Windsong - John Denver

Sheila got here!!!!! I was so excited about the prospect of having females back on the boat I couldn't stand it! Sheila arrived Saturday afternoon as well as our group for the week. The Van Der Zee's climbed aboard to celebrate easter week and it was a blast. Edo and Mary Beth have been close friends with Bruce and Sheila for years and their two sons, Jake and Pete are very easy going and fun. Johnny, houseboat Mark's son also joined us on the trip for the week. We had a long sail all the way down to Staniel on Easter morning but it was great being on the water. I learned that Pete rows for his HS back in Jacksonville FL so we had some crew talks. Mary Beth and Edo were really fun and had some great stories all week. Jake was so adventurous, even at 12, and wanted to do any and everything possible and Pete was always up for it as well. I got to swim around in thunderball cave which was very cool and then run the dingy for the guys to jump off the island... next time I will be jumping! We spent two days in Compass Cay where I got to enjoy swimming and hanging out with Cheyenne and watching a couple movies with 2 guys who work crew on a yacht. It was really nice having people my age to hang out with. Our first night at compass everyone was hanging out on the dock from all the other yachts. Two of them the owners were gone so all the crew were able to hang out and someone brought a huge cooler full of beer so it was a good time.

Jake Catching a barracuda

Us playing in Rachel's Bubble Bath

Driving the Skiff...

After Compass we spent a day sailing around the outside of Compass and went snorkeling at Rocky Dundus (or Dungeons in my mind) and Cheyenne joined us. I dropped my snorkel under the boat while getting in and immediately a barracuda was inspecting it. I don't know if I have mentioned the fact that I have seen way to many barracuda and have been swimming with them 3 different times, one actually about to strike me. Needless to say barracudas scare me more than sharks because they will attack you just to, like out of spite. So anyway Cheyenne is even more terrified of them so she is clambering onto the boat super fast, I am pretty intimidated at this 3 foot barracuda 12 ft below me. Sheila insists that if I just jump in with a really large splash it will get scared off. I make the biggest splash possible and when the bubbles clear it hasn't moved an inch. It just watching me out of the corner of its eye, hovering over my snorkel. In the end it swims off and I get my snorkel and force Cheyenne in the water for 10 minutes of snorkeling. We then hit Rachel's Bubble Bath at the tip of Compass where there is a pool and the water splashes over the rocks into it and its really fun. We played in that for a while getting swept out by the waves and it was fun. Jake of course was climbing all over all the rocks as well. We then headed back into the Exumas Park and moored right by Johnny Depp's Island, unfortunately he wasn't home. Then we snorkeled around a reef called the aquarium because it is so full of fish. It was really great. That night we studied the constellations because Edo had this phenomenal application on his computer that told you all of the stars where you were, you just plugged in your area and what direction you were facing. It was so neat. Edo is a pilot for a cargo plane company so he has been all over the world. We spent a lot of evenings hearing him talk about amazing places he went and looking at some fantastic photos of things that he got to see. I kept thinking, man why didn't I become a pilot, but then I would remind myself how much I actually hate flying. The next day we sailed up to Wardrick and spent the day hiking around the island. I was somewhat anti-social because I couldn't put the book I was reading down. (Alter of Bones) Then Friday we headed back to Nassau and had some delicious chinese food and hung out before they had to leave Saturday morning. I have really started to not like Saturdays, I don't like saying goodbye to people, but we get to see them in Florida when we do our sail up!

Life is good!

Fighting the waves

Edo wasn't crazy about swimming with the sharks

"Cheeseburger In Paradise" - Jimmy Buffett

This week was great. Like I say basically every week, but I do love it. Don't get me wrong, being on a boat in the middle of the bahamas working all day every day gets exhausting but I have a great boss and fantastic groups to charter and it makes it easy. But I loved my group this week. Another group of boys, but they were still great even if I was still the only girl. Keep in mind it was just bruce and I for crew, usually it is bruce, sheila, a first mate and a deck hand. The group was all family and a couple of friends. Ok here is how it went:

Vince: the grandpa and head of the group. He was so great and really easy to talk to and get along with. He was also from Tryon (SP?) in NC where Andy's group had been from and we had some long chats about those guys!

Rusty: one of Vince's sons who was highly entertaining and easy to get along with. He was the witty guy who kept trying to get me in trouble.

