Hi all...Ben here
You might notice I've gotten a haircut. Luckily this picture doesn't show the four inch square patch on my back that Izzy shaved right down to my bare pink skin when she went wild with the clippers. I'm just lucky she wasn't clipping around my...ahem..."under belly" - if you know what I mean. Dog grooming is just not her calling. I'm surprised Jeff lets her near him with those clippers. Guess he hasn't had a reverse Mohawk like I got yet. The stuff I put up with to travel with these two!
Leaving Georgetown, we felt pretty adventurous. Most cruisers get to Georgetown and then stop, turn around and head back to the USA, not daring to go further south. That's why Georgetown is often referred to as "Chicken Harbor". The continuing voyage has been dubbed "The Thorny Passage South" because of it's open seas, stronger winds and and longer passages between islands. Some of the George Town cruisers had planned a sailboat race and a few days of fun in the neighboring Long Island Cay. With weather predictions of some strong winds and high seas on our planned route to Rum Cay, we decided instead to join them for a few days and travel in the lee of Long Island waiting for better conditions. We pulled in to Calabash Bay at dusk and anchored the first night in a picturesque bay with a gentle sea roll to lull us to sleep.
The next day we continued to Thompson Bay where we met up with the George Town cruisers. They had activities planned, so we joined them for an island bus tour. Well... I didn't, because they have some crazy rule about dogs on the bus. So this is my best interpretation of the pictures that Izzy has in her camera.
One of the places they went was a pretty church in Clarencetown with neat spires to climb,
Looks like it was tricky to climb up there requiring some specialized gymnastics...
and this is the view of the harbor from the top.
The inside is simple and peaceful
This is the bus...had to be back by 2 o'clock so the driver could pick up the kids from school.
And that's Jeff , Mo and Pollie talking with one of the organizers, Karen.
It looks like Jeff must be negotiating for a better seat.
Another stop was Dean's Blue Hole where the international free diving championships are held each year. It's the deepest Blue Hole in the world - 663 feet.
Another stop was Dean's Blue Hole where the international free diving championships are held each year. It's the deepest Blue Hole in the world - 663 feet.
I recognize this place from the picture, because I was there last year and took a swim with Jeff during the diving championships. Here we were last year. See all the flags from
around the world hanging over the hole?
By the time Izzy and Jeff got back from the bus tour, all the dinghies were high and dry with the low tide.
I think Izzy took this picture because Jeff actually made dinner one night. Izzy called it "Shrimp Kiss-Up Pasta."
I'm not sure what's gotten into him...I think he's working up to suggesting he take a motorcycle ride with Jim sometime soon. I even got broasted chicken that night in with my Purina. I vote to let him go as long as he keeps bringing home the broasted chicken.
On the other hand, maybe he was just inspired by the great food they had at Chez Pierre on Long Island Cay that week. Pierre drove over to Thompson Bay and picked up Jeff and Izzy, along with Pollie and Mo and another cruising couple in his single seater van to take them to lunch at his restaurant. Well, there was a spare tire and a small cooler to sit on in the back for the lucky ones.
Fortunately it wasn't too far and road wasn't too bumpy. I guess everyone squeezed in and fought over the cooler seat, then settled in and bounced their way up the road to his restaurant.
As it turned out, Pierre was a one-man show. He was the chauffeur, maitre'd, waiter and busboy as well as the chief cook and bottle washer. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it!
Fortunately it wasn't too far and road wasn't too bumpy. I guess everyone squeezed in and fought over the cooler seat, then settled in and bounced their way up the road to his restaurant.
As it turned out, Pierre was a one-man show. He was the chauffeur, maitre'd, waiter and busboy as well as the chief cook and bottle washer. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it!
Here are Pollie and Mo with Jeff after they made themselves a drink at the bar.
Pierre was busy in the kitchen whippin' up yummy French delicacies for everyone, so they had free reign over the booze.
Pierre must not know how much Jeff likes rum drinks.
Near our anchored boat there was a restaurant called the Long Island Breeze, with a nice pool that I got to sit by one afternoon while Jeff and Izzy had lunch and got on the Internet. Lots of people stopped and talked to me while I waited for them to finish. I even got a few fries from one guy!
The next night there was a big party there that Jeff and Izzy attended. I could hear the music from the boat...oldies, of course, with this crowd. I kept waiting for them to play "Who Let the Dogs Out". They came home late and happy and smelling like barbecue. There must have been rum drinks there, too.
As we traveled further south over the next couple of days we were often in shallow water and had to plan our travel time so that we would be at the shallowest spots at the highest tides. Sometimes I got to ride on the lower deck, since it wasn't too rough, and it was cooler for my fuzzy body. The view was great, and I had more room to wander around.
We had a few storms roll through on the first day and the sky got blacker than I’ve ever seen it!
If I had a pot of gold I’d get one of those chicken broasters and a personal groomer that wouldn’t give me a reverse Mohawk haircut like Izzy did last time. Not sure if those are on Pollie and Mo’s list, but I'll give them the suggestions.
That afternoon we stopped further south on Long Island Cay at Dollar Harbor - a beautiful isolated anchorage with clear water and sparkling white sand beaches that got bigger and bigger as the tide went out. There were three sailboats sharing this beautiful space with us for the night.
Jeff didn't put the dinghy down for most of those stops, since we arrived late, and were leaving early in the morning. Sometimes they'd take a swim off the back of the boat, but I didn't get to the shore to see if any other dogs had been there.
Here's a picture that Pollie on "Motivator" took of Jeff standing on the "Izzy R" at anchor in Dollar Harbor. I think I was in the galley fixing snacks.
