We are looking forward to flying back to Florida for 10 days over the Christmas holiday. This month, birthday wishes go out to our nephews Randy, Rich and Tim as well as to our friend, Ken Sosville. As you can tell from last month’s blog, boats are in and out of the Compass Cay Marina almost every day (and the season is just getting started). I am going to try something new this month. Instead of listing the boat arrivals and departures every day, I will post a log at the end of the month. Let me know what you think of it.December 1-8, 2014
People: This week, Jeff and Leigh left the island after staying in the Lilly House for about a week. Tucker accompanied them on their flight to Nassau. They continued on in their own plane from there to Winter Park, Florida. Tucker returned to the Cay that afternoon. We heard from Tokkie Elliot. He said that the ATA Marie is currently in St. Augustine, Florida, and that they expect to be here in a couple of weeks. Hopefully, we will see Tokkie and his mate, Gail, before we leave. We wanted to see them on our road trip this summer, so we planned to go to Newport – turns out they were in Annapolis. A sailboat came in overnight with a couple that told Rick that they have made a bunch of movies. I did some research and Wikipedia, tells us that Distant Shores is an adventure tourism television series produced by Shard Multimedia Inc. Distant Shores is broadcast in over 50 countries on the Travel Channel and Wealth TV. The series follow the voyages of a Canadian couple, Sheryl and Paul Shard, in their 49-foot Southerly sail boat called Distant Shores II. You can learn more about these adventures at http://www.distantshores.ca Bonnie and Marino flew back to their hometown of Barrie, Ontario, Canada. We look forward to their return, along with his Mom, this coming winter. Tyrone Rolle has been dealing with a kidney stone problem ever since we returned to Compass Cay. His symptoms got worse, so Tucker insisted that he go back to Nassau to see the doctor again.
Projects: Work continues sporadically on Dock A. They work on it until they run out of something and then wait for the next supply boat to come in. They also have started to extend both the electrical and water supply on Dock G. This dock used to be isolated. In order to get to the marina office, you had to walk along a dirt road, up into the wooded area and then back down to the water. The new walk bridge extended that dock right up next to the office and it also gave them room to put one more boat on it. We are planning to move over there as soon as the needed electricity is added. Because of our vested interest in this, Rick stood in a boat handing things to Mano as he extended the water line.
Problems: We had noticed that the Watermaker didn’t seem to be making as much water as usual. Rick thought the problem was the filter, but when he checked, he found that one of the pumps had burned out. This means that we can only make half of the normal capacity of water. He is trying to arrange to have a new pump sent over. In the meantime, I’ll conserve water.
Peace and Joy: I put up our Christmas tree while Rick put up lights on the outside. We will be able to enjoy the decorations for two weeks before we leave here for the holidays.
December 9-17, 2014
People: This week, Rick picked Jamaal up at Black Point and they returned to Compass. We welcomed back our friends on the ATA Marie, Tokkie and Gail. Along with them came a re-supply of red wine for us. Trevon and his cousin went to Black Point. Trevon will fly from there back to his home in Nassau. He has an appointment this coming week about getting into an electricians training program. Jamaal hosted a fish dinner for everyone on the dock. The Panamanians on Sha Sha Sha (13th of them) provided steak and lobster, rice and a scrumptious mixed green salad. Rick made conch fritters which everyone raved about. I made way too many cheese grits and Gail made crabmeat deviled eggs and lobster mac and cheese. Everything was delicious and the party went on past midnight.
Projects: Rick helped Tucker set out red and green lights on the rocks at the entrance to the marina. They will come on two minutes after dark. A circuit breaker arrived and was installed on Dock G in order to extend the electricity to the new pedestal where we will plug in after we move.
Places: Rick took Tucker’s Albury down to Staniel Cay to pick up the marine construction crew. They told him that their flight had been delayed by two hours, so they were very anxious to get on their way leaving us the only boat in the marina for one night.
We moved the boat. Rick didn’t even start the engines. They tied some long lines on the port (left) side of the boat and just pulled her across the waterway to the new dock. We are plugged in and the new pedestal is providing the electricity that we need. Now, we have to re-arrange the pilot house as we will be using the port door to get in and out. I am glad to be relocated.
We went to Rachel’s Bubble Bath and stayed a few hours. While there, we met a nice couple from Austin, Texas, Mat and Casey, who are staying in one of the new villas at Staniel Cay. Later a bunch of folks that are here on a boat from Panama called Sha Sha Sha came up to swim as well. A good time was had by all.
