Back to the Bahamas with Water Mission

Welcome to Marsh Harbour, Abacos. We had an easy direct flight on Bahamas Air from West Palm Beach to Marsh Harbour. The devastation is immediately apparent on the airfield with the fire station and control tower virtually destroyed. Surprisingly the passenger terminal is in very good shape. While the Air Conditioning and the baggage carousel is not running, or at least not running well, the rest of the terminal is very serviceable. Taxis still queue outside the front door as before, though 50% of them are in rough shape with various windows taped or visqueen covered. In some cases they have no windshield at all. These are the lucky ones who’s cars are still drivable. Thousands are not.

Guess who’s baggage was left behind?

As you can see from the picture we flew a small ATR 20 over and guess who’s baggage was left behind to keep the airplane weight and balance safe… yep that would be us. Baggage is supposed to be rerouted through Fort Lauderdale, Nassau and then… hopefully… into Marsh Harbour tomorrow morning. We shall see. The adventure begins.

Jon Conway with Water Missions greats us and we are off on a trip through Marsh Harbour. Past many of our old haunts like Snappa’s, Wally’s and the Standard Hardware, etc. It is very sad as all of these places are either wiped completely clean or so devastated that it is doubtful they could be rebuilt. This is typical through all of Marsh Harbour. We travel out past Abaco Beach Resort (ABR) and to the Ferry Terminal where Water Missions has a treatment plant set up. We meet some of the current volunteers working here along with Dominque who is Bahamian and has been taught how to run the plant. Introductions all around and then out to Treasure Cay to check in on the treatment plant next to the Marina there. Do a little trouble shooting on the RO system and then out to our home for the next two weeks, the Green Gecko House.

The house is very nice and survived Dorian reasonably well, especially compared to its neighbors out here. We’ve got a generator, air conditioning and all of the luxuries of home. Dock behind the house and even a center console to run around in. The use of the house and center console were donated to Water Missions. What great people.