Compass Cay Marina
Latitude: 24.26085 Longitude:-76.51266
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BD549 (Monday, July 08, 2013) – We left the Marina at Emerald Bay at approximately 8:30 am headed to Compass Cay. The wind was blowing over 15 mph and the wave heights were supposedly 3.6 feet. Rick tells me that you double that height from crest to trough. These were not ideal conditions for traveling, but all of the weather predicting websites indicated that the conditions would be worse until Saturday or Sunday. On top of that, this morning saw the creation of Tropical Storm Chantal which is supposedly headed for the Bahamas this coming weekend. We were not alone in our decision making process. There were about a half dozen boats that decided today was their best shot for leaving the island of Great Exuma. The first three hours of the trip was “hellacious”. Anything on the boat that could move, did move. Vanessa was OK for a while, but eventually started to feel a little queasy. So she spent some time curled up with her pillow and blanket on the bathroom floor. But, it was all a false alarm and she came through like a veteran mariner. Once we went from the Atlantic side to the Bahama Bank side, the seas calmed down considerably and we sat together in the pilot house playing computer games while Rick drove from the fly bridge. We got tied up at Compass Cay Marina about 3:30. I had a lot of cleaning up to do inside. Vanessa fed the fish, including the sharks, off of the back of the boat, using pasta that had been in a canister that fell off of the stove on the trip. Rick hired a young man to wash down the boat – there was salt everywhere. Then he jumped right back in to helping tie up boats as they came in. And, they came in – the marina is full and, once again, I think we are the smallest boat here. Around 6:00, Rick took Vanessa out in the dinghy to show her how to operate the dinghy, in case of emergency.
BD550 (Tuesday, July 09, 2013) – We wish our great-niece, Savannah Howard a happy 14th birthday today and also extend birthday wishes in advance to her mother, Mary Alice Cambre Howard and her brother, Ethan who will turn 13 on the 29th of the month. Birthday wishes also go out to Mary’s sister, Melissa Cambre Frantz who shares the same birthdate of July 12. We hope that all of you have very special things to remember about this year’s birthday. It was thundering and raining this morning, but by 11:00, the sun was out and we loaded up in the dinghy and went for a swim at Rachel’s Bubble Bath on the north end of the island. We returned to the boat just before 2:00. I started on a needlepoint project and Vanessa was a big help. Vanessa also baked red velvet cupcakes this afternoon which she shared with the folks that work in the office.
BD551 (Wednesday, July 10, 2013) – We wish the Bahamas a happy 40th Independence Day today. We all wore our “Happy 40th Independence Day Bahamas” T-shirts today to help celebrate the occasion.
It was a fairly quiet day, starting out with some rain showers. Vanessa finished her book report and I worked on my needlepoint. In the afternoon, we fixed each other’s hair and did our nails to be ready for going to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club for dinner tonight with Loan, Nancy and Navin. Nancy and Navin live in the Sarasota area and are working at the Compass Cay Marina for the summer.
Just after 10:00, Loan and I stayed at the bar while the others walked to the park where they were having a party. They got there just in time to see the fireworks display. As soon as it was over, we headed back to the marina.
BD552 (Thursday, July 11, 2013) – Rick took Tucker to Staniel Cay to catch the morning flight to Ft. Lauderdale. Vanessa spent the morning helping Nancy restock the marina store. While she was taking a break, back on the boat, I saw the M/V Magnificent Dolls pull in the marina. I told Vanessa that they had been at the Exuma Yacht Club when we were there and that there were triplet sisters about her age on the boat. Soon after they were tied up, Rick came to the boat to tell her about the girls. He offered to take her down the dock to introduce her. She spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with the girls, snorkeling, conching and watching a movie on their boat. Around 8:00 we all met on the dock for an impromptu fish and conch fritter dinner. It was delicious.
