OUTER REEF RENDEZVOUS 2012

OUTER REEF RENDEZVOUS 2012

Here is Jambo on the right...

By Thursday (April 19) nine Outer Reef boats has descended on the marina at Abaco Beach Resort at Baot Harbour, Bahamas:  Jambo, Ginger, Private Idaho, Gator, Copeing, SeaBright, Risky Business, De Onions, and Freedom.

The festivities started with a “Docktail Party and Yacht Hop stationed on the dock right behind Jambo.  Besides the boats and owners, there was a couple, Peter and Angela, who have a yacht under construction.  They are just getting ready for their first trip to Taiwan to see their “creation” and were sponges for any and all information regarding the build process.  Also in the group was the staff from Outer Reef.

The music was by a duo named Conchy Joe who used his iPod connected to a synthesizer and speakers and played the saw (yes, saw) with a knife!  Made me think of Jazz Fest in New Orleans.  Anyway, it was great fun and all were in good spirits (literally and figuratively!)

This is Dawn, the Insurange "guru", and our crew, Kevin

This is our second rendezvous.  Last year they held it in Key West and we attended.  Jambo was under construction and we were like Peter and Angela, taking in all the information we could.  There were several ideas I got at the gathering that we incorporated into our boat.  It is such a great opportunity to share ideas plus getting to know this great group of people.  And this time we have the added bonus of getting to travel with several other boats after the Rendezvous.

Sunset over the marina

The first morning we came up from our cabin to find two baskets of small loaves of fresh Bahamian bread – three in each basket.  We had pineapple and banana.  This was repeated each day of the Rendezvous, so now we have lots of small loaves of bread in our freezer.  This Bahamian bread is going to ruin me………

The weekend was filled with activities starting with 8 a.m. yoga on a pavilion at the resort.  It was very windy, which made any balancing moves very challenging, but it felt great!   Especially when you turn you head and feel the morning sun on your face. 

 The morning schedule included seminars ranging from the newest in electronics to insurance concerns.  Then on Friday noontime we all took our dingies to another 

island and a restaurant named Cracker P’s for good fish sandwiches and conch prepared in many different ways, including marinated in coconut milk and rum. 

Signs greeting us at Cracker P's

This is one of the resident dogs the sign refers to..

Homemade hot sauce -- Yum

After lunch and a couple of beers we went over to Tilloo Sand Bar for general hanging out at the beach.  

John Coyle doing anchor duty for us...

Fred and I were anxious to do some snorkeling so we took out swimming.  The water was only about 2 feet deep and the bottom was grass.  We kept heading out to get to the deep water and perhaps see something besides short-spined sea urchins.  We swam…and we swam…and we swam.  The bottom was still right under us.  After about 30 minutes, we gave up and headed back.  I finally found an area that deepened and saw a few fish, but the best snorkeling would have been on the outside, and it was impassable from where I was.  Anyway, we got some good exercise (and maybe worked off those two beers!)

Saturday started with yoga again – we selected a place that was more protected – followed by seminars.  For the afternoon, we took a ferry to Elbow Cay to visit the famous red-striped lighthouse and lunch at Garbanzo Beach. 

101 steps to the top (we counted them!)

Love this sign!!!

Golf carts were the transportation for the island

Caught her!  Jen, our yoga instructor, dives into Key Lime Pie!

"Lizard Lodge"  Curlytail lizards are all over the islands.

"Wyannie's Landing"

We had a bit of time after lunch for some shopping and wandering in the cute settlement. On this island, there are no house numbers.  Each house has a name and that is the only way to give an address.

"Yellow Bird"

"Cozy Villa"

"Bhaven" -- that's a good one!

Dis be de Islands, Mon!!!

Breadfruit Tree planted by Captain Blligh on the HMS Providence.
His first voyage was the famous Mutiny on the HMS Bounty!

Waiting for the ferry...island time!

Saturday night was the “Bahamas White Night Beach Bash” at the resort.  (Unfortunately, I forgot my camera…)  It was a fun evening with cocktails and buffet dinner with live music.  (It was supposed to be on the beach and include a bonfire, but the weather turned against us with rain and 30+ knot winds!)  Fun auction, silent and live, and we raised almost $14,000 for the Wounded Warrior project.  Fun way to end the festivities. 

Sunday morning was a farewell breakfast and all ended around 10 a.m.  We will all have fond memories of Rendezvous 2012.  Where next year??!!!