Tuesday, April 29
We were glad to have a good night’s sleep last night in the marina. While Steve worked around the boat, I walked to the gift shop in the marina, brought a couple of books for Jacob and decided to exchange my paperbacks for new reading material. I started this trip with two paperbacks to read and have been able to exchange them along the way at marinas’ for additional books instead of having to purchase them. It has been interesting to look through the cruiser library, find a book you like and exchange your used book. What a great idea. (We have a book closet at Sailboat Bay that works in the same way.) Some marina’s even have DVD’s that you can swap. We like our selection of DVD’s and haven’t swapped any on this trip except to exchange with our traveling buddies for a night.
When I bought the books for Jacob, I only had a fifty dollar bill to pay for them. The clerk gave me mostly Bahamian currency back because she did not have any American currency in her cash drawer. She apologized for having to give me so many one dollar bills. When I told her we were leaving the country in a few days and I didn’t think I would be able to spend it before we left, she suggested I walk to the office on the hill where they would be able to exchange the money. Without anything else to do and needing some exercise, I make the hike. About half-way up the steep hill, it began to rain. We needed the rain so I was not complaining I just quickened my steps to the office. The bottom fell out as I stepped on the front deck of the dining area. There were several other people already sitting in the bar area who had also gotten caught in the rain. I walked through the Bluff House Dining area to the office to exchange my currency and then back to the bar area to wait out the showers. I met the most interesting lady, about my age, living on a sailboat with her husband, and a breast cancer survivor. She was there selling her handmade jewelry to the gift shop. She showed me her jewelry pieces and I found a really nice pair of earring that I bought from her. Our conversation centered mostly around my questioning her about living on a sailboat full-time, their travels and how she managed provisioning her boat in the islands. We connected as we shared our experiences with cancer and talked about our “bucket list” of places and things we wanted to do including the sailing adventures. Before we realized, the rain had stopped, everyone else in the room had left and she had an appointment with another gift shop in fifteen minutes. We hugged and wished each other safe journeys.
After lunch, I talked Steve into walking to the Green Turtle Club Marina Gift shop. We did not put the dinghy in the water or this would have been a short five minute ride across the harbor. Instead, it was a two hour walk on a rocky, hilly, dusty, narrow road. I had already gotten my exercise earlier in the day walking up the hill, but I wanted to go to the gift shop. It was fun, even though I complained to Steve.
While sitting in the cockpit late in the day, I spotted a water spout in the distance. This is like a tornado of swirling water. Steve has seen one before, but this was my first. I even have a picture! (Are you surprised?)
We borrowed a movie from Moon River for our evening entertainment and even had a bag of microwave popcorn.
Wednesday, April 30
Plans were to leave the marina around noon heading to Manjack Cay traveling behindd Jeff and Lee on Moon River. Moon River draws more than Little Wing so they wanted to wait until high tide to exit the shallow, narrow channel out of White Sound. Steve filled up the water tank, at twenty cents a gallon I might add, checked the oil, and the other pre-trip operations he attends to, while I tried to do the laundry and straighten up the cabin.
We had a steady 10-15 knots of wind on the beam so getting out of the slip was a challenge. We put double lines on the windward side, taking all the lines off the lee side. I was steering; on command Ron tossed the bow line on board while Steve let go of the spring and stern line. I backed out of the slip while Steve pushed off the pylons. Sounds easy, but it isn’t! I pointed Little Wing to the channel monitoring the water depths for Moon River, as we motored through the channel.
We motored sailed the short five miles to Manjack Cay. It was a beautiful day with easterly winds making the trip in less than an hour. Jeff led us in, as they had anchored here previously and wanted to locate several wrecks in the area so Lee could snorkel. We both wanted to snorkel but we didn’t have wet suits like Lee and I knew the water would be too cold for me to enjoy. Steve agreed and we continued to our anchorage while Jeff and Lee anchored close to one of the wrecks. Lee did tell us that it was a great place to snorkel; she saw grouper and other brightly colored fish. The CQR anchor wouldn’t hold at this anchorage after several attempts so Steve switched to the Bruce. This is the first time he has had to switch to this anchor.
Steve had to take a swim this afternoon after his “favorite” cap blew off and into the water. Thank goodness he didn’t have his wallet in his pocket because he didn’t hesitate even a second before he jumped in before the cap sunk! After taking a swim in his shorts and t-shirt, he decided to wash some clothes in the sink and hang out on the boat to dry. I would have done the same, but we didn’t have enough clothes pins to secure them to the lifelines on the boat.
I couldn’t believe I could get an Internet connection at this anchorage. It seems the two houses on Manjack Cay cater to cruisers providing Internet access as well as a nice beach, beach chairs, picnic area, and we even saw a bonfire on the beach with folks sitting around. I Skyped Catherine to see Jacob and we called the other girls with our itinerary for the days ahead.
Thursday, May 1
What a great night’s sleep on the hook! We were up at 6:15 a.m. waiting for the weather report from Jeff who listens to Chris Parker on his side ban radio. Looks like a great day for sailing; 15-20 knots of wind from the east. We weighed anchor at 7:00 a.m. with plans to make the 40 plus miles to Great Sale Cay today. With 15-20 knots of wind hitting the beam, we were able to sail an average of 6 knots and at times we were going 7 knots. Steve commented, “This is a day sailors live for. When the wind is where you can use it, you are in a protected body of water with a little two foot chop. If we were in the ocean we would have a six foot chop.”
Moon River was also sailing along beside Little Wing, until we began to pull away. Steve finally throttled back so we could stay in close proximity to Moon River. Lee and I pulled our cameras out for a photo session of each other. I can’t wait to see their pictures of Little Wing. Mine of Moon River are great! It is rare that you have another boat sailing alongside that can shoot pictures when you are in full sail.
We arrived at Great Sale Cay around 4:00 p.m. finding plenty of room to anchor, as this is a long cay with protective water for the 10-15 knot east winds predicted for the night. At least twelve to fifteen boats, both motorboats and sailboats, were already anchored for the evening. Jeff and Steve talked over the weather situation for the Gulf Stream crossing tomorrow with Jeff leaning towards leaving and Steve waiting another day. Jeff and Lee were heading up the Atlantic coast to possible Fort Pierce and we were heading to Palm Beach. A finally decision would be made in the morning, but we were pretty sure we were going to wait. I did not want to face 4-6 foot waves all day with 15-20 knot winds.
We were contented sailors, happy that we had experienced such a beautiful day sailing in the Sea of Abaco.
Friday, May 2
I am not accustomed to getting up at 6:30 a.m. so we sat the alarm clock. I was glad that Steve had beaten me up and had coffee waiting. Steve listened to the weather on the VHF radio while Jeff received a report from Chris Parker. No change. We stayed with our plan to wait for a Sunday crossing with 5-10 knot winds and two foot seas. Jeff and Lee decided to make the crossing today in hopes to reach Fort Pierce. We said our good-byes, weighed anchor and departed around 8:00 a.m.
The wind was coming in from the stern, resulting in using the mainsail with a preventer to keep it from jibing. The seas were coming in from the rear quarter making a rolly day of motor sailing. We were headed to West End knowing that we might not get through Indian Cay Pass, which would force us to backtrack to Memory Rock approximately 30 miles north, adding another day to the trip.
This leg of the journey took us pass Mangrove Cay where we had stayed when we made the trip almost a month ago. Upon our approach to Indian Cay Pass, we noticed we were closing in on another sailboat. Steve radioed the captain hoping that we could follow their boat through the pass. Luckily, they had friends who had already gone through the pass earlier and suggested he wait for the tide to rise before entering; that explained why he had slowed down. We in turn throttled back waiting for the tide knowing that if he made it through we could. Eventually, we made it though the channel without any difficulty. Now we could breathe! Once off the Bahama Bank we made the short distance down to the turn in to the Old Bahama Bay channel. We radioed to get our slip assignment. It is always interesting to hear the directions from the harbormaster because it normally makes no sense to someone who has never been there before. You have to feel your way through tight quarters until it becoms apparent as to where you need to motor to get to your slip. We found our slip, tied up and took care of the necessary paper work with Jamal our dock hand.
We were glad we had called ahead to reserve a slip at the marina as the marina caters to the high end fishing fleets and most of the slips were taken by these rather large yachts. Old Bahama Marina sits on a sliver of land with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Bahama Bank on the other. New management has renovated the marina, restaurant, and beautiful hotel/resort on the property. We had been told how wonderful the facilities were by Caloosa Spirit and Lady Hawk. They were forced by bad weather to stay several days before they could go through Indian Cay Pass.
I couldn’t wait to explore the property tomorrow, maybe sit on the beach reading my book and then go to dinner at the restaurant.
Saturday, May 3
We noticed when we were drinking our coffee in the cockpit that quite a few sailboats had departed this morning. Steve checked the weather again to see if it had changed but they still were predicting a small craft warning, seas in the Gulf Stream from 4-6 feet with 10-15 knot winds. We knew we had made the right decision for us to wait one more day before we made the crossing.
After breakfast, I did the laundry, visited the resort gift shop and walked around the property taking pictures. Steve went through his usual pre-trip boat check and maintenance. After lunch we walked to the beach, listened to live music from the Tiki Bar at the beach and enjoyed the sunny but breezy atmosphere. I noticed the staff was setting up white chairs on the beach and a sign indicated the pool would be closed for a private party later in the afternoon. We decided it was a wedding. What a beautiful destination spot!
We enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the casual dockside restaurant, Steve ordered the shrimp and grits and I selected the grilled grouper. One of the side dishes we have been introduced to while in the Bahamas is “peas and rice.” It looks like brown rice with brown beans not peas. I asked the waitress how they are prepared and she said the peas are called Pigeon Peas. My plan when we get home is to find the recipe and prepare them again. We also had the option of dinning at the more formal dinning facilities located next door, but Steve forgot to bring his dinner jacket and I felt I didn’t have the appropriate attire once we look through the large windows! Maybe next trip!
Two full sailors walked back to Little Wing and retired early, knowing we had a long day ahead tomorrow.
Sunday, May 4
Steve was awake and listening to the weather at 5:30 a.m. I didn’t get up until 5:45 a.m., drinking a little coffee and eating a snake bar. We generally don’t eat a large breakfast before an ocean crossing hoping we will not get seasick. We pulled away from the slip at 6:30 a.m. with several other boats ahead of us but heading in a different direction. Shortly after leaving the marina, Steve got the mainsail out even though we didn’t have a lot of wind coming from the southeast. The seas were rolly and we knew we would have to motor sail today.
Steve communicated with another sailboat we noticed was following in our general directions. The boats name was Maracoudja. (We kept trying to pronoun it before Steve would radio them.) Steve realized he had spoken with this guy the day before when he was purchasing fuel. Steve asked him “if he was coming or going” and he said “yes” in a German accent. The communication vie the radio was somewhat sketchy but we surmised he couldn’t understand a lot of English. They followed along our starboard side all day. It was good to know there was another boat close by. We passed freighters headed for the Bahamas and other motor boats passed us going both directions. All in all it was a very boring trip in comparison to the other travels we have had on Little Wing in the last two months. We were happy to have an uneventful journey.
One of the problems the mariner encounters when crossing the Gulf Stream is how to allow for the set of the current. Fast boats have little trouble correcting the effect of the Gulf Stream, but boats with operating speeds of between 5 and 10 knots must make major corrections. Based on the rhumb line crossing, the winds and the speed of the boat determine your cross corrections. From West End on the Grand Bahama Island to Lake Worth at West Palm Beach you make a slight North West route, correcting for the push of the Gulf Stream north. I might note, the Gulf Stream current about 20 miles off shore in Southern Florida is 3-5 knots tapering along the edges. We could definitely tell the difference when we were in the Gulf Stream.
We charged our cell phones mid-afternoon waiting to hear a signal that we were back in the USA and had a signal. Steve had switched the Bahamian courtesy flag back to the Quarantine (Q Flag) yellow flag, while he waited to phone customs that we were in USA waters. I might add this was a very efficient way to take care of the formality via the cell phone. When our phone was operable, Steve called a 1-800 number, gave the gentleman (foreign I might add) the ID numbers on our custom cards and we were official received back home. Thankfully, we did not have to rent a car, drive to a customs office in Palm Beach, and fill out additional paperwork in order to take care of this re-entry procedure. Once this task was complete, Steve removed the Q flag and we proudly displayed our American flag from the stern of the boat.
We arrived at Lake Worth, West Palm Beach around 4:00 p.m., took a nap, called the girls and watched the Sunday afternoon motor boaters zoom by Little Wing. I was beginning to think we were back in the 4-6 foot waves in the ocean. Steve assured me the waves would subside by sunset when the boaters had to go home.
Lake Worth is a large body of water between Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. The Intercoastal Waterway channel is located on the west bank, explaining why there is a lot of traffic on this body of water. On the Palm Beach side facing the Ocean, sits million dollar homes and yacht clubs for a far as you can see. We couldn’t help but comment about the wealth in our country based on this shoreline community.
After dinner, Steve sat in the cockpit while I read in the cabin. Around 9:00 p.m. Steve heard loud booming sounds in the distance. After scanning the sky he saw fireworks going off and called me to watch. Do you think this was our “Welcome Home Celebration” display? It was really cool!
Monday, May 5
We weighed anchor around 7:25 a.m. heading back out the channel into the Atlantic Ocean for our trip along the coast to either Fort Lauderdale or Miami depending on the time of day we arrive at Fort Lauderdale and the weather conditions. I need to make a comment about the 100 plus foot mega luxurious sailboat anchored in the channel at Lake Worth and also the 100 plus foot mega sailboat tied up at the yacht club across from our anchorage. The masts were more than a 100 feet high and I think this is probably the largest sailboat we have seen in person. Both boats were flying British flags. Wish we knew who owned them. I have pictures to share but I know that don’t do the boats justice in portraying their size and beauty.
We eased out the channel and set our course for Fort Lauderdale motor sailing several miles off shore in 5-10 knot winds from the south southwest. The seas were calm enough that I was able to continue reading my book and enjoy a relaxing day. We passed quite a lot of fishing boats both large and small and we even passed a boat kite fishing. Steve said he had read about this type of fishing but had never seen anyone actually doing it. Ask him to tell you about it. I guess this prompted Steve to put his fishing line out to see if he could land that “big tuna” he has been talking about for so long. He did land a very large King Mackerel that broke the line just as he was reeled close to the boat.
We decide to forge ahead to No Name Harbor in Miami instead of stopping at Fort Lauderdale knowing that it would be late when we arrived. We felt confident that we could make it through the channel as we had made the trip twice before. We decide to anchor close to the restaurant but found we were swinging too close to the catamaran next to use. We tried again and again until finally on the third attempt, Steve said “I will redo it in the morning.” They were having a gathering and probably didn’t notice our close proximity to their boat anyway.
Tuesday, May 6
When we awoke this morning the catamaran was almost under our bow. We knew that we were too close to “Sunshine” last night when we anchored, but were too tired to re-anchor. Steve did get up in the middle of the night to let out more line when the boat began to swing, which probably prevented them from bumping into us on their swing. They stopped by while we were drinking coffee to apologize if their party had been too rowdy. We assured them we were too tired for anything to bother us and that we needed to apologize for anchoring too close to them.
We walked into Key Biscayne for provisions at the local Winn Dixie and found a great French restaurant for lunch. They specialize in homemade bread which I knew Steve would enjoy. Since we will only be on Little Wing maybe another 4-5 days, we only needed a few grocery items which were manageable on our walk back to the boat.
While Steve was checking out at the self-checkout machine, I thumbed through the tabloids to read up on the latest “star” gossip.
Man, we had a hot walk back to the boat. I hope it cools off or we will have a miserable night sleeping.
Wednesday, May 7
Our departure from No Name Harbor around 9:00 a.m. was much later than normal because we only had approximately 23 miles to travel to Pumpkin Cay, our anchorage for the night. Our first order of business for the day was motoring to Dinner Key Marina for fuel and ice. We had a pleasant ride across Biscayne Bay, hoping that the wind would pick up later in the day so we could sail.
Steve put the mainsail up as soon as we passed the last Dinner Key channel markers. Within thirty minutes to an hour, the wind began to increase enough that we could get the jib out, sail along around 5.5 knots, enough to turn the motor off. A side note. Biscayne Bay has really clean water ironically, since it is so close to a huge city as Miami. We could see the bottom some 15 foot below.
Two hours of sailing and we arrived at Pumpkin Cay, off the shore of Key Largo, where we anchored for the evening with plans to exit Angelfish Creek to the Atlantic Ocean early morning for our run down the coast to Marathon. We circled the island looking for the best place for an anchorage, deciding on the lee shore of Key Largo. I spent the afternoon reading and talking on my cell phone while Steve checked the weather, the tide schedule and plotted our course for tomorrow. We felt a little harassed by local boaters flying by us leaving a huge wake and a couple on a Sea Doo circled the boat within 5 feet, staring at us as if to say, “Why are you anchored here!” Oh well!
We enjoyed a beautiful sunset and a relaxing evening on the hook.
Thursday, May 8
We wanted to get an early start this morning as soon as we had light to see the channel markers entering Angelfish Creek. Low tide was 7:45 a.m. creating the possibility of running aground both at the entrance to the channel and the exit at the Atlantic Ocean. After making it through the channel with two feet of water to spare, we were hoping that we would be able to also get through the narrow channel heading out to the ocean. The channel is very narrow about one mile in distance. We passed a smaller sailboat along the way and asked him about the depth of the channel. He replied, “ok” and did this rolling with his hand to represent the waves. We were relieved thinking we would not have any problem until he radioed that he had run aground, had to put up the mainsail and waiting some thirty minutes before he was free. Oh great! Do we turn around now or give it a try? Steve had already looked at the second options of traveling down the Intercoastal which would take longer, be riskier and we might not make Marathon in a day.
When we arrived at the mouth of Angelfish Creek, Steve slowed down carefully maneuvering the boat through the narrow channel markers. We are now heading out into the Atlantic, waves coming at us bow first, praying, not breathing and staring at the depth gauge. We didn’t say a word; I looked straight ahead until we finally made it through the last buoy. Steve said, “we have 100 yards further b before we get out of the shallow water. “ Dang! But we made it never seeing the depth drop less than 6 foot.
We were able to motor sail all day at a close reach on a port tack. At some point during the day Steve realized the rear starboard shroud was detached from the boat. (This is what holds the mast on one side.) He jumped up to check out the reason and found a flattened cotter pin lying on the deck with the pin gone that holds the turnbuckle to the boat. Because we were on a port tack, there wasn’t any pressure on the starboard side, allowing him to secure the shroud with a line until we could get to a port and find the part. We arrived at Marathon Marina around 5:30 p.m. happy to have a slip for the night, an air conditioner and a boat slip.
Friday, May 9
Steve wanted to get an early start walking to the local West Marine to find the bolt we needed to repair the stay. After our coffee and cereal, we stopped at the Marathon Boat Yard which is connected to the marina we were docked to inquire if they had the bolt we needed. They didn’t so we had to head out for West Marine approximately a mile and a half down the highway. It was a hot, muggy, sunny walk but we really felt like we needed the exercise to burn the calories from last night’s dinner and to get our “land legs” back since we had been on the boat for two days straight. They didn’t have the part but suggested calling a sailboat rigging business some four or five miles down the road. Yes, they had the part; no, we didn’t walk there! (West Marine didn’t stock a heavy enough pin. Everything on an Island Packet sailboat is overbuilt to be able to handle more strain, forcing a trip to a rigging business instead of finding these parts in a regular marine supply store. ) I had already decided I would pay for a taxi if we had to go there for the part and was asking for the phone number when Steve said the guy he was talking with was making a trip to the marina where we were docked in the next thirty minutes.
