Stuck in Nassau, and that's OK Lindsay McRory May 8, 1996 Both refrigeration systems are working fine. Hopefully we have enough spare parts and Freon to last another couple of years. We're ready to go ... but wait. Old Man Winter isn't done with us yet. It's been blowing a constant 25 knots, gusting higher for the last two days. And it's supposed to stay like this for a couple more days. When we leave the wind will be on our nose, with eight- to ten-foot waves. We'll wait for things to lighten up a bit. Last night, while we were tied to the dock, it was just like being on a passage. The bow was rising and falling, the boat was rolling, waves were hitting us. It was hard to believe we were docked. Based on conversations with veteran cruisers, this has clearly been a horrendous year of consistently high winds and high seas. Typically it's rare to see a sailboat in a marina, but there's been little choice. Even with good ground tackle, anchoring in high winds can mean lack of sleep and high anxiety ... if your hooks hold. And even if yours are solid, there's a good chance somebody else's aren't. There are two other boats in the harbor that tried to weather the night at anchor, away from the dock. They had to get up and reset three times. The last time, as one boat was dragging anchor, some other sailors came by in their dinghy at 4 a.m. and informed them they were heading for shore. Some are still anchored, but I'd say about 70 percent of the boats that were anchored when we arrived have either taken to a marina, or have gone to another anchorage with more protection and better holding. There are a few prime spots to anchor in Nassau, but they fill quickly. Being stuck here is hardly like being in jail. Nassau's a pretty neat place. Hot, sunny, and windy. The kids are having a great time. It's not all outrageously priced; there just doesn't seem to be any obvious rationale to it. In the grocery store, a quarter-pound of French brie cheese cost the same as a large package of cheesy-stuff slices. Canned fish is cheaper than we've ever seen it, but a small jar of peanut butter will set you back $5. Good water is a luxury. We haven't had any for a month or so. The Nassau city water is drinkable, but high in salt. We've been paying $1.15 per gallon for medium-quality water. Two gallons of spring water will set you back $10! Even our water maker kicks out a slightly salty-tasting brew. According to the documentation, this is normal. Lots of powdered juice, iced tea, Gatorade ... anything to make it taste better. Well, there's always beer.