Tourist Chronicles: Happy Easter (a day late!)

Happy Easter from the crew of Tourist.

Our internet connection from the boat here in Lucaya is crappy at best. Just the time when I want to sit down and write a blog entry we have no connection. So Happy Easter a day late!

For the past week we've been getting to know our dock mates. We have the guy on a catamaran who leaked about 30 gallons of diesel fuel into the harbor. Quite the uproar while that was going on until he left the marina at 11:30p.m. one night only to reappear a couple days later to the same slip with no penalties or repercussions. The environmental response from the local authorities was to dump dish soap into a dock cart, stir it up with water, and dump it into the harbor to dissipate the fuel slick. A process that will get you fined back in the states.
Each evening this boat becomes a beehive of activity that lasts well into the night. Fishy!

On the brighter side we have met Urmas & Bunny from Texas on their 1978 Hatteras that looks like new and Donnie & Tom who are captain and mate on a 80' Lazzara.

80' Lazzara

We've been dividing our time between going to the beach and being lazy, to getting some of the routine maintenance done on Tourist that is required. And of course Pam always has laundry to do!

Bunny, Pam, & Marilyn (What is it about women never going to the bathroom alone?)

We spotted a couple of Manta Rays swimming behind the boat one day and tried to get a picture.

Boat stalker?

We also found this Bahamian moth holding on to the side of Tourist one afternoon. (Before docktails!)

Bahamian Moth

On one of the days Donnie & Tom took us for a ride through the Lucayan Waterway which is a navigable canal that cuts through Grand Bahama Island from North to South. This is a man made canal that has seen better times like so much of this island. Built with development in mind that never really occurred. A few homes scattered along it's shores and an old hotel that has been closed for years along with the Casaurina scrub brush is all that remains.

Old hotel now gutted but still standing.

Much of the waterway looks like this.

One of the few homes along the canal. All have high fences surrounding them and at least 2 large dogs patrolling the grounds.

Notice the swimmer in the water pulling the cooler. He's diving for conch along the edges of the canal.

The North entrance is marked but shallow. Not suitable for Tourist.

Saturday night we walked over to the casino across the street. It took me all of 43 seconds to lose the $5.00 Pam had given me to gamble with. She on the other hand lasted almost 10 minutes before losing it all. The only reason it took her longer was because she spent more time in choosing the proper mechanical charity to donate to. Fortunately some of our group actually won. Or so they said!

Moon rising over the marina.

We spent the rest of the night at one of the bars beside Count Basie Square watching white people try to dance!

Sometime during the evening the brilliant idea surfaced to have Easter morning Bloody Mary's on the Lazzara. So that's what we did. Thanks Donnie, Tom, and Pam, the mixologist!