We've been in Jamaica for 24 days now. 20 of those days were in Port Antonio, where we found ourselves stuck waiting for a part to arrive for our diesel engine. We stayed at Errol Flynn Marina, and the living was easy. We had all the water we wanted, showers every day, a friendly and inexpensive bar, and an assortment of fascinating people. Port Antonio is a gorgeous spot. Mountains and clouds reminiscent of the Smokies hang over the town and its harbors. It rains 300 inches a year there, which is six times what Nashville gets.
To make a long story short, the motor is fixed and now runs better than ever. We are sailing again, heading east a few miles at a time.
We're getting to know this beautiful, funky, misunderstood island. I think I expected gangsters. Instead, we've found the people here to be friendly, polite, and religious. Young men in their school uniforms help old ladies carry their groceries. Young families in their Sunday best take pictures under breadfruit trees. A few Jamaicans are desperately poor, and they are not hard to find. A very few, we are told, are obscenely wealthy, but they keep themselves hidden away.
We don't quite blend in when we visit these little Jamaican towns. I haven't seen another white man in a few days now. It's an experience, a perspective, more people should have. The Jamaicans make us feel welcome.
We're off the beaten path now, and have been for a few weeks. We rarely have other boats in our anchorages, and the few sailors we encounter seem more likely to be European or Australian than American.
We are anchored tonight in the exact spot where Christopher Columbus anchored his boat to do repairs about 510 years ago. The water is 30 feet deep here, with flat land only 100 feet to the south, and a reef 100 feet to the north. It is a unique, extremely well-protected and comfortable spot.
We're very excited that Jade is flying in tomorrow! She'll be with us for 10 days, and we hope to see much more of Jamaica with her. Then, my sister Julie will join us for our crossing to the Cayman Islands.
We are really missing tribe and family. Can't wait to see you all! We wish you the very best.
Good night.