YEA! We started walking back, stopping at a Kwik Mart for a few grocery items.
We were hot and sticky when we arrived back at the boat and were grateful to have the AC working and the cabin cool. I worked on the blog, surfed the Internet and relaxed while Steve continued with his maintenance around the boat. Check out time for the marina is 11:00 a.m. and still we didn’t have the part we needed for the boat, resulting in spending another night in the marina. Steve had planned to go to Boot Key Mooring area for tonight but we didn’t have an option since we had to have the part before we made the twenty plus hour passage to Ft. Myers.
The $10 part finally arrived but it actually cost us $110 because we had to pay for another night in the marina. This is a rather expensive marina compared to others we have stayed in on this trip but hey what do you do! (We would like to applaud the young guy from the rigging shop for his conscientious in attending to our part problem. He even offered to walk to the boat and reattach the pin but Steve said he could take care of it.)
We made the decision to make the jump from Marathon to Ft. Myers without a stop tomorrow. The winds were predicted to be 5-10 knots from the south southwest with 2-4 foot seas. We wouldn’t be able to sail but a smooth ride for twenty-two hours was better to tackle than a 15-20 knot winds with 4-6 foot waves. Steve checked on a mooring for the boat in Ft. Myers and a rental car for our drive home.
Saturday, May 10
We left Marathon at 8:00 a.m. psyched up for the all night motor in the Gulf of Mexico. Florida Bay was eerie; it looked like fog or haze ahead of us preventing us from seeing the channel markers in the distance and the horizon. I felt like I was in an abyss. We traveled through this for an hour or so until the sun finally found its way out and the haze lifted. The water was as smooth as glass, very little wind, with hot, humid temperature. I read a book all day while Steve navigated and kept us on course. He tried fishing, with no luck; we enjoyed watching a dolphin play in our bow and we found ourselves almost bored.
We enjoyed our last sunset in the ocean today, marveling at its beauty and brilliance but knowing that we had a long night ahead. Steve napped a little after dark while I watched out for boats and serpents until 11:00 p.m. when he took the next watch. I instructed him to wake me when he need relieved and I went below to stretch out on the settee. I was in the midst of a dream when he called for me at 3:00 a.m. to give him a break. After I stumbled to the fridge for something cold and some crackers, I climbed up to the cockpit to take over. Cruising along at 4-5 knots on a very slick ocean, with a slight breeze, thousands of stars in the sky, plus a sliver of a moon glistening off the water, is a very mesmerizing experience. It is a perfect time to be all alone with your enter most thoughts, your prayers, your memories and your thankfulness for the here and now. I wish everyone had this opportunity to feel so close to God’s spirit on these calm night watches.
Sunday, May 11
Steve woke up at 4:30 a.m., coming up to the cockpit to relieve me. He had earlier throttled back the boat speed before he went below so we would arrive at the entrance buoys to Ft. Myers at daybreak. After calculating the amount of time it would take to get to the entrance to the channel, Steve determined that we would need to throttle back again and “hover” in the area until daylight around 6:00 a.m. We finally inched our way to the channel markers, skirted the beach along the coastline and made our way under the Matanza Bridge to pick up a mooring ball at Ft. Myers.
We made it; a little sad that our dream trip to the Bahamas was over but happy to be going home tomorrow. We flung open the ports and hatches, stretched out on the settees and slept for several hours. Steve cooked my favorite breakfast, cheese grits, which we ate at 10:30 a.m. Steve needed to go in to the Matanza Inn office to pay for our mooring which meant we had to get the dinghy and motor off the boat. It is a pretty easy task now but today it was a hot task. We sure didn’t miss the humidity and the heat while we were in the Abaco islands.
The girls called to say Happy Mother’s Day, we called our mom’s to wish them a Happy Mother’s Day, then we spent the remainder of the day cleaning, packing, resting and preparing for our departure tomorrow. Steve is grilling a celebratory steak/potato dinner for the evening meal and I will get this blog finished.
We leave in the morning in a rental car, leaving Little Wing in Ft. Myers. We have a wedding to attend this upcoming weekend and Steve had a 40 year class reunion the next weekend. Plans are for Steve to drive back to Ft. Myers the end of the month with several sailors an bring Little Wing back to Gulf Shores.
We would like to take this opportunity at the end of our cruising journey to thank you for your encouragement, your support, your advice, your assistance in helping to make this trip come to fruition, and most importantly your love and friendship. It has been written that “it takes a village to raise a child;” I say, “it takes a village to safely sail Little Wing to the Abacos and back.” You are our village and we are forever indebted.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Marsh Harbor and Elbow Cay
Saturday, April 19
I woke up again this morning before sunrise to sit in the cockpit and enjoy the beauty of White Sound. By this time, there were only 8-10 boaters anchored in the harbor. After drinking coffee and eating a bowl of cereal, I worked until 10:00 a.m. editing the next blog. Plans were to start our 12 hour Internet account this morning, allowing us to make our phone calls home on Skype, check our emails, bank statements, and post the next blog.
It seems rather strange talking to your computer like you would talk into your cell phone. We had not spoken with anyone from home since last Sunday. Jessica had already phoned Emily to find out if I had called. We spent several hours talking with our children and parents, updating them about our last week, assuring them we were safe and explaining our itinerary for the next week. I was lucky enough to catch Catherine home and Jacob awake so I could see him on my computer camera. I love technology! Thank you Emily.
I worked most of the afternoon on the blog while Steve sat in the cockpit. By 4:00 p.m. he was ready to get in the dinghy and motor to New Plymouth to get a few groceries; bread, key lime juice so I could make a Key Lime pie and limes. I prepared the Key Lime pie so it would have time to chill and Steve worked on the seafood gumbo planned for dinner. We had to secure the motor and dinghy on the boat today, as we were leaving early tomorrow for Marsh Harbor.
The gumbo was delicious. Steve washed the dishes while I continued working on the blog. I had a lot of trouble keeping a strong signal. I kept getting knocked off the Internet just like this morning when I was making the phone calls. Every time the boat would swing a different direction, I would lose my signal and the Internet connections. Steve said, “When it works, it is great; but, when it doesn’t, it is frustrating.” Finally, I posted the blog and worked until 10:00 p.m. to get a few pictures posted. If I can get an Internet site in Marsh Harbor, I hope to find another blog layout with larger pictures or maybe post them on Picasa.
My eyes and fingers were tired and I was ready to get some sleep. We were going through the Whale Cay Passage tomorrow and I needed to be alert.
Sunday, April 20
We were up at 6:30 a.m. securing the remaining items while the coffee was steeping. By this time, I had a pretty good routine to get this task completed quickly. Steve finished his boat check and spoke with Willie about our departure time. We pulled anchor at 8:15 a.m., heading out the White Sound channel at high tide. As we were motoring out the channel Steve pointed out a school of sting ray passing on the starboard side. When you first glance in the water, you think you are looking at a muddy object until you are able to see that it is a sting ray. You must be quick or you will miss them.
I was also mesmerized b y the large starfish on the bottom. I kept searching the bottom as we motored along looking for them. I felt much like I do when I walk on the beach and see a pretty shell and want to continue looking for more. Steve said he would have to put a limit on the starfish I could bring home.
We headed out to the Sea of Abaco on a 145 degrees magnetic course with the wind blowing on the nose, preventing us from sailing. Once we reached our next way point, we turned 90 degrees magnetic and began looking for Whale Cay Passage.
We passed Pelican Cay, which is privately owned and visits ashore are by invitation only. On the barrier reef, we could see the ocean waters break in cascades of dazzling white form. Steve and I talked about how beautiful and clear the water is and how calm it was based on reports from a few days ago. We were glad we had waited several days before attempting the passage.
For you cruisers, Whale Cay Passage is a simple two-leg diversion around Whale Cay, followed by two further legs that take you through the Loggerhead Pass and into the disused cruise ship channel to Bakers Bay on the northwest tip of Great Guana Cay. The cruisers guide encourages you to: listen to the Marsh Harbor Cruisers Net, talk to the locals, talk to other boats, and call anyone in the area and ask what Whale Cay conditions are like. It is the “shelf effect” of heavy weather that can close down the passage. High seas, particularly Northeasters and distant Atlantic storms, generate heavy swells, which produce dangerously rough conditions as the water piles up on the shoals.
Today was a perfect day to pass through; we meet at least 10 sailboats and motor boats along our course heading to Marsh Harbor. Gently rolling seas, no chop, little wind; perfect. We decided we would wait for these same conditions on our return. On our port side, we passed Great Guana Cay, an island which is being developed faster than any other Abaco Cay, with multiple new homes and a new resort planned for the north end. This is the spot for the famous “Nippers Bar and Grill Sunday Pig Roast.”
Along our route we passed one cay after another, some uninhabited others private islands with large homes. Approaching Great Guana Cay, the water began to get clearer and more beautiful at 12-14 feet deep. We were noticing small resorts and vacation spots that we had not seen in the other cays. I never realized how many islands make of the Abacos or are in the Bahamas and we are only seeing a fraction of them.
Willie radioed his friends as we approached the Marsh Harbor channel. They volunteered to meet us at the mouth of the channel and lead Satisfaction to their mooring spot and our anchorage. We understood there is a second channel that some boats have mistaken to be the one to take and have run aground before they realized they were in the wrong channel. We certainly did not want that to happen.
We anchored next to Satisfaction, ate lunch and checked out the harbor through the binoculars. Our thoughts were to spend several days to a week in Marsh Harbor and the vicinity. Our first order of business this afternoon was to get the dinghy in the water and hoist the motor on the mount so we could explore the area both on water and on land. I might add we are getting pretty proficient with this task these days. I crank the winch to move the motor while Steve guides and secures it onto the dinghy stern.
It was quite strange to hear and see airplanes overhead, hear sirens blaring, and see regular two lane roads with cars and trunk even though they are driving on the left side of the road. Marsh Harbor is the largest island we have visited thus far in the Bahamas. There is an international airport, charter boat services, resort style accommodations to small inns and efficiencies, large warehouse grocery store, numerous restaurants and gift shops and banks, etc. I found out that the high school on the island serves all the teenagers in the surrounding islands. Instead of riding a yellow school bus each day they hop on the ferry that transports them to Marsh Harbor where they board a bus to the school.
We removed the dink and circled through the three marinas in the harbor checking out boats/ their homeports and boat names. We also motored over to the mouth of the harbor into a little protected area where the water looked real shallow and clear. We found out later when looking at the charts that it is called Fanny Bay. The water was so clear we were concerned that we might run aground, but when testing the depth with the oar, we found it to be more that 5 feet deep. There were also star fish and conch shells on the bottom and several sting rays swimming around.
Willie and Jean’s friends, Steve and Kim invited all of us over to their boat for cocktails. Their homeport is Kansas but they have lived in Marsh Harbor for over a year chartering their boat for Boy Scout adventures and individual charters. I had never heard about this opportunity for scouts to go out in a sailboat for a week; learning how to sail and maintain a boat, cooking duties as well as cleaning the head, etc. The organization is called, Florida Sea Base, Bahamian Adventure. We had seen a group of scouts go out on a boat earlier in the day, guessing their ages to be 14-18 years old. I was really interested in all aspects of this charter, asking all kinds of questions, of which Steve and Kim were more than happy to explain. My Steve said he would have “walked to Marsh Harbor” when he was that age to have the opportunity go out sailing on these charters. We enjoyed sitting around their table, eating Kim’s delicious homemade pizza and sharing stories. What at great couple! Visit their web site for more information and pictures at: http://www.natureswaydreams.com.
Our dinghy ride home was very romantic; a gorgeous clear night with thousands of stars in the sky and a dramatic, full moon shining down on the water, emitting a memorable reflection . It was good I was not steering; it would have been a dangerous ride home.
Monday, April 21
The morning starts again with coffee and the Cruiser Net at 8:15 a.m. with Patty on Blue Dolphin in one of the marinas at Marsh Harbor. We always need information about the weather and sometimes we enjoy the other new items. Once the program is over around 9:00 a.m., we go about our day’s plans.
Godfrey, a Bahamian native, motored over to Little Wing selling “fresh” conch shells. Steve wanted to haggle with him about the price, but I wanted to give him a fair shake for his efforts to harvest the shells. They were really neat so we bought some to take home as souvenirs. Steve and I began to work to scrub the grubby stuff off the shells using a scrub brush, tooth brush, and scratch pad. We then soaked them in Clorox water which helped to remove the gunk. No wonder conch shells are expensive in gift shops; it takes a lot of time, destroys your fingernails and makes your hands smell like Clorox after you finish cleaning them.
To get off the boat this afternoon, we motored over to the dinghy dock, walked to the marinas, restaurants and gift shops about a mile down the harbor road. Steve continues to be patient with my shopping excursions. He generally walks around the shop once, checks out the t-shirts and then sits outside. I am on the hunt for local, original art for our bedroom, giving me an excuse to enter any shop that looks interesting. I did find one gallery open and one closed with a sign that read, “Gone for lunch, be back at 1:30.” I can’t believe how many businesses will just “close the door.” We have even noticed that some small marinas have this same policy.
Our last stop was Martin’s Grocery. A large warehouse building which resembles a Costco or Sam’s at home. We didn’t have many items on our list, but felt the need to explore what was available in the store. Most of the fresh produce is very expensive. Gala apples were $1 each, a bunch of romaine leaves were $4, tomatoes look terrible and were expensive. I found it interesting to find red peppers less than bell peppers prompting me to buy one for our pasta salad.
We were scurrying to get back to the boat due to the dark clouds in the sky. Just as we arrived at the dinghy dock, we began to feel sprinkles. Because the tide was falling many of the dinghy props were aground, including ours. There were several other folks trying to get into their dinghy’s and back to their boats before the rain really started falling, also. There were several older couples that we assisted with their bags and boats causing us to delay our departure. We finally got our purchases in the boat but the rain caught us on the trip across the harbor. Nothing like soaked sailors!
Now that I have Key Lime juice, I can prepare the Key Lime pie Steve requested. We thought we would invite Willie and Jean over for dessert after dinner tonight and I needed to chill the pie once it was baked. My pie recipe calls for four ingredients which makes it very easy to prepare on the boat. One can sweetened condensed milk mixed with 3-4 beaten egg yolks; gradually pour in ½ cup Key Lime juice while stirring, mix and pour into one graham cracker pie shell. Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Garnish with Whip Cream and Key Lime slices. (The Whip Cream at the grocery was $7 for one can. We opted for only the Key Lime slices!)
After that task was completed, Steve suggested we take the dinghy over to the dinghy dock at The Jib Room, a restaurant/bar, and walk over to the other side of the island to check out Mermaid Reef and watch the sunset. There are a few spots with small sandy beaches but most of the shore line is coral. We carefully maneuvered over jagged, pointed edges, jumped over deep holes worn out by century’s of erosion from the pounding surf and checked out hermit crabs attached to the coral.
Sunsets in these islands are so different than they are at home. It is like you are within reach of the sun. The yellow, yellow orange is so saturated with color, especially as it meets the horizon. It is breathtaking. I probably have more sunset pictures than anything else. I need to invest in a digital camera with a filter on the lens for these shots. My little point-and-shot doesn’t capture the true beauty that we have witnessed on these occasions.
After dinner, we enjoyed our dessert, Steve listened to music and I worked on the blog.
Tuesday, April 22
We listened to the Cruiser’s Net at 8:15 a.m., checked emails and made a few calls with our strong Internet signal.Steve assembled the snorkeling equipment for our excursions first to Fanny Bay then on to Mermaid Reef. The water was a little chopping going out the channel; waves were hitting the dinghy on the bow getting me soaked. The sun was out; the temperature was in the low 80’s as we headed to Fanny Bay. We brought our net hook to scoop up star fish and conch shells if we saw any. Again the water was so clear we thought it was 3-4 feet deep to find that our net handle would not reach the bottom. The current was too rough for me to capture our treasures so Steve had to take over the task. Several times we almost fell into the water. We were able to snag two star fish and one conch shell before we grew tired and decided to snorkel.
Fanny Bay was a good spot to practice using our new fins and getting back into the swing of snorkeling. Once we had explored the bay long enough to determine there were no fish and very few shells, Steve decided we could make it to Mermaid Reef via motoring through a small opening and channel of a private residence. My job was to use the oar and check the depth so we would not run aground. Such important tasks he assigns his First Mate!
Several boats were at the reef snorkeling as we hooked up to a mooring ball. As soon as Steve jumped in the water, he said the fish started swimming his way. Kim and Steve told us that if you throw out popcorn in the water the fish will come to feed. I guess they thought Steve had food. The fish were all sizes from 20 inches long to little 3 inch sizes. Their colors were incredibly vibrant and luminous from a deep dark blue to bright yellow, pearl, tangerine green, orange and many other combinations,. I kept having trouble with my Wal-Mart mask so I was not having as much fun as Steve with his diving mask I had given him for his birthday. Looks like I will have to invest in a better mask for the next trip. The water was also pretty rough and we didn’t have any type of life jacket to keep me a float while I was trying to adjust the mask. Hopefully, we will be able to snorkel on several other reefs in the area. After all that exertion, we napped after lunch, scrubbed on the conch shells some more and read.
It is unique how you continue to run into the same cruisers on your stops. As we were sitting in the cockpit, who but Caloosa Spirit and Lady Hawk motor in to the harbor and anchor in front of us. I wonder where they have been since departing Green Turtle Cay on Friday. We will have to dinghy over for details.
Entertainment for the evening while the generator charged the batteries was to watch “An Unforgettable Life” with Robert Redford and Jennifer Lopas. Willie has an extensive collection of DVD’s and suggested we might enjoy this movie.
We had a prediction of 10-15 knot winds during the night from the north, northwest. Hope we don’t have any problems!
Wednesday, April 23
The Cruiser’s Net is such a routine these days that I feel like I know Patty first hand! One of the unique local cruiser customs on the radio is to clap by clicking your hand held vhf radio over and over. It makes a clicking sound which represents clapping. I couldn’t figure out what was happening this morning when Patty said, “Let’s applaud their efforts.” Steve had to fill me in. Steve defrosted the freezer after breakfast and I worked on the blog. This is considered our work for the day!
While Steve was out visiting Willie to check on their itinerary, I prepared chicken pasta salad. We decided to eat a late lunch at Jamie’s Place, a local restaurant in Marsh Harbor, check out the Moorings charter fleet, get ice and rum and Steve wanted to purchase a t-shirt he saw at Mangoes. We strolled around several art galleries and souvenirs shops before making our purchases and returning to the boat.
It was a pretty uneventful afternoon of napping and reading. Steve making plans to head to Hope Town on Elbow Cay tomorrow. We enjoyed sundowners, watched the sunset, ate pasta salad for dinner along with a Key Lime Pie slice, listened to music and read. What a life!
Thursday, April 24
After our routine Cruiser’s Net broadcast, I called Hope Town Marina looking for a mooring ball or slip. Plans were to visit several of the cay’s in the Marsh Harbor Triangle; Hope Town on Elbow Cay, Man-O-Way Cay and possibly Great Guana Cay.
