BAHAMA 2016 Expedition Leg 2
Wednesday 4/20/2016
Quiet
cool night, wind 10-25 Kt from the East. We called Lee Side Marina on the phone
for a dock, mostly to see if the phone would work, it worked fine for a local
call. We still have trouble calling Mom. We pulled up anchor at 9:30 and
motored 4 miles to Green Turtle. Had lunch and the local special drink “The Pot
Hole” at the Lizard Bar and Grill. We arranged for a cart tomorrow at 10 AM for
24 hours. Contacted ‘Horizon’ and they decided to join us tomorrow, they need
to come in at high tide. I worked on the dingy engine, filling the spare tank
with new gas and changing the gas fitting, the Yamaha fitting was very corroded
and leaks. The Mercury fitting still looks fine. I pumped a few ounces of good
gas through the engine by disconnecting the fuel line from the carburetor. Went
for a spin and it started missing after a few minutes but did not stop. Back at
the boat, I checked over the engine again, it was a little low on oil so I
topped it up and replaced the spark plug which did not look too bad. This time
the engine ran fine for 15 minutes as I circled back and forth up wind of the
boat. I think there was just a dab of bad gas left in the plumbing but I will
run it here in Black Sound for the next few days where it is safe.
Thursday 4/21/2016
Got
up around 7, ‘Horizon’ called the marina at 8 and I went out to help the dock
tender catch their lines. Cathy made eggs for breakfast. The Cruisers Net could
just barely be heard. The cart was delivered at 10 and after a few quick
instructions (KEEP LEFT) we were off. We toured the town, parked and walked
around. We toured the cemetery, old jail (Goal), the Lowe Museum, food and souvenir
shops, then had lunch at the “Wrecking Tree”, conch and Mac and Cheese and Kaliks.
Back at the boat we meet Ray and Marylyn and showed them our boat. Ray showed
me the weather app “PocketGrib” and got the free version working on my phone.
Ray
was concerned about his boat at the dock, he did not have fender boards and was
worried that the wind would shift and push him against the dock so they stayed
at the marina while Cathy and I took the cart in to town for dinner. The card
did not start and smelled like it was flooded, so we went to the Lizard bar and
drowned our sorrows with a “Pot Hole”. After 15 minutes we tried again and the
cart started. I think I pushed too hard on the gas pedal while trying to start
it the first time. We stopped at ‘Harvey’s’, a popular restaurant with the
locals. They were doing a great business and there was one table left for us.
Cathy had conch and I had ribs, recommended by the waitress at the Lizard bar. Harvey’s
special drink is the “Turtle Twister”, very good. While waiting for our check,
someone said we all had to move our carts 
because
the ambulance could not get through the narrow street so we all rushed out and
moved our carts a short distance to a wider stretch of road. After dinner we walked
around (made our first attempt at a selfie as a married couple with the moon
just rising behind us) and had Goombay Smash at Miss Emma’s Blue Bee Bar and
glued our card to a rafter in the back room. We sat at a picnic table outside
and watched the full moon and many cats wandering around.
Friday 4/22/2016
Got up early, Ray and I took the cart to Bluff House Marina where the freshest fuel was supposed to be. There was a recent incident of water in the fuel at one of the marinas in town and Ray wanted to get fuel somewhere else. The roads were rocky and full of pot holes once we passed Green Turtle Club. We waited at the fuel pump with another boater looking for fuel for about 30 minutes until the dock master showed up. We filled 15 Ga of diesel for Ray and 10 Ga of gas for me. We had a dock cart but had to push it under the marina deck, a space just 5’ high and filled with spider webs but at least we got good fuel. We started back and about half way the cart engine started sputtering and stopped. The gas tank, under the seat is transparent and appeared to have plenty left but the fuel filters were dry. We poured some of our good fuel in and it started right up. We had the cart until 10 AM but Ray wanted a cart today so we called the company and extended this one for another day.
I loaned Ray one of our fender boards so his boat would be protected as the wind shifted around to the north and he would not have to worry about it while we were away in town. Our boat was well secured to pilings on both sides so we did not need it.
We drove into town for a shopping expedition, mostly to resupply Horizon. At one of the shops we heard about an evening get together at ‘Dicks’ place, almost at the end of the central road in New Plymouth. We took the provisions back to the boats and then roared off again to the ‘Wrecking Tree” for lunch. Back at the marina, the tide was low and Marylyn could not easily get on their boat so we invited her to ours.
After
lunch we went on an exploration trip in the cart and tried the back roads of
Green Turtle. We found some paths to the ocean side and watched the waves
rolling in, a spectacular sight but a very rugged coast.
