#mailboat

[ltwilliammowett]

If you’re sending post this Christmas, spare a thought for the historical residents of the remote Scottish island archipelago of St Kilda, who sometimes sent letters to the mainland using 'mailboats' like this one.

Consisting of a crudely carved boat with a compartment for a letter, it uses a sheep's bladder as a flotation device. St Kilda is only about 100 miles from the Scottish mainland, but could be largely inaccessible for months due to rough seas. When in need of assistance, these devices could be launched in the hope that they would be discovered and opened. Left to the mercy of the Atlantic, mail could end up in Iceland or Scandinavia.

The isolated lifestyle of the inhabitants of St Kilda became increasingly unsustainable and in 1930 the last of the islanders were voluntarily evacuated, leaving behind a unique Gaelic-speaking culture that had subsisted largely on the islands' massive population of seabirds.

Visitors to St Kilda have made a tradition of continuing to send these 'mailboats'. In 2020, some children on a beach in northern Norway discovered an example containing postcards, that had been cast out to sea 10 years before to mark the 80th anniversary of the evacuation. It had travelled 1,000 miles over that period.

Source

A cute little Story I wanted to share with you.

[postcard-from-the-past]

"Burdigala" mailboat on a vintage postcard

[aquatocest]

'sorry anon' my name is daddy and i'm going to give you 2 pounds of cocaine 😉

wow! my lucky day! 2 whole pounds! thank you for being so generous, anon! 🍀

[publicacionesdeunachica]

What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way.

What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you.

[goneahead]

The Lost Land

I have two daughters. They are all I ever wanted from the earth. Or almost all. I also wanted one piece of ground. One city trapped by hills. One urban river. An island in its element. So I could say mine. My own. And mean it. Now they are grown up and far away and memory itself has become an emigrant, wandering in a place where love dissembles itself as landscape. Where the hills are the colours of a child’s eyes, where my children are distances, horizons. At night, on the edge of sleep, I can see the shore of Dublin Bay, its rocky sweep and its granite pier. Is this, I say how they must have seen it, backing out on the mailboat at twilight, shadows falling on everything they had to leave? And would love forever? And then I imagine myself at the landward rail of that boat searching for the last sight of a hand. I see myself on the underworld side of that water, the darkness coming in fast, saying all the names I know for a lost land. Ireland. Absence. Daughter.

~~Eavan Boland

[afrotumble]

32 yr old Ivanna Seymour from Bahamas will be the first Bahamian captain of the brand new massive Royal Caribbean Cruise ship the Utopia of the Seas. The vessel is the 2nd largest cruise ship in the world (holding 8000 passengers and crew) and will set sail for the first time on July 19th 2024.

Captain Ivanna will be sailing Utopia of the Seas’ into her home country Nassau, Bahamas on Sunday, July 21st, 2024 from Port Canaveral in Florida. At a young age of 32 years old, she has earned this prestigious position through hard work and dedication. Her journey from a mailboat crew to the helm of a cruise ship shows the world that Bahamians and Caribbean girls can achieve great things.

[radiomaxmusic]

Feature LP / Jimmy Buffett - Equal Strain on All Parts (2023) / 4pm ET / 11-22-24

Equal Strain on All Parts is the thirty-second studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It is the final album to be completed prior to his death on September 1, 2023, and was released on November 3, 2023, through Mailboat and Sun Records. After the release of Jimmy Buffett’s 2020 album Life on the Flip Side, he continued to tour in support of his music. However, privately, he…

[seabreeze2022]

The Bahamas 2024, Cat Island. Part 5

After leaving Alligator Point, Cat Island, (Photo above), we headed south for Pigeon Creek.

I believe this is the entrance to a Flank Cave at Bens Bluff settlement. We just swung by but plan on exploring it next year.

This is a diagram done by some British Explorers in 1986.

This is a goggle earth view of the mouth of Pigeon Creek. Nancy and I took two paddle boards through the maze of creeks to find a “Boiling Hole.”

Using the paddleboards we can see above the short mangroves. It gets too shallow for a dinghy. Luckily someone has marked the entrance with some bouys and radar reflectors they found.

