We had one more night of bad mosquitoes before we left.  It was a similar night as before, rain, no wind and sundown.  We thought we had the boat closed up but we discovered the kids’ bathroom window was open.  There were literally a 50 to 60 mosquitoes covering the walls.  I shut the door to Tessa’s room and closed the door to door to the bathroom, trapping them inside.  We left to go eat.  I had to run back to the boat to get something from Tessa’s room about an hour later.  I fought my way through the mosquito infested bathroom, using the flyswatter to kill as many as I could.  When I opened Tessa’s bedroom door, I was sick.  She had left a side hatch open.  The corner of her wall near the window was black with mosquitoes.  It was  a nightmare.  I killed as many as I could, but with the windows closed it was hot and unbearable.  I closed her door and the bathroom door and left them until morning.  That night she slept on the couch upstairs.  We were cleaning up mosquitoes for days after that. 

We had planned to spend just one or two nights at most here, as we were hoping to get wind, but that would almost be going backwards, or try to make Crooked Island, which has lousy anchorages, or try to make it to Mayaguana, a day and a half away.  Dan is adamant about not motoring 30 hours straight to Mayaguana, so we decide to wait for the wind.  In the meantime we enjoy another night of friendship and really good food as we join the dock cookout.  Once again we are spoiled with fresh grouper, conch, and prime rib.  We could get used to this!  After eating the kids pile onto JollyRodgers and air conditioning and play games and watch movies.  Tessa spends a lot of time with Chance who is her age and Tristan has found a new friend in Will, a boy his age who has just arrived for a fishing charter on Jolly Rodgers.  The kids are having such a great time.  During the day they are off exploring around the marina.  Bobby, the guy who originally built and owned the marina, before selling it to the Montana Group, really added some nice touches to the grounds and the restaurant.  Near one of the cabins he built a tree house that the kids love to play in.  Outside of the restaurant are beautiful limestone carvings that he did himself, and rock gardens.  Inside the restaurant is a mosaic countertop, and more of his artwork.  It is really beautiful and gives you a very peaceful feeling.  We love to eat breakfast here in the morning.  Ordering was a bit difficult at first as there is no menu.  The first morning, Erica came to our table as soon as we sat down and asked what we wanted.  I asked her what did she have.  She told me she could fix anything.  Ok.  I look at the kids and ask them what they wanted.  Their response?  “What do they have?”

“You can have anything.  How about some eggs?”

Erica jumps in “How do you want them cooked?”

I pause.  I tell her I am not sure we really want eggs I was just throwing out a suggestion.

Tessa asks “Do they have pancakes?”

Erica, “What do you want with your pancakes?”

Me  “I am not sure she really wants pancakes, again I think that was merely a question.”

Tristan :  “Do they have omelets, and bacon?”

Erica:  “Omelet, bacon.  Do you want toast?”

Me:  “Wait.  I am not sure that is what he wants.  I think he is just asking.”

This goes on a few minutes more and finally as my head is ready to explode I tell her we need a few minutes.  We can’t seem to grasp the idea she is willing to make us anything we want.  Finally we decide and she comes back.  We order pancakes, omelets, and scrambled eggs.  A few minutes later she comes back to the table and tells me it will be awhile as they are out of eggs and are going to go to the grocery store for some more.  My mouth drops open.  I saw those eggs at the grocery store (see previous entry) and am not sure I want anything to do with them. I decide to close my mouth and live dangerously.  The breakfast turns out to be very good. 

The next morning we go in and I am ready for her.  She comes to the table and tells us she has grits this morning.  I thank her for the information, I am not a grits fan, and order an omelet for Tristan and scrambled eggs for me.  I am so proud of myself that I am on top of things.   As I start to say that Tessa will have French toast, she interrupts me.  “We have grits.”

“Yes, thanks.  We don’t really like grits. I think the omelet will be fine.”

“We have grits. We don’t have eggs,” she says.

So much for preplanning.

  Lady Emerald

  Tessa going fishing

We have been pretty lucky with the heat.  We don’t have air conditioning on the boat.  When you are at anchor, you usually get a pretty good breeze, but marinas can be very bad for lack of wind.  Fortunately that hasn’t been the case here.  So far we have only had one night of no breeze and it  combined with a little rain, it was ABSOLUTLEY MISERABLE.  It is not so much the wind, but here on Rum Cay, no wind means MOSQUITOS and NO SEE’ums.  We had gotten a light rain before sundown.  No big deal.  But as soon as stepped off the boat to join everyone on the dock for dinner, we were overwhelmed by mosquitos.  SWARMED!  We hurried back to the boat and closed all the windows.  We sprayed ourselves with bugspray but we were still being attacked.  We all agreed to move the dinner up to the restaurant.  Later that night we still couldn’t open our windows and we spent an awful hot night fighting off what mosquitos had made their way into the boat.  The next  morning I am looking on yacht trader for catamarans with airconditioning!