The Beginning of the End? Or Just Another Chapter?

The day started off sunny and warm. The ocean was calm.

The boaters converged on the dock for a Christmas potluck.

Then, the skies let loose with a torrent of rain in the middle of the picnic. The party moved indoors to a large trawler with a house-sized living room. I stopped at our boat to close the hatches.

What to my wondering eyes should appear, but rain streaming in from here, here, and here! Having spent a couple of hours the day before cleaning and doing laundry, removing salt spray from towels,  bedding, and cushions, I was chagrined to see that they were damp again (although, this time, with fresh water).

To top off my day, during the rain the sand flies converged at their own Christmas feast, on my legs and arms. This morning, I counted 19 itchy red welts on my left leg and 21 on my right.

Rain continued on and off for 24 hours, while I vegetated, meditated, and stewed--tucked into the damp v-berth--on my extremely faulty decision-making: the fact that I reluctantly agreed, back in the early summer, to make the Bahamas trip aboard a boat. I knew the boat had water-intrusion problems, having spent days cleaning up mold left over by the previous owners. But my protests and objections met stone-faced resistance. THIS was the boat Pope was taking to the Bahamas. It's his toy, and he loves it.

Pope, being a former whitewater kayaker for upward of three decades, is used to being underwater. Damp sleeping bags and leaky tents were routine in his world,and part of the game. I, on the other hand, had always packed up my backpack and tent and headed home in miserable conditions.

Dear readers, as much as I would like to continue entertaining you with my adventures and misfortunes, I am seriously considering an orderly retreat from the nearest airport. If there are any psychiatrists among my readers who can help me through this rough patch, feel free to volunteer!

Who says a cruise to the islands is fun? WHERE'S MY CRUISE SHIP?

Will Amber's adventure be saved by the prospect of more sunsets, like this one today on Bimini?

 

Will she be persuaded by the warmth and camaraderie of the boating community to stick with the plan, despite the boat and the bugs?



Stay tuned for the next chapter!