Easy to get lost in here.

Getting ready to snorkel the “boiling hole” which showed a current bubbling up.

This is the “boiling water hole”. There was one Green turtle living here.

This was explored by a British diving team in 1986.

We made it back to the boat and stowed the paddleboards aboard. They were fully pumped up and sitting in the sun. Nancy’s paddleboard lives on deck in the sun all the time. This was the first time mine was on deck. I started the water maker and was monitoring it, since this was only the second time after changing the filter. Nancy and I heard a loud whistle and then a bang. We both thought the water maker had blown up. But it was still working. After a while I realized my paddleboard had split a seam. It was a total wreck and had to be thrown out.

This is Duke Moss owner of Dukes Conch Shack in New Bight, Cat Island. He was just coming in with his catch from the day. A boat load of Conch, several speared grouper and snapper plus several huge Crawfish. Crawfish are out of season, well except for locals in the out islands.

Duke puts the live conch inside a large net, which is the dark thing in the water above. When you order a conch salad, Duke walks across the road and then wades out to this net to grab as many conch as he needs. Other guys will punch a hole in the lip and tie five conch together so they don’t crawl away. We like to go through the pile of conch shells behind Dukes and take home big beautiful conch with only a small hole in the top.

On the left is Ishmael and Duke on the right at “Dukes.” Ishmael is extremely smart and fun to have a worldly conversation with. I call him, “The sage of Cat Island.” Duke is low key. He has worked on the mailboats and spent time in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. “Duke’s” is the place to hang out. You never know who will stop by.

I was asking Duke about the “Boiling hole”, he said as kids they would walk there from the road. He thought about stocking it as a lobster farm.

My dinghy had a small hole in the bow section. Every two days I would have to pump it up. So today I decided to haul it up on the beach a patch the hole. It has lasted the rest of the season.

Several folks staying on the island stopped by Dukes while we there. Duke stands and the far side of the shack. Where he cleans the conch and makes the different conch salads. The conversation turned to sharks. Duke just keeps smiling and working. People were telling their second hand stories of scary encounters with sharks. Duke is not saying a thing. Knowing he spear fishes every couple of days in shark infested waters. And the fierce Oceanic White tip sharks are plentiful just off shore. I asked what encounters he has had. He very matter of factly answered that he sees sharks on a daily basis. Most leave him alone. Except of course the one that bit him in the back of the thigh. That shut everyone up. Duke has also busted an ear drum diving and is a wee bit hard of hearing on that side.

The “Cat Island Motorcycle Club” roared through New Bight then turned around and came back stopping for beers. So we talked with them. We had seen one f them on his fishing boat in Orange Creek earlier. The owners of the resort at Orange Creek were also in the group.

Pompey showed up as usual. Still going strong.

An abandoned car with a license plate still attached!

I have been looking at every abandoned car. In The Bahamas each vehicle has a license on the back as well as the front. But when they abandon them they remove the plates. I really wanted a Cat Island plate. Several cars in Islamorada have plates from Bimini. I would take it but preferred the one from Cat Island. Nancy found this one on the way back from the grocery store. So we went back with tools and removed it.

Here it is on my truck.

Hidden Treasures moved from the Queens highway to New Bight fish fry row. Didn’t get a chance to try them. His wife is the Tourist Board lady.

Nancy had a small issue with her eye we wanted to watch. It resolved itself but any medical issues are a real problem this far out and concern us.

Weather was going to be great for the next 4 days. So we made our run to Conception Island. Once there we would not have access to any weather information unless it came from a fellow cruiser who had Starlink. As we rounded the SW corner of Cat Island a couple of dolphin ran along side us for a few minutes (see photo above).

[crubeens]

Camden Maine

Camden is a quintessential Maine seacoast town that has enticed travelers for years. The first time I traveled there I was in my early 20’s and traveled up from Boston to camp in the state park. More recently I was fortunate to stay in the area on a residency, and travel to nearby Monhegan Island on the mailboat that leaves from Port Clyde. Overlooking Camden harbourCamdenToday I drove up Route…

[sailingangel]

Moved about 150’ closer to shore to get clear of the channel line, making more room for barges and mailboats. Took about an hour and a half thanks to our not working windlass!