On Wednesday, we went to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club in time to enjoy a leisurely lunch (with drinks) with Tokkie and Gail before boarding the mid-afternoon flight to take us to Ft. Lauderdale where we will picked up a rental car and drove to Palmetto.
Good News: We are very excited to learn that our son’s wife, Kellie, has an offer on her house and the closing is set for December 23rd.
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December 18, 2014 thru December 27 was spent in Florida
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, we tried to get most of our Christmas shopping done. We ate supper with our son on Thursday, our friends Bill and Ruth on Friday and with our friends, Ken and Jackie on Saturday. On Sunday, we drove to the Ocala Forrest and spent the night visiting with my Dad. Monday morning, we drove to the Daytona Beach area where we had a short visit with my brother, Bill, and then with Rick’s mother and brother before returning to Palmetto. Rick’s mother and brother drove over to Palmetto on Tuesday; Kellie closed on the sale of her house that afternoon and all of our family had a nice celebratory dinner at the yacht club that evening. Wednesday morning found us driving to the St. Pete-Clearwater airport to pick up our nephew, Mat. He flew in on Allegiant Airlines from Knoxville, Tennessee, to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day with the family. After picking up Rick’s mother (Mat’s grandmother) and brother we had a short visit with JP, Kellie and baby Emma before her naptime. After lunch and some more shopping, we took Mat, Mom and Ed to Motorworks Brewing (1014 9th Street West, Bradenton, FL 34205) www.motorworksbrewing.com to sample some of their craft beer. Later that evening (Christmas Eve) the five of us attended a party at Bill and Ruth’s house where we enjoyed seeing most of his family including his granddaughter, Jamie, who was down from Tallahassee where she attends FSU. Christmas day was spent quietly with the extended family opening gifts and eating. On Friday, Rick and I took Mat back to the airport (picked him up at 4:45 a.m.) for his return flight to Knoxville. Then we did some last minute shopping for the Bahamas and met his mother and brother just after 11 a.m. She was not feeling well, so they decided to go home a day early. We met Bill and Ruth for lunch, packed our bags and Ken and Jackie picked us up around 6 p.m. On Saturday, December 27, we left Ken and Jackie’s house around 7 a.m. and drove to Ft. Lauderdale. We did some more last minute shopping and then went to the Watermaker Air terminal around 11:30. We grabbed a quick lunch at the nearby Jet Port Café and then flew to Staniel Cay where Captain Barry (of Sea Clef) picked us up at the dock across from the airport and brought the four of us back to Compass Cay.
Compass Cay – December 28 through December 31, 2014 (BD2-0087 – BD2-0090) –
We returned to Compass Cay on Saturday, December 27, 2014, along with our friends Ken and Jackie who will be staying with us until January 4, 2015.
Tokkie’s son, Tommie, and family and daughter, Angela, and family are visiting from California. He invited us to join them for a picnic lunch at Rachel’s Bubble Bath on Sunday along with Ed and Karen, the owners of Sea Clef. We all enjoyed a couple of hours in the sun. Ken and Jackie were surprised that the air and water were a comfortable temperature.
On Monday, Rick took Ken and Jackie up to Hester’s Ruins. He returned and let them explore finding their own way back. They cut through a slough to the creek and then walked back from there. Jackie said that it felt like they were walking in quick sand for part of the way. Rick battered and fried fish bites provided by Jamaal and I made a pot of corn which about 20 of us enjoyed on the dock that evening.
On Tuesday we were “dock rats.” Rick and Ken helped tie and untie a lot of boats.
Ken and Jackie, Rick and I hiked the South Cliff Walk on Wednesday. It took us about three and a half hours, but we all enjoyed it.
Rick had to take a picture of the “monster rock”. (You may have to use a little imagination.)
Near the end of the walk, we stopped at Tucker’s Bat Cave to see the new addition. You can click on the picture below to get a better view.
Tucker’s extended family (including Bob and Kat Weems), Tokkie’s extended family, Mano and the four of us shared a terrific “pot luck supper” in the Boaters’ Grille which was followed by a great display of fireworks about 9:00 p.m. Our supper was enhanced by lovely centerpieces created by Jamaal’s fiancée, Lisa and with music provided by Bob (who later played the spoons).
Then, at midnight, we had a second fireworks show which was an awesome way to ring in the New Year.
I had intended to post a log of all of the boats that came in and out of the marina this month, but with us being gone for part of the month, it became too confusing. So, I will just say that when we left on December 17, there were three boats in the marina and on December 31st, it was full.
