While waiting for the Marsh Harbour stores to reopen on Monday, we sailed across to Guana Cay and tied up to a Dive Guana mooring in tiny Settlement Harbor. Every Sunday there's a pig roast at Nipper's over on the ocean side, a short walk from the dinghy dock. Nipper's is really just a big deck at the top of the dunes with a small dining room at one end of the deck and an even smaller bar at the other end. In between are gaily painted tables under beach umbrellas. Just below the inland side of the deck are a two-tiered pool for those who like to swim in perfectly flat, unsalted water while holding a rum cocktail, and a shop selling Cuban cigars which Sally patronized, not me.

We sailed back to Marsh Harbor on Monday morning and took care of the errands we needed to get out of the way. I found a replacement power inverter for three times the price I would have paid in the states had I thought to buy a couple of spares. Sally did a load of washing at the laundromat. Now we're waiting for another cold front to pass through before we head south from the Abacos. That gives us more time to visit those islands where there's no room to anchor and you need to rent a mooring. During the years I was here on my own, my budget didn't allow that $20/day expense so now I get to explore some places that are new to me as well as Sally.

On Tuesday we sailed to Man-O-War Cay where the local boatbuilders were busy finishing up two new fishing boats. It's a small, very industrious cay where no alcoholic beverages are sold - perhaps not coincidental. The houses and yards are immaculate and adorned with exotic flowering plants. The concrete pathways are narrow and suitable only for pedestrians and golf carts. The accents lean toward England, save for the occasional American who forgot to go home 30 years ago. We ordered a take-out dinner from the waterfront seafood shack Dock&Dine - coconut shrimp, parmigiana encrusted grouper, plantains, all perfectly delicious, for a $24 tab. That evens out the small can of varnish at Edwin's Boat Yard for $55. You win some, you lose some.

Yesterday we headed over to Hope Town on Elbow Cay, a three mile jaunt, and took another rental mooring. This is another very English village founded by loyalists fleeing from the revolutionaries who were on the rampage in the American colonies. Here they've even banned golf carts from the downtown area, unless you have one of the few permits. We spent another afternoon at the beach with snorkel gear. This morning we took a big ride up and down the length of the island. This afternoon we'll climb up the big light house and check out it's kerosene lantern and fresnel lens.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.