Has the Abaco become more sissified?

[SamFamAustin]

Well folks I don't mean to start any battles, and have an interesting question. Let's start with "Abaco ain't for sissies." In every island community I've lived there is something similar, or a feeling to that effect. You know, the transportation, weather, bugs, electricity, you name it. Are we becoming more sissified?

My theory is that perhaps people had lower expectations and roughed it without complaining as much back 25 or 30 years ago, but now there's the added dimensions of computers, development, politics and crime, each of which can be a royal pain in the caboose. Maybe things work out equal in the wash?

And then I thought some more, that maybe as I get older, my own perception has changed. My body has changed too, like I'm not as willing to take a small boat across the pond, banging into a 3 to 4 foot cross chop and trying to knock my kidneys out the backside.

Lordy, you should hear my 74 year old friend on Block Island talk about how society has become so sissified and PC, and what he has to say about kids who only seem to text and talk funny on cell phones all day long. What a corker he is -- we all know that effect (I had to milk the cows and clean the stalls before dawn, etc.).

Anyway, this isn't a rant and I thought it would be an interesting topic after all the other rants about developments, airlines, and stolen boats. I don't have a point to prove, other than it's an interesting question. Let's say I'm writing a book about "island attitudes" and don't want to fake it up too much, OK?
-sammie

[boatbum]

The whole world is. :rolleyes:

But as far as Abaco goes, if you believe having Wifi, Cell Phones or anything else that makes life more convenient is sissification, then yes, Abaco has moved in that direction. But remember it's still more expensive in Abaco so in that regard perhaps it will remain more challenging. You are always free to sell your truck and golf cart so you can bicycle everywhere?

[AbacoPeach]

Heck, I am 51 years old and I don't have a cell phone!! When I did have one, I pretty much used it to call Jerry to let him know I was going to be really late b/c of traffic.

As far as Abaco, it has definitely changed since 1988 (when I first came)! One public phone; if you saw a TV, it was fuzzy; computer (forget it) wasn't that prevalent in the U.S.; you felt like you were enveloped in a blanket of security. At that time, no one had heard of Abaco! Yet, still, there still are a lot of people who have never heard of Abaco. Thank goodness when you say you are going to Abaco, there is still a silence b/c they don't know. If you reference Jamaica or Cancun, well, they relate.

Jerry and I came back in 1998 and been coming ever since (sometimes twice). I had so many people ask me why we always go to the same place every year. I would always tell them that is was beautiful place and we are going to see good friends and visit our extended family!!

[MotuIti]

When I first landed in Abaco the Bahamas were still British. I've seen the changes.

The Abacos were always a bit behind the US as far as conveniences, as even today.

In those days the first thing you packed was a flash light. Electricity was intermittent. Today WiFi is intermittent. The one truck on Green Turtle cay is now a flotilla of all kinds of vehicles including a 3000GT Stealth (Dodge)! The difference is 36 years.

Abaco has grown as has the US in population and technology and yes crime. The Abacos still lag our shore side resort towns for conveniences - a good thing in my opinion. The Abacos are hard to get to for the masses (for now). But where they excel is in unspoiled beauty (for now). That's why we go and return (for now).

I hate to stop by a local watering hole and see folks poking away on their keyboards. I cant help but wonder what can be so important. The usual excuse is business or emergency contact. Hey they cant all be here "on Business". Have they counted the stars at night or explored the island paths? I suppose they would do the same in Florence or Paris.

I've editorialized on the rewards of disconnecting when in Abaco and more or less sticking to the basics of British times. Seems folks just cant. That flashlight is now replaced by a cell phone and laptop. I would never consider posting my trip as I lived it. I'm too immersed in the offerings of wherever I go. Yet, I'd love to tell all about my trip to anyone who is interested when I return.

Oh, this year I brought my lap top but didn't connect. (Is that like not inhaling?) I was on business. I also, for the first time, traveled alone and it was a bit lonely without ones mate that even Abaco friends cant replace.

Just another perspective.
-Sandy

[BahamaAngie]

Well, I think aging has one aspect of it...as you get older sometimes it is more difficult to do the things you could and one also likes the comforts available. Also, progress....years ago here there were some many water skiiers, tubers, little sailboats...the ones for about 2 people.....then came more and more fiberglass boats, jet skis racing around and then the ultimate huge cigarette boat or whatever they call them. They are so loud you practically have to cover your ears. People waving to each other (like Abaco) now no one does that. Huge houses built that look like estates creating an organization researching the invasion of these white martian looking jellyfish that kids can't frolic in the bay anymore......so IMHO, I would say progress and aging do add to that.

We too came to Abaco (only in 2001) and it has changed a lot (for us it was TC as we had not been to any of the other cays). There were no tvs, phones in our villa but funny we did have a/c, dishwasher and washer/dryer, go figure.

I think it is so frustrating that no matter where you go, someone has a cell phone stuck to their ear. I keep one in my car for emergency now due to my husband's age and not being able to do what he was able to. Just my 2 cents added.

