April 2007 update

Saturday March 24^th. Still cold and windy!

We left Stella Maris Marina (Long Island) on an incoming tide to clear the 3 mile stretch of shallow water. The first mile I had to keep the engines running as we were bumping over some sand bars and I wanted to keep the momentum going so we would not get stuck. The wind is still 25 knots and by the time we reached deep water the seas were running 6 to 8 feet. As we were approaching the southern entrance to George Town Exuma the boat was rapidly being overtaken by rain squalls from behind and it was necessary to slow and wait for the 3 mile thick band of rain to pass over us so we would have enough visibility to navigate through the reefs. It is always kind of eerie as a squall overtakes you, the wind shifts, the temperature drops, and the skies darken. This is definitely not Carol’s favorite time. The rest of the 30 mile trip was uneventful and only took us 5 hours.

George Town is the cruising Mecca for the US east coast sailors. During the winter season George Town routinely hosts anywhere from 300 to 400 boats. For cruisers it is the turn around point, a stopover for some, and winter refuge for most others. The big draw here is the harbor is huge and plenty of anchorages that probably could accommodate as many as 500 boats. The town offers most services and friendly people that appreciate the money the cruisers bring to the community.

Cruisers hunkered down at George Town

The George Town cruising crowd is like its own traveling community. They set up activities everyday like volley ball tournaments, pot luck dinners, cook outs, card games, beach party happy hours, crafts, church, etc. Additionally, there is a daily radio network that gives cruiser weather, reminders of the daily activities, bulletins, and boat parts swaps. The whole affair reminded me of a retirement community with daily planned activities complete with social coordinators.

The weather has not been very kind to us since arriving in the Bahamas. For the last week the daily winds have remained high in the 25 knot range with gusts to 30, yes and it is still cool. To seek cover from the relentless winds we anchored on the leeward side of Stocking Island a little more than a mile from town. The dinghy trip to town was okay going downwind but coming back against the wind was miserable. One trip while returning from town the wind was blowing 25 knots and short 3 foot seas resulted in a severe drenching for both of us and an extra 50 gallons of water in the dinghy.

With all this bad weather we are thinking more about home. On Tuesday morning the winds were forecast to only be in the 20 knot range so we decided to head north and work our way over to the leeward side of the Exuma chain. Once on the leeward side the winds become less of a problem as the seas remain pretty calm on the shallow water of the banks.

The Exuma Cays are one of the most popular cruising destinations in the Bahamas. The Cays are some 100 miles long and offer Bahamian water at its finest (crystal clear), an endless succession of small cays (estimated at 365), and interspersed with enough way stations for fuel and limited supplies.

Beautiful water colors at Little Farmers Cay

Our first stop north of the big island (Great Exuma) is Little Farmers Cay. The cay is only 4 miles long and 1 mile wide with a population of about 50 people. It appeared that all the little homes had water and electricity. There was even a small school for the kids. The island has 2 restaurants, one is the Ocean Cabin. The restaurant has unique hours of operation, on their sign; “most days we are open about 9 or 10, occasionally as early as 7; but some days as late as 12 or 1. We close about 5 or 6, or maybe 4 or 5. Some days or afternoons we aren’t here at all and lately we’ve been here about all the time except when we are someplace else but we may be here then too”.

We stopped in for a delicious lunch of cracked conch. While there we met other cruisers from Canada and a German group we previously met in Mayaguana. The anchorage is so nice we stayed an extra day.

Guana Cay anchorage

The next day we moved north along the 12 mile west coast of Great Guana Cay. Every now and then we would head in close to shore looking for that perfect little beach. At one point I ran aground at a place called Hatties Beach and decided to stay and explore ashore. At that point the island was only ½ mile wide so I took a hike over to the windward side. There was no sign of civilization, not even a road. I imagine that the land has changed little over the last thousand years. After the tide came in we moved farther north and found a beautiful anchorage well protected from the wind close to a 100 foot limestone cliff.

The following morning we sailed north up to the island’s main settlement of Black Point. Once ashore we followed the aroma of fresh baked bread to someone’s home and were able purchase a loaf of cinnamon raison bread (yum). These small island towns are not what you expect. There is no defined business area. When you can find or can even recognize something as a business, market, or restaurant it usually doubles as the owner’s home and is interspersed with other houses. This is Saturday and not much going on and most things closed so we upped anchor and moved north to Staniel Cay.