Nothing was available at Hope Town Marina but we felt like by the time we arrived in the harbor we could find at least a mooring ball. Steve conferred with Willie about our plans and found out they were heading to Great Guana Cay for a few days meeting up with Kim and Steve. We hoisted the motor on to the mounting and stowed everything for the trip. By 10:30 a.m. we were ready to pull up the anchor and head out the channel.
The wind was 15-20 knots from the east, northeast causing quite a chop on the water with 2-4 foot waves hitting us on the bow. So much so that my sunglasses would get splashed and I would be forced to clean them to see where I was steering. Too bad the wind was coming in on the nose; we could have had a nice sail. Even without the sails up, it was nice to get out in the water and off our anchorage.
Hope Town’s most prominent landmark, the Elbow Reef lighthouse, comes into view guiding you as your point of sail once you clear Mat Lowe’s Cay. Built in 1864, this is one of only three remaining lighthouses in the Bahamas. It must be hand wound by the lighthouse keepers every two hours during the night, using a vapor burner and unique Fresnel “bull’s eyes” lenses that concentrate the light so that it is visible for 15 miles. There are 101 steps to the top, but it’s well worth the climb, not only to learn how the lighthouse works, but also to take in the stunning views over the harbor and neighboring cays.
As we approach Hope Town Harbor we radioed asking for availability of a slip or mooring ball. No one answered but we found an empty mooring. It happened to be to Moon River. a Cabo Rico sailboat, we had meet while in Green Turtle Cay at Bluff House Marina. We attached to the mooring ball without any difficulty, talked with Jeff and Lee on Moon River and ate lunch. Steve went below to take a nap while I read about Hope Town in the Cruiser’s Guide. The best way to describe Hope Town and Elbow Cay so you can picture it in your mind’s eye would be that it is very similar to Sea Side only smaller. Beautiful pastel painted homes along the bank of the harbor. I couldn’t wait to get on the island and walk around. To port, we were staring up at the Elbow Reef lighthouse. I was very excited had already planned to take “lots of pictures” at sunset of the lighthouse.
Unfortunately, a catamaran motored close to Little Wing about this time, informing me we were on their mooring. I woke Steve up and we quickly made preparations to move. Steve made several quick calls again to the two marinas without any luck finding a mooring. Our only choice was to leave. We said goodbye to our friends on Moon River and headed out the channel.
Steve asked me about anchoring in the lee of the cay once we were out of the channel, but I said I thought we should just go back to Marsh Harbor. I didn’t want to anchor in an area we didn’t know well with 10-15 knot winds predicted. We motored in silence because we were disappointed we had to leave Hope Town and return to Marsh Harbor. Maybe tomorrow!
Once anchored in Marsh Harbor, Steve finished his nap while I sat in the cockpit and read. Bruce from Lady Hawk came by inviting us to their one month anniversary away from Marathon on Caloosa Spirit. Great! We needed to get off the boat and talk with other folks. We enjoyed listening to their stories about living on their boats fulltime and we compared notes about various places we had traveled. A quick shower forced Bruce and Dawn back to their boat to close hatches and ports. Steve makes sure when we leave the boat for any period of time that all ports and hatches are closed. He said he had read too many stories of cruisers having to dry out their bed linens and mattress because they had left their hatch open. I am grateful for his foresight!
We ate a quick dinner, listened to music and got to bed early.
Friday, April 25, 2008
We are becoming regular morning Cruiser Net junkies! We get the weather, the national news, a report about crossing the Gulf Stream and Whale Cay Passage, local activities, a trivia question and occasionally a few other stories and tidbits of interest. We generally sit in the cockpit, drinking our last cup of coffee during the 30-45 minutes we listen. Today was no different.
After the broadcast, I hooked up to the Internet and called Hope Town Marina. We have a mooring reserved for us for two days and are getting ready to make the same trip. Steve said the weather would be great to sail and make sure everything was stowed securely. We had a great sail with 10-15 knots of wind making 6 knots. Since we had made this trip yesterday, we felt like “pros,” having no difficulty attaching to our mooring ball. Jeff, from Moon River, noticed we were back and motored over in his dinghy to invite us for cocktails on their boat.
We tossed the dinghy off the bow of the boat and secured the motor for our trip across the harbor to first visit the lighthouse and then the other side of the island where more of the shops and houses were located as well as the Atlantic Ocean beach. I couldn’t wait to take the 101 steps to the top of the lighthouse for a view of the island, the ocean, and the outlaying islands. I was quite surprised to find the inside of the lighthouse had been painted a hot pink and the steps were painted a lime green. I guess it was such a contrast from the candy-strip red and white outside colors. Several landings as we walked up had beautiful arched windows that you could look out. The windows were all open, forcing a warm breezy throughout the lighthouse. Once at the top of the lighthouse, we were able to view the interworking mechanism. I wasn’t sure I understood how it all worked and decided to investigate the Internet when I could. To get out on the circular ledge, you have to squat down and step through a very small door. What a view! I hope I can get my pictures in a web album so you can see what I am trying to describe in words. The panoramic view was magnificent! The trip down the stairs didn’t take as long as the walk up. We stopped by the Lighthouse Marina to check out the gift shop and headed to the other side of the island to the public dock.
I kept stopping every few minutes to take pictures as we walked along the narrow paved walkway/street. Only golf carts are allowed on these walkways except a few municipal trucks and delivery trucks. We found the path to the beach and decided to check it out. I can’t even begin to describe how gorgeous this site was as we stood on this high cliff above the ocean. I keep writing how breathtaking the color of the water is, I wish I could capture it in words or photos to share with you. We took our shoes off, walked to the edge of the water where the waves were breaking and along the beach. The coral beds are along the beach edge forcing you to be very careful were you step. The pink color in the sand is due to the inclusion of conch shells finely crushed by wave action over the reef. When you squish the creamy sand between your toes, you can see tiny grains of red and pink. I love it! We didn’t find many shells on the beach and those we picked up were very small. We made it back to the dinghy finally after going into several gift shops and checking out the grocery store.
Sunset was enjoyed on Moon River with Jeff and Lee getting to learn more about their travels and picking up some hints from Lee about living on a boat for extended periods of time. Most all women cruisers I talk with hate making the bed. The mattress is a strange shape, you have no room to tuck in the corners, and it always looks unmade. Lee saw a mattress sack at a boat show in Annapolis that solved her woes about making a bed. She found a lady to custom make the bed sack to fit their almost king size mattress. It looks similar to a sleeping bag but without the zipper. She attaches two flat sheets inside the quilted duvet storing it in the day under the mattress in a locker then pulling it out at night and laying on top of the bed. They just crawl between the sheets, have a padded bottom side and a light top cover. Looks like something I may have to make for Little Wing before our next trip. They also told us about a local fish market that had fresh Wahoo. We put that on our list of places to stop at tomorrow. Fresh grilled Wahoo for dinner sounded great.
We had a short dinghy over to Capt’n Jack’s for dinner. They were crowded and we waited almost an hour for our dinner. Steve ordered a cheeseburger and I had the coconut battered shrimp with plantains and fries. My meal was great! We enjoyed watching the lighthouse keeper fire up the lamp and see the light rotate.
Saturday, April 26
We had a relaxing morning watching the boaters come and go in the harbor with our front row mooring. We discovered a fishing tournament was going on with one of weigh in stations at the Lighthouse Marina across from Little Wing. Steve watched with the binoculars and brought my attention to the larger tuna at weigh-in. We took off again to hit the remaining two or three t-shirt shops we had missed yesterday, go to the beach and purchase our Wahoo for dinner.
Dinner was delicious. Steve marinated the Wahoo in House Italian Dressing then basted them while cooking with a mixture of lime and orange juice with a little Teriyaki sauce because we didn’t have any soy sauce. I prepared some polenta with peas and made a tossed salad. One of our best meals on the trip!
I wanted to watch the lighthouse keeper tonight through the binoculars to follow his procedure to light the vapor lamp. While we were waiting we were able to enjoy the sunset and the conch chorus. This is my favorite stop on the trip thus far. I like the quaintness of the island, the pretty pastel cottages, the slow pace atmosphere and the gorgeous beach.
I was so mesmerized by the lighthouse, watching through the binoculars as the lighthouse keeper and his helper worked to get the light on, I searched on the Internet for more information about the whole procedure. This is a short synopsis of one article. “The lighthouse is one of the few remaining manned lighthouses in The Bahamas, with a Fresnel (bulls-eye) lens that focuses, magnifies, and directs the light from a kerosene vapor lamp outward, where it is visible up to 20 miles off-shore. The lens floats in a pool of mercury to keep it level and eliminates friction. The rotating mechanism must be rewound by hand every hour and a half. The lighthouse is worth the 101 steps, not only for the view, but also to see and appreciate this beautiful bet of maritime heritage.” What a memorable last evening in Elbow Cay.
Sunday, April 27
We had reserved the mooring in Elbow Cay for two nights, thinking me might stay another night if the weather did not look favorable to sail back to Marsh Harbor on Sunday then onto Man-O-War Cay on Monday. We felt we had pretty much seen Hope Town and knew our time was closing in on us to start our journey back to Florida. We woke up to a beautiful morning; breezy, cool and sunny with 10-15 knots of wind from the east, southeast, lending itself to a great day to sail. We drank our coffee, listened to the Cruiser’s Net for the weather and passage information and ate our bowl of cereal.
Steve tossed around the idea of moving on making the Whale Cay Passage today, based on the reports of 3-4 foot seas and 10-15 knots of wind. I really wanted to hang around and visit Man-O-War Cay and possibly Great Guana Cay before we made the passage, but I kept quiet while he decided what would be our best choice. While I was washing and drying my hair, (I can use the blow dryer when the generator is running) Steve decided we would wait a few more days instead of rushing this morning to get everything ready to make the passage. That made me happy.
Our friends on Satisfaction were returning to Marsh Harbor toda,y giving us an opportunity to spend a little more time with them before we head home. Steve suggested we take the ferry over to Man-O-War Cay on Monday instead of sailing Little Wing, hoping that Willie and Jean might want to join us. That seemed like a good plan to me. We scurried around getting everything secured for the short sail; hatches and ports closed and galley items packed away. I thought we were ready to go when Steve said we needed to wait until 10:30 a.m. at least, because high tide was not until 1:45 p.m, The three times we have motored through this very narrow channel we did it during high tide with depths between 5-8 feet. We sure didn’t want to run aground. I picked up my smocking to occupy the time but Steve began to get a little impatient. I guess he wanted to get out in the Sea of Abaco again and sail Little Wing. Finally, he said, “Let’s go!”
I stood on the pulpit checking the water depths as we eased along the channel. Sometimes it is hard to discern if the water is really shallow; you have shallow spots that are very dark in color due to the grass on the bottom and other areas where the water is deep, light colored and very clear. Go figure! I wasn’t sure if my lookout was going to be beneficial, but when the captain says do something; you don’t question him, you just do it! It is a pretty good spot on the boat to ride.
Once we made it through the channel and out into the Sea of Abaco, I took over steering, turned us into the wind, while Steve rolled the main sail out. We had 10-12 knots of wind, sailing on a beam reach. Steve rolled the jib out and we were motoring sailing around 6 knots, happy sailors in the Bahamas. Since we were not on a schedule today, Steve turned off the engine, allowing us to move, oh so silently through the water. For those of you who have experienced this sublime feeling during sailing, you know how blessed we feel to be living in our dreams.
I turned the helm over to Steve and moved to the bow of the boat to enjoy the ride. Steve tacked several times in route to the Marsh Harbor channel to allow us more sailing time before we headed into the entrance channel. I finally moved back to the cockpit and steered while Steve pulled the main sail in on our approach to Marsh Harbor. It was a near perfect day on the Sea of Abaco.
A regatta was in progress as we approached Marsh Harbor, finding ourselves on the outskirts of the race course. I wanted to take pictures so I turned the helm back over to Steve, grabbing both by camcorder and digital camera as Lazer sailboats were tacking, heading our way. We had several boats almost touch us on the starboard and stern. I have some great shots. We also overheard a pretty mad sailor talking with a race official about another boat interfering in some way. Most of the guys/girls on these boats looked between 15-18 years old.
From all indications, the race course had fallen right in the same area as our last anchorage. Luckily, the race was over just as we were ready to drop anchor. We had hoped to get in the same generally area as the last time we anchored, knowing that Willie and Jean would be back on their mooring later today.
Satisfaction radioed they were leaving Treasure Cay but with the wind on their nose it would probably be late afternoon before they arrived in Marsh Harbor. We talked about our plans for tomorrow, inviting them to go with us to Man-O-War Cay on the ferry. Willie and Steve tossed around their thoughts about the weather window for the next week and why it would be better for us to make Whale Cay Passage tomorrow. If we don’t go tomorrow, we might have to wait another week. We needed to go!
Monday, April 28
I do not want to start the journey home today, there are still several places we haven’t visited; Man-O-War Cay, Treasure Cay and Great Guana Cay before we make the passage through Whale Cay. Maybe we can at least stop at Manjack Cay after leaving Green Turtle Cay for one night. Lee and Jeff said the snorkeling was great. We decided to spend two nights at Green Turtle Cay possibly in a slip the last night so Steve could purchase a little water to wash the salt off the sailboat if we didn’t get enough rain. Hopefully, I will also be able to post this blog.
Word from boats already through the passage indicated we needed to get going today. The dinghy had to be hoisted on board, equipment stowed again, charts reviewed identifying our course and noted for reference, goodbyes to Caloosa Spirit, Lady Hawk and of course Satisfaction. We had much to do before our 10:00 a.m. departure.
We enjoyed a nice motor sail at 5 knots on a 325 degree magnetic course, with 5-10 knots of wind from the east, southeast, putting the jib out for a few more knots of speed. We motor sailed about two hours until we reached the ship channel at Great Guana Cay. Again, we were enamored with the beautiful color of the water along the course.
Steve double checked his way points that I had written down on our log on the previous passage with Willie and Jean. We noticed several other boats in the channel and fell behind two catamarans. As we cleared the last point of land on Great Guana Cay, the waves began to pick up in size and intensity hitting us on the starboard rear corner, rocking the boat. We could see the Whale Cay in the distance and see the waves crossing against the coral 10-12 feet high. Once we cleared the last channel marker, we were in the north Atlantic. Waves were growing larger, but nothing Little Wing couldn’t handle. We continued on to our first way point taking us about 30 minutes going straight out before we could turn North West running parallel to Whale Cay. The waves were large, but just rollers that would lift the boat up then slide down the back side of the wave with an occasional wave twice as large as the others. They weren’t breaking-no problem. We continued another 30 minutes going the 2 ½ mile length of the cay reaching our second way point, turning west to enter the channel on the north end of Whale Cay. Now the waves were coming at us from the stern, increasing our speed as we surfed down the face of some of the bigger waves. It was about this time we noticed a freighter heading for the same narrow channel as we were, probably going twice our speed. We were committed at this point to go forward; turning around was not an option as the seas were too large. Steve increased speed, heading straight for the cut. This is the most intense part of the cut, as the swells of the Atlantic are hitting a 12 foot deep shoal. All of a sudden, the depth recorder went from 50 foot to under 20 foot; we knew we were at the cut. At the same time a larger wave picked the boat up and we surfaced down the face of the wave at an alarming speed. We looked back once more at the freighter as he was gaining on us. Steve altered his course slightly north and the freighter went around us on the port side.
The water was still rough but we knew we were in safe territory now. We could breathe easier! After about another 30-45 minutes of somewhat rolling waves, we ducked behind an island that blocked the big rollers and the Sea of Abaco became much calmer. We noticed the wind had increased after going through the cut, so we hoisted the sails, making 6 knots to the channel marker for Green Turtle Cay/White Sound.
The sail was a nice reward for us after meeting the challenge of the Whale Cay passage without the benefit of our guide, Satisfaction. We rolled up all the sails just as we entered the narrow channel, motoring along looking for an anchorage for the night. Since we had spent several days in White Sound a little over a week ago, we had a feel for where we wanted to anchor. Unfortunately, we had difficulty in three different spots getting a good holding. I finally told Steve, “Let’s go into the Bluff House Marina.” He agreed without having to twist his arm.
It was mid-afternoon by the time the boat was tied down. Steve left to assist Ron, the dock master, with other sailboats as they docked. The wind had begun to blow from 10-12 knots making docking a little tricky. We knew all about this from past experience and were more than willing to assist boaters with this task. I walked up this “really” steep hill to the Bluff House Marine office to swap the books I had finished reading for other books. I guess Steve took I nap while I was gone!
Our friends, Jeff and Lee on Moon River, were two slips over from us. We first meet them in this same marina during the horrible three days of high winds and dragging boats you read about in the last log. We discussed the weather and thoughts concerning the best day to making the Gulf Stream jump.
Steve and I toasted each other with congratulations for the accomplishment of the day and ate spaghetti for dinner. Steve listened to Joni Mitchell while I began reading “The Broker” by John Grisham’s. We were content!
I woke up again this morning before sunrise to sit in the cockpit and enjoy the beauty of White Sound. By this time, there were only 8-10 boaters anchored in the harbor. After drinking coffee and eating a bowl of cereal, I worked until 10:00 a.m. editing the next blog. Plans were to start our 12 hour Internet account this morning, allowing us to make our phone calls home on Skype, check our emails, bank statements, and post the next blog.
It seems rather strange talking to your computer like you would talk into your cell phone. We had not spoken with anyone from home since last Sunday. Jessica had already phoned Emily to find out if I had called. We spent several hours talking with our children and parents, updating them about our last week, assuring them we were safe and explaining our itinerary for the next week. I was lucky enough to catch Catherine home and Jacob awake so I could see him on my computer camera. I love technology! Thank you Emily.
I worked most of the afternoon on the blog while Steve sat in the cockpit. By 4:00 p.m. he was ready to get in the dinghy and motor to New Plymouth to get a few groceries; bread, key lime juice so I could make a Key Lime pie and limes. I prepared the Key Lime pie so it would have time to chill and Steve worked on the seafood gumbo planned for dinner. We had to secure the motor and dinghy on the boat today, as we were leaving early tomorrow for Marsh Harbor.
The gumbo was delicious. Steve washed the dishes while I continued working on the blog. I had a lot of trouble keeping a strong signal. I kept getting knocked off the Internet just like this morning when I was making the phone calls. Every time the boat would swing a different direction, I would lose my signal and the Internet connections. Steve said, “When it works, it is great; but, when it doesn’t, it is frustrating.” Finally, I posted the blog and worked until 10:00 p.m. to get a few pictures posted. If I can get an Internet site in Marsh Harbor, I hope to find another blog layout with larger pictures or maybe post them on Picasa.
My eyes and fingers were tired and I was ready to get some sleep. We were going through the Whale Cay Passage tomorrow and I needed to be alert.
Sunday, April 20
We were up at 6:30 a.m. securing the remaining items while the coffee was steeping. By this time, I had a pretty good routine to get this task completed quickly. Steve finished his boat check and spoke with Willie about our departure time. We pulled anchor at 8:15 a.m., heading out the White Sound channel at high tide. As we were motoring out the channel Steve pointed out a school of sting ray passing on the starboard side. When you first glance in the water, you think you are looking at a muddy object until you are able to see that it is a sting ray. You must be quick or you will miss them.
I was also mesmerized b y the large starfish on the bottom. I kept searching the bottom as we motored along looking for them. I felt much like I do when I walk on the beach and see a pretty shell and want to continue looking for more. Steve said he would have to put a limit on the starfish I could bring home.
