Bahamas (?) Cruise
Note to readers - I'm describing this segment of the Caprice Journey in a single blog entry that I simply amend at its bottom. I know that blogs usually show the latest day on the top, but I don't like the style if you want to read the story chronologically.The question mark is there because it's not settled yet where to go this time. The biggest problem is my lack of time. The Bahamas are huge and worth many months cruising. I have 'only' a month, and might not be able to cross over there soon anyways. It depends on the condition of the Caprice, weather and my own mood.
Sunday, Feb 19
West Palm Beach
Arrived in the evening and got a rental car. Since it's really busy here now, the smallest they had was a mid size SUV, a Jeep Renegade.
Unfortunately it's also $54 per day, but I have little choice since I need to do lots of shopping.
I had booked a room at a little motel without much looking where exactly it was - when I got there I was surprised that it was literally next door to the Cuban Restaurant Danny and Su Ling went with me to when I was here in November. It was a simple but clean and convenient place.
Monday, Feb 20
Shopping Day around West Palm Beach
After getting coffee and a egg sandwich at the Cuban place I headed south to Boca Raton to buy an outboard motor for my future Dinghy. I had been pondering several dinghy options but portability and reliability was high on the list. I decided on a tiny Honda 2.3 HP motor that weighs just 30 pounds. It's important to be as light as possible because I have neither a crane nor dinghy davits. And handling a heavy outboard motor by myself is not a good idea.
Next I went to West Marine in North Palm Beach and bought a roll-up dinghy. It's among the smallest inflatable dinghy one can get, but again stowability is very important for me.
The salesman deflated their display model (the last one they had) and didn't really manage to squeeze it into the bag. He commented that it's pretty much impossible to squeeze them in once they are out of the bag.
Next to grocery stores to stock up on lots of food - if I head to the Bahamas I better bring a lot because there's few places to provision there and they are crazy expensive too. I never bought that many cans of beer in my life!
Finally I headed out towards Indiantown, 30 miles NW of West Palm Beach. My launch was scheduled for 3PM and I found the Caprice soon on her stands. Since I have no ladder I can't look inside yet. She looks functionally fine, but the paint is in terrible shape, Emek had her repainted maybe 20 years ago and it's really starting to come off. There are also very many scratches and blemishes - she looks rather tired.
Then I notice that the retainer nut on the propeller is missing. That is potentially a problem because in reverse the propeller might pull itself off the shaft. I have no idea when the nut went missing. It was at some point secured with a cotter pin but that hole is full of rust.
I'm lucky to find a fitting nut in the marina workshop and a new cotter pin, but a second nut would be better to counter - unfortunately there's none available.
I'm briefly tempted to postpone my launch and move the Caprice into the workyard to paint her - but decide that I just don't have the time now. Next time when I come back here I'll do that before the next launch.
They launch her and I finally get into the boat. All looks pretty good inside, actually. Very little mold and dampness. It's good that I had the bilge pump powered all the time so nothing accumulated.
The engine starts very easily and I'm off to a spot on the wall. Things are looking up.
Next I'll transfer the literal boatloads of food, the motor, dinghy and so on. The fridge needs some cleaning but that will have to wait for later tonight when I've returned from the car rental.
I still have more shopping to do, and time is running out. On my way back to the city I decide to extend the car for another day. After some more shopping I get back to the marina and get to cleaning and stowing all the things. It's amazing how many items there are and I have to find space for all of them. The Caprice is too small!
Tuesday, Feb 21
Another shopping day
I'm glad I have the car because as I work on the boat I find all kinds of things I have to buy. And Indiantown is really in the middle of nowhere, without a car one is rather helpless here.
The alligator I met in fall is gone - they tell me he was making himself too comfortable and they caught him and transported him into the swamps. There's still some more out int he canal, but they stay away from the marina, one hopes.
The stuffing box is again leaking too much, and my batteries seem to have really low capacity. When I check their acid level I find them really low, every cell has their plates exposed. After refilling them with water the capacity is much improved. I probably have to do an equalize charge on them next to get rid of some sulfation.
After driving to West Plam beach again for tools, locks, chain and dozens other things I'm again back at the marina and manage to tighten the stuffing box with my new 2 inch adjustable wrenches. I'm finally getting the hang of this.
In the early evening I drive back to the airport (I put a total of 260 miles on this car in 2 days) and take an Uber back to the marina. The Uber is $48 and I tip the driver another $5 because this is a pretty useless trip for him - there won't be any fares back from here.
Wednesday. Feb 22
Indiantown Rain day
While until now the weather has been fine, in fact pleasantly cool at night, today it's raining non-stop. This suits me actually fine because I wasn't ready to leave from here. I spend the day working for my job and the boat. The old grill has to go - I ad just bought a few replacement parts for it and now I find that the burner is so badly corroded that there's no hope for the thing.
I spend a lot of time in the marina lounge/kitchen with my computer even though there's constantly interruptions. One particular fellow likes to chat - his first line was 'My name is Alfred, like in Alfred Jodl'. He claims to have been cell mates with our ex governor, Blagojevich. Who knows...
Thursday, Feb 23
Indiantown to Stuart
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Before leaving just after lunch time I befriended Andrei, a Canadian of Polish descent. I proudly made him a coffee on the espresso machine and he loved it. He's himself heading to Cuba (he says 'the system is familiar to him', but before leaving he gives me some great anchorage tips in Stuart, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Also he encourages me to consider going to the Abacos instead of the Exumas - a little shorter and maybe quicker. My mood is much happier now - the last days I've been running around and not having much fun. Having my job to think about is also not helping. I'm neither here nor there - not putting all my time and attention to cruising, but also not working to the best of my abilities.
