Saying "Adios" to the DR

   So, we spent nearly a month in the Dominican Republic. Overall, we enjoyed our time.  Walking through many streets, markets, and stores, talking to locals, and visiting a few towns gave us a pretty well-rounded, interesting experience.  Here's our tour of the south coast of the DR in a nutshell . . .

Food:

This was the "only eat local" restaurant

   Restaurants can be pricey but, not typically.  On the whole, we found very reasonably-priced meals and often the food was good.  We sampled everything from seafood to chicken, tacos to pork chops.  One particular spot appeared to be rather high-end but, when the bill came, including the tip, our total was $20 U.S.  We also discovered delicious tacos in, of all places, a cafe attached to a gas station.  On the other hand, we were taken to a restaurant by a guide associated with the customs office that he claimed, had "very good food, especially pizza" . . . hmm, I know, pizza in the Dominican Republic . . . We tried it on his advice and my advice is, don't try the pizza.  We did feel that, given that the place seemed to be a popular local hangout, if we ordered something less "foreign" the result would be better.  So, the next time around, we ordered two local dishes and really enjoyed our food.

Fresh Pineapple!  Yum!

   Now, as you know, we cook quite a bit on the boat.  This, of course, requires groceries.  Groceries in the Dominican Republic are amazingly priced.  Whether in a large grocery store or an outdoor market, prices can't be beat.  We became partial to one vendor at the market in Barahona; he helped us pick out what we needed (at times, even picking from other vendors for things he didn't have) and gave us advice on how to prepare everything.  Both times that we visited him, we walked away with a large bag of produce for less that $2 U.S. Even in an Ole (their version of a Walmart), we found really tasty potatoes for the equivalent of 20 cents per pound.  Was it all good?  No.  If you ever go shopping in the DR, the one thing I'd recommend shying away from is the beef and prepackaged meats (i.e. sausages, bacon, etc.) There is nothing spoiled or unhealthy about these products; they're just not good quality and the beef always gave the impression (no matter how long I cooked it or how I prepared it) that the animal to which it was formerly a part of was fond of chewing on rubber plants. The chicken, on the other hand, was always quite good.

The Pineapple Stand

One of the many stalls at the market - Our guide, Fernando,
is on the right (he wanted lots of propinas, too

Beaches and Water:

An exception to the dirtiness

   I have one word for the beaches in the DR: DIRTY.   There were a couple of rare exceptions to this but, typically we stayed away from the water.  We only swam in water that was well away from big cities and that we could see through (the same rules applied when running the water maker).  Even when we stopped in a marina for a few days, we were warned by the locals not to use or drink the free water offered.  Efforts to clean up litter are only slightly better here that what we found in Haiti.  Although, we were able to find actual trash cans (no such thing in Haiti).  Trash is often scattered along the sand; it even floats by your boat as you sail a few miles off shore.

Cool Tree

Typical Dominican Street

Nicer, slightly cleaner part of town

The People:
 

Art anyone?

   The average Dominican seems to be easy-going and helpful.  They love their food, culture, and icy-cold Presidente beer (the local brew).  Art abounds in the DR. This is especially obvious in their homes and businesses.  Blue, pink, green, and yellow are all typical colors for exteriors.  Even brighter displays are found on may shops; the more obvious the building is, the more likely you are to stop in.  For security reasons, gates are often a fixture at the entrance to driveways.  These are certainly utilitarian but, their owners have also taken it upon themselves to make these works of iron eye-catching.

One of the more unique homes

 

One of the many gates

This looks like it belongs in the
Secret Garden

This was at one of the Restaurants

   We did, unfortunately. find that many of those employed by or associated with the government are prone to take liberties with their given roles.  "Propinas" is a word often seen and used.  It means "tips".  It is typical for propinas to be given if someone has be especially helpful or done a service for you.  However, we found that many customs officals try to mandate propinas on top of already paid fees.  Some ask but, drop the idea if refused (and are actually happy to except a beer instead). Others are a bit more insistent but, not pushy.  We did come in contact with one official, that when refused (he insisted on $20 U.S.), became angry and threatened to take back the paperwork he had issued us if we didn't leave immediately. . . Yes, the Dominican Republic is still a third-world country and therefore, there really isn't anyone to enforce rules about such matters.  

