January 31

We took the dinghy and went for a ride and then walked for 3 hours. As we were walking someone picked us up, one lady was from the Bahamas but lived in Raleigh, the other lady was from the states. One has a home here so took us there and will go there when we rent a car.

We are in for Happy Hour and with friends from Canada, spending time with them.

Pictures.  #1 flowers on the walk to grocery
#2 grocery store
#3where we are for happy hour
#4 Atlantic Ocean

Pictures from Georgetown.  Picture one is the building right in from our anchorage at Monument.

#2 is what was under our boat, we had 3 of them.

#3 Bo feeding the rays at a eating place by us called Chat and Chill.

January 14

We have been going on long hikes with another couple, the hikes have taken us across the island on beaches up and down some cliffs that you have to use a rope to climb up. The views are beautiful, we very seldom see anyone on the beaches. Yesterday our walk took us for 4 hours.

One thing that is in the water stromatolite which are the oldest fossils you can look them up and read about them really neat. If we touch them it takes millions of years to replace. University of Florida was doing a research program on them but ran out of funding.

Today we laid low as there were rain showers going through so that way I did some baking as Bo’s sister is coming Saturday for a week, YA YA. Put several things in the freezer so we can have quick meals.

How you do laundry is take a large bucket put in 1 cup ammonia and a gallon of water, put in clothes and soak over night and wring them out in the morning and I them hang them up to dry and done. This really conserves water, I do take the towels into town every 3 weeks to wash, we have a lot and many are micro- fiber. 

Tomorrow we are going shelling at low tide so that is 8:30, Christine and I are going and Bo is doing some photo shooting. In the afternoon we need to go across to town and get some groceries.

Jan. 17

Today is a ladies luncheon so I get to wear something besides a swimsuit or shorts, going with a friend and then walking back so we can shell.

Weather has been a little changed the last several days so I got to get all my baking done for Bo’s sister, Eggplant casserole, pretzel bread, scalloped potatoes and ham, goat cheese truffles and  cranberry scones.

While I am gone today Bo is going across and running a few errand.

I put my laundry out about 7 today so done for another week.

Bo said why don’t you drop notes and when you get to town send out all the pictures, later hello I never thought of that. So glad I have someone to watch over me.

Tomorrow we want to snorkel weather permitting have several other things to do before she goes back the week has been so much fun.

Jan. 24

Today is Jaymi’s last day here. 

We went for a long hike with friends, we then went to Chat and Chill for lunch. This is a little place to eat on volleyball beach. It has maybe tables for 20, a bar and then outside. We had been told they had the best ribs and Bo likes their conch burgers so we went. They have T-Shirts hanging all over the ceiling a fun place. We then took the dinghy across to Georgetown for a boaters appreciation from 3-5. They could take 60 people. They had samples of their food and many kinds of tea. Bo and I were part of a Rake and Scrape dance and this was so fun. This is a Bahamian dance and Felicity taught or tried to teach us.  It was so fun. We had met Felicity at the laundry, she has a 7 year old daughter that took to us and us to her. She just stayed with us and once Bo took his hat off and she looked at his bald head and finally said, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR? Bo says, when I was young I ran so fast it flew off, she looked at him very serious and said I A NEVER GOING TO RUN AGAIN.  The people and kids here are so gracious and fun.

On our trip back to the boat it was so rough and I mean rough. Jaymi sat on the floor, I sat 1/2 front 1/2 floor and by the time we got back we were all wet puppies and we had several inches of water in the dinghy. Never done this before and not again, too wet. We all took warm showers and were fine.

Jan. 25

We have Elvis the water taxi coming for Jaymi at 11 and then a taxi to the airport. We are going to miss her. Our neighbors that we hike with had us over the night before for a little farewell gathering at their boat. We hike with them and have done several things with them, they are so gracious.

I need to do laundry and get some groceries then we would like to leave for maybe 10 days and back here to meet our friends as they are here for a week.  The beauty here is unbelievable a great place to relax.

When I do laundry will mail this out along with pictures.

Fair winds and sunny skies.

