Bahamas Day 665 -Friday, November 1 (BD 665) through Wednesday, November 6 (BD 670) – On Friday, November 1, there was just us and one other boat, Kapela, in the marina. The owners of Kapela are from the Telluride, Colorado area. Bill and his wife were hoping to make it to George Town to leave their boat and fly home, but have been delayed getting further south by the windy weather.
There is a ski resort in Telluride and Rick and I once spent a night there in the late 1970s. We lived in Tallahassee at the time and I taught school at Havana High. We had made reservations for a ski vacation in the Northeast through Amtrak. We were going to drive to the Daytona area to catch the train, so when we returned from vacation, we would already be in the area where our parents lived and we could join the families for Christmas before returning to Tallahassee. At any rate, when I got home from school, Rick said that Amtrak had called and said “Don’t bother to come, we don’t have enough snow for skiing!” We went to the local Amtrak office to get a refund and while there, we picked up a brochure on Telluride. Later that evening, after watching a “snow report” on TV, we decided to get in the car and drive west on I-10 and then up to Taos, New Mexico. We drove straight through and arrived in Taos early in the morning of the second day. I was a novice skier, at the time, and I took one look at the ski slope and told Rick, “I can’t ski down that mountain!” So, we continued on to Telluride, Colorado. I’ve included an historic picture of Telluride and some information on its history.
- Telluride sits in a valley below the San Juan Mountains. It became a town in 1878, several years after the Sheridan Mine, and others, were developed in the mountains above.
- Most say Telluride is named after tellurium, a nonmetallic element associated with rich mineral deposits of gold and silver. Others say it originated from the castaway call “To-Hell-You-Ride” shouted by loved ones who knew of the town’s boisterousness.
- The wealth of Telluride attracted the likes of Butch Cassidy, who began his illustrious bank robbing career in town. In 1889, Butch walked away from his first heist at the San Miguel Valley Bank with $24,580, never to be recovered.
- With the coming of the railroad in 1890, the remote boom-town flourished into a thriving community of 5,000. At the turn of the century, more millionaires (per capita) lived in Telluride than in New York City. The Tomboy Mine was one of the world’s greatest gold producers and contributed to more than $360 million dollars of gold pulled out of the area.
- But with the combination of silver prices crashing, followed by the First World War (1914-1918), the mining boom collapsed. Miners moved on and the town’s population gradually dwindled from thousands to hundreds.
- In the 1970’s, Telluride reinvented itself. Legendary powder – a different sort of gold – was being mined. The Telluride Ski Resort opened in 1972. Telluride now has a reputation for world-class skiing and a stunning ambiance.
- Picture from www.telluride-co.gov and information condensed from that site as well as www.tellurideskiresort.com
As we came into town, we looked up at the ski slopes. We could see people skiing down a ways, then taking their skis off to walk across some grass, then putting the skis on again and skiing some more. (Note: When I checked the ski resort’s website this week, they reported that they had almost 30 inches of snow fall in the month of October this year.) After two days of driving, we were beat. We got a room and slept for a while. After dark, we went hunting a restaurant. There was lots of construction going on in town, but we could only find one restaurant open. This was the week before Christmas and apparently, their season didn’t start until the week after Christmas. Well, the restaurant was built in an old mine and our table was in the elevator of the old mine shaft. It was truly a unique experience. The food was “Tex-Mex” and, although it was good, Rick looked at me and said, “I don’t think I can eat Mexican food for a week – we’d better find another place to ski.” The next morning, we drove north to Aspen where we enjoyed the rest of our shortened vacation skiing the “Buttermilk” slopes. We drove back to Ormond Beach, Florida, in time to spend Christmas with our families.
Saturday was a big day for us for several reasons. First of all, it was our granddaughter, Vanessa’s, 15th birthday. In the afternoon, Rick and I went to Staniel Cay to do some grocery shopping and to pick up Preston at the airport. Preston, aka “Sweet P”, is Tucker’s brother and has been visiting family in Freeport for the past two months. We were very glad to have him “home” again. And, in the evening, the undefeated #3 FSU football trounced the previously undefeated #7 University of Miami football team by a score of 41 to 14. Unfortunately, for us, the 14 points that Miami made were as a result of interceptions. Needless to say, we are very pleased that our alma mater is doing so well this year.
