February 2008 - Bahamas

Wednesday, January 30. We are up early for a 0500 departure from Pompano Beach as we still have 5 draw bridges to clear before the Port Everglades channel. The forecast calls for a perfect sailing day with winds out of the south at 10 knots. Our bridge timing was perfect as we didn’t have to wait more than 5 minutes for any of them. By 0700 we were in the ocean and following 7 other sailboats heading for various Bahamian destinations. The winds gradually built to 15 knots and swung to the southeast so we ended up motoring the entire way. Just as we were losing sight of land the fishing reel started spinning and a 20 lb Dorado jumped out of the water. Oh boy, fish for diner.

Wild Ride

The Bimini’s

“My greatest discovery was Bimini”

Ernest “Papa” Hemingway

Bimini is just 44 nautical miles west of Miami and its’ location on the edge of the Gulf Stream make this a fisherman’s paradise. The avid big game angler can leave the dock in Bimini Harbor and have expectations of tournament sized marlin or sail fish within 10 minutes. The island is relatively small, only 7 miles long and ½ mile wide. Its people are friendly and although the island infrastructure is decaying the prices remain high.

We arrived at Bimini at 1800 and since we are unfamiliar with the entrance, heard that space in the harbor is limited, and holding not that great we decided to anchor out just south of the island. Our buddy boat, Wild Ride, arrived about 30 minutes ahead of us and had the grill already for a nice fish diner.

Thursday is a gorgeous day. We had a slow morning with a late breakfast, cleaning the boat, and a warm shower. We motored into Bimini harbor and got a slip at the Bimini Big Game and Fish Club. After securing the boat we headed off to Customs and Immigration for check in.

Old Chaulks Seaplane Terminal

Carol and I enjoyed late lunch at a little local café. Afterwards we walked around the island as I reminisced about being here 50 years ago with my parents. Not much has changed, even the old abandoned sea plane terminal looks the same. The people here are very friendly, everywhere you go they are quick with a sincere greeting and a smile.

Wild Ride passing in front of the Sapona

The next morning we left and joined up with Wild Ride for a slow trip to Gun Cay (only 8 miles south). We made a lunch stop at the wreck of the Sapona, an old cement ship that sank in a hurricane some 75 years ago. The wreckage is still in good shape and provides for excellent snorkeling.

Jaime & Seth from Slapdash

For the evening we anchored off north Gun Cay where we were joined by Seth and Jaime, a Canadian couple, on the catamaran Slapdash (www.theslapdash.com). Jamie and Seth are on their first leg of a planned circumnavigation of the world. That evening we all got together on Some Days A Diamond for a few “sundowners” and pizza. We had a fun time solving the world’s economic and political problems. One of the great things about cruising is you meet the nicest people.

Saturday morning we got underway early for the 110 mile trip to Nassau. The first 60 miles is over the Bahama Banks that has shallow depths ranging from 7 to 15 feet. The water is sparkling clear and can become mesmerizing as you watch the light rays from the Sun reflect through the gentle ripples in the water and bounce back off the sandy bottom like a mirror. Like an aquarium it is amazing at all the sea life one can see; fish, conch, starfish, and various underwater plants.

The wind is still pretty much on the nose so we are using the motors as the primary means of propelling the boats (I feel like a trawler). Early afternoon Wild Ride discovered a serious problem with one of their sail drives. While Charles was doing a routine inspection of the engine compartment he noticed oil dripping from a loose joint between the sail drive and engine. This is bad situation and may require the boat to be hauled. We both start using only one engine and continued on until 1730 when we anchored on the Bank about 3 miles south of the main shipping route. It is kind of cool to be out in the middle of the Bank and anchored totally out of sight of land.

The next morning we get started early with a plan of getting to Nassau where there will be parts and services to repair the sail drive. As we get going it becomes apparent that with our slow speed (due to 1 engine) and against the wind it will require us to be underway for about 14 hours to reach Nassau. By 0900 we decide to head for the northern end of Andros to a placed known as Morgan’s Buff (only 15 miles away). The anchorage will be a good place to find shelter from the wind and give Charles an opportunity to assess the sail drive problem. The only down side here is that there is virtually no services or communications.

