News of The Abacos

Standing by in the Abacos
By Stephanie Humblestone

I can honestly say that I didn't know which end was up when I first moved into my house in Hope Town!

An imposing looking machine sat in the corner of the living room, the likes of which I had never seen before. About the same size as a double toaster, it resembled a small engine and appeared to be endowed with a life all of its own.

It fluctuated between emitting odd crackling sounds and being disquietingly silent. In the wake of these would follow short, sharp, staccato broadcasts.

This is a bit like a cross between Big Brother and The Truman Show, I said to myself looking suspiciously at the talking box. "Just Hangin'? Just Hangin'?"

"Just Hangin,'" came the reply. "Go to Channel 12." "Can you turn it off?" I asked my neighbour, pointing towards the offending object.
"What, the VHF?" he asked

I nodded and cautiously approached the machine which was now going a mile a minute. I slid my hand along its side and said out loud.

"Now which way is up?" For some reason this elicited some merriment from him who by this time was probably wondering how equipped I was for island life.

I soon adjusted to my new fangled toy which, unlike my telephone, did not just speak when spoken to!

Just keeping it on throughout the day was an education in itself. It was like a continuing soap.

I soon fell into the trap of following the dramas. Who could resist switching to Mrs. Albury's channel when Mr. Malone was in hot pursuit? I learnt how to boil fish and bake Johnny cake. I discovered who did what, where and with whom.

But I never had occasion to use it until one evening. My son was at a friend's house at Dorros Cove, which is at the far south tip of the island. Telephone wires had not ventured that far. It was getting dark and I was worried. I approached the VHF and put on my best telephone voice (you have to be natural, casual and "cool" when speaking on the VHF!)

"Traymar. Traymar. Hello, this is Stephanie Humblestone. Would you please go Channel 14?"

All I got was a groan at the other end which I clearly recognised as coming from my son.

"Mum!" he said on his return. "Just stay away from the VHF, please!" embarrassed by both my ineptitude and my "ridiculous" British accent!

The CB radio (Citizen Band) was superseded by the VHF radio in the mid-seventies in Hope Town. It was intended at one time almost exclusively for marine use. Today settlements like Hope Town are largely dependent on it for communicating with isolated areas of the island where there are no telephone lines. It is also used to supplement other forms of communication. The VHF is constantly on at hotels, in many restaurants, bars, on the ferry and in shops. It is a minute by minute account of life in the settlement - a flourishing gossip vine and busy bush telegraph.

The hip-held (actually called hand-held) VHF is very popular. I always feel the accompanying dress code should be scrubs with hemostats clipped on them rather than T-shirt, shorts and sneakers! The carriers look like they're off to a trauma scene, not to mend a broken pipe or build a fence.

Apart from the VHF being a boon to business, a social asset and a source of tasty tidbits, it is an invaluable asset to emergency situations. Hope Town Fire and Rescue has its own channel. The fire fighters communicate on a private channel during a fire. Letty Martz, our wonderful island nurse (literally our life saver), co-ordinates ferries and medical back-up services through the VHF. In the days before the telephone, everyone knew when there was a medical emergency - because everyone was listening in! On one occasion Marsh Harbour residents heard a patient was being brought over in the dead of night and many drove to the airport to light the runway with their headlights for the small charter to take off. Now that is true community support.

Channel 16 is the stand-by channel in the Abacos. Channel 22 is reserved for the Coast Guard. The Cruisers' Net which gives weather and local information is located on Channel 68. Local residents have a Jokers' Net every morning which keeps us all well amused. The VHF has a radius of only 10-20 miles but it increases with altitude. I recently heard of a girl who climbs on a dresser in Marsh Harbour to talk to her beloved in Hope Town and neighbour of hers who has been known to scale his roof to communicate with Little Harbour about 50 miles away.

You won't find me on any dressers or roof tops if the telephone is out. I will stay incommunicado. Besides, I am still grappling with the fact that when I am ostensibly talking to one person, I am in reality talking with the entire island!