Most Unusual Experience:

   We had an unusual experience with the officials in Palmar de Ocoa. Instead of coming to our boat in a dinghy or having us go to them in our dinghy to check our papers (as is typical), they sent a man, who we can only assume was the most junior, to retrieve our current papers and deliver our new ones by swimming out to our boat in his underwear. I handed him the papers in a plastic zippered bag to keep them dry; he carried the bag in his teeth so as not to impede his swimming.  We voluntarily gave that guy a well-deserved beer. . . and no, I didn't take a picture of the official in his underwear . . . I didn't want to embarrass him further . . .

   Overall, our impression of the Dominican Republic was positive.  We enjoyed being able to soak up some local color and experience the south side of the country.  Our only real problem with our time in the DR was the officials and their questionable habits. We met a lot of these guys and, unfortunately, the many of them were a bit crooked (Barahona was a pleasant exception).  Would we go back?  I think so, simply because there was quite a bit that we didn't get to see and do. Hopefully, in the meantime, the government will crack down on these "necessary" propinas.




Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

Tipping the Scales

   Waiting on the weather is a fact of life when cruising. It's not just a simple matter of having wind or not; conditions on the water can make or break a cruise.  If the winds are too light, you could end up having to use your engine more than you'd like or possibly deal with a lot of motion on the boat because the wind isn't there to stabilize you. Too much wind or winds from the wrong direction, and you could end up with a fight on your hands; you and your boat vs. the elements. There are are also things like squalls, wave height, swells, and other issues to consider . . .

looks like a completely useless gate until you realize that
it's supposed to keep motorcycles out

   So, why get out there? . . . Why risk it? . . . Because, the weather, for the most part, can be accounted for.  More than any other factor,  it weighs heavily on our plans.  However, we do our homework, we check multiple sources several times a day, and we try to be patient.  We don't always like cooling our heels for long periods of time but, it keeps us safe. Does this mean that we never see bad weather? . . . Of course not.  We are talking about the weather and weather is always subject to change.  We've certainly seen our share of less than perfect sailing conditions but, the precautions we take tip the scales in our favor.

Not sure what these are but,
they smell like honeysuckle

Catholic Church in Town

 

   This is why we just made it into the Dominican Republic; we were, and still are, tipping the scales.  The weather hasn't been very cooperative lately so we've been traveling in small jaunts, concluding our time in Haiti on a slightly sweeter note, and hearing a nicer tune in the Dominican Republic.
 

Walking around Les Cayes

chicken dinner in Isle a Vache

 
   While still in Haiti, we trekked around the larger city of Les Cayes and found some interesting sights.  Although, just getting there was interesting enough. After getting picked up by the water taxi at our boat (anchored off of an island near Les Cayes), we rode for about a half an hour towards Les Cayes.  Once the taxi got close to shore, we moved from the larger taxi to a smaller wooden boat.  That boat got us close enough for the last step, a piggy-back ride . . . seriously.  We, took our turn walking to the bow of the boat where we were carried either piggy-back style or over-the- threshold style to shore. . . Try doing that for a daily commute . . . Once in town, we picked up some provisions, officially checked out of the country, and ate a delicious lunch at a local spot for about $5 (U.S.) for the both of us.

   We also enjoyed a few unique meals on the island of Isle a Vache (where we were anchored). One night, for a small fee, one of the locals cooked us and several friends a large grilled chicken dinner at a common area in the village.  During another night, we walked quite a distance, climbing hills and slipping in mud, to get to Joe's. Joe is a transplant from Europe. When he first came to isle a Vache, he lived in a tent; he now lives with his girlfriend and two-year old son in their home/start-up restaurant. Getting to their home was less than ideal but, it added to the adventure and the company and food were certainly worth the effort.

View from Joe's

Fresh Herbs at Joe's, too

Our, the only, table 

beaches along the route . . .

   About a week ago, we met another couple in Isle a Vache planning to go the same way we were. So, we traveled the next 195 miles together, stopping here and there to rest up and wait on the weather. Last night, after navigating our way through the channel markers in the rain, we dropped anchor in Barahona, DR.  A few minutes to set the boat to rights, a quick dinner, and couple of showers later, we were curled up in bed ready for a good night's sleep.

