MESSING WITH OLD BOATS..........................

Someone once wrote something along these lines..... "There is nothing more exciting, enjoyable or worthwhile than to be messing about with old boats.....". Well,...... let me tell you,............. He lied. But first, before we get to messing about with old boats, the sequence of things went like this......... SATURDAY 6am, Corina (my niece) and Joel depart Green Turtle Cay for their return to Australia. SUNDAY 5pm, pick up anchor and move the yacht SVEA into Black Sound, a back water on Green Turtle Cay which has the boatyard in which SVEA will be hauled out. Dinghy back out to pick up the anchor on yacht ARITA, and also put her in Black Sound on a mooring. The entrance to Black Sound is very shallow, and only at high tide can this operation be done. MONDAY MORNING 3am, a lightning storm hits and is of such brilliance and energy as to be indescribable. So much continuous light that you could read a book if you had no fear and were deaf. Ferocious doesn't come close. Winds are judged to be sixty knots. MONDAY 11am, the next storm hits. This one comes in at 75 knots. Yes, recorded at 75 knots. Total white-out. You can't see a thing and you certainly can't stand up. SVEA is hanging in the slings, on the travel-lift, having been hauled out of the water moments before. The wind instruments on top of the mast on ARITA disintergrate. ARITA is secured to a mooring, with a monster block of concrete on the bottom of the Sound. Lightning strikes are everywhere. A tornado cuts across the island taking out the once beautiful poinciana trees in the picture below, leaving rubble and broken limbs behind. Unripe avacadoes and mangoes are everywhere in the streets. Avacodoes from heaven......... obviously for the taking....



A palm tree gets snapped like match-wood. The remnants of the wind instruments are found on deck. With the kind of wind we had, they should have ended up in Brazil. There is a possibility that it was in fact a lightning strike as many of our fuses to instruments on board, are blown and the VHF radio no longer works. Don't you just love this sailing life........................... Still, we got through this one and there must have been many at sea or in exposed anchorages, that would have been terrified. By MONDAY 3pm there is a Coast Guard helicopter hovering around responding to some distress call...............................Then again, some of the flowers have survived and the engravings on the Bahamian currency make you realise that the good and the beauty goes hand in hand with the bad and the ugly.



Thus, even if things got busted, and power and services are going to be down for days, and huriccane season has arrived in earnest, there is no reason not to smile,.....right?..... and look what we found........... the biggest "Crown-of-thorns" cactus, Laurie has ever seen. All our pics are double-clickable although my smile (the one after it all ended) is big enough as it is....



Now........ for this messing about with old boats. With SVEA secured in the boatyard and the bottom cleaned with a pressure-washer, we can begin on the re-painting of the topsides and the boot-stripes. Apart from a couple of gouges to be filled, the hull is in remarkably good shape. The wood is sanded, then primed in orange, and repainted in black for the top-sides. SVEA is a very historical yacht and well documented. Were it no so, we would definitely rename her " The Black Pearl".
Did I mention this is hot and dirty work.............................



Totally surrounded by modern fiberglass yachts, packed in like sardines, SVEA is like the odd-woman-out. A few more days of hard work and she will be back in her element. Note that there are twice as many jack-stands holding her up as we are used to............ Good call........ There is usually about three good working hours in the morning before the thunderstorms move in at 11am. The boatyard is very well organised and despite the massive rainfall, water is still scarce. At the end of the day we get a 7 minute shower. The shower is switched on from the office and after 7 minutes, you had better be done............. Some dirt takes at least six minutes to come off............


More flowers on both sides.

The orchids above, are for my daughters Celia and Natalie, in Darwin, Australia, and the frangis are for Anne, Lauren's daugther in Florida.

FOR SAILORS AND OTHERS

There are sailors and cruisers. "Cruisers" are those that sail to destinations by way of the sea, then go ashore and take in the sights, smells and taste of what the land has to offer. "Sailors" on the other hand, go out on boats simply to make it go where it genrally doesn't want to go. They spent a lot of money to do that. "Racing Sailors", are a sub-culture of the latter kind, who spent the GNP of some small country, to make the vessel go where it generally doesn't want to go, but make it go there faster. The price of "bragging rights" for doing this better than anyone else, is immeasurable and on a par with some "bail-outs". A similar concept exists in "Wine making". Good and healthy grapes, made into a good wine is an art-form. Good wine is said to be "Poetry in a Bottle". Not sure if you can get "poetry" in a cask. The Sea-grapes on the right, now growing to perfection, should also have something romantic said about them too. "Jelly in a Jar" just doesn't seem to cut it............




