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.”