FEBRUARY 21,2013
We woke from a much needed peaceful night of sleep to find 4 other boats anchored near, all flying their yellow quarantine flags. It was a clear beautiful day, the water was aqua blue & water temp was 78.
We woke from a much needed peaceful night of sleep to find 4 other boats anchored near, all flying their yellow quarantine flags. It was a clear beautiful day, the water was aqua blue & water temp was 78.
We took the afternoon off & sailed out of
the anchorage to enjoy a short sail in the warm, beautiful waters just off Chub
Cay. By late afternoon we were back at
anchor preparing for our check in with Customs & Immigration early in the morning.
At 8am
It's Perfect was at the fuel dock filling out pages of paperwork & duplicates for entry into the Bahamas. It seems the clearing office does not have duplicate forms or a copy machine. On 3 of the many forms Rod declared the fire
arm we have aboard, a 22 pistol & over 600 rounds of ammo. By 9am a van arrived at the marina to take Rod to the Customs
Office at the airport.
After answering all the official's questions & showing all our boat documentation & passports, he returned to It's Perfect with our cruising permit in hand & we struck our quarantine flag & hoisted the Bahamian courtesy flag. With our first foreign stamp in our passports, we are officially cleared into the Bahamas & on our way to Nassau.
After answering all the official's questions & showing all our boat documentation & passports, he returned to It's Perfect with our cruising permit in hand & we struck our quarantine flag & hoisted the Bahamian courtesy flag. With our first foreign stamp in our passports, we are officially cleared into the Bahamas & on our way to Nassau.
I arrived home safe and sound late last night after a peaceful week in the Bahamas with Rod and Linda on Sailing Vessel It's Perfect. What a blessing to be their guest on their cozy and welcoming boat! I truly experienced the daily textures of their life on the boat, including a lot of pleasant leisure time interspersed with hard work (theirs, not their guest's!) They are cautious and safe sailors who take their maintenance and management of hundreds of details of life on a boat very seriously. They are generous hosts, and skilled and inventive problem-solvers. Besides being an experienced sailor and master electrician, Rod is a good mechanic, machinist, and designer. And Linda (like me) is her mother's daughter--she is skilled at using an upholstery sewing machine to create an amazing weather-enclosure with zippered roll-up windows protecting the helm and deck lounging area. She also made sail covers and multiple other upholstered covers for necessities stored on deck and below. R and L make a great team in meeting and coping with unexpected challenges.
ReplyDeleteAnd R and L also enjoy the boating life's experience of freedom, and awareness of the magnitude of nature's power and humankind's smallness in the face of forces beyond our control. We witnessed amazing skies, beautiful sunsets, crystal clear turquoise waters, and enjoyed long talks and good rest. It was the vacation I so needed. But it also included challenges that created MANY frustrations for R and L.
On my arrival Saturday 2/23 at our agreed-on meeting place at a marina fresh from my long flight, I learned from very friendly and helpful locals that R and L had left me a phone message that they had been detained by Bahama Defense and would be delayed. The confluence of a series of difficulties makes for a long story, but they narrowly avoided being arrested!
Part TWO of my saga:
ReplyDeleteIt's Perfect had made a grueling rough crossing of the gulf stream that took them 14 hours from Miami to an outlying island in the Bahamas, had a second day of sailing to Chub Cay where they had to check in with customs in order to buy diesel fuel there. Rod declared to Customs, among other routine matters, that he had a 22 caliber pistol aboard, along with ammunition. All completely allowable when declared, and he filled out duplicates of three different forms (apparently they don't make copies there) making the declaration. He received his documents and all was in order. Also on Chub Cay the dinghy outboard motor failed (!) and Rod spent time taking the entire engine apart, re-assembling it, but it still wouldn't start, so their transportation for small local trips was not functioning, except by rowing. They resumed their travels on It's Perfect, conscious of the narrow window of time before they were to rendezvous with me in Nassau on Saturday afternoon.
Another day's sail took them to Nassau on Friday, where they put down anchor, and in the process, discovered that a rope that had fallen overboard (without their awareness) and had been trailing in the water--wound itself into the boat's engine as they were making turns to establish an anchorage--and stopped the engine cold. It's Perfect's engine design includes a plastic part that is intended to break first in that circumstance and stops everything else, protecting the metal parts from being more seriously damaged. Anyway, on Friday afternoon they did set anchor, but were unable to re-start the motor, and planned to deal with the mechanical issue the next day. Now both engines (dinghy and boat) were offline.
Anchored overnight Friday night, their anchor dragged and they found themselves unable to change their course as the current moved them into the channel (no motor to change their position!) Nassau Defense Force (think boat police) boarded the boat on Saturday ("You can't anchor in the channel!" "We know, we didn't do this on purpose, we're disabled!") and they found a boat to tow them to a marina dockage where they tied up ($$$!).
Part THREE of my saga:
ReplyDeleteThen Nassau Defense proceeded to go over their customs paperwork. As soon as they boarded It's Perfect, Rod notified them up front that he did possess a firearm, and had declared it at Chub Cay customs (part of the same country, which is "The Bahamas"). Unfortunately, they soon discovered that Chub Cay customs had not written down the firearm declaration on the official entry form THEY created and provided to Rod. Rod had no copy of the declarations he had filled out, and Nassau didn't see any declaration of the gun in the Chub Cay paperwork. They then "inspected" the boat more thoroughly, per their protocols, meaning they opened every cupboard and stowage area, creating considerable mess. Whatever they may have been looking for (smuggled contraband?) all was innocent, but Rod and Linda were still required to accompany the Defense officers to the Defense office nearby for them to straighten out the dilemma.
