Headin' South

Jib loving life at Treasure Cay

So we've been on the move quite a bit this week. We left Green Turtle on Monday & went to Treasure Cay. About a 3 hour hop. It was a bit of a rolley ride crossing the whale (the whale is a cut we have to go through from the Sea of Abaco to the Atlantic & then back into the Sea of Abaco....it's too shallow to just cut across. You have to take the scenic route.)

Pictures NEVER do justice to waves. They weren't that big but hitting us broadside...we were rolling back & forth for a couple of hours. Jib was a wreck.

The main reason we went to Treasure was so I could get the iPad cellular internet set up at the local phone company. Our friends tried to do exactly that in Marsh Harbor (the 3rd largest city in Bahamas) but were told "initiating" service could only be done in Treasure Cay. Don't get me wrong....I love Treasure Cay. It makes the top 10 beaches in the world list every year....it's just besides hanging on the beach...there is not a lot to do there. Scott confessed to me that he really doesn't like Treasure. There isn't really any diving & I think Scott just gets bored there. Anyway....so I go to Betelco (the phone company) soon after our arrival only to find that they are all at lunch. The entire staff. Ok....I wait. What else can I do? They return from lunch & unlock the doors...I'm first in line. Things seem like they're going well. The Betelco gal is very helpful & knowledgable & understands exactly the service I am requesting. She sets everything up & then tells me it's ready to go except she can not cut my SIM card to fit the iPad cuz' their card cutter broke. The Bahamas SIM card is too large for iPads or iPhones & has to be cut to size. They have developed this little cutter...looks like a stapler...to do the job. So, now I have internet service but a SIM card that doesn't fit. She instructed me to go to Marsh Harbor to have it cut. Arrrrrgh!!!!

We ended up hanging out in Treasure Cay for a few days mostly because Scott was not feeling well. The truth is, he hadn't been feeling well for days. After pin pointing when he started feeling sick & researching his symptoms we realized Scott has been exposed to Ciguatera. Ciguatera is a bacteria that reef fish carry. It is a neuro toxin. Scott started feeling sick about 12 hours after eating a grouper sandwich at the Marina in Green Turtle. Our friend Greg ate the same thing & is also sick. It's been over a week now but the guys are still feeling ill. They both have burning & itching in their hands & feet, nausea off & on, and profound weakness/fatigue that also comes & goes. One of the symptoms is bradycardia (low heart rate), both guys have experienced that. Scott's pulse is about 50 when he's not feeling well. Greg actually fainted at dinner the other night. The research we read says if it's a mild case it should just go away in a few weeks but can sometimes last for months. It also says to avoid eating fish, nuts, & alcohol. Scott had 2 beers the other day & said his hands were "on fire" soon after. So he's avoiding all that stuff & we're crossing our fingers that his is a mild case.

This has been our gang since St Augustine.....

So as we head south we had to say goodbye to friends we've been hanging out with since St Augustine, Florida. We're all pursuing our individual Bahamas vacation....that's the nature of sailing friendships...but we feel lucky to have met these fine folks & look forward to seeing each other again. Tomorrow we leave Marsh Harbor & sail to Lynard Cay...that's our taking off point towards Eleuthera, Bahamas...another set of islands. I don't know what my internet service will be like. It could be a week or more before I have service...or I might have some right away. Ya never know. Tomorrow's trip will be about 4 hours. Monday we will cross North Providence Channel to Royal Island. It's about a 10-12 hour trip.

 

We spent the past 2 days doing lots of chores. Major grocery shopping & 7 weeks of laundry. The Marsh Harbor laundry mat never disappoints. 10 out of 19 washing machines were out of order. I didn't bother counting the out of order dryers. What can ya do? Nothing. Just wait your turn for a machine, then haul your stuff home on your back. 7 weeks of laundry is heavy. While I do laundry, Scott does the grocery shopping. Which is heavy too & a long walk. Even so...it's still a pretty great life.

Love & miss you all. Xxxooo

Michelle, Scott & Jib

 

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