Howdy All. It is me. Your favorite sea-faring, RV-guarding, Tehas-visiting, Shakey-avoiding, Handsome Being, Shep Friend.
Today I want to take you back to the Bahamas to tell you more about my time at Green Turtle Cay. Well, actually it will be my last days at Green Turtle, because we were about to sail away. It was nearly the end of November and the weather looked good.
Yesterday, I felt funny when we were in town and Mom had given me some medicine that made me sleepy when we got home. When I woke up I felt better, and somehow the kibble we did not get while we were in town was on our boat. Someone must have delivered it. I do not know who. It is a mystery. What I do know is that no one would have gone to get it while I was napping, because that would not be cool. Rude. When we went for our walk after dinner the golf cart was also gone. Stolen, probably. There are all kinds of characters in a marina. Anyway, we had a nice evening.
Today, we made ready for our departure. Dad said we would leave tomorrow and traverse the great and treacherous Whale. Not the sea creature. I thought so at first too. It turns out the Whale is a passage where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Sea of Abaco. That doesn’t sound bad, but it can be. Dad says the Atlantic is thousands of feet deep, and when it comes rolling into the shallow Abaco all that wave energy has nowhere to go. When the current and the wind meet, it can get angry and throw boats around really bad. Many big cargo ships and freighters have been crashed against the rocks in this passage. We have to cross it to get to our next stop, a place called Marsh Harbour. It is a big town and we are all excited because there are stores and restaurants and all kinds of things. Mom says we need groceries. The little store here is good but they don’t have a lot, and as we know, they don’t have kibble for Sheps. That is a special order item.
I helped Dad secure all the deck items. We made sure the fuel was topped off because we would need to motor out of the marina and through the narrow inlet until we reached the Sea of Abaco. At lunchtime, Dad made sandwiches and said it was too hot to eat down below. We should go for a walk and sit in the shaded area by the marina. There was a nice spot with grass near the water and a bench where you could watch the ferry come speeding in. Sister and I laid in the grass and ate pieces of bread that Mom and Dad shared with us while they ate their sandwiches. Dad makes good bread. Mom even snuck me a bit of egg salad. Just a bit. It was gone very fast. I do not want to talk about it. Love you, Mom.
After lunch it was back to work. We washed the deck and made some water with our magic water machine. It was a very busy day. After work, Mom and Sister came up on deck to watch the sunset. It was hot and everyone sat outside until it cooled down before going below for dinner. We slept with our fans on high that night. We were nervous about the Whale, sweating like pigs, and being eaten by no-see-ums. It was getting crowded in there.
That morning everyone looked sort of grumpy. The kind of grumpy that coffee isn’t going to fix. But Dad made coffee anyway. We went about our usual business. I was my usual happy self. I am a very happy morning Shep. I was whining and pacing, trying to get everyone excited for the day. I always do my part for morale. Someone has to.
Mom gave me my breakfast. It was a special day. She gave me kibble with some gravy on it. It was suspiciously yummy. I considered my options for about half a second and then ate it all anyway. A Shep has priorities.
Mom said it was time for our life jackets. I said OK. Wiggle wiggle wiggle. Mom put Sister’s on first. She looked like a giant cupcake. A very large, very pink, very goofy cupcake. I am just describing what I saw. Mom said Karl hold still. I was sooooo excited. I looked handsome in my signature orange life jacket. Obviously. We were ready to go.
Then it happened.
Dad started the engine. I hate that part. It is so loud. I hate noises. They are so scary. I ducked for cover. Mom cuddled me. I put my head under her arm and trembled, and Mom said things that made me feel better. For some reason it wasn’t as scary as usual. Mom had to get up and go cast off the lines so Dad could pull away from the dock, and just like that we were pulling out of the marina.
After a while I got more used to the engine noise and Mom let me look out the cockpit opening. I love to watch other boats go by. Before long I was having a good time. You can’t keep a good Shep down. I have tried to explain this to people. After a while I went and sat next to the giant pink cupcake, who was already enjoying herself. She had been enjoying herself the whole time, actually. That is her whole thing.
We made it back through the inlet. It was much easier going out than it was coming in. It was still very shallow but Dad was able to follow the same path we used on the way in. Our electronic maps keep a record so we can tell exactly where we drove before. Pretty cool.
Once we got out, Dad pointed us toward the Whale.
Dad got on the radio and called for any other yachts, that is the fancy word for boats, in the area of the Whale, to get the conditions. Someone tried to answer but it was too staticky to hear. Dad said our radio was crap and stopped trying. Mom asked how far until we reached the opening. About four miles. Dad had Mom take the helm so he could put up the sail. He said we would motor-sail until we made it through the beast.
We had to pass between some large rocks out of the Sea of Abaco and into the Atlantic, into the mouth of the Whale.
There were two main openings. One was wider than the other. We planned to take the wider passage, as any reasonable people would. But as we approached, another boat was heading straight for it. Dad hailed them on the radio but they did not answer. They were far enough away that we could have made it through and been clear, but if they had sped up it could have been dangerous. Dad wouldn’t risk it without talking to them first. They wouldn’t answer. So we changed course and headed for the skinnier passage.
Toward the teeth of the Whale’s mouth.
I must leave you here for today. Tomorrow, the Whale, continued.
Dad says it is time for my shakey pill and then we are going for a walk around the RV park. Then we have work to do. We are going to Marble Falls today! I am very excited. It smells good there. And they have a Dairy Queen.
PUP CUP!!!
Karl out.