D is for Dead in the Water

Last sailing season we limped along on our five year old Surette batteries. This year we knew that we would need to spend the money and buy four new golf cart batteries. The new ones are called Trojan so we are hoping that we can get at least four years of power out of them in the tropics. We are our own hydro electric power generating station and you wouldn't get computer blogs if we didn't produce electricty. Needless to say the tropical environment is hard on batteries especially the extreme heat over the summer. The captain had some re-wiring to do after the batteries were installed but we seem to be up and running. No fear of being dead in the water on Celebrian. The four old batteries at 77 pounds a piece had to be rowed to shore and the new ones rowed back....ahh the restful life of cruising?!?

After the captain rowed home with the new batteries he was off to pick up the new post for the wind generator mount along with some Bahamian beer. CJ's welding welded two five foot posts together for us so that the generator can be up 10 feet off the deck. This wind power should help to keep us charged and the new batteries should like those constant amps. There should be some very interesting pictures in our next blog...design and painting.

It is best when the captain tears the boat apart that the admiral goes to shore. There is usually a constant list of things that we need while we are in Marsh Harbour. Once we head to The Exumas there is little to buy so as the captain says "It becomes a come as you are cruise."

C is for Cash and Carry in Marsh Harbour

Celebrian is at home in Marsh Harbour waiting for the crew to load her with provisions.

Marsh Harbour is a one stop shopping town for Celebrian and her crew. At population five thousand it is the third largest community in The Bahamas after Nassau and Freeport. Most of the cruisers who stop here are just topping up their provisions as they have left Florida with their boats full; however we have to do our major provisioning here. Just to give you a feel for pricing a box of Triscuits is $6.29 so on the average groceries are at least twice as much as at home. I always say I am not going to complain about prices in Ontario after a season here. Everything has to be imported from the United States so the pricier groceries are just the cost of living here.

Sea Bear is assisting in the storage operation. It is quite amazing how much we can put into Celebrian's lockers; however keep in mind that when we want supplies we have to remove all the cushions on the settee, wear a head lamp and dive for dinner!!??

The captain loves his cereal. We added to the cereal that we flew down from home and now we are good for several months!?

While hiking around Marsh Harbour we noticed this mural. It is good to see that they are trying to encourage both Bahamians and visitors to leave the smaller lobsters and conch. If they don't reach maturity they can not reproduce and the numbers will decrease.

B is for Boat Launch

It is always exciting to watch Celebrian get picked up and taken to the launch well. I have to take the same picture each time she is launched. Notice Stafford being a ham in my photo. He is over eighty and still working here at Abaco Yacht Services.

We are tied up at Abaco Yacht Services for the weekend getting Celebrian seaworthy and ready to sail to Marsh Harbour.

Here ia a picture of the captain up at the top of the mast. He needed to replace a bulb in our anchor light fixture among other jobs. The masts are left up in The Bahamas so the only way to get things fixed is to climb to the top. He wears a safety harness and I tail the winch to keep him safe.

Goldberry had some TLC from the captain and was launched today.