HAPPY NEW YEAR Green Turtle, Abacos Jan 2005

We returned to Green Turtle on New years day for Junkanoo. The ferries kept bringing people in from Treasure Cay all morning, and then took them back after. There were probably more visitors from off the Island, than locals. The parade of about 50 kids and adults, most decorated in costumes and face paintings wove its way around the town. We actually saw it 3 times. We met nearly everyone we had met in Green Turtle and Manjack again, had a few rum punches. Brenda and Paul weren't overally excited.



















Sunday: We had seen Margarittaville leave early in the morning with their powerful "car" (not a dingy, this is the one the people were using to wakeboard and parasail behind). We wondering if they had gone to check the Whale to see if it could be passed. Actually, they had taken their son to New Plymouth to catch the Ferry. They didn't know that Bolo would come right to their boat. Several other boats were talking about going through, but the winds/waves really didn't sound that good. Margarittaville offered the use of their powerboat if Paul & Brenda wanted to go wakeboarding. We got together with the 3 other 20something kids from anchorage and they had a good time. Finally Paul had something to smile about.

The boats that went through the Whale on Sunday, reported rough but doable. Monday the wind/waves were the same, but everyone wanted to try it. So we set off, Steelaway, Inukshuk, Runaway and us. The winds were 20k on the nose, the waves were 6-10 ft and Brenda was green. Finally, too late, she took a Gravol. Because our motor is not that big (27hp, vs Steelaway and Runaway have 50+) we took much longer to make the trip and the agony lasted longer. But we made the 90 degree cut after the Whale Cut and just about to unfurl the foresail when the motor stalled. Out went the foresail, and we sailed into Bakers Bay. Paul really enjoyed the sail, close hauled with, heeled, with the toerail in the water. Brenda had something else to be concerned about – "we were going to die" and wasn't as sick anymore. Reassurances like "we are a sailboat, and thank goodness this didn’t happen when we were bucking the Whale" didn’t help. We anchored under sail safely. The boats we were travelling with, did not realize that we had motor problem, just thought those crazy Joslins’ "love to sail".

Tuesday and Wednesday were beautiful days at Bakers Bay. We snorkeled, walked the beach, put up our marker on the beach bar, watched surfers on the oceanside beach, had a bonfire....Life was good, but Brenda and Paul had to go back home. We motored back to Marsh Harbour (the motor problem was dirty fuel, so we ran the motor off a red can of diesel to get back to Marsh).



Thursday, a gorgeous day, always the way, when you have to go home, we put Brenda and Paul on their replacement plane to go home. Despite the problem getting out of Marsh, and the taxi ride in Florida, we had a message that they made it home safely and on time.
Ross refiltered all the diesel in the fuel tanks. Looks like we got a biological black growth, so put in some biocide to kill it, and hopefully now everything will be okay. Everyone at sometime has fuel problems, hope this is ours and it won't happen again. Today, (Sat) we are continuing on with some basic boat maintenaince, then will be going back to Bakers Bay with the gang (Ron from La Voile au Vent is back).


An Update on Bakers Bay: January 2005 -- Sadly, the ruins of Bakers Bay were being cutdown by chainsaws. Unfortunately, the property has been sold and the new owners are converting this end of Guana Cay to an upscale marina, golf course and condos. We may have had our last visit to "Treasure Island"