We left for dinner at 5 and stopped near where we supposed the get together was. We asked at a liquor store which happened to be the spot, owned by ‘Dave’ but it did not get going until 6:30 so we went over to Harvey’s for dinner. Back at Dave’s, the party was in full swing. He did not have a license to serve drinks but you could buy a bottle and he opened it and supplied glasses. They also provided finger food, conch fritters, cheese and crackers and nuts. We met a bunch of locals, cruisers and vacationers who rented cottages on the island. We bought a bottle of wine for consumption there and a bottle of Ricardo rum to take back. Ray had Kalik and bought a few bottles to take back. The wine prices were reasonable and rum is cheap.
Saturday 4/23
Had chocolate muffins and fruit for breakfast that we got on our shopping trip yesterday, yummy. Took one gas jug in the cart to Green Turtle Club to fill up and also top up the cart. Cathy did laundry while I got out the hose and brush to clean the boat. A short rain shower interrupted the cleaning for a while. A Corsair ‘007 Moonracker’ came in and docked on the other side of the pier. We spent some time in the restaurant pavilion reading and hanging out, the breeze and shade was very nice, along with the view of the harbor from 20’ feet above the water. We had lunch with Ray and Marylyn there. Ray and I took a walk before dinner and explored the Sundown Marina, lots of project boats and wandered down a path to the ocean side beach. Things looked a lot calmer out there than yesterday. Had dinner at the Lizard and talked to the 2 guys from Moonracker’, they are headed home, first to Florida where they put the boat on a trailer and pull it to Missouri.
Took a final shower and went to bed, the winds are already calming down, should be good for crossing the Whale tomorrow.
Sunday 4/24
Quiet night, very light breeze from the north. Ray helped ‘Moonracker’ leave at 8:30 and returned our fender board. With the wind blowing us off the dock, Ray and Marylyn helped us back our boat out of the slip and let the wind blow the bow towards the marina exit before releasing the lines. It was a much easier maneuver than what I was prepared for with the wind blowing us against the dock, I would have had to back up all the way, and the entrance is very narrow for our 20’ beam.
We put all the fenders and dock lines away and put up the screecher for a nice run through the Whale Cay passage. Lots of boats were going both ways. Only turned the engine on for a few minutes going through the cut into the ocean because that part was a little too close to the wind for the screecher. We experimented for the first time with the Go Pro Selfie stick I got for Christmas. We liked some of the pictures from the TV show “Distant Shores” that they took with one. I think we will have to practice more. Anchored in the shallow part of the bay a Guana Club but after an hour, decided it was too close to the rocks behind us and the wind was more than predicted so we moved further out.
Richard
did the anchoring today, I was on the bow and he was at the helm. So as we
approach the anchor spot I see something moving in the water. I think it is a
stingray as I see it swimming under the water all of sudden I see the turtle
head out of the water taking a breath and down under the water he goes. I am
yelling to Richard but he does not hear me. Great welcome to Guana Cay today.
During the anchoring, I can actually see the anchor set with the sand being
disruptive squirreling around. The water is so crystal clear to the
bottom.
Relaxed and slept for a while, then at 3:30
prepared to dingy in to the island. The wind was up a bit, 15 Kt and I am still
not completely sure of the dingy engine so we went directly up wind to the
shore and then along the calm water near shore to the Guana Cay Club. We pulled
the dingy up the beach along with a dozen other dingys and walked to Nippers.
Lots of boats were moored in Guana Cay Harbor; I don’t remember any moorings in
there 3 years ago. Nippers was loaded with people, had the pig roast, then walked
along the spectacular beach with waves coming in, lots of sand and a few rocky
outcroppings. Returned to the boat around 6 and played Rummycub till the sun set,
then went to bed early.
Monday 4/25/16
Listened to the Cruisers net, first time it came in clearly.
While Cathy made breakfast, eggs, I put the screecher away and readied the boat
for today’s sail. The laptop found Bahamas WIMAX and I managed to sign up for a
month of their service, it feels good to be connected again. After breakfast we
pulled up the anchor and had a great reach to Marsh Harbor where we anchored at
1 .PM and had lunch. The only problem was that Cathy refused to allow me to
start the engines or steer my own boat on a glorious reach. We went in to the
dingy dock at Conch Inn Marina and walked around town looking for a few items
we needed. We were mostly successful, we got a new Yamaha fuel connector, dingy
engine spark plug and shifter cable at a small marine store. We got the battery
for the wind speed indicator at an electronics store. We stopped at the tourist
information office and picked up a Marsh Harbor map and got a name and phone
number for a taxi we need to get a crew member from Little Harbor to the
airport after Race Week. Next door was an Asian Market and we went in to
explore. We found some rice sheets that substitute for bread to experiment
with. It was nice to check up on our boat as we wandered around town. On the
way back we came across an old sugar cane press set up in an empty lot, it
looked like they hooked it up to a cart to turn it.