Staniel Cay is one of the most popular destinations in the Exumas. It boasts a nice marina, great restaurant, good surrounding anchorages, small airport, and of course that beautiful Bahamian water. Additionally, it is the home of the Thunderball Grotto. Movie buffs will remember the James Bond movie Thunderball and that famous underwater cave scene where Commander Bond swims through the sharks to escape one of his many nemesis. We enjoyed a great anchorage right between the Staniel Cay Yacht Club and the Thunderball Grotto. We were also able to get the wireless internet signal from the yacht club at the boat (KEWL).

As Carol and I were getting ready to go ashore for lunch the crew from Wildchild (met them in Provo) stopped by to say hi. After a quick tour of the boat Carol gave the girls some of the Cat Who books. We all went in together and enjoyed hamburgers.

Thunderball Grotto

The next day Carol and I hopped in the dinghy and headed for Thunderball Grotto. The Grotto is a small, partially underwater cavern with a sky-light (through the overhead rocks), which is accessible by snorkeling at low tide. Getting inside the grotto is at first a little intimidating, but if you wait for low tide you don’t even have to put your head under water to gain entrance, just find the opening and guide yourself in using your hands as a brace against the sides of the rocky cave. Once you are inside the grotto is amazing! Any fear you might have had will instantly be replaced by awe when you enter the interior. Inside the cave the light beams down from the opening in the roof, illuminating the crystal clear blue water below. The light beam penetrates the surface of the water and dances all the way to the ocean floor 20 feet below, a myriad of tropical fish dart in and out of the light, their bright colors flashing in the sun. Among the colorful parade are queen angelfish, sergeant majors, grouper, snapper, and parrotfish. After I went in to check out the grotto and reported back no sharks Carol followed me through.

After Lunch the next stop was Big Major Cay, home of the famous swimming pigs. Yup, you read that right, swimming pigs! We hopped in the dinghy with some food scraps and headed for the beach. Waiting for us ashore were 3 large pigs, and 2 piglets. There is was one big brown shaggy haired pig (200 or 300 pounds) that is rather aggressive and actually swam out to greet us. He even tried to climb into the dinghy and almost capsized us. It is the coolest and craziest thing I have ever seen! Pigs in paradise—you gotta love it! Once we landed the dinghy on shore Carol diverted the pigs by tossing some food and then had to quickly run down the beach spreading food so they wouldn’t catch her. What a sight! I never knew how fast these guys could run. Another boat was there off the beach and were in hysterics just watching the scene. Fun was had by all (pigs and us).

Swimming Pig at Majors Spot	Pigs in waiting	Carol gets brave

Monday, April 2^nd - The wind has finally started to settle down and should remain so for the next week. We just did some exploring by boat. Carol and I had lunch at the Sampson Cay Yacht Club. The Cay is a small island that is a private resort and caters mostly to large motor vessels. Then it was off to explore the many channels and reefs of the Pipe Cays. The evening’s anchorage is just west of Compass Cay.

Tuesday it is off to the Exumas Cays, Land & Sea Park. The Park covers some 176 square miles and is 8 miles wide and 22 miles long. It is a no-take zone by both land and sea – nothing living or dead can be removed from the area. The Park Headquarters is located at Warderick Wells where there are moorings available for up to some 40 boats. Reservations are taken up to 24 hours in advance and given out on day of arrival on an availability basis.

Warderick Wells Exuma Park

Beautiful spot to hang out for a week

We were lucky enough to get one of the better locations in the north harbor. As we entered the anchorage my visual senses just went to overload. This is one of the most beautiful areas we have ever sailed into. The sand is the purist white, the water is crystal clear and the colors cover the entire spectrum of blue’s and green’s, the cays are pristine, and the sky bright and clear. Wow, I could stay here for a long time, and to think it is only 350 miles from home. The entire island of Warderick Wells is part of the park and has no commercial or private buildings except for the park headquarters and employee housing. The island has miles of walking trails and several dozen isolated white sand beaches. One of the unique destinations on Warderick Wells is Boo Boo Hill, a 70 foot high hill where for many years boaters have been placing memorabilia of their vessels. The Shaggy Dog Trail is the quickest route to the top, which is about a 10 minute hike away. On your way to the trailhead there is a skeleton of a whale that washed up on shore, the whale was killed by ingesting plastic, yet another good reason to clean up your trash and anyone else’s you might come across.

