Manjack Cay

This morning was devoted to chores—defrosting the refrigerator, running the water maker, and checking the bilge for water. Normally our bilge is bone dry. A few days ago, though, George discovered that a few areas of the bilge were wet and he has since been on the hunt for the source. It appeared to be fresh water, which is good news, and was most likely from a hose bringing fresh water to one of the sinks. He tightened the hose clamps and that seems to have taken care of the issue.

Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while will know that we have struggled with the amount of frost that develops in our refrigerator. We have tried all kinds of solutions, including extra insulation and extra gaskets around the doors. Nothing has helped. This past summer George replaced the door gasket with one made by the manufacturer. I did not have high hopes that it would make any difference. I started to change my mind, however, after we left home a few weeks ago. There was hardly any frost buildup for days. Then, after we left Beaufort and entered the Gulf Stream, the buildup started. It could have been due to the higher humidity, or possibly the water that spilled from the ice trays as the boat was heeling and rolling. We shall see.

After the chores were done we took the dinghy through the mangrove creeks at high tide this afternoon. We saw numerous turtles—we stopped counting at 20–as well as rays, a nurse shark, and an abandoned trimaran. We had a nice, long chat with another couple who were also there in their dinghy. They are from Tennessee and fly in to charter a boat about four times a year. Something to think about when we get to the point that the passages are too much for us.