So, go ahead and double-click on the photo on the right. This is the "P2" mega yacht that is part of the sub-culture referred to above. The wet duck on the left, is there to balance out reality. "P2"'s mast is clearly visible above the landscape with its three story buildings at Baker's Bay on Guana Cay. We took the 'beemer' in to the Marina for a closer 'look-see'. Everything on this mega yacht is state-of-the-art engineering. The best that money can buy. The rigging screw (turn-buckle) for the backstay is as long as the fishing rod. The winches are all hydraulic or electrical. The shrouds and stays (the cables that hold up this 160 ft mast) are carbon-fibre strands wrapped in more fibre and way stronger and lighter than stainless steel, and the little white box between the two steering wheels is not a BBQ. The vinyl covered lid lifts, to expose two water-proof computer consoles. Imagine walking up to a bedraggled crewman in some dripping wet-weather gear and asking him ".... and what do you do, on board?", " Well, I'm the computer keyboard operator". All systems are computer controlled. You have to imagine the sheer size of the overlapping genoa if the mast height is 160 feet. This yacht does not use winches to pull in the genoa sheets. The carbon fibre sheets are connected to very long hydraulic rams under the deck, on either side, that pull in the tension........... and when the sail comes down, double doors open on deck, and the sail just flakes down into a bin. "See Mom, no hands!!". Despite all the technology, please note that they still use wooden clothes pins (pegs) to hang up the laundry on the life-lines. By the time we had seen the 'systems', the size of the mast, the incredible finish and finesse, we felt like 'plucked ducks'. Down below in the accommodation........ well pointless in going on about this...... The 'garage' was open at the back and the crew were busy putting the 'Rolls Royce runabout' back inside, using computer controlled winches, of course................The run-about has a jet-powered inboard engine...Press another key on the console, the garage door closes hydraulically, and 'Bob's your Uncle'.



The photo to the left, shows the bow section with a 'cruising genoa' on the fore-stay. This is the sail used for travelling, between continents, and not for racing. The two black lines on the pulley blocks are a temporary arrangement for holding the vessel off the docks. The base of the furler in the black well, is a fully automated, hydraulically operated swivel that turns the luff track to the same angle as the sail set and then further compensates for the bending of the luff track. A similar unit in front of the forestay, is used for gennikers and reachers and vertical angles are hydraulically adjusted, with the computer, of course. Time to get back into our 'miniscule' dinghy and go find 'reality'. Money may buy bragging rights, but not happiness, necessarily.

Now, for the really sad part. Corina and Joel finally left on the Green Turtle Cay ferry at 6am, to go Treasure Cay airport, to fly back to Australia. This is the end of their sailing on SVEA and the beginning of parenthood. They left SVEA in a pristine condition, having re-varnished all of the top-side woodwork. The memory of their travels will stay with them, as will about 5000 photos, and the knowledge of what sailing and cruising is all about. A flurry of wild emotions, joy and sadness, twisted together like a rope. Within a few days we will haul SVEA out of the water in Green Turtle Cay, to do re-finishing of topside and bottom, before sailing her back to Florida to put her on the market. When cruising, always carry spares, even a spare yacht if you have to, ..... right.



Another classic wooden yacht came into the anchorage. This one built in Germany in 1956 and totally re-planked by its present owner using white oak. It too, has travelled far and wide, and with a name like "FAITH JONES", would not be easy to forget. The original hold in this 30 ton motor-sailer is now a very large saloon with 'Pullman' type double bunks, on both sides of the saloon. Wide decks too, for easy lounging, dancing and general partying. Once again I caught the Queen in the wet bushes amongst the frangipani flowers............ sure keeps me on my toes...



