Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Georgetown, Exuma, Bahamas
23.30.235N
75.45.748W

Believe it or not, we slept last night.  Although the wind did pipe up, it wasn’t howling until after we got up at 6:15 or so.  We did see 27 kts. this morning but after last week, it wasn’t as bad as we were led to believe.  Once the sun was up enough to see around us, we didn’t like how we were swinging near one of the boats we’d anchored between, so we moved to a bit behind them with no one else around.  Much better. 

After the cruisers’ net, the radio was humming with alerts about boats that were dragging.  We’d switched to a west, northwest wind direction last evening and people either didn’t have enough room to swing or other boats were sliding down on them.  One of the ones that caught our attention, was the big 75’ motor yacht that slid very close to where we had been.  The boats that had anchored in next to where we were anchored (which hadn’t allowed for us to re-adjust our position when we were trying to prepare), were left scrambling, due to the motor yacht moving over their anchors which then couldn’t be retrieved.  I'm guessing that would have been us too.  Until I can get in to play Dominos, I won’t be able to find out how that particular issue was resolved as the motor yacht wasn’t answering the radio calls. 

About mid-morning Dale went in to “fix” his phone again.  I told you how he had gone in on Monday to “fix” it, only to be told that he needed to pay a dollar to activate the plan he had purchased.  Today, when he went to call on the status of the missing parts, it happened again.  So, although we hadn’t planned on going anywhere in the dinghy while there were white caps in the anchorage, we lowered the dink and he went into town to “fix” it again. 

Although it took being passed to a supervisor and a couple of extras heads trying to figure out what was going on, he tested it, then returned to the boat.  We hoisted the dink back into the davits so that it wouldn’t be banging all over the place and he sat down to make his call.  By golly, it happened again.  When he dropped the phone that time, I thought he might have broken it. 

So, we lowered the dink again and this time I go too (just to make sure he doesn’t get arrested or at least there, in case bail has to be posted). This time at the telephone company, they see him coming and start with other ideas on how to “fix” the problem.  Basically, they took everything off and reloaded it.  This time, we’re ready.  We walk outside, find a corner where the wind isn’t blowing and try again.  Dale was mid-sentence when once again, the call is dropped and a recording comes on that he needs to add money to his account.  Needless to say, it only took 30 seconds to go back into the store with grim faces.

The customer service person gave a rather telling explanation.  Businesses here have the ability to cut a telephone conversation short when they are busy (or, dare I say it, don’t want to talk with you.  They can even block your number.)  So, this time, she suggests that Dale call from their land line.  This time, the call goes through, Dale gets the information needed (we pay the taxes via credit card, the part is supposed to be here on Friday) and we are sent on our way with assurances that there is nothing wrong with the plan, the problem is somewhere else.   We’ll see; there’s one more part that needs to get here. 

I’m not sure you can tell but this took the better part of the day to complete.  I had my own issues to deal with.  Our mail scan showed where Dale’s Medicare had sent a letter saying that he needed to sign up for Part B.  If he had it last year, why does he have to sign up for it again?  I put it off to the side because one of the things we’ve learned, we can’t make toll free calls to the US from here and those are the only numbers given on the letters sent.  Once again, we’re wondering why our trip is so hard this time. 

On a sad note, we learned that the friends we’ve been trying to catch up with, Gerry and Nicky lost their cat.  Miss Priss has been ill for the last several weeks.  Today’s trip to the vet was her last.  We certainly empathize with what they are going through.  We still miss our dog, Lord Nelson.  Our thoughts and prayers are with them.