John: Vince's other son who was so friendly and the most positive person I know (other than Ginny)

Walter: Johns father-in-law and my favorite person to talk to. He was so cute (I hope thats not an insult) and he would clamber down the ladder and just float in the water and then give me a hard time because I was worried about him the whole time. Then he would get back on the boat have his scotch and start wailing songs with Bruce and all I could do was chuckle at his love for the water and the Bahama star.

David: Vince's son-in-law and a real character. We spent time discussing charleston, him being a huge cofc basketball fan, and all the restaurants that must be visited, and why IOP or Folly is better.

DT: David's son and he's going to CofC next year! I spent all week giving him advice and talking dorms and classes. He was also a big help all week.

Logan: also a senior was Vince's grandson (his mom being one of Vince's daughters) and he was also great. He was looking into going into the Army next year, but by the end of the week he was reconsidering being a deck hand next year...

Joe: a good friend of the guys and real fun, being the oddball he handled it well and was extremely fun to have around.

Chris: Friend of the group and a real great guy. He owns a cigar store/bar in spartenburg (dad I think you would love it) and had brought a giant tupperware of cigars so I got a little spoiled trying great tasting cigars every day (Bruce also being a big cigar fan as well as all the guys on board).

Drew: Chris's son and really interesting to talk to and a life savor at times. Drew had worked on a charter dive boat before so he was great tying cleats and coiling water.

Highlights for the week... we went to Allens Cay the saturday night when they got in. The sail over was great and everyone was so friendly and interested in how on earth I wound up with Bruce and of course what my future would hold... We got in after dark but it was a decent crossing and the stars were beautiful. We did some snorkeling and iguana seeing and I struggled a bit with driving the dingy and went to Hawksville and on down to Compass. Lots of afternoons spent diving and flipping off the bow – a favorite pass time. The boys loved to hike and Bruce would take them on different trails on the islands, Vince leading the way in his hightop socks and great hat. Cheyenne, the girl around my age who lives on a boat with her parents in Compass, and I got to do yoga on the beach one morning and it was fantastic. We went farther south to Staniel Cay and snorkeled around thunderball cave, where the 007 movie was filmed! We fed the wild pigs that live on Big Majors and then headed back north. A couple scary dingy rides with David and Joe doing acrobats on the bow made it all the more interesting. We stopped in Wardwick wells where the Exuma Park headquarters is and the views from there were spectacular. Then one last day in Normans Cay playing on Corona Island and collecting conch shells before the sail back to Nassau on Good Friday. Bahamians take Good Friday very seriously and only one restaurant was open for dinner that night, but we enjoyed it anyway and had a great exploration of the Atlantis aquariums as well. Including seeing all the sharks that Steven (one of Bruce's friends who works for atlantis) insisted were all nurse sharks. I told him if he was so sure why not go swimming with them (he wasn't that confident). In the end the week was great. Even being short handed everyone was willing to help and pitch in. By the end of the week Walter was insisting I tell him what really was going on in my love life (unable to believe I was single) and Rusty was discussing catholicism with me and leaving catholic magazines for me to read. Everyone was concerned on what I would do next and it made me so humbled because I cared for them so much. Chris even said if I ever found myself in SC again the bartenders made great tips at his cigar shop. I felt very blessed to have met all these great guys and was sad to see them go, which I told them on saturday morning but they just insisted I told that to every group (which so far has been true) but still, I was very sad to see them go.

Rusty and David enjoying their beers

The acrobatics....

(from L to R)

Logan, Rusty, Vince, John, David, and DT

The boys flag left on compass

Joe of course had to climb the tree

Sorry i dont have any photos of Walter, Chris or Drew, i just have the ones Rusty sent me... hopefully i will be sent some more... one day

Hanging out, Down the Street" - Big Star

Yes, if you have calculated I was on a boat with just Captain Bruce. We had another week off and it was just the two of us! I really enjoyed myself and all the people we met. Saturday we were picked up by Bruce's friends, Bill and Lea, who took us to there house “the castle” for a delicious lasagna dinner. They run sort of a halfway house for kids who hit 18 but still cant make it on there own because of school or whatnot. They also have three kids and 5 year old boy, and 2 year old girl and a newborn. I loved playing with them and enjoyed dinner. It made me realize I am ready for a niece....

