The rhythm of life has been different since we arrived in the Bahamas. For the last 3 months, while making our way down the coast and through the ICW, and for the 14 months before that working incessantly to try to get this to all come together we have been at a frenetic pace. Days at home before we left were filled with work, personal commitments, hours of sanding, varnishing, sewing and fiberglassing. Often times Boyd and I would work a full day at work and then labor well into the night on one project or another trying desperately to finish in time to leave Maine.

Even once we left the urgency to make tracks south influenced our every waking moment. Frankly by that time (November) it sometime influenced our sleeping moments too as the temperature in the cabin dropped below 40 degrees at night. We were nearly manic to reach climates more conducive to, well living, more comfortably.

When we got as far as Georgia we changed focus and began to prepare for the jump to the Bahamas and while the focus shifted it was still an all consuming push to accomplish the task at hand. Ordering spare parts, anticipating issues with paperwork, straightening out medical stuff and tying up our rentals back in Maine so as to not have too many problems while we were out of the country made for busy days and nights.

Now we are here, we have made it to the Bahamas and suddenly the focus has changed. There is no urgency to go anywhere or to do much of anything. Most of the systems that needed to get done were completed back on the main land or we are going to just live with it until we get back. It’s like going from 100 mph to 0 and it’s a bit odd but I think I could get used to it! We have been snorkeling, hiking, swimming, and just walking on the beaches.
Yesterday however, was different, we saw an inflatable head out to our boat on plane and the person aboard asked us to turn on our radio for a call. We did and within moments the radio was squawking with information. Apparently there was a piano, yes, you heard me correctly a grand piano being delivered to the island and there was a general call for assistance to get it from the barge to it’s final destination. Within minutes of the call we heard the chugging of another engine and popping our heads out of the companion way we saw the barge approaching.

Quickly grabbing the camera and a few other items like work gloves and life jackets we made a dive for our trusty inflatable, Puddles, and we were off. The house that the piano was going to was across the island so after making it to shore we quickly hiked the 3 or so miles to the other house just in time to find the barge offloading huge boxes with a forklift. More than one of those boxes was enormous and we watched and helped as most of them were placed on the second story suspended porch.

Finally the piano was loaded onto the porch. Now we just had to figure out how to get it into the second floor loft a full story and a half above where it was, using only people power and without the benefit of a staircase. Fortunately many of the cruisers and all of the island inhabitants had come to help.

So yesterday, rather than working on the boat, swimming, snorkeling or walking on the beaches, we moved a piano. Nothing we’d ever have imaged we’d be doing when we woke up that morning but it was very rewarding. I’m sure we’ll all remember the day we moved the grand piano on Manjack Cay in the Bahamas.