Friday, Feb 24
Stuart
It starts very foggy, but eventually turns sunny but pretty windy today, I'm happy to stay at anchor today and relax a bit, and try the new dinghy and motor later.
I haven't operated an outboard in 8 years (the old boat had an outboard for propulsion) but it's pretty easy. The motor starts easily and the dinghy actually goes really pretty fast with it, even though I'm not pushing it yet (first 10 hrs is wear-in time for the motor). It's quite choppy and going against the waves is wet business. Also, being alone forces me to sit on the seat rather than on the sides, which is not the best way to operate the engine (unless one wants to face backwards like when rowing. When I have my admiral on board we will be much more balanced. (Hint hint, my land admiral!) After a few turns around the Caprice I get back on and work on the computer to wait for the wind to die down a bit. Later as it gets calmer I motor the dink into Stuart and dock at Shepard park and walk the town.
Sunset bay Marina is full of people, but not quite my scene, I move on to walk the boardwalk, and watch the sunset while chatting with Dave and Roseanne on the phone. Back to the boat for dinner.
Saturday, Feb 25
Stuart to Peck Lake
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Again the day starts with a dense fog - after it burns off I dinghy once again to Shepard Park and walk to Publix for some fresh food (especially fruit). Then back to the boat and off we go. Well, actually we have to wait a bit at the bridge because an endless train passes first. During the waiting time a dozen or so boats accumulate on both sides. Today is a busy day. The trip to Peck Lake is quick and without problems, but there's boaters everywhere. It's a zoo, and I don't mean the few dolphins and manatee I see today.
Peck Lake is also full of boats. I anchor and start lunch, when my neighbor comes by and tells me that I've put my anchor chain over his. I don't really think so but since there's plenty space to move I'm willing to make him happy and move 200 feet closer to shore and give him more space. When I raise the anchor it's pretty clear to me that I'm not even close to him, but never mind...
After lunch I chill out a bit, talk to my parents and my sister and then row to shore (even though I have the motor now I want to row whenever it's not a problem to get a bit of exercise).
After crossing a small strip of trees I get to the Atlantic beach - and it's beautiful. Some people are here too, but after I walk north a bit I have it all for myself.
This is a natural reserve and very nice. I'm deciding to stay here tomorrow before heading south.
After a 3 mile walk I return to the Caprice in time for sunset and the arrival of a Danish boat next to me.
Dinner, and now update the blog, finally...
Sunday, Feb 26
Peck Lake
I like this area and wanted to spend another day here and explore the beach more. However, a strong northern wind kicked up the lake the whole day long and I didn't feel like getting myself drenched trying to get to shore. I just hang out on the boat and read, worked and relaxed.
Monday, Feb 27
Peck Lake to West Palm Beach
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Another nice and sunny, and a little breezy day. I left early to try to get to West Palm Beach quickly to meet Danny and Su Ling, my sailing buddies from Chicago that moved here permanently a few years ago. The trip through the ICW was uneventful, maybe a half dozen bridges and I was able to time them well enough not to lose much time. The Danish yacht 'Drot' caught up with me soon after I left Peck Lake and we played cat and mouse all the way to Lake Worth. They would pass me and run ahead, only for me to catch up with them at the next bridge. Eventually we reached Lake Worth and found it rather rough and choppy. 'Drot' took off again and this time I didn't find them again. Passing though Lake Worth I saw many hundreds of sail boats moored everywhere, and also many dozens of superyachts in the plethora of boatyards, I anchored in a mooring field just south of the inlet to the ocean because I had a plan to go outside next to skip the more and more annoying bridges.
I dinghied across to the West Palm Beach Sailing Club, paid a $16 guest fee and got a nice shower, then Danny got there and we drove together over the bridge to Palm Beach - the strip of land that's on the ocean. Palaces next to palaces. I was expecting the police to pull us over and inquire what people not in a Porsche, Bentley or Rolls Royce were up to here. We arrived at Danny and Su Ling's home and they had prepared a guest room and bathroom for me - how sweet! Next we went for dinner and I chose Chinese (I don't expect to find much Chinese in the Bahamas). It was excellent and they insisted on treating me. I hope I won't cause Danny harm on our planned sail trip.
Tuesday, Feb 28
West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale
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While we drove to the boat the sky opened up with intense rains - better now than later!
We packed the dinghy full of supplies (we had bought more food, a jerry can for water and the ingredients for Danny's signature drink.
Our trip over to the Caprice was a wet ride. The wind was blowing briskly and kicking up a lot of chop, and even though we went slowly Danny got pretty splashed - thankfully the water was warm and by now the sun was shining.
Once on board we rigged the sails, deflated the dinghy and stored it in the cabin, and took off at high tide. The waves in the inlet were brutal, as expected, but once we turned south they became bearable. However conditions were still rather more lively than I would have wished. Danny however was in his element and pretty much hand steered us through the whole trip.
One we had the sails trimmed (we went with one reef) we settled in to our long journey. Occasionally large waves made the Caprice bury her bow and splash us so I rigged the dodger. Unfortunately that reduces visibility but with all the electronic gizmos in the cockpit (and us) we were better off for now.
I didn't bother with the autopilot in those conditions, I know it's not good when the seas are too large. Thankfully Danny did most of the steering today, apart from the time when he went below to try to make us his signature drink. He pretty quickly decided that those 'bullshit conditions' were not acceptable and we went without the drinks. We didn't even eat much - a big box of cheese crackers and a few bananas. In fact, I found that all my bananas had been partially peeled in the net where I keep them. I ended up eating 5 bananas today (2 on the trip and 3 for dinner)...
