On February 3 we attended a two-night RMHYC Rendezvous at Seaspray Resort and Marina on Elbow Cay. We had dinner at Hope Town Harbour Lodge the first night. The second night was dinner at the Seaspray Resort with dancing around the Tiki Bar afterward. Music was provided by a fellow cruiser, who is from Norwalk, CT.
The last day, a brunch was held at Abaco Inn, which has beautiful ocean views.
During the days, we went beachcombing on the ocean-side beach and found more sea glass and some beautiful shells.
After the Rendezvous we took a side trip to Tiloo Cay because the weather was going to stay sunny and warm. We met one of the homeowners on Tiloo and learned a lot about the trials and tribulations of building a home and living on an out island for eight months a year. He also told us about some of the very wealthy people who own houses there as well.
On February 13, we took a ferry ride to Man-O-War Cay to attend their annual flea market. It was a very rough day and we had never been on one of the Albury ferries before so we were a little skeptical. The ride ended up being very smooth, but we did have waves crashing over the top. People sitting near the windows got a little spray. Albury Ferry Service operates daily, providing transportation to many of the out islands.
After looking through the flea market tables, we had homemade conch chowder and baked macaroni for lunch. We then took a walk to the Ocean side of the Island, which is where we found the MOW cemetery and learned that the original cemetery got washed away by a 1960 hurricane.
Back at Boat Harbour, Diane has been spending her time getting ready to begin basket-weaving lessons. The biggest challenge was finding the right type of pine needles, which we think we have at this point. We both got our Bahamian haircuts at the same Salon we have been going to for three years. We have also been traveling to a couple of different grocery stores, which are about 3 to 4 miles away from the Marina. You are probably wondering how we get around.....well....it's our folding bikes with baskets attached to them for groceries, etc.
When we aren't traveling, our days consist of exercise, either walking or biking; Diane attends water aerobics. John has been helping people get better internet connections, which is a challenge in itself. And, of course, there's always some kind of repair or maintenance to do on the boat. We attended the annual RMHYC meeting, which was interesting. Membership consists of both cruisers and land people. Not all of the cruisers stay at Boat Harbour. We continue to meet new people and get acquainted with the dynamics of our new environment this year.
On February 19 we attended the RMHYC Commodore's Ball. Commodore Jim Fenn is in the poncho below. He and his wife come to Boat Harbour from New York every year.
The bartender was Kendrick, who is also the pool supervisor during the day and sometimes plays dominoes with the ladies in the afternoon. He puts in long hours and wears multiple hats, as do many other workers that we have met over the years.
We are currently cruising for a week or so. Cold fronts have been coming through one after another, bringing North winds and cooler temperatures (high 60's) with a day or two in between that is warmer and less windy. This is controlling our destination and schedule. Our next posting will talk about the cruise.
