March 3, 2012.

I had to sit and ponder just how to start this post. Down here most people leave their VHF on 24 / 7. It's just the prudent thing to do in case of a night time emergency. We're remote enough that there’s not really any radio chatter, especially at night. Unless of course Arctic Racer is within 25 miles.

Arctic Racer is one of 5 Canadian boats that stopped here briefly on their way to Cuba. He spent the better part of 3 days yammering away on the VHF. Morning, noon and night. He called folks at 0630 just to tell them he'd be moving down near them. Is that really important at 0630? I'm thinking “SHUT THE FUCK UP, ITS 0630, PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE”. You might be able to tell that I'm not a morning person but Jesus, 0630. The next day, at 0600 he called somebody who was underway to inquire about sea state. The Allies landed at Normandy with less radio chatter than this blabbermouth puts out in an hour. If you say anything to him he thinks you're teasing.....I'm serious here f@#kwit.

He'd never been here before and when people came into the anchorage he was advising them where to anchor and then chastizing them when hes ignored. A control freak with a VHF is an annoying combination. Fortunately they're few and far between. But enough of that.

The French are here. Not too many French Canadian boats come down through the Jumentos. We've had reports from friends in Georgetown that the petty bullshit between the French and English speaking boats is worse than ever. “Bedlam” and “Mayhem” were used in two independent reports. Its all very “high school” and just another good reason to skip Gtown.

At an evening beach function I was talking to one of the French Canadian women when she said “I can't believe how nice everyone has been to us down here”. It kinda drove home how uncomfortable the hostility between the French & English up in Georgetown must be for them too. Over the course of the next two days we sent them hiking on our favorite trails and told them where to take take their kids snorkeling. We even did some hunting together and gathered a few coconuts. They were fun and I hope to run into them again. As a bonus, I think that I'm now eligible for diplomatic plates for my dinghy.

The Canadians left for Cuba so there’s only 8 boats left in the Jumentos. Seven of them are here with us at Hog Cay hiding from a week of ridiculous wind. Once again the wind is predominantly from the east. Its Tuesday night and the wind is 30 knots gusting to 40 with rain squalls.

We knew we were in for a week with

no water sports so we did jump in the water and grab nine more bugs, a small Nassau Grouper and a Red Hind.

Alpha Mike 1, Crabby Bastard, Beast, Diplomat standing by....