Sunday, March 23 to Sunday, March 30 2014
Well, our plans to move to Marsh Harbour last week had to be adjusted. The weather has been unsettled for days, so we have been forced to stay here in Hopetown — not really a hardship since it’s a gorgeous place with a lovely beach and some nice restaurants. And, we’ve been meeting lots of other great cruisers who are also staying put and waiting for good weather. The northern migration has definitely started. Being forced to hole up this week, we have had time to work on preparing the boat to put into storage for the season — in addition to having fun with our new friends.
Randy keeping busy doing chores and polishing the metal on the boat while we wait for the weather to settle
Snorkeling from the beach
The great people on Mandalay (Debra and John from Annapolis, MD) and Miss Ellie (Louise and Guy formerly from Sarnia, ON and now from Vancouver, BC) have been lots of fun. The guys have also been pitching in to help Randy with some of the sanding and varnishing on our boat. Julie and Dawson on Jazzebelle (from Sudbury, ON) who we met in Cape Eleuthera arrived a few days after we got here. Great to see them again! We’ve been hanging out with them too.
View of the sunset at the Firefly Restaurant just outside of Hopetown
Dinner with Debra and John (Mandalay) and Louise and Guy (Miss Ellie) at Firefly Restaurant
Happy hour at one of our favourite places in town, Sip Sip (which means ‘gossip’ in Bahamian) with the group including Julie and Dawson (Jazzebelle)
Curly tail lizard in Hopetown who seems to want to get into my grocery bag
Happy hour and pot luck appetizers by the pool at the Hopetown Marina
Today it is 80F and sunny, but thunderstorms are rolling through occasionally. Looks like the weather, wind and waves are going to improve tomorrow (Monday), so we will finally be able to move on. New plan is to go to Fishers Bay at Great Guana Cay on Monday and then do the Whale Cay ocean passage the next day. That will put us in Green Turtle Cay sometime Tuesday. Silver Maple is being pulled out of the water early next week at Abaco Yacht Services on Green Turtle Cay. The few days we will have when we get there this week will give us time to get things ready.
The trip is wrapping up for this year. Wow, hard to believe.
Silver Maple Blog 
March 30, 2014 at 5:03 pm
So nice to hear from you both enjoying the lovely weather. It has been a brutal winter here so much snow. Today is what I call balmy sunny compared to what it has been Will be glad when spring finally arrives. Ted turned 50 March 20th. Boy that makes feel so much older. Time does go on.
Joe is coping best he can with the side effects from chemo. I am fine. Started my spring cleaning etc. still doing my volunteering a least it gives me a break from humdrum procedures. Have not heard from Larry or Del so I guess that is the way it is.
Scott, Marty and boys coming for Easter. They had a great time on their cruise already booked one for next year. Scott had a lot to do when he went ack to work due to year end. (Gov’t)
Safe travelling back.