The last few days in Bimini have been very interesting.
Yesterday we went to visit Ansil Saunder's boat building shop. Ansil is a boat builder and bone fishing guide of some renown.
He builds a beautiful flats fishing boat called the Bimini Bonefisher. It is hand-built of oak, mahogany, and a very interesting textured local wood called horseflesh. The draft is 6" and it is designed to fish for bonefish on the very shallow banks or flats.
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| Ansil with a Bimini Bonefisher - note the 'horseflesh' wood on the back of the console |
A number of years ago he guided a gentleman that caught the still standing record bonefish.
However, the most remarkable thing about Ansil is his faith and his connection to Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was visiting Bimini and Ansil was asked to take him to a tranquil place where he could think about and draft his upcoming speech in Memphis. Ansil took him deep into the mangrove creeks. Dr King was struck by the vibrant life all around and asked Ansil what he said to passengers in his boat that did not believe in a God of creation. Ansil said he recites a psalm he wrote - the Creation Psalm. Dr King asked him to recite it and was very inspired by it. The speech he wrote shortly after that included what he wanted for a eulogy. King was killed in Memphis three days later after delivering the speech. Ansil has personal autographs from Correta Scott King and the most recent US ambassador to the Bahamas; both attribute a unique role in the civil rights movement to Ansil. The portion of Ansil's psalm that he recited for us brought tears to our eyes. May God richly bless you Ansil!
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| Ansil receiving an award from US Ambassador to the Bahamas |
On Sunday we went to Our Lady & St. Stephen Anglican Church. Ansil and his brother Tommy (who varnishes the boats) were in attendance. We are not Anglicans and have a little trouble keeping up with the liturgy, but the people were warm and welcoming. We are also not used to 2 1/2 hour services which are not unusual in Bahamian churches. At one point in the service they exchange greetings of peace - not an unusual church practice. But our experience has been that you exchange greetings with a few people around you; not at St Stephens where it seems that everyone exchanges greetings with each and every one present - takes 10 minutes or so. But we always enjoy visiting churches, it broadens your perspective as to the variety in the Church.
Finally a couple of tips it you ever get to Bimini:
- Good breakfasts at 'Captain Bobs'
- Awesome box lunches at the 'The Taste of Heaven' bakery. $6 at this writing and they have a number of Bahamian entrees that range from chicken to oxtail - I had the curried mutton which was delicous.
- Visit Ashley Saunders at the Dolphin House
- Visit Ansil Saunders at his boat building shop.
Tomorrow we are off for 3 long travel days as we travel to Highbourne Cay in the Northern Exumas.
Tom
Docked at Weech's Bimini Dock
North Bimini, Bahamas
2012-13 Cruise
Thank you. This is a fantastic post with very interesting details and stories. Outstanding job!
ReplyDeleteHayden