   This morning, we were greeted by 4 officials. They arrived at the boat to stamp our passports, collect paperwork and fees, check out the boat, and drink beer . .   At 8:30 . . . Oh well, they were very nice and helpful, answering any questions we had and sharing a few jokes, in Spanish of course. . . I eeked out enough rusty Spanish for their visit but, I found that I really need to keep brushing up on the local language  . . .


   Tomorrow we plan on provisioning at the local outdoor market. This market is supposed to really be something to experience and is something I've been looking forward to for some time. After the slim pickings we've had lately, fresh produce will be a real treat.



Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

A Disappointing Ending

Our First View of Haiti

So, a lack of internet explains why I'm a little late in an update to our legal issues in the Bahamas. I will try to summarize the movie plot-like ending to our volunteer efforts for Haiti. . .

The Monday after the confiscation of donations and imprisonment of the IRG captain, those of us on the two smaller boats were called in for questioning.  After waiting for about a half an hour past the scheduled time, Bill (as the captain of our boat) was called in first.  He was gone for quite a while and, upon his return, the captain of the other boat was immediately called in after him.  The result of this "hearing" seemed to be a legal slap on the wrist.  Our documentation was returned to us and we were told to go on our way; we were just "strongly warned" not to do it again . . . although, since we were never actually found guilty of anything, I'm not sure was it was that we did . . . perhaps we were being told not to look suspicious . . .

The following day, we were told that the IRG captain was still being held on the grounds that his visa had expired (which it actually had).  During his hearing, the judge refused to even listen to or see evidence of the fact that he was running a disaster relief organization and the expired visa was an honest mistake.  The judge ordered a maximum fine of $3,000 or 2 years in jail . . . to put that into perspective . . . a typical sentence for drug running (much worse than charity work) is only $400 and the person(s) must leave to country within 24 hours. . .  

To add to the fishiness, the immigration office mandated that the fine be paid IN CASH; they even allowed this "criminal" to roam around town with a police escort with the sole purpose of stopping at different ATMs to withdraw money. Amazingly, the captain was able to come up with the money after only a few nights in jail.  As he presented the office with the money at 4:45 in the afternoon (the office was supposed to close at 5), he was told that they were shutting the office down early that day and would not be able to process his transaction . . . his cash transaction . . . he spent one more night in jail and was freed the following morning.

We spent that night throwing the captain a release party and the following day loading the donations back on to our boats (at our own expense and labor) and preparing to leave.  We even went to the trouble of creating an official manifest of the donations for both boats and having the head of customs stamp it (supposedly to prevent future issues).

Two hours before we were supposed to leave, a call came on the radio from the IRG captain telling us that we were all being ordered to return to the customs office.  Apparently, the captain had realized that they had neglected to return his cruising permit (needed to legally stay in the country).  When he had gone in to retrieve it, he was told (as we were when we got there) that we were now "illegal". We were told: Our permits should never have been returned (they promptly took them), we were being labeled as "commercial vessels" because we were "carrying cargo",and, therefore, had to fill out exit paperwork, pay a $75 fee, and leave the country NOW.

   "On what grounds?", you ask . . . My honest answer is corruption; utter, blatant, ugly corruption.  The same man that had just stamped those manifests we made and told us we were good to go had decided that he wasn't finished with us; he just had to throw one more sucker punch. When presented with the absurdity of the situation and asked why he hadn't bothered to tell us about these new "rules" when we last saw him, he became indignant and belligerent.  No matter how we argued, he was having none of it and, at one point, threatened to impound our boats (he'd have had no grounds for that but, I don't doubt that he would have tried).

A Rainbow for our First Morning in Haiti

So, we left . . . For three nights, we sailed until we were in Haitian waters. Unfortunately, Haiti has presented us with a different set of problems . . No doubt, you've heard the expression "No rest for the weary". . . Well, the good news is that we have had absolutely no problem with the government here. The one official we have come in contact with (the port authority) has been quite helpful.  He's assisted us with getting our passports stamped, obtaining fuel, disposing of trash, and, because he is also involved in IRG, even
helped us offload the donations.

These are the Kids We Gave the Sodas to

On the other hand . . . We have now been in three different harbors in Haiti . . . I am very sorry to report that our impression of many of the Haitian people is that they are self-destructive.  We have met a few exceptions but, in general, they are their own worst enemy.  Before we even dropped our anchor at our first stop here, we were approached by men, young and old, wanting something.  Now, we came here for charity work, don't misunderstand me, I have no problem helping other people . . . However, these men are RELENTLESS.

