Day 205 & 206: Family Regatta!

GEORGETOWN EXUMAS, BAHAMAS

First lets post some more pictures from Danger Reef:

On the way down, little mask adjustment and a right leg kick to start things out

Jake scratching the groupers belly.  (The grouper is hard to see)

Caribbean Reef Sharks circling above

Trying my luck with the huge grouper

Love this picture with the three sharks

Jake and I working on the grouper

Swimming through the mountains of coral at Danger Reef

Really like this picture with the shark and the changes in coral

Somewhat of a close call with a reef shark.  At one point he was close enough that I could have reached up and touched him.

Sting ray getting cleaned by a colorful triggerfish

CRASH!!!  He gets his name bc he likes to run in to people.  His head is about a the size of a basketball, maybe a bit bigger than that.

Crash heading up for a breath of air

Playing chicken with a reef shark :-)

Jake and I goofing around.  We laughed at this picture for about 10 minutes

Arrow Crab (very small)

Me being weird again.  I was always hanging out upside down, doing flips, etc...  I love being weightless, I should have gone in to space.

Wednesday we took off for Georgetown around 0800 with about five other locals with us on the boat.  Tony, Gizelle, Bushman, Chubby and his niece came along with us.  It was fairly calm for the first few hours because we were on the inside.  Once we went through Gallient Cut out in the the sound the waves picked up.  It was still calm enough to fish and we got some lines in the water.  For the next 40 miles we had no luck at all.  Upon our approach in to Elizabeth Harbor we were greeted with a massive rain squall.  They came in one after another for the next day.  It was perfect timing because the boat got a fresh water rinse.  Canflor girl was still here and Buddy and I planned to head up to the festivities of the regatta.  I was granted a nap and then got ready to explore.  It was a bit quiet being that it was still Wednesday but I was told to get ready for chaos on the weekend.  

Today I ran to the market for some groceries then went down to the waterfront to catch the start of the B class race.  I wanted to do my research because I was asked to race on Ruff Justice later in the day in the A class race.  A class boats are 28 feet long.  Every boat is all wood and Bahamian built and owned.  The sails are cotton I believe, or something like that.  It is true Bahamian sailing. The sloops start at the line with their sails down on the anchor.  The gun goes off and you hoist the anchor, get your sails up and you are off.  It rained cats and dogs for most of the day.  Just before I got picked up to be taken out to the sailboat the skies cleared and for the whole race we didn't have rain.  I was so nervous.  My heart was pounding.  This tradition of Bahamian regattas is serious business and this was the biggest one of the year.  I didn't want to get in the way.  It is hard to understand Bahamians sometimes, especially when they are all yelling.  We almost missed the start, had to change the mainsail on the way to the starting line, and were messing with the headsail right up to the starting gun.  We let all of the anchor rode out so only one guy was hoisting at first until we got enough rode in to all hoist together.  There was no rhythm to getting the anchor in and hands were slapping and getting caught in T-shirts.  Upon rounding the windward buoy the whisker pole (if thats what you want to call it) was not even on deck yet.  Upon rounding the leeward buoy the helmsmen was in charge of bringing the main sheet in and no one was even steering the boat.  To say the least it was very unorganized, and we came in 8th place because of the chaos.  I stayed quiet and stayed high on the planks.  I was the high man out and it was very scary at times.  I thought they would put the big guys out there but I later realized that I don't think the big guys could get out there.  I was the quickest and one of the most athletic so I think thats why I got put out there.  I almost fell in the water a couple of times but managed to keep my balance and keep my feet out of the water.  We actually had a pretty good start and were in second place for awhile.  We timed our tacks wrong and had to tack one extra time to make the buoy.  This really hurt us.  

All in all it was a really amazing experience and I hope that I get to race again tomorrow.  My knees and legs are raw from sliding up and down the plank and I was soaking wet but I had a ball.  The boat almost flipped once and I was about twenty feet in the air out on the end of the plank.  A boat did sink in the B class race and they still haven't gotten it up as far as I know.  When the boats flip, they sink.  They are wooden boats and they put lead in the bottom of them.  They have to pull all of the lead out and haul it back to the surface after it flips.  

Here are some pictures to help give you an image of these sailboats and what I meant by being out on the plank.  I don't know if any of our friends got any pictures today as it was very rough and windy out there, but I will ask around.

This is the actual boat that I raced on today, Ruff Justice.  I did not take this picture.




















