Rainy days in Marsh Harbour

It rained for days in Marsh Harbour. We knew this front was coming through, and we wanted to be safely tucked in here in time to meet up with Tiffany when she arrived by plane to the airport here. Every morning at 0815 we listen on VHF channel 68 to the "CruisersNet". A few boaters have committed to run this program, which has proved invaluable to our travels in the Abacos. Weather is listed first, based on NOAA and "barometerbob.com" forecasts. Then community events, local restaurant menus, and an "open mic" time for newly arrived boats to introduce themselves, and those leaving have a chance to say goodbye.

Here is a photo of our dinghy, which was bouncing around for days in the wind and waves. Brian had to bail out gallons of water at least twice from the bottom so it would not get swamped.



Here are some photos of us during the storms...

Madelyn helped Brian fix our water pump:

We played cards... and we also got a cable for our TV. This was a rare treat. Our only movies were for preschoolers, and we had no TV reception for the past month. All channels except one were from the US. We enjoyed watching "To Sir With Love" on the Bahamian channel.

And we had some sweet quiet morning time with our girls... Here is Brian in a makeshift bed on the settee (couch). He slept there all night because the loud waves slamming against the stern of the boat in our cabin were keeping him awake. It was quieter at the center of the boat.



The marina owner, Troy, invited our family to his house so we could stay warm and so our girls could play with his almost-two-year-old daughter, Abigail. We stopped by for two days in a row, and appreciated his generosity. His home was beautiful, the girls were thrilled with new toys and a new friend to play with, and we had a chance to talk with his parents and niece about Bahamian culture. His father moved to the Bahamas at age 12 (in the 1950s) with his missionary parents. They moved from Indianapolis! Troy grew up in the islands, and went to Florida for boarding high school and college. He graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering, but the job market went dry. Eventually, he moved back and became an owner of this marina. He married an American woman who is a flight attendant for American Airlines.

We had a great time. Thanks, Troy!