We made it back to the boat and the dingy engine is running just fine now. Had
happy hour and watched the boats going by.
I thought I heard the sound of dolphins breathing earlier
but could not see any. In the evening I heard them again and they were close to
the boat, we watched them circling the harbor for 10 minutes.
While I
am in the galley(kitchen) cleaning up after breakfast, I see Richard at the
helm getting ready to start the engines I tell him that I am still learning and
for me to start the engines and to do whatever to get the boat ready for
pulling up the anchor. He says alright. So when I am done in the galley. I get
the boat ready to pull up the anchor and after that I stay at the helm taking
the boat all the way to the Marsh Harbor channel markers.
Tuesday 4/26/2016
The wind dropped during the night, a clear and cold night.
We woke up to the sounds of dolphin right under the boat and watched them swim
from one side of the boat to the other for several minutes. There appeared to
be as many as 5, must be breakfast time! Cereal for us, then listened to the
Cruisers Net and changed the engine oil. The weather is supposed to remain
settled for several more days, east 10-15 Kt winds and no rain, Chamber of
Commerce days. We pulled up anchor and motored for an hour to Matt Lowe’s Cay
and then set the main and jib for a very nice reach to Elbow Cay passed Porgee
Rock and then south between Elbow Cay and Lubbers Quarters.
When the wind blew hard we did 6 Kt but mostly 4-5 Kt with a few lulls of 3 Kt.
At Lynyard Cay there were a dozen boats at anchor, I had never seen more than a
few anchored there, I hoped they were not waiting for space in Little Harbor.
As we passed I recognized one of them as Horizon. We texted and called them on
VHF and they said they were watching us with binoculars as we were watching
them. They plan on heading to Eleuthera and that is our next destination also.
It was a glorious sail on a Chamber of Commerce day and Cathy allowed me to
steer all the way! The wind faded as we approached Little Harbor but there was
a 2’ swell coming in from the ocean. We dropped the sails and motored in to the
narrow channel. There were a couple of unused moorings on the west side. After
straightening up the boat, we launched the dingy and made our way to their
dock. We walked around to north beach where they appear to be developing lots
for new houses. We walked to the old lighthouse
,
it is still deteriorating slowly but the views from there are spectacular. We
toured the gift shop and then found a seat at Pete’s Pub and ordered 2 rounds
of Little Harbor Blasters. We staggered back to the dingy, the dock was about
8’ high. I was knocking the sand off my sandals and one fell in. It was shallow
so I walked out and retrieved it. We made it safely into the dingy and back to
the boat.
Wednesday 4/27
Another quiet night but the waves hitting the rocks made both of us think it was raining. Got a few sightings of the turtles in the harbor. Breakfast of bread, hard boiled eggs and tomato. Listened to Cruisers Net, then Horizon texted that they had the SSSF Pink Flag up. Around 10 we left the mooring and motored over to the anchorage near them at the south end of Lynyard Cay. Ray jumped in to scrape barnacles, the water was 78 F, close enough to swimming temperature for a Floridian with the full sun to warm us.
After lunch we jumped in also, it was fine once you were in.
A large barracuda patrolled the sea floor under our boat. He did not get near
us or appear aggressive. There were a few barnacles and some crud on the hull.
The new scrapper handle made quick work of them. I tried the longest one which
is right for the bottom of the keel but a shorter one may be better for the
hull. Only saw one other small fish. Scrubbed the waterline and took a shampoo,
feels wonderful. After recovering from our swim, I dingied over to Horizon and
invited them over for nibbles and to discuss plans. They want to go to Eleuthera
tomorrow or the next day during the day, tour the island for a while and return
by 5/19. I plan to cross at night Friday and stop at Royal Isl. 
We
watched a large pod of dolphin swimming through the anchored boats. After
taking them back to Horizon, we had a quiet afternoon, I snoozed a bit. We had
carrots, mash potatoes and chicken filets with the sweet pepper sauce we picked
up at the Asian market in Marsh Harbor, excellent! A Sunsail boat came in and
anchored just upwind of Horizon, and they appeared to be followed by a buddy
boat. Both crews were speeding French. In this large area there is no reason to
anchor so close. Marylyn came out and shouted that they were over her anchor
and they moved further away. The wind is calming, 5-10 Kt and the sea is flat
with just a little roll from waves coming in through the reefs and inlet south
of the anchorage. Just after sunset there was supposed to be an Iridium satellite
flare but the sky was still too bright to see it. We played cards, read, then
put the bed together and dropped off to sleep.
