Small World: March 27 2015

We are getting more and more sorted out every day.  Chris has made a batch of pancakes; I successfully slipped into my bikini bottoms (right way round - yes, an unexpected IQ test); and the ice maker has been sparked up.  Oh la la, we are really civilized...ice maker making ice cubes.  Motor boats are not all bad.

 Before leaving Florida we replaced the almost 900 lb dinghy with a near replica of our former dinghy (roughly 150 lbs by Highfield with a 20 hp outboard).  It is a familiar vehicle and has me buzzing around solo.  Off I went to the laundromat for a load of sheets and towels.  I was sitting reading my book as my wash went from washer to dryer cycles when a woman sat down next to me and asked if I was Erin from Barefeet.  Holy cow – it was Lisa from NH Dreamcathcer!  We bumped into these guys back in 2006 – parents and two kids.  Now they are back in the Exumas with a charter cat and a business in New Hampshire…and grandkids.  Time flies!  Laundromats have always been lucky for me – and my luck continues (Mar 20).

Great times and reunions continued as we moved further south to Long Island.  We anchored in Thompson Bay/Salt Pond and met up with Bill and Louise.  The anchorage is wide and protected from (almost) all wind directions so we should be all set for a nice few days of visiting.  Bill and Louise also go back to our cruising days in 2006 - Rhode Island and the Bahamas.  Together we canvased the island from Stella Maris in the north to Clarence Town in the south looking for seashells and sea beans, clamoring in caves, telling lies and generally catching up.  Roads were a mixed bag of paved, dirt and something in between.  So much laughter and so much fun.  The visit was capped off with freshly caught tuna salad and sundowners on an out-of-town friend’s deck that overlooked both sides of the island in the town of Hamiltons (on the way back to Salt Pond for us).  Stunning!  We have gotta get back for another visit this season (Mar 25).

Following seas pushed us north back to George Town (Mar 26).  As we entered the George Town cut we spotted a catamaran named Tactical Directions.  That name rang a bell so I dove into our ship’s log.  Sure enough – names were confirmed on the VHF and we had made a Med passage together four+ years ago.  This small world thing is off the charts. 

Winds are supposed to be a bit squirrely so we ducked into Red Shanks anchorage.  It is a small anchorage bordered by iron rock so we made extra careful to set the anchor well.  We found a spot and thought of it as Block Island-style anchoring – very close quarters.  As expected the wind piped up but the water was calm in the protected spot.  Sundowners on the top deck were festive as Chris made margaritas with fresh limes and I stole shamelessly from a favorite street food of Mexico.  I made cucumber and papaya nibbles sprinkled with salt, cayenne and a squeeze of lime.  Papayas were picked from the yard of  the traveling friends of Bill and Louise – delicious.