Message In A Bottle

It has been a very interesting week at isolation island. Our friends Eddie and Gail on Seaquel were able to join us for a few days while they waited for a weather window to return to the States.  It was so good to see them again!  We had originally planned to hop down the Exuma chain until we met up with them, but the lockdown halted our south bound travel plans.  Luckily, their journey north led them to us.  We were able to squeeze a lot of fun into the few days they were here.  On Easter Sunday, I suggested that we hold an ‘egg’ hunt on the beach.  The goal was to beach comb and collect any items that resembled an egg.  The winner would receive a snickers bar and jelly beans...fun!

Eddie and Gail are hunting for ‘eggs’.  There was an ‘informal’ complaint filed, to make us aware that due to being Jewish, they felt that their lack of experience in this exercise put them at a disadvantage.  Nope, not buying it...look for an egg😉. 

We intentionally planned our egg hunt during low tide, because there is so much more to see.  The rock structures left behind by erosion are fascinating!

These were the final entries for the ‘egg’ hunt competition.  Eddie did find a very fragile sea urchin skeleton that really was a perfect egg shape, however, it was crushed by the time this picture was taken.  As you can see, we had a coconut, two rocks, sea sponge, blue float, some type of fruit/nut from a local bush, and a turtle egg shell.  Yes, the white ping pong ball shaped object next to the coconut is a turtle egg (shell).  Everyone agreed that the actual egg should win so Keith was the winner, however, taking Eddie’s great urchin skeleton into consideration (coupled with the handicap points for being Jewish) the guys agreed to share the candy.  Win-win (that’s for you Tom)!

So...after returning to the boat and thinking about the turtle egg, I realized that nesting season is upon us, and that beach was littered with a LOT of trash.  It wasn’t really the trash that worried me so much, but the amount of nets, ropes, and lines that could entangle turtles that really caused concern. So I proposed that we return to that beach to clean up the entanglement items.  Eddie and Gail were happy to join us to help.  There was so much debris on this beach, coupled with the fact that there is no way for us to properly dispose of it, I was happy with just the plan of dragging all nets and ropes up the steep rock face and throwing them into the vegetation.  The next hurricane would probably take them back out to sea, but I was content with the possibility of helping the turtles for a few seasons.  However, once we started cleaning Eddie and Gail proposed that we just clean up everything...that is how I found the bottle!

With my hands full of plastic, I spotted this bottle.  I picked it up and balanced it with all of the other items and headed to our trash pile.  Just as I was getting ready to throw everything into the trash I noticed a cork in the bottle...strange.  I got rid of the plastic and held the bottle up to the light and saw a small scroll of paper tied with black string.  A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE!!  How exciting!  I sat on a rock and pried the cork out with my knife, and this wonderful message came out.  The message had traveled approximately 1,300 nautical miles in just under one year. As it turns out, Randall Reeves, the author of the note, is a bluewater sailor who was in in middle of an historic solo circumnavigation taking him through both Arctic and Antarctic waters. Learn more about his trip by reading the article recently published by Soundings  https://www.soundingsonline.com/voices/no-small-feat

A successful day of beach clean up, but that float is really jammed under this rock...it will have to stay there for now.

Before leaving, Eddie wanted to try his hand at being (what he calls) a ‘Conch Cowboy’.  Gail and I pulled both of them through the water behind the Whaler...fun for all!!  A conch cleaning party ensued on the beach.

This time I was determined to make a Bahamian conch dish, so I tried this conch chowder.  In an effort to conserve our frozen veggies I decided to make this with all dehydrated veggies, with the exception of the tomatoes.  The finished product was pretty good, but just seemed like it was missing something.  Oh darn...I didn’t want to do it, but I can’t help myself...after adding two tablespoons of Old Bay we both agreed this was the BEST seafood chowder we have ever had...it was delicious!!

Warmer weather seems to be bringing more frequent thunder storms, but they are so wonderful to watch.