On Sunday, we turned our clocks back as daylight savings time ended. It was overcast and rained off and on throughout the day. The local weather forecast predicts winds over 25 mph for the next three days. It was a good day to bake, so I made 6 dozen oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. In the afternoon, I snuggled in my bed and finished a book. The sun made an appearance in a bright orange sunset at 5:24.
Monday morning was blustery with winds of 30 mph out of the northeast. Rick had recently moved our two inflatable kayaks from the back upper deck to the front deck (which is over our cabin). I got up rather quickly this morning when I heard one shifting above my head. But, when I checked, they were securely lashed to the deck, even though they could still move a little. In looking around, I noticed that a small seat cushion that we sometimes use on the dingy had blown off of the upper deck and was laying just at the edge of the dock. I imagine that if I hadn’t retrieved it when it did, it would shortly have been floating in the marina.
I have, for some number of years, had a mostly-secret idea that I could become a writer. I love to travel and had thought that perhaps becoming a travel writer would be my lot in life after retiring from teaching and office work for 30 years. So, with that goal in mind, I have been researching the Exumas and am now reading a book titled, Exuma: The Loyalist Years 1783-1834 by W. H. James. I got the book when we were in Florida in September. It is out of print and no longer available in bookstores, but my brother-in-law, Edward, found it for me. I wish I had read it before we visited George Town and spent over a month going from one end of Little Exuma to the other end of Great Exuma. This book lists every Loyalist who was granted land on those islands by the British government after the end of the Revolutionary war in the US and their subsequent agreement to cede Florida to the Spanish. We visited many of the historic sites mentioned in the book while we were there. Since today does not look like it will be a day to be outdoors enjoying nature, I guess I’ll get a lot of reading/research done.
Tuesday was almost as windy as Monday, over 25 mph all day long, but at least we had sunshine. I finished the book on the Exumas and Dad started reading a book that both Rick and I have read titled, Wind from the Carolinas. It is fiction, but based on the history of the settlement of Exuma by Loyalists. Rick has added several more lines to the boat. We are on the east side of the dock and the wind is blowing out of the east; therefore, pushing the boat against the dock. The additional lines are tied across the waterway, to the west, and help to keep the boat off of the dock. The wind didn’t die down during the night and it was really something to hear – like sleeping in a wind tunnel. The website, Windfinder, says the waves are about 5 feet high this afternoon, so we are not going anywhere by boat today.
On Wednesday, the wind died down some. Kapela left in the morning – leaving us the single occupant of the marina again. We were back in the States last year for November and most of December, so this is a new time of year for us to experience this marina. We are told that it will be full again by Thanksgiving. I guess it is a lot like living in Florida – you know the “snowbirds” will be back some time in November.
We have been having some trouble with our potable water on the boat. Sometimes you get water when you turn on a faucet and sometimes you don’t! So Rick installed a spare pump this morning, but he says it is only a temporary fix and will have to order and install another one. Now, when the pump runs, its sounds a little bit like a fog horn! Life is never dull living on a boat.
Rick and Loan went to the airport in the afternoon to pick up some things that arrived on Watermaker Air. Then, he took Loan to Blackpoint where he will stay tonight and fly to Nassau tomorrow, where he has appointment with the US Consulate to renew his visa. It will be valid for his travels to the US for the next 10 years. After he gets his Visa renewed, he will be going to the US for a week or so.
Dad is now reading his sixth book since arriving here to stay for a couple of months. We don’t do a lot, but he seems to be enjoying the beautiful surroundings, meeting a few new people and occasionally taking a small boat trip. Tucker told us that today, 11/06/2013, is his 69th birthday. We gave him some oatmeal chocolate chips cookies with which to celebrate.
