OI was asked what my favorite memory was. That’s a tough question; I have so many. But as I thought, the Exuma’s kept coming to mind. The Exuma’s are the southern islands of the Bahamas. We wintered there three years, four months at a time because we loved them so much.
The water is so clear that you can see the bottom at 30’. You can check your anchor, see the fish, especially starfish, and magnificent corals with their varied colors and the fish that they feed. The weather is something you dream about. We go far enough south that it has never been below 50 degrees with a daily average in the 80’s. All of this is just inviting you to jump in and swim. We did that daily and especially enjoyed our Joy Bath. This is what sailors do to bathe. Jump in and get wet. Get out of the water and soap down with Joy soap. Back in the water to rinse all the soap off, then out again to dry. No salt on the body. When we got back to the mainland, a hairdresser told Marianne that her hair was beautiful. Marianne said she washed it in Joy soap and salt water.
We have been looking for the Green Flash as long as we have been sailing. The sun can be coming up or going down below the horizon. It is the green ray in the spectrum of light that last appears just before total darkness. The Geen Flash is very quick, about 2-3 seconds at most. This was a perfect place to see it. Clear skies and a clear horizon. Nothing to impede the view. And I saw it. It was spectacular. It only lasts a few seconds, but it is real and I saw it. The next day our son was with us, and I told him this story. When he looked, he saw it and he turned to me and said,” You mean that?”. I said yes and I guess it doesn’t mean anything to him now.
People don’t go hungry in the Bahamas. There is food everywhere. Coconuts and Bananas are plentiful. You can walk under a coconut tree and just pick them up. When you do, you shake them and listen to hear the liquid inside. If you don’t hear any, the coconuts are not good.
We learned how to prepare conch in every way possible, and it was delicious with cocktails. You always knew when it was Happy Hour, because all the conch horns started blowing. Yes, we had made one as well. You take the conch out, and you cut off the end of the shell. Let it dry in the sun, and you have a horn. Our son Scott blew the horn for over a minute.
While in the Bahamas we learned a new way to use the inflatable boat. Ours was a 10’ Zodiac. It would plane with two people aboard. First, we had to get a plastic pipe that would fit over the throttle of the outboard engine. Then we would have a length of line attached to the bow ring. This permitted you to stand in the middle of the inflatable, hold the line attached to the bow and control the outboard. It worked great!
We would use our 42’ Tayana sailboat to travel to various locations. Set the anchor. Then hop in the dingy to do our exploring. It was a great life, and I am so pleased that God let us do it and gave us such wonderful memories.