This is a picture of a race.  I got this picture online so I am not sure what boats they are.  I do not recognize any of the sail numbers.  The plank slides from starboard to port when we tack and is about 6 inches wide.  The masts are about 60 feet high, the boat is 28 feet long, and in light winds they change the boom and sails.  The boom can be up to 48 feet long!  It is quite scary to be on the end of the plank when the boat is about to flip.  My position all day was the first man out on the plank, all the way out.





Sound Waves Out

Day 203 & 204: Bye Bye Staniel Cay

STANIEL CAY EXUMAS, BAHAMAS


Monday we were at Sampson Cay...boring Sampson Cay.  I had a great list of things to do on the boat...outside....and just before I finished breakfast (I usually don't ever get to finish breakfast but this time it was for other reasons) the sky went black.  I couldn't get to the fly bridge quick enough.  We got all of the seats covered just in time for the rain.  I thought, well it only rains for five minutes down here then it will be sunny again.  A whole rest of the day later, wind, black, rain, wind, thunder, lightning, Captain Ron, and nothing got done.  What a day.  To make positive on the situation, the Bahamas needed the rain.

Tuesday we left for Staniel Cay, surprise surprise: Staniel Cay, Sampson Cay, Staniel Cay, Sampson Cay.  Even the locals poke fun at Sound Waves for how much we move around.  Anyways, not that it is important, considering I was happy to be back in Staniel Cay.  Not to mention I got to download all of the pictures from the Danger Reef Dive!
I did some projects and got the boat prepped for our 0700 departure to Georgetown in the morning.  Apparently nine locals are coming along with so they can get to the regatta.

If you can't tell I am in a horrible mood right now, and I don't know why.  Lets see what happened that was fun today?  OH!!!  Finnegan, David and Christina's (sp? sorry) dog was hanging around.  He is a 6 month old ......yellow lab/golden something? (I'm so bad at this).  I taught him step one on how to shake.  I think he is going to pick up on it!  We also played on the beach for a long time chasing sticks and palm leaves and learning how to dive for rocks.  He is a smart lil pup and it was so much fun to play with him and watch him learn.  I have always loved dogs and I really enjoyed getting away from the boat for awhile to play with him.

It was weird walking out of the bar tonight.  This was really it.  My final days, my final goodbye at Staniel Cay.  For the last month and then some I have called this place my home.  As I sat at the bar I looked around at the people sitting and working and I knew all but a few of their names.  Bushman, Gizelle, the owner, his girlfriend, Nuno, David, Tony, Jeff, Harry, Salt, Ruth, Rhonda, Felisha, Suzana, and Joan.  I don't think I could name that many people sitting around any bar anywhere (maybe Holland).  I walked down the dock knowing the clear water was coming to an end, as Georgetown is a bit murky.  I can't believe it is coming to an end.  As I look forward to an exciting weekend in Georgetown for the regatta's I know that I am down to a long weekend until I'm back to Chicago.  I am super excited for Chicago don't get me wrong, but this place is special.

The constant changing of colors on the water will put anyone in a trance as the the depths change from a dark blue to a light shade of green and in to a white as the bottom goes from coral to grass to sand.  Seagulls break the silence of paradise as todays catch is cleaned up on the bench while hungry nurse sharks and rays pace back and forth hoping for a scrap.  Dinghies come and go and the smell of fuel teases your nose before being lifted away by the breeze.  The hum of the engine is sometimes confused with the next load of tourists and supplies coming in on the small airplanes that buzz around like flies.  The hot sun is relentless, the dive flag at the Staniel Cay dive shop tries to stand up in the weak warm winds from the south east but fails to even flutter.  Spices fill the air as dinner time nears up at the yacht club.  A group of locals huddle around the fish bench every day, waiting, wasting, and watching another day drift past.  A trip to the end of the dock reminds me of how tough my feet have become as splinters and nails are pushed away by my tough skin.  The water is crystal clear.  The only thing that blurs the bottom is the strong ebb tide with the water rushing back out to sea like the raging Mississippi.  A few sailboats block my view of the horizon anchored just off of the dock, and mega yachts scatter in the distance making up their own anchorages it seems.  I turn and look back towards land as the day fades away.  The Batelco tower dominates the skyline with its flashing red lights.  Palm trees in front of the yacht club stand motionless and music makes its way to my ears.  A tourist asks me isn't this amazing, I don't think this could ever get old.  I smile and simply reply you're right I don't think it ever will.  Uninterested and engulfed by my surroundings I walk away.  Our underwater lights are starting to take over the night as small fish dance around them.  A nurse shark rests on the bottom completely uninterested in its surroundings.  A large southern sting ray floats by effortlessly.  The dinner bell rings and people make their way in to the bar.  This is my home.  This was my home.  Tony, Barry, Ben, Gizelle, Christina, David, David, Susana, Jake, Joelle, Big Daddy, Raymond, Wade, Salt, Food, Rock, Wellington, Janel, Jeff, Harry, Ruth, Rhonda, Felisha, Chavette, Netty, Joan, Carl, Foodie, Graham, Marvin, Marvin, Salomon, Mackenzie, Eddie, Clevland, and that is just the locals and I am sure I am forgetting a lot!  Thank you.  Thank you for an amazing adventure, thank you for memories that will last a lifetime.  And while I still have a few more days left, I feel as if this blog is significant.  Georgetown means little to me.  Tomorrow I am leaving my home.  On to the next step, where I will again shift gears.  Sad, yes.  Exciting, yes.  I will never forget the past six months of my life, but I look forward to the next many years!  As my fortune cookies once told me "the best years of your life have not yet been lived."  and "a vacation of vacations awaits you."  I still have both of them in my wallet today.  What's next captain?  Well....its still a lifetime away.