BD671 through BD 677 (11/7/13 – 11/13/13) – On Thursday morning we talked to JP via SKYPE. He says all is well at home, but it has turned cold. He also told us that Kellie will return to work next Tuesday. Monday is the Veterans Day holiday and her office is closed. In the afternoon, Dad said a “landing craft” just came in. I wondered if we were being invaded by space aliens. But he explained it was like the boats used in World War II. When I went to take a look at it and ask Rick about it, he told me that the boat was owned by the people on Over Yonder Cay. The boat’s name was Sand Song and it was here to get some of the sand being excavated in the dredging project to use for a volleyball court over there on Over Yonder. The boat nosed up to the sand spit were the dredging is going on and then lowered the front down to the beach. Then the loader filled up with sand and drove right into the boat and dumped the sand.
On Friday, Rick took one of the marina boats to Staniel Cay to check at the Isles General Store for the water pump that we need – but no luck there. Then we returned to Staniel on Saturday morning to meet Roland, a private pilot, who was returning Tucker’s credit card machine from Nassau. The machine had not been working right and the company had him send it up there to be checked out. We got back to Compass Cay just in time to watch the (now ranked #2) FSU football team vs Wake Forrest. FSU was up 42 points to nothing at half time, but we added to our total and let them score 3 before the game was over. Go ‘Noles! While we were watching the game, a 116-foot boat named Phoenix came into the marina. Early Sunday afternoon, another 100-foot boat came in to the dock. This one was the M/V Diamond Girl. Around 4 p.m. Rick took Dad and me out for a dinghy ride. (I equate this to going out for a Sunday afternoon drive.) We had hoped to go around Compass Cay, but it was too rough, so we went around Pipe Cay which is more protected from the east wind. There is not a lot to see on this island, but on the west side, we stopped in a cove where parts of a boat are on the shore. We have been told that the boat was used by Haitian refugees. Then we went into the U.S. Navy DECCA Station Bay. We did not get out of the boat to explore, but I have learned that the facility has been abandoned for 20 years or more. It was once a communications station of some sort. There are a number of buildings, and such, still on the island, including: a generator building; a diesel fuel storage tank; an all-purpose building, which includes living quarters for at least five and maybe as many as nine personnel and an electronics equipment room. There is also the foundation of the antenna tower and the boiler for distillation of fresh water.
The M/V Phoenix and the M/V Diamond Girl left the marina in the early afternoon, on a high tide, on Monday which was Veterans’ Day. My Dad served in the navy during the Korean War and Rick served in the navy during the Viet Nam War. Dad celebrated his 83rd birthday at the end of June and we will be celebrating Rick’s 64th on November 22.
We were very saddened to learn that one of Rick’s high school classmates, Bill Carr, died on November 8. William J. Carr, 64, retired as a lieutenant colonel after 20 years in the Army and then worked his way up to a “three star equivalent” as a Department of Defense policy maker. During his military career, Carr was the chief of enlisted management in Korea, and the enlisted strength and readiness manager for Korea, Panama and Hawaii. He also was an officer accessions manager, and worked as a recruiter for defense and managed the recruit eligibility screening for Hawaii and the Pacific region. Carr was later appointed as a senior executive in the Department of Defense. We remember that Bill sent his classmates an e-mail after 9-1-1 letting them know that he was alive, but his office, in the Pentagon Building, had taken a direct hit! He was fortunate because he and his wife, Chris, also a classmate of Rick’s, had been away on vacation. His accomplishments include award of the Defense Superior Service Medal, Presidential Rank Award and the Defense Civilian Career Service Award. Bill’s mother was my high-school business teacher and had a great influence on my career. He will be missed by many. We appreciate being kept informed of what’s happening with former classmates by Terry Smith. Both he and Bill helped organize the class reunion that we attended last year.
We met two couples vacationing in the area from Missouri. They were delightful and the sharks seemed to like them too!
