great this year. We got down here 12/4/2013. It's been a good year for everything...hunting, weather, lack of crowds, etc. There was a bit of a crowd a few weeks back that were obviously working on their "Jumentos/Ragged Islands Merit Badges". They were lost and clueless, but they didn't stay long...had to get back to Georgetown.

I do not have a cell phone booster, but have an external plug-in antenna for the aircard (Sierra Wireless). I can get voice and data at Raccoon Cay...occasionally voice at Buena Vista. We just started getting 3G. It's like lightning compared to the 2G we've been getting for the last three months. I can keep the phone number on my SIM if I use the BTC EZ-TOP UP that they offer via the web. You can add $$ to the number every so often and it keeps the number valid, but this last year I let it slide and simply bought a new SIM card for $15...easier. We used the BTC office at the Harbor Center across from the Nassau Harbor Club where we checked in. There is an actual Fresh Market there too. BTW, they will deliver to the Captain C and you can get whatever you need down here. We use it for the things that are hard for Maxine to get.

The configuration for the data SIM is done via the cell phone. Every 30 days, I put that SIM card in the phone and activate a $30 Data Card that I bought at the BTC office. Very easy. You can get a 1GB Card for $20...but each is only good for 30 days. I just bought 5 of them in November and activate every 30 days. I haven't used WIFI more than 5 times on shore all season. The aircard is cheaper and we can sit on the boat. I use it every day for weather. I use OCENS WeatherNet for my weather source...extremely efficient. My set up was actually designed with Chris' help 9 years ago. I am very happy with it. BTW, I do not use SSB.

We are still in the Raggeds and will "probably" head north Thursday and ride the clocking front up and over to Long Island. At least that looks like the plan...at the moment anyway...very hard to leave this area of the Bahamas.

Happy Sailing,

Steve