Swim the cat....

Day 85 -  (Mon , Feb 6 , 2012):  Seaplanes & Pipe Creek, a saltwater creek (not like Tanner’s Creek at all)

By Guest Author Patrick the Great

Dobbie got me up early as usual…  5:15am on the dot. How does he do that? We made coffee with some Frangelico and cream and had it in my Drangonfly cup up on the deck. We watched the stars and saw a few satellites and shooting stars. The “witching hour” is Dobbie’s favorite time of the day. Lisa is sleeping like a baby. She did not wake even though our stealth was not perfect.

We reviewed the charts. My eyes zeroed in on a complex area.  Pipe Creek is a nebulous center of a cluster of many Cays. It is called a Saltwater Creek.  When I grew up in Lawrenceburg, Indiana there was Tanner’s Creek where my brother Jerry, my dog, and I used to take our canoe for adventures. It was brown and polluted.  Pipe Creek is on the far other side of the spectrum.  The area is the most Pristine, transparent water, sparkling with golden rays of sunlight, every drop full of life, spectacular corals, sponges, octopus, seahorses, fishes of all types…!!!  Times 10

I made breakfast.  Bacon and Eggs were delivered to Lisa while she worked on her blog. She liked the idea of Pipe Creek.

First we took Dobbie to an island that looked like mostly sand from this far distance, however, when we finally drove out over 3.8 nautical miles to it we found that the center was tropical scrub. This was pretty far to go out in the unprotected seas. We regretted that upon the return trip into the waves and wind.  Our dinghy is very seaworthy. The Kraken takes rough seas and wind very well, but this was right at the limit of comfortability. We really wanted Dobbie to have a better experience.  Dobbie explored the island and found that it was mostly a giant sand box.  He used that feature.  Then we practiced swimming again. He swims well.   He can jump up into the dinghy from the water well.  We wanted him to know how to do this for emergencies.

Lisa and I gave Dobbie a nice water fresh water RO shower upon return to Gaia. The shower bag is stored flat on the deck with the black side up to warm, then suspended via the Halyard to use.  If he had any more fleas they would be dead now.  We want to let him swim many days in a row so he enjoys it and is eager to do so.

Lisa handed me stuff for our expedition while I loaded the Kraken. The dive camera, land camera, water, VHF radio,  &  The Garmin Oregon 400C handheld that would allow us to navigate the complex area.  We approached a lighthouse. My brother, Jerry, will appreciate that photo for his collection. They do not put lighthouses in benign safe areas. There is a reason they put them where they do…but we went right up to it with the Kraken. I raised the engine and stealthily slithered into the breaking waves and razor sharp rocks.  We found an acceptable path and came inside to the Pipe Creek center.   We landed in the large dry sand area. It is partially wet at high tide.  Lisa strolled about and I got some photos of her.  We read the water and saw some coral reefs strings and coral heads…so she put her mask on the put her face in the water to see if it was worthy.  It was!  Wow!  We threw out the anchor and I handed Lisa her dive gear and camera.  The spine tingles with the beauty! This ocean planet should be cherished more.

We saw several different species of Sea Anemone and one cluster had an interesting shape,a texture near it. Something looked different than normal on an old conch shell.  It was an octopus. He pulled the conch shell with him into a hole and sealed the door with it.   I gently tried to pull him out, but stopped. I put my finger a few inches inside and the octopus wrapped a tentacle around my finger to explore me.  I had to go to the surface for new air.  When I returned, he was looking out at me with his eyes.

We explored several other coral head areas and some small reefs and then came home via the easy path past Thomas Cay and Overyonder Cay.  The owner of the private island? Or a very wealthy movie star or corporate exec? Or X?  has a beautiful home up on the hill. He has three very large wind turbines and a cluster of solar panels in the middle.  I wanted to tie up to his dock and knock on the door to chat but Lisa thought it too bold.  They want privacy she said.  But I have found people like that are very friendly if you complement their power supplies.

We arrived home to Gaia and rinsed off the salt with some fresh RO.  A plane was buzzing very low. He made an approach right next to us towards the dock.  Then he came around and landed in the water only 10s of feet away.  Very exciting to say the least.  There were several other boats around us too. The seaplane just thru caution to the wind and landed at 100 knots or more and slowed down very quickly toward the dock.  A dinghy came out from the private house and they loaded something heavy. Then the seaplane taxied around on the water and began the takeoff.  Very exciting again.  The pilot must be very experienced or very foolish.

Lisa made a wonderful Shepard’s Pie for supper and we had a sunset ceremony as usual with conch blowing and wine.  I finally talked Lisa into watching “Forbidden Planet” a 1950s science fiction classic instead of the usual Harry Potter or some chick flick, but she whimped out and fell asleep while Dobbie and I watched.  

That is the end of another day in Paradise.