[oudi14]

I first came here in 1956, we vacationed here over the years, then moved here permanently in 1968. Back in the late 50s, if you wanted to make a phone call, you had to go to the radio station. A few people had CB radios. At first, there was no regular ferry service. Then, in 1959, Albury's Ferry began running. I can remember many trips on the Junonia, crossing from MH to HT. There were 2 flights a day, one Mackey to PBI, one Bahamas Airways to NAS. If you were out in a boat, and you saw another boat, you would point at it, and if you passed close enough, you always waved. Hope Town had no dump, once a week, a Haitian with a wheelbarrow would go around town collecting everyone's garbage [people burned what they could] then they put it on the garbage scow, and it was towed behind a dinghy with a seagull engine, that did half a knot, out behind the reef, and the garbage was dumped overboard. I'm glad they don't do that any more. Elbow Cay in 1963 had the fire engine, 2 jeeps, and some bicycles. Chickens roamed free all over the village. There was a deaf lady named Gracie, who had ducks, which also roamed around. I used to fish off of the Upper Public Dock, sometimes for hours and hours. We sometimes went 'down through' to the north end to catch soldier crabs to eat. I wish my kids could spend one day back in that time.

[culp]

Oudi14,
Since it sounds like you have been going to the Abacos the longest...what changes in the weather and water have you noticed thru the years. What about the trash on the beaches that comes in? Is that something new? I'd love to hear your perspective on any physical changes.

[DaGoose]

A Dodge Stealth on GTC?:eek::mad:

Interesting topic Sammie. Yeah, I think it does have a bit to do with getting older, you tend to want more of the creature comforts. But what I love about Abaco, in addition to the obvious, are those things that make it a little 'harder'.

Oudi, like Jeana said, we'd LOVE to hear more about the old days.

Happy 4th all!

Tina

[SamFamAustin]

I'm looking forward to see if Oudi has more to say on the topic, as it interests me very much.

In the meantime, you might recall my picture of the first structure on my little Texas island, a combination shower/outhouse which was designed by a notable local architect, who won the grand prize of 50 cents for his invention. The women loved it and the boys were relegated to the dunes! Well, you wouldn't want to be accused of be a sissy, now would ya?

Like many early structures, they did not survive the hurricanes but people would simply put together a raft or barge and take scrap wood and material over to the island, and worked on it all summer to rebuild their cottage. Over the years they got better at it, even with indoor plumbing! Talk about recycling, my 1970 cottage was built from busted docks and pilings that ended up in the bay after Hurricane Beulah in 1967.

Here's our 50-cent winner ...

[MotuIti]

A Dodge Stealth on GTC?
Yup, Belongs to Johnny Cool. Most everyone on GTC knows him.

They've got the that stretch of road from Town to The GTC, he probably could hit sixty! But I wouldn't want to hit a pot hole.

Yes, with Age comes nostalgia for things past. I remember my Dad telling me in the 50's he wouldn't go to Coney Island. Because as we would put it today it was too "Coney Island". But at 16, I loved it. I never knew how it was back when.

-Sandy

[Alan Brown]

I've been reading the posts on this board and the other one since 2004. During this time it seems as if the most frequent topics of complaint revolve around air travel and lately, boat theft. Of course, the Save Guana Reef discussion took up its share of space as well. Rarely will anyone post a complaint about a business or the treatment they've received from local Bahamians during their visit.

From these observations I would conclude that most folks have a good time when they visit Abaco and find little to complain about.

Where people tend to get the most upset is over air travel and in many cases, their anger is justified. Let's face it, getting to Abaco is a pita. It's costly, sometimes involves tight scheduling, and if anything goes wrong (from equipment problems to weather delays), you're generally screwed. This is just the nature of the beast.

People's anger seems to reach a boil when airlines don't communicate with them. This is just plain lousy customer service, usually involving small U.S. flight operations. I can't ever recall anyone complaining about one of the small Bahamian air carriers. Thus, a visitors dissatisfaction with their Abaco experience usually involves folks back in the States.

Sammy, I don't think the folks who visit the Abacos now are all that much different than the folks who came over years ago. I'm sure they had their share of *****es and complaints as well. What has changed is that we can now instantly share our thoughts and feelings with the world through the touch of a keystroke.

P.S. You friend on Block Island's biggest complaint probably is the huge increase in visitors that has occured over the years. Just like we did on Cape Cod, I bet he prays for Labor Day.

[SamFamAustin]

I heard ya loud and clear, Alan, and I take particular umbrage to the way that airlines everywhere treat their customers, and the increased insecurity measures that make little or no sense. Weather - well, nothing we can do about that one.

As to Block Island and the whole Northeast, most parts are had the worst June ever. The weather has been atrocious, requiring folks to wear sweaters and rain slickers. Restaurant business is off by 35 to 50 percent as compared to last year. The people who do show up simply don't buy anything. If July doesn't come through, many businesses will fail. The mood isn't about sissies as much as "how will we survive?"

[BahamaAngie]

Very nice posting Alan.

Oudi it sounds so interesting, Would love to hear some stories.

Sammie, my son said Seaside Heights was dead last night and the weather finally finally got nice! It was an awful June and most people who work outside, really had it rough.

[Bill K]

Hey Sam, you struck a chord. I was daydreaming about our years on Nantucket Island and how much things had changed, I miss the days when we would pack up the jeep or whaler with family, goodies and fishing poles and head out to the beach and stay until the sun went down.

On Nantucket, the path to Gucci-ville started back in the 70's when the waterfront and a part of town was privately purchased. Within a few years the working harbor became The Boat Basin and the hardware store became a boutique. The trend continued and by the late 80's the middle class was being displaced by millionaires and later by billionaires.

It was in the resession of the early 90's that we took a chance, bought a little chunk of land and built a house. Many of the high rollers were on their last 90 day extention and the new money crowd of the 80's had been culled. Things were slow, prices had dropped and the island seemed to have regained a lot of its laid back feel. Back then, our rental clientele were still primarily interested in beaches, fishing and taking it easy. The house was a place to hang your hat and hang out.

