It’s Wednesday morning early and I have the SSB radio on and am waiting for Chris Parker, the weather router to begin his 06:30 broadcast. Yesterday was pretty windy and quite a chop built up here in Georgetown Harbor. Georgetown is quite a large harbor and while it is protected from all directions, the distances are quite long as the harbor is one mile wide and ten long. As a result, when the wind directions change, folks move from one side of the harbor to the other and then back again. It’s called the “Georgetown Shuffle”. How quaint.
However, if you have to weather a front, and we have one coming, yet again, Georgetown is a pretty good place to do it.
During the broadcast, Chris Parker had lots to say about the front that’s coming through now, which is a pretty strong one in spite of it being fairly late in the season. Normally, spring is the time when things settle down here from a weather standpoint. However, this season continues with one nasty cold front after another penetrating the area on a more or less weekly basis. Have I mentioned that there have been a LOT of fronts this winter?
As of today Chris noted that he expects that we will have yet ANOTHER front early next week and even ANOTHER the following week. As Rob and Kandice are going to be with us beginning in about two weeks, I sure hope that things begin to settle down by that time. As nice as it is to be in the Bahamas in the winter, this front-after-front deal, for months on end, is becomming a bit tiresome.
You may recall that I wrote a few weeks ago about my trials with assembling crew for the run north in May. Getting folks to commit to heading 1,000 miles aboard is always tough and this year has not been an exception. When the departure date is far out in the future, it’s easy to get crew to say yes but as the departure date nears, things come up and plans change.
I have been moving boats around with crew since the early 80s and getting crew then was tough then and is still tough now. However the distances that I move boats now is much further as way back when, a 100 mile run was a long way.
As you can imagine, getting people with busy schedules to commit to be aboard, with weather delays, for as much as two weeks, to make a run from the Bahamas to CT is a big deal. And, as the date for departure approaches schedules change. It’s no surprise that it’s easy to say YES in February when winter winds are blowing snow around. ANYONE would say yes to heading south. Right?
However, in spite of changes in schedules and family obligations from crew, I was able to arrange for crew this year as well. SUCCESS!!
Here’s the plan. (Take notes as there will be a quiz) Here goes… On May 5th, Brenda flies out of Nassau to Baltimore to visit Rob’s home for a few days prior to heading to CT after that. The same day Rich, one of my crew, flies to Nassau. It’s possible that Rob will stick around, following our week with him and Kandice in the Bahamas, and make the run with me and Rich aboard Pandora to Charleston where we will meet up with George. Rob would then fly home from Charleston with Rich and George continuing on to Essex with me.
Of course, this is all dependent on good weather for leaving Nassau on the 6th as planned. If we are delayed, and that could easily happen (think cold fronts), Rob will just head out from Nassau with Brenda and Kandice. In that case, me and Rich will take Pandora to Charleston, as soon as we are able, to meet up with George. George’s plans don’t put him in Charleston till a week after Rich meets me in Nassau. Following this so far? I think I do.
One way or the other, we will make it home and I am very much looking forward to the trip. It’s just not certain how long it’s going to take.
While Charleston is a bit out of the way to head home, I am excited about a visit as it’s a beautiful city and getting reasonably priced flights from there is easy.
Brenda and I spent a week there on our trip down the ICW in fall of 2012. How about a few pictures from our visit there?
We’ll likely tie up at the city Marina. There’s Pandora on the dock. I expect you are so busy looking at Pandora you missed the bridge. Beautiful.
Lots of huge oak trees. A bit of a contrast to the Bahamas. The islands of the Bahamas once had trees of this scale but they were all cut down by early settlers following the American Revolution in an ill fated attempt to grow cotton and other crops as they had in the southern US.
Lovely homes everywhere. And white, the color of choice. 
And, the Bahamas, with “world class” sunsets, doesn’t have a lock on beautiful ways to end the day. How about a stately schooner and the setting sun as the day winds down?
So, here’s the deal. Winters in the south and summers in tbe north. Works for me, fronts and all.
And, as we continue the “Georgtown Shuffle” my thoughts are indeed turning to spring and our home up north. Yes, something to look forward to. Spring is here.