As the day progressed we found that staying close to shore (1/2 mile) was better to avoid much of the current that was slowing us down. By staying close to shore and motorsailing we managed sufficient speed to arrive at Fort Lauderdale when the sun was about to set. Conditions by then were much improved and quite pleasant, if not exactly calm. Before we got to the inlet two huge cruise ships of the Princess Line left the harbor.
We went to the fuel dock where Danny had to say good-bye for now in a hurry since I had to rush to my planned anchorage, Lake Sylvia. This lake is right in the heart of some pretty exclusive neighborhood. I got in there just before dark, anchored and pushed the dinghy out from the salon and cleaned up the usual mess.
Wednesday, March 1
Fort Lauderdale
I moved up to the Las Olas Marina today to have access to shore, laundry, shower and water. I spent the day walking 6 miles through Fort Lauderdale. Unfortunately apart from the exclusive neighborhood I had anchored in the place isn't really good to walk around. There isn't a city center here that I could find. I walked a bit on the beach which was nice and full of tourists, but I hope for different scenery soon. They call Ft Lauderdale the Venice of Florida, on account of all the canals.
Thursday, March 2
Fort Lauderdale to West End, Bahamas
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I cast off from Las Olas marina at 6:40 to take that bridge opening. The tide was coming in and slowing me down a bit and it took until 7:10 to get out of the inlet. Yesterday there was another Princess Cruises ship here, today it's Royal Caribbean.
It was pleasantly calm, in fact, too calm. There was no wind at all. I had counted on some wind to speed me up, but the gulf stream also was supposed to come to my rescue. Eventually the wind did pick up and I could motorsail at a good clip, and the gulf stream indeed didn't disappoint. I somehow expected a clear boundary, but if there was one I missed it. Only a mile or two out of Fort Lauderdale the northern push was becoming very apparent. I was steering 100-110 degrees (90 is East) and still was on a diagonal course of about 70 degree to West End as planned.
The autopilot was somehow not able to keep me on my intended course, it kept veering south. I think the friction device in it again needs adjusting, When I tried to steer by hand I found that it was pretty difficult even for me. The problem was that because of the waves I had sheeted in the main pretty hard and this, together with my small jib, was giving me too much weather helm. The fact that I had the main reefed didn't help, because when reefed the sail is quite baggy - I need to outhaul it more next time. As soon as the boat veers off course either way one has to counter steer forcefully to keep her steady. I'd need a hydraulic autopilot to do that.
In the end I had to steer by hand almost all the way, and if you read my blog you know how much I hate that...
Speed was excellent though and I got to West End without incident at 5:30. It looks tiny, especially coming from Fort Lauderdale...
I'm glad I had reserved a spot because it is actually pretty busy here.
Customs check in was quick and efficient and cost $300. Unfortunately the Caprice is long, even though she should be counted as a much smaller boat. 35 feet is the point where the fee doubles from $150 to $300...
Right after I returned to the boat a good rainfall started and is still ongoing. Also the wind is predicted to shift to northerly tomorrow and blow for several days. I'll be stuck here, but it's not a bad place to be stuck at I think.
Friday, March 3
West End, Grand Bahama Island
The winds are blowing strong from the North today and bring some pretty fresh temperatures. Caprice is well protected from waves, but the gusts rock her at her berth.
I made friends with two neighboring cruising boats next to me - John and Marcia and Sean and Natalie.
A large sailboat 'Arctic Bear' came in this morning and had a close shave with the docks, the winds were driving them toward the dock at high speeds...
The weather is mixed clouds and sun, and continuous high winds, still predicted to Wed. I'm settling in here. They told me the showers are cold, but after bracing myself I found they are actually working fine.
Saturday, March 4
West End and Freeport, Grand Bahama Island
Sean rented a van today and we all went to Freeport together. Even though it's the main town of Grand Bahama island it's very small still. We got SIM cards for our phones and tablets, and next visited the tourist trap area where they usually cart the cruise ship passengers. The port itself is very industrial and not a destination, instead they just bus the tourists to this place. Since no cruise ship was in town there wasn't much going on. We had lunch at a Greek Restaurant (Gyros with pita bread and fries) and a Greek Coffee afterward, really tasty.
Next to a liquor store (I didn't get anything, the prices were kind of high) and next to a grocery store. Here the prices are eye watering high, as expected. And consider that this was the main supermarket with supposedly the best prices... I got some fruit and a bottle of grapefruit juice to make Radler with my beer.
Sunday, March 5
West End, Grand Bahama Island
Still we are all waiting here for this kind of steady low-level storm to diminish enough to continue. Unfortunately the forecast isn't improved. Still looks like Wed until it gets better..,
The resort is nice and would be a treat if the wind was stopping. I shouldn't complain but I'm getting anxious to get moving soon.
I spent the day working on the boat and the computer (the hard drive of the laptop seems to be failing and I have to copy everything off it, and then hope I can sacrifice one of my external drives. I got a few of them with me and maybe I can consolidate them to create one to clone the laptop drive to). On the boat I wire the led strip lights to a spare switch on the main switch panel. Then the autopilot plug and socket. Since I didn't find a replacement set screw for the one I lost I have to solder the cable to one of the plug pins, but that's no big deal in the end. What's surprisingly fiddly are the screws to put the plug and socket together again, they are really too small and not well designed for normal finger sizes. Even though the pack of that socket says it needs #3 screws (no included) for mounting, the new #3 screws I bought don't fit at all. Idiotic. I have to drill the holes larger to make them fit. I wonder if that socket will at least last a few years before it fails. Good luck with all this junk coming from you-know-where-from.
