Still Chillin'

Still Chillin’ – January 22 to 31

Good Galley Gadgets – The Egg Beater

The Egg Beater

This little hand operated machine is a good stand-in for an electric mixer and takes up much less space in the galley. No battery or electricity is required and your wrist and forearm get a workout at the same time. I have used it to blend salad dressings, mix pudding, puree cream soup and yes, even beat eggs.

They are not easy to find. For about a year I checked every kitchen specialty shop I came across as well as the house wares section of all the major department store chains with no luck. This one by Bakers’ Secret came to me as a Christmas gift. Thanks, Mom.

And now for a lesson in Bahamian botany: I do miss my garden sometimes and was almost tempted to try growing some herbs on board when I spotted the seed packages in the hardware store in New Plymouth recently. I could probably have found something to use as a pot but there was no sign of any kind of potting soil. The only island soil I have seen is either beach sand or in someone’s garden, neither are a viable alternative. But then again there is really no rush. The growing season seems to be rather undefined. I could start next week, or even next month. In the meantime I will be happy to enjoy the beauty of other people’s flowers and see if I can learn to identify them. I now have a picture book of flowers of the Bahamas with both their common and scientific names.

Chalice Vine (solandra nitida Z.) – Hopetown, Elbow Cay

Hibiscus (hibiscus) – The Jib Room, Marsh Harbour

Spider Lily (crinium asiaticum) – Great Guana Cay

Mimosa, Silk Tree (albizia julibrissin) – Man-O-War

This one is not in my book – on the beach at Treasure Cay

The Albert Lowe Museum in New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay is worth the half hour or so that it takes to walk through it. It receives no financial support from any government agency so is dependent on the entry fees it collects and the few publications and art prints that it is able to sell. The lady who gives the narrated tour is also responsible for packing everything up for safe keeping in the event that there is any threat of hurricanes. As her roots on Green Turtle Cay go back for several generations the documented history of the island that she presents is very much her family history.

Every family history should include a colorful quilt

And at least one sewing machine

The trip to Green Turtle Cay was to pick up more epoxy from Abaco Boat Yard. We had gotten some there when we first arrived in the Bahamas and had friends on another boat pick some up for us but still more was needed to complete the interior fiberglass repairs. Tom had looked all over Marsh Harbour but could not find the same product or anything similar with a comparative price.

Heading south from Green Turtle Cay always depends on the sea conditions at Whale Cay Passage. If the ocean swells and wind driven waves are too large the passage on the Atlantic side of the Abaco islands can be very uncomfortable. As well, there are several coral reefs and shallows that need to be avoided. There is also an inside route, Don’t Rock Passage, but it is quite shallow and also wide open to the conditions on the Atlantic Ocean. The guides all advise that it also should only be used at high tide when the Whale is calm. We half listened and went through Don’t Rock Passage at full moon low tide. (Tides are at their extremes during a full moon.)The shallowest water we saw over the white sandy bottom was 3.9 feet. Good thing Polar Pacer only draws 3 feet. The worst that could have happened is that we would have sat on the bottom until the tide came up.

Approaching the southern end of Don’t Rock Passage

Don’t Rock, off our stern– We made it!

Sometime this week we will make our way back to Marsh Harbour where we will restock the fresh fruit and veggies, air out the spare bedding and maybe buy a bottle of rum or two in preparation for the arrival of Tri and Sandra who are going to put some sand in their shoes and join us on board for a week.