Well what started out to be an overnight stay in Old Bahama Bay Marina (to simply clear customs) has started to turn into an ordeal. We were scheduled to leave Thursday morning. Dan checked the port engine, the one we had just spent a small fortune on in Palm Beach, and discovered an oil leak. It was down under the engine so he hadn’t noticed it when we first stopped. Apparently now it looks like the Exxon Valdese has capsized in our engine room. After checking it he comes to me and says “I think we may need a new engine.”

Well that’s not want I want to hear. We have just gotten started!! This is unacceptable! I send him back to the engine room with orders not to come out until he has found a better answer. (Actually he went back to the engine room after a few expletives from me.) He comes back later and says there is definitely an oil leak but it is not as bad as he thought. We will need to get someone to look at it as it is under the engine and he can’t access it. Oh and we also may have a fuel leak thrown in for good measure. We need to now find a mechanic.

Dan inquires at the marina office and the lady there gives him a paper with the names of several different mechanics. We try to call them but we can’t get through. He goes back to the office. Apparently the cell phones are down. He asks her if she can recommend anyone and she suggests a mechanic named Audley. Audley is not on our list. She will phone Audley for us or he is usually at the Marina everyday and when she sees him she will send him to our boat. Yes, we have heard all the horror stories about local Bahamian mechanics, but we really didn’t feel we had a choice. The kids and I head for the pool while Dan waited for Audley.

The facilities at Old Bahama Bay Marina are great. They have 2 heated swimming pools connected to each other with a waterfall. The staff is friendly, and there is a wonderful beach with free Kayak and Hobie cat rentals and also free bike rentals. In the water you can find beautiful starfish, the biggest I’ve ever seen. Tristan and I had just returned from a starfish adventure when Dan joined us.

Audley has seen the engine and feels it is a rear main seal and if he had the part he could get it repaired in two days. That sounded too good to be true. Dan felt that he was a good guy so we agreed to have him start right away. Friday, Audley and a helper came to the boat, raised the engine, got the old seal off and he went back to his shop.

“I go to come back,” he said.

He called us later and said he needed to order the part. Of course! He would try to get the part here by Saturday. We said fine. Saturday comes. No part. No Audley. He calls. The part is not in. Sunday is Easter. Monday is a holiday in the Bahamas. I am starting to feel we have been in these waters before.

The kids had a great Easter. The “Easter Bunny” visited our boat and they were quite pleased with their Easter baskets. There was one small problem. It seems the Easter Bunny had stored the solid milk chocolate Easter Bunny next to the Bounce fabric softener sheets. A fresh spring rain is not what you want your chocolate to taste like. Who knew?

Dinner on Alegria