VISITORS FROM THE STATES

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We spent ten days working our way down the Exumas. We would find a beautiful bay to drop our anchor and spend the night, then the next morning we would sail ten miles or so to the next beautiful place. If we especially liked an anchorage, we would stay for more than one night.

Our younger son, Andy, was flying in to Staniel Cay from Seattle to spend Christmas with us. Our only goal was to arrive at Staniel Cay in time to greet his plane. We got there a couple of days in advance, so we would know our way around when he arrived.

Andy stayed on the boat with us for nine delightful days. The weather was beautiful (most of the time) and we enjoyed his visit. We all slept late, read books, partied on the beach with other cruisers, and Andy worked hard on his tan.

Christmas eve we moved the boat a few miles north to Sampson Cay and had a wonderful Christmas dinner at the Sampson Cay Yacht Club, then returned to Staniel Cay for the remainder of his visit.

The James Bond movie "Thunderball" was filmed at Staniel Cay and Andy and Phil snorkeled into Thunderball Grotto nearby.

Andy flew home a couple of days after Christmas, tanned and well-rested. We hated to see him leave.

Staniel Cay is about 50 miles north of George Town, so we decided to make the trip in one day rather than hopping from island to island. Along with two other boats, Rasi and Pascana, we departed Staniel around 9:00 a.m. and headed out into the deep water of Exuma Sound.

When we travel in deep water, we usually put out a trolling line to catch fish. Within an hour of leaving Staniel Cay, we had a bite. Phil grabbed the pole and began to bring in the fish, a large Mahi-Mahi that danced back and forth on the waves as he reeled it in.

We weren't really prepared for a catch so soon and while we were rushing around the boat getting ready, Mr. Mahi bit through the wire lead and was on his way, taking the lure with him.

Phil attached another lure, dropped the line back in the water, and within 15 minutes we had snagged a second Mahi-Mahi. We were ready for this one and Phil landed him.

The other two boats weren't as lucky with their fishing. After we pulled into George Town about 4:00 p.m. and all anchored, we invited our friends over to share the catch. We fed six people that night and had fish left over. It was delicious.

George Town is the most developed island in the Bahamas. Many cruisers come this far and spend the winter. The harbor is about 15 miles long with numerous places to anchor. There are probably 200 boats here now, with lots of activities organized by the cruisers. There is a well-stocked grocery store and several other retail shops.

Phil's sister, Mary Anna, flew in to George Town on January 5th and spent a week with us on Sunshine. The weather was perfect and we all enjoyed her visit. She met some of our cruising friends, we walked the beaches, and Mary Anna and Phil climbed the highest hill in the area, getting a beautiful view of Elizabeth Harbour.

That brings you up to date on our travels so far. We are planning to visit Long Island as soon as the weather permits, about 35 miles away. I hope we get there in time to watch the inauguration on Tuesday.

MAC AND CHEESE, GUAVA DUFF AND CHICKEN SOUSE

This post is especially for Daniel Grant, who requested recipes.

My sister, Julie, recently sent an e-mail asking if we were enjoying exotic fruits. The short answer is “no.” I was surprised to find that there are few exotic fruits and vegetables grown in the Bahamas.

I had expected to find mangoes falling from the trees. I thought we would shop at open-air markets featuring fresh-picked pineapples, bananas, taro root, papayas, guavas and lots of produce I didn’t recognize, but would soon learn to use in making fabulous new dishes. I was wrong.

The reality is that these beautiful limestone islands have only a thin layer of fertile soil. There is some successful farming in the Bahamas, mainly pineapples on Eleuthera and vegetables on Barraterra, but not nearly enough to feed the population. Most produce is imported and, for that reason, frightfully expensive.

At the local market in George Town, I paid 75 cents for a banana, $4.00 for a 3-pack of Romaine, and 50 cents for an apple. Most of the produce is imported from the U.S. or South America.

So, what do the Bahamians eat? Lots and lots of fish, prepared every way imaginable. Loads of French Fries. A ton of macaroni and cheese. Peas and rice. Johnny Cakes. Cole slaw.

In spite of a few exotic dishes like Fish-Head Soup and Chicken Souse that I mentioned in a previous post, the Bahamian diet is fairly limited and extremely bland.

The majority of the population came as African slaves on British plantations. The Treaty of Versailles in 1783 restored the Bahamas to England and Florida to Spain. Many British loyalists with plantations in the southern colonies of America relocated to the Bahamas to escape the wrath of the revolutionaries, tripling the population of the Bahamas in a short period of time.