Much changed by the 2000's, prospective renters now asked about nanny accommodations, getting 3 cars on the ferry, cable tv, internet access, tennis courts and golf courses, restaurants and dry cleaning. No more beach questions. When they asked about day camps for their children, I'd recommend they spend some time together down at Long Pond catching snapping turtles with chicken parts, or building sand castles, or maybe a long bike rides through the moors. My suggestions fell mostly on deaf ears so we sold old "MoorTime" in 04 and moved down to a quieter spot.

Nantucket Town is now congested with late model Land Rovers and day trippers fed by fast ferries. The Audubon Society recruited the Piping Plovers to close down most of the beaches to 4 wheel travel so no more rusty old wagoneers to grace beachscape. I still go back every year to visit old friends, surf fish and ah yes, bask in that luxurious fog. Thanks for the rant time and reminding me of an 'old friend'. Here's a few pics from days gone by..

ps: Sammie, our caretaker on Nantucket was an old Block Island man named Brendan Dwyer, wonder if you knew him?

1 - 'Beach Art' our boys began the project and folks kept adding to it over
the years, Tuckernuck Is.
2 - Flyfisherman on Nantucket Sound.
3 - "MoorTime" years before the build out, Fisher's Landing.
4 - 3 Surf Rats.
5 - Stranded by a high tide at Great Point
6 - You never really own your home when you build on a dune, Madaket.
7 - Susan & her Mom, lazy days at Eel Point.
8 - Lobstah dinner.

[Long Look]

Have they counted the stars at night or explored the island paths?

Thats one major change... Light pollution has cut down on the number of stars. It is amazing to see the yellow glow that Marsh Harbor puts off at night.

[BahamaAngie]

So very very nice. And I love your home. But now you have Turtle Dreams??? It isn't Abaco but the NE coast has something special to it, I think. (and especially the smell of the sea).

[oudi14]

With regards to the weather, this year being the exception, it has certainly become a bit drier since 2000. And the winters are not as cool as when I was younger. We used to have some serious [for us] cold spells back in the 60s, 70s and 80s. On January 19, 1977, I stood on our porch at Lubbers and watched as a snow shower drifted over Elbow Cay. It was 43 degrees that day. That was a rather unique event, probably won't happen again in my lifetime. I hope not. I felt real bad for the tourists then, especially as the 40 MPH wind made the temp feel like 15.
As for garbage along the shore, I remember always getting tar on my feet when I was a boy. I can't recall if we had the same amount of plastic and other **** that washes up now. People used to throw things into the sea without thinking back then, we just weren't as environmentally conscious. One day, in the summer of 1961, I remember a 55 gallon drum washing up on the beach at Lubbers, where we had a small corrugated tin shack that we used to vacation in, and my brother and I had great fun jumping off of it into the sea. My mom shot some footage with one of those old 35 mm. cameras. In the background, you can see a large sailboat passing between Lubbers and Tahiti Beach. [back then, it was known as 'the Creek Spit'] It was the Langosta, which the Johnston family of Little Harbour owned. We had an Abaco dinghy, built by Winer Malone, and it was powered by an inboard Stewart-Turner engine, and it took 45 minutes to go from Lubbers to Hope Town. Oudi14,
Since it sounds like you have been going to the Abacos the longest...what changes in the weather and water have you noticed thru the years. What about the trash on the beaches that comes in? Is that something new? I'd love to hear your perspective on any physical changes.

[culp]

Keep them coming Oudi!
Funny...I do remember as a kid getting tar on my feet all the time on the beaches here in San Diego. My Dad always brought a can of gasoline along with a rag to take it off. I wonder what the tar was from?

[islandsun]

Our first visit to Abaco was back in 97-98,I found Guana Seaside Village on the Internet, Then had to figure out how to get there.Atlanta to Fort lauderdale- Then by Airsunshine to Marsh. It was all so new, scary,and exciting all at the same time. Take the Taxi to the ferry dock at the Couch Inn, all the time wondering what I got ourselves into. The Ferry ride was wonderous the water, hit us first, so clear, then the drop off at the dock at the Inn(they did that back then) Glenn there to get our bags take us to the room, Meeting Sandra the cook,and Lunette & Rena' who did everything else. Seeing the beach,then the walk over to the atlantic side.I think there was only 1 cottage behind the Inn at that time & maybe the Yellow House. 1 phone ,1 TV ,no key needed for the room. The ride into the settlement on the "road" which I decribed later as the worst golf path you have ever been on,but the best 20 min at night . Then there was the atlantic side beach, we walked for hours,crossing the reefs in flipflops(not a good idea),discovering the path over to Baker's Bay,the old deserted Disney area,thinking that we were the first(ha,ha) to see this beautiful place.We didn't see anybody that whole time we walked. We were hooked. As the years and visits have past the Cottages behind the Inn grew the, the ferry no longer droped you off at the Inn, the "road "was paved. The flights in and out were always nerve racking, But the beaches, ahh the beaches were always there to make thinks right.
Well untill the Inn was sold,Baker's bay developed...etc.. Times have changed and changed the times.

[Shelby]

Sammie, that’s a really interesting question. I’ll throw in my two cents…

Most of the world is more “sissified” than it used to be and Abaco is no exception. With more reliable phone service, better transportation and shipping options, cable TV and the Internet, Abaconians are better connected to the rest of the world more than ever before. All those outside influences are, for better or worse, bound to have an impact. Some people, for example, would consider it sacrilege that I can now get a tall, non-fat, decaf, sugar-free vanilla latte in Hope Town! J

But I disagree, and here’s why. For years, many young Abaconians left for school or for work, and few returned. They went to Nassau or to the States, where they’d get a taste of “modern" life and its various conveniences and, pretty shortly, they couldn’t fathom the idea of returning to their sleepy little island homes. Or, they wanted to come home, but there just weren’t jobs for them. (This was the case with my maternal grandparents, both of whom had to move from Abaco to Nassau in the 1930s to find work.) You need look no further for evidence of this trend than the number of beautiful Bahamian family homes that sit, boarded up and rotting, because the senior family members have passed on, and the younger generation is long gone.