Thursday 4/28/16
A
quiet night with clear skies and lots of stars. Several boats left just after
it got light. Today is preparation for the overnight sail and I topped off the
gas tanks and the dingy tank, filled a jerry can with water and tied it in the
dingy. Cathy prepared sacks for the crossing.
Mac and cheese with chicken for lunch, then a nap, resting for tonight. At 2 PM I removed to outboard from the dingy and went for a swim. Our friendly barracuda was gone, only saw one small fish, sand and grass. The anchor is well buried. Relaxed the rest of the afternoon. At 6 we got out the safety gear, said goodbye to Horizon and pulled up the anchor. Motored out North Bar Cut, the wind was 10 Kt form the east with 2’ rollers, very easy. Outside we put up the main and jib and were doing 5.5 Kt on an easy reach, NICE!
We decided to start 3 hour watches at 8, I will take the first because there may be more traffic on the third watch. Some clouds, mostly over Abaco but the rest of the sky was clear. Handed the helm to Cathy at 11.
After
breakfast, Rich is on the deck getting the boat ready for the night sail. Meanwhile, I am in the galley making peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches on Bimini bread. Yum Yum!!! Then I cut up the
peppers and onions for dinner tonight and save some for eggs when we anchor
tomorrow. Rich woke me up for my watch and when I open my eyes I see a night
sky full of stars. Rich gives me a recap of what our course is and any boats
around us on the chart. So here I am at the helm, in complete darkness stars in
the sky and all I hear is Winim sailing over the open waters. So peaceful. I
turn on my audio book Mary Queen of Scots while I sit at the helm checking our
course, looking around forward and aft of the boat and see open waters. I am
walking back and forth on deck because it is windy and cold. I am wearing a
jacket and socks I am toasty. So while on my watch, I am looking around and on
the port side(left) of the boat I see a red large light on the horizon I
immediately get up and go look and to my amazement it is the MOON rising. WOW!
So I let Rich sleep and extra hour because here I am sailing on the open seas
at night with the moon rising and hundreds of stars above and the sound of
Winim sailing on the ocean blue and I am just taking in the moment of my
surroundings. Then on my second watch I am at the helm and HERE COMES THE SUN
rising in the east. This night of sailing is priceless.
Friday 4/29/2016
Moon rose at 12:20. Cathy did not wake me until 3, she was
having too much fun with the moonrise. A few freighters and one cruise liner
Carnival Pride but nothing came closer than a few miles and no other small
boats were seen until we got to Eleuthera. Two sailboats and a powerboat were
anchored on the outside of Egg Cay. It looks like an OK anchorage; the guide
does not mention it. There is a new development on the beach east of the harbor
with a large house and 5 or 6 smaller cottages. It looks nice but deserted. Put
the anchor down at 8:48 in Royal Island harbor with 4 other sailboats and a
power cat “Nauti Cat” that we saw in Abaco. 
The
old Yacht Club buildings are barely visible behind the trees and brush, only a
few boards remain of the roof of the main building. Now for a nap. 2 sailboats
and the power cat pulled up anchor together, possibly to try current cut at low
tide. Our nap was interrupted when a pod of dolphin swam thru the anchorage.
Lunch was PB + J sandwiches prepared in advance of our crossing. I ate and
apple and 2 breakfast bars during the crossing. I also got through the entire
audio book “Ionian Mission” by Patrick O’Brian during my watches. It may have
been a condensed version. More resting after lunch and then we jumped in the
water. The temperature was 80 deg. but still hard to get in, fine when in.
After an hour I started getting cold. 2 sailboats approached while we were
swimming and the second was Horizon. They left at 6 AM and had a quick passage
to get here by 4 PM. They said they would have dinner early and go to sleep and
we would talk in the morning about Current Cut. Our water tank is at 10/12 full
or about 20 gallons used out of 100. In addition to the 10 Gallons we carried
initially as an emergency supply, we have used about 30 gallons. With more
swimming and showering we will use more from now on but we are doing very well
with water. We have about 15 gallons of fuel in jugs plus 10-12 gallons in each
engine tank. We had linguini and clams for dinner and a nice white wine. Nice
breeze, 10 Kt north east, cool but not cold. I am sure we will miss the ‘cool’
soon.