Sound Waves Out
(pictures to come of danger reef....just not tonight....not after that blog)

Day 201 & 202: Danger Reef!

SAMPSON CAY EXUMAS, BAHAMAS


Saturday...geez Saturday.  Another day.  It was normal chores around the boat, cleaning some beds and heads, doing the shower sumps and checking air filters.  Ragged Reef was set to play during happy hour and again after dinner up at the yacht club.  Even though I've seen Jake the divemaster around and have talked to him quite a bit we didn't really become friends until we spent the day together diving.  He is a really cool guy and I regret not getting to know him more until now.  I helped him put up a rack for wetsuits in the dive shop, and while I didn't do much he needed some of my tools.  I love doing projects like that with other people.  I managed to find some time to play guitar in the afternoon before the band started.  Once they started playing I went up to watch them while keeping an eye on the owner and our dinner guests, Bushman and his girlfriend.  The band was fun as always and dinner on the boat was great, grilled red snapper.  The rest of the night was spent drifting from the bar, back to the boat, and back to the bar.  I finally met the crew on the boat next to us, Mobility.  Lis (sp?) and John were a captain/chef couple and despite being next to us for a week I hadn't talked to them.  Our friends from Sagamar were also in town after seeing them in Emerald Bay and Georgetown.  I don't remember everyones name but it was good to see them as well.  I do have to say that remembering names is something I have become so much better at.  I surprise myself that I can remember names now, I never used to be able to do that.

Sunday we were set to go diving at danger reef.  Nuno and Val were back in town with charter guests and he was interested in diving with us.  Well he backed out that morning as he had a conference call with the owner.  Jake can't take us in to the park unless we have a certain amount of divers because of fuel costs.  It wasn't looking like I was going to see Danger Reef anytime soon.  Finally Kris (sp?) and I decided to split the cost of a third diver and do the dive anyways.  We got in the boat and headed north in to the park.  It was about an hour ride to Danger Reef, which is just north of Warderwick Wells.  It was a bit rough but nothing that we couldn't handle.  As soon as we were secure on the mooring ball reef sharks presented themselves behind the boat.  To my surprise I wasn't too nervous about the 8-10 reef sharks circling the boat.  I jumped right in.  I immediately felt like I was swimming inside the aquarium at Shedd in Chicago.  Huge horse-eyed Jacks huddled in a school under the shadow of the dive boat.  Yellow tails were everywhere.  Everywhere I looked there was a Caribbean Reef shark, all of which were at least 4 feet long and up to 6-7 feet.  Huge black and Nassau grouper were not shy at all and almost ran in to you.  We went to the bottom and sat in the sand for a little bit to play with the grouper.  We stuck our hands out and wiggled our fingers.  They slowly came up to our fingers, put their head up in the air, and if we were slow and patient enough they let us scratch their belly!  All of the grouper were at least 3-4 feet long and by far the largest grouper I have seen.  I could have sat directly under the boat for the entire dive.  While swimming around I noticed a reef shark swimming at me in the distance.  As I watched he kept swimming at me.  I dropped down in between some coral heads and noticed he also started swimming deeper.  He wasn't swimming too fast so I wasn't super nervous, yet.  He kept coming and it wasn't until he was about 10 feet away (which is nothing underwater) that I could tell that he was going to swim above me.  The shark swam about two feet over me head and I had to resist the temptation to reach up and scratch his belly like the grouper.  We saw a lot of spotted eels and a few lobster.  The sharks left us for awhile but suddenly one was right there again.  Kris took a picture of it and suddenly it turned for the surface and swam fast!  It hit the other mooring ball that was not occupied.  It was a bit scary as I now knew that we were swimming with hungry sharks.  Towards the end of the dive Crash came out of no where!  Crash is a huge turtle, I am not sure what kind of turtle, I need to figure that out.  his head was bigger than a basketball and he made a very close approach to me.  It was hands down one of the best dives I have ever been on.  While the diving at Saba last year was unbelievable the fact that we saw so much in one dive here definitely rivals Saba.  Our second dive was just a little further to the north called Parrotfish reef.  It was also a very cool dive, but with only two shark sightings and two grouper mating it definitely did not live up to Danger Reef.  I got dropped off at Sampson Cay and relaxed the rest of the night.