Jan. 18

Bo's sister is here yah so fun. We did the water taxi to bring her from the airport to the boat so we also went, this is the way to go.

Today we went for a long walk with friends to the monument, top of the hill then several hour walk and a little shelling. We came back to the boat and the wind came up and a little rain so stayed in.

Jan. 26

We left Georgetown about 9 and sailed/motored to Long Island. This is a total different anchorage and we love it. We got in and there were only maybe 6 boats and no one anchored on top of you. I have never seen it so calm it was like glass. On our way over there were several places to anchor for a day as there were beautiful white sands.

Jan. 27

We dinghy into Long Island Breeze as they have a dinghy dock. It is a resort, restaurant , wifi and laundry, it has a pool that boaters can use.

We did our laundry then at a Grouper Finger lunch and it was the best. We then walked across the road to walk to the beach which is on the Atlantic side. Beautiful beaches but so sad all the trash that has washed up, we would like to get a group of people together with large black trash bags and do a trash pick up.

It is not a shelling beach but the views are spectacular.

January 14

We have been going on long hikes with another couple, the hikes have taken us across the island on beaches up and down some cliffs that you have to use a rope to climb up. The views are beautiful, we very seldom see anyone on the beaches. Yesterday our walk took us for 4 hours.

One thing that is in the water stromatolite which are the oldest fossils you can look them up and read about them really neat. If we touch them it takes millions of years to replace. University of Florida was doing a research program on them but ran out of funding.

Today we laid low as there were rain showers going through so that way I did some baking as Bo’s sister is coming Saturday for a week, YA YA. Put several things in the freezer so we can have quick meals.

How you do laundry is take a large bucket put in 1 cup ammonia and a gallon of water, put in clothes and soak over night and wring them out in the morning and I them hang them up to dry and done. This really conserves water, I do take the towels into town every 3 weeks to wash, we have a lot and many are micro- fiber. 

Tomorrow we are going shelling at low tide so that is 8:30, Christine and I are going and Bo is doing some photo shooting. In the afternoon we need to go across to town and get some groceries.

Jan. 17

Today is a ladies luncheon so I get to wear something besides a swimsuit or shorts, going with a friend and then walking back so we can shell.

Weather has been a little changed the last several days so I got to get all my baking done for Bo’s sister, Eggplant casserole, pretzel bread, scalloped potatoes and ham, goat cheese truffles and  cranberry scones.

While I am gone today Bo is going across and running a few errand.

I put my laundry out about 7 today so done for another week.

Bo said why don’t you drop notes and when you get to town send out all the pictures, later hello I never thought of that. So glad I have someone to watch over me.

Tomorrow we want to snorkel weather permitting have several other things to do before she goes back the week has been so much fun.

Jan. 24

Today is Jaymi’s last day here. 

We went for a long hike with friends, we then went to Chat and Chill for lunch. This is a little place to eat on volleyball beach. It has maybe tables for 20, a bar and then outside. We had been told they had the best ribs and Bo likes their conch burgers so we went. They have T-Shirts hanging all over the ceiling a fun place. We then took the dinghy across to Georgetown for a boaters appreciation from 3-5. They could take 60 people. They had samples of their food and many kinds of tea. Bo and I were part of a Rake and Scrape dance and this was so fun. This is a Bahamian dance and Felicity taught or tried to teach us.  It was so fun. We had met Felicity at the laundry, she has a 7 year old daughter that took to us and us to her. She just stayed with us and once Bo took his hat off and she looked at his bald head and finally said, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR? Bo says, when I was young I ran so fast it flew off, she looked at him very serious and said I A NEVER GOING TO RUN AGAIN.  The people and kids here are so gracious and fun.

On our trip back to the boat it was so rough and I mean rough. Jaymi sat on the floor, I sat 1/2 front 1/2 floor and by the time we got back we were all wet puppies and we had several inches of water in the dinghy. Never done this before and not again, too wet. We all took warm showers and were fine.