Charles & Giselle

By early afternoon we are safely snuggled into a calm anchorage and Charles is into the shop manuals on how to disassemble the sail drive from the motor. I am continually amazed at how talented Charles is and his willingness to take on any task. After lunch I dinghy over to Wild Ride and we get started. The plan is to disconnect the sail drive from the engine and determine where the oil is coming from, why the housing is loose, and determine what will be required for the repair. The sail drive is connected to the motor and is one part of a 3 part engine mounting system. We are going to disconnect the sail drive and slide the engine forward about 6 inches so we can do a visual inspection. We first tie a sling around the sail drive to support its weight so it will remain stable when disconnect from the engine. Next we rig a sling around the back of the engine and use the boom as a hoist to remove the pressure off the engine mounts and that will allow us to unbolt the sail drive, unfasten the engine motor mounts, and slide the engine forward.

Everything goes as planned (I love it when a plan comes together, wasn’t that Mr. T?) and we discover that the bolts that hold the sail drive to its housing (so it can be connected to the engine) have all come loose. There are 8 bolts in total. We find 5 of them beat up and bent in the bottom of the housing and 3 broken off in the unit). To fix this properly we need to pull the engine or sail drive completely out of the boat, drill out the broken bolts, and re-tap the holes. Alternatively, we could do the job with a small right angle drill. Since we don’t have the right angle drill our options are limited. We do some scrounging around we come up with 5 replacement bolts to secure the housing. This temporary repair should put the engine/drive back in limited service until the proper tools are obtained.

As the sun is setting on the western horizon everything is back together, the engine is ready for a test, and its Miller time. Reflecting on the days activities we both agree that tomorrow it would be prudent to check the other engine/s. Anyway, it is Super Bowl Sunday and it is time for a party.

Wild Ride has Follow Me TV. They have a satellite dish that picks up DirecTV and they have invited us over for snacks and a Super Bowl. After a shower we return to Wild Ride and settle in for the big game. What a contest!

The next day we tore apart the other engines and everything check out okay.

Beach at Morgan's Bluff Andros

Monday afternoon another boat (Better Days) came into the harbor (now there are 4 of us). That gave us just the incentive needed to call for an evening party on the beach. The beach here is beautiful and an easy dinghy landing. At 1700 everyone brought their drinks and snacks and we had a cool time enjoying each others company.

On Tuesday morning Carol, Giselle, and Connie (Better Days) hired a driver for a trip to a Mennonite farm to buy some fresh vegetables. On the way they got a quick tour of the small town of Nicoll’s. I busied myself moving some electronics around (large chart plotter to helm) and wiring up the TV to accept input from the PC (both video and sound). Charles and Giselle have a gigantic collection of videos that I can copy to an external hard drive. In the last two nights we have watched the current movies The Bucket List and Michael Clayton (pre DVD release) KEWL.

Local Conch Fishermen

Wednesday, on the way to the beach, we stopped to check out one of the local conch fishermen. He had a big load and we were able to negotiate the purchase of 7 lobster tails and 9 pieces of conch for the price of 3 bottles of beer and a 20 dollar bill. After a nice walk on the beach it was back to the boat for lobster.

Thursday morning Wild Ride will be heading to Nassau to find a right angle drill. Carol and I are heading for the Exuma’s. The first half of our 70 mile trip was across what is called the Tongue of the Ocean (deep water) and the second half across the Exuma Banks (shallow). The winds were predicted to be just south enough of east to allow for a motor sail. It was a pretty uneventful day and we at Allen’s Cay about 1900 (dark).

Peaceful Allen's Cay

Allen’s Cay is a popular anchorage for a couple of reasons. It’s the first stop south of Nassau for boats heading for the Exuma’s and second, there is a large population of iguanas that flock to the beach as soon as they notice a dinghy landing. The large iguanas (some as big as 3 feet) are looking for a handout and expect to be fed.

Carol feeding the iguanas

The iguanas are generally non-aggressive towards people but do squabble amongst themselves. We just had to be careful not to get to close when the ‘big’ iguana starts chasing the others away as it is like a bomb burst of smaller iguanas going in every direction and they sometime run into the casual observer.

