A long standing friend, Kathie, flew down to visit us in February. She stayed on the boat in the Vberth and it was so much fun having her with us for a week. Here the boys are making music at the condo that Bohdan was renting at Darshana, right next to Ocean Reef. Did I tell you how we found out about Ocean Reef? We had just sailed to Bimini from Miami and Bohdan emailed us and said he was coming to the Bahamas for 3 months and that he had rented a condo at Darshana and that it was right beside a Yacht Club. We were actually on our way to Georgetown, further south, in the Bahamas but within 24 hours we had changed our minds and decided to try to find this .... Ocean Reef Yacht Club on The Grand Bahama Island. We sailed for a day in fairly rough seas and there was suppose to be a red and green buoy at the entrance of the canal. They had blown away so there were two very small sticks in the water to mark the entrance. I thought it was going to be too shallow or too narrow or a dead end too small to turn around in....but in we went very slowly...all the time calling Ocean Reef on the VHF radio, "Ocean Reef Yacht Club...Ocean Reef Yacht Club this is the Swan, the Swan". No answer, no answer and the canal is getting narrower and narrower and there are all sorts of branches off it. As we're coming up around the corner, heading towards the masts we could see above the trees, we see Taffey, a boater, at the end of the dock shouting, "Do you need a slip?" I threw down the radio and shouted back, "Yesssssss!" So that is how we came to Ocean Reef...very seredipidously. Thanks to Taffey for the warm welcome. He came 4 years ago and never left... a fellow Canadian from Port Credit. It turned out that about 80% of the boats here are Canadian. Awesome.
Bohdan, Kathie and Capt'n Anth.
Anthony, Kathie and Me, we're at Port Lucaya Straw Market where you can buy all sorts of dresses, jewelry, hats, booze, shorts, tshirts, etc. It's all a tourist area, no local homes, only hotels, and shops and Port Lucaya Beach. A great place to have coffee is at Island Java. A great place to eat is Cappacino's... wonderful pasta. A few little convenience stores but no grocery stores. Fun to walk around and see the sites. Some of the women are making straw hats and bags as you go buy. It's right at Port Lucaya Harbour, another canal off the ocean.
I blew a shoe. This is..was my tennis shoe and I ripped the side right out of it. I play tennis as often as possible with the boaters, Anthony, and sometimes timeshare people. I usually play with Hank, Tom, Gabe, Karen, John, Mike, Carolyn, and sometimes, Anthony. It's a lot of fun and I'm getting better. There are a flock of wild parrots that fly over us on the courts every morning and some Mockingbirds, so I can bird watch at the same time.
Boaters come and then go. Here is Greg and Corrine leaving at the break of dawn. They were heading back....new grandchild in Nunavut to go and visit so they keep their boat in Florida for the summer and go home, I think. Everyone does a different thing and sometimes I forget the specifics. I do know they have a new grandchild up North. We miss them.
This is Corrine as they are leaving the dock. Some of the boaters get up early to say goodbye and sometimes I do to and sometimes.....I sleep through it.
Here's our kayak on the side of the canal. We kayaked out to the opening of the canal and then walked along the beach for a while and then back to the kayak and paddle back to the boat...it makes for a nice activity in the afternoons, or mornings.
This is the canal that comes in from the ocean to Ocean Reef.
Some of the boaters talking, Dick, Hank and Larry. Dick and Deb left last week, back to Florida and then on home...Hank is here with Diane on Adanac until the end of June and Larry and Sharon are still here too.
The yellow building is Ocean Reef Yacht Club and Resort. The beautiful catamaran is Hank and Diane's, Adanac. They are from Strathroy, Ontario. Hank built his boat. It is gorgeous and huge. Hank and Diane are retired teachers. We are really enjoying their company. Hank plays guitar with us when we make music. Diane has a beautiful singing voice. I love it when she sings that song from Les Miserable.
This is Captain Anthony...as you can see by the British Flag we're on Sarah Jones' boat, Exodus.
What a great day! We went for a sail and the water on the ocean was so calm and warm we went swimming. Bohdan and Sarah and Me. Anthony stayed on the boat to make sure it didn't get too far away from us.
Wow, look at what that salt water will do to your hair!!!
Bohdan at the wheel.
Bikini Bottoms...a favourite spot to have a Sands or Kalik...local beer and visit. It's right on the ocean...sometimes we kayak to Island Seas dock and then walk down the beach to Bikini Bottoms. They have a big Canadian Flag on their ceiling, yeh Canada!!!!
Bohdan playing my mandolin, we're at Groupers making music and having a Sing Along.
Gorgeous flowers. 
Kathie and Me at the beach. I can't remember which one, either Port Lucaya or Island Seas Beach.
Seagulls, seagulls, everywhere.
Anthony and Kathie. We're at the Fish Fry on Taino Beach....that means it must be Wednesday night. 
We walked up Taino Beach a long ways and found some local beach bars and this quaint little church in an area with a bunch of houses.
Here we are at Grand Bahama Sailing Club. The Club House is beautiful with a gorgeous view.
But there was only one boat and all the other docks were empty...where are all the boats?
This is a Paint Brush tree in Garden of the Groves.
I love this little church at Garden of the Groves. You can book it for weddings, and other special occasions.
These wooden sculptures are outside the church. The camera does not catch the beauty of them.
This is the Meditation Pond at Garden of the Groves. It's right beside the labyrinth.
This is an immature Green Heron....I think. It is not very afraid of you and sits on this bridge at Garden of the Groves, right beside the restaurant.
Sunset from Bohdan's condo.
New friends made at Ocean Reef. It's sad when they have to go home after only a week or two.
This is the fountain at Port Lucaya Straw Market. I love that turquoise blue colour.
Statues out in front of Neptune's Cocktail Lounge and Restaurant in Port Lucaya Straw Market.
This is the Braiding Hut on the Port Lucaya Beach. This is where I got my hair braided before Christmas.
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