Whoa-Oh Domino

It started January 2024. Unbeknownst to me. My addiction. To dominoes. The addiction manifested itself twelve months later in the Abacos, Bahamas. Allow me to elaborate.

It was January of 2024 (really the tail-end of December '23) and what has become my annual pilgrimage to the Bahamas was coming to an end; my wife and son had just flown out of Spanish Wells (via North Eleuthera airport). I had to start getting Water Music headed north in order to get her (and me) home, so my buddy, Palmer flew over to help sail for five or six days.

Palmer and I grew up together in Orangeburg. Though not a sailor, he has raised one; his daughter is an accomplished racer competing at the Columbia Sailing Club and beyond. Palmer and his family have sailed with me a number of times, and Palmer helped me deliver Water Music from Stuart, Florida back to Folly Beach in 2020. That delivery was a cold trip and I felt I owed him some warm water time, so I invited him to the Bahamas that year. His response was, "Don't threaten me with a good time!" And a good time it was. We sailed to Egg Island, then crossed the North East Providence Channel up to Little Harbour in the Abacos on New Year's Eve. We sailed, anchored, snorkeled, fished, spearfished and lobstered that whole way and finally ended up in Marsh Harbour so Palmer could catch his flight home.

During our sail, we laughed, recalled past adventures (and misadventures-most of which shall remain confidential), told stories, talked about our favorite foods, and recommended books and movies to each other. Many of Palmer's stories were about his father-in-law, Steve, who had recently passed away and with whom he was extremely close ( I remember during our 2020 delivery, Steve called Palmer daily to check on him). One event relayed to me was a hilarious domino tournament Steve had organized. Palmer said he'd get me a set of dominoes for the boat in a box handcrafted by Steve (who was an expert woodworker). Palmer kept a running list on his phone of Handal's wants and needs: things he thought that I needed for the boat and for life.

Palmer with his first lobster

At Spanish Wells

That summer, I swung by his house while I was in Lexington to visit my sister and Palmer presented me with what he construed as my wants and needs that included a beautiful handcrafted box of bones. Upon returning home, I took the box of bones straight to Water Music and stowed them inside the cabin. I didn't use them until....

The world's finest box of bones

...January 2025, Abacos, Bahamas. I invited Palmer and his brother-in-law, Jeff (Steve's son), to join me for a week of snorkeling and exploration. We had a fun time to say the least. On their second night, we broke out the bones and they taught me to play Arkansas style. And play we did, keeping score in an unused journal that I had aboard. It was a puzzle, a game of strategy, and a game of luck that kept us tied to the settee table for up to 2 hours. Every game, every round different. We'd get up in the morning, discuss the previous night's game while setting sail for that day's snorkel destination. I'd talk to my wife on the phone and tell her about our daily activities including our nightly domino games. She was flying back into the Abacos with her childhood friend (Teresa and her husband, Jeff, who has helped me deliver Water Music to and from the Bahamas numerous times). I informed her that they needed to be prepared to play dominoes nightly, as it was my new addiction.

Jeff and Palmer teaching me Arkansas rules

The night before my wife was to fly in was the night before Palmer and Jeff were to fly out (winter weather back home delayed their flight for a day). Jeff, Palmer and I grabbed a table at Hope Town Inn and Marina's restaurant an hour before they started seating for dinner and broke out the bones to play a final game before they flew out. I joked with them that if I didn't return to the states, they'd have to fly back to the Bahamas to search for me in back ally domino parlors.

A round of bones at the Hope Town Inn and Marina

Twenty-four hours later, Jeff and Palmer flew out and my wife, Teresa and her husband Jeff flew in. They were exhausted as their flight had been delayed six hours. But I still introduced them to dominoes. My addiction couldn't wait. They were hooked, too, and my ritual was able to continue. Sail, snorkel, spearfish, eat. Then dominoes. It was a glorious week, but then it ended. They flew back to the states and I had to sail back to Folly.

I was by myself aboard Water Music. I had to wait four days for a good weather window, then I sailed for four days straight from Green Turtle Cay to Folly Beach solo. Eight days and no dominoes. But I made it back safely and now my wife and I play twice a day. We went on vacation for my birthday and picked up a set of road dominoes strictly for travel. Jeff and Teresa still play and have been getting their family members into the action. We introduced the game to a couple of family members when we were visiting NC for a funeral-they have since texted that they have been playing nightly. My son refuses to learn to play because he doesn't want to get hooked. He may be onto something.