Marsh Harbour April 4 2007

Yes, Dana and Larry Darien arrived in Marsh Harbour as expected on March 16 with a dramatic sailing experience. After a harried trip through Denver's airport having to pack and repack bags that were too heavy and rushing to make their flight, the Marsh Harbour flight was its usual hour late arriving at 8:20 p.m. as the skies were breaking loose with thunder and lightning. We dinghied four heavy bags and people to our nearby--thankfully--boat. A squall came through at about 1:30 a.m. sending all hands on deck for a couple of tense hours. The rain was pouring; the wind was blowing; Captain Mike was trying to take up some anchor rode when the anchor broke loose. However, being the good sailor he is, Mike was able to sail the boat slowly until he could get the anchor down again expertly avoiding the nearby boats in the crowded anchorage. My expensive foulies paid off handsomely in the cold chill early morning rainstorm. (This is a little thick--m.)

Unfortunately, the weather remained rather chilly and somewhat windy so none of us got to snorkel as much as we would have liked. However, we found some excellent restaurants and bars and did some fine sailing. Great Guana Cay, the home of Nippers beach bar, was the site of a Sunday pig roast. Then we sailed through the Whale to Green Turtle Cay where we remained several days because of the weather. Black Sound's settlement, New Plymouth, was a small but enjoyable town with friendly people. In White Sound, the Jolly Roger Bistro was our favorite place. Larry and Mike found a huge lobster in one of the snorkeling adventures, but he was not about to be caught. Hope Town, home of the famous lighthouse, was great fun--expecially the good times at Cap'n Jack's and Harbor's Edge restaurants/bars. We met friends of our next visitors, Pete and Amy. Pete runs the Cruisers' Web on Sundays and Mondays, something we enjoy greatly every morning at 8:15 a.m. Larry fished faithfully and caught a beautiful little squirrel fish not once, but three times at Matt Lowe's Cay. Of course, we threw him back. Wild nights of games of Wizard and Phase Ten kept us going. We were sad when the 31st came and still no really good snorkeling. We bid adieu to our good friends till the next time. (Of course, the days have been perfect since!!!) Mike even caught a fish yesterday albeit very small as we sailed to Treasure Cay to hide out during a westerly cold front.