On a different subject, I confirmed today that Denys Rolle’s first plantation was in Florida in an area now known as East Palatka. What a small world – my sister-in-law, Mary’s, family owns property on the St. John’s River in Palatka which is on the west side of the river. I have been researching him because the owner of Compass Cay’s name is Tucker Rolle. His son, Loan, told me that when emancipation came to the Bahamas (before the United States) most of the former slaves took on the names of the plantation owners. So, while all of the Rolle’s may not be related, they are most probably all descendants of slaves of Denys and his son, Lord John Rolle.
On Tuesday, Rick discovered that an air conditioning pump was leaking, so he ordered another pump from Lewis Marine in Ft. Lauderdale. We saw the goat again on Wednesday, for the first time this week. The landing craft has returned several times and taken a number of loads of sand back to Over Yonder Cay, but there is still a large sand hill. As the day progressed the sky clouded up and the wind continued to increase. It was dark by 5:00 and the wind was blowing over 30 mph. The local weather site predicts that the wind will be over 25 mph through the weekend.
BD678 through BD 684 (11/14/13 – 11/20/13) – Thursday, November 14th was our son’s 34th birthday. Tucker left the island to go to Florida and see his doctor. On Friday JP let us know that Emma had been ill but was already doing better. Saturday found us out on the dock by the marina office watching FSU win another football game. There was only one other boat in the marina and the owners were Duke grads, so we switched to the Duke vs. Miami game after the first half. We were all very happy to see Duke win that game. Sunday was quiet. Some visitors wanted to buy a T-shirt, but they were all still in a box, so I volunteered to fold them and put them on the shelves for sale.
Dad and Rick watched football in the afternoon and evening on the marina’s TV. On Monday, Rick started working on the water pump. The instructions that came with the new pump we bought said that flexible hosing must be used on both ends of the pump or it would make a lot of noise. So, instead of installing the new pump, he put flexible tubing on the old pump and the noise has been reduced. Next he started on the air conditioning pump. This, of course, required him to turn off the boat’s air conditioning while he was working. I stayed in the pilot house while he worked and Dad sat in the salon so he could help Rick when he could. I opened the window and door on opposite sides of the boat and the breeze was pleasant. I checked the local weather site this morning and the high for the next 10 days will vary from 77 to 79 degrees. I asked JP (he is my web designer) to add the Staniel Cay weather to the site. He put it on the right side of the page underneath the archives. If you check it out, also take a look at the map which comes up when you click on “detailed forecast”. If you view the larger map, you can see Compass Cay north of Staniel Cay.
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It was a very calm day on Tuesday. The dredging operation was going on for a good part of the day. This really makes the water in the marina murky. So, we decided to take one of the marina boats up into the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park which is just north of Compass Cay. We passed the Rocky Dundas caverns, went through the Cambridge mooring field, passed Bell Island and moored the boat at the Aquarium.
Aga Khan owns Bell Island. He also owns and breeds hundreds of thoroughbreds in France and Ireland and his multi-million-dollar super-yachts are invariably named after one of his champion nags. The Aga, is also the leader of the world’s Ismaili Muslim community. Many local residents are unhappy because the Aga has dredged the sea to accommodate his yacht and is building a marina at Bell Island, which is in the middle of the ‘pristine and protected’ Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. His rebuttal to their comments is that the island had two owners before him and was not pristine and untouched when he bought it. I’ve included a picture of his house, on the island, below.
Rick went snorkeling at the aquarium, but Dad and I stayed in the boat (as we didn’t think we’d be able to get back into the boat from the water.) We could still see plenty in the clear water as evidenced by this picture that I took just holding the camera over the side of the boat and shooting down – it is not an underwater camera, so there is a little distortion in the picture due to the ripples. We saw yellow tail snapper, horse eye jacks and sargent majors along with some beautiful coral.
When we left the aquarium, we headed west around Johnny Depp’s Island and then north to Osprey Cay which is near the island owned by Tyler Perry. There is a sign on Osprey Cay that says,
“Osprey is a private cay
We would like to keep it free
For Ospreys, conch, for you and me.
