The daylight can still bring some darkness. This Captain and The Kid were worn to fatigue from the all night crossing of the Gulf Stream. We tied off and prepared to clear customs in Bimini. Douglas from customs approached our sloop with a warm greetings and welcome to the Bahamas. Douglas was very helpful. He checked our lines to be certain we were secure.
"Some come from all night and don' tie so well." He explained.
Douglas assured us we could rest and he would do the leg work for us to clear. He very thoughtfully reminded this Captain to hoist our yellow quarantine flag and that only the captain would be allowed ashore until the boat is cleared. He collected a $15 per person fee to begin our paperwork. He said that this would get all the necessary clearing work done and ready for me when I could make it to the customs office.
"I thought the $15 was for each person over four people?" The Kid inquired.
"It is. Dis jus' be gettin' de entry fees goin'."
Douglas was very courteous and somewhat apologetic for the confusion about fees. Fees are always changing. It is good to check ahead so you know what flags you need, how much clearing and cruising permits are, and any regulations or documentation changes or requirements.
We were very tired. The crossing and the near miss encounter drained us. It was day now. The light of day, however does not always enlighten the weary to be wary. More than an hour went by and Douglas had not returned. I went ashore to the customs office to look for him and to see if there had been a problem with clearing us. What I found is that Douglas did not exist.
"We have no Douglas working here." I was informed.
"What about the 30 bucks we gave him?"
"There is no Douglas. There is no 30 dollars." Replied the uniformed customs officer.
I gave a description of Douglas to the officer. He very slightly smiled for what I took as he knew Douglas' true identity. I also took it as we were out $30. I completed the clearing of our sloop and got back on board so we could get out into the bay, anchor and get some needed sleep. We were here to enjoy the island. It is a small island. We will, eventually, encounter Douglas.
"You won't get the 30 back, ya know."
"I know, but for 30 bucks he owes us something. That I will get."
"You'll never see the guy."
"It's a small place. I'll ask around by his M.O. Someone will know."
I took down the yellow flag and hoisted the Bahamian courtesy flag (cruising pennant). We were here to getaway. Escapes are made up of varied and interesting elements and encounters. Maybe Douglas had earned his 30 bucks after all.
No comments:
Post a Comment