Next I'm working on the headliner project. The hull-deck joint of this boat (it's 55 years old...) had lots of cracks in the inner liner before somebody glassed repairs over it. It's not a structural problem, but cosmetic. The area is very rough and has plenty bolts that make it even harder to clean. Plus it's an area where condensation happens - the result is a mold culture. My idea was to put a wide strip of headliner over these areas. Unfortunately, after cleaning the surface thoroughly and cutting the piece of headliner to the difficult shape it's hard to get in place when the glue is on it. It's very tacky and like contact cement is hard to move once in place. In any case, after putzing around with it for an hour or so the result looks awful. The headline makes every bump and uneven part of the area stand out more than before. Nothing to make it better short of ripping the boat interior apart and re glassing it all, a project way beyond my skills. I ripped off the piece of headliner again and spent the next hour scraping the glue off the surfaces. Anybody needs 3 feet of brand new headliner on a roll?
Monday, March 6
West End, Grand Bahama Island
West End, Grand Bahama Island
No change in the weather forecast. I'm distributing espresso to my neighbors - all those boats are about 10 times the value of the Caprice, but I'm ahead in the coffee department. And so far I haven't used the engine once to top off the batteries - the solar panels work very well.
A local called 'Showtime' offers conch salad and I agree to buy $10 of it. He gets to work on a big batch for a handful of boaters. Usually conch is tough and needs tenderizing and cooking, but this is super fresh and can be eaten raw like ceviche.
Delicious! If he returns tomorrow or on Wednesday I'll certainly get some more.
West End, Grand Bahama Island
A nice Jeannau sailboat left this night and apparently ran aground right outside the harbor and couldn't free himself. Those guys had come in here last Thursday straight from the Virgin Islands and were planning to go non-stop from here to Charleston. I had chatted a bit with Stan, one of the two guys on the boat. They got help only several hours later when a dive boat and a coast guard boat arrived. They feared damage and decided to go down to Freeport to haul the boat and see if they need repairs. Must be very frustrating...
I've also heard the story of a sailboat with a couple that came here a few years ago and for whatever reason failed to get into the entrance, instead hit the breakwater and was reduced to small pieces within hours. That couple lost everything on the boat but still married with donated clothing and so on from the cruisers here.
Finally the wind is abating, and it looks as if tomorrow will be good to go. The first bit will go through the shallow Indian Rock Passage and then to Mangrove Cay, a fairly short hop. I expect that a whole fleet of boats will leave from here at around lunch - I'll be paying very close attention to the chart plotter and go very slow in the shallow areas.
Next stop after that will be either Great Sale Cay, or Pensacola Cay. Those cays most likely have no telephone coverage, so I might be incommunicado for a few days. No worries!
Wednesday, March 8
West End, Grand Bahama Island to Mangrove Cay
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When I got up many boats had already left. The tide today is low at 10:40, so one better leaves really early to be through the passage long before that point, or after lunch to go on a rising tide. The passage is 6 feet and the Caprice draws 5 - it will be exciting to go through it. It's mostly sand and grass, so even a grounding shouldn't give us grief.
I'm very glad I have the Espresso machine on board, it has significantly improved my social standing.
My dock neighbors: Natalie and Sean of 'Gale Rider' and Marcia and John (behind the camera) from 'Acadia'.
We entered the passage as planned a little after low tide, and right away the depth sounder showed 3 (which mean 5 feet) for several periods of time. This is a little tighter than expected. But we got through without a bump (or maybe one slight one, I wasn't sure). All went well, the wind was as predicted just 10-15 on the nose, so we had to motor all the way. The waves on the banks are clearly much diminished compared with on the open seas. After a few days of wind like we had the open ocean would have 6-10 feet waves I'd expect.
The autopilot wouldn't work properly and I had to rig some ropes to keep the boat on course while I fiddled around with the pulley system in the autopilot. After a lot of swearing I got it to work.
We got to Mangrove Cay well before sunset, anchored and spent a quiet night.
Thursday, March 9
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When I got up many boats had already left. The tide today is low at 10:40, so one better leaves really early to be through the passage long before that point, or after lunch to go on a rising tide. The passage is 6 feet and the Caprice draws 5 - it will be exciting to go through it. It's mostly sand and grass, so even a grounding shouldn't give us grief.
I'm very glad I have the Espresso machine on board, it has significantly improved my social standing.
My dock neighbors: Natalie and Sean of 'Gale Rider' and Marcia and John (behind the camera) from 'Acadia'.
We entered the passage as planned a little after low tide, and right away the depth sounder showed 3 (which mean 5 feet) for several periods of time. This is a little tighter than expected. But we got through without a bump (or maybe one slight one, I wasn't sure). All went well, the wind was as predicted just 10-15 on the nose, so we had to motor all the way. The waves on the banks are clearly much diminished compared with on the open seas. After a few days of wind like we had the open ocean would have 6-10 feet waves I'd expect.
The autopilot wouldn't work properly and I had to rig some ropes to keep the boat on course while I fiddled around with the pulley system in the autopilot. After a lot of swearing I got it to work.
We got to Mangrove Cay well before sunset, anchored and spent a quiet night.
Thursday, March 9
Mangrove Cay to Allan's Cay
Viewranger Link
Viewranger Link
Today started calm and turned dead calm during the day. Since we got up early we decided to skip Great Sale Cay and press on to Allan's Cay. BTW, Allan's Cay and Pensacola Cay were separate cays previously, but apparently some hurricane joined the,m together years back. The autopilot worked much better, but still slipped occasionally - I have to look at it again tomorrow.