While feeding the iguanas we ran into Jaime & Seth from Slapdash who we partied with at Gun Cay. Since we are both heading for the next island down chain (Highbourne Cay) they invited us over for evening cocktails.

Upon arriving at Highbourne we were greeted by Connie and Steve from Better Days. It is cool the way you end up traveling in a packs and start hanging with other boats along the way. That evening while we were being entertained by Jamie and Seth on Slapdash Wild Ride pulled in and were invited over. Seth had been ragging on Jamie about some banana rum she purchased and thought they would end up carrying the bottle around the world. Well after last evening that is no longer a problem.

There is a strong cold front moving down into the area Sunday so we will be seeking shelter down at Norman’s Cay where there is a large pond in the middle of the island and is very well protected from the wind. The entrance to the pond is protected by two large rocks and is only 100’ wide. Immediately after getting through the rocks you must turn to navigate through a narrow shallow corridor (3 feet at low tide) for about a quarter of a mile before getting to the deeper water. We arrived at mid tide and were not able to negotiate the pass so we anchored out side until the next morning’s high tide.

That evening as we were about to throw some steaks on the grill Seth came over with 3 large lobsters he just dove up. The tails were big enough for a nice meal for each of the three boats. Since the grill was ready I tried something new. I deveined and split the tails, sprinkled then with garlic salt, wrapped them in tin foil, and grilled for 10 minutes. When I checked them for doneness the white succulent meat just flaked out of the shell. Fabulous! Thanks Seth.

Sunday morning our little convoy of three catamarans moved safely through the narrows and anchored in the pond at Norman’s Cay. We spent the day exploring by dinghy, fishing, and playing on the shallow sand bars. That evening we hosted a margarita party and everyone brought Mexican snacks. It was a late evening and we are sleeping in.

Entrance to Norman's Pond

Hard to starboard and follow the little path - 5 feet deep

Wild Ride in trail

Monday morning when we awoke the winds were blowing up to 25 knots from the NNE and it’s a little cool. Even though we are in a protected lagoon the waves have turned into white caps and are short and lumpy. We decided to try to take the dinghy 2 miles south to find the former drug dealers estate and locate a local restaurant. After a half hour ride we were cold and drenched and when we arrived it was too rough for us to land the dinghy (ugh). Back to the boat and a warm shower.

Tuesday it is still kicking up (wind & waves) so we are going to try a new tactic, dinghy ashore near the boat and walk the 2 miles to the restaurant (what you won’t do for a burger & fries). Once we started our trek we were joined by 3 other couples that had walked up from the other end. The restaurant turned out to be a very nice place called McDuff’s Beachside Resort. The burgers were great, although a little pricey. They did have limited internet access so we were all able to down load mail. On our way back to the dinghy the 6 of us were able to snag a ride from a construction worker with a pickup truck.

That evening we played the game Grainium and watched the Westminster Dog Show.

On Wednesday’s high tide we are underway out the cut and heading for Shroud Cay. It is still windy with a constant 20 to 25 knots out of the SE so it’s a motor trip all the way. We proceed into the Exuma Sound for 2 miles and re-enter the Banks through Wax Cay Cut. The anchorage on the NW side of Shroud is straight forward in 8 feet of sand.

Charles & Seth, these guys ar GOOD

Shroud is the northern most Cay in the Exuma Land and Sea Park. It is just a group of small Cays and rocks connected by extensive system of mangroves and rocks. The only way to explore the creeks is by dinghy or kayak at high tide. There is a myriad of sea life that seems to know they are protected in a no-take zone. Carol and I spent a couple of hours wondering around through the flats and mangroves. The water is crystal clear and filled with sea life. It reminds me of the old movie African Queen and you wouldn’t be surprise to see Humphrey Bogart pulling Kathrin Hepburn through the swamp.

When we got back to the boat Charles and Seth dinghy’d over to show off the results of their recent dive just north of Wax Cay Cut. It’s another night of fresh seafood. Life is good.

Thursday morning we enjoyed a brisk downwind sail to Warderwick Wells.

