Smith's Island is to one side of St. George's Harbour. It is 1.5 miles long x 1/2 mile wide, with the east third and the west third recently made protected parks with short but thick forest, and obviously a more varied and dense bird population than we have experienced in Bermuda. The middle third holds ~9 families, who must travel by boat to any road, and must float over anything necessary for domestic habitation. The houses are beautiful - some are historic, and most are pretty without being
ostentatious.
Most interesting was a little house owned by Fiona and Bob Doe. They had taken over a narrow wrecked coral/concrete cottage, turning it into a two storey, with a spiral staircase, and a large deck on the second floor. When Bob was excavating his back wall to check on the structural integrity, he decided the excavation could serve to hold a second water tank for a home in this water-starved archipelago. Well, things continued to evolve, and now this side of their living room has 3 large windows
into a concrete freshwater tank, housing an ecosystem that includes a dozen 14-16" colourful carp. The tank, which captures rainwater that can't be held by the primary water tank also serves the toilet and other non-kitchen uses after a less rigorous purification.
Fiona also showed us the 18' boat, stuck in the woods under a tarp, that Bob motored to and from Newport, with a 9.9 hp outboard in 2007. Bob built the boat, from plug through mold to the hull and deck, after being inspired to improve the famous dinghies of Bermuda. After suffering a heart attack in late 2006 and being helped by a Bermudian charity to acquire the necessary medical treatment, he decided to carry out the journey to raise money for the charity as "payback" short months later. An
amazing man. The trip is a world record claim, as the longest distance over open ocean, 1270 miles (two way) as the crow flies, in the smallest dinghy with the smallest outboard, least fuel used, single handed, unescorted, unassisted, etc. However, the Guinness Book of Records people declined their application as considered not interesting enough, among longest toenails, most voracious hotdog eaters, longest ball bouncing, etc. I enjoyed reviewing the boat, mold, construction, and design methods
and philosophy.
The rest of the Island was charming, and the visit with Brenda and her family more of the same, topped off with a gift of large fillets of Blue Runner, a lovely white fish. Half of that was cooked and eaten aboard Cat Tales before bed, and it was succulent.