We headed out to the Sea of Abaco on a 145 degrees magnetic course with the wind blowing on the nose, preventing us from sailing. Once we reached our next way point, we turned 90 degrees magnetic and began looking for Whale Cay Passage.
We passed Pelican Cay, which is privately owned and visits ashore are by invitation only. On the barrier reef, we could see the ocean waters break in cascades of dazzling white form. Steve and I talked about how beautiful and clear the water is and how calm it was based on reports from a few days ago. We were glad we had waited several days before attempting the passage.
For you cruisers, Whale Cay Passage is a simple two-leg diversion around Whale Cay, followed by two further legs that take you through the Loggerhead Pass and into the disused cruise ship channel to Bakers Bay on the northwest tip of Great Guana Cay. The cruisers guide encourages you to: listen to the Marsh Harbor Cruisers Net, talk to the locals, talk to other boats, and call anyone in the area and ask what Whale Cay conditions are like. It is the “shelf effect” of heavy weather that can close down the passage. High seas, particularly Northeasters and distant Atlantic storms, generate heavy swells, which produce dangerously rough conditions as the water piles up on the shoals.
Today was a perfect day to pass through; we meet at least 10 sailboats and motor boats along our course heading to Marsh Harbor. Gently rolling seas, no chop, little wind; perfect. We decided we would wait for these same conditions on our return. On our port side, we passed Great Guana Cay, an island which is being developed faster than any other Abaco Cay, with multiple new homes and a new resort planned for the north end. This is the spot for the famous “Nippers Bar and Grill Sunday Pig Roast.”
Along our route we passed one cay after another, some uninhabited others private islands with large homes. Approaching Great Guana Cay, the water began to get clearer and more beautiful at 12-14 feet deep. We were noticing small resorts and vacation spots that we had not seen in the other cays. I never realized how many islands make of the Abacos or are in the Bahamas and we are only seeing a fraction of them.
Willie radioed his friends as we approached the Marsh Harbor channel. They volunteered to meet us at the mouth of the channel and lead Satisfaction to their mooring spot and our anchorage. We understood there is a second channel that some boats have mistaken to be the one to take and have run aground before they realized they were in the wrong channel. We certainly did not want that to happen.
We anchored next to Satisfaction, ate lunch and checked out the harbor through the binoculars. Our thoughts were to spend several days to a week in Marsh Harbor and the vicinity. Our first order of business this afternoon was to get the dinghy in the water and hoist the motor on the mount so we could explore the area both on water and on land. I might add we are getting pretty proficient with this task these days. I crank the winch to move the motor while Steve guides and secures it onto the dinghy stern.
It was quite strange to hear and see airplanes overhead, hear sirens blaring, and see regular two lane roads with cars and trunk even though they are driving on the left side of the road. Marsh Harbor is the largest island we have visited thus far in the Bahamas. There is an international airport, charter boat services, resort style accommodations to small inns and efficiencies, large warehouse grocery store, numerous restaurants and gift shops and banks, etc. I found out that the high school on the island serves all the teenagers in the surrounding islands. Instead of riding a yellow school bus each day they hop on the ferry that transports them to Marsh Harbor where they board a bus to the school.
We removed the dink and circled through the three marinas in the harbor checking out boats/ their homeports and boat names. We also motored over to the mouth of the harbor into a little protected area where the water looked real shallow and clear. We found out later when looking at the charts that it is called Fanny Bay. The water was so clear we were concerned that we might run aground, but when testing the depth with the oar, we found it to be more that 5 feet deep. There were also star fish and conch shells on the bottom and several sting rays swimming around.
Willie and Jean’s friends, Steve and Kim invited all of us over to their boat for cocktails. Their homeport is Kansas but they have lived in Marsh Harbor for over a year chartering their boat for Boy Scout adventures and individual charters. I had never heard about this opportunity for scouts to go out in a sailboat for a week; learning how to sail and maintain a boat, cooking duties as well as cleaning the head, etc. The organization is called, Florida Sea Base, Bahamian Adventure. We had seen a group of scouts go out on a boat earlier in the day, guessing their ages to be 14-18 years old. I was really interested in all aspects of this charter, asking all kinds of questions, of which Steve and Kim were more than happy to explain. My Steve said he would have “walked to Marsh Harbor” when he was that age to have the opportunity go out sailing on these charters. We enjoyed sitting around their table, eating Kim’s delicious homemade pizza and sharing stories. What at great couple! Visit their web site for more information and pictures at: http://www.natureswaydreams.com.
Our dinghy ride home was very romantic; a gorgeous clear night with thousands of stars in the sky and a dramatic, full moon shining down on the water, emitting a memorable reflection . It was good I was not steering; it would have been a dangerous ride home.
Monday, April 21
The morning starts again with coffee and the Cruiser Net at 8:15 a.m. with Patty on Blue Dolphin in one of the marinas at Marsh Harbor. We always need information about the weather and sometimes we enjoy the other new items. Once the program is over around 9:00 a.m., we go about our day’s plans.
Godfrey, a Bahamian native, motored over to Little Wing selling “fresh” conch shells. Steve wanted to haggle with him about the price, but I wanted to give him a fair shake for his efforts to harvest the shells. They were really neat so we bought some to take home as souvenirs. Steve and I began to work to scrub the grubby stuff off the shells using a scrub brush, tooth brush, and scratch pad. We then soaked them in Clorox water which helped to remove the gunk. No wonder conch shells are expensive in gift shops; it takes a lot of time, destroys your fingernails and makes your hands smell like Clorox after you finish cleaning them.
To get off the boat this afternoon, we motored over to the dinghy dock, walked to the marinas, restaurants and gift shops about a mile down the harbor road. Steve continues to be patient with my shopping excursions. He generally walks around the shop once, checks out the t-shirts and then sits outside. I am on the hunt for local, original art for our bedroom, giving me an excuse to enter any shop that looks interesting. I did find one gallery open and one closed with a sign that read, “Gone for lunch, be back at 1:30.” I can’t believe how many businesses will just “close the door.” We have even noticed that some small marinas have this same policy.
Our last stop was Martin’s Grocery. A large warehouse building which resembles a Costco or Sam’s at home. We didn’t have many items on our list, but felt the need to explore what was available in the store. Most of the fresh produce is very expensive. Gala apples were $1 each, a bunch of romaine leaves were $4, tomatoes look terrible and were expensive. I found it interesting to find red peppers less than bell peppers prompting me to buy one for our pasta salad.
We were scurrying to get back to the boat due to the dark clouds in the sky. Just as we arrived at the dinghy dock, we began to feel sprinkles. Because the tide was falling many of the dinghy props were aground, including ours. There were several other folks trying to get into their dinghy’s and back to their boats before the rain really started falling, also. There were several older couples that we assisted with their bags and boats causing us to delay our departure. We finally got our purchases in the boat but the rain caught us on the trip across the harbor. Nothing like soaked sailors!
Now that I have Key Lime juice, I can prepare the Key Lime pie Steve requested. We thought we would invite Willie and Jean over for dessert after dinner tonight and I needed to chill the pie once it was baked. My pie recipe calls for four ingredients which makes it very easy to prepare on the boat. One can sweetened condensed milk mixed with 3-4 beaten egg yolks; gradually pour in ½ cup Key Lime juice while stirring, mix and pour into one graham cracker pie shell. Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Garnish with Whip Cream and Key Lime slices. (The Whip Cream at the grocery was $7 for one can. We opted for only the Key Lime slices!)
After that task was completed, Steve suggested we take the dinghy over to the dinghy dock at The Jib Room, a restaurant/bar, and walk over to the other side of the island to check out Mermaid Reef and watch the sunset. There are a few spots with small sandy beaches but most of the shore line is coral. We carefully maneuvered over jagged, pointed edges, jumped over deep holes worn out by century’s of erosion from the pounding surf and checked out hermit crabs attached to the coral.
Sunsets in these islands are so different than they are at home. It is like you are within reach of the sun. The yellow, yellow orange is so saturated with color, especially as it meets the horizon. It is breathtaking. I probably have more sunset pictures than anything else. I need to invest in a digital camera with a filter on the lens for these shots. My little point-and-shot doesn’t capture the true beauty that we have witnessed on these occasions.
After dinner, we enjoyed our dessert, Steve listened to music and I worked on the blog.
Tuesday, April 22
We listened to the Cruiser’s Net at 8:15 a.m., checked emails and made a few calls with our strong Internet signal.Steve assembled the snorkeling equipment for our excursions first to Fanny Bay then on to Mermaid Reef. The water was a little chopping going out the channel; waves were hitting the dinghy on the bow getting me soaked. The sun was out; the temperature was in the low 80’s as we headed to Fanny Bay. We brought our net hook to scoop up star fish and conch shells if we saw any. Again the water was so clear we thought it was 3-4 feet deep to find that our net handle would not reach the bottom. The current was too rough for me to capture our treasures so Steve had to take over the task. Several times we almost fell into the water. We were able to snag two star fish and one conch shell before we grew tired and decided to snorkel.
Fanny Bay was a good spot to practice using our new fins and getting back into the swing of snorkeling. Once we had explored the bay long enough to determine there were no fish and very few shells, Steve decided we could make it to Mermaid Reef via motoring through a small opening and channel of a private residence. My job was to use the oar and check the depth so we would not run aground. Such important tasks he assigns his First Mate!
Several boats were at the reef snorkeling as we hooked up to a mooring ball. As soon as Steve jumped in the water, he said the fish started swimming his way. Kim and Steve told us that if you throw out popcorn in the water the fish will come to feed. I guess they thought Steve had food. The fish were all sizes from 20 inches long to little 3 inch sizes. Their colors were incredibly vibrant and luminous from a deep dark blue to bright yellow, pearl, tangerine green, orange and many other combinations,. I kept having trouble with my Wal-Mart mask so I was not having as much fun as Steve with his diving mask I had given him for his birthday. Looks like I will have to invest in a better mask for the next trip. The water was also pretty rough and we didn’t have any type of life jacket to keep me a float while I was trying to adjust the mask. Hopefully, we will be able to snorkel on several other reefs in the area. After all that exertion, we napped after lunch, scrubbed on the conch shells some more and read.
It is unique how you continue to run into the same cruisers on your stops. As we were sitting in the cockpit, who but Caloosa Spirit and Lady Hawk motor in to the harbor and anchor in front of us. I wonder where they have been since departing Green Turtle Cay on Friday. We will have to dinghy over for details.
Entertainment for the evening while the generator charged the batteries was to watch “An Unforgettable Life” with Robert Redford and Jennifer Lopas. Willie has an extensive collection of DVD’s and suggested we might enjoy this movie.
We had a prediction of 10-15 knot winds during the night from the north, northwest. Hope we don’t have any problems!
Wednesday, April 23
The Cruiser’s Net is such a routine these days that I feel like I know Patty first hand! One of the unique local cruiser customs on the radio is to clap by clicking your hand held vhf radio over and over. It makes a clicking sound which represents clapping. I couldn’t figure out what was happening this morning when Patty said, “Let’s applaud their efforts.” Steve had to fill me in. Steve defrosted the freezer after breakfast and I worked on the blog. This is considered our work for the day!
While Steve was out visiting Willie to check on their itinerary, I prepared chicken pasta salad. We decided to eat a late lunch at Jamie’s Place, a local restaurant in Marsh Harbor, check out the Moorings charter fleet, get ice and rum and Steve wanted to purchase a t-shirt he saw at Mangoes. We strolled around several art galleries and souvenirs shops before making our purchases and returning to the boat.
It was a pretty uneventful afternoon of napping and reading. Steve making plans to head to Hope Town on Elbow Cay tomorrow. We enjoyed sundowners, watched the sunset, ate pasta salad for dinner along with a Key Lime Pie slice, listened to music and read. What a life!
Thursday, April 24
After our routine Cruiser’s Net broadcast, I called Hope Town Marina looking for a mooring ball or slip. Plans were to visit several of the cay’s in the Marsh Harbor Triangle; Hope Town on Elbow Cay, Man-O-Way Cay and possibly Great Guana Cay.
Nothing was available at Hope Town Marina but we felt like by the time we arrived in the harbor we could find at least a mooring ball. Steve conferred with Willie about our plans and found out they were heading to Great Guana Cay for a few days meeting up with Kim and Steve. We hoisted the motor on to the mounting and stowed everything for the trip. By 10:30 a.m. we were ready to pull up the anchor and head out the channel.
The wind was 15-20 knots from the east, northeast causing quite a chop on the water with 2-4 foot waves hitting us on the bow. So much so that my sunglasses would get splashed and I would be forced to clean them to see where I was steering. Too bad the wind was coming in on the nose; we could have had a nice sail. Even without the sails up, it was nice to get out in the water and off our anchorage.
Hope Town’s most prominent landmark, the Elbow Reef lighthouse, comes into view guiding you as your point of sail once you clear Mat Lowe’s Cay. Built in 1864, this is one of only three remaining lighthouses in the Bahamas. It must be hand wound by the lighthouse keepers every two hours during the night, using a vapor burner and unique Fresnel “bull’s eyes” lenses that concentrate the light so that it is visible for 15 miles. There are 101 steps to the top, but it’s well worth the climb, not only to learn how the lighthouse works, but also to take in the stunning views over the harbor and neighboring cays.
As we approach Hope Town Harbor we radioed asking for availability of a slip or mooring ball. No one answered but we found an empty mooring. It happened to be to Moon River. a Cabo Rico sailboat, we had meet while in Green Turtle Cay at Bluff House Marina. We attached to the mooring ball without any difficulty, talked with Jeff and Lee on Moon River and ate lunch. Steve went below to take a nap while I read about Hope Town in the Cruiser’s Guide. The best way to describe Hope Town and Elbow Cay so you can picture it in your mind’s eye would be that it is very similar to Sea Side only smaller. Beautiful pastel painted homes along the bank of the harbor. I couldn’t wait to get on the island and walk around. To port, we were staring up at the Elbow Reef lighthouse. I was very excited had already planned to take “lots of pictures” at sunset of the lighthouse.
Unfortunately, a catamaran motored close to Little Wing about this time, informing me we were on their mooring. I woke Steve up and we quickly made preparations to move. Steve made several quick calls again to the two marinas without any luck finding a mooring. Our only choice was to leave. We said goodbye to our friends on Moon River and headed out the channel.
Steve asked me about anchoring in the lee of the cay once we were out of the channel, but I said I thought we should just go back to Marsh Harbor. I didn’t want to anchor in an area we didn’t know well with 10-15 knot winds predicted. We motored in silence because we were disappointed we had to leave Hope Town and return to Marsh Harbor. Maybe tomorrow!
Once anchored in Marsh Harbor, Steve finished his nap while I sat in the cockpit and read. Bruce from Lady Hawk came by inviting us to their one month anniversary away from Marathon on Caloosa Spirit. Great! We needed to get off the boat and talk with other folks. We enjoyed listening to their stories about living on their boats fulltime and we compared notes about various places we had traveled. A quick shower forced Bruce and Dawn back to their boat to close hatches and ports. Steve makes sure when we leave the boat for any period of time that all ports and hatches are closed. He said he had read too many stories of cruisers having to dry out their bed linens and mattress because they had left their hatch open. I am grateful for his foresight!
We ate a quick dinner, listened to music and got to bed early.
Friday, April 25, 2008
We are becoming regular morning Cruiser Net junkies! We get the weather, the national news, a report about crossing the Gulf Stream and Whale Cay Passage, local activities, a trivia question and occasionally a few other stories and tidbits of interest. We generally sit in the cockpit, drinking our last cup of coffee during the 30-45 minutes we listen. Today was no different.
After the broadcast, I hooked up to the Internet and called Hope Town Marina. We have a mooring reserved for us for two days and are getting ready to make the same trip. Steve said the weather would be great to sail and make sure everything was stowed securely. We had a great sail with 10-15 knots of wind making 6 knots. Since we had made this trip yesterday, we felt like “pros,” having no difficulty attaching to our mooring ball. Jeff, from Moon River, noticed we were back and motored over in his dinghy to invite us for cocktails on their boat.
We tossed the dinghy off the bow of the boat and secured the motor for our trip across the harbor to first visit the lighthouse and then the other side of the island where more of the shops and houses were located as well as the Atlantic Ocean beach. I couldn’t wait to take the 101 steps to the top of the lighthouse for a view of the island, the ocean, and the outlaying islands. I was quite surprised to find the inside of the lighthouse had been painted a hot pink and the steps were painted a lime green. I guess it was such a contrast from the candy-strip red and white outside colors. Several landings as we walked up had beautiful arched windows that you could look out. The windows were all open, forcing a warm breezy throughout the lighthouse. Once at the top of the lighthouse, we were able to view the interworking mechanism. I wasn’t sure I understood how it all worked and decided to investigate the Internet when I could. To get out on the circular ledge, you have to squat down and step through a very small door. What a view! I hope I can get my pictures in a web album so you can see what I am trying to describe in words. The panoramic view was magnificent! The trip down the stairs didn’t take as long as the walk up. We stopped by the Lighthouse Marina to check out the gift shop and headed to the other side of the island to the public dock.
I kept stopping every few minutes to take pictures as we walked along the narrow paved walkway/street. Only golf carts are allowed on these walkways except a few municipal trucks and delivery trucks. We found the path to the beach and decided to check it out. I can’t even begin to describe how gorgeous this site was as we stood on this high cliff above the ocean. I keep writing how breathtaking the color of the water is, I wish I could capture it in words or photos to share with you. We took our shoes off, walked to the edge of the water where the waves were breaking and along the beach. The coral beds are along the beach edge forcing you to be very careful were you step. The pink color in the sand is due to the inclusion of conch shells finely crushed by wave action over the reef. When you squish the creamy sand between your toes, you can see tiny grains of red and pink. I love it! We didn’t find many shells on the beach and those we picked up were very small. We made it back to the dinghy finally after going into several gift shops and checking out the grocery store.
Sunset was enjoyed on Moon River with Jeff and Lee getting to learn more about their travels and picking up some hints from Lee about living on a boat for extended periods of time. Most all women cruisers I talk with hate making the bed. The mattress is a strange shape, you have no room to tuck in the corners, and it always looks unmade. Lee saw a mattress sack at a boat show in Annapolis that solved her woes about making a bed. She found a lady to custom make the bed sack to fit their almost king size mattress. It looks similar to a sleeping bag but without the zipper. She attaches two flat sheets inside the quilted duvet storing it in the day under the mattress in a locker then pulling it out at night and laying on top of the bed. They just crawl between the sheets, have a padded bottom side and a light top cover. Looks like something I may have to make for Little Wing before our next trip. They also told us about a local fish market that had fresh Wahoo. We put that on our list of places to stop at tomorrow. Fresh grilled Wahoo for dinner sounded great.
We had a short dinghy over to Capt’n Jack’s for dinner. They were crowded and we waited almost an hour for our dinner. Steve ordered a cheeseburger and I had the coconut battered shrimp with plantains and fries. My meal was great! We enjoyed watching the lighthouse keeper fire up the lamp and see the light rotate.
Saturday, April 26
We had a relaxing morning watching the boaters come and go in the harbor with our front row mooring. We discovered a fishing tournament was going on with one of weigh in stations at the Lighthouse Marina across from Little Wing. Steve watched with the binoculars and brought my attention to the larger tuna at weigh-in. We took off again to hit the remaining two or three t-shirt shops we had missed yesterday, go to the beach and purchase our Wahoo for dinner.
