Rake and Scrape

Wind continues to be wild but we've had a few great days. The scenery remains spectacular and we are snorkeling and swimming every time the weather allows.  The sunsets are so spectacular  - nothing but water and a big orange ball.  I have seen  a green halo around the sun at the instant it finally disappears.  I am not sure that this is the fabled green flash and it certainly is not dramatic but it is pretty cool.  We've been to a few dances on the islands our favorite is rake and scrape .  I think it is a uniquely Bahamian music but probably has other incarnations too.  The saw is played with a screwdriver or knife blunted  and with the handle wrapped.  It gives great rhythm .  Drums guitars and a cool bass of a washtub  and string round out the band.  The Bahamians  are really good dancers and we are learning a few moves and having a ball.   Locals party into the wee hours of the morning , we can't keep up.  Tom arm wrestled the bar tender for the bill.  The bartender won: I could scarcely believe it .  I told him to go back and do double or nothing but no go.  The bar tender hasn't lost in several years.  Last night we left the party about ten and just as we got to the boat a big squall came on through .  The wind switched and  came on up to 25knots or more.  Gave us a rocky night with a lot of whitecaps  in the anchorage.   But it had been a great  party!

Ridges,Troughs and Fronts

 Weather is the biggest factor when you're doing anything outside.  We have been in one howling wind pattern .  Apparently, this is due to ridges above us and troughs below us and fronts in Louisiana or North Carolina or something  There have been hours when the wind is less than 25knots but not too many of them.  The upshot is that we are still in Long Island . It is a great place and it is only in the last few days that we have really felt boat bound.  The anchorage is a bit far from groceries and laundry so dinghy rides for chores in high winds and choppy harbors have been a hoot.  By the time we got our laundry back to the boat yesterday; we had knee deep water in the dinghy.  Waves were breaking over the  bow of the dinghy; can you stand it? Happily, I had packed the laundry in sailors' lux luggage: trash bags inside canvas.  It was dry.   There are many ruins and old plantations here from revolutionary war days.  Some of them are very impressive and the old farm walls remind us of  New England  except the rocks are made of coral.  There are several limestone caves as well.  We ventured into one and spent almost 5 minutes there until the bats ,multiple bats, got too close to us .  I'd have run out but there were spiders the size of saucers near the entrance, so I had to pick my way. I gave up on the cave explorations no matter how extraordinary others say they are.  Rowdy Boys boatyard is here on Long Island too.  They make boats in the same class as the one pictured here, but this photo is from the Exumas.    Right now almost sixty cruisers are in the harbor.  Most came in about 10 days ago  and had planned for about 4 or 5 days here. The radio traffic after the weather report is impressive. Some people are really eloquent in their frustration.  Everyone is anxious to sail somewhere.  It should be a beautiful sight to see so many boats haul up sails tomorrow ( we hope).