The slave trade ended in 1807 and slavery was abolished in 1834. Hundreds of freed slaves learned to survive as fishermen and subsistence farmers. Their diet was limited by the lack of good soil for growing fruits and vegetables and influenced by the English dishes they were used to.

Local restaurants have surprisingly similar menus. You will usually find a variety of fish, shell fish and conch dishes, barbequed chicken and ribs and often meat loaf. Sometimes you will see pigeon meat and pig’s feet on the menu. Side dishes almost always include French Fries, Johnny Cakes, macaroni and cheese, slaw, and peas (pigeon peas) and rice.

The macaroni and cheese here is nothing like the Kraft Mac and Cheese that comes in the blue box. Bahamian macaroni and cheese is a rich, baked dish that puts Kraft to shame, but is guaranteed to raise your cholesterol.

Bahamian Macaroni

2 cans evaporated milk, 6 beaten eggs, 1 lb. grated cheddar cheese, 1 chopped green pepper, 1 chopped onion, 1/4 lb. butter, 16 oz. box macaroni, 2 T. Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce to taste, salt and pepper.

Boil the macaroni with the onion and green pepper. Strain. Mix eggs, milk, seasonings and 3/4 of the cheese. Add the macaroni and stir well. Pour into greased baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

The one really exotic dish I have yet to try is Guava Duff. I have heard folks speak of it in raptured tones and it’s difficult to find. I’ve never seen it on a menu. I think you must go to a bakery to find it (or become good friends with a local cook). A visit to the Bahamas is probably not complete without tasting Guava Duff and I will persevere until we have sampled some.

I found a recipe for it and it sounds a lot like persimmon pudding. I hesitate to try to make it myself, not knowing how the finished product should look or taste. You might be more adventuresome. If so, let me know how it comes out.

Grava Duff

4 T. butter, 1 cup sugar, 3 beaten eggs, 3 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 2 cups guava pulp, 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. ground cloves.

Cream butter with sugar, add eggs, beat well. Add sifted flour and baking powder. The dough will be stiff. Roll the dough out to about 3/4 inch thickness with a rolling pin. Mix the guava pulp, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves together and spread over the dough, leaving a margin around the edges. Moisten edges, roll up and seal the ends. Flour a pudding cloth (whatever that is) and wrap around the Duff. Tie the ends, leaving room for Duff to swell. Place on top of a saucer in a saucepan of boiling water. Cover and boil 1 hour. Slice and serve with Butter-Egg Sauce.

Butter-Egg Sauce

1/4 lb. butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, separated. Cream butter and sugar, add egg yolk and blend. Beat the egg white until stiff and fold into the mixture. If too thick, add a couple of drops of hot water.

Finally, I have had chicken souse twice in the Bahamas and loved it both times. It's surprisingly simple to make, delicious to eat, and I understand it will cure a hangover.

Chicken Souse

One 2 to 3 pound fryer (or 2 to 3 lbs. drumsticks and/or thighs, or 24 wings, separated), 1 large diced onion, 4-6 peeled and diced potatoes, 3 diced carrots, 1 T ground allspice, 2 bay leaves, hot pepper flakes or bird peppers to taste, salt and pepper to taste.

In a large pot, cover the chicken with water and add remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and continue simmering until chicken and vegetables are tender, about one hour.

Serve with lime wedges, grits and Johnny Cakes.

EXPLORING THE EXUMAS

Nassau was fun, with interesting restaurants and sights to see, but it's basically a tourist town. The U.S. recession is taking its toll on the local economy. Rumors were rampant of 1500 employees laid off at Atlantis, a huge resort and casino on Paradise Island, just across the bay from our marina. Other hotels were offering reduced rates, trying to remain open and meet payroll.

The "out islands" couldn't have been more different from Nassau. Our first stop, Allen's Cay, is uninhabited, except for an endangered species of fairly large iguanas. We enjoyed a quiet night, alone in a beautiful cove, then dinghied ashore the next morning to meet the iguanas. They began to appear as we pulled up on the beach. First one ventured out, then two or three more, soon they were approaching from every direction.

We had brought along a plastic bag filled with lettuce and stale Ritz Crackers. They loved it all, scrapping for each morsel of food.

We returned to Sunshine, eager to continue our island hopping. A short ten-mile trip south brought us to Highbourne Cay. We anchored near a small marina and enjoyed a beautiful sunset, a quiet dinner and good night's sleep. So far, we had seen only a handful of other cruisers in the Exumas.

The next day was Phil's birthday. I told him he was forbidden to do any work on his birthday. That didn't last long. He is not happy sitting still. We pulled the anchor after breakfast and headed further south a few miles to Norman's Cay.