What a day!

Lobster out in the open!

Sting ray

Caribbean Reef Shark at Danger Reef

Crash!

Spotted Eel

More pictures to come after I get more from Kris hopefully today

Sound Waves Out

Day 199 & 200: SCUBA!

STANIEL CAY EXUMAS, BAHAMAS.....STILL HERE


The owner just doesn't want to leave the yacht club.  I don't blame him though.  I would much rather be here than Sampson, or even Georgetown with the exception of the Regatta's.  We finally got our parts in for the generator.  I flushed the coolant system a few more time after installing the new reservoir tank, putting on new zincs, and re-tightening all of the hose connections.  Unfortunately the hose that connects the reservoir tank to the expansion tank was no good and I needed to find a way to get another one.  By this time it was well in to the evening and time to call it quits.  I had an early night and watched Avatar in my room for the first time ever.

Friday I woke up at 0500, too excited to sleep.  I tried to lay there for another two hours but hardly drifted in and out of sleep.  My alarm finally gave me the go ahead to get up and get ready for the day.  I told myself to stay calm and make sure I get a good breakfast, go over all of my gear again, etc, etc...  I was so excited because the owner granted me a day of diving.  It was a good group, with the exception of one guy who wasn't very coordinated in the water.  Jake, Kris (sp?), Dick and myself were the only divers.  We had the motivation to dive Danger Reef but Jake, the dive master, called it off because it was a little too rough on the outside.  Instead we dove Conch Cut and Jeep Reef.

Conch Cut was a drift dive, and I do have to admit my first official drift dive.  As effortless as I though the dive would be I often found myself twisting and turning to try and get in the right position.  It is like taking a slow boat down a river, you are moving fast over the ground but have no steerage.  We saw a lot of lobster, a ray, and a ton of beautiful fish.  Our bottom time was nearly an hour.  Jeep reef proved to be the more enjoyable dive however.

Just before we got in the water Dick turned around and stated he wasn't feeling well and was going to sit this one out.  It was a smart decision on his part, and it made Kris and I happy because he wasn't a very good diver.  Immediately I could sense that Jake himself was much more relaxed and enjoying the dive.  The coral was very cool and the fish were spectacular.  Large grouper, huge barracuda, and too many lobster to count.  We did see the Jeep (how the site got it's name) but other than old tires it was very hard to make out.  Coral had claimed the walls and it looked more like a coral covered box on wheels.  Last night while I was watching Avatar I kept thinking to myself, wow that would be so cool to live in a world like that.  All of the colors at night time, the crazy animals and insects, and soaring between trees and mountains on a "dragon...thing".  As I was drifting over the top of a tall coral head I pointed my head down, exhaled, and soared down the face of the coral head.  Another breath leveled me out on the sand as I used a bit of momentum from my fall to glide across to the next coral head.  Damselfish and blue chromis danced around the coral ducking in and out of their hideaways.  A lobster tippy-toed across the sand.  A four foot barracuda sat motionless with its mouth half open, watching my every move.  I was as close to being on Pandora (the planet in Avatar) as I will ever be, and it was awesome.  An ebb tide was starting to present itself as we came to the end of the dive.  The huge coral walls were behind us and for the most part it was soft corals on the bottom.  I sat at 15ft. for my safety stop and let the current take me.  Motionless and weightless I sailed over Pandora.  Like a little kid I spent all night pretending that Pandora existed after watching the movie.  It was real.
Just like that I snapped out of my trance and noticed Jake floating right next to me.  I looked over and he was in a sitting position pretending to read a newspaper (if he were using the restroom).  I then noticed that I was in my "comfortable" position which also looked exactly like I was using the restroom.  Jake started dancing and I went in to my own world and started doing front flips....why not.  The last ten minutes of the dive was spent filling up our masks from laughing and being total idiots while performing our 15ft. safety stop.  I think we may have stayed down a little too long if you know what I mean :-).