We Did Buy Lobsters from One of the Fisherman . . .
A Treat for Lunch

Two Nice Locals and Us - This is What Happens When You
Try to Squeeze Four People into a Selfie on the Back of a Boat

Our experiences have varied from a few boys asking for sodas (which we gave them), to young men asking for work (many of which we hired to do specified jobs on the boat), to down right commands of "Give me money!  Give me food!  Give me shoes!".  These men come to the boat on a constant basis, offering to do anything for money.  We applaud their efforts for trying to provide for their families and, as I said, we gave many of them work and were happy with the results.  However, we have also come in contact with those that try to hike up their fees once the work is done or continue to push for work even when told that there is no more work left.  Even telling them that you're out of money doesn't seem to phase them.  We even have scratches on the side of our boat and had to have part of our teak railing repaired from some of the more aggressive boats actually refusing to leave and allowing their boats to slam into ours.

A Large Motorized Canoe Serves as the Water Taxi

One of the worst examples is a man that demanded food. He continued to yell at Bill, "Give me food!".  When Bill looked into the man's canoe, there were at least 30 fish that he had caught that day.  Bill pointed out that he could easily feed his family on those fish and have money from selling the remainder.  His response? . . . "No, I sell fish!  You give me food!".  He didn't even offer to sell us the fish . . . he was demanding a handout.  For many of these men, a more respectful, hospitable approach would make all the difference in the outcome of their interactions with newcomers.

One of the Many Fishing Boats

There have been some good points to Haiti.  The geography is beautiful; serene anchorages, green mountain ranges, and pretty beaches.  At night, once the humid, stickiness of the day has faded away, the stars are abundant.  The local food is simple but, delicious.  Creole roots are ever present in the food, the language, and the culture itself.

We Had a Cruisers Potluck Here

Cool Rock Formations

Local Art is Abundant

   We do not regret helping IRG or the Haitian people.  I think that we have come in contact with the more intense part of the population and the majority of Haitians are good, decent, easy-going people. We just, unfortunately, have not been able to experience that side of the country and its culture because of the few that have left a sour first impression. It is a shame that we will not be able to experience more of Haiti in its untainted version.  We will soon finish what is necessary here and move on. Hopefully the Dominican Republic will offer a brighter picture.


   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

"Criminals"

Rafted up, we're on the right

   I am going to preface this post with a few words.  It both saddens and angers me to have to write
this down but, I must.  The account I am about to put forth has no bearing on the Bahamian people as a whole. We, along with countless other cruisers, have found these islands full of generous, beautiful people willing to lend a hand or give the shirts off their backs if necessary.  What you are about to read is an account of a a few third-world government officials gone corrupt.

   A couple of weeks ago, not too long after Bill and I pulled into Georgetown, we noticed a rather large, regal-looking ketch pulling into the harbor.  The captain made an announcement on the radio to warn any other moving vessels in the area that they were completely under sail (This usually means that the vessel is unable to run its engine).  Once the ketch had safely nosed into the harbor and dropped anchor (thanks to another sail boat in the area towing them in), we, frankly, didn't think much more about the old ship.

Donated sails on deck

   Fast forward to a few days ago . . . I had just returned from my jaunt in the States.  In my absence, Bill had found out that the large ketch was actually captained by someone we had met in Florida.  He heads up a charity called IRG (International Rescue Group). IRG takes in donations of food, medical supplies, etc. and sails them on donated vessels to places in need of disaster relief.  Haiti was where this particular vessel was bound.

   Unfortunately, just as we had suspected, the vessel's engine had stopped working.  So, while the captain was sitting at anchor dealing with engine problems, the supplies were also.  He took to the radio again, telling others of his plight and asking for help; If any vessel was headed in that direction, they could take on as many supplies as they could carry and bring them in for him.  Three vessels volunteered: the vessel that helped to tow him into the harbor, us, and a catamaran.

   The catamaran, loaded up what they could and left, Haiti-bound.  The rest of us needed a little more time to prepare.  So, we waited for the next weather window; that window was to start today, Sunday.  Since the plan was to leave first thing this morning, we (the two remaining vessels) decided to raft up along either side of the IRG boat and take on the remaining supplies so that we'd be ready for the morning.

more sails, medical supplies, tools . . . 