Sunday we anchored out at Fort Montague and spent the whole week out there. I got to meet many of Bruce's friends who came out for dinner. We spent a day helping houseboat Mark put cleats on his boat, we installed oarlocks onto the dingy for emergency use. We tried them out and it made me really miss rowing. Then we spent an evening hanging out on the gas dock of Bruce's friend, Chris. Chris, I swear, is Shaggy (like seriously) and cooked burgers on a george foreman (surprisingly tasty). We also spent a day installing a water tank, door locks, and fixing the porch of Tina, Bruce's friend's mom's house (no idea how to correctly say that). We also went out for a delicious japanese meal. My fried rice was to die for! That night we went out to the bar, Hammerheads, and I met Darren and Onike. They live here in the Bahamas and are closer to my age and were really fun. Friday night we had a huge cookout at the dock and they came as well as Chris (aka Shaggy, which I told him after getting agreement from Onike). Bruce fried up chicken and there was like 20 people there and we had a good night. The next morning was spent cleaning the boat for another charter... get this- all guys!

Sorry about the lack of photos, I never get my camera out!

That last one is kinda what the new boat will look like!

"No shoes, no shirt, no problems" - Kenny Chesney

After our first charter we had a couple weeks off! Thats right two whole weeks of free time! I was ready to take advantage of it. Jay had found out his dad was having some health issues so this was also going to be his last week on the boat! So we went out in style. Jay had a friend, Jordan come out for the week and was he fun. Charlie was also still there, so once again a boat of boys... and me. We had a blast all week doing nothing and drinking cold beer. We sailed out Sunday to the Exumas for the first of many trips I will take. We stopped in Highborne for the night, then sailed farther south to Hawksville. From Hawksville we headed straight for Compass Cay before hitting Normans Cay on the way back to Nassau.

Highlights included riding in houseboat marks truck to church with 4 of us and 40 jugs of water in the bed. Pulling up to Hawksville and seeing two sea planes take off. One of the pilots even let us see the inside of his before he took off right in front of the beach and flew over us! It was very cool. We snorkeled in a couple of cool caves and saw tons of beautiful fish and coral. We spent two nights anchored at Compass Cay and had an adventure! Compass cay is where I went and fell in love with the Bahamas three years ago. It is a private island owned by the very friendly Tucker and where all the nurse sharks are. The dock was full of yachts and we spent the two days swimming, eating tucker burgers, and had a pot luck dinner with all the yacht people (their boats worth more than I will ever make). Of course there was the day in Compass where I was floating in the water with an ice cold beer and it was only 7:30. After Compass we snorkeled in a sunken sea plane off normans cay (the once cocaine capital of the world) and had a corona on the corona island (from the commercials). We had AMAZINGLY delicious burgers at MacDuffs, the bar and restaurant on the island that is inhabited by 7 people. I have learned the trick to getting free drinks- be the only girl in the bar! I am ready for some girls to be on this boat I will tell you, but found it entertaining to be the only girl in a full bar. Bruce made friends with the crazy greek guy that put down 2k at the end of the night... Crazy. It was a fun night and I was sad when we made it back to Nassau and I had to say goodbye to Jay, Charlie, and Jordan.

"Laying Low Down in Abaco"-Barefoot Man

I am in the bahamas!!!! I had a surreal moment sitting in the crystal clear water with 70 degree weather and feeling the first licks of the sun on my very pale skin. I took the first chance I could to jump in and swim. The water felt phenomenal and I already loved the Abacos. (This northern most group of islands) I felt bad for Doug who had to make an emergency run to Coopers town hospital because his esophagus had closed around a piece of food and he hadn't been able to swallow anything since the night before (everyone blamed the biscuits). After taking Doug over and learning he had to fly to Nassau for the night we headed over to Manjack Cay where Capt. Bruce had friends who lived on the island. Leslie and Bill were great. They had this really amazing house on the island (only 8 or so houses) and they had a great garden and grew most of what they ate, used solar energy and caught all there water from the roof. They were so warm and welcoming and we spent the night anchored off their island enjoying Corn beef since it was St. Patty's day.

The next day we went down to Green Turtle Cay to go through customs and have our first bahamian beers at the very fun Blue Bee restaurant and I experienced my first Goombay smash – rum punch with pineapple, coconut, orange juice, and flavored rums, basically an extremely tasty and dangerous drink. The rest of the day was spent trying conch and wandering around Green Turtle. Wayne talked Jay, Charlie, Don, and I into the small little museum about the island. The old woman who showed us around was too cute and the history very interesting. I also learned that the name Albury is HUGE in the bahamas and it sounds almost identical to Aubrey so a lot of bahamians hear my name as Albury Anne and I have decided my great uncle must have been named after a bahamian so it must be in my blood. That night we watched a beautiful sunset at sundowners and had some drinks before taking the very long walk to Pineapple. Pineapple was a very cool bar on the water on the other side of Green Turtle.