BD553 (Friday, July 12, 2013) – In the process of having all of that fun yesterday, Vanessa got a wee little bit too much sun, so today she was planning to stay on the boat out of the sun. She made it until about 5:30, at which time Rick sprayed her really good with suntan lotion and she went snorkeling around the marina with one of the triplets until about 7:00.
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BD554 (Saturday, July 13, 2013) – Loan and Preston went fishing this morning, leaving Rick as Dock Master. One of the triplets came to the boat to tell Vanessa that there were leaving soon and exchange e-mail addresses. Vanessa went to their boat to get the other sister’s e-mails and then went paddle boarding up the creek with one of the girls. Her parent’s had said to be gone no more than 45 minutes, but, of course, they were gone for a lot longer. We found out they were literally “up the creek without a paddle” – one end of the paddle had broken and the current was too strong for them to get back so Rick got in the dinghy and went up the creek to where they were and then pulled them back. Very soon after that, the M/V Magnificent Dolls left the marina headed for Highbourne Cay. Vanessa and I spent the rest of the day in the boat – out of the sun. In the afternoon, Rick went up to Staniel Cay to pick up some packages that had come over on Water Maker Air.
BD555 (Sunday, July 14, 2013) –Debbie and Mark, of the M/V Miss B Haven invited Vanessa to go snorkeling this afternoon. Miss B Haven is a nice Tiara that reminds me of the boat that Larry and Maureen S. used to have. Debbie knew Vanessa had gotten a sunburn and she offered to let her wear her diving “skin” to keep from getting more sun. They snorkeled around some rocks on the south side of Compass Cay and then they went and took a look around Joe and Thomas Cays. Also in the afternoon, Debra and Sy Israel returned to Compass Cay and their boat the M/V Happy Heart. This is another example of our “small world” in that they are from Orlando and know Eileen Casha and her husband Joe who are also members of the Bradenton Yacht Club and keep their boat at the Riviera Dunes marina. After supper, we baked chocolate chip cookies and Vanessa took a couple of cookies to Mark and Debbie as a thank you.
BD556 (Monday, July 15, 2013) – This afternoon, we took the dinghy out and beached it on the northwest side of the island. While Rick and Vanessa went snorkeling, I laid on the tube of the inflatable dinghy soaking in the sun and listening to the waves lapping against the sand and the birds singing. I love living in paradise!
BD557 (Tuesday, July 16, 2013) – We awoke to thunderstorms and it continued to rain all day. I finished my needlepoint and Vanessa baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Rick went to Staniel in the afternoon to pick up Tucker.
BD558 (Wednesday, July 17, 2013) – Another day of showers and thunderstorms. I have discovered that I can only play so many computer games, read, sew and bake until I have to get up and clean! Gosh, I hope we have a sunny day tomorrow. Vanessa is snug as a bug in her room watching several years’ worth of the television series Glee on DVDs. This is a perfect thing for her since she is so musically inclined. Many thanks go out to Rebecca Stidham who sent me an e-mail this week letting me know that she has made all of the arrangements for the baby shower we are co-hosting on August 3rd honoring Kellie as the mother-to-be and Vanessa as the big sister-to-be. The plans she has made sound like the affair will be both beautiful and lots of fun. Even with the less than ideal weather, the marina was very busy this afternoon. The fuel boat came in, which meant that anyone that was tied up at the center dock had to leave for about 2 hours so that the fuel dock could tie up there. In addition to the boat that left the dock, about a half dozen other big boats (65 foot plus) called to come in. Of course, no one could come in until the fuel boat left, so they were all anchored off shore for a while. The rain finally stopped and the sun came out after 5:00.
BD559 (Thursday, July 18, 2013) – Rick and I enjoyed our morning coffee sitting at the bistro table on the top deck this morning. The tide was really low, so we were practically at eye level with people walking up and down the dock making it very easy to have several pleasant conversations. He ran the water maker and I did a couple of loads of laundry which kept us on the boat for about 5 hours. He asked if Vanessa and I wanted to go to Rachel’s in the afternoon, but we decided to go tomorrow. He and I went up to the marina office for cocktail time.