Dinner was delicious. Steve marinated the Wahoo in House Italian Dressing then basted them while cooking with a mixture of lime and orange juice with a little Teriyaki sauce because we didn’t have any soy sauce. I prepared some polenta with peas and made a tossed salad. One of our best meals on the trip!
I wanted to watch the lighthouse keeper tonight through the binoculars to follow his procedure to light the vapor lamp. While we were waiting we were able to enjoy the sunset and the conch chorus. This is my favorite stop on the trip thus far. I like the quaintness of the island, the pretty pastel cottages, the slow pace atmosphere and the gorgeous beach.
I was so mesmerized by the lighthouse, watching through the binoculars as the lighthouse keeper and his helper worked to get the light on, I searched on the Internet for more information about the whole procedure. This is a short synopsis of one article. “The lighthouse is one of the few remaining manned lighthouses in The Bahamas, with a Fresnel (bulls-eye) lens that focuses, magnifies, and directs the light from a kerosene vapor lamp outward, where it is visible up to 20 miles off-shore. The lens floats in a pool of mercury to keep it level and eliminates friction. The rotating mechanism must be rewound by hand every hour and a half. The lighthouse is worth the 101 steps, not only for the view, but also to see and appreciate this beautiful bet of maritime heritage.” What a memorable last evening in Elbow Cay.
Sunday, April 27
We had reserved the mooring in Elbow Cay for two nights, thinking me might stay another night if the weather did not look favorable to sail back to Marsh Harbor on Sunday then onto Man-O-War Cay on Monday. We felt we had pretty much seen Hope Town and knew our time was closing in on us to start our journey back to Florida. We woke up to a beautiful morning; breezy, cool and sunny with 10-15 knots of wind from the east, southeast, lending itself to a great day to sail. We drank our coffee, listened to the Cruiser’s Net for the weather and passage information and ate our bowl of cereal.
Steve tossed around the idea of moving on making the Whale Cay Passage today, based on the reports of 3-4 foot seas and 10-15 knots of wind. I really wanted to hang around and visit Man-O-War Cay and possibly Great Guana Cay before we made the passage, but I kept quiet while he decided what would be our best choice. While I was washing and drying my hair, (I can use the blow dryer when the generator is running) Steve decided we would wait a few more days instead of rushing this morning to get everything ready to make the passage. That made me happy.
Our friends on Satisfaction were returning to Marsh Harbor toda,y giving us an opportunity to spend a little more time with them before we head home. Steve suggested we take the ferry over to Man-O-War Cay on Monday instead of sailing Little Wing, hoping that Willie and Jean might want to join us. That seemed like a good plan to me. We scurried around getting everything secured for the short sail; hatches and ports closed and galley items packed away. I thought we were ready to go when Steve said we needed to wait until 10:30 a.m. at least, because high tide was not until 1:45 p.m, The three times we have motored through this very narrow channel we did it during high tide with depths between 5-8 feet. We sure didn’t want to run aground. I picked up my smocking to occupy the time but Steve began to get a little impatient. I guess he wanted to get out in the Sea of Abaco again and sail Little Wing. Finally, he said, “Let’s go!”
I stood on the pulpit checking the water depths as we eased along the channel. Sometimes it is hard to discern if the water is really shallow; you have shallow spots that are very dark in color due to the grass on the bottom and other areas where the water is deep, light colored and very clear. Go figure! I wasn’t sure if my lookout was going to be beneficial, but when the captain says do something; you don’t question him, you just do it! It is a pretty good spot on the boat to ride.
Once we made it through the channel and out into the Sea of Abaco, I took over steering, turned us into the wind, while Steve rolled the main sail out. We had 10-12 knots of wind, sailing on a beam reach. Steve rolled the jib out and we were motoring sailing around 6 knots, happy sailors in the Bahamas. Since we were not on a schedule today, Steve turned off the engine, allowing us to move, oh so silently through the water. For those of you who have experienced this sublime feeling during sailing, you know how blessed we feel to be living in our dreams.
I turned the helm over to Steve and moved to the bow of the boat to enjoy the ride. Steve tacked several times in route to the Marsh Harbor channel to allow us more sailing time before we headed into the entrance channel. I finally moved back to the cockpit and steered while Steve pulled the main sail in on our approach to Marsh Harbor. It was a near perfect day on the Sea of Abaco.
A regatta was in progress as we approached Marsh Harbor, finding ourselves on the outskirts of the race course. I wanted to take pictures so I turned the helm back over to Steve, grabbing both by camcorder and digital camera as Lazer sailboats were tacking, heading our way. We had several boats almost touch us on the starboard and stern. I have some great shots. We also overheard a pretty mad sailor talking with a race official about another boat interfering in some way. Most of the guys/girls on these boats looked between 15-18 years old.
From all indications, the race course had fallen right in the same area as our last anchorage. Luckily, the race was over just as we were ready to drop anchor. We had hoped to get in the same generally area as the last time we anchored, knowing that Willie and Jean would be back on their mooring later today.
Satisfaction radioed they were leaving Treasure Cay but with the wind on their nose it would probably be late afternoon before they arrived in Marsh Harbor. We talked about our plans for tomorrow, inviting them to go with us to Man-O-War Cay on the ferry. Willie and Steve tossed around their thoughts about the weather window for the next week and why it would be better for us to make Whale Cay Passage tomorrow. If we don’t go tomorrow, we might have to wait another week. We needed to go!
Monday, April 28
I do not want to start the journey home today, there are still several places we haven’t visited; Man-O-War Cay, Treasure Cay and Great Guana Cay before we make the passage through Whale Cay. Maybe we can at least stop at Manjack Cay after leaving Green Turtle Cay for one night. Lee and Jeff said the snorkeling was great. We decided to spend two nights at Green Turtle Cay possibly in a slip the last night so Steve could purchase a little water to wash the salt off the sailboat if we didn’t get enough rain. Hopefully, I will also be able to post this blog.
Word from boats already through the passage indicated we needed to get going today. The dinghy had to be hoisted on board, equipment stowed again, charts reviewed identifying our course and noted for reference, goodbyes to Caloosa Spirit, Lady Hawk and of course Satisfaction. We had much to do before our 10:00 a.m. departure.
We enjoyed a nice motor sail at 5 knots on a 325 degree magnetic course, with 5-10 knots of wind from the east, southeast, putting the jib out for a few more knots of speed. We motor sailed about two hours until we reached the ship channel at Great Guana Cay. Again, we were enamored with the beautiful color of the water along the course.
Steve double checked his way points that I had written down on our log on the previous passage with Willie and Jean. We noticed several other boats in the channel and fell behind two catamarans. As we cleared the last point of land on Great Guana Cay, the waves began to pick up in size and intensity hitting us on the starboard rear corner, rocking the boat. We could see the Whale Cay in the distance and see the waves crossing against the coral 10-12 feet high. Once we cleared the last channel marker, we were in the north Atlantic. Waves were growing larger, but nothing Little Wing couldn’t handle. We continued on to our first way point taking us about 30 minutes going straight out before we could turn North West running parallel to Whale Cay. The waves were large, but just rollers that would lift the boat up then slide down the back side of the wave with an occasional wave twice as large as the others. They weren’t breaking-no problem. We continued another 30 minutes going the 2 ½ mile length of the cay reaching our second way point, turning west to enter the channel on the north end of Whale Cay. Now the waves were coming at us from the stern, increasing our speed as we surfed down the face of some of the bigger waves. It was about this time we noticed a freighter heading for the same narrow channel as we were, probably going twice our speed. We were committed at this point to go forward; turning around was not an option as the seas were too large. Steve increased speed, heading straight for the cut. This is the most intense part of the cut, as the swells of the Atlantic are hitting a 12 foot deep shoal. All of a sudden, the depth recorder went from 50 foot to under 20 foot; we knew we were at the cut. At the same time a larger wave picked the boat up and we surfaced down the face of the wave at an alarming speed. We looked back once more at the freighter as he was gaining on us. Steve altered his course slightly north and the freighter went around us on the port side.
The water was still rough but we knew we were in safe territory now. We could breathe easier! After about another 30-45 minutes of somewhat rolling waves, we ducked behind an island that blocked the big rollers and the Sea of Abaco became much calmer. We noticed the wind had increased after going through the cut, so we hoisted the sails, making 6 knots to the channel marker for Green Turtle Cay/White Sound.
The sail was a nice reward for us after meeting the challenge of the Whale Cay passage without the benefit of our guide, Satisfaction. We rolled up all the sails just as we entered the narrow channel, motoring along looking for an anchorage for the night. Since we had spent several days in White Sound a little over a week ago, we had a feel for where we wanted to anchor. Unfortunately, we had difficulty in three different spots getting a good holding. I finally told Steve, “Let’s go into the Bluff House Marina.” He agreed without having to twist his arm.
It was mid-afternoon by the time the boat was tied down. Steve left to assist Ron, the dock master, with other sailboats as they docked. The wind had begun to blow from 10-12 knots making docking a little tricky. We knew all about this from past experience and were more than willing to assist boaters with this task. I walked up this “really” steep hill to the Bluff House Marine office to swap the books I had finished reading for other books. I guess Steve took I nap while I was gone!
Our friends, Jeff and Lee on Moon River, were two slips over from us. We first meet them in this same marina during the horrible three days of high winds and dragging boats you read about in the last log. We discussed the weather and thoughts concerning the best day to making the Gulf Stream jump.
Steve and I toasted each other with congratulations for the accomplishment of the day and ate spaghetti for dinner. Steve listened to Joni Mitchell while I began reading “The Broker” by John Grisham’s. We were content!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Finally in the Bahamas
I am having difficulty posting pictures on the blog. Please forgive me. Maybe I can figure out how to get them on Picasso and attached to the blog, now that I have a little time.
Friday, April 11
I was able to Skype Catherine and Jacob this afternoon in the library. If you are not familiar with Skype, it is an Internet hookup which allows you to see and talk with someone. You also have the capability to participate in a three way Skype or just make an international phone call. We hope to use this form of communication when we arrive in the Bahamas and have an Internet signal. Charlie, the guy who sailed with Steve on the first leg of the trip, introduced this technology to me. I was so excited to see Jacob again. It wasn’t as good as being there in person, but I will take what I can.
When I finished working in the library, I walked a couple of blocks to Archie’s Pizza to meet Steve and Clint, who were already enjoying beers and appetizers. They ate pizza and I had a veggie calzone for dinner. We made a quick grocery run to “top off” our provisions before our early morning departure tomorrow.
Once back at the boat, I stored the provisions and worked getting the boat secured for the trip. Steve met with Willie to go over the charts and plans for the crossing in the morning. Thank goodness there were not as many loud boaters in the harbor tonight. At least we could get a few hours sleep before our 3:00 a.m. wake up alarm.
Saturday, April 12
We were awake and ready to pull the hook at 3:30 a.m. with the intention of motoring out the harbor, waiting for Satisfaction to follow. The weather was as advertised; 15-20 knots from the south, southeast. We motored in the Cape Florida Channel which meets the Biscayne Bay Channel in the Atlantic Ocean. By 4:30 a.m. we were out in the Atlantic, heading towards the Gulf Stream and beyond to the Bahamas. We had already set the main, as that is easier to accomplish heading into the wind. After we got our course set, Steve rolled the jib out increasing our cruising speed between 6-7 knots. As if on cue, the electronics went dead again almost at the same location as we were a week ago. We radioed Satisfaction and told them our situation; after a discussion of what to do, they agreed to allow us to continue with them and be our guide. We felt like going back was not an option. It would be daylight soon and the weather was not as rowdy as last week. Steve felt he could get the electronics repaired while in the Bahamas for our return trip home. The main problem without electronics would be we have to steer ourselves without the use of the audio pilot.
Steve purchased extra fuses in Key Biscayne and decided he would try replacing the fuse to see if the electronics could be reactivated. It worked but only for less than 5 minutes. With only 2 fuses remaining, we decided to continue steering and wait until we arrived in Marsh Harbor to get it repaired.
The skyline of Miami is quite impressive creating a beautiful scene as we made progress along the coastline. One piece of equipment working to our benefit was our radar. Since Satisfaction didn’t have radar, we were the lookout for other boats in the area. We noticed a large objects eight miles north east of us approaching rapidly; notified Satisfaction of this and within a short time we could see the lights of a large cruise ship heading to Miami, across our course. By the time we saw the ship, the sky was getting lighter and we could see the behemoth approaching. This was cause for concern. Cruise ships travel as fast as 20 knots an hour and were closing in on us very fast. Just as Steve was planning to radio the cruise ship, the captain radioed us first, wanting to know our course and intentions. We assured him he did not need to change course, we were turning to port to allow him plenty of room to pass. He was gracious and appreciated our yielding to his vessel. He wished us a safe voyage and we reciprocated.
The sun rise appeared and we could tell we were in very deep water based on the dark cobalt color. This color is hard to describe unless you have seen it. I took a picture, of course, but I don’t think I captured the true essence of the scene. The water was approximately 2000 feet deep. Willie’s depth instrument just read “deep.” We had on board our handheld GPS allowing us to determine our location and speed. We knew we were in the Gulf Stream based on the 8.5 -9.5 over ground speed registering on the GPS. I might add, the fastest Little Wing had every sailed. It was almost a perfect day; breezy, with seas of no more than 4 feet. All things considered, we had an enjoyable motor sailing afternoon.
We started our shifts on the helm, 45 minutes on, 45 minutes off. By the time your watch was over, you could feel the tiredness in your neck and shoulders. Steering a 2300 pound boat through 3-4 foot swells is quite taxing. We encountered along our course a large container ship heading north, overtaking us very quickly and a freighter, probably headed to Bimini.
We sited land at West End on the Grand Bahamas Island around 4:00 p.m. It was decided to push on, entering the Bahama Bank at Memory Rock. This landmark is an isolated plug of rock hardly big enough to support a shack, but there’s a light on it. It’s a stake light, not a lighthouse, and it may, or may not, work. There’s a shipwreck on the reefs about 2 miles to the south, and another 2 wrecks some 6 miles to the north. None of these are visible. Satisfaction’s draft of 5’9” would make the passage at Indian Cay too risky. It is breathtaking to go from the deep midnight blue to the light turquoise color of the Bahamas Bank. It is intimidating to think of the ocean floor rising at such a rapid pace as you travel from a thousand feet depth to 15 feet depth of the Bahama Bank. Everything you have heard about the color of the water in the Bahamas is true. It is spectacular! You can literally see the bottom clearly in 20 foot of water. Finally, we have arrived in the Bahamas! After we were welcomed to the Bahamas by Satisfaction, we set a course to Mangrove Cay, approximately 20 miles away. This would mean a night landfall, but conditions were ideal for anchoring.
We were operating on Channel 68 between our two boats; by chance, two boats we overtook, were using the same channel. We overheard their banter as they relayed their thoughts to each other and made their plans. Willie contacted “Dreamer” and it was decided all four boats would anchor together. Initially, the other two boats were thinking of anchoring on the Bank, but Willie told them we were going to head for Mangrove Cay for a more secure anchorage in the lee of the island. The winds were 5-10 knots, blowing from the south with 2-4 foot seas. We were still motoring sailing, averaging 6 knots.
We overheard Dreamer mention passing through a school of dolphins alerting us to be on the lookout. Once Steve saw them, I turned on my video camera and starting shooting them playing along beside the boat. They would dart in to the bow and sharply cut back out. Some were even jumping over each other, coming out of the water and diving back in at an angle. We were entertained for 15-20 minutes and I have video to prove it this time!
We all agreed to push on to Memory Rock with our ETA approximately 10:00 p.m. Normally this would not be a good idea at night, but conditions were good and the charts indicated no shoals or obstacles in our path. Dreamer and Piccadillo were both ahead of us approximately one hour. Piccadillo arrived at the anchorage around 8:30 p.m. anchoring just before dark. He turned on his anchor lights and other lights to give us a point of reference as we headed to the north side of the island in the dark. Piccadillio warned us of a marker stake with no lights that was approximately one-half mile off the coast. This could cause a hazard for us if we were not cautious as we headed in toward the islands. We could see Dreamer ahead as well as Satisfaction which made our passage “fool proof.” We put the anchor down some 17 hours after leaving Miami. We had finally made it to the Bahamas.
We toasted the day and saluted our successful passage without the aid of our autopilot or other navigational instruments. Steve pointed the spotlight into the crystal clear water surprisingly seeing the anchor some 12 feet below. Steve heated a can of potato soup that we shared for a quick, late dinner. After talking over plans for tomorrow with Willie, we crawled into bed around 11:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 13
We were up by 6:30 a.m. renewed from a fairly restful night’s sleep. We had just enough time this morning to prepare coffee and drink one cup when Willie radioed that we would be leaving in 20 minutes. We hurried around making sure everything was secured when we realized a squall was approaching. For about 30 minutes we had heavy rains and slight winds from the northwest. After the three squalls we had experienced at No Name Harbor last weekend, this one was a “baby.”
Finally, around 8:15 a.m. we pulled up the anchor, headed to Spanish Cay. We contacted Dreamer and Picadillo to thank them for their assistance and hoped that we might run into them again on our journey. We headed 80 degrees magnetic with 5-10 knot winds from the south. Steve set the main sail and later the jib as we moved east along the northern Abaco Cays.
Our next waypoint was Great Sale Cay some 20 miles northeast. We began noticing a dark low cloud following us from the south. We talked with Willie and both noticed it and began making preparation by shortening the sails and getting the rain gear on deck. After rounding the north end of Great Sale Cay, the squall caught up with us with winds first then the rain. With what we had seen previously, it was not so severe. Within 30 minutes the squall moved passed us and we set our course to Spanish Cay some 40 miles to the east.
Several times we noticed Satisfaction would veer to the port side with no one at the helm. The autopilot was having trouble all day. We gave them no sympathy, as we had not had autopilot since Miami. Willie continued trying to diagnose the problem, but never seemed to get it working accurately. Finally, they gave up and steered the boat themselves.
We continued along The Sea of Abaco with little incidents. We were protected by the smaller islands on the north and the Grand Bahama Island on the south. Within a narrow breadth of roughly 3 nautical miles this ocean/bank interface zone includes seven cays, five of which are uninhabited. We passed Great Sale Cay, Carters Cay, Moraine Cay, Hawksbill Cay, and then Allans-Pensacolo Cay. Just south of this Cay, we passed the Center of the World Rock, a mass of rough, jagged rocks. We also passed Crab Cay on Little Abaco Island to the south of us.
We had Spanish Cay in site around 4:00 p.m., radioing ahead to confirm our slips. They would meet us at the slip and assist us in docking the boats. Satisfaction went in first through a narrow sea wall docking stern first. We came in next and secured the boat with aid from Willie, Jean and the dock master. We took extra precaution to secure the boats due to a very strong northern front approaching Spanish Cay. While checking in the marina we asked if the restaurant would stay open for us to eat and they agreed. We needed a shower and a good meal. We spoke with several couples coming out of the restaurant who highly recommended the grilled grouper.
Steve attached the quarantine flag to its line and hoisted it up. He said he had been waiting a long time to put this flag on Little Wing. For those of you who do not know about a quarantine flag, it is a regulation requirement that you fly a yellow flag to notify officials you are entering their territory. You must fly this flag until you clear through customs. Plans were to take care of the necessary steps in the morning with the customs official.
