March 1  Our next guests, Rick & Julie Palm from Maine, arrived in the afternoon and settled into their quarters quickly so we could take them for a late afternoon swim. After dinner, it was an early evening for all as they had been up since dawn and traveling and were tired.

March 2 This was going to be the least windy day of the week, so we took them for a dinghy ride around the neighborhood and out to Twin Cays. Julie and I swam and walked the beach and the men “watched” the dinghy and gabbed. Back to the boat for hot showers and cocktails. We invited SemeZana over to meet Rick & Julie and we all had a good time. After dinner, we taught them Biriba.

March 3 The wind was up but some of our neighbors had organized games on the middle beach which was protected from the wind. We all took turns playing various games and John and I were the “ Polish golf” champions! We started the PBS documentary on New York and watched several segments which were wonderful.


March 4 It was a slow morning but we finally got organized to go to Sampson for Italian lunch day. To work up an appetite, we all walked down to the end of the island to the beach and saw the chickens in their pen and the garden they have started there. Now it was time to stuff ourselves on minestrone soup, pasta, pizza, and chicken parmesan. After lunch, we all went for a good swim off the boat to the beach and back. After more Biriba and dinner, we watched more of the New York documentary.


March 5 Most of the morning was spent having a deep discussion about politics in Maine and the country in general. Then we went into Staniel to have lunch at the yacht club. Rick was craving conch and had a conch burger. To work off lunch, we all went for a walk towards the new houses over beyond the airport. The lady who does the weather every morning on the VHF radio has a steel trawler we wanted to see so we headed her way. She and her husband were “home” and invited us aboard for the ten cent tour. Just as we got aboard, it started to pour! We waited out the storm and then she took us up to see her new house on the bluff which is almost finished. They have spectacular views of the ocean and a big beach just below the house. She was then kind enough to drive us, in her golf cart, back to the yacht club and our dinghy. We have left 2 ports open on the boat but luckily no water got inside!

March 6 Lots of snorkeling at Thunderball and the Fowl Cay cut to make sure we took advantage of every minute in paradise. In the evening, we played the final games of Biriba and watched the last of the New York series. I, of course, slept through half of it!

March 7 Rick and Julie left in the morning so it was laundry day for John. I swam all over the anchorage and worked some more on my genealogy. That night, 3 boats went to Sampson for a special dinner. The owner, John Malone was there on island for his birthday and the chef wanted a full restaurant. He served lobster shepherds pie. Something we had never heard of but was delicious. It was lobster, creamed spinach with mushrooms topped with mashed potatoes with a few sautéed onions. Real comfort food. John never appeared but had his dinner at his house. oh well, there were birthday fireworks which were a fun surprise anyway.

March 8 John was really tired and slept late and I ended up greeting a whole bunch of cruisers in their dinghies who arrived one after another to say hi in my nightgown! The one morning I don’t get dressed. One couple even had a tour of the boat from sleepy John and joined us at Sampson for lunch with other cruisers for $2 Tuesdays. When we dropped them off, we got a tour of their older trawler which was interesting. A quiet evening finished the day.