But over the past 10-15 years, I’ve seen the trend beginning to turn around. I know a number of young Abaconians who’ve chosen to stay and make a life in Abaco, and several who’ve left and returned, and I can’t help thinking that so-called sissification is, at least in part, responsible. No longer do young people have to choose between Abaco living and modern conveniences and ideas! These young people bring fresh energy and new perspectives. They start businesses and create employment. They're customer-service oriented. They understand tourism and environmentalism and they GET the need to protect the islands’ natural resources in a way that past generations apparently didn't. They refurbish those old Bahamian homes and breathe life back into settlements and towns.

The Hope Town Coffee House is an excellent example of a young couple who, having lived and been educated elsewhere, settled in Hope Town to make a life for themselves and their child(ren?). They run a wonderful, growing business, participate in the local community, and contribute to the local economy.

So go ahead. Roll your eyes at my tall, non-fat, decaf, sugar-free vanilla latte if you must. :-) I'm more optimistic about Abaco's future than I've been in years.

[BahamaAngie]

Nice story Islandsun. When we rented last time at Ocean Villas in TC, they had a container for you to clean tar off your feet....so I guess they still get some. I do NOT know where it comes from.

[SamFamAustin]

Sometime a little more than a dozen years ago, one of my brothers was delivering a racing sailboat and for some reason ended up stopping at Man-O-War and Marsh Harbor, can't recall why but sailboats go north in the summer and south in the winter. He fell in love with it. "Dad, you have to buy a place down here, it's one of the last unspoiled places in the world, beautiful waters, beautiful people, beautiful anchorages."

And that's what my dad did, and they loved the area. After "camping out" in three or four hurricanes, mother decided that in the summer they needed a cottage up north, which is understandable when you get to age 70 or so. But they come back every December and stay until June.

The one thing that seems to have dad distraught more than anything, aside from the developments and all, are the jet-skis, ski-doos, or anything resembling a personal watercraft. Us kids had to calm him down one day when he ran down his dock with a four-by-four post, ready to launch a missile at the (he had some real salty language here, you fill in the blanks).

I guess I can understand that now, since his dream simply went "poof" because of some yahoo who was buzzing his docks, the wake knocking his boats against the pilings with a crunching sound because of low tide. People just didn't used to do that. It wasn't anything that a good rum thang and a grouper steak couldn't fix, but this incident was about two years ago and I started to see a change in the mood of things, even on this forum and the old one.

How to describe that feeling is complex to say the least. Just yesterday I talked with my parents again and the truth is, they love the Abaco more than ever now ... just certain aspects they don't dwell on because they're a little negative and depressing. I think it's the invading sissies that make them grumpy!

[Patti Puzo]

Bill and Susan, I really enjoyed seeing those pictures. I agree with Angie.
Both Abaco, and the New England coastal areas are magical places.

[BahamaAngie]

Sammie, I don't like to speak with a "forked tongue" but I do feel the same way as your dad except that when my son bought a seadoo in the nineties and he made me try it......I loved it! I never went real fast. I was like the beach patrol would just go back and forth but it was soooooo cool! He has not used it in several years due to certain issues but now if he got it back in the water, I would be rather quite hesitant to go on now. Speaking of progress, there was a possible explosion of one of those big racing boats last night. It has not been confirmed yet. (My daughter's husband said he saw it but I did not see any police go down so it makes me wonder. It was speeding back and forth and then we heard some really loud unusual noises). At least Abaco doesn't have them yet or do they?

[Patty&Rudi]

Keep them coming Oudi!
Funny...I do remember as a kid getting tar on my feet all the time on the beaches here in San Diego. My Dad always brought a can of gasoline along with a rag to take it off. I wonder what the tar was from?

And I grew up much of the time at my grandparents' house in Margate, Pompano Beach, Florida, and we'd pick the colour of my bathing suits as a kid based on that tar - no white.

I always wondered where it came from too! Anyone know?

[Patty&Rudi]

Yeah, keep them coming Oudi, and islandsun!
And Bill K - I have a friend on Cape Cod (in her 70s), so I have heard those stories as well.
I am really enjoying this thread. Thanks Sammie!

Rudi and I are easy keepers and we don't need much at all, but we do need internet to work with our patients no matter where we are in the world. We're taking a gamble planning to live nine months a year on Hope Town, but we're fine with that kind of a gamble.

The rest we don't sweat. If we need something we will find it, and if we can't we will learn to do without.

And yes Amanda - the Coffee Shop helps! Knowing you can go up into town after a long day and get some of the best gelato on earth is a bonus. In fact, we'd been looking at property on Lubbers and trying to decide what we should do... and we went into Hope Town and went to the Coffee Shop and I had an iced Chai latte, and we looked at each other and said - we need to be right HERE.

Not sure Heather and Andrew know that! But they are a part of why we are happy in Hope Town.

[SamFamAustin]

On my birthday (June 3) in 1979, the Ixtoc 1 oil well down by the Gulf of Campeche exploded, and continued to leak for 9 months. This affected the coastline all the up from the Yucatan to Texas and then out the Mississippi River. Only about 5 to 10 percent of the oil, tar, and "mousse" ever hit shore, and occasionally some more washed up.

