Living in Paradise

It's been a fun few days exploring Manjack Cay.

On Friday, we had pancakes for breakfast, fixed the fin on our SUP and finally got to use our salad spinner washing machine.

Mind you, it did take several hours to wash, rinse, wring, hang and repeat. Still, we were in no hurry and had all day to finish the job.

After lunch, Matt and the kids spent some time on SV Excape to learn Fishing 101 from Burt, Caren's partner.

I got a couple of blissful hours to myself to nap, drink tea, listen to music and read.

On Saturday, SV Wild Child took us on the path that leads from Manjack beach to the ocean side of Green Turtle Island. 

When you emerge from the trees, you are greeted with a picture-postcard scene that is truly spectacular.

Miles of white, soft, sand with gentle turquoise ocean waves lapping up on shore.

We had the entire place to ourselves. Really, it was one of those WOW moments.

But to bring us back down to reality, we came back on the other side to see the winds had really picked up and we were in for a very rolly night.

At midnight, our anchor dragged and after leaping up into action, we realized the anchor had dug itself in again. Still, not wanting to take any chances, we turned on the engine just in case. We were ready to ride into the wind if need be, or even raise anchor and go elsewhere. Matt stayed up until sunrise on anchor watch while I slept on the salon bench.

Sunday was an R&R day and we didn't leave the boat. The winds were still pretty strong and I was in a fleece all day! It was only 22 Celcius, but I think my base tolerance has risen drastically.

Monday, today. Most kids went back to school. Ours got another fishing lesson from Burt on SV Exscape this morning, followed by a snorkelling expedition around the garden reefs, and finishing off with some turtle spotting in the mangroves.

It is easy to look at our pictures and think this is paradise. You would be correct.

BUT...

Yes, there's a big BUT here.

But what we don't take pictures of are the cranky kids that don't want to wash dishes (Aila today!! She had a meltdown of unbelievable magnitude).

Or the incessant boat jobs/maintenance that never end (checking fuel tanks for water, pumping out the bilge, etc).

Or the mental load of having to always watch the weather and wind, ensuring we are in the best place for protection.

There is a common phrase amongst cruisers: Cruising is just fixing your boat in exotic places.

Yup, that really does sum it all up.

Although we are salty and sticky, bug-bitten and sometimes short-tempered, the kids only write about the 'good parts' in their journals which makes me feel a little less guilty about all the bad/tedious/stressful parts that come with cruising.

It's all about perspective, eh.

We learned a trick from a fellow cruiser: buy the whole milk and water
it down each time so the jug lasts longer. Brilliant!

Morning breakfast dishes drying in the sun.

Fixing the fin on our paddleboard.

Salad spinner washing machine certainly works the arms!

There is something really satisfying with freshly washed laundry hung out on the lifelines.

Tai paddleboarding

Fishing lesson from Burt.

First catch of the day!!!

Manjack Cay, looking out towards the anchorage.

Hiking to the beach on the north side. So nice to be amongst trees again!

Pristine beach on North side of Green Turtle Cay. 

Only us and yes, it was this gorgeous.

Lazy morning movie with howling winds outside.

Making lunch

A strong cuppa tea and some digestives cookies, my saving grace.

Typical state of our main table.

Learning new game, Flags of the World. Soon we'll know all the countries
and capital cities of the world.

Conch guts... great bait.

Fishing from the dinghy.

Mangroves

Kids on the SUP in the mangroves as we go turtle spotting .
Water clear as glass.

Aila has no problem crawling into the bilge compartment! 
She was nominated to put all the floorboards back together after pumping the bilge.

Me inside the bilge compartment, a much tighter squeeze.

Currently dragging anchor at 1am in 30mph winds. Seems to have caught 
again about half a mile west of our old position. Luckily still in 10 feet of water. 
Looks like I'll be spending the night in the cockpit. Engine running just in case.