Bimini Bound (sometime)

Still in Nassau, waiting for a good weather window to make the 165 or so miles to Florida.

First, we will spend a day heading west through the Northwest Passage for about 60 miles, i.e. west from Nassau, south of the Berry Islands, in deep ocean water - to the Bahama Banks. Will take about a day. Then we anchor overnight on the banks (!) - in 20 or so feet of water everywhere, but subject to current, surge, winds. Then next day we go on another 60 miles or so to Bimini.
We may have a buddy boat crossing with us - Escapade, a 45 foot Catalina. They have lived aboard for years, do boat deliveries, and in general seem to know what they are doing.
Possible weather window (need 2 days of calm, especially a calm night) tomorrow and Saturday, although rain is forecast. Don't mind rain, as long as the winds, seas, waves etc. behave themselves.
Otherwise, we sit tight here in the marina in Nassau while the stuff passes through on Sunday - then Mon, Tues, Wed look okay for the run to Bimini; depending on winds etc.
Plenty to do here in Nassau (i.e. the marina has a pool!), and there is an excellent (air conditioned!) supermarket right across the street. Where we are now, they provide good internet for free.

So, we should be in Bimini on Saturday, or by the middle of next week. it's supposed to be real nice, with food, marinas, things to do.

Then we wait there for a really good weather window to cross the gulf stream. Only 47 more miles to Fort Lauderdale, or 75 miles to Palm Beach/Lake Worth (but traveling northwest with a good push in the gulf stream). At 6 knots. Won't decide until we see the conditions - in any case, it will be an easy crossing - maybe 9 hours (all daylight) at the most. Worst case - an uncomfortable but safe day. But again we can wait for a good weather forecast (and hopefully an accurate one).

If/when we make it back to Florida - we will have our camper van, and plenty of people to visit with down in Florida. And much less expensive food and marinas and campgrounds. No intentions of heading north until Minnesota is inhabitable again - and it sounds like that might be a few months away.

Stay tuned ...

Pictures - Atlantis Resort and Aquarium, Paradise Island, Nassau

Conch shells on fishing boat, Nassau

Nassau Harbour from the bridge to Paradise Island

Megayachts at Atlantis Marina

These fenders are almost bigger than our boat ...

Atlantis Resort from the marina

"Art", in the Atlantis Casino

Pictures - the Utopians

Our buddy boaters - Frank & Diane of sv-Utopia. In Nassau.

Pictures - Black Point anchorage, Exumas

people on the dock

Anchorage - at happy hour

Anchorage - at night. Those white spots are anchor lights.
Trying to find our boat while in our dinghy.  Whoa!

Anchorage - daytime.  Part of the 50 to 70 boats anchored here.

Home

pictures by Evan Barshack - our home in Minnesota, February 2014.

Nassau

    We got back to Nassau the day before yesterday.  Second day of fairly smooth seas, except for the last 1-1/2 hours as the water got rough where the shallowish Exuma Bank meets the open, deep ocean.  90+ miles in two days, from Black Point back to Nassau.

   Of course, the Rayfrigginmarine Wheel Pilot decided to pack it in, so I had to hand-steer the boat when the seas got rough. Almost forgot how. Fortunately, I found the loose wires the next day and got it working again. Good thing, too - since I really didn't want to have to run on manual all the way back to Florida (about 160 miles, including crossing the Gulf Stream). Nearest Raymarine repair place: Fort Lauderdale.

   One of our buddy boats, sv-Utopia, i.e. Frank and Diane from last year, is here at the same marina in Nassau. They will be here for possibly a couple of weeks - their Yamaha 10hp outboard is having problems and they need to get it fixed before they head down the Exuma chain. Repairs here in the Bahamas are pretty typical of everything here, where people are on island-time, repair parts and supplies are in the USA,  and sometimes things get done.  Laid back is nice, unless you need something - like service, parts, provisions, fuel. Oh, well - that's the beauty of camping out.

   Yesterday we took some buses (with F&D) to see the famous Caves here on the island.  It was HOT and I was getting heat-stroked.  [Note: Commenting but not complaining about the heat; I save my serious pissing and moaning for winter when it really needs it.]  Took a big rum drink and two Kalik beers to put me back together.  We stopped on the way back for a Fish Fry, and had cracked conch (deep fried) with fries (ditto), and of course a couple of beers.  It was pouring rain, so we took a bus back.  Got some water in thru an open portlight; Ilona did laundry this AM so all is well and dry.

