A Land of Not So Many Parts

We spent most of the next several days seeking a water pump. Our diesel engine is made by Ford. Even though Ford has fallen on hard times, we thought that finding a water pump in the Bahamas would be a snap. Wrong! More than in the States, everything in the Bahamas has to do with connecting with people. Instead of heading for the nearest NAPA, West Marine or Auto Zone (there are none), you ask the waiter or stop someone in the street and ask them. “Excuse me, we're anchored in the harbor here and we need to find....” “Oh, you might try the 'Doc' over by Johnson's Bakery.” Marinas, of course, often have good contacts. The staff at the Harbour Island Marina went to great lengths to help, making several phone calls to Nassau and Spanish Wells. Alas, no one seemed to have ever heard of Ford and certainly didn't know where we could find a water pump for one.

“Maybe this guy can help you!” Sim said as a slender American walked into the Texaco station. Sim, Manager/Owner of the N. Eleuthera Service Center, had been searching unsuccessfully through parts catalogs looking for a water pump that might work. He explained that the man who had just entered was Sherman, a pilot, who travels regularly to the US. Sherman, overhearing, immediately asked what was going on. I explained that we were anchored in Bottom Harbour and needed a new water pump for my diesel. It turned out that we were anchored near his house and that he had seen us enter the harbor the day before. He offered to help in any way that he could. He was flying to Ft. Lauderdale around noon that day, Wednesday, and if we could get the part to the Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport, he would have it here by this afternoon! What luck! Now all I needed was to find a pump.

Sim let me use his computer and I quickly located a supplier in Ft. Lauderdale. Sim also let me use his phone and I contacted Bomac Marine Power. A man answered and, to my great satisfaction, told me that he had several water pumps for my engine in stock. Unfortunately, he was vacationing in Georgia and couldn't get the part to the airport today. The price for the part was $198. He had another source in Ft. Lauderdale who might be able to help. He offered to contact him and get back to me. Ten minutes later, he did. His source did indeed have a part. Great! He wanted over $700 for it! Not so great. With the 40% customs duty, that meant I would be paying nearly $1000 for a $200 part!!! Of course, I couldn't agree with that. Weather was going to keep us in Harbour Island for the next week or so anyway, so we weren't in a big hurry. I arranged for Bomac to FedEx the part to the Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport and ship it via the Service Center's vendor, Twin Air, for arrival the day after tomorrow. That done, we settled into our new found temporary home and prepared to explore this wonderful resort.

Harbour Island represented a welcome respite from our time at sea. Being the destination of choice of some of the world's rich and famous (Sherman told us that he knew that at least 6 billionaires lived on the island), you have no problem finding great restaurants, beautiful beaches and interesting gift shops (not one of which stocked water pumps apparently). The gourmet deli and multiple choices of caviar at the Pigly Wigly grocery reflect the impact of serious money on this small island. Upscale dining and full service resorts abound. At the same time, good food at more reasonable prices can be had at several snack shacks.

We filled our days waiting for good weather and replacement pump running errands, walking the “pink” beaches, checking out the local fare and celebrating Pat's birthday at Valentine's Boat House Restaurant. We met friendly people everywhere. We found the local people very helpful and willing to share insights into their life in paradise. As with most of the smaller cays, golf carts provide local transportation for natives and visitors alike and we were frequently offered rides as we took care of business and explored the sights. Sherman, the helpful pilot, stopped by our boat to invite us to his home for drinks where we spent a wonderful evening with his wife, Susan, their son, Brent and friends: Ann & Tom. Their beautifully landscaped home overlooked the bay with water views from every room.

This small, tight knit island community had been hard hit recently with the drowning of a young local man near where we were anchored. Like most on the island, a living can be made only by performing a number of jobs. One of his was providing an informal taxi service. Late one night, the week before our arrival, he crowded 15 paying customers returning home from a party onto his open 16' Boston Whaler. The unruly passengers somehow capsized the vessel, spilling all into the water. Only he drowned. His body was found the next day. It was reported that a large shark circled the body as it was pulled from the water.

Towering cumulus clouds and the occasional downpour punctuated our normally 70 degree, balmy days. Anchored at Bottom Harbour, we had a long dinghy commute to Dunmore, the only town on the island. We fell easily into the rhythm of the island while we waited. The water pump, ordered on Wednesday, should have arrived on Friday afternoon. Friday arrived as scheduled but the pump did not. Saturday, no pump. Sunday, no pump. A check with Bomac and FedEx revealed that the pump had been delivered to Twin Air Thursday morning at 6:30. Misinformation, mis-location, unreturned telephone calls and several intervening holidays contributed to a great deal of confusion and the fact that our pump had not arrived by the following Sunday, 11 days after the part was ordered! In frustration, I made one last search for the spare water pump that I once believed was certain to be aboard.

Having looked in all the likely places and most of the unlikely places, I began tearing the boat apart, again. Under the port settee, under the mess of spare lines, blocks, a sea anchor, a couple of “What's this?”, extra anchor rode, fiberglass repair materials, extra sail cloth, courtesy flags from most of Central America and the Caribbean... under all the neatly stowed, rarely accessed essentials, along with the usual flotsam and jetsam; lay a brand new Lehman Ford 683F-8591-AAC, complete with impeller, seat, pump impeller, seal, slinger, gasket, retainer, shaft and bearing assembly (where's JW, friend and organizer extraordinaire, when you need him?). Face reddened from exertion and embarrassment but with as much casualness as I could muster, I revealed my prize to Pat. Conflicting emotions passed over her face. With admirable restraint, she uttered not a word of recrimination although I couldn't help but discern a fleeting look that could easily be interpreted in the face of someone less generous as “You idiot!” To forestall any discussion of how it was that I hadn't located the pump earlier, I immediately began the installation. Forty-five minutes later, the job is completed.

The next morning, I finally got through to Twin Air in Ft. Lauderdale. Storming the telephonic bastion of robotic messages and bridging the bureaucratic moat of administrative assistants, I reached the freight manager. He assured me that Twin Air does indeed have the package and will have it on the 2:30 pm flight to Eleuthera. “No,” I tell him, “I don't want it shipped here now. It's too late. I want the package shipped to an address in Ohio.” “No, no, it's no problem,” he says, “We can guarantee its delivery to the Bahamas this afternoon.” “Look,” I say, “I expected the part here last week! I don't need it anymore. I don't want it to be delivered here.” “So, you don't want the package. Is that correct?” “Yes, I want the package but I want you to hold onto it. Someone will contact you with a new shipping address.” “Okay, okay, we'll hold onto it, but I want you to know that we can deliver it to Eleuthera today.” “No, hold on to the package, I'll have someone contact you.” “Okay?” “Okay.” Late that afternoon, I got a call from Bahamas Customs. “Good news, the package you were expecting has arrived!” Good grief.

Pump installed and a weather forecast of calm winds with a slight chance of thunderstorms, we decided it was time to go. Provisioned and rested, we weighed anchor once again, under power, and headed out to nearly flat seas on the morning of Wednesday, June 10.