Cooperstown to Allans Pensacola

Thursday May 22

We spent yesterday anchored outside Cooperstown and Chris rebuilt the waterpump and rewired the gauges. After several other tweakings we started the engine and everything works! No alarms, the alternator seems back with us and even the generator is not giving us an alarm light! Not too sure why it is all going so well, but why rock the boat? (heh heh). An impressive rainstorm dropped enough rain to half fill the dinghy and show us where the fresh leaks inside were. Unfortunately, it didn't manage to quell the brush fires.

Smoke from Abaco fires

So today, still working our way slowly west, we headed for Moraine Cay. The chart shows it to have nice coral areas for snorkeling, and we haven't had an opportunity to do much of that yet. We were about half the way there when we noticed the cooling water had stopped coming out the back. This water is what prevents the engine from overheating and if you don't have it the result can be some very expensive damage. Uh oh! Out with the anchor again. We lifted the lid to the engine compartment and ..it was full of sea water. Sigh. The hole where it had come in last time was still firmly stoppered. So off with the water pump (which is in a really awkward place) again, clean the raw water filter, change the water pump, doesn't work, take that water pump off, put the original water pump on again.....finally we found the problem. A hose had come off. It wasn't visible without a mirror and was fine last time we checked. But with all the replacing of pumps over the days it had wiggled loose and filled the engine compartment with super salty seawater.

Trying to get at the water pump - again!

Once everything was drained and rinsed we limped back to the nearest cay, Allans Pensacola, which was to have been our stop the following night. We got in past the boats already there and anchored in the shallower water. This was another very grassy area so we put on conchs back into the water. (With all the mechanical/electrical issues we hadn't been able to deal with them and they were a little past their best.) Then we launched the dinghy to the cay and followed a path over to the Atlantic side. This was absolutely lovely! The water was shallow and clear, as we were still on the Banks, but open to the Atlantic some miles away. Chris spotted a shark only about 3 feet from shore, swimming along the side looking for supper. (so no snorkelling there!) There were also several "signing" trees. Like Powell Cay, cruisers had found pieces of flotsam, signed them with their boat name and dates, and hung them up. Some pieces had been signed year after year by the same people.
One thing we have noticed on all the islands we have visited, the inhabited and uninhabited, is the large amount of plastic debris deposited by the wind and seas. Bottles, clothing, nets, styrofoam chunks, boxes, signs...
We are required to affix a plaque on our boat which lists how far offshore you have to be before you can dump something overboard. Near shore the list prohibits just about everything. The further offshore you go the more you are allowed to dump. But no matter where you are, you are never allowed to dump plastic.
Looking at these shores it is easy to understand why. Most of the stuff we see has not been deliberately dumped but it sure points out the lasting power of plastic.

Minnows in the grass at Allans Pensacola