Norman's is well known as a former drug running headquarters. A Colombian drug lord purchased the island in the 1970's and installed an airstrip. Drug-laden planes from South America would land often and business was thriving. Finally, a few years ago, the U.S. convinced the Bahamaian government to shut down the operation and arrest the Colombian and his coharts. The only evidence left of the illegal activity was the rusted remains of a small plane that miscalculated the location of the airstrip. The fuselage is clearly visible at low tide and we gave it a wide berth as we looked for a good place to anchor.

We dinghied to the island and found the airstrip, still in good shape and used by a few local residents who have built homes there. On the beach side of the island, we met a Canadian couple, Menno and Liz, whose boat, Snow Shoo, was anchored near ours.

They had caught (maybe "collected" is a better term) five large conchs and were in the process of removing the meat. Locals can clean a conch in just a few minutes, but it's a learned skill. Menno had removed the meat from the shell and was pounding each conch until it was almost lacy. That's the secret to tender conch.

Back on the boat, the wind generator had stopped spinning. It appeared that the bearings had frozen up. The wind generator, along with four solar panels, create quite a bit of free energy for us. Fixing the generator will be high on our list of things to repair.

Next blog: Hawksbill Cay to Staniel Cay, Andy's visit, Christmas.

WOO-HOO, WE'RE BLOGGING AGAIN, MON

To Terry Bentley of the Noblesville P.D., my brother Allen, my cousin Howard, and all the others who have complained about "Sushine Blog Withdrawal":

It's been a long time since you heard from us. Since early December, we have been mostly out of touch with the rest of the world. Occasionally, we located an internet cafe where we would stand in line, wait for a computer, and then do a quick e-mail check. Taking time to update the blog was not an option.

Technology arrived on Sunshine yesterday in the form of a high-power Wi-Fi antenna, signal booster and cable, all purchased from another cruiser. We can now pluck those magic signals out of the air whenever we find a "hot spot."

Picking up where we left off in early December:

After nearly a week in Nassau waiting for a weather window, the winds finally calmed enough for us to sail to the Exumas. As we prepared to leave, we discovered that the port engine would not start. It's always something, as Gilda Radner used to say.

Phil worked on the engine for an entire day, but could not figure out the problem. We knew it wasn't getting fuel and feared we needed a new fuel injector pump, which meant importing one from Florida, paying a 45% duty surcharge, and waiting days, perhaps weeks for it to arrive.

The dock master recommended a local diesel mechanic, who arrived with his helper soon after we called. Within an hour and a half, they had located a blocked valve in the fuel line and fixed it. Total charge: $85.00. We were beginning to love the Bahamas.

We pulled out of Nassau Harbour Marina the next morning (December 6th), stopping at the fuel dock next door to fill our diesel tank. Our destination was Allen's Cay, on the northern end of the Exuma Island chain.

There were some minor problems along the way:

1) We had heard stories of dirty fuel in Nassau, so Phil used a special filter as he filled the tank, which slowed the flow considerably. It took 45 minutes to get 41 gallons of diesel.

2) As soon as we were underway, but still in Nassau Harbour, a belt on the starboard engine loosened, causing black smoke to pour from the engine compartment. Phil tightened the belt.

3) After 35 miles, in sight of Allen's Cay, the port engine alarm went off. A water hose leak had filled the port engine bilge with several gallons of sea water. We continued into the anchorage on one engine and anchored in a beautiful bay.

4) The next day, the handle broke off that controls water flow to flush the head and the port engine belt began to squeal above 2,000 rpm. Phil spent the morning fixing the water hose leak from the day before, the head handle and the loose belt.

And you probably thought this was a vacation! The funny thing is, every time we have a mechanical problem, we learn more about this boat and how to fix whatever breaks. In conversations with other cruisers, we have discovered that most of them have the same difficulties. Things break, or wear out, and there's always something to be repaired or improved upon.

Cruisers take pride in learning how to keep their boats in good repair and fix nearly anything that breaks. They are also always willing to assist other cruisers. Best of all, we are fixing all these things in paradise. The weather is perfect. The surroundings are beautiful. We don't have a schedule.

Allen's Cay was the first stop in our exploration of the Exuma Cays. Southeast of Nassau in the central Bahamas, the Exumas are a necklace of beautiful, low-lying limestone islands extending 140 miles along a chain. A few are inhabited, most are not. Those that are have a sprinkling of residents in small communities. There are only a few marinas in the Exumas.

In the next blog, we work our way all the way down the Exumas, meeting up with friends along the way, exploring the islands, enjoying our son's visit over the Christmas holidays and Phil's sister's visit in January.

Margaret