A day in GT……..

Today started out much like yesterday.  When I woke up I looked out the bedroom window to see if the wind had changed…  had the boat held it’s position, had we moved and if so my first effort is to see why.  Normally we are exactly where I expect.  This morning was no exception….  we still had the same land and beach out the bedroom window.

Often I get coffee in bed, linda is always up early.  My natural wake up time seems to be about 7:45… she hears me yawn or make some noise and she checks on me to see if I want coffee or even breakfast if its ready.  After being pampered and sometimes a chapter or two of the current book…. I get up.  If I’m interested in the weather it comes on the GT cruiser net at 8AM so I’ll get up right away.

IMG_9490My first trip is always to the galley to check the battery levels and take the boat’s pulse.  I look at the level gauge showing how much fresh water we have, check the freezer to see how much ice we have, then I’ll ask Linda if she needs the generator for breakfast if we haven’t already eaten.  The convection oven needs AC power so if the batteries or Linda need the Honda, I crank it up and often run the ice maker or watermaker at the same time to best utilize the gas burn.  If it’s got to run, I generally activate as many amp users as I need to bring the boat to ship shape.  The only no-no is running the air conditioning and the oven at the same time.

We normally drop the salon dividers to keep the dew off the seats and table at night.  If they are down somebody rolls them up, me or Linda.  Sometimes the boat gets open by 7AM… sometimes its closer to 11AM if we don’t have sailing plans that day.

What goes in between daylight and dark are seldom scheduled as of late.  The big coming attraction is the Family Island Regatta.  Tomorrow is Sunday, boats will begin arriving in GT.  This year is set to be a big race in the “A” class and there is an expected favorite from Long Island in the “C” class…. a fairly new boat.  The races will go on all week. These boats are amazing. The largest class is limited to 21′ in length with a 63′ mast and a 45′ boom.  Pictures will no doubt be posted during the event.  Some of the favorite boats are “Lady Sonia”, Red Stripe” and “Tidal Wave” from Staniel Cay.

Today it was windy, gusts to 35 – 40 knots in the harbor.  I moved the boat a couple times to find a nice motion for the night.  I ran spot so people could see where we moved to.  We are tucked in tight behind Goat Cay inside the harbor.  It is supposed to go very light for the next 3 days.  Hopefully the Regatta won’t suffer without any wind but I expect that may be the case for at least some of the races.

Tomorrow if it does go flat… I may break out some snorkel gear and look around in this cove a bit. I see some big dark areas that may be a reef structure.  The big cove is very shallow.  I came in near low tide and saw 4′-1″, so its not a big boat hang out.  I’ve been in this cove many times.  This is the beach you go to to walk to the hardware store.  Its nice sized, tonight I see 5 other mast lights nestled in here.. out of the waves.  I guess the average depth is 6′ and the bottom is pure white sand.

The past 2 evenings we spent with “Cat’s Meow” playing games in the evening.  Thursday night we met on SYL and played Mexican Train, last night we learned a new game on their boat….. they didn’t know the name of it, but you get dealt 9 cards each.  We placed them face down in 3 rows of 3 cards like a block, turn 2 over and start the game.  The idea is to finish with the lowest points each hand.  We really liked it.  If anybody knows the name of this game share it with us.

We are listening to XM radio.  I wandered off the “Love Channel” temporarily and found channel 56….lol.  “Ranger Doug’s Classic Cowboy Corral”  it’s old time cowboy music.. even yodeling and a couple polkas…. lol.  Mostly it’s true old school cowboy music.  I can’t believe how much I am enjoying it.  Hank Williams Sr. is the most recent artist Iv’e heard.  It’s normally the “Willie Nelson Channel” tonight must be a special event but I’m loving it.  The music business was a much simpler world back then.  My brothers best friend in high school is the president of the CMA  “Country Music Association”.  It’s amazing how the business has changed in the past 15 years.  Back then it only took a voice and some luck… now it’s big business with lawyers and managers…. the “talent” that makes most of the money now are litigators.  Sad isn’t it where slick men is expensive suits took over the USA at almost every level.

The US has something like 5% of the worlds population and 95% of the worlds lawyers.  I don’t want to get on my soapbox… but today what is “right” is determined by what lawyers can most easily prove rather than right and wrong.  Generally a litigator with political aspirations well manages his own sense of reality… the more he can influence the masses to believe his “reality” the more power he garners.  Today we live and manage our lives to fit within what a lawyer says we can get by with in the US.  There are very few “statesmen” that stand on their honor and do what’s right for America…. it’s all about what will make himself more powerful.  Sad isn’t it.. that the simple life we 60 year olds grew up in is gone.  I keep looking for the pendulum to swing back to christian values… and there has been some of that, it makes me hopeful….  but not very.  It’s hard to put water back in the faucet after it’s out.  “Politics” is a word to spit out of your mouth these days.  OK…  I got on it..now I’m getting off my soapbox……

Sea Yawl Tomorrow, Rusty

 

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