When Can We Go?

Back in George Town after a week in Quebec, we began the series of tasks that will see us set sail for parts south and east. Provisions, water, fuel, charts…all ready. Now we wait for the weather. We had hoped to leave today (Wednesday, February 27), but it is supposed to blow like stink, although in the ideal direction. We have no idea when the next window will pop up.

I have received a series of promotions:

• from galley slave to galley freeperson, possibly because of the three-burner meal. It was exceedingly good, but three-burner meals are not a good idea when you’re this close to the tropics

The three-burner meal is not recommended in southern climes.

• from last mate to second to last mate, for managing the lines and anchor with something approaching grace (if not skill), and for swabbing the decks almost as well as Whit
• Naviguesser, only because Whit left
• whipping girl, in charge of splices and whipping
• and chief steward for conspicuous bravery in the performance of rum punches.

The regular sundown Rum Punch Appreciation Panel.

In other words…Where is Whit?????

Get back here and get scrubbing, Swabby!

WW remains:

• Captain
• Anchor watcher
• Worrier, first class
• Guitar guy.

A practice session in the cockpit.

We have been struggling with the satellite phone and no luck so far. WW has taken extreme measures. He suspects that during an early sploosh of water that drenched Frisha and various oddments, the gizmo might have taken on seawater.

A picture of Frisha eating fresh bar jack sashimi. She is not splooshed in this photo,
I just wanted to put one of her in. She's got low representation in the photo so far.

In case I haven’t mentioned it before, sea water is bad for just about everything except what lives in it. It corrodes metal, makes cloth stay damp for days so it rots, and is not nice for human skin. After a swim, before entering the boat, it is necessary to hose off thoroughly. If you sit on the salon cushions in a sea-water-wet bathing suit, the cushion is doomed to a life of dampness. Sea water is good for swabbing decks or washing dishes, but you want to rinse well. Don’t cook with it…you’ll have sodium toxicity with the first bite.

If the sat phone ate seawater, we can assume it hasn’t enjoyed the meal. There is only one cure for sea water: fresh water. WW has plunged our $1,000 satellite phone into repeat rinses of fresh water. It now spends its days sunning and drying out, very very slowly. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, n’est-ce pas?

WW is practising guitar on the deck in a 21 knot zephyr. I am catching up on the blog. I have no idea when I will be able to post again. When we shove off, we are heading into sparsely inhabited areas (Rum Cay, Conception), then a long run down to Providenciales (Provo) on Turks and Caicos. The availability of wifi between here and there can be expected to be nil to zero. So, till then…

Special hellos today to the Siblings and Their Families: Ginny, Derek, David and Charles; Susie; Ken, Jen, Arlo, Natasha, Tanis, Jackson, Mary Lou and Adrianna; and Frisha, Whit, Kathleen, AD and Margaret. Good Lord, there are a lot of you!

Special apologetic hellos to Simone and Mia who didn't make it in the original list.