Saturday 4/30
The
catamaran and the brown ketch left in the early morning. We talked to Horizon,
they will leave at 8:30 and meet us at Hatchet Bay, then go on to Cape
Eleuthera Marina and rent a car to see the island. We left at 9:15 with a 15 Kt
ENE breeze. With the main and jib we did 7 Kt peak on a broad reach to Current
Cut. We watched another catamaran and Horizon go through the cut while we were
still 30 minutes behind. There was possibly a little current in our favor, an
easy passage. But on the other side the wind seemed higher and there were
breaking waves and we would be tacking upwind to Hatchet Bay. We set the double
reefed main and jib and were doing 4.5 - 5 Kt close hauled. We went south for a
few hours on the port tack and had waves coming up to the front window and
spray right over the top of the boat, it was like being in a washing 
machine.
The waves come down the coast instead of directly with the wind so we were
bashing directly into them. I went below for apples and chips for lunch and
realized we did not dog the hatches and some water came into the galley and
port side bedding. The waves over the bow also got the cockpit cushions wet.
Horizon tacked in and we followed a bit later to get closer to the shore where
the waves were lower. We were now going parallel to the waves and the sailing
was much easier. After a few miles the whitecaps mostly disappeared plus we got
a close look at Glass Window. Horizon called and said they were going to anchor
at
Mutton Fish Point. The guide book did not have anything but the GPS said it was
a good anchorage for east winds. I told Ray I was for pressing on to Hatchet
Bay, then I came to my senses, I remembered that I don’t have to go back to
work on Monday! So we made a few more tacks and anchored off a pretty beach and
although the wind was still howling, the waves were only a few inches.
We got all the wet stuff out into the breeze and leaned a layer of salt off the cockpit windows. Now time for a tall drink. Beef Barley soup for dinner and then we played cards till dark. Cathy practiced washing the dishes in salt water before rinsing.
Sunday 5/1/2016
Horizon left at 6:30 for Rock Sound or Cape Eleuthera
Marina. We pulled up the anchor and started for Hatchet Bay, another upwind
tack but only 8 miles and close to the shore the waves were not too bad. The
wind was 15 Kt from the east but unsteady. Around 10:00 we got a text from
Horizon, they stopped at Hatchet Bay because they were worried about their
engine, it was starting hard so they decided to stop for a few days to sort
that out. We joined them at noon and took a mooring next to them. The harbor
master Frances called and said that mooring was not in good shape and to take
one nearer the town, Horizon’s mooring was OK. We shifted moorings, more
practice for Cathy. Ray had his dingy in and picked us up and we all went into
the dock for lunch in the pink building above the harbor which is run by
Frances. They had complementary rum punch, what a way to bring in customers!
After lunch we walked around the town, all the shops closed at 11 on Sunday.
Ray lives on diet coke and was out so we gave him 4 cans to tide him over until
the stores open tomorrow in exchange for a bag of paperbacks. At 6 we were
relaxing, I noticed a bunch of cars and people gathering on the town dock, then
when we heard a loud horn and looked around. The island ferry was coming in, a
very large ship for this small harbor. It backed up to the dock, lowered a ramp
and a bunch of people and vehicles came off and then on. In 30 minutes it left
again. If the entrance looked narrow for me, how does it seem to him?
Cathy make me a tall rum and Coke, life is good.
Monday 5/2
A light rain came down during the night, enough to dissolve the salt crystals but not enough to wash them away. Lots of roosters crowed at 6 AM and woke us up. I put the engine on the dingy and at 9 we went in. Frances was just opening up. We paid for 4 more days on the mooring, by then we should have a nice north wind to get to Rock Sound. Frances gave us information on a car rental, WIFI (unsecured 12-3 and 5-8 at the restaurant), groceries and laundry. We walked 10-15 minutes north and found the laundry, $3 wash, $4 dry and they will do the laundry for $2 extra, open 8 AM to 9PM with lots of machines. They have snacks and soda also. The water was off yesterday in town but they said everything is OK now. There were roosters crowing and walking all over, everybody seems to have chickens. Just across the main road from the harbor is a place that sells ice and bottled water, $8 for 10 gallons if you bring your own jug.
Horizon texted that their engine is working after adjusting the valves and replacing the fuel filters. We dingied over at 11:30 and picked them up to go into town. We took the dingy to the pier east of them in the center of town and found the food store with a good selection, then we went down the block to a local takeout place, Miss Marylyn was busy making food for the grade school just down the road and would be back in 15 minutes. Her place is at the top of a hill overlooking a beach on the south side of town. It was quite a view so we wandered down for a closer look and walked around for a while. We passed the school and spoke to the principal who had been outside talking on her cellphone. Back at Miss Marylyn’s we ordered burgers and conch, fries and soft drinks. It took a while and several other people came up and ordered or picked up previous orders. 3 9th graders came by and ordered food, they said the school was out because there was a water line break and the school had no water. The food was good and inexpensive for Bahama. We called the car rental guy Dave at Sunshine Auto and arranged to meet him at 9 AM tomorrow to rent a car for 2 days. We returned to the grocery store and picked up some fresh vegetables, a cantaloupe and cereal for breakfast and pigeon peas in coconut milk, the label made it seem very tasty, we will see. We returned to our boats with our treasures and spend the rest of the day getting scrubbed and polished for our outing tomorrow.