But we have noticed recently
Signs we do not like to see.
Please read the rules most carefully
In the glade beneath the tree.”
When we looked into the tree tops, we saw two osprey. You may have to click on the image below to see them.
Wikipedia says:
- The Osprey, sometimes known as the sea hawk, fish eagle, or fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 24 inches in length and 71 inches across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts. The Osprey is 2.0–4.6 pounds in weight. The origins of Osprey are obscure – the word itself was first recorded around 1460.
- The Osprey nests in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. The Osprey is unusual in that it is a single living species that occurs nearly worldwide. The subspecies that live in the Caribbean islands has a very pale head and breast, with only a weak eye mask, and it is non-migratory.
- The Osprey and owls are the only raptors whose outer toe is reversible, allowing them to grasp their prey with two toes in front and two behind. This is particularly helpful when they grab slippery fish.
- Fish make up 99% of the Osprey’s diet. It typically takes fish weighing 5.3–11 ounces and about 9.8–14 inches in length. Virtually any type of fish in that size range are taken. Ospreys have vision that is well adapted to detecting underwater objects from the air. Prey is first sighted when the Osprey is 33–130 feet above the water, after which the bird hovers momentarily then plunges feet first into the water.
- Ospreys usually mate for life. The typical lifespan is 7–10 years, though rarely individuals can live to as old as 20–25 years.
We headed back to Compass Cay after our short exploration of Osprey Cay but we made a detour into the Baby Conch Bay to see what we could find. We only saw a couple of small conchs, but Rick did find one fabulous looking starfish.
We had a really great day on the water. We talked to Rick’s Mother, brother and sister on Wednesday afternoon. Eileen is staying with them while she recuperates from eye surgery which was performed on 11/4. She had to sit in a sort of massage chair with her face down for the first five days of her recovery and must remain at sea level and cannot drive for 2 months. It was great to have a chance to talk to all of them and we enjoyed making our plans to spend Christmas with them this year in Ormond Beach, Florida. Late in the day, two big boats came into the marina. Jo Jo’s Circus has been here before. It is a 112 foot Westport. The second boat came in after dark. It is 150 feet long and takes up the entire north dock. It has a Spanish name which I cannot pronounce or spell.
BD685 through BD 691 (11/21/13 – 11/27/13) – We had grilled lobster for dinner last night which was a little too rich for Dad’s digestive system, so he decided to stay on the boat while Rick and I went to Staniel Cay for lunch and to buy some groceries on Thursday. You can really tell that the “season” is starting up again. No matter which direction you looked, you saw a boat on the horizon – mostly sailboats, and there were a half dozen boats anchored off of the pig beach on Big Majors Spot where there were none last week. I have counted at least 50 anchored there in the spring. Friday, November 22, 2013, was Rick’s 64th birthday. I baked a spice cake for him and the two of us went to dinner at the Fowl Cay Resort.
We slept late on Saturday and then watched college football all day (including watching FSU beat Idaho by a score of 80 to 14), but by the late afternoon, we realized that Rick was sick. Apparently, he had managed to catch the flu. So, he took some Nyquil and went to bed. He remained in bed all day Sunday while Dad read and I worked on the computer. We were very saddened to receive an e-mail in the evening telling us that our friend, Mary Jo Smith, drowned in her swimming pool this weekend. The picture, below, of Mary Jo and her husband Brian, was taken when we had lunch together on Great Exuma this past May 26th. Our hearts and prayers go out to Brian and to Mary Jo’s family.
We really got to know Mary Jo when the four of us participated with a group of members from the Bradenton Yacht Club on October 30, 2010 in a murder mystery dinner show which was hosted by Rick and Sydney Shaurette. The story took place in Hawaii and Rick and Mary Jo were cast in the roles of husband and wife. They were billed as the “tacky tourists.” Everyone in the cast had a great time rehearsing for several weeks and then giving the performance of our lives at the club. It was such a success that they continued having the murder mystery dinners for several years.
