We watched a young man, Martin, make conch salad while standi
ng in the water by the pier. Peter and Liz shared a plate fresh from the sea and it was outstanding.There were a few contests held in the morning including a wet tee-shirt contest for ladies from the boats. Suffice it to say it was not your regular wet tee-shirt contest but the ladies were good sports.
In the afternoon the boat races were held and they were awesome. It reminded us of the boat festival back home in Ireland. So many similarities, the boats, the crews, the meetings, the drinking, the arguments following the races.
We have christened it 'Cruinniu na mbad(the gathering of the boats) Bahamas.
Sat morning arrived and the weather forecast was not good. Little did we know what the day would bring as we sat and ate breakfast and discussed plans for the day. The boat races were scheduled for 11 o'clock but it was soon realized that the weather would cancel all those plans. The winds picked up to 30+ knots and the rain pelted down for a few hours. By mid-afternoon the weather cleared and we watched as two 
Bahamian Navy vessels approached our dock. When 
they drew up alongside we were devastated at what we saw. Both boats were overflowing with Haitian refugees that they had rescued from a boat adrift off the coast of the island. They were wet and cold and we could only guess that they had not eaten for days. Jane and I were in pieces seeing all these people scared and in shock. Within a short period of time word spread throughout the boating community and the island and we saw demonstrated the best and the worst of humanity. Needless to say some of the island people were nervous that the refugees would be brought ashore to their island and they have a hard enough time supporting themselves. The situation was tense for a short time but the local police and navy personnel removed the natives from the pier and a serious incident was avoided. As I said the best of humanity was also on display. The VHF radio was working overtime and within an hour dingys were arriving from every boat in the harbor with clothes, food, blankets and whatever they could find that would offer some comfort to the poor people. The local restaurants began cooking everything they could muster up and load after load of food, water,etc arrived at the dock. As I write this tonight all these people are huddled together on the open decks of the navy boats just feet away from us. The wind is howling and it is cold and damp. It is heart-braking to experience such a tragedy. If there is a silver lining it is that the were rescued and did not drown in there attempt to escape such devastation in their country. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. One officer told me that there is possibly another boat load on the sea between here and Nassau. The Bahamian forces do not have the resources to handle this situation so I hope this incident does not repeat itself many more times throughout the islands. It is with a heavy heart we go to bed tonight and we pray that they will all find safety wherever they finally arrive.
Bahamian Navy vessels approached our dock. When 
they drew up alongside we were devastated at what we saw. Both boats were overflowing with Haitian refugees that they had rescued from a boat adrift off the coast of the island. They were wet and cold and we could only guess that they had not eaten for days. Jane and I were in pieces seeing all these people scared and in shock. Within a short period of time word spread throughout the boating community and the island and we saw demonstrated the best and the worst of humanity. Needless to say some of the island people were nervous that the refugees would be brought ashore to their island and they have a hard enough time supporting themselves. The situation was tense for a short time but the local police and navy personnel removed the natives from the pier and a serious incident was avoided. As I said the best of humanity was also on display. The VHF radio was working overtime and within an hour dingys were arriving from every boat in the harbor with clothes, food, blankets and whatever they could find that would offer some comfort to the poor people. The local restaurants began cooking everything they could muster up and load after load of food, water,etc arrived at the dock. As I write this tonight all these people are huddled together on the open decks of the navy boats just feet away from us. The wind is howling and it is cold and damp. It is heart-braking to experience such a tragedy. If there is a silver lining it is that the were rescued and did not drown in there attempt to escape such devastation in their country. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. One officer told me that there is possibly another boat load on the sea between here and Nassau. The Bahamian forces do not have the resources to handle this situation so I hope this incident does not repeat itself many more times throughout the islands. It is with a heavy heart we go to bed tonight and we pray that they will all find safety wherever they finally arrive.
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