Day 176 - Atlantis — Captain Father John

Miles cruised 52, fuel purchased $0, Slip fee $250 – this is an exclusive casino resort after all, daily high temperature 75°f

On Tuesday we picked up a mooring ball at Shroud Cay. The moorings are maintained by the Exumas Land and Sea Park so they are in good condition. There is a risk in picking up a random mooring ball in other harbors because they might break loose. The park rangers stopped by and collected the $30 mooring ball fee. We are happy to support their efforts to maintain a pristine natural environment.

Shroud Cay derives its name from its shape which is described as the shape of a burial shroud. Shroud Cay is part of the Exumas Land and Sea Park. There are extensive canals through the mangrove swamps. Some are accessible only by kayak and others have a 3 mph speed limit for dinghies. At the far end, the canal connects to a white sandy beach. There were tents set up for an extravagant buffett lunch. Diplomats from Canada had recently been in Washington DC and brought their families to the Bahamas for a holiday. The Canadian version of the secret service were standing watch. Canadian tax dollars at work.

This is our dingy in the pristine waters of the Bahamas.

It was a quiet night on the mooring. On Wednesday we were underway at 8:00 am on glass flat seas to cruise to Nassau. Tom Reed the president of Rust-Oleum Corporation and his wife Kathy and son Matt are staying at the Atlantis Hotel and Casino during spring break. We will stay one night at the Atlantis Marina and meet up with them.

I called the Atlantis Marina to make our slip reservation. They charge $4.50 per foot which is the highest rate we have paid except for the holiday rate at the Galleon. I asked if they have a holding tank pump out facility. We have never used our macerator to pump our waste into the ocean. They advised it was broken yesterday and will find out when it would be fixed when we call them on VHF channel 10 to check in. There are very few holding tank pump out facilities in the Bahamas. All the boats are expected to pump out into the sea.

We arrived at Atlantis Marina at noon and they provided a free pump out. Or you can say we paid $250 for a pump out and got a free slip. We should not need another pump out until we get back to Florida. Tom, Kathy and Matt Reed met us at the marina for sundowners and a boat cruise in Nassau Harbor. Then we went over the bridge to the Nassau side and had a great dinner at a restaurant called Fish Fry.

The Reed family – Tom, Kathy and Matt

On Thursday we will move to a marina on the Nassau side to wash the boat, take on water, fuel up and provision the boat. The grocery store is right across the street.

On Friday we will cruise to Little Harbour in the Abacos. North winds are forecast starting Sunday so we will need to find a sheltered harbor for a few days until the front passes through.

Our long time live aboard friends commented on our impeller issue. Bev and Dave Feiges have been live aboard for 39 years so they know of what they are doing.

Dave always preaches – 1. Change impellers once a year whether they need it or not and any time after a long sit.
2. Clean out your heat exchangers every year whether they need it or not and change the impellers. Do this when you return to a boat that has sat a long time or every year.
3. If you have been at docks a long time, for instance a month or more, unplug at least 24 hours. Then check all your battery levels and run everything you would run at anchor including all your navigation lights. Once you are away from the docks what was easy becomes much more difficult.

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Bonus toast – from Michael Murphy on St Patrick’s Day
A little toast to share with the crew of Changing Latitudes on this fine day:

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May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
The sun shine warm on your face,
And the rain fall soft on your fields.
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Murph

Carl (Chef) Wooden – quote of the day.
“Without sharks, you take away the apex predator of the ocean, and you destroy the entire food chain.” – Peter Benchley

Peter Bradford Benchley (May 8, 1940 – February 11, 2006) was an American author, best known for his novel Jaws and its subsequent film adaptation, the latter co-written by Benchley (with Carl Gottlieb) and directed by Steven Spielberg. Several more of his works were also adapted for cinema, including The Deep, The Island, Beast, and White Shark.