We awoke to wind and rain on Monday morning. I checked the local weather site and found that the temperature is predicted to be 75 degrees (both low and high for the day) and the wind is expected to blow at 29 miles per hour. When I rolled the mouse over the symbol of a cloud with 4 rain drops and a wind sock, it said to expect “rain and a fresh breeze!” Rick is feeling a little better – out of bed and asking for food – so I think the worst is over for him. On Tuesday evening, Rick and I joined two other couples on the dock for cocktails and sunset (known in the boating world as “sundowners”. One couple, Mat and Christina on the S/V Matina, used to work at a ski resort in Canada, Panorama, where we have skied probably a half dozen times. At least once, we had Rick’s brother, Edward, with us. And, twice we were joined by our friends Curt and Ann Mahoney. We have very fond memories of that resort. Christina is a currently unpublished author. She has written three mysteries about murders which take place at a ski resort! We wish her much success with her writing. The other couple, Bob and Linda, on the M/V Vida L, have been in the marina a little longer. In fact, Bob’s birthday was the day after Rick’s. Rick went with Tucker to Black Point on Wednesday morning. They stopped by the Isles General Store on the way back to Compass Cay and picked up some groceries. We had hoped to have sweet potatoes with our Thanksgiving meal tomorrow and they had expected some to come in today, but there were none on the boat. A few weeks ago, when FSU played the Miami Hurricanes in football, we made a bet with Captain Andrew of the 4 Seas tour boat company. FSU beat the Hurricanes, so Andrew brought us a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables raised by his relatives on Great Exuma. Among the bounty was a large squash, similar to a butternut squash. I used some immediately and froze the rest. Today I cooked the rest of the squash and mashed it so that I can use it in a squash soufflé for tomorrow’s meal to take the place of sweet potatoes. Now, I am doubly glad that FSU beat Miami. Bob and Linda, on the Vida L, left the marina this morning heading north, eventually to Eleuthera.
BD692 through BD694 (11/28/13 – 11/30/13) – We hope you all were blessed with a very happy Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28, 2013. Rick and I went up to the lodge (which has a much larger oven than our boat) and got the 12 pound turkey, provided by Tucker, ready and into the oven for its 4-hour “sauna”. While that was cooking, I prepared a green bean casserole and two batches of squash soufflé. We also baked another 3-pound turkey breast, so we’d have enough for everyone who showed up to the pot luck dinner – or enough for leftovers. I am still kicking myself for forgetting the camera, so no pictures were taken. A total of 14 of us participated in the meal. Five Bahamians (who celebrate Thanksgiving around Christmas time), two Canadians (who celebrate Thanksgiving in October), me, Rick and Dad along with a couple and their two small daughters. The food included: grilled grouper, fried lobster bites, peas and rice, turkey with gravy, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, squash soufflé, pasta and cheese and chocolate cake for desert. Rick and I cleaned up the lodge kitchen after dinner and then I went to bed early. On Friday, Rick went with Loan to Black Point to get what he needed to take with him to Nassau for his dentist appointment in the afternoon. Then Loan got off the boat in Staniel Cay to await his flight and Rick brought the boat back to Compass Cay. He said that they got rained on several times. Just after noon, the Four Seas tour boat came into the marina. We are very grateful to the mate, “Smiley”, for acting as our agent in George Town, concerning the renewal of our Bahamian cruising permit. He brought the extension to us today, so “On The Hook” now has permission to stay in the waters of the Bahamas through next November – although we are planning to return, in the boat, to the States in April. The weather remains rainy and windy, but five boats left the marina today leaving us alone again. In the afternoon, I got out our Christmas tree, put it up and decorated it. We will finish the Christmas decorating on Sunday.
We spent Saturday watching football. FSU beat the Gators 37 – 7 leaving us as one of just a few remaining undefeated college teams. Next week, we will play in the ACC Championship game against Duke. We started eating “left-overs” for supper which we will continue to do until we fly out of here on December 10.
Our journey has been inspired by Joy and Steve Fredrick. You can see more of their story at