New Release: Cruising by MailBoat - The Short Story
The Idea Hatches
A lifelong sailor, I first noticed mailboats while sailing along the Bahamian Out-islands during a long trip. No matter how small the island, it seemed that the mailboat would come in while I was there. Here is how I described it in my 2013 book, Too Old Not to Go.
“After a great week, my stay at Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands was over. I made one more trip to my favorite beach, turned in the dilapidated pink jeep I had rented, and topped Rhombus off with water, fuel, and some needed supplies. Luckily, the Bahamas mailboat had docked in the town the previous day and the stores were full of supplies. Mailboats are the link to the larger world for the small, outer islands and they carry everything - milk, beer, groceries, lumber, crates of chickens, pallets of canned goods, goats, passengers, and even mail. A cruise by mailboat is now on my list of fun things to try; flexible schedule required!”
Captain Gurth Dean docks at Great Harbour Cay, Berry Islands, Bahamas, during a 2012 sailing trip. I watched people as well as cargo get off. I watched people get off the same boat in the same spot during another trip in 2018. In 2020, I got off!!
What’s in the Book?
Our MailBoat Travel Adventures
How to Travel Instructions
Travel and Schedule Information
Sketches of Bahamian History, Geology and Culture
Paintings and the Stories of Historic Mailboats
Over 160 Color Photographs
Note: For readers who prefer an eBook, Cruising by Mailboat Kindle Edition is now available at Amazon.com.
“The beauty of these Islands surpasses that of any others.”
Christopher Columbus,1492