Today's breakage and repair report - 1. Wheel Pilot. See above. 2. about a dozen other fairly small and unimportant projects, all of which are not critical and can wait until we get back to the USA.

Today I'm enjoying not having to dinghy ashore for anything - marina is nice, if old (read: needs work). It has a fresh-water swimming pool - no coral to snorkel, but refreshing.  Across the street is a shopping center with a Byerly's Class Fresh Market.  I really appreciate civilization for a change.

The Pelicans stopped by - flew into Nassau for a checkup and uncasting.  They are back on their boat in Black Point by now, then bound for Eleuthera today.  The Rag Dollars were last seen at Little Farmers Cay; they may head north or south next - maybe Georgetown.  The Tranquillitys said they have been tossed around enough in Georgetown Harbor, and may be headed back north sometime.  We really miss them already, but are hooked up with the Utopians for a few days.

Sometime we will head back to Florida.  About 110 miles to Bimini (marinas! provisions! fuel! restaurants!), so we will probably anchor overnight on the Banks which means we will wait until we have Force 1 or less for 2 days (Chris Parker: we are placing an order - can you get this for us?).  Then we hang out again in Bimini until we get a really nice smooth enjoyable weather window to cross the Gulf Stream.  We have plenty of time; remember:  Safety, Comfort, Pleasure.

Even if we get back to Florida, there is lots to do there - we have our camper, and friends and relatives to crash with all over the state while waiting for winter to end so it will be safe to go home to Minnesnowta.

Finally got good Internet - free and in the Fresh Market.  Beats paying for service here which only works sometimes.

Pictures from the Exumas

photos by Chris & Eden, sv-Rag Doll.  Winter 2014.

Chris & Eden on sv-Rag Doll

Update – finally got better Internet

Update – finally got better Internet.  Here are several days reports, all at once:

Compass Cay Marina - A partly-rough day. Winds around 18+, but since we were on the Bahama Bank we had only 2' waves. First rolly on the beam, then poundy on the nose. No sailing. It was only for a few hours, 17 miles.  Really tight, windy, poorly marked channel into the marina. Then (as is becoming usual), the marina dockhands could not communicate which slip we were going into – so we rigged all fenders and all docklines on all sides (we always do this now; never can tell when the landing spot will change at the last minute – don't dockhands understand what it is like to enter an unfamiliar marina?).

Beautiful island, as usual.  The marina was expensive, filled with megayachts which did block the wind for us. We stayed 2 nights, sitting out some really strong westerly winds.  This marina seemed to want to collect as much money as possible while providing as little services as possible.  No electricity (or $50 per day!!!), did have metered water (ok), tied up in a short space on a face dock.  No groceries, but they did grill hamburgers ($15) which were delicious.  This is a place for (big) boats to hang out; totally protected marina.  Great maybe if you have unlimited money and have everything you will ever need on your big boat.  Won't be back.

Staniel Cay – Only 12 miles this time.  Really smooth today. Staniel is a big tourist place; many boats, many fly-in tourists.  One yacht club – i.e. a restaurant with fairly good food. We enjoyed a Valentine's Day dinner, with Chris & Eden of sv-Rag Doll.

When we arrived, we were planning to head up into the crowded anchorage between Big and Little Majors Cays – to be protected from the big westerly blow the next day. The yacht club didn't want any boats on their open-to-the-west docks (although they didn't seem to worry about megayachts – we were too little money?).  But we passed some open mooring balls, right besides Thunderball Grotto. $20 per night! We hooked one.  Sat out strong winds there, but the holding was excellent!

This grotto is where part of the James Bond movie Thunderball was filmed.  The hideout of the bad guy, I think. Too rough for us to swim in at low tide with slack current, because of the big waves coming at us.  We can rent the movie for $2 anyway.

Provisioning – We have been running out of almost everything.  Out of fresh food; living off canned goods and the occasional hamburger ashore.  Low on diesel, dinghy gasoline, groceries. Batteries running low all the time.