   We had just loaded the last bag onto our boat, when a couple of men came zooming up to us in a water taxi.  Customs officials.  One of them, wearing a black polo and jeans, waved a badge at us and, without a word, proceeded to climb onto our boat with a uniformed man on his heels. They demanded to see our passports and documentation.  They demanded to know where the owners of the other vessels were. They demanded that we show them all of the supplies that we had taken on and receipts for them. . . We told them we had just finished loading the donations and that, because they were donations, there were no receipts.  We hadn't purchased anything. Things continued to get fishy.

Another sail . . . nothing suspicious . . . 

   They asked for our documents and handed them back several times.  The last time they asked for them, they kept them, claiming that there would need to be an investigation to prove that we were actually going to do what we claimed we were going to do with these items.  Bill immediately got on the phone with the U.S. embassy.  The duty officer on the other end was trying to help.  She asked for our passport numbers, which, of course, we couldn't give her.  Thankfully she was able to start what she needed to with our names and birthdays.  She then asked for the names of the men, one gave his name to us, the other ignored the question and became irate at the fact that we had called the embassy in the fist place.   When she asked us if one of them would speak with her over the phone, they claimed that they had no way of knowing if we had called the real U.S. embassy and that they would call her instead.  The duty officer, obviously disgusted with their behavior as well, told us that they were required to, by law, call immediately.  The men stated that they would not call right away but, on Monday.

   They continued to cause problems, and the afternoon ended with all of the supplies, all of our documentation and passports, and the captain of the IRG vessel being carted back to land; The supplies, documentation, and passports in holding "pending investigation" and the captain in jail for the weekend.  Jail! What's their problem?  What grounds?? They claim that it is illegal to transfer goods from one vessel to another without reporting it.  That "pleasure vessels" (a.k.a boats in the country just to enjoy the area) are not allowed to run charity work; "Charity work is not for pleasure", one of the men said.  Bill pointed out that we get a lot of pleasure out of helping others; This didn't phase the man.  He simply sniffed at the air, rolled his eyes, and looked away.

   Now what? . . . Tomorrow is Monday.  We, the two vessels that were trying to help, are due in at the customs office at 9:30 a.m.  What happens after that is anyone's guess. They still have all of our documentation, we have been told that we cannot leave until things are cleared up (though we wouldn't without our papers anyway), the captain of the IRG vessel is still in jail . . . This is, in a word, ridiculous!  There are people trafficking drugs, rare animals, stolen goods, and even human beings into countries all over the world . . . and yet, who gets put under investigation? People who are trying to bring medical supplies into orphanages, backpacks into schools, and used sails to fishermen so they can feed their families and communities . . . The ones really suffering in all of this are the Haitian people . . . We might be dealing with international democracy and a couple of corrupt officials but, they are living in squalor, without basic needs or a way to make ends meet.

   In case you've been wondering, while reading this, about the Haitian government, forget it.  Haiti receives millions of dollars in foreign aid every year from the United States alone; enough to provide a small salary for every able-bodied adult in the country.  The average citizen never sees any of it.  We are trying to help a people whose leaders have betrayed them.                              

   Now that you have read this, please tell someone.  I know I don't have a big following but, I am trying.  Links can be shared, tweets can be made, texts and emails can be sent. If this gets to enough people or the right person, maybe something can be done.

   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

A Visitor in Georgetown

Bill repairing the flag halyard

   Drum roll, pleeeeeease . . . I can now officially say that we have rounded a milestone!  We are farther south than we have ever been on our little boat; 58 miles farther to be exact.  This may not seem like much but, when you consider that we only average 5 knots per hour, that starts to mean a little more.  Those miles have also contributed to our current running total of 2,331 nautical miles under the keel.  Not too bad . . .

We are currently sitting in Georgetown doing a little celebrating and along for the ride is my mother.  She's here with us for a week.  We picked her up while in a marina just north of Georgetown proper and after a few days there, we dropped the hook at Sand Dollar Beach just off of Georgetown.