Tuesday 5/3
Ray
and Marylyn picked us up at 8:30 in their dingy, with their laundry and our it
was quite full. Cathy and Marylyn waited at a shelter on the dock while Ray and
I walked into town to find Sunshine Auto. Frances had given us good directions
so we found it quite easily on the far side of the town, a small house
surrounded by autos. He did not take plastic and I did not bring enough cash so
Ray lent me $100 and he accepted a bit less for the deposit and we got the car
for 2 days. We picked up the girls and our laundry and made a quick stop at the
Laundromat, a total of $19 each for 2 loads of laundry. We headed north and the
phones provided a good map of the roads here. After a few false turns we got to
the ferry dock to Harbour Island, $5 per person each way. The island is stuffed
with golf carts, they rent them right at the dock. We found the Tourist
Information office and got an island map and some directions to the good
restaurants. We walked down to Valentines 
Marina
and had lunch overlooking the bay. We ordered the seafood platter for 2 and it
was very tasty. On the dock we watched a local fisherman cleaning fish from a
huge cooler with a number of large grouper. I stopped at a bank to get some
more cash from the ATM but it was out of order so I borrowed some from Ray. We
walked across the island to the famous pink sand beach past lots of old houses
and “Willies Tavern”, a local joint covered in license plates and inscriptions
that I remembered from last time. We walked up the beach to the Coral Sands
Hotel and then back to the bay side by way of the “Piggly Wiggly” store which
did not appear to be part of the US chain. We returned to the mainland and
drove to the west side of the island and the ferry to Spanish Wells. Here the
fare was $10 but you got a token for the return trip. We got directions to a
marine store where Ray picked up some diesel treatment and then walked through
town to the “Yacht Haven Marina” and had some drinks. We started back to the
ferry but the road was blocked, they were pulling a boat out on the marine
railway which goes under the road so they lift up part of the road to get the
boat through. A local told us we had to make a detour around, then he took pity
on us and offered us a ride to the ferry dock
.
We drove back to Hatchet Bay, prepared for the fish fry at “Twin Brothers
Restaurant” but when we got there it was closed because the water is still out.
We decided to drive down to Governors Harbor, they should have water there right?
They did not but the Sunset Inn was open and we had dinner there overlooking
the water and watched the sun set. We made it back to Hatchet Bay a little
after sunset.
Wednesday 5/4
We
talked with Horizon in the morning and they were interested in another
excursion so they came by at 8:30 and we headed south. At Governors Harbour we
crossed to the oceans side and stopped at French Leave Beach. Cathy and I put
on swimsuits but the water was very cold. We walked along the beach for a mile
or so. The restaurant Tippy’s also did not have water and would not open. We
heard that Rock Sound had their own RO water plant so we headed south again. We
passed through town before we realized it and had to turn around. The phones
directed us to Sammy’s Place, not on the water but real local place. The
outside was plain but the inside was very nice and the food was great, and they
had water! After lunch the phones directed us to “Ocean Hole”, a large circular
sink hole 600’ deep, full of fish that came in through underground passages
from the ocean. We made it home in good time and I returned the rental car
while everyone else waited at the “Front Porch” restaurant. Sunshine Auto has a
dental chair, perhaps Mike can set up a joint practice there! 
Several
more boats came in to wait out the bad weather expected tonight. Frances called
on the VHF advising them no to take the suspect mooring next to Horizon. 2
large sailboats doubled up on one mooring and 2 others anchored near Horizon. A
catamaran circled the harbor several times and tried different spots before
settling on the western part of the bay. Back aboard, I connected the main
mooring line to the mooring ring 
with
a shackle because the ring was very rough and rusty and could chafe a line. The
ring still looked strong but the next link it was attached to was quite
corroded. I crossed by fingers and hoped it would hold. There was light rain in
the evening and Cathy set out buckets to catch water for washing. We did not
get much, a few quarts until 2AMwhen a squall came through with 30 Kt winds and
torrential rain. I turned the engines on and had them going slow ahead to
relieve the strain on the mooring. In a half hour the squall passed and we had
every bucket and pan filled with water, about 10 gallons. The winds gradually
abated and we got some rest.