SVEA in the sunset. The thunderstorms come through most afternoons, and when they clear at dusk, the evenings and the nights are tranquil and still, and the sunsets are spectacular. The one on the right is for Gerry, a faithful follower, who requested less rainshots and more sunsets................. though the rest of you can double click on it too. All our photos are double-clickable (is that a new word?).



And to my son REM, and others..... Happy Father's Day.

SURROUNDED BY MEGA SOMETHING......

When you get up in the morning and you survey the scene outside from deck level, the first thing that hits you is beauty of the morning and the freedom of everything. You check out your neighbours, you see whose's come and gone during the night. You check the sky and the nearness and likelyness of rain. You check how the coffee-pot is doing on the stove down below, and you realise that every look and smell and taste is heightened. You are in MEGA LAND, where each new day brings you choices. ........... " and so what shall we do today". This one is easy. The Honda generator will not run and after stripping the carburretor down several times, it is necessary to take it to the Honda guy in Marsh Harbor. A trip of about 20 miles both ways. We come past the Mega Yacht " Gallant Lady", owned by JM Family trust,(above right), who are the Florida franchise holder for TOYOTA, and who each summer places all of the yachts at Guana Cay for the use of his employees. Swimming, snorkelling, deep-sea fishing and some fun in the sun. There are several more sportsfishermens' vessels anchored nearby that make up the "Gallant Lady" flotilla. ............... Mr Jim Moran, the founder passed away last year. My kind of 'boss'..............Back to the generator, turns out the last lot of gasoline bought for the generator was contaminated with diesel................so now we know. Fifty bucks later, it works fine again.



One of the hallmarks of the Caribbean is color and all the cottages in various settlements are brightly coloured, although these three are really distinctive.



These are "conch fritters".............. want to taste some.........
And these are TOYOTA hoods (bonnets) used as crayfish traps....(Don't tell Jim Moran).



The smiling face belongs to Corina, my niece, my sister's one and only, who is now officially eight months pregnant. Despite the heat, the motion on the ocean, and the wherewithall of having to end the adventure on "SVEA", she remains incredibly buoyant(literally) and hyper-active. Corina and Joel will both return to Australia in a week's time to begin the next adventure of 'motherhood', so every opportunity to swim and snorkel or to do another dinghy ride is grabbed with MEGA enthusiasm.



The four of us explored another sunken wreck. The 'baby' bulldozer was off-loaded before it sank, not that it got very far. Father-to-be Joel, in full hunter/gatherer regalia is out fighting for tonight's dinner. If all else fails we will pull out another macaroni and cheese from under the bunk.



Now here is a really posy picture of the "Queen", but there is a reason for this. One would think that in making a new "Welcome" sign, the citizens would take the opportunity to call it "OLD PLYMOUTH" instead of "NEW PLYMOUTH". It is not like anyone who was there in 1786 is still around to object....... then again, if you changed the name someone is bound to ask "What happened to New Plymouth?" The poinciana trees continue to amaze us. Magnificent trosses of brilliant red flowers. Memories of the purple Jacarandas in Australia. Roadways and avenues turning purple overnight, with the same brilliance as these poincianas.



You can be sailing or motoring along in crystal clear conditions and within ten minutes the sky changes, it suddenly becomes black as night with laden evaporative moisture and down it pours in buckets. These changes are so sudden that even when we go ashore, the whole time your eye is on the sky. We have had a downpour on one side of the boat and bone dry on the other. Well,....bone-dry would be a bit of a stretch. Nothing in the tropics is bone dry, ever........ Speaking of Australia, the MEGA YACHT "Prima Donna" (photo below) came into our anchorage. The captain and crew were all Aussies. Father, son and nephew as crew. The captain said it wasn't 'nepotism' or anything like that, it is just that,.... we work well together...... The vessel operates as a luxury charter yacht. Strung out in the dying sunlight behind the yacht are the jet-skis and the other 'toys', and attached to the back is a lift/hoist boom for the toys, with a kayak (paddle-ski) and not a rocket launcher. Australia is a really peaceful country, with hard to find cuddly koalas, that sleep 23 hours a day and then pee on your shirt when you hold them.



We saw the MEGA Sailing Yacht "P2" again, and this time up close, real close, more later...... Got to go.... close the hatches, here it comes........................