Not sure how Florida got some tar on its beaches, other than back in the late 70s and early 80s, they hadn't perfected deepwater drilling and most leaked pretty bad. But several other leaks were reported in 1979, including a tanker off Galveston. All crude oil tankers were allowed to clean tanks and pump waste oil over the side back then. In addition, the Gulf of Mexico has natural oil seeps -- there's a huge oil field off western Cuba.

Gosh I remember those days when we all had kerosene and rags by the front door, and nobody could wear shoes inside. Magically, the black goo seemed to disappear from the beaches and it doesn't seem as frequent these days. Thank goodness, that's not a very fond memory!

[oudi14]

Sammie, your explanation sounds logical. Perhaps oil floating around the gulf would go thru the straits, and land on Gold Coast beaches, also the northern Bahamas. My dad used to blame the tar on ships 'blowing their bilges'. Not really sure what that meant. But I have also noticed less tar than there used to be.
The other day I was talking to Dave Ralph of the Abaconian, reminiscing about Snake Cay in the old days. Many of you will have read about the Robert Fulton, and the supermarket that was there. We used to go there in the early 60s, because it was the only place one could buy frozen food on a regular basis. We would get milk, ice cream and the like. The grocery stores in Hope Town were tiny; Vernon's [which I can remember as far back as 1962] was the largest, then there was Mr Roger's, he had lots of cats in his store, he gave my cousin a kitten one time, Also Mr Talmadge Cash had a little place. I bought a fishing line there once.
Back then, there was no electricity on any of the cays. A few people had generators. On Lubbers, we only had lamps, we got a kerosene fridge in 1970. The family home in Hope Town, had a Lister generator, which you would crank by hand. So there was light for a few hours at night. Ms Dottie Russell, wife of Capt. Robley Russell, had the first TV. They would charge other people sixpence a night to come and watch whatever they were watching. Probably the reception was bad; many of us can remember twisting the TV antenna to try to make the picture clearer. That was how it was till the early 80s, when satellite dishes first appeared. BTW, electricity came to Elbow Cay in 1975.

[tim abbott]

We moved to Cocoa Beach, FLorida in 1976 an there were a lot of tar balls for years. When the wind would blow in the seaweed the tar would get stuck in it and be worse. The hotels had lighter fluid or charcoal ligher & rags for people to clean off their feet. Big freezes in CB in 1978 and a few years later, killed hundred of australian pines(casaurinas in Abaco).

I remember a less sissified time in the farm country of Iowa. I walked a mile or so to a one room school that accomodated kindergarten to 6 grade. Worked doing various farm stuff from 8? or so until I finished high school. Had all kinds of animals. I think gas was 35 cents or so when I started driving.

We never have TV or phones while in TC, Abaco, I do buy the prepaid phone card & use the pay phones. We used to go to Paradise, Paradise in Paradise Island in Nassua before Atlantis and the drinks were $ 5 back then so that hasn't changed. The water is still mesmorizing in ABaco

Tim Abbott

[papanasty]

The tar used to come from the oil tankers that would travel the eastern seaboard. Oil tankers fill there tanks with salt water to use as ballast when there not carrying oil and it used to be a common practice to pump there tanks out at sea before coming in to receive oil. It used to be a big problem back in the 90's when i came here every were that rented there would be little signs advising you about the tar balls.

Most rentals back then had a tar cleaning station by the entrance with what you needed to clean the tar off of your feet. The Bahamian Government and the Enviornmentalist clamped down and started fining the shipping companys for doing this and over the years it became less and less. I do'nt even see the stuff on the beaches any more.

Most of the newer oil crude tankers still use sea water to ballast there tanks but now when they empty them the water goes through a filtering system to avoid the crude from being pumped over board. Papanasty ;)

[DrRalph]

After I finished my trip report, I sent the link to a bunch of family and friends. We have also had some conversation, both live and on the phone, asking us about our trip. A lot of these folks either have previous awareness of our adventures, or they have similar tastes when it comes to vacations, adventures, etc.

But there is a sizable segment of the population out there that has a preconceived notion that "Bahamas" equals a three-day cruise to "some island," or flying to Nassau and a resort like Atlantis (http://www.atlantis.com/). They ask about the casinos, floor shows, ornate meals, celebrities, high-rise hotels, etc., and when they look at our pictures and hear our stories, they are dumbfounded, confused. They lose their color when we tell them we flew over in a four-seater and landed at a tiny little airport. It's impossible to describe the geography, how the ferries work, losing power, the weather, telephones, golf carts, all the stuff we have come to love.

I have tremendous respect for the folks who lived and loved in Abaco 50 years ago, I love hearing their stories. And I would certainly be a sissy to them, wanting reliable power, air conditioning, wi-fi, that stuff. But I love running a small boat around Abaco, anchoring up on quiet beaches and sand bars, getting a little crazy under a tiki bar at night, ignoring the bugs, coping with the weather. Some of our friends think we're nuts, you hear things like 'that's way too much work,' or 'aren't you afraid of diseases?'

And how many stories have we heard, some first-hand, about people who showed up and refused to check into the resort or cottage they had reserved, or toughed it out for a day or so and left, or walked out of a restaurant because they weren't acknowledged in the first 30 seconds?

I've said before, it takes a special person to want to vacation or retire/second home in Abaco, it is certainly not for your average wimp, and that's probably for the best. There must be a fine line between generating enough business to support the economy, and keeping the chaos down to a level that doesn't destroy the ambiance.