Thursday 5/5
In
the morning it was still blowing 15+ Kt with a little drizzle but thing
improved and by 9 the sun was out. We washed all our remaining dirty cloths and
washed the salt off the cabin and set everything out to dry. It feels good to
get rid of all the salt we picked up bashing our way here from Current Cut.
Horizon is still doing engine work, their engine started hard again and the
alternator was not putting out much juice. We agreed to meet at the Front Porch
for lunch and WIFI and then try again for the fish fry at Twin Brothers. After
relaxing and snoozing the rest of the morning, we went in to Front Porch,
connected to their WIFI and had lunch. Cathy renewed her nursing certificate
and driver’s license and I downloaded mail and podcasts. Ray and Marylyn were
still at work on Horizon and could not make it but the crews of several other
boats came in for lunch and we rough night we had.
More snoozing back on the boat and then we met Ray and Marylyn at 6:30 and walked a few blocks to Twin Brothers. It is a cute restaurant with bar, outdoor seating and a small indoor seating area. It was a pleasant evening and we decided to eat outdoors but as soon as the food arrived, so did the flies. They soon drove us into the indoor area. The food was good. As we were leaving, music started in the outdoor area and we can hear it just fine from our mooring. I hope it does not go on too long.
Friday 5/6
We
both fell quickly asleep and the music and roosters did not bother us. After
breakfast we got everything ready for the sail, about 35 miles to Rock Sound.
We called Mike and Jean to check in. They had lots of mail, one was a letter
from the IRS!! But they can’t find us here. We motored past Horizon and said
our goodbyes and then out the narrow cut. The winds were 10-15 Kt from the west
and we put up the full main and jib and were soon on a terrific beam reach,
doing 6-7 Kt. The waves were only a foot and we had an easy passage. A line of
clouds formed north of us and followed us down the coast. It did not look
threatening but might have had some rain and could have obscured the coral
heads we would meet near Rock Sound. Ray had told us about catching a fish
while they were in the Abacos so I broke out the fishing gear and trailed two
lines behind. After half an hour there seemed to be something tugging on one of
the lines so I pulled it in and it was a fair sized fish, possibly a Spanish mackerel.
We used the alcohol method to subdue it and shortly after it was several good
sized filetts. We had the whole place to ourselves until we neared Rock Sound
and could see a few sailboats that appeared to be entering Rock Sound from the
Exumas. As we neared Rock Sound there were a number of rocks and coral heads
that we steered around, they were all quite deep but we needed the practice.
Approaching one dark spot in the water that looked like a coral head, it stuck
its head out, a dolphin! It swam towards us and off our bow but we lost him
shortly after. We followed 2 other sailboats and a motor boat into the harbor
and anchored at the north west end of the harbor with 2 other sailboats and 2
trawlers. The clouds passed harmlessly over after we anchored and I watched
them dissolve to the south of us after drinking my Rum and Coke.
I as at the helm and Cathy had her sail gloves on and when I said I wanted her to steer while I pulled in the jib, she said she was prepared to do it. It was a bit windy and it was a hard job but she got the jib rolled in quickly. I took pity on her and pulled in the topping lift by myself. This must have been the wrong thing because she went off in a snit and said I could do the rest of the work of anchoring myself. Who can understand women? Not me. I had a great time dropping the main sail, dropping the anchor, attaching the bridle, backing the engines, turning them off, lifting them up, zipping up the mainsail cover and straightening all the lines. After several attempts at placating my ‘Admiral’, I gave up and started writing this post. After a while she brought up nibbles and sundowner drinks so maybe she forgives me for whatever I did wrong.
Cathy’s
version
Took pity
on me, really, there I am ready to pull in the jib so after that I said he can
do it himself!!!! Richard has been very good letting me do anchoring and
yesterday I did the dinghy to and from the boat last night to meet our friends
for dinner. So finally things are starting to come together for me now after
taking my sailing class last year. So now on to what is happening in the galley
portion of our trip. I wrapped lemons and limes in aluminum foil and left them
out on a shelf and still after all this time they are still fresh. So now after
Richard cleaned the fish, I bag the fish and placed in the frig. So after
Richard did the anchoring, all by himself, I went below and prepared the fish
for dinner. I placed peppers, onions, garlic, squeezed fresh lemon and limes on
the fish and veggies and wrapped in foil so the dish is ready for the griddle
to cook the meal. There will be a follow up on how the meal turned out. The remaining fish I froze them in seal a
meal and got to more dinners for us. We had such a good time with our friends
being with them for 3 weeks and getting to know them and the places they have
been on their boat. So as Richard previously stated, we collected a lot of H20
Wednesday after the squall and the weather was slowly getting calmer I hit the
hay and feel asleep till 7AM when I heard it raining again so I got up and put
on a rain poncho and starting washing clothes off the back of the boat. I hung
the clothes out on the life lines of the boat and Richard made me a clothes
line in the salon area clothes hanging everywhere but by 11AM everything was
dry. So we head into the Front Porch
restaurant for lunch seat at a high top table enjoying the view and our lunch.
