Thursday, March 12, 2015

Time to "Top Up"

Top Up is the Bahamian term for adding more minutes to your phone and/or data plan. We do this mildly but today it was time to "Top Up" our immigration period. When we arrived in the Bahamas we checked into Green Turtle Cay customs to announce our arrival and get a cruising permit to stay. Because at Green Turtle they only have customs officer we can only get 90 days. If you have an immigration officer there you can ask for more. Well our 90 days are up on the 16th and today the 12th was the earliest that we could ask for more. That's why we are here in Marsh harbour again. Here you have to go to the government office which is a $20 dollar cab ride round trip. At Treasure Cay where we were at earlier this week you have to go to the airport which was a $60 taxi ride. Thus we came back to Marsh to "Top Up" and do a little shopping.

Fortunately our friends Vickie and Buck on Virginia Gaye have friends at the ECC school who offered to take us. That was more than great. After checking into immigration which took about 30 minutes the ECC van driven by Ron from Prospector at Mangoes marina also took us to the very upscale (for the Abacos) hardware store called Abaco hardware and also the Maxwells Grocery and then delivered us directly to our dinghies at the government dock. WOW what a morning.

This weekend is the Barefoot Man concert and we wanted to go to Great Guyana Cay but the forecast is for very moderate winds tonight and tomorrow. The anchorage at Guyana is not good -- mostly sand and turtle grass and difficult to get an anchor to hold. With so many expected boats there it could be a problem. That and around noon when we returned to temptation there were a lot of clouds building for a possible thunderstorm. We stayed put for today and may go to Guyana tomorrow if the winds are not too strong or maybe Saturday. Cold front coming Sunday into Monday so it will be back to Treasure for the North Winds. Can't get back into HopeTown anymore with so much southern traffic coming through.

Let's see if me make Barefoot man tomorrow or Saturday. The concert is okay but the CROWD IS A SPECTACLE -- that is really what I want to see.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

No room at the Inn and "Why is my boat so slow?"

Yesterday we tried to get back into HopeTown but no joy -- all moorings full. Karen wanted to play another game of Jack's Bingo. We anchored off instead just out of the harbour. The wind direction was fine and the Island protected us BUT the boat wakes were large and incessant. I had no idea so many boats went into and out of HopeTown.. It was rough on the hook.

Apparently scores of boats are making the migration from the Exumas to parts north. The radio is full of folks planning to cross back to the USA. It has been a tough winter here in the Bahamas and a lot of folks want to get back to civilization. I think they feel it is "owed to them" now because they are so RUDE. In HopeTown there are 54 moorings. All but about 12 are rented for the season by folks that just like it there. Unfortunately when they leave they put a reserve marker on their mooring and leave for a few days. Folks come in and can't pick those up and they are upset. What can you do? MAkes for a lot of hot tempered folks.

We went to Marsh Harbour to escape the boat wakes at Hopetown and to be ready to extend our 90 day immigration limit this Thursday here in Marsh Harbour. At 2pm today there were 54 boats on anchor here and more have arrived. It is crowded but at least minimum boat wakes. We didn't go to the dinghy dock today but I expect it is pandemonium there right now -- room for only about 12 dinghies at a time.

This morning -- early like before 9am -- I dove on the boat to scrub the bottom. WOW I couldn't believe all the growth on it. I'll try and post a picture later of the bottom condition. The stuff comes off with light brushing but there is a lot of bottom surface and I'm doing this while scuba diving. Very difficult. I got it about 980% cleaned when my tank ran out of air. I'm a heavy breather here and was at it for just over an hour. It looks pretty good and definitely ran better -- faster -- on the way to Marsh Harbour today.

Tomorrow is a large chore day with a BIG Laundry load -- probably 4 machines worth -- and some light grocery shopping. Got to get the air tank filled too. We will grab a taxi with all the laundry and go to a commercial Laundromat here in Marsh Harbour. The machines are bigger and faster than what you find at a marina, slightly cheaper but offset by the round trip $12 taxi ride.

Ohh it's warm here now. Hitting 80 degrees in the day and lows of only 75 at night. I might have to turn a fan on soon.