[ScottB]

[FONT=Arial]The affinity group for closer-to-third-world vacations is & has been steadily growing. In the late nineties, I traveled on a reef-diving vacation to Xcalak, Mexico

[South Pause]

Couldn't have been worded better, Dr. R. My sentiments exactly.
We love every minute we spend at "South Pause", our home on Guana, which has a wealth of our blood, sweat and tears in every square inch.

Our last trip over in late June, we lost power for part of every day for 4 days, tried out our new generator, rigged up a bell and light to let us know when the power was back on, but set it up incorrectly, so the generator ran for nearly a whole day (no hot water) unnecessarily. We dug weeds, battled and ignored the larger population of bugs this trip. We have a leak in a cistern, all of our hardware facing the ocean is rusting....

Wouldn't trade any of it for "all the tea in China", as they say.

[BahamaAngie]

It does take a special type of personality to endure. Even here, we had a family that never should have bought and finally they moved. They just weren't cut out for this kind of living. Of course, it is different now. We use to have winters so bad that trucks or cars would drive right on the bay. Brutal thunderstorms.....things are not like that anymore. They never would have survived. Although, I will say as one ages.....it gets old, time for more comfort! Time for the younger generation BUT they are the ones that want it "easy". (or a lot of them do).

[SamFamAustin]

Gosh folks, for sitting at the computer late one night, beer in hand, and asking the forum about islands and sissies sure turned out to be fun. For all the rants and high emotions on other rant threads, I honestly think we hit pay dirt. If I ever do write a book about "the island spirit" I'll be sure to ask you in person to use some quotes.

Perhaps the word "sissy" isn't enough, exactly or right. People who like remote islands tend to be (1) escapists and dreamers and (2) survivalists and quite talented, artistic even. I guess you could say the same for people who like mountains, but ... aw you know what I mean.

A year or so ago, two ladies in their early 90s came to our little sandbar island off Texas, and we joined them on a dolphin cruise. They were a hoot, and related that they'd been coming to the island since before 1950. So being Sammie, I asked them why they came back. "Tee hee, we like watching the boys with their tight underwear" said one. "No Margie, it's when you have a gin & tonic in your hand and see the beauty of the island with all those boys in their tight bathing suits, that's it" said the other. They high-fived each other like 20 year-old kids.

Of course, they knew every original family and all the dirt on them. The ribald stories! They had us in stitches laughing so hard. They didn't mention how rough it was back then, but curiously how much fun they had. They had parades and Margie was Queen of the Pirates one year, dressed like a mermaid on a huge float pulled by a rusty Model-A Ford. "I think all the island boys fell in love with you then Margie."

"No, only three, and they weren't no good!"

This was of course when nothing was paved, one restaurant, one hotel, and one bait camp. There were about a dozen beach cottages and about 40 tents in various kinds of construction, not counting the Coastal Watch Squadron. The guy from the bait camp hauled old oyster shells in the winter to keep the roads sorta passable, and had two mules to help pull out any wagons.

Anyway, it does bring a tear to the eye, these 90 year old widows acting like kids on the island. "Honestly, three boys, Margie, shame on you, it's time to take you home for your nap now. Tee hee!" ;)

[BahamaAngie]

What a cool story Sammie! I will be one of the first to buy your book!

[Patty&Rudi]

Great story Sammie - and I hope the island boys are better now! ;)

[papanasty]

Sam this ones for you Absalutely NOT!! Although Abaco has gone through drastic changes in the last 20 years providing us with most of the comforts of life, A better electrical grid but not perfect!! Definetly not for SISSIES!! Availability to consumer goods, Favorable but still not for SISSIES!! Consistant power failures and some time long hot nights with out the luxury of even a fan Definetly not for SISSIES!!

The cost for services Resturaunts, fuel, accomadations,dockage,Boat Rentals, none of the above for SISSIES!! You have to pay the price for PARADISE and that is what Abaco is PARADISE!!

To the Paris Hilton's and the Donald Trump's and the Madona's this place is probably not for them due to there nurturance and pampering they have experianced most of there lives and this you will not find in Abaco! That is unless you go to BB You must be creative and willing to meet the challenges that can happen when you live or visit on a island that is almost totaly dependent on the resources and people that live on the Cay and who have to work together to meet the challenges that can appear out of no were!! From the words of Herman Waulk< DON'T STOP THE CARNIVAL > Again no place for SISSIES!!!!

To the Les Strouds the Mike Rowes The Dr. Ralphs Patw SamFamAustin and the countless others that have the grit to experiance a sort of Robinson Cruso experiance that we deal with on a daily basis I commend you all for your dedication to get ur done under the challangeing circumstances that a out island experiance can accompany you!

This place aint for SISSIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i would like to see a SISSIE spend a couple nights in August sleeping here with no power!! All the best papanasty :rolleyes::rolleyes:

[DaGoose]

Papa, the first time we stayed on Elbow we stayed at Hope Chest! We LOVED it...what a place, kinda funky (we love funky) and there's even a basketball court! Didn't get a chance to sleep in the sleep shack tho'.

Thanks for the memories!

Tina

[papanasty]

I have lived here for 19 years and had no idea the place existed and was over come when i went there for Caralee this morning to deliver some laundry!!
I felt like i stepped back 20 years because it reminded me of what it was like when i came here!!
This is the way Elbow Cay was in 1991!! Were did it all go? In a way it is so sad!! I spent about 1 hour up there just in awe of what the place replicates!!
After leaving i got just about home and remembered i forgot to get the money for the laundry that was stuck in the crack of the door! Amazing that we can still do that!! As Kramer from Seinfeld would say <Serenity Now Serenity Now> All the best Papanasty :):):)

[SusieAndAl]

Well, power has been out for 10 hours now (two days in a row); our neighbor's washer, dryer, fridge and generator got blown out by the power surge/brownouts (all high end stuff with lots of electronics).

