Three Times a Charm

January 9

A very disappointing morning, with a slight feeling that I had been 'stood up', but that wasn’t the case. We stood each other up… lol Fabrizio was waiting for 15-20minutes the night before. So I had oatmeal for breakfast. Went to our neighbors to see if everyone was still alive from a night of partying. A glitch in our communication, they thought we were supposed to meet at 9:30pm and not 10pm. I was still in the marinas showers at 9:30pm… we made a deal that tonight was going to be official. A third attempt to go out for a drink on Paradise Island. Met very funny Bahamian ladies, and a Cuban one too. Walked into a dress shop called ‘Adam and Eve’; to find a funky top to go out… they all wanted to dress me up in millions of outfits and dresses. I found a nice classic black top… should do the job to impress the Italians. For lunch we had steak wraps.

This time it was “official” the Captain and 2^nd mate came over to the sailboat to pick me up. Drove across the bridge and headed to the Atlantis Aquarium… spectacular place!!! A must see in the Bahamas. Walked over to the casino to find the Captain playing at the Roulette table. “I think he knows what he’s doing, yet I’m not too sure if he’s winning any money.” Fabrizio and I (the 2nd mate) went to the disco to dance. Loads of fun with different folks from the cruise ships, surrounding resorts and so many typical ‘Barbie’ American girls. The disco is open all night long… so it was hard to keep track of time, especially when you’re not wearing a watch. Came back to the boat around three in the morning. Phewf! Thank god, I’m not working in the morning! On the other hand… the Italian crew is. Hahaha

The Bread Maker

January 8
Diane's final attempt at making raisin bread has failed due to a malfunctioning bread maker... the paddle stays attached to the bread pan and refuses to mix the ingredients/raisins. We went looking for a replacement... found one almost identical to the old one. A little different in color and recipes. Yesterday, I was invited to go out for a drink with one of the crew members from a mega yacht docked at the marina. For some reason, I was still tired from all the travel and in a very unintentional way stood him up. Today, I've been officially invited to go out for a drink on Paradise Island... at the Atlantis Resort. Which twelve years ago when traveling in the Bahamas... it was a work in progress. So, at 10pm I was waiting in the cockpit for someone to notify me that we were going to be heading to Atlantis... well the clock kept ticking and no one was seen on the yacht. Trying, not to look too desperate... I waited until 11:30pm and then called it a night. For some reason... I was thinking, maybe they stood me up because I had done the same to them the day before. Who knows? As always... the story continues.

Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping

January 7
Walked down East Bay St., found the Bahamas Maritime Cadet Corps and spoke with Mr. Martinborou' one of the individuals responsible for hosting the STCW'95 Basic Safety Training Course. Wade ordered the new pump… I registered in the course for Jan. 25-29 and made my large payment of $400. Which is peanuts for an STCW course. In Canada, the same course is offered for $1200. I am extremely excited to be taking this course, as I went to photocopy my passport... I noticed that the motor yacht with the friendly Italians have docked at the marina. They are all so adorable.