How was your day today? Let me tell you about mine. Today is what I’ve been working so hard for. Today was the most relaxing, beautiful, spectacularly peaceful, perfect day of my existence.
I watched the Flames (hockey) game last night at Crocodiles with my buddy Keith and some girls we met from a cruise ship. I got home about 23:00, and had a great nights sleep. The winds died last night.
I woke up this morning to Keith saying “Alex…, get up… today’s the day to go” as he passed Namaste on his catamaran “What’s up Doc”, I stuck my head out of the hatch and waved goodbye, it was about 07:00.
The morning sun was shining and the Bahamian air heavy & warm. I got in the Dingy and went to Crocodiles to have my morning coffee with Dave the owner, what a great guy, we talked for a while. There are coral heads on the yellow banks and I wanted the sun high in the sky for the crossing so I could see them. I left Nassau at 10:30, I was in no hurry.
There was only 6 Kts of wind, I tried setting sail but I could only squeeze 1.2Kts out of it and ran the motor instead. The water was 6-15 feet deep and as clear as a bathtub, at first a few dolphins were playing about the bow, then I could see sharks, rays and other fish swimming about, it was like sailing over an aquarium, spectacular. After setting the autopilot I laid out in the sun all day listening to Van Morrison, Neville Brothers, and U2.
I made it to High-borne key about 17:00, and dropped the hook off this perfectly looking tropical island in the crystal blue water. There is a reef about 50 yards away; I got my snorkel gear and spear gun to look for dinner. I wasn’t in the water more then 2 minutes before I shot my dinner, a “Speckled Hind”, about 6 pounds; the water is 86 degrees by the way. My dinner was on the grill 15 minutes later. Why oh why don’t I have a nice bottle of wine on board, oh well? I’ve never eaten a Speckled Hind before, but it was one of the nicest pieces of fish I’ve had, clean white meat, with olive oil & lemon, over curry rice. I can’t afford to eat like this on land, it’s great.
After that I went to the beach and laid in the gentle surf as I watched the sunset behind Namaste. I can take video all day long, but I’d never be able to convey how spectacular today was, my soul truly smiled. I wish Namaste was larger so I could charter and share these times & places with people, maybe some day.
Maybe tomorrow will be better?