Back at the docks, I got the generator fixed and went up to the bar to hang out with my new group of friends.  The night went by just like any other and I realized that it is almost better now when the bar is really empty because the people that are there all the time and the people who live here are the ones I talk to.  It's going to be really hard to leave this place.

The cliffs at Great Guana

Iguana's at Great Guana

Lounging with the Iguana's

Cool pictures of air bubbles while diving

Triggerfish

Spotfin Butterflyfish

Shaking the lobsters hand at Jeep Reef.  He let me grab his antenna

Hanging out on the sandy bottom at Jeep reef.

Cool shot at Jeep Reef

Flamingo Toungue 

Lobster out in the open at Jeep Reef

I spy two lionfish.  Do you see them?

My "comfortable" position that got me shit the whole night (no pun intended)

I spy ...possibly a peacock flounder...do you see it?

Sound Waves Out

Day 197 & 198: Flights are booked

STANIEL CAY EXUMAS, BAHAMAS


Tuesday I worked on the owners iMac trying to sort out the 6,000 songs he got from the yacht clubs playlist.  I put playlists together and put them on his iPod, and did this, and did that.  It was a lot of staring at the computer and sorting to say the least.  To take a break from my headache that was beginning to form from looking at artist after artist I decided to replace the membranes on the water maker.  There are three membranes and they are mounted on the underside of the bench that holds filters and the high pressure pump.  Of course whoever installed it made sure to not make it easy to service.  I managed to drop the membranes down from the bench and disconnect everything.  I took the entire assembly to the dock and replaced the membranes where I had more working area.  That was the easy part.  Trying to re-connect everything and hold the three membranes (4 feet long, 3 feet wide, about 35 pounds) in place under the bench while putting washers and nuts on upside down was the challenging part.  I sweat out about 3 pounds of water and finally got everything back in to place.  I crossed my fingers and switched the water maker on.  No leaks.  I increased the pressure to 200 psi.  No leaks.  Up to 600 psi.  No leaks.  Up to 800 psi.  No leaks.  The sensor kicked on and in no time we were making perfect water.  I was two for two on projects for the week!!!  The macerator and the water maker were completed flawlessly.  I have to say I think I am getting better at this job!

Today I did some small projects and saw the owner and his girlfriend off in the dinghy for their adventure to the aquarium.  I hung out with the locals for most of the afternoon and occasionally paid a visit to the boat to do a chore or two.  The marina is packed and families are everywhere as Easter weekend approaches.  Fish and conch were being cleaned on the bench all day and I decided it was time to go in and hassle the sting ray and nurse sharks.  Some of the tourists gasped as I got in to the water with them but to everyones surprise I couldn't get a shark or a ray to get anywhere close to me unless I had a chunk of fish in my hand.  The sharks swam past as I ran my hand down their back and gently gave a tug on their tail.  Despite being nurse sharks I still made sure to keep tabs on every shark around me considering there was fish in the water.  I made sure to keep any sting ray that had barbs in them still away as well.  Some of the rays have lost their tails and I got a brave with them and almost had one out of the water in my arms (no stingers don't worry mom).

Today was supposed to be my last day at Staniel Cay before we left for Sampson and then Georgetown but the owner decided to stay one more day, as Sampson is full.  My flights are booked for May 1st back to Chicago and while it seems like it is basically over I was reminded that the two weeks I have left is more than most people spend down here on vacation and I still have a lot of time left!  It will fly by I'm sure!

Sound Waves Out

Day 195 & 196: This is one shitty job

STANIEL CAY EXUMAS, BAHAMAS


Sunday was Jessie's last day and we spent most of it hanging out on the fly bridge and swimming.  We had a nice lunch up at the yacht club and then just as soon as she was here, she was gone again.  It was great to have my parents and Jessie down here, and I have to say that it was very nice of the owner to ask them.  I know that we will all be back here again someday.

The owner, Graham and Marvin wanted to go out fishing just after Jessie left so I got the boat ready to go.  Instead of taking Jessie to the airport I simply said goodbye to her at the yacht club.  After some thought and a word from the dockmaster we decided that it would be better to wait for the tide, especially considering our port prop was in the sand.  With that being said I took off on the scooter to try and catch Jessie.  Just as I pulled up to the airport the plane was pulling out on to the runway.  I felt like I was in one of those stupid love stories where some couple has a bad break up and then last minute the guy decides that he really does want to be with her so he rushes to the airport on his scooter and chases her down the runway, crashes the scooter in to the plane, scrambles through the smoke and rubble, somehow manages to find the girl, who is still in perfect condition, gives some sappy speech and kisses her while at the same time all the authorities and airport personal are in the background clapping and crying instead of arresting the stupid ass hole for driving down the runway and crashing a plane...................anyway it didn't go like that at all but I waved to the plane on the edge of the runway as the flew by and lifted in to the air.  Much less dramatic I know.