We tried our hand at crabbing.  We have crab rings that you lower to the bottom with bait tied to the middle.  We have used them before, but we have never been able to watch the crabs walk across the bottom and start eating the bait.  Some of the crabs here are very similar to the blue crabs we are accustomed to, but others are quite strange to us.  We call the crab on the left ‘camo’ crabs.  

While drinking my coffee on the back deck this morning I thought, “what  a beautiful morning for a swim!” The wind has finally stopped and the water is like a pond. It is an amazing 85° and the sun is wonderfully warm on my skin.  A nice swim will be the perfect way to start this day...


Ugh...look who was waiting for me...on second thought, I think a lunchtime swim would be MUCH better!

You Lookin’ At Me?

Island isolation is still working well for us.  We are concerned that the Bahamian government might be planning to ‘roll up the welcome mat’.  As with everywhere, changes are coming every day.  In one of the last announcements by the Prime Minister, it was revealed that the government was working on a plan to ‘encourage’ cruising boats to return to their home country.  We completely understand their concern and do not wish to overstay our welcome, but if we don’t go into any of their towns, or burden their resources, we should be fine staying where we are for at least another month (or two)...or until the tell us to leave, whichever comes first!

Our final ‘preparation’ for this ‘lay low’ plan was to make a trip back to the nearest town to fill up those gas cans we found and repaired.   We took the Whaler so that we could take the 11 mile route instead of the 30 mile route, which would have been necessary for Right Hand.  The trip into town was fairly quick and easy.  With masks and gloves we ventured to the fuel dock and the marina grocery store.  The store was out of eggs and flour, but I was able to score 5 apples and some candy bars.  During our return trip is where we ran into a slight problem.  The outboard started acting funny and would ‘power down’ once we were up on plane for a few minutes.  We were NOT in a good place to be adrift in a dinghy (of course we would have anchored in shallow water to avoid being blown out to sea).  We decided to change our course and attempt to weave our way through very shallow sandbars to cut the trip in half.  We had to go very slowly (which the engine liked) and at one point we both got out to lighten the load.  I pulled and Keith pushed over the final sandbar and we were home!  The trip definitely took on the feel of a Survivor challenge instead of a Swiss Family Robinson expedition, but in the end it worked out fine and we were able to acquire an addition 18 gallons of gas (and 5 grainy apples).

The garden is doing well, but as the plants get taller I will definitely need to address their vulnerability to strong winds.  We did get a pretty strong storm a few nights ago with winds up to 45 mph, and I only found one basil leaf on the deck the next morning. 

Yep, he’s looking at me!  Conch have eyes on stalks, and I have noticed lately that the conch hanging off the swim platform are usually looking at us as we come and go in the Whaler.  I find this slightly disturbing since I know I will soon be eating these creatures.  Keith doesn’t help the situation, because for some reason he has a need to name them.  It adds a whole new dimension when I am preparing to clean and cook ‘Larry, Moe, and Curly’.

We enjoy hiking across the island to the east side.  In some places the path is open, but Keith took a machete to clear some of the vegetation in the overgrown areas.

That path looks a little tight.

Ahhhh, the other side

On this day it happened to be low tide when we arrived, and what a difference the tide makes.

Now we can go around this rock outcropping instead of over.

There was still the need for a little climbing on rugged rock surfaces, but we were able to get to 3 different beach areas on this low tide trip.  To my AACPS friends...did you notice the ‘Be Kind’ finger cloud?

Small trails👍  Also, during low tide there are numerous pools of water left behind.  The assortment of animals trapped in the pools is amazing.  These snails must know that this is the time to move...before the waves start pounding again.  

All of this is underwater, and inaccessible, at high tide.

The hole in the face of that rock goes all the way to the top, so when waves crash into it at high tide the water shoots out the top...cool!

Starfish are huge here!

I’m not sure what to say about this.  I originally thought it was a sea cucumber, but it doesn’t feel like a sea cucumber!  Sea cucumbers kinda feel like starfish...not quite a rigid, but leathery.  This guy was a BLOB!  He felt like firmly set jello jigglers!  He was more elongated in the water, but folded himself up accordion style when Keith lifted him out of the water.  This scrunching up action must require the expulsion of water, because a steady stream came out of him until we returned him to the water.

