We hope everyone had a delicious, warm, and happy Christmas with friends and loved ones. Independence was blessed with the arrival of Lisa and Lance. Our cruising buddies joined us in making them most welcome and showing them a full few days of activities. We are sad to say goodbye to them today, but they will continue their brief vacation on Harbor Island, a short flight north of here, before returning to the snow-covered streets of Boston.
Although we did not have snow, we did have a week of strong “Christmas winds” and several days of rain and nasty squalls. These boat-bound days can either drive you a little stir-crazy, or force you into some creative or repair work. Of course, it is always an opportunity to do some needed cleaning and organizing in our small living space.
Independence was decorated with Christmas baubles on the inside, and rope LED lights on our mast and boom. The anchorage looks quite festive with many boats strung up with lights. On Christmas morning a flotilla of dinghies with passengers dressed festively in red, motored from boat to boat singing Christmas carols.
Our Christmas day was spent on a beautiful drift dive (8 of us) where we snagged some lobsters, swam with about 8 huge, and graceful spotted eagle rays, and ended up in a field of conch that we collected for later cleaning (and eating). Later, we all prepared the feast for our progressive dinner. Conch and lobster salads for appetizer, then mahi-mahi parmesan-i (our invention), followed by chocolate cake and coconut cream pie! Somehow we manage to concoct these feasts in our limited galleys.
The next few days were a whirlwind of activity, often starting with vigorous yoga on the beach followed by a refreshing swim (to get the sand of our sweaty bodies).
Paul and I are so grateful to our friends for going all out and showing our guests all the best parts of the Bahamas that we love. (If you don’t love being on and in the water, and camping in tight spaces, it ain’t for you!)
The next few days, after we put L & L on the plane, will continue to be filled with activities. Staniel Cay has a New Year regatta which encompasses things such as a Pirate Party (tonight), a fund-raising auction, a long-shot contest- where you drive golf balls off the dock into the water and chaser boats judge who has the longest drive, more happy hours, and the mixed-doubles race- which is selected cruisers (random from a sign-up) join the Bahamians on their traditional C-class sloops for a race around the harbor. Finally there is the cruising regatta, in which anyone with a sailboat can join in another race around the harbor. This is the most active time on this island, and there are mega-yachts who come every year at this time, and sponsor and support most of these activities which all benefit the local community.
After all this, the presently nice weather is supposed to pick up again with some stronger winds, so we will have to see where and when we go next. Anchorages are determined by direction and velocity of wind, and weather there is a swell or surge present which makes it very rocky and unpleasant on the boat.
I hope to post this email asap, though I have not had any success at raising internet, so I may be taking my computer to shore to see what service I can buy there. So, till then, wishing everyone the best for the new year. Stay healthy, happy and safe, and let us know what you are all up to these days.
With Love from Independence,
Sue & Paul
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