After I got back the owner decided that the three inches of water we had gained while I was gone crashing airplanes was enough to leave.  We shoved off the dock in to deep water, put her in reverse and waited.  Suddenly the boat stopped dead in her tracks.  The owner, who was at the helm, leaned over and asked if we still had a line attached.  I said nope but we did just hit bottom.  He tried again but we went no where.  We pulled back in to the dock and immediately got in the water.  Sure enough the port blade was not only bent but chipped as well.  I fired up the third lung and we bent the blade back in to position with a crescent wrench and a long pipe and searched around for the missing piece of blade...no luck.  After an hour or so, when the tide was much higher, we pulled away from the dock to go out fishing.  Luckily there was no vibration at any rpm's and it should be good to go until we get back to the states.  On the other hand the macerator pump would not pull a suction and a bad impeller was certainly the problem.  After two hours out on a glass calm ocean we returned to the dock with our bait still in tact.  It was an amazing sunset and moonrise however as we are approaching a full moon.
The night was fairly low key and an early bed time was in order.

I woke up early this morning and after looking at Elle Macpherson, our neighbor for the last few days, I got to work.  She was leaving today and was out and about.  She was a really nice lady.  We talked to her for a long time last night as her son was creating a crowd with his barracuda carcass that he had tied to a rope.  A shark was going nuts and it was very entertaining to watch.  I planned on washing the boat right off the bat but just as most days go I was side tracked with other chores for awhile.  The owner wanted his shower sump cleaned and that led to cleaning the air conditioning units as well.  I finally got to washing the boat and it took me about four hours.  I got some help every now and then from the owner but for the most part it was a one man show today, which I don't mind at all.  I love washing the boat.  After that I went up and talked to the divers about possibly diving with them on Friday at danger reef.  The owner gave me the O.K. and boy am I excited.  The video in the dive shop shows huge reef sharks and huge grouper and turtles so I am very excited!  After lunch at the yacht club my next project was staring over my shoulder.....the macerator pump, hence the title of the blog.
I slowly went down to the engine room and got to work.  Once I was in to it though I was working fast and efficient.  It took me about two hours for me to completely tear down and disconnect the motor and pump housing.  I got it on the work bench and tore the whole pump down to check for clogs as well as pull out rubber from the impeller.  I greased up the new impeller, pooped it in (typo :-)), put the macerator plate back on and reversed my process.  Just like that I was done.  A year ago something like that would have scared the hell out of me.  Now I just dive in to it.

Thursday we will be leaving Staniel Cay for good to head to Sampson for a couple of days.  After that we will head south to Georgetown for the huge regatta they are having.  Every local I talk to is going and I have even heard rumors that I may be on an A-class sloop for one of the races.  After that my campaign in the Bahamas will end just as quickly as it started and my time on Sound Waves will come to and end.  May 1st is the target date for my return to Chicago where my focus will turn back to Bonita.

Sound Waves Out

Day 193 & 194: Tired

STANIEL CAY EXUMAS, BAHAMAS


Friday was a lazy day at Sampson Cay.  Jessie and I finally motivated (I finally motivated) to do something and by then the owner decided to just take the big boat out to a beach and anchor out.  It was a great quiet beach and very relaxing for a few hours.  After our evening activities on the beach we set the hook just off of Staniel Cay.  We had steaks on the boat and went in to the bar to see what was going on.  It was dead.  Jessie and I hung out for a bit and then we all went back to the boat.  The owner was already sleeping.  We had set the hook down right in an area where there was current and we were now facing the other way.  The owners son sat on the bow and told me that the anchor was slipping.  I couldn't decide whether I thought it was or not, but being that the owners son had the most prudent action I listened to him.  He woke up the owner and despite the anger of being woken up in the middle of the night, we made the right decision and moved to the dock.