We made good progress and got to Allan's Cay well before sunset. I finally got to swim and snorkeled to the anchor to check if it was buried well - my first attempt at anchoring had failed due to the abundant sea grass. All looked good. Marcia and John came with their dinghy and took me to shore. We found a path through the trees that eventually got us to the other side of the island - but it's pretty desolate there and extremely sharp coral covered rocks made walking there rather unappealing. There's likely another place and another path, we'll search tomorrow. By the time we got back to their dinghy the no-see-ums (tiny insects) started attacking us, just as warned in Activecaptain.
We went to Marcia and John's boat for a sundowner and a bit of chatting.
There's surprisingly good cellular reception here, so I could use my Bahamas SIM card and update the blog, read emails etc.
Friday, March 10
Allan's Cay
I've spent a night scratching myself - the insects yesterday must have bitten me a hundred places... But this morning looked gorgeous. I inflated the dinghy and went exploring. I found another path that led to a bunch of memento trees, on a beach that looks like a cliche from a travel agent brochure.
White sands, azure waters, and not a soul in sight. What a pretty place.
I want to stay another day here and just soak in the feeling. And Marcia and John feel the same - so we'll stay here until tomorrow and move on to Green Turtle Cay tomorrow.
Saturday, March 11
White sands, azure waters, and not a soul in sight. What a pretty place.
I want to stay another day here and just soak in the feeling. And Marcia and John feel the same - so we'll stay here until tomorrow and move on to Green Turtle Cay tomorrow.
Saturday, March 11
Allan's Cay to Green Turtle Cay
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The bites are still itching like crazy and night. I had found some Benedryn Gel in my medicine kit but it didn't help much.
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The bites are still itching like crazy and night. I had found some Benedryn Gel in my medicine kit but it didn't help much.
John gave me some Hydrocortisone cream and I'll try if that makes it better.
The cruise to Green Turtle Cay was easy - it's a short distance and the wind was mild, if again precisely on our nose. Since the crossing from Fort Lauderdale I haven't put the sails up even once.
There was one large sailboat literally on the rocks. I don't know when that happened, maybe during Matthew? It looked stripped of all rigging and probably all other movable parts.
Green Turtle Cay has a very well protected bay, and Marcia and John went to the marina in there while I anchored in the bay next to a dozen other boats. I rowed ashore and we went exploring. The beach bar had a special rum drink 'The relaxed turtle' (I think) that was delicious but so strong that after a double (happy hour) we all felt extremely relaxed. We needed food, but found that the prices in the resort restaurant were rather high - $30 and more for a entree... Instead we went back to their boat and Marcia whipped up some great pasta with sun dried tomato pesto. Life is good.
Sunday, March 12
What a difference a night of good sleep makes... Maybe the hydrocortisone cream helped, or maybe the bites were healing by themselves, who knows. I'm feeling a lot better now.
A neighbor boat came by and we started chatting and getting a lot of info. An interesting option that might save me a lot of time is to leave the boat here after my trip end for storage until I can come back in fall/winter. There aren't many yards here that do that, but one is right here and I hear they are really good and secure. I'll find out more about that as soon as possible.
We dinghied into the main 'town' and found it mostly deserted - it's Sunday after all. Lots of prettily painted houses and bougainvillea.
We got some food in the grocery store that was open, but almost everything else was closed. But it's a charming place nevertheless.
Back in the marina we cooked up some dinner and drinks and chatted with our dock neighbors. It's the boaters life. You could talk to people all the time if you chose to. Everybody is in a happy mood.
And I'm especially happy because my Admiral is going to join me at Marsh Harbor on Friday for ten days. I really hope we'll have nice weather so she'll have fun. Now if I could somehow reduce the smelliness of the bilge things would be even better. I'm starting to consider the 'Nature's Head' potty. More about it next time...
Monday, March 13
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After delivering the morning espresso to Acadia I headed to the other marina in White Sound for fuel and water. The marina I was docked at didn't have diesel and won't have any any time soon (for unknown reasons). Never mind, I got my 16 gallon at the other place. Also 15 gallons of water (which has to be paid for here - 5$).
I headed out first and ended up waiting for Acadia at the begin of the Whale Cay passage. The Abacos are a great cruising ground because no matter the conditions in the Atlantic, the chain of the Cays creates a protected area that is calm. The only exception is the area between Whale Cay and Great Abaco island. Shifting sand banks make passage for most sailboats impossible unless they have very little draft. So, to pass from north to the south boats have to briefly exit the protected area and enter the banks. If the weather is wild this can be difficult or impossible. But we had several days of relative calm, and so we headed into the passage together. The long ocean swells weren't really bad, but depending on the angle at which the Caprice took them she build a nasty pendulum motion. Not a big deal usually, one has to simply adjust the course to take the waves at a different angle to avoid resonance of the waves with the natural motion of the Caprice.
As luck would have it, a big rain squall hit us right in the passage, but a bit of fresh water is actually welcome. The chart shows many markers for the passage, of which I saw exactly zero until the end. They probably were swept away by Matthew and haven't been replaced since. With the chart plotter it's not a problem anymore, and the passage is actually rather wide and deep.
Winds from the SE were steadily increasing, and even after reentering the Abaco sound choppy waves slowed me down and kept kicking up enough spray to get me plenty wet. Acadia took advantage of their stronger engine and wonderful dodger/bimini and pulled ahead quickly.
They were set on getting to Hope Town, but I decided to slow down more to be more comfortable and change course to a spot north of Marsh Harbor to anchor tonight.