While waiting for Willie and Jean to meet us, Steve and I talked with the marina owner and the chef. It seems the marina owner also like to cook encouraging me to try the rum cake he had prepared for dessert. I asked the chef about the grouper and he said “they were swimming in the sea yesterday.” How fresh can you get? We all four ordered the grouper and I order the rum cake. When it arrived the slice was so large everyone had to help me eat it. The meal was quite pricey but we rationalized that we had “earned it.” After dinner we sat on the porch rocking in the gliders and talking about the plans for the next day.
Spanish Cay Marina hoist many fishing tournaments. It is a small island, only 3 miles long with about 300 acres of rocky property. I inquired about the population and the marina owner said only 3 people live there, two of which were moving the next day. There are a few privately owned homes and condominiums you can lease orrent, an airplane runway on the opposite end of the island from the marine, beaches and a small grocery/liquor store in the marina.
Monday, April 14
Bright and early the customs official knocked on our boat. I invited her on board and asked what type of papers I needed to have available for her inspection. I woke Steve up from a dead sleep so he could get dressed, while I started the coffee and changed clothes. She was very nice and kept saying she would come back later, but I wanted to get this task over. Everything was going smoothly, even when Steve was asked if we had any weapons on board. She didn’t blink an eye when he told her what kind. I thought we might be in a little trouble when Steve had difficulty producing the registration numbers. Steve confess after she left and we were official that he was not sure what he was writing down or what he said after she left . I think he was still half asleep. I was excited to finally get my passport stamped! After filling out all the paperwork, producing our passports and paying our $300, we were welcomed to the Bahamas. We were pleased that the process was very easy based on the horror stories we have heard from other cruisers about corrupt officials taking advantage of boaters in the past. Steve took the quarantine flay down and raised the Bahamian courtesy flag up the starboard spreader on a halyard.
Willie and Steve decided we could make our next port today before the northerly front arrived. Because Green Turtle Cay was only a four hour motor sail, we were not leaving Spanish Cay until noon. Steve defrosted the refrigerator and I walked around the facilities taking pictures.
After several days trying to solve the problems with the failed electronics, Steve had this idea (he said he dreamed it) there might be a problem with the GPS mounting. He decided to check the wire that goes from the GPS antenna to the junction box. This allows all the electronic equipment to communicate. Being 10 foot up made it difficult to reach. With help from Willie, Steve managed to stand on top of the bimini frame and the outboard motor, getting a close look at the cable. After getting enough slack in the cable to pull out of the mount, sure enough, the wire had chafed through and exposed bare wire. Obviously, this was the culprit; the person that rigged the boat did a poor job installing the system. With electrical tape in hand and wire ties, Steve rerouting the cable, covered the bare wires, and secured the cable to the mounting. He turned on the electronics and they worked! The test will be when we get out in rough water and the GPS mount swings. I asked later how he tracked the problem back to the GPS and he said there had to be a common denominator since the fuse blew in the exact same situation almost in the same spot. He also said the chafing probably happened on the guys crossing when the weather was so rough and they bounced around all night.
I walked around the marina getting shots of the swimming pool/hot tub, the cabanas, the beautiful cliff views of the Sea of Abaco and other interesting shots. We once again checked to made sure everything was stowed securely. We needed a few supplies from the marina grocery store but after checking the prices we only purchased two double A batteries for the hand held radio. Half gallon milk was $4, romaine leaves $5, apples $2 each.
We pulled out of Spanish Cay Marina at 12:20 p.m. with the wind hitting us on the stern not giving us enough to get the main out. Steve tried getting a little bust from the jib as we kept tacking. We check out the cays and private islands with the binoculars and wondered who might own them. Some were quite spectacular. Satisfaction still had trouble with the autopilot again deciding to give it up and steer themselves. We enjoyed our autopilot working and Steve enjoyed exploring his charts as we motored along the Sean of Abaco.
It was decided Little Wing would enter White Sound channel first, as our draft was less than Satisfaction and we could test the depth then radio it back to them. The channel is approximately 30 feet wide with small red and green floating balls as channel markers. Of course, the wind was being to blow strong. Along the channel we encountered water no less than 7.5 foot. We motored around the harbor searching for a spot to anchor. This protected harbor looked much No Name Harbor in Miami with the exception of the private owned mooring balls spread around the harbor. We found a spot but it was not a good hold and we moved to another spot with success. With the northern winds in excess of 30 knots predicted to move into the area, a secure anchorage was a necessity. The temperature was dropping and we were in for a few days in this spot.
We sat in the cockpit looking around us at the other boats when we noticed our starboard Caloosa Spirit anchored. This was one of the two sailboats that we started out with on our first attempt to the Bahamas. Their dinghy was gone so we looked around for the other boat, Lady Hawk but didn’t find her at all. Later, Caloosa Spirit motored by recognizing Steve waving at them and stopped. They were glad we had finally made it to the Bahamas. We talked briefly about their crossing and I was glad we had turned back. Their whole trip was difficult and they were grateful when they arrive at West Bank. (Many times the female side of the story is more truthful than the males. We don’t have to carry that macho image that 15-25 knot winds and 4-6 foot waves for 10 hours is anything to worry about.) Alice said Dawn and Bruce on Lady Hawk had opted to go into the marina instead of anchor during the upcoming high winds. They invited us for cocktails but we asked for a rain check. We flagged down Dawn and Bruce when they motored by and talked with them.
Steve was in the mood for Jimmy Buffet, rum/ginger ale with a line and I was in the mood for a ice cold margarita during our sundowner time. We watched the sun set in the Bahamas for the first time while eating a tasty grilled steak, baked potato, salad, French bread and cabernet sauvignon for dinner. What better way to enjoy the ambiance of our tropical setting in the Bahamas than by listening to Chris Botti on the stereo. Are we dreaming?
Tuesday, April 15
At 2:00 a.m. the wind began to pick up speed and the boat was being tossed around. We didn’t even have to tell each other what to do next. We got up, dressed and prepared for the predicted 35 knot northerly wind. Were we really glad our wind speed indicator was working now, or would it be easier going through the night not knowing? We watched the numbers increase from 20 to 25 knots then to 33 knots. Since we were in a crowded harbor, Steve did not put as much anchor line out as he would have liked. With this in mind, Steve was concerned we might drag anchor. He started the engine just in case we needed to make a quick move.
Across the harbor we saw a frightening sight; a huge catamaran/Orca dragging anchor towards another sailboat/Dolce Vita. Helplessly, we saw the cat slam into the sailboat and both were dragging and spinning around. We saw people running around on board both boats, especially the cat. Ironically, the cat was the location of the previous night’s party, lasting until the wee hours of the morning. (Mary Beth enlightened us with her story from her advantage point on their sailboat just across the way from the cat. She couldn’t understand why one of the guys on the cat was running around in his skivvies. He had time to get his lifejacket, but not his pants? Can you picture this in your mind’s eye? We had a few laughs hearing her story.)
We noticed the two boats were locked together as they were moving toward our location. Now that’s a scary picture. Thirty knot winds, boats all around you and two entangled, headed right for our bow. Steve quickly got his knife from below and told me he would cut our anchor free if they continued toward us and I would need to steer the boat away from them. Luckily for us, they plowed into another boat ahead of us which was on a mooring ball. Now, all three boats were tangled together; thankfully, they were not moving anymore. We breathed a sigh of relief.
The winds were still blowing 25-30 knots with boats in the harbor bouncing around like tiny rubber balls in a large swimming pool. We had our running lights on and some of our cabin lights to identify our position. Other boats did the same. Suddenly, we looked towards the bow and noticed a tri-maran uncontrollable drifting within 50 yards of us. Steve moved to the bow of the boat while I stayed at the helm. They bumped the bow of Little Wing, spinning the tri-maran around as it slid down the anchor line, bouncing several time off the starboard side. Their anchor line was hung on our keel or rudder for several minutes before finally breaking free, as they slide passed our boat. Quite a scene!
We continued to watch the sailors in the tri-maran attempt to get control of their position by dropping another anchor. They had a tiny outboard motor that kept kicking out on them. In 30 knot winds, this was almost an impossible task. We were relieved when Dolce Vita broke loose from Orca and the moored boat. Dolce Vita spent the next 30 minutes motoring around the harbor trying to find a place to anchor. In my opinion, he was “a little out of control” flying around the harbor looking for a spot to anchor. After several failed attempts to anchor, he finally succeeded.
Several times during the night Steve would go to the bow checking to see if the anchor line was chaffing. By 5:00 a.m. the wind had settled down to 20-25 knots. Steve assumed the anchor was secure, since it had been holding through the 30-33 knot winds for the last few hours. He was ready to turn off the engine and get some rest. We checked the catamaran and moored boat to find they had secured themselves together, left all their lights on and had gone inside. Steve stretched out on the settee in the saloon, while I tried to sleep in the forward berth listening to the creaking of the anchor line and the howling wind. Chalk this up as another night with little sleep.
I crawled out of bed around 6:30 p.m. to check the scene outside, witnessing out the port, a sailor in his dinghy towing the runaway dinghy from earlier in the night. What a nice guy. Another example of how strong a bond sailors have with each other whether you are old friends or another helpless sailor in the harbor who needs assistance. We had read examples of these situations, but now we had experienced and witnessed the uniqueness among cruisers.
The wind was still blowing 20-25 knots when we finally ventured out to the cockpit. We could see other boats in the marina that had experienced dragging and getting tangled up with other boats. We checked to verify our buddies, Satisfaction, were still okay when we noticed another catamaran and a sailboat tangled together very close to Satisfaction. Thankfully, there boat was fine. We watched as several guys in dinghy’s were trying to help detached the two boats. I asked Steve what the guy with the diving mask and fines on would be doing in this situation. Steve said evidently they were trying to free the anchor lines and anchors that had gotten tangled, possibly in the rudders as well. They worked for several hours after we started watching them before they were able to separate each other. Looks like Boat US Insurance Company would be paying a visit to White Sound in the next few days.
Steve walked to the bow of the boat checking to see if we had any damage from the tri-maran that had hit us. Fortunately, there were only scuff marks that could be buffed out later. We were lucky, it could have been much worse.
The guys in the catamaran/Orca were out working to unhook the rudder from the anchor line of the moored boat. I forgot to mention earlier that the moored boat did not have any one onboard. Several attempts to pull the catamaran forward did not result in separating them. Finally, a diver in a motorboat appeared. He made several attempts to use the power from his boat to pull the catamaran forward hoping this would untangle the rudder. At least an hour later he dove under the boats and within thirty minutes the catamaran was free. Not sure what he did, but I am sure his bill was quite steep.
The sailor in the tri-marran came over in his dinghy as soon as he saw Steve in the cockpit to apologize for hitting us with his boat and asked if there was anything he could do. Steve said, “It could happen to anyone and thankfully there did not appear to be any damage.
We decided to drink our coffee in the cockpit ever though the winds were still blowing 20 knots. We were looking through the binoculars to see what had happened to the other boats in the harbor. I noticed the sailboat on a mooring behind us drifting off to their starboard, but I couldn’t see anyone at the helm. I mentioned this to Steve, but he thought there was someone steering. The boat kept drifting closer and closer to the solid coral bank and I could clearly see no one was behind the helm. We then heard boaters in the area blow their air horns over and over. Finally, a guy in a dinghy rushed over to warn them they were about to go into the rocky coral bank. Unfortunately, they were not able to turn the boat before they ran aground. After several attempts and with the help of the strong wind, they were able to break free and return to their mooring ball. We watched helplessly, as the guy on the boat tried to retrieve the mooring ball and reattach a line. Remember the wind was blowing around 20 knots, making it very difficult for the lady at the helm to maintain the position he needed to hold the mooring in the boat while attaching a new line. They made several 360 degree passes and attempts before they finally succeed.
We listened to the 8:15 a.m. Marsh Harbor cruiser report, hearing the bad news that the winds would continue to build throughout the day and by nightfall they were predicted to be 30-35 knots. Steve thought about putting out another anchor so we wouldn’t swing so much, but I said I wanted to go to the marine across the sound. I didn’t care how much it cost, he needed a good night’s sleep and I did too! I had had enough! He agreed and phoned the Bluff House Marine to secure a slip for Little Wing. I could have danced a “jig” when I overheard the conversation. We pulled up anchor within thirty minutes, heading a short distance to the marina. A cruiser in Mid Watch, a sailboat anchored next to us, had overheard the radio conversation. He got in his dinghy and offered to help get us in the slip, safely. I guess he knew we would need all the assistance we could get based on the still prevailing 10-15 knot winds. I might mention the guys in the tri-maran were watching us still concerned their anchor line might be hooked or wrapped around our line. Luckily it wasn’t. Several guys already docked in the marina helped Roy, the dock master, get us in the slip easily.
We talked with Willie about our decision to come into the marina and they decided to follow within the hour. They docked 3 slips down from us. It is kind of funny now; we were supposed to be in slip #14 but ended up having to pull into 16 because of the wind. Satisfaction was suppose to be in slip #14 but ended up in #13. It was smart to move into the marine early without the worry of steering into a slip with boats on both sides of you. By the middle of the day, the marine was almost filled to capacity. As a boat would approach the marine to dock, you could see cruisers move to that slip to assist. The slip to our starboard was empty until mid afternoon when a charter boat pulled in with a family of four. How refreshing to witness again, cruisers pulling together to help other cruisers. This group started as several cruisers when we arrived to at least 15 by the end of the day, with everyone clapping when the boat was finally secure. We were glad we docked early in the day so we wouldn’t have the audience to watch our docking skills in the 15-20 knots of wind.
By nightfall the marina was ninety percent full with the majority of them cruisers. It just made sense to move to a safer place to wait out the strong northerly winds. Everyone rallied together in small groups sharing their stories of the early morning mishaps. We met our neighbors, Phillip and Mary Beth Morris and their teenage children, Phil, and Sarah. We all agreed docked in Bluff House Marina for the night to ride out the predicted 35 knot winds predicted , would be “good insurance” that we would be safe and able to rest more peacefully. Last night had been quite exciting and scary.
Several ladies came around each boat late in the day inviting everyone to a celebration during sundowner time. Plans were to bargain with the restaurant/bar manager requesting a “happy hour” price on the expensive $9 drink prices. Willie, Jean, Phillip, Mary Beth, their children Phil and Sarah, Steve and I were gathered at one table outside on the deck, while other groups of cruisers, meeting for the first time today, sat at other tables. We learned the Morris family was on spring vacation from Southport, Connecticut, chartering a boat from The Moorings in Marsh Harbor. They too had to move to the safe haven of White Sound when the approaching northerly was predicted. They were anchored close to Orca and Dolce Vita during the “blow” last night and shared their perspective from their vantage point. They did drag when Phillip decided to put out more anchor chain and the anchor pulled loose from its original holding. He and his son Phil staying up the remaining night bundled up in whatever they could find, keeping watch at the helm. We listened to our traveling stories and experiences from everyone in our little group. It felt good to laugh and feel relaxed with others. We toasted our safe harborage.
We were glad to have a safe home for the night eliminating the need to stay awake worrying about other boats hitting us. The predicted 35 knot winds were beginning to pick up as we walked back to our boats and we also felt the temperature dropping.
The Conch Shell Chorus, performed by our neighbors on port side and the boat next to them entertained us with their instruments. Another Adventure, a Jeanneau sailboat and Cyanna , a Lord Nelson sailboat, displayed beautiful conch shells on their decks, which I thought were only for appearance until they picked them up and started blowing them. Once they blew their shell, you could hear a reply from another boater in the harbor.
Steve prepared a hot spaghetti dinner which we ate in the saloon due to the building wind. After surviving the last 24 hours, I felt Steve deserved a night of Steely Dan and Pink Floyd blaring as loud as he pleased. I did warn Phillip, next door he might want to stay below if the music was more than he could handle. Between the sound of the 15-20 knot winds and the wind generators in the marina, Steve was able to crank it up several notches and relax. I spent a little time recording my thoughts from the last 24 hours, before I retired and read.
Wednesday, April 16
We recognized the force of the winds during the night by the way the boat rock back and forth and the howling sound produced by 35 knot winds blowing through the riggings. Steve checked the dock lines at one point during the night after being awakened by our neighbors on Another Adventure who were tighten theirs. The force of the winds were so strong Little Wing stayed on a heel all night and I felt like I had to hold on to the side of the mattress to keep from rolling into Steve! With all things considered, it was a good night. The winds were still strong and the harbor was choppy. We checked on our friends on Caloosa Spirit, finding their boat still safely anchored.
Major Willie was out networking early, making arrangement s for the ferry to take us to New Plymouth, a quaint, historic village a short distance from White Sound. He enlisted more than 15 cruisers who wanted to make the trip. We walked around the village, working up an appetite while scouting out the grocery store and “spirits” store. Once we began to smell the aroma from the restaurants, we made our way back to Harvey’s Island Grill for lunch. Willie and I had a delicious tuna sandwich, Steve ate the grouper sandwich and Jean had a pork chop entrée. We toured several historic homes, walked through the memorial gardens reading the history of this loyalist colony, checked out the local hardware store with Willie who needed some type of part and shopped several grocery stores and gift shops. The weather was warm, with a slight breeze to keep you cool. A well deserved day on land!
We talked with Phillip and his family at Harvey’s where they were eating lunch, also. They rented a golf cart for 24 hours and offered it to us for the remainder of the afternoon. We needed a few groceries and thought it might be fun to check out Green Turtle Cay by cart. Steve got behind the wheel first, driving like he was on a motocross track. You drive on the “wrong side of the road,” her and the dirt road is slightly wider than the small vehicles on the island. Heading away from Bluff Harbor Marina you must climb a very steep hill and then stay on a severely bumpy, dirt road most of the trip. Jean and I were on the back of the golf cart, holding on for dear life. Several times my head hit the top of the cart. Willie took over the driving without changing the driving strategy. I think they wanted to see if they could bump Jean and me off! We stopped at the Atlantic beach, once on the other side of the island. The surf was incredible; 10-12 foot waves at least a half a mile out. Whale Cay passage would be a nightmare if attempted today. Along the beach were large coral beds and tiny crushed shells.
Jean and I decided we would switch places with the guys on the return trip. “Pay back” can be heck! We bought our groceries then drove around the village before we started back to the boat. We had to keep reminding Willie to drive on the left side of the road and he almost caused a head on collision when he turned into a one way road, the “wrong” way! Thankfully, the locals are accustomed to crazy tourist drivers. I had noticed the Andrew Lowe Art Gallery sign on the drive to the village thinking I would request we make a stop on the return ride. They guys were not keen on the idea, but stopped anyway. Unfortunately for me the gallery was closed, but we walked around the beautifully, landscaped property. I believe this large three story home is on the highest property, if not the next highest on the island.
Once on our way, I suggested it was my turn to drive. The guys reluctantly switched places with us, first giving me operating instructions for the vehicle. I assured them I had driven a golf cart before and they would be safe. I tried to hit as many bumps along the way as possible. The guys were begging for me to slow down. I wasn’t driving any faster than they were, maybe a little more recklessly! I could hear Willie yelling for me to stop so he could get off and walk back to the harbor. Jean and I were laughing while keeping a lookout for additional bumps to drive over. I almost turned us over when I made a sudden turn at an intersection. Sometimes it is good to act a little childlike! Laughter is good for the soul and after what we had been through with the weather, we desired some fun.
