January 10

M,Nin Thompson Bay.  Again we are here due to a forecast of string winds.  It's supposed to be tonight and tomorrow.   So far at 7:30 it's 10 or 15 knots.. I think we will be setting out Mondsy morning.  So far the SSB receiver doesn't seem to be receiving any verbal signal.. Only various sounds.  I'm not sure how getting the weather on SSB frequencies works but for us it's not working so far.  The cat rigged Freedom 40 captain brought us the forecast from Chris Parker on SSB.  He recorded the Caribbean forecast he does at 6 EST and the Bahamas forecast that follows.  After each forecast he has sessions responding to his paid subscribers requesting weather details for specific passages.  You can't hear the request but you hear Chris Parker's response.  The Caribbean one was pretty much all the SE Caribbean.. It mentioned Dominican Republic a couple times but never the Wîndward Passage which we will be passing through once we head south from Great Inagua Island.  Anyway Tuesday and Wednesday sound kind of light winds but Monday might still be squally.  A front over Cuba might make for some west and northwest winds on Thursday or Friday as it clocks around but not overly strong so that might make good sailing if it lasts long enough.  That is if I understood Chris Parkers forecast?  It's really hard to understand the report but I can tell the more you listen to his reporting the better you hear and understand it.  Also we have only heard recordings on a little Sony digital recorder.

After listening to the recorded weather forecast Candace and I went to check out the Farmer's Market the have here Saturday mornings.  It was only crafts by the time we got there.. I guess it's pretty good if you get there by 10 AM.  It runs from 8 to 12 noon and we arrived about 11:30.  All the produce was gone by that time.  Then we went to get a few things at the grocery store and gas for dinghy and generator.  I'm going to use wifi again tomorrow morning at the Breeze Resort.  

Later once back to the boat we all went to check out another beach on the outside of the island.  It was a pretty cool spot but again sadly there was tons of washed up plastic trash.  I'd have some photos on this post but my battery must have gotten turned on accidentally so the battery was dead at the beach.  Sooner or later I'll maybe add some from Candaces camera but maybe not as well.  Not many internet connections before she leaves in Haiti.  

Now it's Sunday the 11th. The stronger forecast winds did arrive just after dark last night. I'm again at the Long Island Breeze Resort using wifi and having coffee. 

The latest is we are leaving Tuesday and have a weather window until the following Sunday to reach Haiti.  This is from new Grib files Walter downloaded yesterday.  As it tuned out this will be the longest Bahamas place we've been.  Slight chance I'll get internet one more time at Mathew Town on Great Inagua Island as Candace needs communications concerning meeting her group in Les Cayes.  We also need to check out of the Bahamas.  Sounds like we will go non stop nowhere but with ok conditions perhaps spend a night out from Mathew Town which has only east wind protection.  

No photos for this one.. I might be able to get the photos I took on Candace's camera yesterday.. I downloaded an FTP manager and Walter has a network fror Asperida on the boat.  He has already done this on the boats local network with some of Candace's photos.  

My mom returns to her home assisted living place after her getting a flu that put her in the hospital then a rehabilitation lace to regain strength before finally heading home.  It will be this Wednesday. 

After dropping Candace off at the beach for her morning activity...I continued on to the resort here.  It was squirrels as tide was low so I wanted to stay near shore yet was concerned about shallow spots.  The light bow was continually blown downwind facing me away from shore so I'd compensate.  Can da e is meeting me here and going back will be fine ad the tide will be higher.  There were a few sailors here from the catamarans nearby but no one from our end of the bay were bothering to leave there sailboats.  I of course had in mind how rowing the dinghy to shore if the outboard acted up would go? It was quite a string wind gusts over 25 knots anyway.  The coffee was good here..I wonder if refills are free?  I've already paid 5 bucks for the WiFi and $2 for the coffee.. 

That's the latest.