Pieces of eight

Location: Manjack Cay, Abacos, Bahamas
Position: N 26 49.302 W 077 22.130

When our grandson Alex was learning to count, we used to sit with him and separate toys, pennies, whatever, into piles and try to teach him to count them.

We’d count them for him and then ask him to do the same. As fast as he could, he’d point at random and say “one-two-one-two-one-two-one-two-eight” followed by a wide grin at his success. This was pretty much the sum total of his counting ability at this early stage, and it, and his big, happy grin never failed to make us laugh.

Cell phones have become ubiquitous in the Bahamas. Before cell phones, most communication down here was via VHF radio. Nearly all boats, most businesses, and many homes all continue to use VHF since it’s free once you own a radio. Channel 16 is the accepted international standard for “hailing and distress”. Once contact with another vessel or a shore-side facility is made, the participants move to a different channel to allow channel 16 to stay clear for other hailing.

Here’s a snippet of conversation that occurs all too often and keeps us entertained (we, who are so easily entertained):

Boat: “Marina, marina, marina, this is Boat”
Marina “Boat, this is marina. Switch and answer on channel twelve.”
Boat: “What channel?”
Marina: “Twelve”
Boat: “Did not copy. Please repeat.”
Marina: “Twelve. One two.”
Boat: “One two??”
Marina: “ONE TWO!! ONE TWO!!”
Mark & Julie, in unison: “EIGHT!!”


Still smiling,