Outta here tomorrow, Dec. 8

NOVEMBER 6, 2007. Jack here.

Wait, December, I mean. Wow, I thought I was doing well when I forgot for the last several days what day it was. But the month, I must be doing something RIGHT.
Okay, this one will be short, and a bit of nuts and bolts to tell everyone itinerary, etc. We’re still in Nassau, and it’s not nearly as bad as people say, but all the stores have to buzz you in and out, and almost every store in a strip mall has its own security guard. Lots of sirens, heard a few shots, I think, but otherwise pretty calm. They locked up the marina the night before last, and walking back from the bar we were trying to get in, and I jumped up on the roof to climb over, and come back and open the door while our friend Chris tried to climb the two fences, one conch-topped, the next barbed wire, but it was about a three story drop on the other side. The security guy came and let us in. He told me later he found my footprint on his car roof. I was careful to use the strong parts to walk on, and did not damage it, but I still felt like a jackass. Have I learned nothing in 38 years? I spose not. Oh well.

Chris is a super cool cat that was in the next slip, on his Selene 53. That didn’t mean anything to me either till we went inside it. It’s GORGEOUS. All wood inside, spacious, gorgeous. Gorgeous. The railings down the stairs are one piece of wood, cut, steamed, and bent around the corner, and the door moldings are also one piece of wood, up one side, over the top, and down the other side, steamed and wrapped. NICE. He gave us apricot beer and Malibu rum after picking up our check at the bar, and then came over for an impromptu ukelele lesson over vodka. We talked of dogs, more than anything, and felt a real connection to this big hearted lug. He’s a friend to dogs, cats, and now us.

We’re hanging with another really cool, really funny guy we went to the jazz band with last night. Who were REALLY good. The sax, the bassist, the vocalists in particular. Even better than the Kalik (beer) and conch fritters.

Oh where was I? Oh yeah. We bought chartbooks for the Exumas and far Bahamas, $55 each, but worth every penny, and will head south off Providence Island, where Nassau is, to the Exumas. This is an island chain that’s about 40 miles away (clear weather ahead, NICE!) that runs south like a backbone for a hundred miles or two. The east side is deep water, the west a couple feet, protected from the cold fronts and prevailing North and East winds, which is always a primary consideration. We’re going to Wardrick(spelling?) Cay, where we can hopefully volunteer a bit of labor in this national park in exchange for mooring and wifi, so we can keep up with the blog and email. Then to Staniel Cay, which is supposed to be pretty amazing. Pigs that swim in the sea. A grotto that has a hole in the top to snorkel in. And bread. Can’t WAIT. So we leave here December 8, after checking our email. Hope to be back on within a week after that, but you never know.

Okay, I have a lot of base-touching to do one on one, and Starbucks is giving me one hour of wireless internet with my purcharse, so I need to make it snappy, pappy. That’s probably about as many of these Starbucks-ized Christmas carols I can stand before I spray this place in some barely used chai latte.

Love you all.

Jack