They had a one man band and I spent the night dancing with Wayne, Don and the Petes. Don kept calling me baby girl so I gave him the new name big papa. Although I feel like all those guys are my uncles. The next day we picked up Doug after some confusion from Coopers and then headed back to Manjack for the full moon party.

The full moon party was fantastic. Some of the guys built the fire on the beach while Bruce taught me the wonders of making his own punch (very toxic) and deep frying a turkey. We hiked the mile across the island to the beach for an amazing night meeting people who lived on the island or were anchored out and ate delicious food and drank punch and watched the sunset and the moon rise over the water while we stayed warm by the huge bonfire. Richard and a lady from France (I think) played harmonicas and it was the greatest evening.

We stayed another day in Manjack swimming and all the uncles tried to help me learn the dingy... I am getting better guys. I didn't hit anything so thats good. That afternoon was spent helping Bill and Leslie put new fronds on their little cabana on the beach. After a night enjoying lobster (another new favorite) speared by Ron, Jay and Charlie we headed to Marsh Harbor but the weather was not happy with us. After fighting the wind we had to sail out to open sea through “Whales Cut” and the waves were doing everything to stop us. Bruce is at the hull and I come up from the galley because while I don't think I am seasick, 6 foot seas while reading in the galley is just asking for it. So we all sat around behind Bruce as he battled the waves and made it look easy. I found it thrilling riding the waves and watching our bow shoot up into the sky and then crash down in the waves and disappearing as the water rains down on us. After we get pass the breakers Bruce yells pull up the main sail, I hesitate long enough to say “NOW?” and am on my feet with Jay and we pull that sucker up in record time. I loved it. We made it to Marsh Harbor safe and sound and I was secretly wishing it was farther away. I really should type these up sooner because I can't remember what we did that day.

The next day we sailed over to Man-O-War for the morning and walked around. It was a very cool place and Doug, Wayne and I wandered around and saw the famous Albury Brothers boatyard. They are the famous boat makers down in the Bahamas. We walked along a beautiful beach and saw all the beautiful houses. We had lunch at the restaurant by the docks and it was delicious. I had chicken in a bag, apparently its a common Bahamian thing. It is a brown bag and inside is fried chicken and french fries covered in ketchup and hot sauce. I am a fan. Then we headed on to Spanish Wells that is right at the top of Eluthera (another main island). We made a stop at Dolphin beach for the afternoon and it quickly became one of my favorite beaches. It is on the top of Eluthera on the open sea side and it is completely undeveloped. We anchored and swam in and wandered around the beach. Bruce told us there was a rope you could climb and then jump off the cliff and of course I had to do it. I convinced Doug (though it wasn't hard) to join me. After a failed attempt to find the path we picked our sand spurs and walked in the waist deep water and then swam around to the rope. After the embarrassingly difficult rope climb I made it to the top and jumped off. Don't worry mom it was like 6 feet deep and I cleared the coral. Doug jumped next and we decided we had to do it one more time. Then we swam into the little cave and climbed around. After making it back to the boat we had delicious hamburgers and milkshakes at Spanish Wells and then headed to Current Cut.

Current cut is an island with a small passage from the inside to the open ocean side where the current goes 7 knots (really fast, our boat is happy to go 6) during the tides. We anchored there for a night and I got a well needed joy shower. A joy shower is actually not joyful or a shower at all. You jump in the water off the back of the boat (or the bow if you're feeling adventurous) and climb onto the dive platform, cover yourself in Lemon Joy and jump back in. It is actually very rejuvenating to say the least and my only form of cleaning myself all week until I get back to Nassau. However it doesn't bother me one bit (shocker I know). We watched the sunset while Bruce blew his conch like a good sailor (something I now expect every night when I see the sun go down) and I tried to learn. The sail back to Nassau the next day was great and I started getting sad thinking about saying goodbye to all my uncles. A few of us went and had the best and spiciest conch salad that has ever existed when we got in. McKinley's under the bridge, go there it will change your life. Thursday night was spent enjoying Bruce's conch chowder and exploring Atlantis. We wandered all the aquariums and saw a couple manarays -always awesome- and went to sleep early. The next morning Doug, Jerry, and Don left to go home. The afternoon was spent being lazy around Nassau. On the Run, aka my home away from home, is the gas station right by the marina and has internet and not to shabby food too. I spent the afternoon emailing and working on my blog. That night nobody felt like going out so we hung out on the boat and enjoyed our last evening together. The next morning the rest of my uncles left and Jay, Charlie and I got busy cleaning the boat. The next group was getting in that afternoon and we had lots to do!