At Staniel, we finally got diesel and gasoline and some groceries – first real resupply in 100 miles and many days.  Two nights here. Dinghying to shore, several times. But here comes Black Point next:

Black Point Settlement on Great Guana Cay – Only 11 miles this time, force 1 = really smooth 2 hour trip.  Caught up with sv-Pelican here.  Wonderful anchorage – protected from all but west winds, and we were supposed to have strong but easterlys for the next several days.  Anchored in 11 feet of water over good-holding sand.  Really set the anchor well this time.  Caught a ride ashore with Joanie and Keith (Pelican), for beers and walks. They will buy dinner for us tonight at Lorraine's Café – with the Rag Dolls who are supposed to come here today from Staniel.

Last night the easterly’s came in – in the dark, as usual. Around 10 pm, in the dark (but full moon).  Set the anchor alarm, watched our track on the chartplotter for awhile.  We actually did not drag overnight! Winds up to 18 knots in the gusts. We swung (swinged?) around a lot – our short-keel boat loves to dance when at anchor. Some bouncing overnight. But since we were off a weather shore, in shallow water, the waves were tolerable.

I slept very well. We checked our position every couple of hours. No dragging, no problem.

Today we plan to dinghy ashore, do some Internetting, and finally do laundry for the first time since Nassau, 100 miles and 3 weeks ago. First real laundromat since Nassau.  Lots of boaters here. There are about 4-5 loads of people ahead of us.  Expect we will spend the whole day here, waiting our turn for washing clothes, showers (finally!).  Have WiFi though.  Beautiful place, and no rolling when we are on shore.

Expecting winds up to 22 knots today (Monday) and tomorrow, then dropping to around 14-ish or 18? for the rest of the week. Maybe. Fortunately they are from the east.  We will probably start heading back north later this week, if the winds cooperate.  Don't want to go on the outside (east side) of the Exumas in the deep Exuma Sound; would have to make a long 30-40 mile run out there to get to Georgetown, and we are tired of anchoring.

Really like this town – it's the real Bahamas.  Not a much of a tourist destination; people actually live here. Lots of boats anchor here.  Us too.  Could stay a long time, but will be awful when the next westerly winds come in.  As usual, we have a few good calm days, and many days with clocking strong winds.

I'm sitting at a picnic table now, in the cooling wind and shade – overlooking the anchorage.  I can see about 35 boats, mostly sailboats, but there is lots of room here. Beautiful day.

Pictures - Warderick Wells Cay in the Exumas

The beach at park headquarters - Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park

Another deserted beach in the Exumas

Lizard

Park hiking trail

sv Pelican & Rag Doll. Ihana in the background.

Ihana in the Exumas

Chris & Bob go for a ride!

More pictures from the Exumas

Highborne Cay

Chris on Rag Doll

Rainbow after the squall, Shroud Cay

Joanie & Keith, up a lazy river - Shroud Cay

Low tide on Shroud Cay

Beach, up the river on Shroud Cay

Shroud Cay

Tidal river on Shroud Cay

Life, down the Exuma chain of cays

We left HIghborne Cay Marina after 4 nights. Expensive but wonderful.  Since then:

Traveled with our two buddy boats to Shroud Cay. Easy trip, only about 20 miles (finally, short distances!). – Two nights there on a mooring ball.

We are now in the Exuma Cays Sea and Land Park.  They have mooring balls in many locations; some reservable a day ahead, others first-come-first-served. No phone or Internet access there, of course.  We spent a day taking our dinghy up tidal creeks (only deep enough at high tide) for several miles into the interior of Shroud Cay – it is sort of a bunch of cays with these rivers between them.  Absolutely beautiful.  And what pretty beaches!

Then yesterday we moved about 17 miles to Warderick Wells, the HQ of the ECS&L Park.  Got to sail for over an hour without the engine!  Then it was tack all day, or run the engine and go straight upwind (as usual) – guess which.  On another mooring ball here.  Some Internet, no phones, water, outhouses, supplies, fuel – just a ranger station and many mooring balls.

Yesterday (Thursday), while picking up their mooring ball, Joanie on our buddy boat (sv-Pelican) injured her thumb severely – got it caught between the line on the mooring ball and a dockline.  They got a ranger to take them by fast motorboat, 20 miles to Staniel Cay where they flew to Nassau. She had 8-9 fractures in her thumb; got through the surgery okay yesterday at the hospital in Nassau and is doing well (considering …). They will stay in Nassau – for observation – until Monday morning. Hopefully they will be back here (Warderick Wells) sometime late Monday.

