01 JAN thru 15 JAN 07, Nassau Yacht Haven, Nassau, Bahamas

GPS Position: 25°04’.538N: 77°18’.998W

It's now 2007 and we're looking forward to the new year. We're also excited about the fact that our middle daughter, Erika, and her boyfriend, Jeremy, are flying into Nassau to visit with us for a week.

The only thing that's put a damper on the forthcoming visit, is the fact that the A/C generator quit working on the 3rd. I've done everything I know how to do, plus talked to the people at the factory, but there's been no success. Oh well, we'll just have to use the main engine and alternator to keep the batteries charged until after the kids leave.

We set sail for Nassau on the 7th and had a really nice day at sea. It only took 5.5 hours to get from N. Eleuthera to Nassau Harbour. We came in past the west end light and were tied up at the Yacht Haven by 1400 hrs.

We spent the rest of the day washing down the boat, filling the water tanks and doing some regular maintenance items on the boat. Then, it was off to dinner at our favorite resturant, The Poop Deck, for a really great Island Style meal. From the Poop Deck, we walked back to the boat for a good night's rest.

In the morning, I called an old friend of ours, Gary Symonette, who owns Bus #10 and one of the routes from Nassau to Cable Beach and back. We agreed to meet Gary downtown and he would run us out to the airport, pick up the kids and carry us all back to the Yacht Haven.

We met Gary as planned and went along with him as he worked the bus route going north towards Cable Beach. Once all of the passengers were dropped off at thier various hotels, we turned up the airport road and headed towards Lynden O. Pindling International Airport.

The kids finally cleared customs around 1330 EST and Gary carried us back to the Yacht Haven. We made plans to all go to dinner tonight, which will give us an opportunity to meet Garys wife, and Gary will be back to pick us up at 2000 hrs.

After dumping their bags, we took the kids to Potters Cay and had lunch at a local take-away called Tony's Seafood. You can't miss Tony's bright yellow building with the fire engine red lettering and the cracked conch and conch salad (hand prepared by Tony to order) are to die for.

From Tony's, we caught the bus to bay Street and went into town for an afternoon of shopping and sight seeing. We walked the length of Bay Street and went into just about every store. Then we went over to the Government Complex and saw Parlement Square with the statue of Queen Victoria out front.

We caught the bus back to the marina and, after showers and changes of clothes, met Gary and his wife in the parking lot. From there, we went to Johnny Canoe's Restaurant, on Cable Beach. The menu was extensive and the food and service were excellent. We all had a great time and didn't make it back to the boat until after midnight.

Kim and I got up early and let the kids sleep in. We went over to the grocery and picked up some needed items and then went back to Tony’s for more conch salad to eat during the trip to Current. We pulled out of Nassau at 1200 EST and by 1300 it was pouring rain with a strong breeze out of the NE. It took 6.5 hours for our return to Current and when we arrived, we anchored off of N. Beach again and settled in for the night.

The weather has been really rough the past few days. Blowy and cold doesn't provide much of an opportunity for snorkeling, but we've spent lots of time down island exploring all of the touristy, and not so touristy, places on Eleuthera. The only swimming that anyone got to do was clear down at Tarpum Bay as the lay of the island made for that area being sheltered from the wind. Then, it was back to Current followed by a scrumptious dinner each night at the Neilly's.

And it was on just such a night when, after dinner, Jeremy proposed to Erika. She was caught completely off guard as she had no idea that he was going to pop the question during this trip. Way to go future son-in-law, ya' gotta' keep 'em guessing! The kids finally departed, via N. Eleuthera Airport on the 14th. We were sad to see them go, but know we'll be seeing them late this summer for the wedding.

We too are departing N. Eleuthera for the US due to the Generator issues. The manufacturer, Next Generation, will replace the entire unit if we can get to anywhere in the States. So, we’ve set sail for Nassau, leaving our bicycles and portable VHF radio with the Neillys until our return. The wind is out of the East at 12 knots, seas are calm and the temperature is around 80°-F.

We arrived Nassau at 1445 EST and proceeded to the Nassau Yacht Haven. This time, we docked on the East end and it was just as good as the West side of the complex. It was good to have water and good power again.