S/V Koinonia Weekly Cruising Log -Spanish Wells and Great Friends (Wed Mar 8 - Tue Mar 14, 2023)

Wed 3/8 - moved to Spanish Wells South anchorage in anticipation of strong N/NE winds. Accompanied Tommy and Tracy of SV "Sailin’ Shoes" into Spanish Wells. Took trash ashore. Made water (again) due to washing a lot of laundry aboard. Went ashore to meet our Irish American friends Helen and Niall from Stuart, FL and Helen’s brother, John, who was visiting from England. Took the kids to dinner at Budda’s Snack Shack.

Thu 3/9 - took work laptop and phone ashore to try to ship back to US, but no one, including the official island post office, was able to help. Stopped in at Pinder’s Supermarket to speak with Greta for details on youth night church service. Went to SWMH store to get a quote for a new 15hp 2-stroke outboard engine. Had lunch on the boat. Met friends ashore at 2pm; wives and kids went to the beach while the husbands went in search of fishing gear; had a light dinner at the Snack Vault; attended worship service at the Gospel Chapel with Tommy and Tracy.

Fri 3/10 - got up early and met Olof, John, and Niall to go fishing on a 17ft power boat we rented for $150. Got skunked trolling and bottom fishing, but Olof speared two fish. I missed a nice trigger! Swam with a small (3ft?) reef shark and several barracuda. No lobster. Amber, Kids, and Tracy went shopping for fresh provisions (the boat arrived that morning to restock). Amber drove on the left side of the road for the first time in a golf cart, which is the primary mode of transportation on the island. Spent $199.77 USD at Food Fair. Took the kids to the beach with two other kid boat friends, S/V "Sunshine" and S/V "Happy Pancake." Kids corralled about fifty Sea Cucumbers (apparently, a Chinese delicacy) and several star fish. We didn't attempt to eat them; they look like a giant leathery worm. Moved the boat to E side of Meeks Patch due to forecasted SW/W winds. Cleaned the boat.

Sat 3/11 - strong winds out of the W. Slow morning on the boat. Ben’s parents booked travel for a week in Spanish Wells from 3/15-3/22. Cleaned the boat. Hosted Tommy and Tracy on "Koinonia" for dinner. Made conch salad from the conch we caught and chicken fajitas with beans, rice, and corn tortillas. Watched reruns of the Carol Burnett Show together. Tracy made an apple caramel cake that was delicious!

Sun 3/12 - S/V "Sunshine" departed for Nassau. Attended Sunday school and worship at the Gospel Chapel followed by lunch at Lindy’s food truck. Had BBQ chicken and porkchops with Bahamian mac-n-cheese. Met our Swedish friends at the beach in the afternoon. Ate leftovers for dinner back on the boat. Olof, Annie, Lisa, and Felix joined us for sundowners and one final visit before they depart for the Abacos. Helped Olof rig a new hand line (aka Cuban Yo Yo). Spent a bumpy night at anchor as winds shifted S.

Mon 3/13 - moved "Koinonia" back to Meeks Patch (some locals pronounce it “Macks” but they don't even know why). Amber and kids do school. Paid for new 15hp 2-stroke Yamaha from SWMH and arranged a pending sale of our used 9.9hp 4-stroke Yamaha. Arranged a ferry ride to pick up Mom and Dad from N Eleuthera airport Wed 3/15 with Greta at Pinder’s Supermarket. Baked some sweet potatoes in the solar oven for a sweet potato shepherd’s pie to share later. Ben cut the top off of our wild caught conch shell and successfully tested his new conch horn. Accidentally blew out a hose on the water maker but, thankfully, it was an easy fix. Kudos to Mike at Seawater Pro for his troubleshooting assistance. After hearing from everyone that slips in town were completely booked out, we miraculously scored a slip in Spanish Wells at 24th street with “Johnny,” so we won't have to worry about our ability to come ashore in bad weather while Ben’s parents are visiting. Enjoyed a potluck dinner aboard S/V "Sailin’ Shoes," along with our friends Helen, Niall, and John and Drew of “Reload and Charge," who we also met for the first time in Stuart, FL/ Sunset Bay. Beautiful sunset and great company. “Happy Pancake” reports they have arrived safely in the Abacos.

Tue 3/14 - had breakfast in the cockpit while having our morning quiet time: prayer and reading the Bible is a daily routine for all. Kids did school. Ben continued cleaning the conch horn; there are still some tiny bits of the animal stuck inside. Yuck! Winds still out of the west but clocking around to the north today. Counted 48 other boats anchored on the east side of Meeks Patch. Did some consulting work for a few hours. Cleaned bilge around the mast step. Spoke with fabricator in IL about anchor roller extension. Moved back to the anchorage south of SW cut in the afternoon. Ben was tired and took a nap. Winds clocked around to the north, as predicted. First rain in 3 weeks but less than a 1/8 inch. Cancelled Iridium Go Unlimited service. Changed our Starlink service from Residential service to Roam. Amber made sesame chicken for dinner in the Instapot.