Today Jessie and I were planning on going on a dive with Staniel Cay Divers.  Jake was busy with a private charter but finally told me a good dive site.  We picked up one tank for Jessie and took off in the dinghy.  It was in the same area as where we were snorkeling and besides the fear of sharks with just two of us out there it was a good dive.  We saw lionfish, lobster, a big grouper, and some chub.  We went and hung out on a beach for the rest of the afternoon before coming back to the boat to finish up some small chores.  Lunch up at the yacht club consisted of caesar salad, conch bites, and a burger.  With plans to go up to the bar after the owner cooked up some great snapper the night wilted away and nothing came out of it.  The owner had a great time and is working his way to bed right now.  He and Graham are discussing fishing tomorrow.  Conch diving in the morning, fishing in the afternoon....bummer

Sound Waves Out

Day 191 & 192: Quick Vacation

SAMPSON CAY EXUMAS, BAHAMAS

Wednesday started slow but every minute was enjoyable.  My parents, Jessie and I moved the boat from Sampson to Staniel as the owner took off in the dinghy.  It was another perfect day on the water.  Even after being here for the few months that I have, it never gets old.  Everywhere you look there is a different shade of blue or green, and even white when it gets really shallow.  The bottom is always in sight even if you can manage to find fifty feet of water, which doesn't happen unless you go outside in to the Sound.  I think the locals are still in awe.

The owners friends came in on their new 108' Viking motoryacht shortly after we made the dock in Staniel.  He was pre-occupied with his new friends so we loaded the dinghy with beer and took off.  I took my parents to see the Iguana's and on the way back showed them why the cuts in the Exumas demand respect.  The cuts are the areas between the islands where the bank meets the sound.  When the tide changes water rushes through these cuts.  I got right in the middle of one and shut the engine down.  To everyones surprise we were heading out to sea at 3.0 knots.  In no time we were in 60 feet of water and still moving fast.  When the waves oppose the current big standing white caps build up and it was much like floating through a set of rapids on a river.  

While out in the Sound a huge Loggerhead turtle came to the surface to see what all the excitement was about.  We only got a glimpse of him, but he was probably half the size of the boat!

On the way back in I sent Jessie and my Dad in the water with their mask and snorkel.  We were still in the cut, but in a more controlled area.  The flew over the reef below them effortlessly while I followed in the dinghy.  It is always fun to cover a lot of ground while snorkeling especially when you don't have to do anything.

We had a light dinner at the yacht club that night and hung out on the docks.  It was a fairly early night.

Thursday was already here and it was time for my parents to head back to Florida to see my sister and my grandparents for awhile.  We took them to the airport and stood on the edge of the runway as the plane zipped past us and lifted in to the air.  Just like that, they were gone again.  It was great to have them here and I know that we will all be down here together again someday...next time nobody will be working though :-)

The owner put me back in to work mode a little bit but it was mostly small chores.  He wanted to take his new friends to Sampson so we fired the engines and took off.  The rest of the day wasted away.

Jessie and I took the dinghy over to a little sandbar and plopped our butts down in about a foot of water. The sand bubbled as we walked across it and the sun was relentless.  A huge thunderhead kept growing off to our west and seemed to be inching closer.  It eventually passed to the south and dissipated.  

At the end of the day your skin is dry from the salt water and your lips burnt from the sun.  I have grown out of my sunburn but as my skin gets darker and darker I still know when the sun has done a number on me.  A shower is rarely taken using hot water as the soothing cold water is a refreshment from the days heat which still manages to hold its grip well in to the evening.  With only a few weeks left before my return to Chicago I am excited and both sad.  This is my home now.  I have lived aboard Sound Waves for six and a half months and have been calling Staniel Cay base camp for a couple of months now.  On the other hand I am very excited to get back to Chicago and just maybe have a little bit more of a normal life again!

More pictures:

Bushman and the owners son after a long day of fishing out in virgin grounds

The owners son and bushman with their lone grouper catch 

More pictures later...internet is crabby

Sound Waves Out

Day 190: On the Move

SAMPSON CAY EXUMAS, BAHAMAS


We woke up to another perfect day in paradise.  Not a cloud in the sky, hardly a breath of wind and the temperature gauge already was reading in the 80's.  Shortly after some errands around the island we fired the engines to take a day trip up to Sampson Cay.  Jessie and I hopped in the dinghy to follow behind.  We followed the big boat for awhile and then decided to take our own path.  It didn't take long for everyone to realize the going the short distance to Sampson Cay would be wasting the day so we made the call to head further north to the aquarium.  Jessie and I took the inside route, weaving between islands and sand bars.  We met the big boat just west of the aquarium, helped set the anchor, and got ready to snorkel.  The aquarium is a nice snorkeling spot with a lot of coral and fish.  I managed to spot a lobster and a few lionfish.  Once back at the boat we cooked up some Italian Sausage on the grill for lunch.  The day was wasting away at just the right pace.
My Mom and Dad hopped in the dinghy for the trip back and we took the Sound back in the big boat.  The owners son and bushman were waiting and a small afternoon cocktail party began.  I gave the whole boat a fresh rinse and put away all of the snorkeling equipment from the days activities.  There was a fish carcass in the water near the boat and the nurse sharks and lemon sharks were very curious.  Again, the sun faded as the afternoon quietly came to an end.
Dinner up at the restaurant was good, but very slow as usual.  After dinner we hung out on the aft deck for awhile and I managed to spear a snapper in hopes that I could lure in a lemon shark in the process.  The fish flopped on the surface for awhile but my spear tip came unscrewed and the fish fell to the bottom.  To my surprise he managed to swim around for hours, despite the huge hole in the top of his head.  I am sure he did not make it through the night with all of the shark activity, but I do have to say nature is tough.  I don't think I could walk around with a 4 inch hole in the top of my head.

