Right now, it's a little difficult to remember about stress and
all that
stuff. Today, I awakened with the
sun shining through the porthole of my sailboat as I heard the sound of
roosters crowing on the island of Green Turtle Cay.
I had a lovely sail twenty miles away to the town of Marsh Harbour. For
dinner I grilled lobster, which I had taken fresh from the sea.
For many this might seem like a day from a vacation in paradise, but for
me, it is a lifestyle I've adopted. I
have traded worries about the politics and business of medicine for concern
about weather and tides.
On my last cruise, I met an anesthesiologist and his wife, who were on
"vacation" in the Berry Islands.
They seemed so excited to hear about my cruising that I thought others
might enjoy the story as well.
I first learned of the Abacos in the northern Bahamas when I read
"Out Island Doctor", by Evans Cottman.
He never went to medical school, so he wasn't a "real" doctor
in that sense. Nevertheless, he built a practice here in Abaco, where his
closeness to his patients makes our "high tech" medicine of today seem
less than real by comparison. Cottman
was a high school science teacher by profession, who came here for a summer
vacation, or two. Local community
leaders appealed to this man of science to return as "Dr. Cottman".
In those days, anyone with a reasonable science background, and who could
pass the licensing test, could obtain a limited license to practice medicine. The need in these out islands was great and this policy,
which was supported by the medical community, filled a very real need, much like
the concept of physician extenders today. Dr.
Cottman then retired from his teaching career, moved to Abaco, and sailed the
out islands in his sailboat the "Green Cross", attending his patients
in villages like Hard Bargain, Green Turtle Cay and Marsh Harbour.
His fascinating stories brought me here, first to vacation on a charter
boat, then later on my own sailboat. By
that time, I was "hooked", my boat "Kira" spent more time in
Abaco than she did in Florida. My
friends in Green Turtle Cay were encouraging me to move there to practice when
they introduced me to Dr. Mendelson, who was retiring (for the second time).
Sometime after he described the aspiration syndrome, he retired from his New
York practice and moved to Green Turtle Cay, Abaco. He was an Ob-Gyn, but did
general practice here (you have to!) for twenty some odd years.
For many years, he landed his own airplane on his backyard (1000' grass)
airstrip. I'm told that he had a
near miss one day when he decided to close his private airstrip, and started
using the "big" airport at nearby Treasure Cay.
When I met him, he and his wife were living in the renovated hanger and
planning to move to West Palm Beach for health reasons.
It was a tempting opportunity, but as the only doctor on a small island,
I couldn't figure out how I could get any time off to enjoy this paradise!
As it was, I rarely came on "holiday", without having to make
at least one "house call" (or boat call).
I was always a bit apprehensive, since I didn't have a Bahamian license,
but neither could I refuse to help someone in need.
I was occasionally given gifts of appreciation such as lobster tails,
conch, or fish.
I continued my gynecology practice in Florida, but stopped obstetrics.
I commuted to Abaco at every available opportunity in our private
airplane. My Cessna Cardinal had
become my family car and "Kira", my 42' sailboat, had become my
second home, usually in Abaco. Last
year alone, I accumulated over three hundred hours of flight time.
In fourteen years of private flying, I was late for work only once due to
weather, and never due to mechanical problems.
Problems at the hospital and with automobile traffic should have such a
record!
Until very recently, a visiting yacht could only stay in the Bahamas for
six months before it was considered to be "imported" at which time 35%
duty became payable (ouch!). In
those days, the routine was to go back to Florida, stock up with groceries and
other essentials every six months. A
six month supply of groceries is quite an impressive sight in the check-out
line! More recently, the rules have
been changed so that cruising yachts can stay up to one year on a cruising
permit.
I began to enjoy my time in Abaco more and more, spending less time in
Florida. Ultimately, I chose to
close my practice in Florida and embarked on this cruising lifestyle.
I call it "retirement", but it's not really because I fly
back to the "States" to work locum tenens one or two
weeks every month or so. I'm
licensed in all of the southeastern states from Arkansas and Louisiana eastward
to the Carolinas plus New York. This seems to provide me with ample opportunity
to work, yet keeps the travel within reason.
A typical assignment begins with a day of travel. First, the water taxi picks me up from my boat at 8 a.m..
It's a thirty minute ride on the water taxi to meet a regular (car) taxi.
From there I have a short ride to the airport, where I pre-flight the
airplane. Out here you have to be
your own meteorologist, so when I check the weather I look at the sky and note
the wind direction.
I usually clear U.S. customs at Ft. Pierce, Fl.
The people are friendly and the fuel is favorably priced.
Palm Beach International makes a good alternate.
From south Florida, I will usually fly non-stop to the Carolinas or plan
a fuel stop in Montgomery, Alabama if I am headed further west.
Once on an assignment--it's pretty much main stream American.
I get a chance to stay in touch with Ob-Gyn and a chance to shop
at regular stores. Once the
assignment ends, I'm back to the islands without most of the worries which
accompany private practice.
Thus far my cruising has taken
me to the Florida Keys, Bimini, Freeport,
Grand Bahama, The Berry Islands, and of course, Abaco, down the so-called thorny
path through the Exumas, Long Island, San Salvador, Acklins, The Turks and
Caicos, The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, and The Leeward
Islands. I
contracted with Wescott Cove Publishing Company to re-write the cruising guide
for Abaco. This writing endeavor
tends to give a sense of purpose to what otherwise becomes an endless stream of
days filled with fishing, diving, and sailing.
It helps me avoid the empty feeling which some busy practitioners have
experienced when they slow down.
For my next cruise, I’d like to return the French West Indies and
finish my guide for the Leeward Islands. The trek up and down the Thorny Path
seems like fertile ground for a new cruising guide as well. Whatever the
destination, it seems that working locum
tenens in the United States and cruising in the islands on my sailboat
has become a viable opportunity for this "Out Island Doctor," and
might be for others as well.