Throughout the day we started seeing more and more charter catamarans. Marsh Harbor is a base for those guys.
The water color is actually nicer than photos can show. When the water is only 10 feet deep (as it is much of the time), it's either this darker blue/green when there's sea grass on the bottom, or an even more sensational turquoise when there's a sandy bottom.
The wind is predicted to pick up tonight and clock to S and tomorrow to W. I should have good protection tonight and tomorrow plan to first visit Mermaid Reef and then maybe make my way across to Hope Town. The next few days also might be rainy, so I'll try to get some work done when I have down time.
After anchoring I went for a snorkel tour to inspect the anchor (all good) and see if I could see any wildlife. No fishes, but plenty sea stars and sea grass on the bottom.
Tuesday, March 14
As predicted the wind picked up more overnight and turned to SW and some rain showers cleaned the Caprice of salt. It was time to look for another shelter, since the winds are still increasing and turning W and will eventually clock to N. Hope Town is totally full, and there's no convenient outside shelter, so I headed into Marsh Harbor. It's also very busy, but the harbor is big and I found a spot to anchor easily. Unfortunately the harbor mouth is to the NW and lets in plenty wind and waves. It's pretty choppy and I didn't want to get drenched in the dinghy, so I had to wait till after lunch to go to shore. I first went to the marina directly north of me, and encountered a huge catamaran from Chicago. Chatting with them it turned out that one of them is even from the Corinthian Yacht Club - when I'm back I'll have to see if I can find him there. There he has a J-111. Next I got to the marina office/bar and asked if I could reserve a spot here for Friday - unfortunately they are fully booked. I will keep trying to see if a spot opens in the next few days.
Next across the bay (still getting 'dinghy-butt') and to the stores. Marsh Harbor has pretty good supplies, and an excellent food store where I also got an area rug for the main cabin. Makes it much more cozy! I got bilge cleaner and will get to work on the smell. Unfortunately they are currently out of sanitation hoses which I had planned to replace to combat the persistent smell in the bilge.
I'll anchor here overnight and head for some nice spot tomorrow - Marsh Harbor itself doesn't seem attractive as a town.
Wednesday, March 15
The cruise to Green Turtle Cay was easy - it's a short distance and the wind was mild, if again precisely on our nose. Since the crossing from Fort Lauderdale I haven't put the sails up even once.
There was one large sailboat literally on the rocks. I don't know when that happened, maybe during Matthew? It looked stripped of all rigging and probably all other movable parts.
Green Turtle Cay has a very well protected bay, and Marcia and John went to the marina in there while I anchored in the bay next to a dozen other boats. I rowed ashore and we went exploring. The beach bar had a special rum drink 'The relaxed turtle' (I think) that was delicious but so strong that after a double (happy hour) we all felt extremely relaxed. We needed food, but found that the prices in the resort restaurant were rather high - $30 and more for a entree... Instead we went back to their boat and Marcia whipped up some great pasta with sun dried tomato pesto. Life is good.
Sunday, March 12
Green Turtle Cay
What a difference a night of good sleep makes... Maybe the hydrocortisone cream helped, or maybe the bites were healing by themselves, who knows. I'm feeling a lot better now.
A neighbor boat came by and we started chatting and getting a lot of info. An interesting option that might save me a lot of time is to leave the boat here after my trip end for storage until I can come back in fall/winter. There aren't many yards here that do that, but one is right here and I hear they are really good and secure. I'll find out more about that as soon as possible.
We dinghied into the main 'town' and found it mostly deserted - it's Sunday after all. Lots of prettily painted houses and bougainvillea.
We got some food in the grocery store that was open, but almost everything else was closed. But it's a charming place nevertheless.
Back in the marina we cooked up some dinner and drinks and chatted with our dock neighbors. It's the boaters life. You could talk to people all the time if you chose to. Everybody is in a happy mood.
And I'm especially happy because my Admiral is going to join me at Marsh Harbor on Friday for ten days. I really hope we'll have nice weather so she'll have fun. Now if I could somehow reduce the smelliness of the bilge things would be even better. I'm starting to consider the 'Nature's Head' potty. More about it next time...
Monday, March 13
Green Turtle Cay to Marsh Harbor
Viewranger link
After delivering the morning espresso to Acadia I headed to the other marina in White Sound for fuel and water. The marina I was docked at didn't have diesel and won't have any any time soon (for unknown reasons). Never mind, I got my 16 gallon at the other place. Also 15 gallons of water (which has to be paid for here - 5$).
I headed out first and ended up waiting for Acadia at the begin of the Whale Cay passage. The Abacos are a great cruising ground because no matter the conditions in the Atlantic, the chain of the Cays creates a protected area that is calm. The only exception is the area between Whale Cay and Great Abaco island. Shifting sand banks make passage for most sailboats impossible unless they have very little draft. So, to pass from north to the south boats have to briefly exit the protected area and enter the banks. If the weather is wild this can be difficult or impossible. But we had several days of relative calm, and so we headed into the passage together. The long ocean swells weren't really bad, but depending on the angle at which the Caprice took them she build a nasty pendulum motion. Not a big deal usually, one has to simply adjust the course to take the waves at a different angle to avoid resonance of the waves with the natural motion of the Caprice.
As luck would have it, a big rain squall hit us right in the passage, but a bit of fresh water is actually welcome. The chart shows many markers for the passage, of which I saw exactly zero until the end. They probably were swept away by Matthew and haven't been replaced since. With the chart plotter it's not a problem anymore, and the passage is actually rather wide and deep.