[aquatocest]

can you help me?

no.

[felacia-barrie]

Mailboat Running is Crazy

[longliverockback]

Pat Benatar 35 Anniversary Tour 2015 Mailboat ——————————————————————— Tracks Disc One: 01. Shadows of the Night 02. All Fired Up 03. Invicible 04. We Live for Love 05. So Sincere 06. Sex as a Weapon 07. Promises in the Dark 08. We Belong 09. Hell Is for Children

Tracks Disc Two: 01. You Better Run 02. Hit Me With Your Best Shot 03. Love Is a Battlefield 04. Let’s Stay Together 05. Heartbreaker ———————————————————————

Pat Benatar

Neil Giraldo

* Long Live Rock Archive

[parentingroundabout]

On our latest weekly roundup, we started with an update from Terri on her broken wrist and how her recovery is progressing. She still does not recommend breaking a bone. What we're watching: On Dancing with the Stars, it was Whitney Houston Night and Barry Williams danced his last, after a good long run. Kudos to you, Greg Brady! On The Gilded Age, season 2, episode 4, "His Grace the Duke," saw more Opera Warring, romantic entanglements beginning and ending, and the start of Bertha's takedown of her former maid, Turner. Catherine's library find this week is in the who knew?? category: It's series of thrillers based on the famed (at least locally) Lake Geneva mailboat. It's called, of course, the Mailboat Suspense series. In the archives, we revisit episodes in which we discussed finding positive places online (November 23, 2020), gratitude for those who co-parent with us (November 25, 2019), and what we're thankful for (November 22, 2018). Mentioned: Heidi Wrangles Cats, an Icebreaker-inspired TikTok, and its predecessor, the movie Cutting Edge. ​ Next week, our TV watch will cover Taylor Swift Night on Dancing with the Stars and "Close Enough to Touch" (S2 E5) on The Gilded Age. Until then (and anytime you're in need), the archives are available!

[seabreeze2022]

The Bahamas, part 3. Cat Island

May 2024

We love the folks of Cat Island. Most of our interactions have been in the south half of the island. This was our first time in the north end. No sooner had we landed the dinghy at Orange Creek Settlement than two people stopped and started talking to Nancy. When I made it up to the road. A tall gentleman in his late 60’s early 70’s, heartily welcomed me to Cat Island. He introduced himself as Kingsley. He wanted to know if we had ever been here before. When I asked his last name, he answered he was a Johnson. So I asked if he was related to our friend “Pompey?”. Turns out they are cousins. So right off the bat we are making new friends on Cat. The woman speaking to Nancy was the Government Nurse, so they were hitting it off. Just such kind and open people, very refreshing to see.

Orange Creek is very small, we walked most of it in 15 minutes.

The next day we brought our LP gas container to shore for filling. Here Nancy is doing the Cruiser thing of lugging this up a road. If it is not LP gas, it is jerry jugs, groceries or laundry. You can always spot the cruisers!

The Propane business is supposed to be open week days 8-5. But the gate was locked and no one was around. On the wall was painted the one caveat. “CLOSED ON MAILBOAT DAY”. Ok that explains it. They shut down and head to the government dock at Smiths Bay half way down the island when the mail boat brings supplies. We stashed the tank in the woods to be retrieved later.

We hiked out Dickey Road. It is the one road cutting across the north end of the island to the Atlantic side. I knew there were two Blue Holes and a cave beside the road. The blue holes are fresh water and have some turtles in them. Locals used to wash their clothes in the nearest one to town called “Big Fountain.”

This is a diagram of the underwater cave system drawn by an English team in 1986. So they went down about 130’ and then sideways 300’ or more.

This is the front of Griffin’s cave. A small wall is built at the mouth. This cave like several on Cat Island are rumored to have been slave hideouts. Possibly also used by locals during Hurricanes.

Definitely bats in the cave. Which are mostly seasonal.

These caves all have the large crickets. It had started poring rain on us as we neared the cave. Which was very refreshing. Saw several wild orchids along the way.

