Finally, Calmer Days

The wind has finally subsided enough for us to be on our way. For the last week, the average wind speed was somewhere in the low 20's, with gusts regularly in the mid 30's. The winds brought record numbers of boats into Hope Town harbour, at one point topping 100!
We made good use of our time in Hope Town. In addition to climbing the lighthouse and swimming in the pools, we also met lots of new people. We especially enjoyed Sally and Kevin on the sailboat Kokomo, who were tied up beside us. It was Sally who offered the giraffe raft (later dubbed 'girraft' by Madeline) for the girls to play with. The girls enjoyed playing with a new friend Sebastian, an 11-year old Nova Scotia native who has been living on a boat for the last 3 years. His parents Sandra and Brian have decided to stay in Hope Town for several months, so Sebastian has been enrolled in the local school. Brain commutes to his job overseas for several weeks at a time, and I think they are all enjoying the stability of being in one place for a period of time. We also met a couple on a charter boat who spent 2 nights on the dock. Christy and Bob were on a 5-day vacation, making use of the last week of her 4-month maternity leave. We had a lot in common with them, she worked for the school system in Madison, Wisconsin and Bob worked on satellite weather data and was also a pilot. We felt badly that their short time away coincided with the crazy wind, but were glad they found their way to the same marina as us, and enjoyed a feast of tacos on their boat Tuesday night.
Wednesday night was Happy Hour! Sally had mentioned that she would like to plan a gathering, so we put the girls to work making invitations, which they handed out to the various boats on the dock. It was a tremendous success, drawing cruisers from about 15 boats. Word even spread and we attracted boats that were on moorings in the harbour. There was lots of great food and we met people who we will likely cross paths with over the next few months as we all travel northbound.
Thursday we got up and did a bit of school, then took Hi-5 up on their offer to use the golf cart they had rented the day before. We met them in town at 11 and zoomed off to Tahiti Beach at the south end of Elbow Cay. Our timing was great, and we were able to walk the sandbars at low tide, while the kite boarders took advantage of the wind and crisscrossed the bay around us. On our way back to town, we picked up 'conch snack' from Mackey's Take-Away, and enjoyed the deep fried treat back on the pier in Hope Town after we had returned the golf cart. (Well, in the case of Elbow Cay Rentals, you just park it somewhere on the main street leave the keys in it, and they will come find it later .... gotta love a small town!)
Friday morning we got up, paid our bill and were on our way at high tide. We were one of many boats heading out of the harbour, all taking advantage of the calmer winds. A short sail found us anchored at Marsh Harbour. Less than pretty, very industrial and busy would best describe this hub of activity in the Abacos. We did manage to get our cruising permit extended, shop at the huge grocery store here, and had a very late lunch at Conchy Joe's. It took us a bit to find this recommended local lunch spot. Mostly because they didn't have a sign! We knew we were looking for a houseboat, on a dock, near the shore beside a marina. Unfortunately, we began our search on the wrong side of the marina. Weaving in and out of finger docks, we were eventually pointed in the right direction by a couple we had first met in Spanish Wells. The service was slow, but it was worth the wait. We were told that all the conch dishes were tasty, so we ordered a variety: conch salad, conch fritters and conch snack. It was truly made to order. After our order was placed, the cook (who was also the waitress and cashier), walked down the dock and picked up a line with 5 conch hanging on it. The conch had been caught earlier, holes put in their shell and the line strung through them. They then wait, hung over a piling at the dock for hungry folk like us. She brought them to her outdoor cleaning table, and with a swift strike of her conch hammer had broken the shell. Her conch knife cut the muscle that attached the conch to the shell and voila!! the conch slipped out. We have been told trying this on your own can take hours, until you get the hang of it. She then took them inside, skinned them, and tenderized them. Conch salad is made by marinating the conch with vegetables in lime juice, ceviche style. Tomatoes, peppers, onions and a few hot peppers, salt and pepper made the most delicious conch dish I have tasted yet. The fritters and fried conch were also the best we have had.
We returned to the boat, full and happy. The girls spent a bit of the evening rowing the dinghy around, then hula-hooped on the bow. They got a round of applause from an anchored neighbour and then had a bottle of bubbles delivered for their enjoyment. The cruising community generally embraces those of us with kids on board. We are often told one of two reasons: either they travelled with their own kids, or wish they had.
Today we are headed to Man-O-War Cay for some swimming and snorkeling, and to hunker down for the wind that is supposed to pick up again tonight.