"Harbour Island"- still dont know who sings it...

I have decided that since I am a horrible writer, lets face it you all have noticed, my blogs will just be mostly photos. I have been informed that this is all y'all really care about, which is a relief because I really don't enjoy typing up everything I do. So here goes me trying to revise my blogs, (though I have been informed by 3 different people down here that I talk to much) and make them only the important details.

Our first charter was amazing! I loved our group. It was only 7 men (yep all men again) but they were all so friendly. They were all friends that do vacations together every year and have been on the Bahama Star for years (coming every other). The group is as follows:

Andy- who headed the group, an ex-drama teacher. I knew I would get along with him when he busts out the “We've got Trouble” monologue/song the first night. It was awesome and he was really fun and interesting. He actually is a financial advisor so everyone told me he would give me advice and he did at the end of the week. He also has written a couple self-help books. I found “The Graduate's Book of Practical Wisdom” on my bed. I laughed because I have never been given a self help book before, especially from the writer. I didn't know if it was like a “You NEED this” gift but I am actually reading it and enjoying it! I appreciated the gesture.

Rob- The BFG, really and truly I cant think of a better description. (for you non Ronald Dahl readers thats the Big Friendly Giant and you should be ashamed for not knowing that)

Dean- Oh lawd... Deano the Greeko was a character. He is Charlie's boss and one of the most entertaining and kind people I have met. We spent evenings talking and laughing and he is so much fun.

Mike- ha ha Mike was a character as well. He was the witty and sarcastic one that just always had you either laughing or scratching your head. Always doing his fist pump supermans with Rob or going on a tale about something or another (think Gilmore girls)

Hugh T- an ex-principle who loved sailing and was always sitting right by the hull asking questions and always wanting to hop in and help. He was a cool guy to talk to and really loves the water and wants to sail his small sailboat down!

Dan- Robs brother and the newest of the group. He was given a hard time all week because he was always sleeping! Real fun, even if he struggled at cards...

John- So much fun. John was the athletic one who was training for the boston marathon in like 4 weeks. He almost didn't come because of it (yes I gave him crap for this) He was also very adventurous so we went snorkeling together at the reef like half a mile from the beach in harbor island (didn't realize it was that far). So we swam out and he has done ironman like three times (I know I felt very out of shape) and I am semi dying and he is just swimming far ahead and then stopping and checking to make sure I am still afloat and then swims more. But the reef was cool, I even swam through a hole in the coral!

I have done a great job keeping this short I know. So if you cant tell I really enjoyed the group! If all the charters are as interesting as these guys I may never come home! We went up to Eluthera for the week and Spanish wells. As well as harbor island which was a very beautiful island. The beach's sand had a pink hue to it because of the coral, it was very cool. The highlights were first off, Eukher (SP?) my new favorite card game. I learned it the first night (apparently its a “midwestern thing”) and John and I rocked it all week. Every night john, mike, rob and I would play (you have partners, its kinda like hearts) and john and I were FANTASTIC. I would go on about how great we were but y'all don't really care (I hope mike and rob don't read this). Anyway other highlights were one night when we were anchored out we had live music. Mike and Andy are both great singers and we spent a while just sitting under the stars giving them songs to sing. Deano even sang “Old Man river” and it was the highlight. We also spent a day at harbour island and took advantage of the pool too! We played water volley ball and some of the guys were actually the “net” deano felt like he should be taller (standing next to rob causes that) so he was a jumping net. We won, just saying. We also spent an evening in Spanish wells having a FEAST. I'm serious, Jared, bruces friend who lives there, and his wife and sister cooked up a the meanest food ever. I am talking we had conch salad, crab legs, tuna, grouper, chicken, some other fish, and I ate it all! I even liked the tuna. It was soooo much fun. I learned how to play Bahamian dominos (horrible at it) and we just had so much fun. All in all it was a great week and I really do miss those guys.

I should tell you that about 3 days before we went to harbour island bruce started singing this song. It got in my head and we would find ourselves singing it all the time. But unfortunatly i have yet to hear the real song and bruce only knows two lines, so i just sing these two lines constantly. I now fight ever using the word harbour or island (yes its hard) because bruce will start singing it and then it is stuck in my head all day! It is a horrible cycle, enjoy!