We have been rather busy the last few days.  We were waiting for an electric switch to arrive from Lagoon in France.  It is an important piece of equipment as when it stopped working we lost all power on the boat and were unable to run ANYTHING, including the stove (which is gas with an electrical connection), electric toilets and of course power to everything including instruments.  Mark fixed it temporarily, but we ordered the essential switch.  It arrived yesterday so we took the dinghy over to Staniel Cay to get it.  It was a long way but the water was calm and the winds were light so we went at full speed and got there in 20 minutes. 

While waiting these last few days we had lots of time to hike on the beautiful beaches of Thomas Cay.  We also found lots of good places to snorkel especially near Joe Cay.  Above I am doing just that.  While it might look like I have a warm wetsuit on, we neglected to buy that important equipment, so I’m actually just wearing a shirt and shorts I use for yoga over a swim suit.  It helps, but those wetsuits are tops on our “wish list” to buy when we get back to the States.   More photos of snorkeling near Joe Cay are here.

There is a free garbage dump in Staniel Cay, a short walk from the beach and we stopped there with a few bags yesterday.  Every time we’ve gone we’ve found something to take back.  One time we got a ladder to use in the dinghy for climbing back on when we snorkel.  Another time we got a foam “noodle” which people use for swimming, but we use when we put the dinghy on the davits to protect it from the tight ropes.  This time we got some nice rope which was on huge cement bags to hold them shut.  One note about the dump.  It is a huge hole outside the town and residential area, but very well kept up.  Regularly, they burn down the garbage and push it back into piles which are eventually buried.  There are a flies there, but other than that the smell isn’t even all that bad.

While we were in Staniel Cay the mail boat came in.  This is the delivery boat from Nassau that comes to all of the islands with deliveries.  You can see the cars and golf carts lined up to get their supplies in the photo at the left.  The people in the area await the arrival as this is when the stores will be stocked.  The boat doesn’t come on the same day each week, so you can’t really plan on being there for the arrival.  It gets there when it gets there.  We thought we’d wait, but even though the boat was being loaded and the store we went to, Isle General, was a few blocks away, we waited two hours.  All the boxes had to be delivered in a small SUV and golf carts, then unloaded and put on shelves.   The stores here are the size of small convenience stores in the States.  We have gone to them the day after the supplies arrive and most of the fresh fruits and vegetables are gone.

While we waited, a group of five American woman were sitting by us.  It turned out that they live in homes here during the winter, and still have homes in the States.  They volunteer at Isle General by stocking the shelves.  It is owned by a man named Burke and his wife.  Burke has one arm, the other lost when he drove his truck across the nearby runway and was hit by a plane landing.  It’s a small airport and of course there is no control tower.  Planes land by sight.  Burke is a wealthy property owner on the island but still works at his store.  None of the smaller stores hire anyone to work - it’s just the wife and husband who man the cash register.  We saw one of Burke’s lots for sale for one million dollars.  It is on a bluff overlooking Exuma Sound.  As with all Bahamians we’ve met he is friendly and helpful.

When it opened, we were in the store quickly along with about 20 other people.  By the time we left, the store was packed with people and there were just a handful of tomatoes and other fresh fruits and vegetables left.  The prices were fairly reasonable.  We paid 75 cents for each orange and 80 cents for apples.  However, prices aren’t marked on the items and you don’t get an itemized receipt, so we are never sure what everything costs.  After being here awhile we are resigned to the fact that if we want fresh food and need to replace items, we just have to pay the price.  I guess we save money by dumpster diving.

While at the Staniel Cay Marina we saw a yacht belonging to a neighbor in Minnesota.  The Mimi, a 125 foot yacht, is owned by the Hubbard family from St. Mary’s Point, MN.  It is near Bayport and Stillwater on the St. Croix River about 15 minutes from our house.  Stanley Hubbard owns TV and radio stations in the Twin Cities and started Direct TV.  The Hubbards weren’t aboard, but I was searching online for information about the yacht and came across a fellow Minnesotan’s blog.  It was an entry from January 29, 2010 from a couple who live aboard a sailboat.  They met Mr. Hubbard on the dock. When he found out they were from Minnesota, he invited them aboard for a tour and cocktails.  Reading their blog, we realized we sure missed out on an adventure.  We saw the Mimi at the marina when we were in Staniel Cay on January 27 and talked to the crew but they said Mr. Hubbard had just gone ashore.   Here’s the blog of the couple who did go aboard with a detailed description of the yacht.