Still enjoying good conchin’!  I have been using conch in many of my standard crab recipes, and it has been very good.  I do need to be a little more adventurous in cooking and attempt some of the Bahamian conch recipes. 

Had a great view of the Pink Supermoon.  Happy perigee-syzygy everyone...look it up!

Cloud formations have been very active this week, which makes for an interesting sunset.

Stay safe and enjoy the sunset, wherever you might be!

Protein In The Pantry

We have had a wonderful week in our self-isolation paradise, and thankfully we are still living on the set of Swiss Family Robinson.  I realize that it would only take one event to make us contestants on Survivor, but for now we are still in SFR mode!  This week we have mastered the skill of conch fishing (I’m not sure what they call the process of collecting/catching conch) like a Bahamian.  

Keith gets into the water with his mask and snorkel, and I tow him behind the Whaler.  When he sees a conch in the grass bed he releases the line and dives down to get it.  We have had extensive conversations about the importance of my role vs. his.  I have tried to tell him the the tow-er is just as important as the tow-ee, but he insists on getting extra points for being the tow-ee.  I mean seriously, without a tow-er there can’t be a tow-ee...but fine!  I have given him 20 extra points for being the tow-ee (please don’t tell him that the points are worthless😉). I will admit that as I watch him being towed through the water I am reminded of the trolling scene from the movie ‘Waterworld’.

We have found a great grass bed at just the right depth to make a happy home for numerous mature conch!  Keith has named it ‘Conch Garden’.

We caught 4 beauties that day, but we stopped at ‘Not Fixed Address’ on our way home and shared our bounty!  You can see how well camouflaged these creatures are...imagine spotting one in a grass bed 15 feet below the surface.  Keith has earned the ‘Master Concher’ award!

The next day they invited us to their lovely boat for conch fritters, and we made a conch dip (using my crab dip recipe) both dishes were amazing!  Unfortunately, I didn’t plan well in the picture department.  I forgot to take my phone and only have the pictures Vicki took with her phone.  They are wonderful pictures, but she isn’t in any of them.  I will be sure to get a picture of her and Aren during our next visit.  

DISCLAIMER:  Since both couples have been totally sequestered on our own boats for more than two week, we felt certain we did not pose a virus danger to each other.

Preparing the conch to hang in the water.  Ronnie taught us how to do this, and said the conch would stay alive for at least a month.  I sent this picture to my brother (he happens to be an engineer who designs tools for Dewalt).  His response, “Their is no limit to the problems we can solve with DEWALT tools!”  I think we found the next marketing campaign.

It feels great to have extra protein in the pantry, and the means to easily get more!

We have had plenty of time, this week, to scrutinize our provisions and resources and identify the weak areas of our plan.  My only resource concern at this time is regarding the amount of propane we have onboard.  Propane provides our primary source of fuel for cooking.  Our stove, oven, and grill are all propane.  I realize that we would be much better prepared if we had some type of electric burner so we could take advantage of our abundant supply of electricity thanks to solar.  On the bright side, we do have a microwave, electric coffee pot, toaster, and an Instant Pot (definitely the best thing I have ever purchased!)  So...in an attempt to conserve propane (we have enough for 3-4 months) I have been attempting to use the IP for more cooking.  I made (steamed) bread in it this week and it actually turned out pretty good.  It was a little more dense and chewy than baked bread, but it made excellent French toast.  After topping the French toast with lemon curd and blueberry jam we both agreed this was a Swiss Family Robinson breakfast, not a Survivor breakfast!