As usual we ended up staying at Warderwick Wells beyond our original intention. It’s such a beautiful anchorage. Every night we gather on the beach for sundowners with whoever shows up. Several 10 pound yellow tail snappers continue to tease us daily by hanging out under the boat (no take zone and they know it).

A little sugar and a handfull of birds

Our tough days are filled with swimming, hiking, socializing with other cruisers, eating very well, and playing various games at night with Wild Ride and Slapdash.

On one of the high hills that overlook the anchorage is a place called Boo Boo Hill. It’s a place where cruisers that visit have been leaving the names of their boats for years. They use whatever is available driftwood, old boards, fish floats, to even an old board motor. Slapdash and Wild Ride got energized and decided to make a really cool sign of all our logo’s buy using a router and carving out the designs. Next the paint for the details, KEWL!

Wild Ride, Slapdash & Some Days A Diamond logo's on Boo Boo

We hiked up the hill for the planting ceremony and toasted with Champaign. Fun day.

Wild Ride

Slapdash

After 4 days of fun it’s off to Staniel Cay via stopovers at the Pipe Cays and Sampson Cay for fuel. Waiting for us at Staniel was Zing, friends of Jaime and Seth. Dave and Jan (Zing) are super people and invited all of over for snacks and a game of “Oh Hell”. Everyone brought snacks and Jan made 3 pizza’s (um good). After cards and shots until 0130….. the next day was very slow. Thanks Jan and Dave for a wonderful party.

Sunset at Staniel Cay

Late the next morning we dinghy’d over to Big Major’s Spot to feed the resident pigs. It is fun to watch other people approach the beach and see their reaction as these big pigs swim out to greet them.

After lunch it was off to Thunder Ball Grotto for a snorkel through the caves. That evening Carol and I stayed on the boat for a quiet evening and watched a movie.

Thurder Ball Grotto

We moved down to Bitter Guana Cay for a day of beach combing and snorkeling. That evening it was a short ride over to Black Point on the Northwest Corner of Great Guana Cay. It has been a couple of weeks since our last laundry run so we took advantage of the town’s brand new coin operated laundry.

Speaking of laundry here’s a tip we got from fellow cruisers. Soak dirty clothes in a bucket of water mixed with one cup of ammonia. After a 30 minute soaking either mix up/scrub the clothes, then hang to dry. Rinsing is optional. It’s amazing how clean the clothes get, and no odor, too simple.

The Black Point anchorage was very rolly with a swell coming in from 45 degrees off the wind. After lunch we moved 5 miles south down the island to tuck in behind a small reef at white point. Unfortunately that anchorage wasn’t much better so we spent another rolly night.

A little slice of privacy

Bonnie & Maury from Smidge
Feeding the Pigs at Big Majors

The next day we enjoyed a pleasant day at Little Farmers Cay and were invited to dinner with Bonnie and Maury on Smidge.

The next morning we took a leisurely motor sail on to the banks west of Rudder Cay and found a delightful sand bar 3 miles from the nearest Cay. We spent a couple of hours swimming and beachcombing. After lunch we explored the shallow waters of Pimlico Cays and continued on to catch up with Wild Ride, Slapdash, and Zing at Rat Cay. Our cruising buddies have been busy diving up lobster and fish. Charles and Giselle hosted a fish taco night on Wild Ride.

The next day we stopped at the Emerald Bay Marina for the night. The boat got a nice fresh water wash down and so did Carol and Tom at the marina shower facilities. The Marina was a nice break and had all the luxuries that one would expect from a Four Seasons Resort.

On Tuesday we arrived at Georgetown to wait out the next cold front moving down from the states. Georgetown has most of the necessities that you could find in the states. There are probably more than 300 boats in the harbor and at night with all the boat lights you would think that you are in a good sized city.

We are starting to get anxious about getting to the Caicos Islands (250 miles) where we will meet friends Stoney and Carla on or about March 15^th. The next leg of this trip will be sailing northeast up to either Rum Cay or San Salvador where we will play and wait for the next front to pass and shift the wind to the southwest through northeast.

Proposed routing from Georgetown to Provo