After lunch, I did my car registration renewal and then my R.N. renewal telling
the Board of Nursing that I am retired and not practicing. Boy did that feel
good!!! Life is good!!!
Cathy cooked some of the fish filets on the grill with lime, onion and peppers wrapped in foil. It turned out very nice and we still have more in the freezer.
Saturday 5/7
Another quiet night, a bit warm at first but when the wind switched to the north it got a bit chilly. In the morning the sky was clear and sunny and it was blowing pretty good from the north, 15-20 Kt. The 2 other sailboats and 2 trawlers are still here like us waiting out this north wind.
A
beautiful morning crystal clear turquoise water with the wind blowing. After
Richard and I had breakfast I make my way to the galley to cook up some tasty
morsels of food. So I check my recipe’s and start slicing and dicing onions,
celery, mushrooms, peppers and black olives. First thing I make is tuna fish
salad for lunch next, I make sour cream using Nestle Crema and fresh squeeze
lime juice and add dry onion soup mix and in the frig it goes. On to making oil
and vinegar potato salad with olives cooking up the small potato’s I
provisioned for the boat. Mix it with mushrooms, and in the frig it goes. Next,
pasta salad boiling the pasta then adding mayo, peppers & onions and celery
mix well and now it is time for lunch with tuna fish and fresh made pasta
salad. After we enjoyed our lunch, I head back again to the galley getting
things ready for dinner. So the menu for tonight is steak on the griddle with potatoes
with olive oil, rosemary, fresh garlic and onions are double wrapped in
aluminum foil to be cooked on the griddle along with the steak. And the veggie
tonight is peas (Richard ‘s favorite). The reason I write this is because my
friends would not believe that I would be doing this COOKING following recipes
and making a menu. However, I do find it fun and trying different combinations
of food especially when you cannot run out to the store. Have no fear Martha
Stewart has nothing to fear!!!!! After clean up in the galley, I head up to the
salon area and there he is (Richard) sleeping away so I grab a new book make
myself comfy and look out the back of the boat on this glorious beautiful water
with the sun shining and wind blowing. Life is good.
Called mom at 6:30, everyone was there, Mike, Jean, Leah and Tim. Wished mon happy Mother’s Day. Had steak and potatoes on the grill for dinner. Cathy won 3 straight games of Dominoes. Called it a night.
Sunday 5/8
The
wind dropped to very light from the north east. I woke at 6:30 and started
getting ready, took the bridle off the anchor, raised the main sail and had a
quick breakfast of oranges and breakfast bars. Then we pulled up anchor and
headed out. Another sailboat was leaving at the same time but headed further
north, up the coast of Eleuthera. I put the screecher up and for a while we
were doing 6-7 Kt but then the wind went light and we were doing 4-5 Kt. The
autopilot stopped working again. I removed the port steering wheel and then
quickly removed the starboard wheel with the autopilot mechanism and replaced
it with the port wheel. When I took it apart, the belt was even more shredded
but I replaced the broken sections with duct tape and put it back together. It
worked for most of the 24 mile trip to Exumas but eventually shredded again. I
will have to arrange for a new belt to be delivered somewhere, possibly George
Town. The rest of the way to George Town is mostly short hops where the
autopilot is not so useful.
The approach to the channel was confusing with lots of
little islands and not much to distinguish one from another. One island had a
prominent house and I assumed it was Beacon Cay but it is supposed to have a
tall beacon on it. As we got closer the situation became clear, the beacon
tower had fallen down.
We motor sailed for a few hours and then the wind came back and we sailed the
final few miles to Ship Cannel Pass and anchored behind Ship Channel Cay. We
only saw a few other boats all day, a few fishing boats and a few sailboats,
almost deserted. There are no other boats at this anchorage. We did hear one
sailboat complain about a 60’ cruiser that fouled and severed his anchor and
smashed into him and then left.
So I am
at the helm with the auto pilot on and all of a sudden we start going off
course I make the Captain aware of this and he I immediately shut off the auto pilot. As he
says he put duck tape to repair it and when he was done, the Captain ask me for
my nail polish yes you read it right my nail polish. So I gave him my
PINKE polish so he could label the duck
tape so when we resumed using the auto
pilot the pink marking was that the duct tape would not go by the motor. Duct
tape did not last long. Just another learning skill for me .