Jan. 25

We have Elvis the water taxi coming for Jaymi at 11 and then a taxi to the airport. We are going to miss her. Our neighbors that we hike with had us over the night before for a little farewell gathering at their boat. We hike with them and have done several things with them, they are so gracious.

I need to do laundry and get some groceries then we would like to leave for maybe 10 days and back here to meet our friends as they are here for a week.  The beauty here is unbelievable a great place to relax.

When I do laundry will mail this out along with pictures.

Fair winds and sunny skies.

January 14

We have been going on long hikes with another couple, the hikes have taken us across the island on beaches up and down some cliffs that you have to use a rope to climb up. The views are beautiful, we very seldom see anyone on the beaches. Yesterday our walk took us for 4 hours.

One thing that is in the water stromatolite which are the oldest fossils you can look them up and read about them really neat. If we touch them it takes millions of years to replace. University of Florida was doing a research program on them but ran out of funding.

Today we laid low as there were rain showers going through so that way I did some baking as Bo’s sister is coming Saturday for a week, YA YA. Put several things in the freezer so we can have quick meals.

How you do laundry is take a large bucket put in 1 cup ammonia and a gallon of water, put in clothes and soak over night and wring them out in the morning and I them hang them up to dry and done. This really conserves water, I do take the towels into town every 3 weeks to wash, we have a lot and many are micro- fiber. 

Tomorrow we are going shelling at low tide so that is 8:30, Christine and I are going and Bo is doing some photo shooting. In the afternoon we need to go across to town and get some groceries.

Jan. 17

Today is a ladies luncheon so I get to wear something besides a swimsuit or shorts, going with a friend and then walking back so we can shell.

Weather has been a little changed the last several days so I got to get all my baking done for Bo’s sister, Eggplant casserole, pretzel bread, scalloped potatoes and ham, goat cheese truffles and  cranberry scones.

While I am gone today Bo is going across and running a few errand.

I put my laundry out about 7 today so done for another week.

Bo said why don’t you drop notes and when you get to town send out all the pictures, hello I never thought of that. So glad I have someone to watch over me.

Signing off for now.

Bo and Joyce

Dec.10

This morning several of us went on our 1 hour walk to the other side, got caught in some rain them back to the boat.

This afternoon Bo and I went snorkeling around the boat and look what he found, I was so excited.

Going to friends boat this afternoon and talk about where they like to go in the Bahamas.

Dec. 7

Yesterday we came from Black Point to Georgetown. The winds were a little strong and the seas were between 4-6 ft. There were 7 boats of us to leave and little by little several stopped, two of us continued to Georgetown and that was a great choice.

Today we took the dinghy across to the town, so fun. Went to the grocery store, you have to remember that the only way they get food is shipped by boat from Nassau that has come from the U.S. The boat comes once a week so you stock up. We have been told that many families put in an order and have theirs shipped to them on the boat with their name with the items they want. You buy it and do not look at the price.

Had lunch with friends and then back to the boat and got soaked as the wind had changed and seas had picked up. I decided to take my shower and wash the salt off with all my clothes that way they are also clean, pretty smart. Bo did not do this he just looked at me.

We have met friends of friends and we are going hiking tomorrow morning weather provided and another day with friends from New Bern.

Dec 8

We went hiking with friends across the island to the ocean side and it was beautiful then hiked around to other beaches, so fun.

In the afternoon we went in the dinghy for several hour to check out 4 other anchorages around Stocking Island.

Stopped back at several boats to say hi came back and had friends over bring what you want to drink and a snack.

Picture 1 is a restaurant  were you can get internet.

Picture 2 is Peace and Plenty and it is a hotel and you look across to where we are  anchored.

Doing laundry  and only got a little wet, have several couples coming over tonight.

These are the pictures that Bo took at Black Point !!

Jan.5

Finally getting to do all my blogs so you have reading and picture time.

We have been in Staniel Cay for several days.

Yesterday we went to the beach with friends and all of us did some shelling, Bo did pictures and he loves sea fans and coral so we now have some.  We have washed them and bleached them and hope the smell is gone.

