Life in Freeport

It is interesting here, living in a boatyard instead of a (tourist) marina.  We are getting to know the workers here, as well as Queenie the Cab Driver, and so we are surrounded by Bahamians, not by the tourists from the USA.  So it is a different culture and cultural experience.  It seems very safe here, and the people are very friendly.  Playground for the rich and famous – not here where we are in Freeport.

Everything is expensive here (except rum) – we spent the afternoon getting schlepped by Queenie to the downtown (except they don't have a real downtown) super- (read: "adequate") market, and spent twice as much on groceries and beer as back in the USA – provisioning to move on (weather permitting).  You gotta do what you gotta do. 

Can't eat out much here – few restaurants, nothing to write home about. Almost nothing is in walking distance.  To get anywhere, we have to go to the center of town, then transfer to another "bus", as all roads lead downtown and none go along the coast. So lots of taxicabs, which are actually vans, that go everywhere to pick up and drop the others off, so we get a tour of the area and eventually get where we want to go.  Well, no rush – we are on Island Time.

The local language is, theoretically, English – we can understand it, but with a Caribbean accent, mon.

Chris says the weather is settling in to a better pattern for sailing south and east, the way we want to go.  A front comes through every other day; real strong one, then weaker ones every 2 days or so for 7 to 10 days, then repeat with another don't-want-to-be-out-in-one.

Planning to make a 60 mile jump to Great Harbor Cay Marina in the Berry Islands. Hang there, then on to Nassau and meet up with the Albanis on Utopia – if they ever get out of Miami.

Wrights made it to Hope Town – finally. They plan to jump to Spanish Wells on Eleuthera maybe next Monday.  Snowbirds still heading south.