One afternoon we dropped the anchor for the night at Ford's Landing, expecting another picture perfect paradise.. The wind was blowing from one direction but the sea had a little swell from a different direction, which made the boat rock side to side a bit, but it looked OK for a while.
Within a couple of hours, after Jeff and Izzy went for a swim around the boat, the wind had picked up and the swells had increased, and we were bobbing around out there like a cork in the washing machine. "Paradise" was quickly becoming "the anchorage from Hell."
We had a few storms roll through on the first day and the sky got blacker than I’ve ever seen it!
But then after the rain stopped, lucky Pollie and Mo got a pot of gold.
If I had a pot of gold I’d get one of those chicken broasters and a personal groomer that wouldn’t give me a reverse Mohawk haircut like Izzy did last time. Not sure if those are on Pollie and Mo’s list, but I'll give them the suggestions.
That afternoon we stopped further south on Long Island Cay at Dollar Harbor - a beautiful isolated anchorage with clear water and sparkling white sand beaches that got bigger and bigger as the tide went out. There were three sailboats sharing this beautiful space with us for the night.
Jeff didn't put the dinghy down for most of those stops, since we arrived late, and were leaving early in the morning. Sometimes they'd take a swim off the back of the boat, but I didn't get to the shore to see if any other dogs had been there.
Here's a picture that Pollie on "Motivator" took of Jeff standing on the "Izzy R" at anchor in Dollar Harbor. I think I was in the galley fixing snacks.
One afternoon we dropped the anchor for the night at Ford's Landing, expecting another picture perfect paradise.. The wind was blowing from one direction but the sea had a little swell from a different direction, which made the boat rock side to side a bit, but it looked OK for a while.
Within a couple of hours, after Jeff and Izzy went for a swim around the boat, the wind had picked up and the swells had increased, and we were bobbing around out there like a cork in the washing machine. "Paradise" was quickly becoming "the anchorage from Hell."
Jeff had some cocka-mamie idea about putting out a second "surge anchor" that he'd read about in Chapman's Book of Piloting. So for the next hour or so he and Izzy tried every combination of lines and angles that are possible to try to duplicate the picture in the book. It didn't get the boat to sit any better because the wind kept changing, but it kept them entertained for a while so I didn't have to.
Meanwhile inside the boat, dishes and wine bottles rattled, the salon table traveled back and forth across the room hovering over my bed, and any doors that weren't latched came open to expose or spill their contents on the floor. Fortunately my Purina and treats are on the bottom cabinet and were safe!
We couldn't walk around in the boat without being tossed around like rag dogs. The fruit had jumped out of its bowl on the counter, and was racing back and forth across the galley floor, with the oranges in the lead and the bananas bringing up the rear. I was entertained by the mango, which reminded me of a flat tire that Izzy once had in her car.
There'd be no cooking chicken for me tonight! Dry Purina only...
Getting out to my deck to take care of business was tricky, and Izzy insisted that I wear that geeky life vest. They played Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who would accompany me. Jeff came with me, but I don't know if that meant he won, or lost. Sleeping that night was a difficult. Actually, just trying to stay in bed was the real challenge. Needless to say we left the next morning at first light.
A couple of days later Mo started some serious fishing from the back of his boat on our way to Mayaguana. He almost got this fish into the net, but he wriggled enough that he got away at the last second. No fish tonight!
Meanwhile inside the boat, dishes and wine bottles rattled, the salon table traveled back and forth across the room hovering over my bed, and any doors that weren't latched came open to expose or spill their contents on the floor. Fortunately my Purina and treats are on the bottom cabinet and were safe!
We couldn't walk around in the boat without being tossed around like rag dogs. The fruit had jumped out of its bowl on the counter, and was racing back and forth across the galley floor, with the oranges in the lead and the bananas bringing up the rear. I was entertained by the mango, which reminded me of a flat tire that Izzy once had in her car.
There'd be no cooking chicken for me tonight! Dry Purina only...
Getting out to my deck to take care of business was tricky, and Izzy insisted that I wear that geeky life vest. They played Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who would accompany me. Jeff came with me, but I don't know if that meant he won, or lost. Sleeping that night was a difficult. Actually, just trying to stay in bed was the real challenge. Needless to say we left the next morning at first light.
A couple of days later Mo started some serious fishing from the back of his boat on our way to Mayaguana. He almost got this fish into the net, but he wriggled enough that he got away at the last second. No fish tonight!
So when we arrived at Abraham's Bay in Mayaguana, Jeff put the dinghy down and they all went to shore to "Reggies" for dinner. Jeff had read about it in the guide book.
Now, I was back on the boat, so I can't be blamed for this...it looks as if Jeff is having trouble finding enough water to get the dinghy to shore. The technique is similar to a gondola operator, poling his way to the closest land.
From the stories I heard, the landing wasn't that pretty either. No dock to tie up to, and what looked like a nice sand landing area turned out to be deep muck that swallowed Izzy's leg half way up to her knee, requiring her to dig out her flip flop when she stepped out of the boat. Everyone had to struggle to get the dinghy onto land and tied up.
"Reggie's" was one of a hand full of houses on the single road of the tiny town, and Reggie and his daughter and her two cute little kids all lived there, and the restaurant was their dining room. Menu was limited..."chicken is out of season", but they whipped up some chicken wings and a salad for each of them anyway. I guess only the legs and breasts are "out of season".
Next stop - Turks and Caicos. We'll be up early in the morning to make our way to Providenciales, Caicos. ("Provo" to us seasoned cruising dogs.) I have my alarm set for 5:30 AM so I can have a leisurely breakfast with Izzy.
Love,
Ben
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