Marsh Harbour
Jan 8 thru Jan 11
-Blogpost written by Bob
Monday, January 8
It has been overcast all day and rain is expected for the next 3 days. (It only rained two days during my entire 3-1/2 months in the Bahamas 26 years ago.) I am going to go crazy after 3 days of rain--Maggie is already there!
 |
| The Marsh Harbour anchorage with overcast skies--it was like this most of the day! |
We went out to lunch today at Snappa’s and, afterward, I bought a shower at the Conch Inn & Marina. To a cruiser, a nice long, hot shower is a complete luxury-one that most “dirt dwellers” take for granted.
 |
| I would love to know what Lizzie is thinking sometimes. She looks bored. But then again, I would probably be disappointed in the simplicity of her thoughts. |
During the afternoon we went to Skagg’s market at the far east end of the anchorage and bought a pair of lobster tails ($20) for dinner tonight. I was just completely tired of grilling all the time and wanted something different.
I am currently reading the book, Fire and Fury, that is all the rage right now--I downloaded it from the Kindle Store on Amazon.com. It sheds a light on the behind the scenes activities that were reported in the national news about the complete incompetency of the Trump White House. It is a shame that we have to be concerned about things like this while we are in paradise.
Tuesday, January 9
We got a lot of rain last night--3.25 inches, to be precise. The sun is shining right at the moment but more rain is on the way for today. On the Cruiser's Net this morning we learned that s/v Ulysses (a Westsail 32 sailing from Culebra, PR) washed up on the beach at Hope Town last night. Two people and two dogs are alive and well but the boat's condition is questionable.
During the night I kept hearing a clunking noise against our boat’s hull. I got up and walked the boat’s perimeter with a flashlight (in my underwear!) and didn’t find anything. The anchor chain was beneath the boat due to the lack of wind-it could have been the chain against the hull.
Unlike last year, we haven’t met many cruisers that have become friends. This could be due to: (a) the fact that a lot of cruisers are still stuck in Florida without a suitable crossing window, (b) Maggie’s absence for the past week, and (c) all the rainy weather that keeps people inside.
 |
| Maggie and I went out to lunch at Wally's-- the nicest restaurant in town. |
 |
| This is Queen Elizabeth Drive in the marina district. Note that cars drive on the left side of the road. |
 |
| A pile of old conch shells is a very typical sight throughout the Bahamas. |
The overcast skies and occasional rain showers make boat life a little boring right now.
It rained for a while and was very windy most of the night--the wind was out of the east to southeast. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night because of the boat's motion. This morning the sky is overcast again. Our plan for the (rainy) day includes pulling the oven out and cleaning behind it (and making good measurements for its replacement during the summer), testing the VHF radio in the navigation station, and making fresh water again using our RAINMAN.
VHF Radio Testing
While the Cruiser's Net was in progress this morning, we checked the receiving capability of the VHF radio in the navigation station on channel 68, while simultaneously having the cockpit VHF on channel 68. The cockpit radio received the Cruiser's Net fine while the VHF radio in the navigation station could not receive signals. Then, I removed the masthead antenna connection from the VHF in the navigation station and hooked up the antenna connection from the shortwave receiver. With the shortwave receiver antenna, the VHF radio received signals fine. Therefore, the problem is either the (8-year old) masthead antenna or the (34-year old) cable running up the mast.
We decided that rather than replacing the masthead antenna and cable that we would remove it completely and mount a new antenna on the stern of the boat, probably on the port side. We will probably use a 8-foot fiberglass extension and mount it on the lower stern rail or mount it high on the bimini frame. This location would allow me to work on it when necessary (and would probably minimize the potential damage from lightning strikes).
Oven Removal & Cleaning
I removed the propane gas line and, working together, we pulled the stove off its pivot pins and out above the guard rail. Maggie thoroughly cleaned the area that was behind and beneath the stove, as well as the external surfaces of the stove. I tried to fix the hinge on the left side but I couldn't get the holes to align with the holes in the loose hinge. We put the stove back in place and hooked up the propane gas line. This project only took about an hour to complete.
Water Making
We made about 40 gallons of fresh water this afternoon (2.5 hours of runtime) in the driving rain. We used nearly 40 gallons of fresh water in the past 4 days which equates to 5 gallons per person per day. We have to strive to reduce this consumption rate!
I still can't believe that the RAINMAN is so noisy. Next time, I am going to wear ear plugs while it is running.
I grilled dinner (steaks and green squash) on the outside grill tonight and my clothes are so wet is is unbelievable. Right now, I just want to get into dry clothes.
We woke up to some sunshine but it only lasted a few minutes before a rainstorm came. Then the rain stopped for a short while and the sun reappeared for a short while.