Keith’s main resource concern was in the area of gasoline for the Whaler.  We left numerous gas cans at home believing that 3 cans (that totaled 13 gallons) would be more than enough.  Particularly when you consider how little gas the outboard actually uses.  However, when thinking in terms of long term survival and using the Whaler to acquire protein we were wishing we had more capacity.  The funny thing is, we have been reading a book (Charlotte’s Story) about a young couple who are trying to live on an uninhabited Key in Florida during the early 1930s.  In this book (which is supposed to be a true story) they seem to find everything they need by beach combing the island.  Every time they need materials they find them on the beach.  This happens so often in the book it started to sound quite impossible.  Anyway, Keith said to me “I want to visit the beach store to see if I can find any jugs with lids that we could put some gas into (I know...now is not the time to lecture us on ‘approved’ containers)”.

So we dinghy over to our beach.  Yes, this is our beach, on our island.  This is the side we are anchored on and the beach is about a mile long here. Since our friends on ’No Fixed Address’ left this morning to meet some of there friends a few miles south (we are very sad 😢) the next closest boat is anchored more than a half mile south of us.  While walking along the beach Keith finds a very clean gallon sized Dear Park bottle with the lid...SCORE!  I said, “see, the beach store does provide what we need”.  His response was, ”then where is my red gas can with a lid”.  I joked, “ just wait, we aren’t finished shopping.”

We were searching for a trail that cuts across the island to the rugged east side.  We came across several of these huge mounds.  My research leads me to believe these are termite nests (I could be wrong).  The water table is so high on this island that the termites will start in a rotted log, but will build up instead of down into the ground.  I think this nest has long been abandoned...we saw no signs of any insect nearby. Well, we eventually found the trail, and after some bushwhacking to get through we made it to the other side.  Unfortunately we left the camera in the boat, but we will return this week and get pictures.  This side of the island has clearly been capturing plastic trash from fishing vessels for a very long time.  We walked the beach unearthing a lot of broken plastic containers.  As we approached the end of the beach I spotted a red container up in the weeds...could it be...??

YES!  And to our delight and surprise we found two containers with lids..unbelievable!  The gas can had a small pinhole in the corner, but was otherwise in excellent condition.  The water container had a total of four punctures.  Both containers were very clean inside with just a little sea water.  As soon as we got back to the boat Keith googled how to repair HDPE 2 plastic.  You simply can melt another piece of HDPE 2 plastic to seal the hole.  We were prepared to take another trip to the beach store to retrieve an extra piece of plastic when I realized the empty Folgers can on the counter fit the bill!

Keith was able to repair both containers by using his soldering gun to melt the coffee can plastic into the holes.

Both cans passed the airtight test when he was finished!  We have just doubled our gas storage capacity.  Together they will hold 13 gallons.  That will teach me to be a beach store skeptic!

During an amazing kayak/ paddle board expedition we found a large shallow cove that is surrounded by mangroves, and most definitely acts as a nursery for turtles and sharks.  We saw at least 30 turtles there, but they ranged in size from 12-24 inches.  We also saw a small shark, and hundreds of other fish.  This is one I have not been able to identify.  It had a huge dorsal and anal fin that it used for propulsion, and was oriented on its side when swimming.

We are also amazed that we can sit on the back deck drinking coffee in the morning (in 12 feet of water) and watch blue crabs under the boat.  They pop out of the sand, run a few feet across the bottom and quickly disappear back under the sand.

Cleaning the bottom of the boat.  We have owned this boat for 7 years and Keith has religiously used the hookah (not your kind of hookah Arda) to breathe underwater while cleaning the bottom of the boat.  He has always offered an opportunity for me to join him and I have always declined.  I have told him that once we are in a place with crystal clear water, I will help him.  Well, today was pay day...of course all of the years I’ve been saying that I never realized that so many sharks came with crystal clear water...be brave.  Alright, I’m game.  I didn’t see one shark, but was absolutely amazed that I could clearly see the chain hanging from the bow while I was working on a rudder 50 feet back.

Keith discovered this cute little colony of tiny ‘aquarium’ fish living in the shaft tunnel.  The largest fish in this picture is an inch long.  Keith decided to leave them alone, and not scrape away their food source.

Everybody loves a clean bottom!!

We sincerely hope that everyone is safe and able to maintain a Swiss Family Robinson approach to dealing with this crisis!