Because the wind was too strong for our outdoor sundowners, we invited Willie, Jean, Phillip and Mary Beth to Little Wing. We sat in the saloon for several hours, entertaining each other with travel experiences, comparing thoughts on the political scene, telling funny stories and jokes all the while enjoying the bottle of rum purchased in New Plymouth today. Mary Beth realized it was 9:00 p.m. and their children had not eaten dinner. We said good night, with plans to get together again tomorrow. What a great day in the Bahamas. It is strange how fate plays you a good hand. We would not have met the Morris’s had we not gone into the marina. I am beginning to understand and appreciate the camaraderie between sailors.
Thursday, April 17
I tidied up the cabin, vacuumed while we had shore power (you do have to do household chores even on the boat) washed and dried my hair with the hair dryer and walked to the laundry to wash a load of clothes. Cruisers were eating breakfast in the restaurant and a few were enjoying sunbathing and reading at the pool. Our plans were to ferry over to Treasure Cay with Willie and Jean where they would FedEx their autopilot for repair. The Morris’s were going to spend a quite day at the pool and take another trip on the golf cart. Several boats left the docks today, anchoring again in the harbor for the night. We decided to stay at least another night, giving the winds a little more time to calm down before we departed.
After talking with someone about the airport situation in Treasure Cay, Willie checked to see if FedEx actually picked up at Treasure Cay, to find they didn’t. We were glad we had not made that two hour trip carrying a bulky autopilot part, to find there was no FedEx shipping office. Steve and I decided to walk over the hill to see the beach on the Sea of Abaco.
Sundowners were enjoyed at the pool this afternoon by our little group, including Phil and Sarah. Three days in the marina with our new friends, could very well be included in our most memorable experiences.
Steve grilled pork chops tonight and roasted rosemary potatoes, while I steamed fresh asparagus in the galley. We finished the bottle of wine, by candlelight in the saloon and agreed we were a lucky couple to see our dreams come to fruition.
Friday, April 18
I woke up before sunrise and decided to get up because I had a terrible dream and did not want to return to it if I went back to sleep. I tried to be quiet as I climbed outside to watch the sunrise. It felt somewhat like I was on a farm with all the roosters crowing in the early morning; what a serene scene as the sun slowly peeked over the mangroves, changing the colors of the clouds from a peachy tint to a soft yellow and then to the flaming reddish, yellow. I always marvel at God’s creations.
The Morris’s were given permission by”The Moorings” Charter Boat Company to make the trip through “Whale Cay Passage” today. Other cruisers were also pulling away from the docks one at a time, headed for Marsh Harbor, through Whale Cay Passage. We decided to wait another day before we crossed, leaving the marina and anchoring again in White Sound. The wind had died to almost nothing and the harbor was almost vacant except for the permanent boats on mooring. We hated to see the Morris family leave; we exchanged demographic information, invited them to Alabama and said our goodbyes. We hope to meet up with them again. Willie asked Phillip to radio back how the passage looked once they cleared. With an hour, Phillip radioed describing the huge 8-9 foot waves that he “punched” through. He said, “It was kind of fun!’ I wonder what Mary Beth and Sarah would say about the experience? We were glad we had opted to wait another day.
I washed another load of clothes before we left the marina at 11:00 a.m. We dropped anchor, ate lunch and watched boaters pass. Several sailboats, including our friends, Caloosa Spirit and Lady Hawk moved to Manjack Cay for the night. While sitting in the cockpit, we noticed a sailboat aground in the channel. After several attempts to help from a guy in a dinghy, he was free; but only for a few minutes when he ran aground on the opposite side of the channel. Boats had to maneuver carefully due to the narrow 30 foot wide channel. Would you believe, once free for the second time they ran aground again at the month of the channel entering White Sound! Who was steering? We continued to hear the female on the radio call various marinas seeking assistance. Their boats name ironically, was “Traveler.” They weren’t having a good day. Steve said they had gotten caught at low tide in the channel. The guy in the sailboat said, “I don’t understand why this happened. High tide was at 7:00 a.m. this morning.” Dude, it was after noon when you were in the channel some five hours from high tide. They remained aground for a least an hour before breaking free and returning to the marina to wait until tomorrow to leave.
We put the dinghy in the water and hoisted the outboard on so we could cruise around the area easily. Imagine having the ability to see the sea creatures along the bottom some 12 feet below the dinghy. I saw 10-12 inch star fish lying all over the bottom. We motored to Black Sound checking out the marinas and the boats in slips and moored. We were glad Willie steered us to White Sound because the water depth there looked too shallow for Willie’s boat. The water was too cool for me to get in or I would have tried snorkeling with Steve. Hopefully, tomorrow we can get our new fins out and explore.
As we sat in the cockpit with our sundowners, we said, “How different a few days and good weather can change your surrounds and your activities. “ The water was calm, the wind was calm, White Sound was calm and we had it pretty much to ourselves. Satisfaction was anchored close enough to us that we could yell to each other if we needed to talk about anything. Plans were to spend a quiet night “on the hook.”
Friday, April 11
I was able to Skype Catherine and Jacob this afternoon in the library. If you are not familiar with Skype, it is an Internet hookup which allows you to see and talk with someone. You also have the capability to participate in a three way Skype or just make an international phone call. We hope to use this form of communication when we arrive in the Bahamas and have an Internet signal. Charlie, the guy who sailed with Steve on the first leg of the trip, introduced this technology to me. I was so excited to see Jacob again. It wasn’t as good as being there in person, but I will take what I can.
When I finished working in the library, I walked a couple of blocks to Archie’s Pizza to meet Steve and Clint, who were already enjoying beers and appetizers. They ate pizza and I had a veggie calzone for dinner. We made a quick grocery run to “top off” our provisions before our early morning departure tomorrow.
Once back at the boat, I stored the provisions and worked getting the boat secured for the trip. Steve met with Willie to go over the charts and plans for the crossing in the morning. Thank goodness there were not as many loud boaters in the harbor tonight. At least we could get a few hours sleep before our 3:00 a.m. wake up alarm.
Saturday, April 12
We were awake and ready to pull the hook at 3:30 a.m. with the intention of motoring out the harbor, waiting for Satisfaction to follow. The weather was as advertised; 15-20 knots from the south, southeast. We motored in the Cape Florida Channel which meets the Biscayne Bay Channel in the Atlantic Ocean. By 4:30 a.m. we were out in the Atlantic, heading towards the Gulf Stream and beyond to the Bahamas. We had already set the main, as that is easier to accomplish heading into the wind. After we got our course set, Steve rolled the jib out increasing our cruising speed between 6-7 knots. As if on cue, the electronics went dead again almost at the same location as we were a week ago. We radioed Satisfaction and told them our situation; after a discussion of what to do, they agreed to allow us to continue with them and be our guide. We felt like going back was not an option. It would be daylight soon and the weather was not as rowdy as last week. Steve felt he could get the electronics repaired while in the Bahamas for our return trip home. The main problem without electronics would be we have to steer ourselves without the use of the audio pilot.
Steve purchased extra fuses in Key Biscayne and decided he would try replacing the fuse to see if the electronics could be reactivated. It worked but only for less than 5 minutes. With only 2 fuses remaining, we decided to continue steering and wait until we arrived in Marsh Harbor to get it repaired.
The skyline of Miami is quite impressive creating a beautiful scene as we made progress along the coastline. One piece of equipment working to our benefit was our radar. Since Satisfaction didn’t have radar, we were the lookout for other boats in the area. We noticed a large objects eight miles north east of us approaching rapidly; notified Satisfaction of this and within a short time we could see the lights of a large cruise ship heading to Miami, across our course. By the time we saw the ship, the sky was getting lighter and we could see the behemoth approaching. This was cause for concern. Cruise ships travel as fast as 20 knots an hour and were closing in on us very fast. Just as Steve was planning to radio the cruise ship, the captain radioed us first, wanting to know our course and intentions. We assured him he did not need to change course, we were turning to port to allow him plenty of room to pass. He was gracious and appreciated our yielding to his vessel. He wished us a safe voyage and we reciprocated.
The sun rise appeared and we could tell we were in very deep water based on the dark cobalt color. This color is hard to describe unless you have seen it. I took a picture, of course, but I don’t think I captured the true essence of the scene. The water was approximately 2000 feet deep. Willie’s depth instrument just read “deep.” We had on board our handheld GPS allowing us to determine our location and speed. We knew we were in the Gulf Stream based on the 8.5 -9.5 over ground speed registering on the GPS. I might add, the fastest Little Wing had every sailed. It was almost a perfect day; breezy, with seas of no more than 4 feet. All things considered, we had an enjoyable motor sailing afternoon.
We started our shifts on the helm, 45 minutes on, 45 minutes off. By the time your watch was over, you could feel the tiredness in your neck and shoulders. Steering a 2300 pound boat through 3-4 foot swells is quite taxing. We encountered along our course a large container ship heading north, overtaking us very quickly and a freighter, probably headed to Bimini.
We sited land at West End on the Grand Bahamas Island around 4:00 p.m. It was decided to push on, entering the Bahama Bank at Memory Rock. This landmark is an isolated plug of rock hardly big enough to support a shack, but there’s a light on it. It’s a stake light, not a lighthouse, and it may, or may not, work. There’s a shipwreck on the reefs about 2 miles to the south, and another 2 wrecks some 6 miles to the north. None of these are visible. Satisfaction’s draft of 5’9” would make the passage at Indian Cay too risky. It is breathtaking to go from the deep midnight blue to the light turquoise color of the Bahamas Bank. It is intimidating to think of the ocean floor rising at such a rapid pace as you travel from a thousand feet depth to 15 feet depth of the Bahama Bank. Everything you have heard about the color of the water in the Bahamas is true. It is spectacular! You can literally see the bottom clearly in 20 foot of water. Finally, we have arrived in the Bahamas! After we were welcomed to the Bahamas by Satisfaction, we set a course to Mangrove Cay, approximately 20 miles away. This would mean a night landfall, but conditions were ideal for anchoring.
We were operating on Channel 68 between our two boats; by chance, two boats we overtook, were using the same channel. We overheard their banter as they relayed their thoughts to each other and made their plans. Willie contacted “Dreamer” and it was decided all four boats would anchor together. Initially, the other two boats were thinking of anchoring on the Bank, but Willie told them we were going to head for Mangrove Cay for a more secure anchorage in the lee of the island. The winds were 5-10 knots, blowing from the south with 2-4 foot seas. We were still motoring sailing, averaging 6 knots.
We overheard Dreamer mention passing through a school of dolphins alerting us to be on the lookout. Once Steve saw them, I turned on my video camera and starting shooting them playing along beside the boat. They would dart in to the bow and sharply cut back out. Some were even jumping over each other, coming out of the water and diving back in at an angle. We were entertained for 15-20 minutes and I have video to prove it this time!
We all agreed to push on to Memory Rock with our ETA approximately 10:00 p.m. Normally this would not be a good idea at night, but conditions were good and the charts indicated no shoals or obstacles in our path. Dreamer and Piccadillo were both ahead of us approximately one hour. Piccadillo arrived at the anchorage around 8:30 p.m. anchoring just before dark. He turned on his anchor lights and other lights to give us a point of reference as we headed to the north side of the island in the dark. Piccadillio warned us of a marker stake with no lights that was approximately one-half mile off the coast. This could cause a hazard for us if we were not cautious as we headed in toward the islands. We could see Dreamer ahead as well as Satisfaction which made our passage “fool proof.” We put the anchor down some 17 hours after leaving Miami. We had finally made it to the Bahamas.
We toasted the day and saluted our successful passage without the aid of our autopilot or other navigational instruments. Steve pointed the spotlight into the crystal clear water surprisingly seeing the anchor some 12 feet below. Steve heated a can of potato soup that we shared for a quick, late dinner. After talking over plans for tomorrow with Willie, we crawled into bed around 11:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 13
We were up by 6:30 a.m. renewed from a fairly restful night’s sleep. We had just enough time this morning to prepare coffee and drink one cup when Willie radioed that we would be leaving in 20 minutes. We hurried around making sure everything was secured when we realized a squall was approaching. For about 30 minutes we had heavy rains and slight winds from the northwest. After the three squalls we had experienced at No Name Harbor last weekend, this one was a “baby.”
Finally, around 8:15 a.m. we pulled up the anchor, headed to Spanish Cay. We contacted Dreamer and Picadillo to thank them for their assistance and hoped that we might run into them again on our journey. We headed 80 degrees magnetic with 5-10 knot winds from the south. Steve set the main sail and later the jib as we moved east along the northern Abaco Cays.
Our next waypoint was Great Sale Cay some 20 miles northeast. We began noticing a dark low cloud following us from the south. We talked with Willie and both noticed it and began making preparation by shortening the sails and getting the rain gear on deck. After rounding the north end of Great Sale Cay, the squall caught up with us with winds first then the rain. With what we had seen previously, it was not so severe. Within 30 minutes the squall moved passed us and we set our course to Spanish Cay some 40 miles to the east.
Several times we noticed Satisfaction would veer to the port side with no one at the helm. The autopilot was having trouble all day. We gave them no sympathy, as we had not had autopilot since Miami. Willie continued trying to diagnose the problem, but never seemed to get it working accurately. Finally, they gave up and steered the boat themselves.
We continued along The Sea of Abaco with little incidents. We were protected by the smaller islands on the north and the Grand Bahama Island on the south. Within a narrow breadth of roughly 3 nautical miles this ocean/bank interface zone includes seven cays, five of which are uninhabited. We passed Great Sale Cay, Carters Cay, Moraine Cay, Hawksbill Cay, and then Allans-Pensacolo Cay. Just south of this Cay, we passed the Center of the World Rock, a mass of rough, jagged rocks. We also passed Crab Cay on Little Abaco Island to the south of us.
We had Spanish Cay in site around 4:00 p.m., radioing ahead to confirm our slips. They would meet us at the slip and assist us in docking the boats. Satisfaction went in first through a narrow sea wall docking stern first. We came in next and secured the boat with aid from Willie, Jean and the dock master. We took extra precaution to secure the boats due to a very strong northern front approaching Spanish Cay. While checking in the marina we asked if the restaurant would stay open for us to eat and they agreed. We needed a shower and a good meal. We spoke with several couples coming out of the restaurant who highly recommended the grilled grouper.
Steve attached the quarantine flag to its line and hoisted it up. He said he had been waiting a long time to put this flag on Little Wing. For those of you who do not know about a quarantine flag, it is a regulation requirement that you fly a yellow flag to notify officials you are entering their territory. You must fly this flag until you clear through customs. Plans were to take care of the necessary steps in the morning with the customs official.
While waiting for Willie and Jean to meet us, Steve and I talked with the marina owner and the chef. It seems the marina owner also like to cook encouraging me to try the rum cake he had prepared for dessert. I asked the chef about the grouper and he said “they were swimming in the sea yesterday.” How fresh can you get? We all four ordered the grouper and I order the rum cake. When it arrived the slice was so large everyone had to help me eat it. The meal was quite pricey but we rationalized that we had “earned it.” After dinner we sat on the porch rocking in the gliders and talking about the plans for the next day.
Spanish Cay Marina hoist many fishing tournaments. It is a small island, only 3 miles long with about 300 acres of rocky property. I inquired about the population and the marina owner said only 3 people live there, two of which were moving the next day. There are a few privately owned homes and condominiums you can lease orrent, an airplane runway on the opposite end of the island from the marine, beaches and a small grocery/liquor store in the marina.
Monday, April 14
Bright and early the customs official knocked on our boat. I invited her on board and asked what type of papers I needed to have available for her inspection. I woke Steve up from a dead sleep so he could get dressed, while I started the coffee and changed clothes. She was very nice and kept saying she would come back later, but I wanted to get this task over. Everything was going smoothly, even when Steve was asked if we had any weapons on board. She didn’t blink an eye when he told her what kind. I thought we might be in a little trouble when Steve had difficulty producing the registration numbers. Steve confess after she left and we were official that he was not sure what he was writing down or what he said after she left . I think he was still half asleep. I was excited to finally get my passport stamped! After filling out all the paperwork, producing our passports and paying our $300, we were welcomed to the Bahamas. We were pleased that the process was very easy based on the horror stories we have heard from other cruisers about corrupt officials taking advantage of boaters in the past. Steve took the quarantine flay down and raised the Bahamian courtesy flag up the starboard spreader on a halyard.
Willie and Steve decided we could make our next port today before the northerly front arrived. Because Green Turtle Cay was only a four hour motor sail, we were not leaving Spanish Cay until noon. Steve defrosted the refrigerator and I walked around the facilities taking pictures.
After several days trying to solve the problems with the failed electronics, Steve had this idea (he said he dreamed it) there might be a problem with the GPS mounting. He decided to check the wire that goes from the GPS antenna to the junction box. This allows all the electronic equipment to communicate. Being 10 foot up made it difficult to reach. With help from Willie, Steve managed to stand on top of the bimini frame and the outboard motor, getting a close look at the cable. After getting enough slack in the cable to pull out of the mount, sure enough, the wire had chafed through and exposed bare wire. Obviously, this was the culprit; the person that rigged the boat did a poor job installing the system. With electrical tape in hand and wire ties, Steve rerouting the cable, covered the bare wires, and secured the cable to the mounting. He turned on the electronics and they worked! The test will be when we get out in rough water and the GPS mount swings. I asked later how he tracked the problem back to the GPS and he said there had to be a common denominator since the fuse blew in the exact same situation almost in the same spot. He also said the chafing probably happened on the guys crossing when the weather was so rough and they bounced around all night.
I walked around the marina getting shots of the swimming pool/hot tub, the cabanas, the beautiful cliff views of the Sea of Abaco and other interesting shots. We once again checked to made sure everything was stowed securely. We needed a few supplies from the marina grocery store but after checking the prices we only purchased two double A batteries for the hand held radio. Half gallon milk was $4, romaine leaves $5, apples $2 each.
We pulled out of Spanish Cay Marina at 12:20 p.m. with the wind hitting us on the stern not giving us enough to get the main out. Steve tried getting a little bust from the jib as we kept tacking. We check out the cays and private islands with the binoculars and wondered who might own them. Some were quite spectacular. Satisfaction still had trouble with the autopilot again deciding to give it up and steer themselves. We enjoyed our autopilot working and Steve enjoyed exploring his charts as we motored along the Sean of Abaco.
It was decided Little Wing would enter White Sound channel first, as our draft was less than Satisfaction and we could test the depth then radio it back to them. The channel is approximately 30 feet wide with small red and green floating balls as channel markers. Of course, the wind was being to blow strong. Along the channel we encountered water no less than 7.5 foot. We motored around the harbor searching for a spot to anchor. This protected harbor looked much No Name Harbor in Miami with the exception of the private owned mooring balls spread around the harbor. We found a spot but it was not a good hold and we moved to another spot with success. With the northern winds in excess of 30 knots predicted to move into the area, a secure anchorage was a necessity. The temperature was dropping and we were in for a few days in this spot.
We sat in the cockpit looking around us at the other boats when we noticed our starboard Caloosa Spirit anchored. This was one of the two sailboats that we started out with on our first attempt to the Bahamas. Their dinghy was gone so we looked around for the other boat, Lady Hawk but didn’t find her at all. Later, Caloosa Spirit motored by recognizing Steve waving at them and stopped. They were glad we had finally made it to the Bahamas. We talked briefly about their crossing and I was glad we had turned back. Their whole trip was difficult and they were grateful when they arrive at West Bank. (Many times the female side of the story is more truthful than the males. We don’t have to carry that macho image that 15-25 knot winds and 4-6 foot waves for 10 hours is anything to worry about.) Alice said Dawn and Bruce on Lady Hawk had opted to go into the marina instead of anchor during the upcoming high winds. They invited us for cocktails but we asked for a rain check. We flagged down Dawn and Bruce when they motored by and talked with them.
