Week 4

One week has turn to three weeks as I stay in green turtle cay. I have been on a morning ball for two weeks and then the actually dock for another week. The island is amazing. The people of friendly and welcoming and the mooring ball community is amazing as well. When I arrived here I instantly was told to come out to 4pm happy hour at the marina and meet everyone. I grab some beers from the local liquor. Pretty cheap I might add 3 for 10 dollar deal and relaxed in the beach sand hangout area.

Everyone was in their 50s and beyond. Retired, semi-retired but all had the same relaxed vibe and drink in their hand. People was impressed that I was by myself and also questioned if I was lonely. I was lonely but not now. Every day from that point I would have someone to talk to and someone to hangout with. The goals of the island I wanted to achieve was find someone willing to spearfish with me. Go surfing one day. Go to all the beaches. See the sea turles and the string rays. Catch some lobster. Catch a mutton snapper by fishing rod.

Weeks went by and I did the majority of this but only once or twice when the weather permitted. Since I have been here there has probably been 5 days total of good weather out of the 23 days. The winds would just be so strong blowing at 25 knots and no sun with a barely chilling temperature of 68 degrees with humidity. Just enough to not be able to do anything on the water. The days that were nice I would take advantage of and be fully in the water. One day I did get to spearfish with 2 gentlemen that were on sailboats as well.

We went on the outside reef with our dingys. Anchored them and then drifted over this beautiful corral head that was a bout 15 feet tall with huge caves teaming with life and a 30 foot shelf drop off on the outside sand bar. One of the crew caught a lobster and I speared a lesser amberjack. I bleed the amberjack and gave it to the guy to go back to the boat. Suprisedly a minute later I saw a shark swimming fast in the shallows chasing him down. Luckily he did not get hurt. There was other days when the wind was down and I would take my dingy around the whole island. I would stand on it looking into the shallows and see turtles, sharks, barracuda and bonefish. I would go visit no name island to check out the pigs and then see every beach.

Another day the surf was up in the one same bar section. Rainy it was that day but the water still clean at 2-3 feet breaking right. I remember I caught a wave and it was so clear and smooth that I could not tell my board was on the water. It looked like it was levating above the same and the pitch of the wave made it very confusing on how to angle my board and I almost feel several times in awe of view. I did fish a couple times and spear fish on the inside with no luck. I would see big snapper but they would not come for my bait, only grunts would and then the same thing for spear fishing. They would keep just enough distance where I wouldn’t be able to shoot them.

In and out of these good days where the windy, rainy and chilling days that took the majority of my time here. I was glad I was on a mooring ball or else it would have been an awful time. These days ended up consisting of drinking. There would constantly be people coming into the marina and wanting to check out the bars. My local favorite was pineapples. These people would be 50s and below and would always ask people at happy hour if they wanted to go. The 20 people would deny and I would look around feeling bad and say I’ll join. Always those nights I would think would just be a couple beers and chill and some how some way we would meet some locals and go bar hopping.

Cheap rum and cheap beer would put me a coma the next day and I unfortunately would do nothing but lay down and sleep on and off till 4 o clock when I felt better. I didn’t feel too bad about this as far as wasting the day because I always planned on if I go out and it better be an awful weather day the next day. This is the lifestyle though on the island about this time of the year. There is not much to do so come sunset people drink and party and repeat. I have gotten into this rhythm and as I come to move on from this island I will get out of this rhythm. 

It has been fun though. The reason why I have stayed is because of the weather but also because of the people and the community. I have made friends with the locals and also the boaters. Boating life for a solo sailor is a little different. You meet these couples mostly that are awesome and you become friends as quickly as they leave. You meet awesome people for two days and then never see them again. The process repeats time and time again and you just get used to accepting people going and that’s it.

Today is my last day at the marina. I am writing here this morning and by 10am I’ll be at the beach getting a tan and reading my book. It is an actual nice day again after 5 days of brutal rain and wind. The boat batteries can finally charge and I can start charging up my computer. I will leave tomorrow morning before 9am to go to Nunjack Cay. It is this beautiful island that is uninhabited and a national park. There I will enjoy the beaches and the wildlife and stay for a day or two and then off to Marsh Harbor where my buddy will be.

On the way to Marsh Harbor I will have to either go through Whale Cut Cay a passage of waves and terrible stories if you go the wrong day or take a risk at high tide through the shallows. Where people have gone but everyone is scared to get stuck on bottom because its 2.5- 3feet on low tide. I have yet to decide but I am excited that my good friend Joe is coming February 1st through the 5th for my birthday. I will be turning 32 and we will go to Hope Town where I can finally say I lived out my child who dream to come here by sailboat.

The journal will be a short one because island life is simple. You start to slow down and don’t realize the day of the week or time. You only look at where the sun is and where the winds are going. There is nothing planned for tomorrow so you only live day by day. Days go by fast and then all of a sudden, you’ve been in the same place that you though only week turns to 3 weeks. I am excited though and nervous to out there on anchor again and start to become a better sailor.