Today, Sunday the laundry is closed so guess I have to wait until Georgetown, have not washed towels since Nassau. I do my other laundry in a sink with Dawn soap, wash, rinse and hang. I have a line that holds maybe 5 things so I do a little every day. One day when we are someplace I will give them a real wash.

The other day we bought a loaf of home made coconut bread, $6.00 man is it good. 

Going to eat lunch at one of the restaurants as they have free internet.  My pictures today are ones that Bo took and they show the rugged beaches mixed with gorgeous sand.  

I will take pictures of the grocery store for all you shoppers to see.

This really is living a dream.

We leave tomorrow for Georgetown as there is a front coming through Monday night and sounds like crappy weather for the next week. Think there are maybe 6 boats going that way. Bo’s sister flies in the 18 and can hardly wait. We don’t want to take chances with weather so will be there a week early.

Wind, we thought we had wind in IOWA holly cow they have us topped except the temps are wonderful and you have the beautiful water. You just need to know that a dinghy ride is most likely a wet one so dress accordingly.

Hugs to all and think slack wind.

Joyce

December 29

Yesterday we left Hawksbill Cay about 9 am and sailed to Waderick Wells Cay, this is the headquarters for the Exuma Land and Sea Park. There is an office to register and the headquarters to pay. A mooring is $20 a night. At Hawksbill Cay there was a box up on shore for you to put your money in. There are several mooring fields and we are in the north field which is right by the offices. In the south mooring field there are some huge boats that have jet skies and all the toys you could ever want.

We are moored next to another Dream Catcher but it is a catamaran they have a daughter that they homeschool. 

Yesterday we walked around the island and today we left in the dinghy about 10 am and went around the island and looked at a place where Pirates us to come and it was called Capture Beach and we ate lunch there. (it is also called a Pirates Lair) The water is unbelievable the colors of blue and then the white sands. We them dinged across to another little island that was called Escape Beach and this looked out on the Exuma Sound.

We talked to another couple from Florida that had been moored by us ( but decided they wanted to come to the more secluded waters) on there way to the next stop just like us. Where the wind blows.

We got back to our mooring field about 3:30. Behind our boat is a sand bar when the tide goes out it pops up and you can walk on it about ankle deep.

When we were at the beach there was a Nurse Shark that swam by us.

Tomorrow Bo is doing more videoing and we are going to by Wi-fi tomorrow for 24 hours  for $10,will send some pictures but can’t send many.

We are leaving Tuesday for Stanley Cay.

Clear Skies and sailing winds.

Black Point

Jan. 4

Man to be without internet it is a whole different world.

We left Big Major (Staniel Cay) yesterday and had a great sail to Black Point it was about 8 miles and took about an hour, awesome. When we got here friends from New Bern were here and we anchored by them.( Several years ago when we planned to come here we had 3 big rubbermaid boxes full of books to bring to the school here. Ended up and gave them to another boat as we were having renter problem so did not come.)

Karen and I are almost nondrinkers so the 4 of us went to a little restaurant for supper and Happy Hour. She and I had the buy one get one free Rum drinks and she had one before and told them to make is 1/2 strength, it was awesome. I bought one and she got the free one, cheap dates. The guys each had the local beer that is really good. Sat for about 2 hours then went back to the docks to our dinghy. When we left the docks about 4:30 we climbed 6 steps to get to the top of the dock, there was a little chop, let me tell you we now only had 2 steps and a real chop. We forgot a flashlight so used the cell phone as our light, got aboard and after our salt water bath we were back safe and sound.

The tide swing is huge here at 1 o'clock there is very little beach but at 3 low tide it is massive so when we go shelling will go at low tide and be gone several hours to collect sea glass and shells and back before we have to swim to our dinghy.

I need to do laundry and they have free wifi so will do blog and pictures there, maybe tomorrow.

We need to watch our weather as Bo's sister is flying in Jan. 18 for a week YA YA, can hardly wait. We need a weather window to get to George town in a long day or 2 short days. Had hoped to be able to spend a week getting there and stop at several other Cays but when the weather calls the weather calls.

Pictures later.

Calm winds!!!