But the water is beautiful and tomorrow is another day!

[papanasty]

I work closely with BEC and we are still growing faster than they can acommadate us with the upgrades!! We are on our second upgrade on Elbow Cay in the 19 years i have lived here, the last one being when Floyd roared through here destroying nearly all the submarine cables from the main land.

That means they need to Upgrade all the cables coming from the main land again and they are actively doing that but it's a large area now to try and upgrade and maintain and with the same people they had 10 years ago.

They have upgraded nearly all the transformers on the island going south and north this year to 14200 thats 14 thousand two hundred volts!! I recently shipped back to Marsh Harbor around 75 transformers we replaced since the first of the year. Some for sparsly populated islands south of here will probably end up with those and they will think there getting a Upgrade!!

At least what has been put in here is new and not some thing that came from another location in the Bahamas that they removed as a result of upgrading another part of the islands!!

There will be hick ups now and then but this time of year with the demand so high because of the heat we are litterly throwing up and a lot of stuff is getting burned up because of it!!

I really don't see any end in site until the demand drops off and that won't be untill November ARRRRR!!! All the best Papanasty :):):)

[patw]

Ok, now I am not asking this to start an argument, I am really needing an answer. What do you think is going to happen if all the houses and all the other structures are built at Bakers? How will we BEC handle this? I don't know where the power is coming from for Bakers. Will it be from MH or TC? I know that they have generators now. Not counting Bakers, there is also the Schooners Landing development that will be coming on line in the next few years too. With all of the development, BEC will need to do some major upgrades all over Abaco or the outages will only get worse. From what you are saying about the upgrades in Hopetown, sounds like BEC is trying to get things straight.
I don't let the outages upset me too much unless they last for days at a time. I remember after Hurricane Jeanne and we were without power here on Guana for 6 weeks until they brought the giant generator over and hooked us up. But I'm good now, I have a battery operated fan, which I used when the power went off last night. :D:D


I work closely with BEC and we are still growing faster than they can acommadate us with the upgrades!! We are on our second upgrade on Elbow Cay in the 19 years i have lived here, the last one being when Floyd roared through here destroying nearly all the submarine cables from the main land.

That means they need to Upgrade all the cables coming from the main land again and they are actively doing that but it's a large area now to try and upgrade and maintain and with the same people they had 10 years ago.

They have upgraded nearly all the transformers on the island going south and north this year to 14200 thats 14 thousand two hundred volts!! I recently shipped back to Marsh Harbor around 75 transformers we replaced since the first of the year. Some for sparsly populated islands south of here will probably end up with those and they will think there getting a Upgrade!!

At least what has been put in here is new and not some thing that came from another location in the Bahamas that they removed as a result of upgrading another part of the islands!!

There will be hick ups now and then but this time of year with the demand so high because of the heat we are litterly throwing up and a lot of stuff is getting burned up because of it!!

I really don't see any end in site until the demand drops off and that won't be untill November ARRRRR!!! All the best Papanasty :):):)

[SamFamAustin]

That's very beautiful, Pappa Nasty, and I think you got it right. But anyone who has been through a hurricane on a remote island knows the terror, how scared one can become, and how ultimately, we're sissies. The wind blows over 100 MPH and your house shakes violently. The dog is trembling and hiding under the bed, which is becoming damp from the rain leaking around the windows. Small pebbles hit the house and sound like a machine gun, ratta-tat-tat. You watch as your supply of cokes, water, beer, ice, and vittles disappears, wishing you had bought a ton of canned goods you didn't have to heat to eat. The 20 pounds of fish in the freezer begins to smell. There is absolutely nothing to do unless you can get some light to read a book - no computers, TV, radio, no nothing. Parts of the yard are under two feet of water. Giant trees sway almost to the ground and telephone poles break like toothpicks. You just watched your neighbor's roof totally blow off. Let's face it, you're a sissy now. Later on you earn your "badge of courage" for helping folks and cleaning up and finding food and water, but at the time you're totally whipped and you can't even open the door or you might get sucked over the porch railing! Nope, we just sit and stew, hating the whole thing, wondering how we'd possibly survive, total and complete babies in front of the Lord: the ultimate sissies!

Just a different kind, matey.

-sammie

PatW - you ask a very good question about capacity planning, which I'm surprised doesn't include an integrated power plan that includes conservation and alternative energy sources, and what to do about these massive electrical customers.

[patw]

Thanks Sammy! Concerning the power for Bakers is something that Sidney and I talk about every time the power surges or goes off completely. You know like, "If this happens now, what will happen if all those houses go up at Bakers?" We all know that BEC has some major problems to deal with and as Abaco grows, the problems are getting worse. Our power surged three times today but has stayed on so far...knock on wood!

That's very beautiful, Pappa Nasty, and I think you got it right. But anyone who has been through a hurricane on a remote island knows the terror, how scared one can become, and how ultimately, we're sissies. The wind blows over 100 MPH and your house shakes violently. The dog is trembling and hiding under the bed, which is becoming damp from the rain leaking around the windows. Small pebbles hit the house and sound like a machine gun, ratta-tat-tat. You watch as your supply of cokes, water, beer, ice, and vittles disappears, wishing you had bought a ton of canned goods you didn't have to heat to eat. The 20 pounds of fish in the freezer begins to smell. There is absolutely nothing to do unless you can get some light to read a book - no computers, TV, radio, no nothing. Parts of the yard are under two feet of water. Giant trees sway almost to the ground and telephone poles break like toothpicks. You just watched your neighbor's roof totally blow off. Let's face it, you're a sissy now. Later on you earn your "badge of courage" for helping folks and cleaning up and finding food and water, but at the time you're totally whipped and you can't even open the door or you might get sucked over the porch railing! Nope, we just sit and stew, hating the whole thing, wondering how we'd possibly survive, total and complete babies in front of the Lord: the ultimate sissies!

