January 29, 2012 Rum Cay

Sunday, January 29, 2012

What a rough night last night.  Between the winds and the surge it was nearly impossible to sleep.  If there were anything on this vessel that could make a noise, it did last night.  I finally put in ear plugs and that silenced it somewhat but I was still rolling back and forth in the V-berth.  I finally had this hair brain idea to tuck pillows slightly under my body and one under my head, center myself up with the center of the boat and try to sleep.  The only way I fell asleep was to sleep on my back.  When I woke up, it was because I had, in my sleep, turned to my side therefore started rolling back and forth again.  EXCEPT when I heard the anchor chain roll out some.  I didn’t think much of it since that has happened before but the second time was longer.  I tried to wake Fred up but he seemed to not want to be bothered by it so I went back to sleep.  The third time, for about 10 full seconds, the chain was pouring out of the anchor locker.  I was positive the snubber came loose and this time Fred got up, went on deck and snubbed her back in.  I had visions of Casa Mare swinging into another boat in the middle of the night or at worse, drift slowly out to sea.  Guess I could have done that myself but it’s his boat and the rocking and rolling was too much for me to go on deck alone with him sleeping.  There are certain times you wake up the captain and this was one of those certain times.  I did get a good nights sleep though since I got up about 11:30 am to the clanking of the anchor chain moving on the windlass.  I got up and Fred was hooking up a surge preventer, something I had never heard of except something similar, I thought, a surge protector I have in all three of my bathrooms and kitchen.  I had to ask.  He explained it to be a line tied to the anchor chain underwater, winching it in on the port side and bringing in the anchor, tight, pointing the bow into the surge.  It prevents the rolling around somewhat.  We are still swaying some, but nothing like that last 12 hours.  Sure am glad I had a seasick patch on or my night would have been, no doubt, worse.  Fred didn’t sleep much either he said.  Although his ear is not hurting he thinks he may have permanent ear damage.  I told him his ear infection probably never fully healed but he still thinks it’s permanent damage.  “There’s always hearing aids” I said.  He looked at me and grumbled something I couldn’t understand.  I remember reading about Rum and the surges so I wasn’t surprised.  They still have somewhat of a marina after the hurricane and I wondered how much it was to get a protected slip.  Some places on these islands charge $1.00 a foot.  Cheaper than a motel.  I am hoping the surge preventer helps.  We should give it another day or so since we will be here for a few days or so until a window opens to move South again.  We have no plan today, except to put the boat back together after that wild trip here and the more than wild night.  I am learning what needs to be tightly secured and also learning when anchored in this wind and surge, the same rule applies.  I found that out early this morning when a container of books fell on my feet.  They will be tightly secured by tonight, I promise.  Monday we should get Fred back to the Clinic.  They don’t have a Doctor on the island.  Just a veterinarian and a nurse.  The nurse accesses the problem, calls the Doctor on another island, probably Georgetown, and he tells her what to give the patient.  I guess in an extreme emergency the vet fills the Doctor’s shoes.  I can’t imagine why there is a vet here because all the cows and bulls are wild and wander around the island.  Once in awhile, when they get lucky one will cross the road and they all corral it, slaughter it and send the meat to Nassau to package and sell.  Another means of income.  I am not sure what they do with goats, except that they gut them on the government dock and dry the hide out there so people like me can get a bit of cushioning when rolling onto the dock in the dark.

But oh, yet another day in paradise, on the boat, floating in the wind and surge.  Looks like we are in for another repeat of last night with the front moving in now.  It has turned cooler, it must be at least 79 degrees here in the cabin.  Not bad for winter in the islands in but the wind chill makes it a wee bit cooler feeling.  My blood has thinned, the bottoms of my feet have thickened and my spirit has improved for the better!  Could get used to this although every once in awhile I catch myself dreaming of a great hot shower and my own bed, things I used to take for granted but not any more!  It’s Ragu spaghetti tonight.  I was going to make a big pot of chili but that’s too many cans of beans and tomatoes to open.  We are both wore out.  I guess neither one of us got much sleep like we thought.  Fred and I could have dinked it to the marina but in these swells and waves, I was reluctant to take the computers onshore.  Looks like rain anyway.  We decided to just give up today and start a new one tomorrow.  You can do that on these islands you know.  Clouds outside are going to prevent a green flash but then again, there’s tomorrow.  Fred is on the dink, trying to repair the leak.  I think I will read.  It has been a quiet blessed day!