Like a plumber's butt

It has been a week of kid-boat-craziness. We met two great boats: Mojo and Piper. They each have two kids approximately the same age as Moss. So we’ve been hanging out together, snorkeling, spearfishing, exploring, playing LEGOs, and visiting for a really fun week. If she can be convinced to write one, you can read a Moss-post to see what that was all about. (Encourage her to write on the blog: moss.handelman@gmail.com.)

Last week we snorkeled back to a spot north of Big Majors where we speared the previous lobster. In addition to seeing some beautiful coral and reef fish, Ellen spotted a monster lobster. The thing was huge, easily 18-20” long. It kind of freaked me out, so once again I had to build up my nerve before I could bring myself to spear it. (Side note, Moss was aboard Piper with the  other kids when we radioed to tell them we got the lobster. She immediately asked, “Did you get it right between the eyes like you always do?” Cold-blooded just like her mother.)

So I did get it right between the eyes and when I did, the lobster immediately scooted backwards under the coral where it had been hiding. The lobster was so big and strong, I couldn’t pull it back out. Had to drop the spear so I could swim to the surface to breathe. Dove down again and had to brace my feet (in fins) against the sand and pull on the spear with both hands to get that thing out of the coral.

The trick to not attracting sharks is to get the speared creature out of the water so the thrashing and bleeding doesn’t bring unwanted attention. When I lifted the lobster, flapping and dripping black nastiness, on the spear it was too heavy to hold out of the water with one hand. Too heavy to swim the 1/8 mile back to the dinghy. Turned out to be too heavy to swim with at all…it weighed around eight pounds. 

Ellen set off to fetch the dinghy while I stood with the lobster in about four feet of water on a patch of dead coral. After a few minutes, Ellen came back because she went the wrong way, got into a shallow coral dead-end, and got too tired to go further. She came back to me and waited with the catch, just managing to keep it under control, while I struck out for Mr. Flowerpot. We got into the boat without mishap (except to the lobster which Ellen again ripped in half) and made our way back to the mother ship.

This is just a little bit of the post-lobster-fry carnage.

That evening we hosted eleven people (Piper and Mojo) for breaded fried lobster and potluck dinner (home-made tortillas, cabbage salad, bean salad). We had so much extra lobster meat that we gave a bunch to Mojo and still had enough left over for lobster sushi the next day. (Side note: even-tempered Ellen had a small meltdown when she realized many of our sushi nori wraps were too crumbly to use.)

Overcoming her disappointment, Ellen rallied and made delicious tortilla soup (with home-made tortillas) last night. What with the beans, the fried lobster, and the tortilla soup our imaginary parrot has had a lot to say lately.

Mi esposa trabaja en una tortilleria.

Speaking of gas, I finally figured out why the outboard engine has been drooling oily gas whenever we tilt it out of the water. Initially I though the carburetor was leaking when tilted, but it isn’t. When the motor-cover latch fell off (and sank, never to be seen again) last week I took a good look at the engine and realized the gas tank is the source of the leak. And when the motor is tilted, the mess finds its way out through drain holes.

So our outboard’s gas tank is like the proverbial plumber’s butt: it has a crack in it.

Q: how is the gas tank like a plumber’s butt?

I patched the crack (in the gas tank) with one of my magic potion epoxies and the leak was cured. 

For three days. (Side note: the epoxy holds on the cracked soap-dispensers in the galley and the head, but not so much on the gas tank.)

Sorry about the blurry picture, but these slack-jawed kids are riveted by Star Wars playing on the TV in the bar where we had dinner.

Yesterday in advance of the coming cold front I pulled the leaky tank again and tried to seal it with 3M 4200 adhesive. I have a third option up my sleeve when that patch fails, but I remain optimistic that the 3M will actually hold. Once the adhesive fully cures and I reinstall the tank later today I will know where things stand.

That’s the shadow of our mainsail on the bottom of the sea.

A few days ago we sailed down to Black Point for a change of scenery and for the laundry machines. Along the way we anchored for lunch at a little rocky spot just east of Harvey Cay so we could snorkel.

The water was so clear I was able to check to set of the anchor with the binoculars!

In Black Point we enjoyed some good rum punch and Kalik beer ashore with Jennabird, Mojo, and Piper in the evenings, walked to the blowhole across the island, and generally enjoyed Black Point once again.

Tempestuous day on the east side of Black Point.

Yesterday we had a fabulous spinnaker run to Staniel Cay where we are hiding from another cold front behind Big Majors. After so many days of running around and playing, it’s time we got back to educating our littlest crew member again.

We area also getting ready for our next visitors, Tom and Delwyn, who we met aboard their boat Mahalo the last time we were down here. Incidentally, we spotted seven year old boat cards from our pals Alchemy, and Mahalo stapled to the wall in the Rockside Laundromat on Black Point. Our card from 2012 was there as well.

Ice!

In other riveting news, we defrosted the freezer the other day. The ice on the freezer was about two inches thick in spots. Cleared that out and we are much more efficient now.

Multi-species selfie: Ellen with Spike, who visited when Lily from Mojo brought her to check out Cupcake.