December 29

December 29, 2000

Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas

We're still here in Nassau, five days after my last update. The plan, as formulated when we first arrived at Chubb Cay, was to stay in Nassau through Christmas. This would allow us to get presents for the kids and to see Junkanoo on Boxing Day (12/26). We would then leave on 12/28. Well, as I stated in past log entries plans are made to be changed when cruising. Also, as I mentioned in the last update, we are slaves to the weather.

From 12/22 through 12/26 the wind blew from N through NE at more than 20 knots, often approaching 30 knots and more, and with rain for about 30 hours during that period. Reports from elsewhere in the northwest Bahamas were even worse. Even if we had wanted to, we could not have left Nassau. On the afternoon of 12/26 I turned on our instruments to check wind speed and direction. The display at the helm wasn't working. The next day, at Christopher's idea of the crack of dawn (8:30 AM), I started to work on taking apart the display to try and fix it. No luck. So much for leaving on the 28th. Departure would have to be delayed so that I could visit FedEx to ship the bloody remote back to the manufacturer. Wouldn't you know it, the 28th turned out to be the best day in almost a week and I had to use it for running an errand. Worse yet, the weather systems streaming across the southeast U.S. were expected to produce a gale in the Straights of Florida and into the Bahamas for the 29th.

The weather has developed just as predicted. It is now the 29th, we had rain last night, although the sky is partly sunny this morning, and the wind is out of the NW at 25 knots. Tomorrow things should be settled enough for us to leave. Don't get me wrong, we all like Nassau, but enough is enough; especially since we have a rendezvous in George Town with the Buck parents between 1/11 and 1/18/01. We will be rushed to get there, about 90 miles away, even though we will have nearly two weeks to do it. As always, weather will play a role. Beyond that, many cruisers spend a month going down the Exuma chain to George Town.

A word to those planning this kind of trip and anticipating visits from friends and family. You landlubbers planning a visit must understand that for cruisers distance and time have a different meaning. For a sailboat 90 miles is a LONG way when one can only sail in daylight. It gets even longer when weather can delay the boat for days. Since arriving in the Bahamas we have talked with many boaters hosting, or planning to host, visitors. In every case they have ended up sailing on days that they would not have otherwise just so that they can meet a deadline. Boaters should have visitors fly into a location that they plan to visit for a couple of weeks or more, and the visit should be scheduled for the end of that period.

Nassau has been fun. We've done some sightseeing and some lounging about, some errands, and been to a couple of parties.

	One day Maria, Diana and I went over to Paradise Island. We visited 'The Cloisters', seen in the background, and the associated Versailles Gardens. The 15th century French Cloister was first shipped to Florida en route to become a part of the Hearst estate in California. It languished in boxes in Florida until it was acquired by a Nassau developer and reassembled on Paradise Island. Even though it is now crowded by homes and apartments, the Cloister and Versailles Gardens are quiet and bucolic. Without a 6 year old in tow we could have spent more time there in quiet contemplation. As it was, Diana wanted to run on to see what other sculptures she could find in the gardens. The sculptures range from Hercules to Roosevelt.
On the same trip to Paradise Island we went to Atlantis, the Disneyesque hotel and resort. At right is the fountain out in front of the hotel. These golden Pegasus give just a small taste of the campy, glitz of the place. The big draw to Atlantis is the aquarium, part of which is open to the public at no charge. The Atlantis aquarium is worth the visit so that you can see the variety of fish that the snorkelers see out on the reefs here in the Bahamas.
	On Christmas Eve the boaters here at the Nassau Harbor Club got together for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. We put up our Christmas tree in the galley. This is how it looked early on Christmas morning after Santa had been to visit. Below and to the right of the Christmas tree you can see the emptied glass of milk Diana had left for Santa. She also had made chocolate chip cookies for him. Later on Christmas Day we went over to East Bay Marina for a potluck dinner with other cruisers that we know. The spread was fantastic, even if the weather was cold and windy.
Junkanoo starts at 1 AM on Boxing Day and goes on for another eight or nine hours. Then they do it all again on New Years Day. The parade is similar to the Mummer's Parade in Philadelphia on New Years Day. The costumes are elaborate and whimsical; lots of feathers, beads, small reflective chips and bright colors. At right is one of the 'floats'. A float must have no wheels and be carried by one person. Someone in the crowd guessed that the one at the right, about ten feet in diameter and 12 feet high, weighed 200 pounds. The members of the company or club take turns getting inside and carrying it down the street. Those who do the carrying are the size of U.S. football players and look like they are wearing shoulder pads.