The Land & Sea Park does wonders for just about everything other than enough service for a post. It’s unfortunate when we have something really pressing, since the pangs of anxiety about not receiving or sending emails and other communications can keep us up at night (how will Lily get her work done on Google classroom, for one?!), but also wonderful in its forced release of a program that binds us up for so many other months of the year.
Now that we’re planning on passing ‘through’ Highbourne Cay, with its cell tower and full communication potential, we’ll be back in business, so to speak. We’re stopping for a quick but hopefully fairly comprehensive provision, since we’re taking advantage of the upcoming weather window to make the two longer passages north (Exumas to Spanish Wells, and Spanish Wells to the Abacos) back-to-back tomorrow and the day after. No other major food stores in sight for a while, and our larder is getting bare.
Shortly after we cross, a strong front is coming through that is forecasted to blow for days on end, and if we’re still in the Exumas then we’d swiftly dwindle our options for getting back to the Abacos and to the yard in time for our flights home in a few weeks (sniff). Thus our current itinerary.
Our last days in the park were heavenly, as we have come to expect, and time with Ruach was fleeting but perfect. It felt like such a gift, since we weren’t even sure we’d make it to the Exumas, not knowing what we’d really find when we arrived at the boat in January. The kids slipped into their recognized game patterns and activities, and added a few more to boot. Particularly sweet were their radio communications this year, necessary since we had no service to more-simply text plans and meeting ideas. Their sophistication levels have increased, and they don’t have to be reminded to make contact and then find another channel to chat on. A sweet little Maeve would call out to Chickadee (or vice versa), and then their adorable interactions from there likely captivated anyone in range to also “Up one?”.
Ruach also made my entire cruising season by bringing Banagrams, a game which I’m in love with, but doesn’t rise to the level of engaging Andy. Blanket spread on the beach, and kids and adults (less the Banagrams party-pooper) would gather around, ‘peel’ing in the sunshine. And most recently, there has been Monk Monk and his (her?) prep for his/her first sleepover. Violet brought Monk Monk, a stuffed monkey from home, and in one of their many creative/craft sessions, Maeve and V thought that he/she should have a ‘to-go’ bag for the big event. Art class yesterday was for sewing a robe (helps make the ‘monk’ part realized, if I do say so myself), a pillow, a blanket, a tote bag with which to carry all of this, and when Ruach came for a goodbye dinner last night, the girls continued with a pocket on the tote to carry a toothbrush, floss, and I’m not even sure what else.
Yesterday we sailed on a broad reach with 20+kts true, resulting in great speeds and a very pleasant romp for little Chickadee. Since so many of the Exuma islands have broad sand bars sweeping westerly from them for miles, most days include covering three sides of a rough rectangle- getting out into deeper (all things are relative- ‘deep’ means 12 feet) waters, heading north or south to the anchorage’s closest waypoint, and nosing our way back east into the protection of whichever island we land on. The only real downside is ending a gorgeous day’s sail by hammering into weather, soaking the decks just before I need to plunk my butt down on the bow to set the anchor. (Cue: teaching Lily to set the anchor. Devious but brilliant!!)
In all lately, we have stargazed at night from the cockpit, spent countless hours watching the boats moor in the stiff winds and nearly impossible currents of Warderick’s north anchorage, had the surreal pleasure of watching Jimmy Buffet himself paddle board around the anchorage from his boat two moorings over, met plenty of fellow cruisers in the weekly beach pot luck, taught Violet to play cribbage for the even better pleasure of having a favorite game be a full family affair, and revisited our newly-favorite ‘moonscape’ in the sandbars north of Hawksbill. We are leaving the Exumas in 2020 completely sated.
“Chickadee, standing by on One-Six.”