FINDING FOXTOWN

We took off early in the morning, from Allens-Pensecola Cay, to find FOXTOWN on Little Abaco Cay. This is where our fisherman live. Uncle Junior and Kirk, although in FOXTOWN he is known as 'Kirkie' Darville. Flat calm seas, motored all the way. (Double-click on the pics). Worked our way through a maze of reefs and shallows and anchored outside of 'town'. Asked the folks for the highlights of FOXTOWN and they said " Well, there's the school at this end, about four hundred yards down the road this way, just past the clinic and the police station, which is also the post-office, and it also goes a few hundred yards that way....". FOXTOWN is very, very small. So off to the school end we went. Barely were we there, when the Principal, Mr Austin Mills, a very dedicated Headmaster and a really wonderful person, called us in to his office, for a most interesting talk on everything 'Bahamian'. This was the kids's last day of school, and everyone was busy with exams (and, no doubt, holiday dreams). Check out the photos below,(and double-click on them) and you will see, that if you never leave town, the distance separating your Primary Education and your final resting place, is only one hundred yards. Talk about 'from the Cradle to the Grave......'.

The Queen found this public phone, just near our landing dock. The connecting line to the box is only 5' 10" off the ground. Guess how we know? Obviously, there are no large trucks in town, that need to make urgent calls.........
Offshore, there are little bits of very hard rock sticking up everywhere. Going fishing is not 'dodgem cars' but 'dodgem rocks'. Everywhere in 'town' we saw lots of boats with busted engines............ you do the maths..........



The joy on the students's faces is genuine. "Yes, school is over!". For the rest of the day, students everywhere, would come up to us to chat. The cars in the background are bringing student lunches. Way to go .........



CONCHING is the main industry together with fishing, when the gathering of crayfish is out of season. We went to "DA VALLEY" restaurant for lunch. A quaint little place. The only one that serves the best 'cracked conch' in town. (Of course,..... it is the only restaurant in town). "Cracked conch", is when you take some conch, and beat the living daylights out of it with a hammer, as shown above, and then lightly fry it in oil, after first rolling it in "Robin Hood" brand flour. Seems it is the only brand of flour that realy works here, based presumably, on the theory 'of robbing the rich and giving the best taste to the poor'. By late afternoon, we had met so many really nice people, that we felt like 'Royalty', which is very new (to me, at least). A wonderful experience, amongst so many friendly people. Crayfish season opens on August 1st each year. Everything could change....... but we doubt it........



The sheets of corrugated iron nailed to a couple of 2" x 6" timber, is a crayfish trap. You put it anywhere on the sea-bottom, on the sea-grass, near a reef, and the crayfish will make a home and a hidey-hole under it. There are some traps out in the water, in the photo above. It kills the grass eventually, so they have to shift them regularly, but crayfish, is where the money is. The 'crayfish' season is what keeps FOXTOWN alive. The tails are frozen and sold to overseas markets. You don't need to use corrugated iron, however, to do this. We have seen TOYOTA and MAZDA car bonnets being used, for the same purpose. In fact, this could ultimately be the financial rescue plan for General Motors. Imagine all those bonnets, trunks, and tail-gates, becoming 'crayfish' traps. It could be the best crustacean rescue package yet. Just imagine putting that on the Boardroom table (with garlic butter to soften the deal), as a "Bankruptcy Avoidance " package for GM and Chrysler. Even the Italians at FIAT would say....... 'Magnificento'............."Supremo".........



We needed a few groceries, so the very friendly people of FOXTOWN sent us to Rodney's house. Yes, we found the place. FOXTOWN is very small. We gently knocked on the front door ............... Rodney and his wife were busy in the lounge room, watching TV. " Come in and go on through to the kitchen, and help yourself ". Wow,....... and in the kitchen, on all the shelves, and in the pantry, were the goods. We made our selection and Rodney finally came out to settle up. And Oh, did we laugh and then some..... First time, ever, when we've raided someone's kitchen and fridge, and had to pay for it.............. He showed us out, through the back door........................ We doubled back to show him where to plant tomato seeds, under the gutter drip...................... Try doing that at your local supermarket... Laurie even used his kitchen sink to wash her hands......, we could probably have had a nap in the bedroom while shopping..................... Now this is 'grass-roots' cruising.............