Winds from the SE were steadily increasing, and even after reentering the Abaco sound choppy waves slowed me down and kept kicking up enough spray to get me plenty wet. Acadia took advantage of their stronger engine and wonderful dodger/bimini and pulled ahead quickly.
They were set on getting to Hope Town, but I decided to slow down more to be more comfortable and change course to a spot north of Marsh Harbor to anchor tonight.
Throughout the day we started seeing more and more charter catamarans. Marsh Harbor is a base for those guys.
The water color is actually nicer than photos can show. When the water is only 10 feet deep (as it is much of the time), it's either this darker blue/green when there's sea grass on the bottom, or an even more sensational turquoise when there's a sandy bottom.
The wind is predicted to pick up tonight and clock to S and tomorrow to W. I should have good protection tonight and tomorrow plan to first visit Mermaid Reef and then maybe make my way across to Hope Town. The next few days also might be rainy, so I'll try to get some work done when I have down time.
After anchoring I went for a snorkel tour to inspect the anchor (all good) and see if I could see any wildlife. No fishes, but plenty sea stars and sea grass on the bottom.
Tuesday, March 14
Marsh Harbor
As predicted the wind picked up more overnight and turned to SW and some rain showers cleaned the Caprice of salt. It was time to look for another shelter, since the winds are still increasing and turning W and will eventually clock to N. Hope Town is totally full, and there's no convenient outside shelter, so I headed into Marsh Harbor. It's also very busy, but the harbor is big and I found a spot to anchor easily. Unfortunately the harbor mouth is to the NW and lets in plenty wind and waves. It's pretty choppy and I didn't want to get drenched in the dinghy, so I had to wait till after lunch to go to shore. I first went to the marina directly north of me, and encountered a huge catamaran from Chicago. Chatting with them it turned out that one of them is even from the Corinthian Yacht Club - when I'm back I'll have to see if I can find him there. There he has a J-111. Next I got to the marina office/bar and asked if I could reserve a spot here for Friday - unfortunately they are fully booked. I will keep trying to see if a spot opens in the next few days.
Next across the bay (still getting 'dinghy-butt') and to the stores. Marsh Harbor has pretty good supplies, and an excellent food store where I also got an area rug for the main cabin. Makes it much more cozy! I got bilge cleaner and will get to work on the smell. Unfortunately they are currently out of sanitation hoses which I had planned to replace to combat the persistent smell in the bilge.
I'll anchor here overnight and head for some nice spot tomorrow - Marsh Harbor itself doesn't seem attractive as a town.
Wednesday, March 15
Marsh Harbor
It's unseasonably cool today - the locals are wearing hoodies, imagine!
The wind is still blowing hard from the NW, kicking up some chop in the harbor. I dinghied to Mangoes, another marina I would like to stay at maybe on Friday evening when the admiral comes here. They are unfortunately full, too. I walked around the bay to the Jib room, the marina I visited yesterday. Still no spot available.. On the way back I stopped at some wholesale food place, they have conch and various fish - but frozen. I'd rather find some fresh fish if possible.
The town isn't really much to look at. Mostly services, and some nicer houses, but no real town center and anywhere worth walking around much.
On the way back I found Lou, the guy who can do my pump out - but only at high tide and when the weather is more settled, because the approach to his dock is tricky. I might wait for the pump out until later. Back to the boat and some work.
The anchor roller keeps working itself loose from the wooden boards. I pulled the thing off and mixed up some epoxy and poured that into the screw holes. Unfortunately the strong winds made some epoxy drips fly off and hit my new shorts, Ruined...
Later I watched some Star Trek, the original series. Always fun to watch Cpt. Kirk, Spock etc.
Thursday, March 16
At 12 I raised anchor (a lot tougher without the anchor roller, which still has to cure a day or two), and then to Mangoes. Ray came onto the dock and expertly ran my lines to secure the Caprice. His marina is beautiful. It even has a little pool and a gazebo where people would gather, but in today's cool breeze nobody was in the pool.
The showers also were great, and included in the marina price (which is not a given in the Bahamas). First I did the laundry and next off to Maxwell's again for more groceries. On the way I got some bread at the best baker in town 'Da bes yet'. The baker also topped up my SIM card for more data. Data reception so far has been actually very good, Even the more remote Cays have telephone towers, and my old iphone works well as a hotspot.
Friday, March 17
Admiral's Day!
Today my bunny joined me here in Marsh Harbor. I actually walked to the airport from the Marina - it's a 90 minute walk but I could use the exercise and wanted to see what else there might be to see on the way. There wasn't much. The admiral's plane was a little early and all had gone well. She was tired of course and we took a cab back to the marina (15$ for a 10 min ride...).
After looking around the marina and meeting Rey we had lunch at Wally's which was excellent. Wally's is said to be one of the nicest restaurants in the Abacos and we weren't disappointed. Next we walked to the Resort on the other side of the bay - it looks nice but pretty deserted right now. Also the temperature was downright disappointing, we even had to wear jackets! After walking around some more and checking some of the boutiques we decided to catch up on some napping and returned to the Caprice.
At 9 we went to Snappers to check out the band which was playing an interesting mix of pop and Caribbean songs. The beer was green - they celebrate St Patrick's day here...
Saturday, March 18
The beach is beautiful, of course, and we motored around with the dinghy to check the surrounding area a bit. Supposedly there's good shelling somewhere too, but we couldn't find it.
Sunday, March 19
This morning started very nice and calm, we had a good breakfast in the cockpit before heading to shore and explore the communities on land. Much of the area is privately owned and full of gorgeous cottages.