Listening to the weather forecast on the Cruiser's Net this morning, it looks like we are in for at least two more days of wet weather! This is not at all like the travel brochures, I hesitate to point out.
I want to make a rain catchment system for next year. It seems ridiculous when we bail all the (fresh) rain water out of the dinghy the day after we run the noisy RAINMAN for hours to make fresh water when water can't be much fresher than clean rain water.
There couldn't be a better time to design a rain catchment system than during a rain storm! A big consideration for such a system is that wind (that usually accompanies its rain storms) doesn't blow it away or cause it to dump its contents. The sailcloth guard over the sail cover is intended to prevent salt and bird excrement that may be on the sail cover from entering the system. I envision its size to be 36 inches wide by about 10 feet long.
Let's hope the rain stops soon!
Thanks for following our blog!
Wednesday, January 10
It rained for a while and was very windy most of the night--the wind was out of the east to southeast. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night because of the boat's motion. This morning the sky is overcast again. Our plan for the (rainy) day includes pulling the oven out and cleaning behind it (and making good measurements for its replacement during the summer), testing the VHF radio in the navigation station, and making fresh water again using our RAINMAN.
VHF Radio Testing
While the Cruiser's Net was in progress this morning, we checked the receiving capability of the VHF radio in the navigation station on channel 68, while simultaneously having the cockpit VHF on channel 68. The cockpit radio received the Cruiser's Net fine while the VHF radio in the navigation station could not receive signals. Then, I removed the masthead antenna connection from the VHF in the navigation station and hooked up the antenna connection from the shortwave receiver. With the shortwave receiver antenna, the VHF radio received signals fine. Therefore, the problem is either the (8-year old) masthead antenna or the (34-year old) cable running up the mast.
 |
| We have quite an array of antennas already mounted on the stern of s/v Rainy Days, like for the cockpit VHF, shortwave receiver, and the Sirius satellite radio |
We decided that rather than replacing the masthead antenna and cable that we would remove it completely and mount a new antenna on the stern of the boat, probably on the port side. We will probably use a 8-foot fiberglass extension and mount it on the lower stern rail or mount it high on the bimini frame. This location would allow me to work on it when necessary (and would probably minimize the potential damage from lightning strikes).
Oven Removal & Cleaning
I removed the propane gas line and, working together, we pulled the stove off its pivot pins and out above the guard rail. Maggie thoroughly cleaned the area that was behind and beneath the stove, as well as the external surfaces of the stove. I tried to fix the hinge on the left side but I couldn't get the holes to align with the holes in the loose hinge. We put the stove back in place and hooked up the propane gas line. This project only took about an hour to complete.
 |
| This photo was taken before we removed the stove and thoroughly cleaned everything. |
 |
| Just as we finished the oven project, the rain just poured out of the moisture-laden clouds. |
Water Making
We made about 40 gallons of fresh water this afternoon (2.5 hours of runtime) in the driving rain. We used nearly 40 gallons of fresh water in the past 4 days which equates to 5 gallons per person per day. We have to strive to reduce this consumption rate!
I still can't believe that the RAINMAN is so noisy. Next time, I am going to wear ear plugs while it is running.
I grilled dinner (steaks and green squash) on the outside grill tonight and my clothes are so wet is is unbelievable. Right now, I just want to get into dry clothes.
Thursday, January 11
We woke up to some sunshine but it only lasted a few minutes before a rainstorm came. Then the rain stopped for a short while and the sun reappeared for a short while.
 |
| Maggie bailing the dinghy during a short period of sunshine. The water in the dinghy was about 6 inches deep, just from rains of yesterday afternoon and last night. |
Listening to the weather forecast on the Cruiser's Net this morning, it looks like we are in for at least two more days of wet weather! This is not at all like the travel brochures, I hesitate to point out.
I want to make a rain catchment system for next year. It seems ridiculous when we bail all the (fresh) rain water out of the dinghy the day after we run the noisy RAINMAN for hours to make fresh water when water can't be much fresher than clean rain water.
 |
| A simple sketch of a rain catchment system that is supported by the boom and hangs under the boom. (This is an end view looking into the boom.) |
There couldn't be a better time to design a rain catchment system than during a rain storm! A big consideration for such a system is that wind (that usually accompanies its rain storms) doesn't blow it away or cause it to dump its contents. The sailcloth guard over the sail cover is intended to prevent salt and bird excrement that may be on the sail cover from entering the system. I envision its size to be 36 inches wide by about 10 feet long.
 |
| A glimpse at our weather forecast--the images tell the whole story. |
Let's hope the rain stops soon!
Thanks for following our blog!
No comments:
Post a Comment