Spring Break

Alibi Blog entered by Jim Fagan

I like the name of the Blog “My Alibi”.

This is my alibi for spring break.

I visited with Darrell, Ann and Roxy on Alibi in Key Largo Harbor in December. They told me about their plans to go to the Bahamas for several months. I was very excited when I received and invitation to visit while they were in the islands.

I emailed with Darrell and Ann and gave them a window of days for my arrival and departure. They said that they would meet me in George Town, Exuma. I quickly started researching airfares and flight routes. I explored many possibilities. I purchased the plane ticket on February 14 – one month prior to my arrival. We continued to communicate about my trip via email and facebook.

Darrell called me during my layover in Miami. He told me that they had found a taxi share via the “cruisers net”. He said that her name is Jacqueline and to find her at the gate in the Miami Airport or on the plane. I met her at the gate. She is from Charlotte, NC and was going to visit with a friend of her family who was on his boat in Exuma. We boarded the flight to George Town. It was a great flight and I enjoyed the view of the islands below out the plane window.

We landed at the George Town Airport also called Exuma International. It was the smallest airport I have ever visited. There are no taxi-ways -- just one runway. Baggage claim is a garage door that opened and they placed the bags out on the floor. Everyone from the plane appeared to be going to the Sandals Resort except us. We got a taxi to Exuma Market.

The taxi ride to Exuma Market took us through some rural areas with spectacular views of the ocean. We arrived at Exuma Market and met up with Darrell, Ann and Roxy. It was very easy to get from the airport to the meeting point with Darrell and Ann.

We boarded their dinghy that was at a dock behind Exuma Market. Darrell made two trips with the dinghy because 4 people, a dog and luggage for two would most likely overload the dinghy. After going under a bridge (more like a small tunnel), I saw Alibi at anchor in Kidd’s Cove. After everyone was on board, we pulled anchor and motored across Elizabeth Harbor and dropped off Jacqueline at her friend’s boat, the “Dolphin Leap”. The owner of Dolphin Leap invited us to join them the next day at Chat and Chill (a bar on the beach on Stocking Island). We gladly accepted the invitation.

We motored out of the cove and anchored off of monument point. Darrell and Ann gave me a full boat briefing -- including location of the safety gear, electrical panel and other operational items of the boat. We ate dinner at the table in the cockpit while the sun set off in the distance creating an amazing array of colors.

The next morning we got up early. Ann listens to a location specific weather report for the Bahamas every morning on the SSB radio. It is an interactive weather report during which, the broadcaster allows for vessels underweigh to radio him after his forecast and he gives them the weather forecast for the course they are traveling. Then he allows for vessels at anchor who are getting underweigh to radio and he gives them the weather for their route and advises if they should travel that day or wait for different weather to cross to their destination. After the weather report, there is a “cruisers net” on the VHF radio, which Ann has described, in a previous Blog entry. It was fun to listen to the “cruisers net” each morning.

After breakfast we got underweigh and went sailing! We sailed out of Elizabeth Harbor to the North and sailed around Stocking Island. We had perfect weather for the sail and of course (like everywhere in the Exumas), the view was picture-perfect. We anchored back in Elizabeth Harbor in the afternoon and took Roxy in the dinghy to the beach. Roxy loves riding on the dinghy and going swimming at the beach. In the late afternoon after some snorkeling and swimming, we met up with the crew of the Dolphin Leap at Chat and Chill. (And as the name implies – that is exactly what we did there.) It was lots of fun laughing and talking with our new friends.

The next morning after the weather forecast and the cruisers net, we took the dinghy to shore to explore George Town. The Exumas are very quaint and laid back when compared to Nassau. We walked around the small town. Everyone there was very friendly. I hung out outside one store with Roxy while Darrell and Ann were inside. Everyone that walked by said hello and several locals stopped and talked with me.

While at anchor that afternoon a couple named, Wayne and Sherri, stopped by on their dinghy. They are from New Smyrna Beach, Florida and they had met Darrell and Ann in Key Largo. They also have an Island Packet. They invited us to their boat for happy hour at sunset the next day.

That night the crew from the Dolphin Leap, Keith and his guest Jacqueline came over to Alibi for happy hour and hors d'oeuvres at sunset. We had a great time visiting with them and we had a lot of laughs. Many jokes were told. If you ever have the opportunity – ask Darrell to tell his favorite pirate joke.

After the weather and cruisers net in the morning, we got underweigh. We decided that the Red Shank Yacht Club would be our destination. The Red Shank Yacht Club is known for its luxurious amenities in a very remote area. It is in a beautiful harbor that is protected from the weather almost all the way around. I enjoyed the visit to the yacht club although I did not get to meet the commodore – he was not at the club. I did get to see his chair with a view of the harbor. We snorkeled a blue hole that was near the yacht club where Darrell and I saw a stingray. We sailed back to the anchorage near Chat and Chill that afternoon and we anchored near “Wine Down” – Wayne and Sherri’s boat. Wine Down is a 32’ Island Packet. It was fun to visit with them, see their boat and learn about the upgrades that they had done and their personal experience with their Island Packet.

On my final day (or what I thought was my final day), after the weather and cruisers net. We took the dinghy over to Dolphin Leap to say goodbye to Keith and Jacqueline. Then we went in to George Town to check out the Bahamian Music and Heritage Festival. In the afternoon I got a taxi to the airport. Upon check in, I was informed that the flight was oversold and I was being bumped. The airline gave me a generous voucher for air travel and paid for my taxi rides. I quickly called Ann’s cell phone and with great excitement told her that I was staying another night. I had never been so excited to be bumped off a flight. The same taxi driver took me back to the Exuma Market Dock. Darell joked with the driver saying, “We told you to take him away!” and asked “Why is he back?” I spent my last night, which I refer to as the bonus night on Alibi and Darrell took me on the dinghy to the dock early the next morning.

My trip was awesome; it was relaxing while being fun, exciting and full of adventure. We had so many great laughs. (Darrell told his mother on the phone that his face hurt from laughing so much.). My lifelong dream has been to cruise in the Bahamas. I learned more about cruising from Darrell and Ann on this trip. There are so many highlights of the trip to mention, I will have to mention only a few: visiting with great friends, good food, happy hour at sunset, awesome sailing, watching the sunrise from the boat while drinking coffee, hanging with Roxy (I never knew she was such a lap dog), dinghy rides with Roxy to the beach and making new friends.

Thank you Darrell, Ann and Roxy for an incredible week on “Alibi” in paradise. It is greatly appreciated

About the author of this Blog – Jim Fagan

I am a middle school teacher in Knoxville, Tennessee. I have been working in Key Largo during the summers as a boat captain and divemaster for 12 years. I met Darrell and Ann about 6 years ago through mutual friends, Tom and Lena Loveday. Darrell and Ann worked with Tom at Aquanuts / Kellys On The Bay prior to purchasing Island Ventures. My daily routine in the summer for the past 6 years has included stopping by Island Ventures on my way home from work to visit with Darrell and Ann. On my days off, I would stop by in the morning.