Things We Have Learned

1. We are not very good at fishing. Sorry Ben (our sport fishin’ neighbor on E dock who kindly loaned us rod and tackle), Lynn has tried a number of times, but to no avail. We are probably not equipped with the right bait, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of fish out there. We think we need to be out on the ocean side of the islands perhaps?

2. We have a really good anchor. Someone said to us here (Mike I think) that there are three things you don’t talk about in a social setting…religion, politics and anchors. Everyone has a different opinion about the best set up, but we have been very happy with ours (90-pound Delta plow with 300 feet of 5/8th inch chain rode). Although this may not seem to be the most exciting thing about cruising…it is definitely one of the most critical. So, although it can be a common problem, especially given the high winds this time of year, we have yet to drag on our anchor despite swinging 360 degrees with the wind direction. Something that makes me very happy.

3. Canadians rule here. I think there are more Canadian cruisers than Americans. In a strange way I feel more at home here than at home!

4. Unique Bahamian stuff…like how to make a conch horn and the tradition of blowing it just as the sun sets, preparing and eating conch, the best places to find sea treasures and snorkel, kicking back and relaxing under the sun or stars.

5. How to find our way around the Abacos. We can now confidently read the charts, visually judge the water depth, follow the weather and determine the best sheltered anchorage, drop an anchor that will hold, get provisioned, find lovely anchorages, explore the cays, find the happy hours…

6. More and more about our boat. How to run the engine (including jump starting) and generator, water systems, heads, sailing, etc, etc, etc.

7. Radio etiquette. It’s actually very interesting to discover how much you can learn about people as they talk over the VHF. You learn about their personalities, who they are hanging out with, what problems they may be having with the boats and on and on. It’s pretty funny, a little like Payton Place. We have discovered that people will switch channels to listen to your conversations (OK, I confess I have done this myself). You learn to minimize your air time and use secret codes to transmit which channel to go to for a discussion…like, “Meet me at the dock” really means “Switch to channel 05”.

8. You don’t plan too far ahead, cause plans always change. We get up in the morning and listen to the “Cruisers Net”, which is a combination of local weather, news, sports, and general cruiser information (including the daily specials at area restaurants!) broadcast over the VHF by a combination of local residents and cruisers. They are minor celebrities. If you sit on deck in the morning you can hear their voices reverberating around the harbour as everyone checks in to find out what’s going on. From there you determine whether it’s a good idea to stick with the plan or alter your destination…flexibility is the key.

9. How lucky we are…we are incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity and wouldn’t change a moment of the journey.