From the top of Boo Boo Hill the views of the island are incredible! There are also some pretty cool blow holes nearby that shoot a tall stream of water up through the rocks when the conditions are right.

Leaving your mark at Boo Boo Hill

Thursday morning I went for a one hour walk that took me almost 3 hours. The hiking trails here are more like a combination or rock climbing, wading through mangroves, and walking on soft sand beaches. I was lucky to average one mile per hour. The vistas and natural reserves are spectacular. The birds and lizards are almost tame and are not afraid of people.

Friends from Brunswick

Over the next couple of days 3 other boats that we met last summer in Brunswick GA pulled into the park (Solei, Nocall, and Sundaze). Saturday evening there was a social hour on the beach and it was fun to reunite with our friends from Brunswick.

Easter Sunday - It is a beautiful day. The park hosted an Easter Dinner on the beach. They supplied 2 large smoked hams and ice, everyone else (boaters) brought side dishes to share. There must have been 60 people that showed up with all sorts of delicious dishes from salads, appetizers, casseroles, breads, and deserts. Everyone arrives by dinghy and brings their chairs and utensils. It was nice meeting new people and talking about where they have been and are going. The event ended at 5:00 and with a full tummy it was off for an early bed.

The next morning we left early heading for Spanish Wells on the island of Eleuthera. The weather was excellent with light winds and small seas. We stopped at Current Island (10 miles south of Spanish Wells) at dark and anchored for the night. The next day we slowly cruised through Spanish Wells and could not find a suitable anchorage that would protect us from the bad weather that was moving in that night (bummer). Oh well we decided to just head on another 50 miles for Little Harbor on the southeast side of Abaco.

The light winds continue for the afternoon while we crossed the deep water of the Northeast Providence Channel. Halfway to Abaco we were joined by a large pod of dolphins that frolicked on our bow for 15 minutes.

At 8:00 that evening the winds are starting to kick up to 20 knots and the seas are picking up to 8 feet. We arrived at Little Harbor at 9:00 on a very dark night. Fortunately we were able to find a place to anchor that provided protection from the arriving cold front that will be causing squalls and shifting winds. Sure enough as predicted by 11:00 the wind was gusting up to 40 and gradually shifting around from south to north. About 0300 the thunder and lightning started. At 0400 it felt like our anchor was dragging and I was about to get my rain slicker on when caught a good bite. So much for a good nights sleep. The next morning was gray and overcast with occasional showers. After breakfast I noticed our anchor chain was wrapped around a decent sized coral head, which was what stopped us from dragging.

To get the anchor dislodged I would have to go diving or try to drive the boat around the coral and hope to unwrap the chain. Since I had just showered and it was cold I opted for the latter. I stood on the bow and Carol maneuvered with the engines until we were able to rotate around the coral head to free the anchor. We got lucky.

Happy Birthday Carol

We sailed up to Hope Town and picked up a mooring in the inner harbor. It has been about more than 2 weeks since we have shopped for food or eaten out so the first order of business this morning was to find a place for lunch. After a nice 2 hour lunch and a couple of bloodies we are back in harmony with the universe and ready for a good nap.

It is Carol’s birthday and tonight we are going ashore to celebrate with Keith and Karla from Lioness (we met them in Provo). Keith and Karla are a great couple and are on their way to Daytona where Keith has a job offer (small world). We had a delightful time and ate at one of those dock side restaurants that overlook the harbor. During our talk we found out that Karla is a professional hair stylist and she offered to give us both a cut tomorrow. This is the first time I have ever been excited to get a hair cut. You gals out there will know how happy Carol is about this (it has been 6 months).

Sunset Hope Twon Harbor

Keith and Karla came by this morning and Carol and I got hair cuts. Karla is a professional beautician and has been in the business for 30 years, it shows, what great do. We celebrated with our daily bloodies and since Karla refused any money we took them to lunch. Oh well just another tough day. That afternoon we hiked up the famous Hope Town Lighthouse. The lighthouse is still working and is lit every night using a kerosene burner.