This morning I got out of bed a little late to the smell of bacon.  It was another perfect morning with barely a cloud in the sky.  Sandbars defined the channel in to the marina as low tide started the day.  I don't know if I will be able to handle 60 degree weather when I head back to the states in a month or so.

Sound Waves Out

Day 189: Fun In the sun

STANIEL CAY EXUMAS, BAHAMAS 



Yesterday we got up and mom made her killer french toast.  Shortly after I packed the dinghy full of beer and sunscreen and we took off.  First we went over and snorkeled the thunderball grotto.  It was my parents first Exuma water experience and I think they were a little blown away by how clear the water was.  Down in the Caribbean is great but it is so shallow here, the colors on the water are always changing from white to green to blue and are always bright as can be.  After thunderball we headed north and zipped through Sampson Cay, then through Compass Cay north to the Rocky Dundas.  We tied up to the ball there and swam around.  We found a very cool sky lit cave.  Continuing north to Johnny Depp's island, Halls Pond.  That was our furthest stop north for the day.  We circled around the aquarium (snorkeling spot) and decided to stop and hang out in a little lagoon type cove that was pure sand and about 3 feet deep.  The rest of the afternoon was wasted away in waste deep water, picking up sand dollar after sand dollar with our toes.  It was a perfect day by all standards.


Today was a lazy day.  I rolled out of bed around 9:30.  It was great to have the relaxed feel around the boat.  We hung out for a bit and relaxed around the boat.  After a bit of lounging my parents, Jessie and I took a walk around the island.  We stopped at the isle general store, the pink store, and the blue store.  All three grocery stores in one day.  We got everything we needed and headed back to the boat to cook some burgers for lunch.  The governor general was here visiting and there was quite the commotion on the docks.  He is the equivalent to "Obama" in the states.  The owner and my parents went up and got some pictures of him.

After a good lunch we took a swim and went out to the reef that claims the bottom paint of so many boats that come in to these docks.  Jessie and I saw some busted off rudders, a prop with the prop nuts still on it (aka drive shaft came with it) and a really cool sea turtle!  After our swim we loaded up the dinghy and took off with the owner.  We ran up the creek by the airport and around the whole island.  After our Staniel Cay tour we took off back to the north.  We found another awesome beach and plopped down for the day. There was a little tide pool that ran the length of the sand bar and we just drifted up and down with a mask and snorkel on looking at nothing but sand and sea grass.  It was still so amazing.  The water put a swimming pool to shame.  I can't even begin to explain it.  Pictures to come.

The owners son went out fishing with Bushman all day and did not get back to the docks until about 7:00PM  The fish locker revealed a mess of red snapper and one grouper.  Dinner was set.  The owner cooked up the snapper and it was delicious.  The rest of the night was spent enjoying the underwater lights and telling stories.  My eyes are heavy, my skin is actually a little burnt despite my Bahamian tan I have been working on for months now, and I have to say that I will be sleeping good tonight.  Tomorrow we may move the boat, but other than that, our schedule is wide open!

Pictures!

The parents and I on the docks at Staniel Cay Yacht Club, watching a 130' leave the docks

Jessie inside the cave at The Rocky Dundas..perfect time of day for the light

Sunken airplane south of Little Halls Pond

One of the little pigs doing his best to get some scraps!

Hanging out around the Aquarium near Little Halls Pond...horrible day in paradise :-)

Our own private beach, wasting the day away near Little Pipe Cay

The "photo contest"

My dad's toes in the sand, Seven Seas in the background (Rumored to be Steven Spielberg's 282' yacht)

Toes in the water

Hanging out in the sand....three feet under water

Jessie catching some rays, mom in the way background exploring

One of my favorites.  Jessie and mom up top with a conch shell that is underwater on the bottom. (same picture, not photoshop :-))

Another one of my favorites.  Mom in the background

What we assumed to be the crew coming in on paddle boards getting some exercise.

Sound Waves Out!