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.)

Island Hopp'n

 

Panorama - Beach near Fowl Cay

   After spending a few days checking out Bimini, we decided it was time to move on.  Our next stop was Great Harbour (Yes, the British spelling is intentional) in the Berry Islands.

White/Fowl Cay

   As we left the marina, taking advantage of a beautiful day, we were treated to a dolphin escort.  Dolphins love to play around boats but, they hate the noise of an engine. Since we had enough wind to sail in the early part of our journey that day, we were able to provide the perfect playground for these beautiful creatures.  I counted eight dolphins in all.  They were at our stern, playing at the bow, and zooming under the bottom of the boat from port to starboard
and back.

Interesting Rock Formations

Not long after the dolphins left, we were forced to turn on the engine; The wind practically disappeared.  After motoring for a few more hours, we dropped anchor in Great Harbour.  We spent two days here, resting a bit and taking in the sights. Amazingly, we never actually made it to a beach here because we were told that it was way too long of a walk from the dinghy dock (the island proved to be bigger than we thought).

White/Fowl Cay

These Little Snail Were Everywhere

  Our next stop, a day sail over the top of the Berry Islands, was a little place between Fowl Cay and White Cay.  This unique spot offered us a hidey-hole with all-around coverage from the changing winds.  We, of course, enjoyed the beaches here but, the best part of the stay was the blue hole.

The Hole In Question

 

There's a Path Here  . . .
Somewhere . . . 

 
















   Blue holes are relatively common in the Bahamas.  If you're not familiar with the term, imagine a large crater filled by ocean water that is fed in somewhere near the bottom, surrounded by cliffs, and extremely deep.  This hole in particular was a bit hard to find; There was a path but, it proved hard to follow since there's really no one around to maintain it.  Our cruisers' guide tipped us off to it (we never would have found it otherwise).  We thought about jumping in but, although the entrance was obvious, the exit appeared to be nonexistent.

 

Washed Up Fan Coral

Crab Skeleton . . . Exoskeleton, Technically

 

A Shallow Wreck

   Unfortunately, after a few days, our little spot (thanks to some incoming swell) was becoming untenable.  So, we picked up anchor and moved all the way down to Rose Island.  This little spot is just east of Nassau on New Providence Island.

   I was a bit apprehensive about staying here due to a bad experience (REALLY bad swells) the last time we were in the area.  However, that was on the north side and we were on the south side this time.  The winds were better and it showed itself to be a nice spot to stop.

Both of These Wreck are Bahamian Fishing Boats 

 

See the Fossils in the Rock?

   A couple of days at Rose and it was time to move again. . .  In case you haven't figured it out already,  full-time cruisers still keep a schedule; it just happens to be dictated by the weather instead of a time clock. . . So, this morning we moved into the safety of Palm Cay Marina (outside of Nassau).  There is cold front moving through that is unpredictable enough to stump the weather gurus.  Instead of taking our chances, we've ducked in here for a few nights to ride out whatever the front decides to bring.

   While we're here, we'll take advantage of our surroundings.  We've booked a courtesy car (free with the slip rental) for tomorrow so we can pick up some fresh groceries. . . It will be interesting trying to drive on the "wrong" side of the road . . . We'll definitely be visiting the laundry room while we're here and we figured we'd try to check off a boat project or two while we're in stable waters. The free internet is also, most certainly, a plus.

   Our plan is to head south from here, closing our short-lived chapter on the Berrys. Next up, the Exumas . .

The Red Boat Shows Our Location

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.)

Bimini or Bust

The mooring field was reassuringly calm.  An almost full moon shone orange in an inky black sky scattered with stars. At 3 a.m., we turned on the engine, slipped the lines from the mooring ball, and turned into the channel.

   I was extremely apprehensive about the propeller shaft. Bill had fixed it only the day before (a more complicated fix than we originally thought); it had been tested but, not to the extent that we were about to push it. As we made our way further out into the channel, the calm weather abated my fears but, only slightly.

  It was an hour-long ride out to the open ocean.  During that time, I checked the shaft and the engine frequently.  Each check showed smooth running parts and no leaks . . . the knot in my stomach was beginning to unwind.

  Once out into the Gulf Stream, the weather proved to be a bit too calm; great for crossing but, enough wind to sail.  We had to motor sail.  That knot was starting to grow again.  I was expecting to be able to let out the sails and give the engine some rest.  Now the engine would have to stay on with the sails assisting.

Furry Sailors

   As the glow of the moon was slowly replaced by a beautiful pastel-colored sunrise, that knot in my stomach was again starting to subside.  The morning proved to be the tonic that my nerves were so desperately needing.  Easing-going rollers, plenty of sun, and enough wind (paired with the engine) to reach an average of 6 knots . . . we were going to make it.  No unusual noises from the engine, a smooth turning propeller shaft, no leaks. . . we were going to make it . . .

 

Quarantine Flag

   About 10 hours from pushing the ignition switch, Bill and I turned in the the channel toward Bimini; half an hour later we were tied up in the marina preparing our paperwork  for customs and immigration. Bill soon left with paperwork in tow (only the captain is allowed to leave a vessel until everyone, including the boat, is legal).  I tidied up the cockpit and the salon, arranging and cleaning things as I went, all the while thanking God for a safe crossing . . . and the release of my stomach muscles . . .

This one's for you CJ, Courtesy flag #1

 


   When Bill returned with the documentation, we pulled down the 'Q" flag (to be flown upon entering a country) and replaced it with a Bahamian Courtesy Flag (showing that we are cleared into the country).  This is the first of many flags we hope to fly.





   Understandably, we went to bed right after supper; 3 a.m. is not my preferred time to start the day . .  .  The next day (today) we slept in, ate a good breakfast, and then set out to explore the island. Most of this time was on the beach. of course, enjoying the pristine blue waters of the Bahamas again.  We treated ourselves to lunch at one of the other marinas and even ran into some West Marine customers that remembered us and our story.   Enjoyable conversation flowed long after the food was gone.  I sat down to write the piece that you are reading now as soon as we returned.

 

   What's next? . . . We are waiting for the wind to change.  So, we will be here through tomorrow morning.  After that, we will make our way across the banks to the Berrys or make a short jump down to Cat Cay (whichever the wind change allows for). We are safe, we are here, and we are finally back on our journey.  I'll keep you posted.



   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.)