Hope Town Lighthouse	Inside view

The next morning we are off for the 10 mile sail to Marsh Harbor. The winds are light and we are using our favorite sail configuration of jib only.

Marsh Harbor is the largest town in the Abaco’s. All major services are here and the harbor boasts of at least a half dozen full service marinas and several charter bareboat companies. We anchored early and went ashore for a cheeseburger. After lunch we ran across the bay to visit a large first rate supermarket. Prices here are just a little higher than the States and most things are available. Also I was able to fill up our spare propane tank at the local hardware store. We have been averaging 6 weeks per tank at a cost of $10 per refill. Not bad considering all our cooking is with propane.

We also stopped at a large liquor store for our last Bahamian purchase. Prices are okay, not great. Beer here is the most expensive we have seen. Even in the stores the best price we have found is $1.50 per bottle by the case ($36). At most bars they charge anywhere from a cheap of $3 to expensive of $5 with the average of $4. The next time we will buy all our booze at St. Martin, half price.

There is a big cold front coming though tomorrow night and the holding in Marsh Harbor doesn’t seem to be that great. The bottom is a very soft sand/mud combination and with all the other boats around we are thinking about moving up to Treasure Cay to a small nicely protected harbor with sand bottom. We left bright and early the next morning to beat the crowd and find a good spot to drop the hook. We enjoy a pleasant 15 mile sail and are anchored by noon. Our anchorage is between 2 seawalls and will allow adequate room for us to swing 180 degrees around the anchor.

Treasure Cay

After getting the boat situated and prepared for the evening’s storm Carol and I went ashore to wander around the marina and enjoy a cold pina coloda.

That evening the winds pick up to 35 with gusts to 45 and sure enough about midnight as the front passes all the anchored boats swing around from southwest to northeast. Why it is these fronts always seem to come through late at night???? The actual frontal passage is the riskiest time as boats swing around causing anchors to become un-set. When the anchors just don’t re-set the boat ends up dragging. What makes this dangerous is if the dragging boats anchor can get tangled with yours and then you are both going for an unpleasant ride. This is the critical time when everyone should be checking that their anchor has reset. Needless to say most of the boaters are on anchor watch much of the evening watching for their own boat as well as for others that may drag into them. Some Days A Diamond has a 44 pound Delta Anchor that has done a great job for us and again keeps us secure for the night. The next day on the VHF net one of the boats on an island about 10 miles east reported wind gusts up to 70, wow, lucky us.

We spend another day at Treasure Cay waiting for the winds to settle before heading over to Green Turtle Cay.

With the winds still blowing 20 knots out of the northeast we ended up motoring most of the way over to Green Turtle Cay. Green Turtle has 2 protected harbors (White Sound and Black Sound). White Sound was still full with anchored boats from the last storm. It seems that the wind is still too high for most people and they remain hunkered down. I called Black Sound Marina, the south harbor, and found space at their dock for 2 nights at a very reasonable $38 per day. The marina was also located only 3 blocks from the main town which made it very convenient. Luckily it was high tide and we were able to get in the shallow channel to Black Sound.

Main town on Green Turtle Cay

We tied up and headed directly to town for some of the island’s famous cracked conch. As we were sightseeing we happened upon Gazelle Viggers and her father. Gazelle is Charles’ wife and we have been looking forward to meeting up with them for the last 6 months. They are anchored in White Sound (north anchorage) and we made plans to get together the following evening.

The next day I dinghy’d over to White Sound to visit with Charles and check out all the new upgrades to Wild Ride, their Lagoon 380. Charles and I are fellow Sunsail owners and have enjoyed a nice relationship for the past year bouncing ideas off each other on boat improvements for cruising.

That evening the crew of Wild Ride came over to Black Sound for cocktails at our boat and then dinner in town.