Steve was in the mood for Jimmy Buffet, rum/ginger ale with a line and I was in the mood for a ice cold margarita during our sundowner time. We watched the sun set in the Bahamas for the first time while eating a tasty grilled steak, baked potato, salad, French bread and cabernet sauvignon for dinner. What better way to enjoy the ambiance of our tropical setting in the Bahamas than by listening to Chris Botti on the stereo. Are we dreaming?
Tuesday, April 15
At 2:00 a.m. the wind began to pick up speed and the boat was being tossed around. We didn’t even have to tell each other what to do next. We got up, dressed and prepared for the predicted 35 knot northerly wind. Were we really glad our wind speed indicator was working now, or would it be easier going through the night not knowing? We watched the numbers increase from 20 to 25 knots then to 33 knots. Since we were in a crowded harbor, Steve did not put as much anchor line out as he would have liked. With this in mind, Steve was concerned we might drag anchor. He started the engine just in case we needed to make a quick move.
Across the harbor we saw a frightening sight; a huge catamaran/Orca dragging anchor towards another sailboat/Dolce Vita. Helplessly, we saw the cat slam into the sailboat and both were dragging and spinning around. We saw people running around on board both boats, especially the cat. Ironically, the cat was the location of the previous night’s party, lasting until the wee hours of the morning. (Mary Beth enlightened us with her story from her advantage point on their sailboat just across the way from the cat. She couldn’t understand why one of the guys on the cat was running around in his skivvies. He had time to get his lifejacket, but not his pants? Can you picture this in your mind’s eye? We had a few laughs hearing her story.)
We noticed the two boats were locked together as they were moving toward our location. Now that’s a scary picture. Thirty knot winds, boats all around you and two entangled, headed right for our bow. Steve quickly got his knife from below and told me he would cut our anchor free if they continued toward us and I would need to steer the boat away from them. Luckily for us, they plowed into another boat ahead of us which was on a mooring ball. Now, all three boats were tangled together; thankfully, they were not moving anymore. We breathed a sigh of relief.
The winds were still blowing 25-30 knots with boats in the harbor bouncing around like tiny rubber balls in a large swimming pool. We had our running lights on and some of our cabin lights to identify our position. Other boats did the same. Suddenly, we looked towards the bow and noticed a tri-maran uncontrollable drifting within 50 yards of us. Steve moved to the bow of the boat while I stayed at the helm. They bumped the bow of Little Wing, spinning the tri-maran around as it slid down the anchor line, bouncing several time off the starboard side. Their anchor line was hung on our keel or rudder for several minutes before finally breaking free, as they slide passed our boat. Quite a scene!
We continued to watch the sailors in the tri-maran attempt to get control of their position by dropping another anchor. They had a tiny outboard motor that kept kicking out on them. In 30 knot winds, this was almost an impossible task. We were relieved when Dolce Vita broke loose from Orca and the moored boat. Dolce Vita spent the next 30 minutes motoring around the harbor trying to find a place to anchor. In my opinion, he was “a little out of control” flying around the harbor looking for a spot to anchor. After several failed attempts to anchor, he finally succeeded.
Several times during the night Steve would go to the bow checking to see if the anchor line was chaffing. By 5:00 a.m. the wind had settled down to 20-25 knots. Steve assumed the anchor was secure, since it had been holding through the 30-33 knot winds for the last few hours. He was ready to turn off the engine and get some rest. We checked the catamaran and moored boat to find they had secured themselves together, left all their lights on and had gone inside. Steve stretched out on the settee in the saloon, while I tried to sleep in the forward berth listening to the creaking of the anchor line and the howling wind. Chalk this up as another night with little sleep.
I crawled out of bed around 6:30 p.m. to check the scene outside, witnessing out the port, a sailor in his dinghy towing the runaway dinghy from earlier in the night. What a nice guy. Another example of how strong a bond sailors have with each other whether you are old friends or another helpless sailor in the harbor who needs assistance. We had read examples of these situations, but now we had experienced and witnessed the uniqueness among cruisers.
The wind was still blowing 20-25 knots when we finally ventured out to the cockpit. We could see other boats in the marina that had experienced dragging and getting tangled up with other boats. We checked to verify our buddies, Satisfaction, were still okay when we noticed another catamaran and a sailboat tangled together very close to Satisfaction. Thankfully, there boat was fine. We watched as several guys in dinghy’s were trying to help detached the two boats. I asked Steve what the guy with the diving mask and fines on would be doing in this situation. Steve said evidently they were trying to free the anchor lines and anchors that had gotten tangled, possibly in the rudders as well. They worked for several hours after we started watching them before they were able to separate each other. Looks like Boat US Insurance Company would be paying a visit to White Sound in the next few days.
Steve walked to the bow of the boat checking to see if we had any damage from the tri-maran that had hit us. Fortunately, there were only scuff marks that could be buffed out later. We were lucky, it could have been much worse.
The guys in the catamaran/Orca were out working to unhook the rudder from the anchor line of the moored boat. I forgot to mention earlier that the moored boat did not have any one onboard. Several attempts to pull the catamaran forward did not result in separating them. Finally, a diver in a motorboat appeared. He made several attempts to use the power from his boat to pull the catamaran forward hoping this would untangle the rudder. At least an hour later he dove under the boats and within thirty minutes the catamaran was free. Not sure what he did, but I am sure his bill was quite steep.
The sailor in the tri-marran came over in his dinghy as soon as he saw Steve in the cockpit to apologize for hitting us with his boat and asked if there was anything he could do. Steve said, “It could happen to anyone and thankfully there did not appear to be any damage.
We decided to drink our coffee in the cockpit ever though the winds were still blowing 20 knots. We were looking through the binoculars to see what had happened to the other boats in the harbor. I noticed the sailboat on a mooring behind us drifting off to their starboard, but I couldn’t see anyone at the helm. I mentioned this to Steve, but he thought there was someone steering. The boat kept drifting closer and closer to the solid coral bank and I could clearly see no one was behind the helm. We then heard boaters in the area blow their air horns over and over. Finally, a guy in a dinghy rushed over to warn them they were about to go into the rocky coral bank. Unfortunately, they were not able to turn the boat before they ran aground. After several attempts and with the help of the strong wind, they were able to break free and return to their mooring ball. We watched helplessly, as the guy on the boat tried to retrieve the mooring ball and reattach a line. Remember the wind was blowing around 20 knots, making it very difficult for the lady at the helm to maintain the position he needed to hold the mooring in the boat while attaching a new line. They made several 360 degree passes and attempts before they finally succeed.
We listened to the 8:15 a.m. Marsh Harbor cruiser report, hearing the bad news that the winds would continue to build throughout the day and by nightfall they were predicted to be 30-35 knots. Steve thought about putting out another anchor so we wouldn’t swing so much, but I said I wanted to go to the marine across the sound. I didn’t care how much it cost, he needed a good night’s sleep and I did too! I had had enough! He agreed and phoned the Bluff House Marine to secure a slip for Little Wing. I could have danced a “jig” when I overheard the conversation. We pulled up anchor within thirty minutes, heading a short distance to the marina. A cruiser in Mid Watch, a sailboat anchored next to us, had overheard the radio conversation. He got in his dinghy and offered to help get us in the slip, safely. I guess he knew we would need all the assistance we could get based on the still prevailing 10-15 knot winds. I might mention the guys in the tri-maran were watching us still concerned their anchor line might be hooked or wrapped around our line. Luckily it wasn’t. Several guys already docked in the marina helped Roy, the dock master, get us in the slip easily.
We talked with Willie about our decision to come into the marina and they decided to follow within the hour. They docked 3 slips down from us. It is kind of funny now; we were supposed to be in slip #14 but ended up having to pull into 16 because of the wind. Satisfaction was suppose to be in slip #14 but ended up in #13. It was smart to move into the marine early without the worry of steering into a slip with boats on both sides of you. By the middle of the day, the marine was almost filled to capacity. As a boat would approach the marine to dock, you could see cruisers move to that slip to assist. The slip to our starboard was empty until mid afternoon when a charter boat pulled in with a family of four. How refreshing to witness again, cruisers pulling together to help other cruisers. This group started as several cruisers when we arrived to at least 15 by the end of the day, with everyone clapping when the boat was finally secure. We were glad we docked early in the day so we wouldn’t have the audience to watch our docking skills in the 15-20 knots of wind.
By nightfall the marina was ninety percent full with the majority of them cruisers. It just made sense to move to a safer place to wait out the strong northerly winds. Everyone rallied together in small groups sharing their stories of the early morning mishaps. We met our neighbors, Phillip and Mary Beth Morris and their teenage children, Phil, and Sarah. We all agreed docked in Bluff House Marina for the night to ride out the predicted 35 knot winds predicted , would be “good insurance” that we would be safe and able to rest more peacefully. Last night had been quite exciting and scary.
Several ladies came around each boat late in the day inviting everyone to a celebration during sundowner time. Plans were to bargain with the restaurant/bar manager requesting a “happy hour” price on the expensive $9 drink prices. Willie, Jean, Phillip, Mary Beth, their children Phil and Sarah, Steve and I were gathered at one table outside on the deck, while other groups of cruisers, meeting for the first time today, sat at other tables. We learned the Morris family was on spring vacation from Southport, Connecticut, chartering a boat from The Moorings in Marsh Harbor. They too had to move to the safe haven of White Sound when the approaching northerly was predicted. They were anchored close to Orca and Dolce Vita during the “blow” last night and shared their perspective from their vantage point. They did drag when Phillip decided to put out more anchor chain and the anchor pulled loose from its original holding. He and his son Phil staying up the remaining night bundled up in whatever they could find, keeping watch at the helm. We listened to our traveling stories and experiences from everyone in our little group. It felt good to laugh and feel relaxed with others. We toasted our safe harborage.
We were glad to have a safe home for the night eliminating the need to stay awake worrying about other boats hitting us. The predicted 35 knot winds were beginning to pick up as we walked back to our boats and we also felt the temperature dropping.
The Conch Shell Chorus, performed by our neighbors on port side and the boat next to them entertained us with their instruments. Another Adventure, a Jeanneau sailboat and Cyanna , a Lord Nelson sailboat, displayed beautiful conch shells on their decks, which I thought were only for appearance until they picked them up and started blowing them. Once they blew their shell, you could hear a reply from another boater in the harbor.
Steve prepared a hot spaghetti dinner which we ate in the saloon due to the building wind. After surviving the last 24 hours, I felt Steve deserved a night of Steely Dan and Pink Floyd blaring as loud as he pleased. I did warn Phillip, next door he might want to stay below if the music was more than he could handle. Between the sound of the 15-20 knot winds and the wind generators in the marina, Steve was able to crank it up several notches and relax. I spent a little time recording my thoughts from the last 24 hours, before I retired and read.
Wednesday, April 16
We recognized the force of the winds during the night by the way the boat rock back and forth and the howling sound produced by 35 knot winds blowing through the riggings. Steve checked the dock lines at one point during the night after being awakened by our neighbors on Another Adventure who were tighten theirs. The force of the winds were so strong Little Wing stayed on a heel all night and I felt like I had to hold on to the side of the mattress to keep from rolling into Steve! With all things considered, it was a good night. The winds were still strong and the harbor was choppy. We checked on our friends on Caloosa Spirit, finding their boat still safely anchored.
Major Willie was out networking early, making arrangement s for the ferry to take us to New Plymouth, a quaint, historic village a short distance from White Sound. He enlisted more than 15 cruisers who wanted to make the trip. We walked around the village, working up an appetite while scouting out the grocery store and “spirits” store. Once we began to smell the aroma from the restaurants, we made our way back to Harvey’s Island Grill for lunch. Willie and I had a delicious tuna sandwich, Steve ate the grouper sandwich and Jean had a pork chop entrée. We toured several historic homes, walked through the memorial gardens reading the history of this loyalist colony, checked out the local hardware store with Willie who needed some type of part and shopped several grocery stores and gift shops. The weather was warm, with a slight breeze to keep you cool. A well deserved day on land!
We talked with Phillip and his family at Harvey’s where they were eating lunch, also. They rented a golf cart for 24 hours and offered it to us for the remainder of the afternoon. We needed a few groceries and thought it might be fun to check out Green Turtle Cay by cart. Steve got behind the wheel first, driving like he was on a motocross track. You drive on the “wrong side of the road,” her and the dirt road is slightly wider than the small vehicles on the island. Heading away from Bluff Harbor Marina you must climb a very steep hill and then stay on a severely bumpy, dirt road most of the trip. Jean and I were on the back of the golf cart, holding on for dear life. Several times my head hit the top of the cart. Willie took over the driving without changing the driving strategy. I think they wanted to see if they could bump Jean and me off! We stopped at the Atlantic beach, once on the other side of the island. The surf was incredible; 10-12 foot waves at least a half a mile out. Whale Cay passage would be a nightmare if attempted today. Along the beach were large coral beds and tiny crushed shells.
Jean and I decided we would switch places with the guys on the return trip. “Pay back” can be heck! We bought our groceries then drove around the village before we started back to the boat. We had to keep reminding Willie to drive on the left side of the road and he almost caused a head on collision when he turned into a one way road, the “wrong” way! Thankfully, the locals are accustomed to crazy tourist drivers. I had noticed the Andrew Lowe Art Gallery sign on the drive to the village thinking I would request we make a stop on the return ride. They guys were not keen on the idea, but stopped anyway. Unfortunately for me the gallery was closed, but we walked around the beautifully, landscaped property. I believe this large three story home is on the highest property, if not the next highest on the island.
Once on our way, I suggested it was my turn to drive. The guys reluctantly switched places with us, first giving me operating instructions for the vehicle. I assured them I had driven a golf cart before and they would be safe. I tried to hit as many bumps along the way as possible. The guys were begging for me to slow down. I wasn’t driving any faster than they were, maybe a little more recklessly! I could hear Willie yelling for me to stop so he could get off and walk back to the harbor. Jean and I were laughing while keeping a lookout for additional bumps to drive over. I almost turned us over when I made a sudden turn at an intersection. Sometimes it is good to act a little childlike! Laughter is good for the soul and after what we had been through with the weather, we desired some fun.
Because the wind was too strong for our outdoor sundowners, we invited Willie, Jean, Phillip and Mary Beth to Little Wing. We sat in the saloon for several hours, entertaining each other with travel experiences, comparing thoughts on the political scene, telling funny stories and jokes all the while enjoying the bottle of rum purchased in New Plymouth today. Mary Beth realized it was 9:00 p.m. and their children had not eaten dinner. We said good night, with plans to get together again tomorrow. What a great day in the Bahamas. It is strange how fate plays you a good hand. We would not have met the Morris’s had we not gone into the marina. I am beginning to understand and appreciate the camaraderie between sailors.
Thursday, April 17
I tidied up the cabin, vacuumed while we had shore power (you do have to do household chores even on the boat) washed and dried my hair with the hair dryer and walked to the laundry to wash a load of clothes. Cruisers were eating breakfast in the restaurant and a few were enjoying sunbathing and reading at the pool. Our plans were to ferry over to Treasure Cay with Willie and Jean where they would FedEx their autopilot for repair. The Morris’s were going to spend a quite day at the pool and take another trip on the golf cart. Several boats left the docks today, anchoring again in the harbor for the night. We decided to stay at least another night, giving the winds a little more time to calm down before we departed.
After talking with someone about the airport situation in Treasure Cay, Willie checked to see if FedEx actually picked up at Treasure Cay, to find they didn’t. We were glad we had not made that two hour trip carrying a bulky autopilot part, to find there was no FedEx shipping office. Steve and I decided to walk over the hill to see the beach on the Sea of Abaco.
Sundowners were enjoyed at the pool this afternoon by our little group, including Phil and Sarah. Three days in the marina with our new friends, could very well be included in our most memorable experiences.
Steve grilled pork chops tonight and roasted rosemary potatoes, while I steamed fresh asparagus in the galley. We finished the bottle of wine, by candlelight in the saloon and agreed we were a lucky couple to see our dreams come to fruition.
Friday, April 18
I woke up before sunrise and decided to get up because I had a terrible dream and did not want to return to it if I went back to sleep. I tried to be quiet as I climbed outside to watch the sunrise. It felt somewhat like I was on a farm with all the roosters crowing in the early morning; what a serene scene as the sun slowly peeked over the mangroves, changing the colors of the clouds from a peachy tint to a soft yellow and then to the flaming reddish, yellow. I always marvel at God’s creations.
The Morris’s were given permission by”The Moorings” Charter Boat Company to make the trip through “Whale Cay Passage” today. Other cruisers were also pulling away from the docks one at a time, headed for Marsh Harbor, through Whale Cay Passage. We decided to wait another day before we crossed, leaving the marina and anchoring again in White Sound. The wind had died to almost nothing and the harbor was almost vacant except for the permanent boats on mooring. We hated to see the Morris family leave; we exchanged demographic information, invited them to Alabama and said our goodbyes. We hope to meet up with them again. Willie asked Phillip to radio back how the passage looked once they cleared. With an hour, Phillip radioed describing the huge 8-9 foot waves that he “punched” through. He said, “It was kind of fun!’ I wonder what Mary Beth and Sarah would say about the experience? We were glad we had opted to wait another day.
I washed another load of clothes before we left the marina at 11:00 a.m. We dropped anchor, ate lunch and watched boaters pass. Several sailboats, including our friends, Caloosa Spirit and Lady Hawk moved to Manjack Cay for the night. While sitting in the cockpit, we noticed a sailboat aground in the channel. After several attempts to help from a guy in a dinghy, he was free; but only for a few minutes when he ran aground on the opposite side of the channel. Boats had to maneuver carefully due to the narrow 30 foot wide channel. Would you believe, once free for the second time they ran aground again at the month of the channel entering White Sound! Who was steering? We continued to hear the female on the radio call various marinas seeking assistance. Their boats name ironically, was “Traveler.” They weren’t having a good day. Steve said they had gotten caught at low tide in the channel. The guy in the sailboat said, “I don’t understand why this happened. High tide was at 7:00 a.m. this morning.” Dude, it was after noon when you were in the channel some five hours from high tide. They remained aground for a least an hour before breaking free and returning to the marina to wait until tomorrow to leave.
We put the dinghy in the water and hoisted the outboard on so we could cruise around the area easily. Imagine having the ability to see the sea creatures along the bottom some 12 feet below the dinghy. I saw 10-12 inch star fish lying all over the bottom. We motored to Black Sound checking out the marinas and the boats in slips and moored. We were glad Willie steered us to White Sound because the water depth there looked too shallow for Willie’s boat. The water was too cool for me to get in or I would have tried snorkeling with Steve. Hopefully, tomorrow we can get our new fins out and explore.
As we sat in the cockpit with our sundowners, we said, “How different a few days and good weather can change your surrounds and your activities. “ The water was calm, the wind was calm, White Sound was calm and we had it pretty much to ourselves. Satisfaction was anchored close enough to us that we could yell to each other if we needed to talk about anything. Plans were to spend a quiet night “on the hook.”
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