Day 142, Monday November 11

Day 142. Monday November 11^th

We take our time in the morning as we are up with the sun.  By 9:00 we are hoisting anchor and crossing our fingers our engine and prop will cooperate.  We are also a bit anxious as the depths are all around 7-12 feet and if there are any coral heads etc. we may have issues.  The charts don’t indicate any issues, however we have been advised to read the charts and also keep a look out.  As we motor along it starts to rain, so Julie dons her bathing suit and grabs a scrub brush and toothbrush and tackles the exterior of the boat.  Freshwater is treasured as the saltwater is harsh. We are learning to say it is rinsing out vs. raining out.

We are headed to Spanish Wells Yacht Haven and it seems reasonably easy to get into.  Their markers however do not have green and red nor shape to them so interpretation can be confusing.  Luckily our chart plotters tell us exactly where we are.  We creep in with no engine issues and get parked in an easy slip.  This is not a fancy spot.  Broken concrete, 1 shared washroom with a shower in it, and a laundry room with a door that won’t open.  Oh well, Caribbean style.   We are safe and on land for the first time in 8 days.  It is raining out and we are awaiting the customs staff to clear us so we laze about checking the internet.  Our new booster enables us to get on an unsecured internet provider.  We check the Salty Dawg news to find out there have been numerous coast guard assisted situations.  2 boats had to abandon ship and be airlifted, a couple other boats lost rudders, and masts.  Another 2 boats had medical aid needs of which one was a broken arm.  Most likely from being tossed around on the boat when it gets hit by waves.  We are bruised from that, but nothing broken.  We are all horrified by the news.  Some boats have diverted to Bermuda, some turned back and are on the Eastern USA coast and others made it through and we await to hear their stories.

After clearing customs where we got a 90 day cruising permit, we have showers and laundry and by 4:30 are starting to walk around the island that is only 2 miles long and ½ mile wide.  We are looking for a restaurant but the one we want is closed so we continue to walk.  The island is overrun with cars and golf carts speeding along.  The roads are narrow with no sidewalks and they drive on the opposite side of the road from what we are used to.  There are also puddles to dodge so we have to pay attention to our hike.

At 5:30 a golf cart offers us a lift and takes us to a restaurant that will open at 6:00.  It is not a high end restaurant, but Julie is glad she does not have to plan, cook and clean up from dinner.  Our driver has lived on the island for 40 years and tells us 9 times out of 2 the restaurant will open.  He shows us the fisherman’s handshake and drops us off at the Gap restaurant. As we walk back to the boat which is only a mile away we notice that many homes have Christmas trees up in their homes and they are lit already.  A bit early by our standard.