We (Ihana) and our other buddy boat (Rag Doll) will be taking care of their boat – charging batteries, etc.  So we are here at least for the next 3 days.  But what a beautiful place to be in!

Today we (Ihana & Rag Doll) hiked up Boo Boo Hill, the highest point of land on the cay.  All you could see in any direction was more cays, ocean, the Exuma Banks, lots of masts, and the ranger station.

Dinner last night on our boat with the Rag Dolls;  sundowners together again tonight.  It is sure nice to be traveling with other boats – we get to share supplies, boat-sit when necessary, and especially have Keith and Joanie (who have been here to the Exumas before) to plan the tours and decide the best places to visit, anchor or moor at, get supplies, etc.

It's interesting traveling like this – supplies (like food, water, diesel) are few and far between.  We wonder when we will run out; rationing some of it; sharing when necessary.  Should be okay when we get to Staniel Cay – it's only 20 miles away, and has everything we really need, and restaurants!  Looks like the weather is holding – February so far turned out to be a lot nicer than January.

Meanwhile, more buddy boats:  Laurence and Joan (Tranquillity) are past Eleuthera and probably on Cat Cay, and plan to be in George Town by Monday (or thereabouts).  Frank & Diane (Utopia) made the crossing from Miami to Bimini yesterday; they are planning to make the next jump to Nassau tomorrow and the next day.

So, here's the fleet:  Ihana & Rag Doll – here at Warderick Wells. Pelican – boat here, crew in Nassau. Tranquillity – nearing George Town.  Utopia – in Bimini, bound for Nassau.  Spread out all over.

Pictures – we have lots of good ones.  Will upload as Internet permits.

Update - where we are going next

We are at Highborne Cay in the Exumas. Leaving this morning (Tuesday).  Plan to
spend the next 2 nights at Stroud Cay, in the Exuma Cay Land and Sea
Park, probably on a moooring on the west side.  Traveling with Eden &
Chris (sv-Rag Time).  2 other boats - Joanie & Keith (sv-Pelican) and
Marjie & David (sv-PartnerShip) will probably leave here and stop one
night at Normans Cay, then rejoin us the next night.  We had 4 boats =
4 couples for sundowners tonight on PartnerShip, here in Highborne Cay
Marina. -
    Well, that's what I think we all decided, with 8 people talking at once.
    Laurence & Joan: if you cross over before Cat, come join us
working our way down the Exumas.
    Also, Diane & Frank (sv-Utopia) plan to make the crossing from
Miami to Bimini on Wednesday; they are playing catch-up.

Meanwhile, back in Minnesota

Joe and Alice de la Cova put this picture up on Facebook on January 30.

That's our driveway and other boat in the background.

Cays, Beaches, Buddies, Lobsters, Plans

We're still here at Highborne Cay.  Too beautiful to leave.  Borrowed a couple of bicycles and toured the ride-able roads on the island (i.e. a mile or so).  Then just sitting at the beach, enjoying the shade.

sv-Rag Doll (Chris & Eden) rejoined us here yesterday. Hung out all afternoon, bought 3 big lobsters from a guy on the dock, had a wonderful lobster grilled dinner on Ihana.  Good friends, good company, good conversations.

sv-Pelican (Keith & Joanie) have been anchored at Allens Cay (about 4-5 miles away), the whole time we have been here in the marina, as were the Rag Dolls.  K&J will dinghy over today, and the six of us will enjoy the $18 hamburgers and fries for lunch, at the upscale Xuma Restaurant here at the marina.

We will probably head out tomorrow, bound for Stroud Cay (mooring balls!) in the [Bahamas] Exuma Cay Land and Sea Park about 15 miles south of here.  Might even be able to sail there!

Expect that we will again be out of Internet range for a few days after today.

Pictures - Highborne Cay in the Exumas

Our first stop in the Exumas after leaving Nassau.  Extremely beautful and extremely expensive. Marina, a small store, great places to hang out and swim (except for where the sharks are). We will stay here for couple of days.

The entrance into HIghborne Cay Marina
from the Exuma Bank

Bob, relaxing

Bob & Ilona at Highborne Cay

Where we spent most of today,
cool breeze and shade

This is below the fish-cleaning dock

Jaws

Highborne Cay Marina
sv-Ihana is on the right
with dinghy and canoe