By this time it was afternoon and they were concerned about meeting me, but Defense would not allow them to leave until they were satisfied that there were no laws being broken. They later learned that the commander (contacted by phone) had instructed they be jailed until the matter was worked out, but the subordinate officer interacting with Rod and Linda was more reasonable and advocated for them to simply remain with him in the office. (Right next door to the office was a chain-link enclosure topped with razor wire!) Eventually, two defense officers brought Linda to the marina office where I had been waiting for 1 1/2 hours (quite peacefully, having faith they would arrive soon, and attended intermittently by a friendly cab-driver who was hanging out there, and who directed me to helpful people to answer my questions.) The Defense boat with Linda on board arrived to pick me up, while Rod was still held at the Defense office. Chub Cay faxed the remaining paperwork showing the firearm HAD been declared, and after another half-hour or so, Rod was allowed to join us on the Defense boat and we were ferried back to It's Perfect on the dock at the marina.
Sunday Rod unwound the offending rope that had stopped the engine. And he was ingenious to be able to fabricate a replacement part for the boat's engine as a backup system for the broken plastic part (!!) and found a mechanic who resolved the dinghy engine problem in a very brief time. In the functioning dinghy, we rode in style to a restaurant where I treated them to a nice seafood dinner. Near the restaurant he located a marine supply store, and he returned there Monday morning and was surprisingly fortunate to find the permanent manufactured replacement part ($$$!), but they will have the backup he fabricated for possible future needs. Monday afternoon Rod installed the part, and thus restored all systems to working order.
Part FOUR of my saga:
ReplyDeleteThe mechanical issues limited the radius of our travels because we then had less time once the engines were all back online. Tuesday we headed out motoring through the harbor (many boats there made the area congested and tricky to navigate) and sailing toward Rose Island. We encountered some very rough water that made for one brief episode of seasickness for me :o( that got better after napping on deck in the shade. (Bonine and my pressure-point bracelets worked very well except for the one time I had to go below to use the bathroom when we had been running the diesel motor to travel in rough seas--the fumes down below hadn't yet cleared out and in the warm still air my tummy disturbance from the boat movement took a severe turn for the worse--improved when I came back to the fresh air on deck. As soon as we had anchored and stopped the engine the fans below cleared the air completely.) Other than that one time I managed the rocking of the boat very well without further illness. Now back on land at home I still have the intermittent sensation of dis-equilibrium like I'm on a rocking deck, but Rod told me I could expect that for a few days after leaving the boat.
We ate very well all week from Linda's well-stocked larder that she manages with creativity and diligence, in a very limited space. We had grilled chicken, roast beef with mashed potatoes (yummy!), and an Asian chicken with rice dish that was spicy and wonderful, tuna sandwiches, and grilled hot dogs. She baked fresh muffins for breakfast two mornings, pancakes another morning, and I had cold cereal with soy milk otherwise. I was very well taken care of! My sleeping accomodations were in the forward V-berth, with cool breezes pleasantly ventilating a snug and comfortable bunk. Their boat also includes 1 1/2 baths, so I had my own little suite!
Part FIVE of my saga:
ReplyDeleteWe snorkeled, and visited two beaches on two different islands (Rose Island had lots of conch shells on the beach, and Athol Island offered a more peaceful anchorage and a pretty white-sand beach with beautiful clear water). We met up with a couple who were friends of Rod and Linda's boating friends from their time on the Houston dock. They live aboard a tugboat and haven't left the Bahamas for 6 years! We shopped a little in Nassau, and found an internet cafe we visited twice for emails and a snack. I spent time in a hammock that swung soothingly with the motion of the water, read several books, watched the amazing ocean, enjoyed cool breezes and good talks, sighted several Eagle Rays (see photo) and a Sea Hare (an invertebrate mollusk--the one we saw was greener than the photo attached) besides conchs, crabs, and lots of fishes. I brought home three beautiful conch shells and assorted other shells and small coral bits. Fishing was not allowed as it turned out we were in a national park where we visited. Surprisingly, no dolphin sightings. Despite sunblock I have a very mild sunburn that will undoubtedly result in a tan. Photos to follow after I process film.
I understand that there was stormy weather expected in the area for a few more days which may keep them anchored on the marina dock, and Rod was intending to install a Ham Radio set that will allow them to have internet access more continuously, since phone service is complicated and expensive.
I thought my perspective might offer some third-party view of the great adventure on which Rod and Linda have embarked. I'm immensely proud of their amazing achievement, and wish them happy sailing for a long time to come.
My great thanks to my sister Linda and brother-in-law Rod for their gracious welcome, good humor, and generous hospitality. It was a wonderful vacation! I love you both. And I WILL find another occasion to visit before too long!
Sorry, didn't know how to attach the photos of the eagle ray and the sea hare. :0)
ReplyDeleteVery nicely done Judy!
ReplyDelete