Just a different kind, matey.

-sammie

PatW - you ask a very good question about capacity planning, which I'm surprised doesn't include an integrated power plan that includes conservation and alternative energy sources, and what to do about these massive electrical customers.

[papanasty]

Thats a Million dollar question!! Were is Schooners Landing? Don't Quote me on this but from what i remember through discussions with BB there is no set date on when or even if BB will get tied in to the Grid.

I do know that combined the 3 seperate Generators they have is a total of 9 megawatt. More than BEC has on line for Abaco now.Sam can probably school us on what a Megawatt is better than i can?

They rotate there generators because <1> they don't need that much power at this time and you don't want to leave the other 2 just sitting there they need to be used periodicaly to ensure they work when there needed.

They could theoretically run all of Abaco today if they were tied in to the Grid! Because BEC is a Government Corporation it is against the law to supply any one else besides the development with power. Government run Corporation have a no competition clause that protects them from any one trying to compete with the Corporation resulting in why our electric bills are so high!

I believe Cable Bahamas franchise ran out the end of June so in the near future we should see some new competition and options in regards to Internet service and cable TV as other companys will be able to bid on sections of the Bahamas to install and maintain cable and internet service.

Our company has been working with Batelco lately as they are upgrading paired cable installation i assume to try and get a jump on the competition that will eventualy come in.

We just removed a 200 pair cable from Sea Spray to Dorros Cove around 3000' and replaced it with a 600/24 pair cable along with new switching gear and a battery back up system that will come on line shortly to upgrade the south end of Elbow Cay giving them a much broader range of options when the installation is completed.

The technitions we have been working with from Nassau and Grand Bahama said the new system will be capable of transmitting live video feed so soon the south end will probably have cable type TV transmitted over the new 600/24 paired cable we installed and high speed internet service.

I have been contacted by several cable companys enquireing about trenching and installing cable through out portions of Elbow Cay.But as of now its just talk!

We have a bid in now with Batelco to trench 400' on the back street in the settlement to rid the lines that run over head that are unrepairable and can not be used in a upgrade towards the north end because they are not capable of according to the technitions to supply whats needed on the north end past the ball field. you can't put a 400 pair over head because its to large and the poles won't support the cable required.

The bid includes installing some in ground junction boxes and then install or pull a 400 pair and a 300 pair cable through the conduit to eventualy reach the North end were we installed 8000' of conduit for them last year.This would wire the entire north end with capability of high speed internet service and cable TV on the north end. Sorry for the post being so long but this is what happening in Hopetown and i have no idea whats in the works for the other Cays! Sorry Sam I'm not trying to get off the SISSIES God knows theres plenty of them out there:eek: All the Best Papanasty :):)

[patw]

Sorry Papa, I meant Schooners Bay in South Abaco, my niece works there. I got it confused with Schooners Landing in MOW.

[SamFamAustin]

Hey Pappa, you brangin' all that sissy power and Inter-Webz to the cays or what? LOL, just kidding, and I got in trouble for talking about "our Tonka Toys" before ... :D

A watt is one Charlie Watts sitting at the drumset for the Rolling Stones. If you have a kilowatt, that's a thousand Charlie Watts. A megawatt is a million. That's a lot of banging and crashing and rock 'n' roll, hombre!

[patw]

Guana Cay doesn't have Cable Bahamas here, never had it. Should be interesting to see if we get it before the competitors start bidding!

[DaGoose]

I have lived here for 19 years and had no idea the place existed and was over come when i went there for Caralee this morning to deliver some laundry!!
I felt like i stepped back 20 years because it reminded me of what it was like when i came here!!
This is the way Elbow Cay was in 1991!! Were did it all go? In a way it is so sad!! I spent about 1 hour up there just in awe of what the place replicates!!
After leaving i got just about home and remembered i forgot to get the money for the laundry that was stuck in the crack of the door! Amazing that we can still do that!! As Kramer from Seinfeld would say <Serenity Now Serenity Now> All the best Papanasty :):):)

That's the neat thing Papa, there ARE still places like that in Abaco although I'm in NO way an expert. We aren't made of money so we look for the 'off the beaten path' places. And we've been fortunate to find some really wonderful ones that just rock! Please don't get me wrong, I am in awe of the luxury digs but it's just not for us, although I can definitely see the lure for others.

Hey Papa, do you know Sea Loft? It's another vintage Elbow cottage.

I am sad that I never got to Guana before BB.

But I did get to Schooners Bay before anything...

[SamFamAustin]

Ugh-oh, that's sissy water for sure! That's got to be the most pleasant, prettiest water in the world, a beautiful blue-green. Makes you want to jump right into the picture! Yep, I've seen sissy water before and that's it right there. :D

Of course, it's full of non-sissy thangs such as charks, rays, lion feesh, and all kinds of terroristical animals, so you gotta be tough here. :eek:

I did a series of pictures of the older beach cottages on our island, and people can really connect with them. "Oh that's the Searle's House, built about 1965, rebuilt twice due to the hurricanes." If only houses could talk! :cool: