Reflections on 2500 Nautical Miles

Just a few thoughts for anyone intended to follow our path. Hi, Bob and Robin. 

Anchors: the most important item. Rocna or Manson is the way to go, with a CQR or Danforth as a second anchor, though two Rocna's would be ideal. At least a 120 feet of chain. A really good snubber set up (thank you John, your system is brilliant).

Dinghy: 4 to 9hp motor is ideal. A small Danforth or similar anchor with lots of rode is essential. Being swept through a cut at 4 to 6 knots is exciting but only when you want to. It's really important to carry the following: hand held GPS with anchor point of the boat as a way point, really good oars, handheld radio, flares, water, basic first aid kit, sun cream, spare hat and glasses, survival blanket, some food, a mirror (to check your hair), handheld compass, a container for all this securely tied to the dinghy. Having a long painter for tying up at dinghy dock is really useful. Tie the dinghy to the side of the boat at anchor with two lines, not at the back as dinghies can drift or be 'borrowed' more easily that way.

Fuel: carry lots of spare Racor filters and filter all fuel with a Bahia filter. This drives the marina operator crazy but ignore it, as we did on one occasion and your motor stops in big seas off the coast, not fun. Be careful about using Biocide, that stuff is really, really toxic, a little is all you need. Carry spare engine oil and do all the regular maintenance changes. We have met so many people with basic engine problems. 

Water: a really good rain collection system. With Bounty we have been able to fill our tanks two or three times with lovely fresh tasting rainwater. It doesn't rain much in the Bahamas, so any rain water is a bonus.

Navigation: a Depth sounder is really important. Also using Visual Piloting Rules as even the most up to date charts are wrong in places. In open water avoid plotting your course exactly on the line between way points. We have nearly run over twice by large vessels on auto pilot. There is a tendency to follow the waypoints like lemmings. AIS is fantastic, better than radar.

Explorer charts are the best and we have found Stephen J Pavlidis' guide to the Exuma Guide invaluable for finding out of the way places.

Anchoring: other boats can be a real problem as they like anchor really close to you and don't seem to do an anchor watch in poor conditions. The squalls tend to come through at two or three in the morning and this can cause some sleepless moments. Don't be afraid to ask people to move if they anchor too close, even if they get stroppy about it.

Weather Forecasts: everyone follows Chris Parker and this tends to lead to everyone leaving and arriving all at the same time. He is good but it is better to build your own idea using the barometer, the clocking of the wind, which follows a regular pattern here, the type of cloud, as well as modern aids.

Sailing: lots of on the wind sailing which is great here. Have good sails for windward work. 

Food: stock up on cans, dried milk powder (Nandos, Nestle are good brands), paper towels, meat, chocolate, biscuits, toilet paper, batteries, cereals. We have found it easy to get canned juice, most veggies, sodas and spirits are really cheap, especially the rum and gin but wine is generally expensive and uncommon. The basics are there in most of the small stores and they sell lovely Irish butter. Cheese is often hard to come by and avocados are a treat if you can find them. 

Black Point

Black Point 

Once again Black Point is proving to be a delightful spot to drop the anchor. Apart from the chance to do laundry and catch up on the Internet, both times we have been here, we have met lovely people. This time round the anchorage is very crowded. The weather has finally warmed up and the winds are light but Southerly which is evidently most unusual. Of course we want to go south which means beating into the wind or motoring the whole way, neither option appeals.

Still can't complain too much, the water is a beautiful mixture of green and blue and the sun is shining. The skipper changed the anode on the prop yesterday and a small shark was under the boat. When Gary moved to one side the shark moved to the other and so it went, back and forth for the entire time he was in the water. Obviously for the shark 'Bounty' is his territory.

We spent a few days in Warderick Wells waiting for the weather to settle and were able to explore the island. The rocky trails were quite challenging in places but well worth the effort. We saw plenty of Hutias, a cross between a rabbit and a guinea pig. At one of the limestone wells we startled a big tawny coloured owl. He looked at us, we looked at him, he didn't seem worried about us as we cursed the fact that we hadn't brought the camera. I didn't know that owls were about in daytime. It was very overcast so that may have been the reason. Later that day it poured with rain and I even managed to wash my hair in the downpour even though it was blowing 20 Knots and not that warm. 

Why you still need Paper Charts

Why you still need Paper Charts

We departed Palm Cay with just the two of us on board. Freya left from Nassau for New Zealand after three wonderful months. Suddenly the boat seems a lot bigger and very quiet. Is there such a thing as Empty Boat Syndrome?

Palm Cay Marina was once again quiet, safe and delightful. One of the prettiest beach and restaurant settings you can imagine. Demaro and his team were ever helpful and the courtesy car was a boon. Mind you the berths are tight to get in and out of and it took us quite a bit of manouvering to negotiate the bow sprit through the pilings.

We left on a boisterous downwind sail. 15 to 20 knots in short choppy seas over the notorious Yellow Bank. This bank had been a favourite refuge for pirates on the run as they knew the safe route through the coral heads. Our objective, Normans Cay was only two nautical miles away when suddenly the Garmin GPS went blank. When that happens its rather like being on a mountain road and your brakes start to fade, not immediately life threatening but it certainly focuses the attention. Fortunately we have a back up GPS but it doesn't have the depth finder or AIS. The old IDO depth finder works but the LED display is very hard to read these days, it is probably thirty years old so there is some excuse. I ended up with my head at right angles out of the cockpit bobbing up and down like a meerkat to catch a glimpse of those all important numbers while the Skipper waited semi-patiently to check the depths against the chart. None of all this activity is helped by the fact that since I had my eyes fixed, my long sight is phenomenal; I can track hummingbirds in flight at 200 yards but ask me to read the fine print on a chart, there's trouble. Mind you having GPS does make you lazy. We always have a paper chart so we can have a track of where we are but yesterday was a reminder that you can never take things for granted. We had been talking to Chris from 'Cerulean' who with his family had sailed in the Bahamas fifty years ago. No comforting Explorer charts and GPS in those days. He remembers being sent to swim ahead of the boat with his brother through a particularly narrow channel to check for hazards in the crystal clear water. The Skipper may think that's a good idea but it's not a happening thing on this boat. Besides these days you would probably get run over by a speed boat whizzIng through the cut.

I digress, so a quick change of plan was in order. We continued to Shroud Cay, not the most pleasant anchorage in a North Easterly but easy to get into. It is always the way - the GPS could have given up the ghost on the way to Nassau, but no, it waited until we were in the Exumas with inhabited islands few and far between and definitely no handy marine store. Plus we had just bit the bullet and purchased a Satellite Phone which do not come cheap. Ah well, it looks like Georgetown for us to order a replacement as two of our favourite electronic tools have been the sonar depth finder and the AIS. 

The ironic aspect of all this is that in the States we organised Sirius weather updates for the Garmin GPS. In the Bahamas it hasn't really worked so we were going to cancel it. Each time we have had Internet and decided to cancel it would start working again and then just as mysteriously disappear. Yesterday as we left Palm Cay the weather features were working beautifully: weather, warnings, 12/24/48 hour forecasts, the whole lot. It must have tipped the poor thing over the edge as it went out in a final blaze of glory.

Today in contrast was the type of day you dream about. The wind and swell had moderated overnight, so we had had a good nights sleep. We left Shroud Cay in gorgeous sunshine on a perfect close reach doing 10-15 knots in calm seas. The Skipper and I vied with each other to see who could get 'Bounty' above 7-8 knots. It was a quick four hour trip to Warderick Wells and we are now moored in one of the most beautiful spots in the Exumas. Tucked up waiting for the next front to come through, all's well with the world.

Eleuthera

We had a great sail back north to Eleuthera, Bounty at her best. We arrived at Rock Sound ahead of schedule and just ahead of the northerly front. Pleasant change to see hills and the settlement has some lovely old buildings in pastel shades. The next day we successfully provisioned but then had one of those small epics that punctuate the dream. The skipper and I headed back to the boat through the swell and wind which had risen to a near gale, fully laden with groceries. These conditions are not the Skippers favourite as he nearly drowned rescuing a mate in the surf of the Solomon Islands after a inflatable full of mangos overturned. Halfway to the boat the Tohatsu outboard gave a cough and died. Not good. As we rocked in the swell an anchor appeared and we were able to grab the side of an Island Packet (reflecting as we did so that I wouldn't like to fall overboard one of these boats as there is nothing to grab hold of to get back on) anyway we boarded this boat and off loaded our groceries. Meanwhile back at the dock Freya was watching with increasing concern. With no one on sight she decided to 'borrow' the other dinghy at the dock. Fortunately the starter cord was in the bottom of the boat and she started it up and came to our rescue. All that experience on the Mac Bay rescue boat comes in handy at times. So all worked out well and we weren't arrested for trespass or theft. Gary went to see both other boats the next day to apologise and neither had noticed a thing.

After Rock Sound we had a boisterous sail North to Hatchet Bay. We had to keep as much sail up as possible to make the entrance before dark. It is an entrance that demands respect, being narrow between rock cliffs. It's funny with meeting other cruisers and their different impressions of places. We'd been told to avoid Hatchet by one group - depressing, run down- and yet another boat had stayed for 3 weeks and love every minute. Yes, Hatchet is rather run down but the people are so friendly and mostly very helpful to yachties. With a hurricane every year it must be tough to try and keep everything tidy. The harbour is brilliantly sheltered and its a great place to get a hire car and explore the rest of the island.

The Glass Window where the Atlantic meets the Sound is spectacular. No photos can do it justice. Harbour Island was beautiful. The haunt of the wealthy and celebrities but you can still access the gorgeous pink sand beach. Getting run over by golf carts may be the only down side. We saw our first real celebrity- Reese Witherspoon shopping in the local stores. This island was settled by the Loyalists escaping the American Revolution and the architecture has been mostly preserved. Well worth a visit and the taxi over was a motor boat with twin 200hp Yamahas, full of laughing Bahamians and no speed restrictions. 

Exumas

The main beauty of the Bahamas is the sea. It is almost impossible to find words to adequately describe the jewel-like colours of the water. We found a superb little beach, pure white sand, water shading from pale to turquoise, gently shelving slope with no rocks and declared this as the 'perfect' beach. Little did we know but in the cay was another 'perfect' beach. The Exumas consist of 365 cays, one for everyday of the year and just about all of them seem to have stunning beaches. The land on the other hand is less impressive. The cays are low lying and the vegetation mainly consists of small bushy, often scratchy plants. There is even the ominously titled Poisonwood bush which causes painful rashes if touched. 

So it is not surprising that most people spend most of their time on the water, unless you are one of the mega wealthy who own their own cay. Some of the more famous temporary residents are Johnny Depp and Sean Connery. We have certainly seen lavish motor yachts, complete with large tenders (some almost as big as our boat) and intense security surrounding them. We people them in our imagination with the rich, famous and fabulously beautiful but so far the ones we have seen on board are nondescript. It is comforting to think that no matter what your budget you can still enjoy the same seascape as the mega wealthy.

So here we are in the Exumas Land and Sea Park. A far sighted gentleman in 1958 -a great year- convinced the government to set aside 176 square mile area of land and sea. The results are stunning. In other parts of the Bahamas we have seen plenty of fish life but the size of the ones in the park are impressive. We've seen large snapper, barracuda, Nassau grouper and plenty of reef fish, all quite large and unafraid of a diver. Yesterday we watched Eagle Rays leaping at least five feet out of the water. On Shroud Cay we saw our first hummingbirds, so fast, so small. 

We are now in Black Point on Bitter Guana cay. Great spot, lovely little town, friendly locals and a great laundry with free internet. Plus crystal clear water, good holding and not a cloud in the sky. We also visited the Thunderball Grotto in Staniel Cay. Very impressive. A bit of a mission to get in against the current but worth it. The whole area feels very James Bond with mega launches everywhere and the familiar scenery from the movies. Hopefully no men with guns and the Sharks remain at a distance. 

The Berrys

The Berrys 

After our days of solitude in the Bight of Abaco we anchored at Mores Island and a Bahamian fishing boat came by full of lobsters or crawfish. Negotiations completed we were the happy owners of three and they were delicious. The Skipper trading on his King Island experiences cooked them perfectly. This time he wasn't threatened with a shotgun for catching lobsters, for research purposes, as he was back in those days.

