March 19-22, 2016

the beginning of Hope Town organic vegetable and bread market

the lighthouse from land

Joe starting to clean the green moss from the bottom of the boat

Joe in his work clothes

he's getting that farmers tan

chicken parmesan and rice noodles, cooked in my OMNI oven

Sour Orange Pie that we took to Sea Star for supper

home made coleslaw also taken … I'm having fun making different vinegar and oil dressing

Bill and Lauren, Sea Star, from Meaford, Ontario, folding laundry at Mangoe's Marina

on Sea Star, where we met up again with Whisper, (we met  them in Exumas on a beach)

Modaki in the background and I relaxing ..ha ha

Don Wood's home and studio

some of his bronze work

Manatee

Don

sea turtles, I bought one or two or ??

explaining to us how he makes the turtles

an Conch Pearl .. not regular Oyster Pearl

gold sea horses

octopus with Conch Pearl

Bahamian $150.00  coin

dragon stair rail

Don's apprentice  showing us what he is studying to make

March 16-18, 2016

We left Mangoes Marina to anchor out, the weather is so settled, thank God, the boat is clean and we are clean, …..  

I remember last year how packed the anchoring area was, this year only about 1/2 full for St. Patricks Day

We had a great get together with our friends on, Paper Bird, Escape Velocity, Te Amor, Sea Star, Unicorn and many more .. I can't remember if I mentioned we met again with Brad Krampian and his wife from Owen Sound  

This years parade is about 300 plus steps, the Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the World .. and we have the T-shirts to prove it …  In those few steps we first stop at SANDS liquor store and they give us a can of  Sands beer, then off to WALLY's for a huge Jello Shooter, then across the road to Snappas for a Rum Punch … all free … plus they give out free green beads to wear and keep … we did this last year and I think it will be a tradition for us in the years to come .. since I'm 100 % Irish .. lol

Then everyone stays at Snappas for music and lots of laughs … we stayed for about one hour then headed back to the boat because we can hear the music from the boat , and glad that we will not have a head ache in the morning.

 Barefoot Man played a few songs, his famous song ALICE was sung .. but  I won't say any more … not our music taste .. but the bar loved it  and every one joined in singing ..

Barefoot Man will play a free concert the next day on Guana Cay and then a payed dinner and concert the next … it is very popular, but we did this last year and will only do it again if we have our kids with us or  friends, cause it is a once in a life time to see what goes on …   and Joe and I have seen it .. remember this is March Break for the Florida College Kids … and they are all there 

Friday morning we headed out early for Hope Town, we anchored out side and close to the LightHouse, it was kind of lumpy due to the huge power boats passing too close and throwing a wake …

we have a lot of good memories of this anchorage with Moonlight Maid our Halifax friends.

The next morning we dinghied to town and the small farmers market .. then to Hope Town Marina to see if the previous code for the showers still worked .. and we needed showers ..  the doors where not locked …  so we feel better on that account  .. clean once again

Then we went to the light house, we wanted to buy the solar LUCI lights, but none left.  we will get these back in the US or Canada, a must for boaters … 

We met with Kent from Tomato Paste, they restore the Abaco Dinghys and work restoring the Light House, we met Kent last year at their rental beautiful cottages and she showed us around the grounds, boat building area and how they live off the grid ..

we are excited about this Joe will do volunteer work with the dinghies or light house and Kent is setting me up with volunteering at the local school

it is a win win situation for all of us … 

Some info of the lighthouse …

The 1864 light station at Hope Town was erected. The lens and turning equipment was made in the early 1900's by Chance Brothers of

Birmingham, England is still in place today and working.

The entire lens with its brass work, bull's-eye lens and additional prisms weights about three or four tons and floats in a circular tub containing about 1200 pounds of mercury or quick silver.  Weights on long cables, when wound up to the top of the tower by a hand winch, are able to, through a series of bronze gears, rotate the heavy apparatus, once every 15 seconds.  The keeper on duty has to wind up the weights every two hours.

There is two keepers doing this every night, 7 days a week.

March 19-22, 2016

We sailed back to Mangoe's Marina in Marsh Harbour, high winds gusting to 40 knots are expected in the next few days.  The marina filled up very fast, so we are happy we got in one day before the winds hit us.

We needed to do some shore things and didn't want to be pinned on the boat for these few days.

Two things had to be completed now

We made our commitment to be hauled out at Abaco Yacht Services, AYS,

on April 25 at 9am and our flight on Bahama Air the next day at 10:05 am for a flight to Florida to pick up our car and drive home.

yes MODAKI is saying in the Bahamas this summer

We got accepted into this hurricane approved boat yard and we will give it a try.  This will eliminate the long crossings to and from Florida each year.

This season it took us 7 weeks from leaving Owen Sound, getting the boat ready and crossing to Abaco, Bahamas.

Now we will fly from Toronto to Nassau, then to Marsh Harbour, land taxi, water taxi to Black Sound, Green Turtle Cay area.

A few days to wax the boat, may be do the bottom and launch. The rest of the work can be done in the water.  Maybe 3 days at the most, not 7 weeks.

We visited a local artist Don Wood, his work is fantastic .. I wish I could buy some of his larger works … we did buy small items that are individually made, one stroke at a time … he works in bronze, gold and wood …   Don is passing on his knowledge to a young apprentice, Bahaman youth … see pictures