May 10 Tuesday: to Foxtown

      We set out after breakfast from Angelfish Point for Foxtown, where we knew there was a cell antenna, and we needed to get current on the blog for our faithful (and sometimes demanding) readers. Besides, we wanted to do the run to Great Sale Cay in two legs.

      We made the 11 mile run under power as the wind was only 5 knots from the East. When we arrived at Foxtown it was clear that the cell tower was transmitting unclearly, so we ventured ashore in hopes of finding a hotspot. We tied up at a pier where they were unloading conch meat by the bushel-bagful. They were fine with us leaving our dinghy while we walked “town”.

Foxtown. 

     We checked out 2 of the 'Grocery Stores' and pretty much found mostly freezer-burned meat. After finding the Post Office and mailing a letter, we walked back to a little bar/grill where Kathy had found WIFI when we walked by before. We went in and had to skirt around the pool table in the entrance with a couple guys playing. We grabbed stools at the bar either side of an older gentleman, ordered drinks and Kathy pulled out her laptop. She got the password from the barmaid and went to work. Problem was she was on the corner of the bar, two young natives were horsing around, showing off, and she had to keep ducking the butt end of the cue stick, as well as work the internet and balance her drink.

     I finally figured out that my end seat up against the wall would be much better for her, so we switched seats.

Da Valley Bar & Restaurant.

     We struck up a conversation with the older gent, his name was John Russell. Actually he thought I had been in there before, I swear I hadn't, but he didn't care, he was full of talk. He ordered a diet Pepsi, I think just to be sociable, and proceeded to hold court. His people were the first to settle at Foxtown, he had sailed with his Daddy on a sloopboat, fishing off the Abacos. The sloop was a wet-well smack about 35 feet. They would go out for as long as it took to fill the hold, then sail to market. John had also sailed as cook and deckhand on tugs, towing and also ship docking at the supertanker harbor on Grand Bahama Island. As a matter of fact he had just come back on the ferry from Grand Bahama that morning after visiting his son and daughter, both of whom live there with their families. He also told us about his battle with prostate cancer, in which he has been clear for the last year. He is 78 years old.

Dan with John Russell.

     So we got to compare stories about sailing, tugs, where we had been in the islands, our health, our families, and then when his Pepsi was gone, he ambled out the door.

     In the meantime, we had ordered another beer and wine, and a burger with fries, and while we were finishing that, John left, then the barmaid came in after a break and sat down beside me at the bar with her burger. (she may have owned the joint, not sure) She was a good size woman, and also full of talk. We also talked about island life, families and the trials of getting older. A little girl came in during our chat and told the lady she had gotten all her spelling words right that day, very cute. Turned out we had a lot in common.

This guy was trying to sell Dan some conch, to buy cigarette money.

     All the time, guys, mostly young to middle age guys were coming in and out, buying a bottle of this or that, and cigarettes 4 at a time. We never saw how much that cost them, but it was a pretty brisk market. I guess it must have been about quitting time.

     When we got back to the dinghy, there were a couple kids at the pier, seven or eight years old maybe, and the little girl told us straight away that she had been playing in our boat. Everything was in order, so we thanked her for telling us, and headed off for Willie, the only boat anchored off the town.