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!