Fixing Things in Exotic Places

Today we awoke to no hydro at the dock we are tied up to. This is due likely to the high winds we are experiencing in this cold front. Now ordinarily this would not create panic; however we are at present relying on our microwave for cooking. The captain left the valve open on our propane tank last spring and the propane evaporated over the summer and ran out in the middle of cooking dinner last evening. The nearest propane dealer is a day trip by boat and through an ocean passage that in high winds is not passable. So.....we will use hydro while we are at the dock and then once we leave we will have to rely on Harry Honda Junior who runs on gasoline to run our microwave. Gratefully our dock neighbours gave us some gas to get Harry Jr. running and hot coffee saved the day. Gratefully the power has come back on. The captain, now that he has had his hot coffee is busy fixing things. For those of you who don't know the definition of cruising....cruising is fixing things in exotic places. We are not sure of what to tackle first...the battery holder for the propane oven...maybe not high on the list since we don't have any propane...or the water pump mechanism that allows us to foot pump water in the galley....the galley slave would appreciate not having to use jugs of water for too many more days. Are you getting the picture that cruising is not all pina coladas and sunshine? In fact today the high temperature is going to be low 60s and very little sunshine but afterall it is winter in The Bahamas. That is also why we will be heading south to the Exumas as soon as we can. We are hoping to leave Green Turtle by Tuesday or Wednesday and head to Marsh Harbour for provisions....least of which will be filling two tanks of propane and then once we get a weather window head south to Eleuthera and from there on to the Exumas where it is warmer. Lynn and Peter on First Edition are now in the Exumas having crossed from Miami with a stop in Bimini and Nassau. We are so looking forward to seeing them again especially since we were at one time fearful that my shoulder would not let us travel this year. I am still hopeful that once we are cruising and the boat jobs are fewer I will have some time to heal.

It may be cool here but there are no snowmen?!