March 3-4, 2013

We hung out at the Stocking Island, Volley Ball Beach Anchorage thru Monday.  Made another quick trip into the Yacht Club with the big boat to get rid of garbage and top off our water tanks, then finally decided it was time to say good by to George Town and move on.

March 5, 2013

We hauled up the anchor an headed northward, anchoring back up at Staniel Cay by 4 p.m.  Covered 61 miles today, and were rewarded by visiting once more with the cute swimming piggies!  Dined on board, planning to head out in the morning.

March 6, 2013

Said farewell to the piggies just after 9 this morning, and plowed through rather uncomfortable seas (4 to 6 feet) for 44 miles.  Quarter past two in the afternoon found us docked (thankfully!) at Highbourne Cay Marina.  Highbourne Cay is a private island, with basically the Marina (who runs everything), some rental cottages, and just about nothing else.  They've got a fuel dock, a small store, and a restaurant/bar all on site.  Very small - we called on the radio to reserve a slip for the night about 45 minutes before our arrival.  Happily, they had space for us.  As soon as we finished our radio communications, another boat hailed the Marina, also trying for a slip.  Unfortunately for them, we apparently got the last one!  They hung around the marina 'till almost 5 p.m. hoping for a cancellation, but none happened.  They were stuck anchoring out for the night.  We've heard there's yet more bad seas in our near future, so we're glad we're tucked in and protected, even though it's rather expensive here.

So, we decided to splurge and try out the Marina's small restaurant.  Got reservations for 6:30, and went to the bar at 6:15.  Announced our arrival, and were able to order an app to share and drinks at the bar while waiting to be seated.  We were seated precisely at 6:30, bringing our drinks to the table with us.  They took our dinner order right away, and our Shrimp Ceviche appetizer showed up in a couple of minutes.  That was the end of the good part of the evening.  Finishing our drinks, tried to ask the waiter for a round of beers.  Gave up trying that, and sent Daniel to the bar, where he got them and returned to the table.  We then sat, nursing beer, until 7:30.  A little annoyed that everyone around us were receiving their orders but us.  After a solid hour, we were about to get up when the waiter flew over to us, grabbed an empty bottle and asked if we needed another round.  We stood up and said "no thanks - and unless our food is coming out now, please cancel it".  He couldn't even say it would be out in five minutes, so we said we were just tired of waiting, while folks who arrived after us were already eating.  So we gave up and went back to the boat.  What a disappointing experience.

March 7, 2013

Reading up on the weather made us decide that now was not the time for us to try to leave.  We plan to cross from here and head over to Eleuthera, but the seas are thinking otherwise.  Don't feel like going back to Nassau, and others who are leaving today are heading south - along the route we just came up.  So stuck another day here....  Matt went to the office to check on our bill from the restaurant last night.  No charge for food, but.. . .  They charged us for 2 rounds of beer that we didn't have plus a Hennessey.  Yuck!  Who the heck drinks Hennessey???  We discussed the whole thing with the office manager, who took the excess drinks off our tab.

So, today was just a quiet lay-day, still trying to recover from our respective illnesses -which are not passing any where near as quickly as we'd like.  And of course, there are no medical facilities in the area, so we just have to continue self-medicating.  Happily, Matt found codeine over the counter in the store - that just may save me!!

Evening approaching, we discuss what we want to do for dinner.  Finally decide to give the restaurant a chance to redeem themselves, and made reservations.  Arrived a couple of minutes before our scheduled 7:30 seating.  Were met at the table by the bartender who apologized profusely to the three of us, shook our hands, and personally went and got us beers and brought them to our table.  We had the restaurant manager waiting on us, and a waiter at our beck and call.  Got our orders in immediately, received them in a very timely manner (delicious food, by the way!), and were heading back to the boat in under an hour.  They really were determined to make up the night before to us!  But, as in everything else here, VERY expensive.  Fine for one night's splurge, but I think that's about it!!  Stepping back on board, I notice Marley isn't in any of his usual spots, so I take a look around for him.  Then recruit Matt and Daniel to look too.  Crap!!  We left a hatch open in the salon - I think he popped out of it!  So off we go with flashlights and a bowl of crunchy food as an enticement and start scouring the docks and the rock banks surrounding the marina.  Nothing!  Sent Sailor looking, too - he came up with nothing as well.  Not good.  He's been off the boat before, but not when we weren't around.  I'm just praying he's ok and finds his way back. . . .

March 8, 2013

6:15 a.m., I hear a "thump", and Matt jumps out of be and goes top side.  Comes back down a minute later and thrown Marley on top of me.  Dam cat!  No worse the wear, he tucks off for a cat nap - which lasted the entire day!  Sheesh!

OK - weather forecasts have not improved.  So we spent the morning coming up with a different route than we had been planning on to keep ourselves out of the open seas (predicted to be up to 7 to 10 feet).  Plotted what we think will be an acceptable course, keeping close to the shore areas, and only adding maybe 10 or 15 miles to our original plans.  Hopefully this will do the trick - we plan to pull out in the morning and try our luck.

Spent another quiet day, went for a walk around the harbor, not much else.  They have nice beaches here, and looks like some good snorkeling areas, but I'm still feeling pretty crappy and am just not up for it.  Sucks to be stuck in paradise and feel like sh!t for a couple of weeks!  Filled up our water tanks in preparation of leaving tomorrow (40 cents a gallon!).  Had dinner on board tonight, took in a movie and called it an early night.

March 9, 2013

Got up, walked the dog, had coffee, then listened to the weather report that the Marina announces over the radio each morning.  Forecasts have gone from bad to worse.  And not a couple of days - possibly the  next week!  We relooked everything, and have determined we just can't chance getting out of here yet.  Seas are predicted for 7 to 12 feet, increasing up to 20 or 22 feet!  Give us a break!  Ain't no way we're chancing that!!!  So, we're just sucking it up, stuck paying out the ears, but just not willing to chance the dangerous waters that we're being warned about.  So we've no extended our reservation here thru Tuesday and will see what Mother Nature decides for us then.  We'll just have to settle back and make the best of it.

So, took a bike ride today to see what there is to see on this little island.  Read that we had to go see the "only spring in the Bahamas", which turned out to be a short way from the marina.  You'll have to look at the picture to appreciate it.  Some of the views were something to behold though!  Very beautiful seascapes here.  As I said - we're stuck in Paradise!