Heading back out of the cave to the road.

This was the only live Boa constrictor we saw on Cat Island it was about 3 ft. long. Long Island seems to have many more. The old wives tale is: the islands with lots of baby chickens running around does not have many Boas. An island with only pen raised chickens around. Has lost most baby chicks to the snakes.

On our walk back to town we stopped and bought an Atlantic Triton (Charonia variegata) at a road side market. Paid $20 for this shell. I have never seen one in the wild. Nancy has only seen one in the Abacos. These prey on starfish.

We stopped at the general store and talked to Ms. Cleare (pronounced Clare) some more. The very young girl whose mother sold us the shell came in. She handed a list to Ms. Cleare with the $20 bill. All basic staples to feed the family of four. No sweets or luxury food. Above looking south along the shore is the afternoon thunderstorm over the island.

Nancy splurged on what used to be called an Eskimo pie. Now it is Edy’s Pie. What a beautiful view looking across Orange Creek.

More cracked conch and salad for dinner. We will pull anchor in the morning.

Here is one of the smaller mail boats leaving Smith’s Bay settlement.

Coconut rum with breakfast! Not really, Nancy put the last of the half and half in a rum bottle for safe keeping in the refrigerator. Shush…. it did have a bit of coconut taste to it.

Sunrise over Cat Island.

Nancy showing off a Red Cushion Starfish (Oreaster reticulatus). You don’t want to pull them out of the water for photos. It is said to be detrimental to them.

We anchored at Fernandez Bay which is the closest place to the New Bight Airport. Nancy drove me to shore. I was trying to find my way through the bungalows on the beach for a way to the main road. A gentleman reading his book on the beach, asked if I needed help. After I explained my mission of walking the mile to the airport for parts. He gave me the keys to his car. This turned into a nightmare. No internet, meant no cell phone. The part was there but I could not coordinate with the local shipping agent. After an hour I returned to the boat. Nancy was able to get cell service and contact the agent. After filling out the forms on line, I returned to the airport. This time I ended up walking. One young lady stopped and offered a ride. Since I was right outside the airport I declined. During our conversation I found out she was a Johnson and related to our friend “Pompey”. Finally I was able to retrieve our filters. They cost about $5 each on Amazon. After overnight Fedex to go across the street in Ft. Lauderdale and priority shipping by Makers Air, plus Customs tax and Shipping agent fees it cost around $200.

We ran up to Smith Bay for a grocery run in the dinghy. It is only a mile north of our anchorage in Fernandez Bay. After dropping Nancy, I anchored the dinghy away from the rocks and waded in to the Fish Fry Shacks. Only one was open with two guys sitting at the open air bar. So I ordered a Kalik beer. Then it dawned on me that I recognized one of the guys. He recognized me about the same time.

We bought each other a round of drinks. Then he said his uncle was sleeping in the car next to us. I look over and it is the infamous “Pompey.”

Here is Nancy with Pompey to the right. It was noonish and he was drunk as a coot. Which is normal for him. Alfred “Pompey” Johnson is a famous rake an scrape musician. He and his band “Bo Hog and the Rooters” have even played in Havana for Fidel.

Mail boat at Smith Bay Government dock.

This is the main restaurant and hotel lobby at Fernandez Bay Resort. We dinghied over for drinks and dinner. Typical of the small out island restaurants in The Bahamas. You need to make reservations earlier in the day. They have limited main courses and need to space out guest arrivals.

This is the outdoor self serve bar. The waitress brought out some appetizers for us. I asked if I could take a picture. She asked if I was going to post it online. When I replied “yes”, everyone broke out laughing.

Nancy is mixing her drink. Beers are kept cold in a cooler just inside.

There is a pad for you to keep track of your drinks. We labeled ours “Sea Breeze” after our boat. There was a bit of a mix up as one woman had been staying in a chalet for close to a week. Her tab was also labeled “Sea Breeze”, since that was the name of her chalet. One couple at the bar had done extensive sailing in the past, even anchoring at Fernandez Bay. You could tell they were envious of what we were still doing.

The lobby of the main building.