   Despite the unusually cool, squally weather, we've been doing our best to take in the sights and give my mother a true taste of what cruising life is like.  She's witnessed some repairs on the boat, sailed a bit in less than calm seas, toured the city a bit, met many welcoming, friendly cruisers and even been to the beach for a bonfire.

The Emerald Bay Pub and Grill.  These Guys really do have
the best conch fritter in the Bahamas. 

Outside the straw market

   Even for the Bahamas, Georgetown is a pretty interesting, eclectic place to check out.  There is a straw market not too far from the dinghy dock where souvenirs of all kinds can be had.  Straw hats, bags, jewelry, t-shirts, wooden carvings, and even produce are on display in front of ladies eager to help you find just what you're looking for.

 


  The trash drop off is a white truck parked beside one of the two grocery stores in town.  There is a small charge to drop off your trash but, if there is no one to take your fee, you just drop it through the truck's window.  The honor system is often relied upon in the Bahamas.

Trainee's Salon and Styles Seafood

   Looking for fresh fish? . . . Then head to the hair salon, of course.  Trainee's Unisex Beauty Salon also houses Styles Seafood.  Trainee's husband is a fisherman.  He stores the fish in a cooler at her salon and she sells it throughout the day.        

If this looks normal, you don't live in the U.S. . . Notice the
"Keep Left" sticker on the windshield

   If you have a lot of errands to run, renting a car is an option.  Cars can be rented by the day here and are a pretty convenient if you happen to be picking up someone from the airport since the rental center is right across the street from the runway.  These cars do come with a catch or two, though.  You must remember that, since you are driving in what, until very recently, used to be a British territory, you must manage to drive on the left side of the road.  The majority of rental cars here are also made by Suzuki.  So, upon turning the key, the GPS begins to talk to you in Japanese.  Since no one seems to know how to change the settings . . . or speak Japanese . . . The GPS proved to be amusing but, unfortunately, useless.    

Japanese GPS . . . Not helpful . . .

 



   So far, the three of us have been enjoying our stay here. Bill and I both like the area and we feel that my mother is getting to see a pretty complete picture of our life afloat.  When it comes time for her to fly back to the States, I'll actually be going with her. My former college roommate is tying the knot and I'm in the wedding party.  So, I'll be in the states for a little over a week and then fly back  so that Bill and I can continue our journey south.  Hurricane season isn't very far away . . . So a new country is on the horizon.

Beautiful Hibiscus 

   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

Ruins and Slower Pace

 

Black Point Harbor

   Away from the mega-yacht infused marinas, over-priced stores and restaurants, and tourists in "desperate" need to post, tweet, and chat . . . away from the over-crowded hub of Nassau . . . is the Bahamian version of Mayberry. Here, things run at a slower, calmer pace.

A VERY relaxed cat on island time

   There's basically one main road that leads around the island. The local phone rep comes from the "mainland" (Georgetown) once a week to take care of the residents' minutes and bills.  Goats are the going model of lawn mower. The local children leave their small classrooms and walk home for lunch, returning to fit in a quick game of basketball before the bell rings.  The constable even doubles as the justice of the peace.    

   Yep, we've made it back to Black Point Settlement.  For those of you that have been keeping up with us for a while, you'll remember this as the place where I volunteered at the school for three weeks.  This is also where we made our first real attempt at fixing our engine fiasco and where we rode out Tropical Storm Anna.  (If you want to check out our first time in this wonderful spot, click on the links for May and June of 2015.)

This rock conveniently had a hole
in it for our dinghy line (painter)

   After spending a few nights in Palm Key Marina to wait out a front, we sailed south.  We made a few stops here and there, quick jaunts from island to island.  One of these spots was a place called Pipe Cay.  A former British Naval Navigation Center, this spot provides an interesting walk around the ruins (what's left of the center) along with a few pretty places to anchor your dinghy.

A BIG Bollard for a BIG boat

Some one went to a lot of trouble to make this a
sun downers spot

Inside the living quarters

I saved this little guy's life . . . I found him washed up on the
beach, so I put him back and he snuggled back into the sand

 
   We dropped anchor in Black Point yesterday afternoon.  Once we were settled in, we walked up to Lorraine's Cafe to catch up on our internet needs and have dinner. We plan on being here for about a week. This will allow us to catch a weather window to Georgetown.   I'll keep updating when I can as we keep moving further south.

   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)