Staniel Cay - Big Majors

Friday, January 14, 2011
Big Majors/Staniel Cay

The weather was still 13 - 18 knots from the NE, but we decided to go into Staniel Cay Yacht Club anyway, dressing in our foul weather gear for the wet trip in and boy did Lorraine get wet!  But when we arrived we took off the foul weather gear and was dry underneath except for her seat.  We both had  a Mahi Mahi sandwich and was it good.  We saw Irene and Jim from S/V Escapaid at Staniel Cay Yacht Club and invited them to play cards.  It was decided that we would go to their boat at about 530pm today.  After I was done on the computer, we took a walk to the 2 grocery stores that were close by.  The grocery stores are very small - usually one room or 2 small rooms - about the size of the houses here which are small too by U.S. standards.  There isn't much there, but they do have freezers for meat and refrigerators where they keep drinks (usually not milk) and produce.  We went to Pearls Pink Market (the building is HOT pink) but they were closed and then went to the Royal Blue Market (insert photo).

Grocery Store

After the market, we walked by the Library, which is also the oldest building on the island.  Phil had stopped by earlier while I was on the Internet and exchanged some books - so he's set for a few days.

Library

After we went back to the boat, I fixed Gingerbread using my new hand mixer.  Boy does it work good compared with doing by hand and it tasted so much better we found out later.  Off to visit Irene and Jim and we had such a great time talking, that we never got out the playing cards.  Jim is a builder and built the house they currently own.  Irene use to own a quilt shop many years ago and current does rug/pillow hooking so she showed me her current projects.  Hopefully we'll see them again in our travels.

We got back to the boat at 945pm with the wind 13-14 knots Gusts to 18-19 knots.  It was very dark but we didn't get too wet as we are in a protected spot.  I finished my pair of socks and am into a new secret knitting project.  Not being able to find the start for the inside of this skein of yarn, Phil helped me to roll it into a ball.  It got a little tangled, so I completed this and Phil read after our return to Changes.

Saturday, Jan 15
Big Majors/Staniel Cay

After we listened to Chris Parker weather, we decided to try going fishing. We had bought some basic hand fishing gear - siinkers, line and hooks, and below is a photo of Phil tying knots to put them together using our hand Cruisers fishing guide book as a reference. 

Phil making fishing line

We didn't have any yoyo's to use to wrap the line around, so we made do with empty mixed nuts and cashews cans putting the sinker and nook inside with the lid on.  See below.  We didn't catch anything, but had a good time trying.

make sift yo yo with completed hand line

After fishing, we went back for lunch of reheated tuna pot pie and then went into town about 2pm to use the Internet again (I bought 3 days - 750MB of data for $25) and to watch the Pittsburg Steelers vs Baltimore Colts Division Championship game.  Turns out that we didn't stay too long as the TV was WAY TOO LOUD and Phil wanted to get back to the boat before it got completely dark.  Below is one of the beautiful sunset that we had, though not this night's.  I have a feature on my camera that takes wide photos, so able to get a wider view of the beautiful sky.

sunset from Big Majors

After our return, I fixed Chicken and rice in the pressure cooker.  I like to mix the grains that I have on the boat, so mixed them in a bowl (brown rice, red lentils, yellow split peas, Trader Joes mixed brown rice,Quinoa, and barley)  and then after using what I needed tonight, put the rest in a quart canning jar.  That way I can have a mixture and be able to cook smaller amounts each time.  Looks pretty too.  Today was the big day that we washed up including hair.  Felt good!  Last time that we had a regular shower was in Fort Lauderdale.   Winds are NE 60 degrees 8-13 knots, about what they were yesterday.

We met someone in Blackpoint that suggested that we have more flushes when use the head - so have been having 7 pumps of water instead of 3, and it does help with the odor in the head, but now we are starting to get more smell in the V-Berth again!  That is the hardest for me to deal with this smell.  Wish we could find the source of the leak and fix it for good!!

We have decided that we'll stay tomorrow so I can use the internet again - trying to upload photos and then leave about 1pm to go to Pipe Creek.  We need to arrive about high tide, which should be later in the afternoon.  S/V Marabell is there, friends of Patty and Gary, so we'll give them a hail and see if they can pilot us in.  It's a beautiful place but a little tricky due to coral heads.  As Phil recalls, this is the place that Andy had trouble when he was here with his wife Kathy.  We'll stay there a few days, go to Blackpoint to do laundry and fill up with water, Farmer's Cay, Lee Stocking Island and then to Georgetown where we'll stay for about a month or so.  While we're in Pipe Creek, I expect that we won't have internet.  We are checking into getting an WiFi Antenna to put on the mast so that we can pick up signals up to 5-7 mi away.  Time will tell.

Sunday, January 15
Big Majors to Pipe Creek
Distance Traveled:  to come
Total Distance:  to come

We woke up later today - 830am to blue skies and the say wind - 60 degrees (NE) 8-13 knots.  It's nice to have the sun.  Heard from Katie via email and it's been hard for her going from sun all the time to gray skies in Dayton. I'm glad that the days are getting longer now instead of shorter.  She likes her teachers for her classes this quarter, so that's good.

We stopped at a beach this morning, and then came into Staniel Cay Yacht Club to finish using the MB data I have paid for.  We met Dawn and Randy on S/V Nirvana Now at the YC along with his brother and brother-in-law, which is the last of the visitors they're having since November.  Soon they'll have the boat all to themselves. 

We also met some more French Canadians, Suzie, Hughes, and friend Helen on S/V Carpathia a Beneteau 47' anchored closed to us.  We enjoyed chatting on the patio and I helped Suzie figure out some items on blogspot.  We hope to see them again too.

I am uploading photos that go to the older blogs in the Bahamas, so you may want to go back and check them out up to for January 2011.  I don't know when I'll be able to post for feel free to text me on the phone and send emails.