We had an easy passage from the Abacos to The Berry Islands and re-entered civilisation. We entered Great Harbour Cay where sailing ships of old used to anchor and over the hill in Chub Cay there were two cruise ships at a private resort island. It was a very rolly night at anchor so we headed out early for the 15nm trip to Devils Cay. We were all tired from lack of sleep but we're looking forward to a quick three hour trip down the coast to a more sheltered spot. The day before we had done 45nm over open ocean in just on 5 hours so a short hop down to the next cay would be a cinch. Ha, Ha. The swell was 6 to 8 ft and the wind on the nose. Eight weary hours later we approached the entrance to Devils Cay, which is not for the faint hearted, thank you GPS, and gratefully anchored in calm water. The next day was lovely, most of the other boats departed and we swam in beautiful water from the white sandy beach. There were sea turtles in abundance and we watched their graceful moves with delight. 

In Vero Beach Freya and I picked up our snorkelling gear and so when we went snorkelling the Skipper headed off along the reef edge. It took me ages to sort out the new straps and get organised. Finally comfortable I put my head under in the shallow water and set off from the beach, a little nervous as it had it been awhile. You know that feeling that you're being watched, well I looked to my left and about two meters away half buried in the sand were slanted eyes looking at me. I nearly swallowed my snorkel until I realised it was just a very large skate minding its own business. 

We were just emerging from the water when a power boat rushed in the little cay and a voice demanded, "Is this the blue hole?" 

A little confused I looked round and replied that I didn't have a clue. After much confusion on both sides we discover a path that did indeed lead through the bush to the famous Blue Hole, a huge hole in the middle of the island about 100 ft deep. At that stage of the day it was more dirty brown than blue but both the Skipper and Freya took the leap off the ledge about 25ft into the brackish water. The people in the power boat were lovely and even included a Kiwi from Taranaki. 

Bahamas

Hello Bahamas,

We arrived at West End on Great Bahama Island at 8am on a gloriously warm and sunny day. The crossing had been a little lumpy and the sails were more decorative than useful at times but the Skipper's navigation enabled us to get the boost from the Gulf Stream and we ended up having to slow down so as not to arrive before sunrise. We departed from Fort Pierce and were a little worried as we appeared to be the only boat making the crossing. Did the famous Chris Parker predict something we didn't know about but it was uneventful except for the cruise ships going past with the whiff of delicious cooking ablaze with lights. The biggest stress was arriving at Old Harbour Town Marina there were so many motor cruisers filled up with fuel that it seemed like rush hour. Eventually after an hour of circling we made it to the fuel dock and filled up with 8 gallons which cost $88 U.S. Dollars. Goodbye to cheap fuel then, mainly sailing for us from now on. The pleasant surprise was that the marina which we had been warned was likely to charge $3 a foot only charged $1.75 and $1.50 a second night. Even better is that they are attached to a resort and you get use their facilities, pool, gym, free Wi Fi and cocktails on the beach. A touch of luxury which was most unexpected. Can highly recommend checking in at West End, the immigration officers were friendly and helpful (an added bonus was that one of them looked just like Stringer Bell from 'The Wire'). 

The weather forecast for the next few days was for 15 to 20 knots southerlies and rain so we headed out to find a secluded and protected anchorage. Freya suggested Cave Cay as being a good option so we left Mangrove Cay and headed to the Little Abacos. We left behind 3 other yachts from the cay and had a magnificent sail across the banks at 6 to 7 knots. There was not another boat of any description in sight and some of the area is still unsurveyed, so Visual Piloting Rules are advised. The water is so clear it is quite disconcerting to see the bottom so clearly in 10ft of water but your eyes start to adjust to the changing colours. 

Xmas Day dawned wet and windy. The Skipper happily broke out deck water collection system which worked really well and quickly filled the tanks again. It is certainly one of our more unusual places to have Xmas. It feels very strange not to be able contact our families for Xmas Day to say hello but there is absolutely no cell phone reception. It's more like travelling back in the day when communication was phone boxes and letters. Hard to believe how much has changed even in our lifetime. A happy Xmas to everyone.