Southern Islands

A tropical low pressure weather system will bring clouds, rain, and strong breezes to the central Southern Islands. The month of May is earlier than typical, but this system will none the less drop welcome rain on the fruit orchards of Pup Town, where the island famous Sunrise Mangos are beginning to ripen. It is not expected to develop into a damaging cyclone at this time. Rainfall has been below average this spring. People have been trucking water to nearly empty cisterns on Marlberry Cay. On Dog Island, the water table is at near record lows, and some homes have not been able to pump from the wells.

The weather is expected to clear on Sunday, in time for the Monday Rock Eel Rodeo.

The Authorities continue to caution residents against home remedies, bush medicine, herbal cures, and potions promoted on the Internet, in regards to the Covid virus. The latest fad heralds the Cassiopeia Jellyfish, common in Scallop Harbor, as the miracle cure for any ailment associated with the Novel Coronavirus. There is no scientific basis what so ever to back up this new use for the slimy, pulsating creatures. That has not hindered the people rushing to turn these humble blobs into pills, solutions, powders and distillates. It seems the fishermen, put out of work by slacking demand for their usual catch, have happened on a new source of revenue. Quite easy to catch, as they rest upside down on the shallow sea bottom, these jellies appear as flowers, with colorful tentacles of olive green, pale blue and purple. Until now, no market has ever been discovered. They are generally harmless to bathers, possessing only a mild sting. It is not currently known what particular quality has convinced the Scallop Harbor locals that they offer any benefit in the treatment of Covid-19 other then being easy to procure. At press time, several gracys with live wells full of Cassiopeia, were departing for Puptown, and the dockside markets there. While no fishing regulations exist for the creatures, it is unlawful to sell, promote, distribute or advertise any unproven cure for any illness, in the Southern Islands.

On Monday May 4, the Governor was granted permission to close Damms Cay to foreign visitors until at least the end of June. The Damms Cay harbor, Sandy Bight, the Dragover, and surrounding will be off limits to the normal population of cruising yachts. The island has four reported cases of Covid-19. The Governor is taking this extreme action to safeguard the aged residents of the Old Fisherman’s Resthome. Any yacht discovered to be violating this order will have her Temporary Import Certificate revoked, and thus must depart the territorial waters of the Southern Islands immediately.

Rockinghorse Cay, SI

the mail gracy serving Rockinghorse Cay and surrounding district has been involved in a collision with the research vessel Star Hunter, sustaining minor damage above the waterline. Lady Azul is to be repaired and inspected on Dog Island over the weekend before being returned to regular service next Tuesday. Investigators have interviewed the crew of both vessels but have not yet filed a report. Crew and passengers are prohibited from commenting until the official report is released.
The Star Hunter is a common site on Forever Bank, where she searches for meteorites. Fisherman who work the bank for finfish claim the research vessel is occasionally hard to see. She is large, and frequently operates dredging equipment and ROVs, at which time she is “lit up like a carnival” but other times she is said to display only dim running lights. Weather conditions when the collision occurred, around 12:40 AM, were mild, and there was no moon. Damage to Star Hunter was reportedly limited to deck railings.

winds: N, 15k

Temp: 71 degrees

Rockinghorse Cay, SI

Danny Maddler, resident, detained, charged with B and E at Ginnies Shoppe of Eels

Veedah Neemog, visitor, ticketed, indecent exposure, East Cape Beach

Brin Grafter, resident, detained, charged with fraudulently selling bogus virus treatment consisting of fish liver and diesel fuel, practicing medicine without a license, mail fraud, wire fraud, petty theft and malicious computer hacking.

Ted Footner, resident, ticketed, operating unauthorized palmetto bug farm on Domestic Premises.

Puptown, SI

All of the Islands continue to be under a Covid virus advisory. Voluntary isolation is encouraged. Bars and restaurants shall remain closed to dine in visitors. Curbside or dockside pickup only. All events EXCEPT Willies conch races are canceled. Attendees at the races must wear masks, and remain six feet apart. In light of last years disruptions, no jellyfish punch will be served.
Residents are cautioned to beware of people selling false cures for the virus. There is currently no cure at this time. The American president Donald Trump has given the impression that common household disinfectants maybe useful to treat the disease. This is not the case. Only use them to clean surfaces. Do NOT apply in any manner to any part of the Human body.

Here we have a Knites Anole. A native of Cuba. However, they can occasionally be seen in some of the Southern Islands.

Notice the differences between this, and the more common green iguana. The Knites Anole is an insect eater.

Set of new wood rudders for local sailing craft. These are for a yacht. Most of the working sail craft have a different shape rudder

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A fight between two ex business partners is the latest escalation in the saga of Jake the Lucky Conch.

The fight occurred on the fishing docks of Jackal Cay last Wednesday and fortunately only involved fists. Mr. Harmond Aboya was given first aid for a nasty bruise to the chin while his attacker Mr. Jan Knodson declined aid for bloody knuckles. One onlooker had minor scraps from helping break up the fight. Mr. Aboya declined to press charges and could be heard shouting “Jake doesn’t want to live on the Stony Ledge!” as Mr. Knodson was escorted off the docks by the assistant dockmaster.

The story of Jake the Conch begins, for those who don’t know, about 10 years ago. At that time, Aboya and Knodson where partners in a successful fishing enterprise operating out of Jackal Cay. They owned three smacks, and leased a fourth with crew. How exactly the two men acquired Jake is unclear. But she (Jake has been determined to be female) was soon enjoying the reputation of bringing fantastic luck to her owners. They purchased several other fishing smacks and also a diesel powered gracy equipped with freezers to transport the catch to the markets on Dog Island. Problems arose, however, when Aboya decided that instead of operating the gracy, they should just move the whole fishing company to Dog Island. Knodson reportedly was having none of that idea, insisting that the gracys fuel and maintanance costs were still much less expensive than dockage for the fishing fleet would be in Dog Island. He offered to buy out Aboya and Aboya accepted. However, Jake the Lucky Conch was not part of the formal agreement. “I just figured Jake would stay here with me” Knodson told the court during the custody hearing. “I mean, Harmond was getting out of fishing. He didnt need the luck!” Mr. Aboya claimed Jake had told him several times that “The Stony Ledge was no place for a proper self respecting mollusk to live” and expressed a desire to reside on Dog Island. The judge in the case, the Honorable Judge J. Presburt III, then ordered the two men to work it out or else Jake would be supper, lucky or not. A coin toss saw Jake remaining with Mr. Knodson at Stony Ledge.

Mr. Aboya has since vowed to reclaim Jake. “Stony Ledge is full of riffraff,  buggomons and drunks. Jake deserves better!” Jake herself was unavailable for comment.