BD560 (Friday, July 19, 2013) –Rick needed to work on a bilge pump before we leave for Florida, so we decided that this morning would be the best time for him to do it. After we had lunch and Rick helped on the docks for a while, we loaded up in the dinghy and headed to Rachel’s Bubble Bath. We had a great time. Even though it was low tide when we arrived, the ocean was rough so the waves were already crashing over the rocks creating the bubbles. And, it just got better as time went on. By the time we got ready to go, there were almost 30 people there enjoying this very special place.
BD561 (Saturday, July 20, 2013) – Today was the day that we were to move the boat back to the slip where we were last season. The M/V Happy Heart had been put in that place while we were on Great Exuma. They wanted to leave late this afternoon. Getting them out of the space required moving us and one other large boat, the M/V Almost. Long story short, we got in our spot but not without a casualty. Vanessa was on the back of the boat when a fender got caught on the dock and the line wrapped around her hand. It is now swollen, wrapped in an ace bandage and on ice. We are hoping she feels better tomorrow. I think I’m going to have to bake some get well cookies tonight!
BD562 (Sunday, July 21, 2013) – We planned to take Loan’s boat down to Staniel for lunch today, but when Rick went to get it ready, he found that the battery on the engine was dead. So, Tucker, graciously, let us borrow his boat. Rick and I, with Vanessa, Nancy and Navin all enjoyed our lunch at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club and the smooth ride going and coming in Tucker’s Albury.
BD563 (Monday, July 22, 2013) – The swelling in Vanessa’s hand was noticeably down this afternoon. After examining it, Nancy told her she could go swimming and that she only needed to wear the Ace bandage at night. It looks a lot better and she says it only hurts when you push on it. So, Rick, “V” and I walked across the island to the crescent beach. The water was beautiful with about one-foot waves – just enough to make it interesting. The water is crystal clear and just the right temperature to be refreshing – not cold. We finished our day by joining several other families at Janet’s Beach for a bonfire complete with somores under a beautiful full moon. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera – so no pictures. Vanessa said it was the best night she’d had since coming to visit with us this year.
BD564 (Tuesday, July 23, 2013) – I spent most of the day cleaning and packing and getting all of the paperwork together that we need to take care of our business while in the States for the next week. Vanessa enjoyed part of the afternoon jumping in the water off of the boat and swimming around the basin with Rick and some of the younger children that are here. We ate supper a little later than usual as Rick was helping at the store and on the docks from 5 pm until 7 pm while Nancy and Navin took some of the visitor’s children up the creek fishing. Later in the evening Nancy and Navin came over to our boat to visit a little and say goodbye to Vanessa as we plan to leave here around 8:00 in the morning.
BD565 – BD572 (Wednesday, July 24 – Wednesday, July 31) – Rick, Vanessa and I flew back to Ft. Lauderdale on the morning flight with Water Maker Air, then drove from Ft. Lauderdale to Palmetto. The weekdays were filled with appointments. We were invited to join Bill and Ruth and Richard and Deborah in St. Petersburg on Friday night to begin their week (plus) of celebrating Bill and Deborah’s August 3rd birthdays. We got a room in the Hampton Inn across the street from the St. Petersburg Yacht Club and met them in the lounge around 3:00. Later Ken and Jackie drove up to join us all for supper at the club. Jackie’s birthday was Thursday, July 25. We had a great time and Rick surprised the three celebrating couples with pie and ice cream with a candle (as the club had run out of cake!) On Saturday, we drove to Ormond Beach and spent the night with Rick’s mother and brother and returned to Palmetto on Sunday afternoon. More appointments on Monday and Tuesday and then Rick flew back on Wednesday. I will be in Florida for about another week.
Our journey has been inspired by Joy and Steve Fredrick. You can see more of their story at