Thursday morning we topped off the fuel tanks and left for Manjack Cay, the next island north in the Abaco chain, Manjack is a private island with only 3 homes, however they do have free public access wireless internet, very KEWL. As we are pulling into the tiny harbor we find Keith and Karla, with visitors from Michigan, on Lioness. Time for another party. That evening we enjoy cocktails with K&K and their guests on Lioness. Good news for Keith and Karla, they sold their boat. For the last several months while they have been cruising the boat has been for sale. A potential buyer few into Marsh Harbor a couple of days ago and bought their boat. They have 3 weeks to deliver the boat to Ft. Lauderdale and will help the new owner sail her to Sarasota.

Kayaking at Manjack

The next morning Carol and I enjoy a kayak ride through the mangrove creeks of Manjack. Afterwards I spent and hour scraping barnacles and grass build up from the hulls of our catamaran.

After lunch we left for a 20 mile sail to Allens Pensacola Cay which will be our next to last stop in the Abaco’s before heading back to Florida. The winds are still 20 to 25, but the seas remain relatively calm across the Little Bahama Banks.

Allens Pensacola is a deserted island with a well protected anchorage from the northeast winds. We arrive in time for evening cocktails and pretty sunset.

The next morning we leave after breakfast for the 40 mile trip to Sales Cay. Sales Cay is the staging ground for boats planning the passage to Florida and points north. The Cay is strategically located and the last anchorage before the Gulf Stream. We have been listening to the cruising and weather nets and are aware of the large number of boats that are trying to get back to the states. The winds are still strong from the northeast which present problems for most craft as the Gulf Stream current runs from south to north and counteracts with any winds with a northerly component. The reaction with the wind and Gulf Stream current sets up nasty vertical type waves that can become very large, uncomfortable, wet, and depending on the boat type and size can be very dangerous.

For us the trip will be 165 nm and with good winds should take about 20 hours. Our catamaran handles quartering seas very well and we are confident we can handle the forecasted wind and wave height conditions. Our criteria for the trip, besides keeping Carol comfortable, will be to make the Gulf Stream crossing in daylight hours necessitating an early departure from Sales Cay.

Sales Cay is a deserted island, narrow, and about 8 miles long. A boater in Green Turtle told us about a problem here last week when a couple of men tried to board several anchored boats at night. When we pulled into the large harbor we dropped anchor within 50 yards of several other boats thinking about safety in numbers. Also that night we locked up the boat and slept with one eye open.

Sales Cay to Cape Canaveral

The next morning I was up at 0330 readying the boat for a 0400 departure. We had a 50 mile sail across the banks before hitting the Gulf Stream. It was pitch black as the moon had set about midnight. For the first time I had to use the radar to miss anchored boats that did not have on anchor lights, what a pain. We motored out of the harbor and when clear unfurled headsail. Once the sun came up the winds were blowing 15 to 20 so we hoisted the main with one reef and kept the full headsail. By the time we reached the Gulf Stream the winds are a steady 20 out of the east northeast with occasional gusts to 25. As we moved farther into the Stream the seas started building to 10 to 12 feet and although steep were manageable. Most of the time in the Stream our speed over water was between 8 to 8.5 knots and with the effect of the northbound current we sometimes reached 11 knot speed over ground. The conditions were super and could have been one of those magical 200 mile days if we had been so inclined to just head straight for St. Augustine or Ponce Inlet.

Also it was necessary to use the radar more than normal even in the daytime as with the wave heights being what they were it is hard to spot ships on the horizon. The radar antenna is located 25 feet up the mast and has a much better view than I do from the cockpit. We only had one encounter when two ships passed either side of us simultaneously about ½ mile apart.

Our last evening at sea we experienced one of those elusive green flashes. I am sure this is an omen for us to return to the cruising life. We won’t be long.

Sunset 30 miles from Cape Canaveral

Just after dark the auto pilot stopped functioning. In spite of all my attempts nothing I did from the control head would correct the problem. Okay, its back to the old fashioned way of hand steering, boy have we become spoiled. For the last 4 hours of the trip I hand steered the boat. 

At midnight we gently coasted through Port of Canaveral passing between berthed mega tankers and cruise ships. All the marinas are closed at this time of day but it was not a problem finding an empty pier to tie on to. After a congratulatory toast to Carol and King Neptune we retired a very happy couple.

This has been the trip of a lifetime. Out there (cruising) you work together, listen to each other, and genuinely care for the needs of your partner. It is a very nice experience.