 boats. With the fronts moving through and a lot of advertising it seems everyone has now found this place! So with everyone coming in, it appears that we all needed to do laundry. We had an assembly line going and worked our way through the process of getting our laundry done. It was great because I found out about a lot of interesting things.

This marina provides free wifi service however with all these boats that came in we are using up the bandwidth and during the day it's difficult to get a connection and keep it.

I took Spike for a walk (or should I say a run) on the beach in the afternoon. We romped and played for a good 40 minutes before he was ready to come back to the marina. Alan hung out on the boat just doing his thing.

Today, we are going to find a TV and watch the NASCAR Race - Daytona 500. This is the first race of the season so we can't miss it. Alan has located a TV that no one knows about in the closed section of the restaurant. He is setting up his own drink and snack bar for the race! I'm sure we will have front row seats!

Days 32 & 33 - We Arrived at Emerald Bay Marina

We made it to Emerald Bay yesterday around 4:45 p.m. I was unable to update the blog last night because the marinas wifi internet connection was not available but BaTelCo came through today and got it fixed.
We are located about 15 miles north of George Town on the Great Exuma Island. It's a beautiful marina with all the amenities! We plan on staying here for 14 days. We got a super deal so why not stay and enjoy!
The trip took a little longer than planned because one of the air filters was dirty. Alan had to clean it while we were under way, so I drove the boat on one engine. That took over an hour to accomplish so needless to say our trip took a little longer than expected. We left Compass Cay at 11:10 a.m. and if everything went as planned we would have been here in 4 hours. But of course when you own a boat nothing ever seems to go as planned. We traveled on the Great Exuma Bank for half the trip and the water was very smooth but when we came through Galliot Cut to get into the Exuma Sound things got a little rough! It was suppose to be 2 ft. seas but it was more like 4 - 6 ft. swells. But we made it just fine and all is well. Here are a couple of pictures I took today of the marina and at the beach which is a short walk from the marina.

Day 31 - Still At Compass Cay

We are still sitting here waiting until the cold front moves through before we head out for George Town. As of this moment it looks like we will be leaving tomorrow if the winds die down. I've made reservations for Emerald Bay Resort and they have confirmed so it's now a matter of timing to go from here to there! It is approximately 65 nautical miles. So stay tuned. We're really looking forward to the change of scenery and going someplace we haven't been before. I've received a couple of request to show the outside and inside of our boat so I'll taking this opportunity to do just that!

Window treatments that I completed on the boat since we arrived at Compass Cay


Boat at the slip at Compass Cay

Day 30 - We Never Left Compass Cay

We had great plans today, however, a cold front came through and that was the end of our great plans! Apparently we may have to stay a couple more days here. If you have to be stranded someplace Compass Cay is the island to be stranded on because it's 5:00 all the time. The weather is beautiful but there is a lot of wind. Since Alan ran out of tile work he will probably do maintenance on the boat while we are waiting for the front to move through. Our friend Norman insisted that we keep his 100 DVDs so we will continue to watch a couple of movies each night until we have seen them all.

Day 29 - The Last Night at Compass Cay

Alan and Tucker Saying Goodbye Until We Meet Again! We are leaving Compass Cay tomorrow and are headed for George Town for a couple of weeks. Alan has finished tiling the bathroom at Crescent Beach and the tile has not come in for the other bathroom so we are going to take off for to see how the rest of the Bahamians live. The plan is to get to George Town tomorrow. Spend a few days in the downtown area and then by Feb. 17th head to Emerald Bay Resort and Marina prior to our friends Grace and Newt arriving on Feb. 19th. It's very good timing because it allows us to check out things to do and see and then we will be a wealth of knowledge regarding George Town. What a plan!

Days 27 & 28 - Superbowl Sunday!

These are the nurse sharks at high tide resting on the dock. The dock was built specifically to be under water at high tide so individuals can stand with them. People also swim with the sharks, but not us, we choose to just watch from afar!
Here is the sign with all of the sharks names. The sharks are really pets because they go no where else and are fed daily by Tucker.

I tried to get a picture of Alan by himself but the ladies seem to migrate around him! HA! A typical evening for cocktails between 5 - 7 p.m. at the marina table.

Days 25 & 26 - Just Sooooo busy I some times forget to update the blog!

Well here we are continuing to enjoy ourselves on Compass Cay. Almost everyday we gather up at the marina table around 5:00 p.m. to enjoy some appetizers and beverages and to just talk among the other boaters. It's a very nice little community and it changes every few days. Everyone is friendly and a joy to be around!

As I previously mentioned in one of my blogs, we were working on a sign to leave behind as most boaters do here on the island. I picked up the driftwood and netting and old lines but I couldn't come up with what I wanted to say until yesterday. Prior to us departing on our trip I sent out an email to many of you regarding the blog. Well Jeanette Platt, a friend of ours, had responded back with a little saying and I thought it was perfect for our sign so I used it! Thanks Jeanette! It says, "Here's to wood ships and good ships and ships that sail the seas. But the best ship is friendship may it always be! I'm putting some finishing touches on it today and then we will hang it up with the other signs.

Days 22, 23 & 24 - My How Time Flies When Your Having Fun!

This is a map of Compass Cay and it only cost me $8, what a bargain! I bought it so when Alan is working at his part-time job Spike and I can go exploring. So yesterday was one of those days where we decided to find Janet's Beach since after all it's my namesake! I was following the map looking for the bridge to cross at Bonefish Creek. I looked up and down the creek and didn't see it anywhere so I turned around and came back to the marina. I asked Tucker, the owner of the marina, where I went wrong. To my surprise I was there at the bridge the entire time. I even took a picture of it! They never finished the bridge, I guess they didn't need to since you can walk across the stream. Well, Spike and I are going to go back today and finish that walk to Janet's Beach!