We found a way to the beaches facing the ocean and walked along them a bit. Most stretches of shore are called 'Iron Shore' because it is incredibly sharp and jagged rocks, I'm not sure if this is coral or volcanic. This stuff is so hard and sharp that I shudder to think how a boat, or even worse, a person would be shredded if thrown on this by the seas.
The wind was predicted to pick up and turn north overnight, and I knew we couldn't stay at this place because of that. We hung out at Tahiti beach until high tide and then went north toward Hope Town.
The trip was already kind of bouncy in the choppy waves. Upon entering Hope Town we encountered John from Acadia testing his dinghy, and he went looking with us for any open mooring. Unfortunately we found none. In fact, two had apparently just been taken by boats that we had seen at Tahiti, but which had left a bit before us.
Reluctantly we had to leave and motored to Man O War, which has some pretty good protection. I had initially planned to stay outside in the lee of the island but as we passed the entrance we changed our minds and decided to try to get through the shallows. It wasn't hard at all thanks to the high tide and we found a mooring ball right away. Nobody answered on the radio from the marina, we later found out that literally everything is closed on Sundays here, even the restaurants and the marina office. Tomorrow we plan to take a slip if possible.
On shore I ran into Clifford again, this time with his wife Adrienne, and they invited us over to their boat for a wine and beer chat.
I returned to the Caprice and we grilled some tilapia, and then went to visit our new friends. It was great to see a Pearson 365 in such nice condition as theirs and hear their opinions about its good and less good points.
At last we returned to the harbor for a quick walk through town and to the beach on the other side of the island.
The wind was getting stronger and we finally returned and took shelter on the boat. While pulling up the dinghy I bent over and promptly lost my sun glasses overboard. They sank quickly - I can hope to go snorkel for them tomorrow. It's only 6 feet deep here at low tide, so maybe I have a chance unless there's too much current or they get buried in the sand or see grass.
Monday, March 20
Man O War Cay
After breakfast we went to shore and checked if the marina had space, and they said we could come in at our convenience. We first took a long walk along the 'Queens Highway' to the northern edge of the island, over a narrow isthmus where a nice gazebo invites picnickers. The roads are narrow and people use almost only golf carts to get around, there's really no need and space for cars.
The locals (all 300 of them) seem somewhat besotted with British things.
We then walked back along the NE beach which was wild but beautiful.
Back at the marina we had some lunch on the boat and then I went to snorkel for the sun glasses. Visibility was nice and after less than 10 minutes I found them.
Next we docked at the marina without trouble and went back to the gazebo beach.
Then back to the marina and the most excellent showers we've seen so far. And finally dinner at the 'Dock and Dine' restaurant. We had ribs and mahi-mahi, both excellent. Talking to the waitress we found that half the island population appears to be of the Albury family (waitress included). That explains why most of the shops and the ferry service have that name.
Tuesday, March 21
Man O War Cay
We enjoy this island a lot. We slept very well in the protection of the harbor, and then after breakfast took another walk along the 'Queens Highway' north. Brenda, an artist from Boston had her doors open which meant 'come in'. Her rented cottage was very cool and her paintings and drawing beautiful.
After we reached the gazebo we settled on the beach for an hour or two and then returned to town and had a look in the grocery store. It's actually well stocked.
We returned to the marina and asked if we could stay until the predicted heavy weather blows over. Unfortunately they are fully booked. And our friends on Acadia say it's neigh impossible to get a spot, especially with the predicted blow. We'll have too look around, maybe stay on a can here (if we can get one), or return to Marsh Harbor.
We made some tuna salad and then dinghied to our beach at the gazebo for a third time. This time we took snorkeling gear and I found a herd of beautiful big star fish. Unfortunately we had no camera with us, but luckily we met Amy who took some great photos with her iPhone and mailed them to us that night already.
We put the star fish back in a line to watch them race back into the deep. After a few hours the fastest had made it about 20 meters far, while the laziest one was pretty much where we left him.
We spent a beautiful day on the beach until sunset. On the way back we first ran aground and then almost got lost. The water is extremely shallow at the northern entrance of the harbor.
Back on board we made Cashew Chicken and some rum drinks. A huge, lucky surprise next - Ted from Little Wing wrote a comment on this blog that he could give us a can at Hope Town. I quickly wrote him an email and he called us soon and we arranged to meet there tomorrow. Unbelievable luck!
Wednesday, March 22
Man O War Cay to Hope Town
The light runs on pressurized kerosene and the carousel works like a grandfather clock - it has a weight that has to be cranked up and then drives the mechanism for 2 hours. Sometimes the light stops rotating - this means the keeper has fallen asleep.
The view from the top is beautiful. If you look closely you can spot the Caprice close to this edge of the harbor. On the far edge is just a thin strip of land and then the open Atlantic.
Hope Town
Hope Town
Hope Town to Marsh Harbor
We left Hope Town early to catch the high tide. It would have been most inconvenient to run aground today because the admiral had a flight to catch home. All went well and the seas outside weren't really much of a problem. Still we could see big breakers out in the open ocean, they will need another day or so to die down. The admiral spotted a turtle on our way, unfortunately we were too slow to snap a picture.
We arrived in Marsh Harbor while plenty other boats were leaving and we experienced the closest we ever saw to a traffic jam. We got a dock space at Mangoes and Rey came on the dock to help us tie up. As soon as she was on firm land the admiral was happy again. We walked around 'town' a little and got conch salad from 'Show-boo' (excellent).
They are basically giant snails, and if you eat them super fresh they are tender and taste great raw with lime juice, cevice style. If they are not fresh they need tenderizing (usually by beating them like crazy) and then people usually bread and fry them.
We next walked to the beach at the resort (not impressive anymore after what we've seen), and had lunch at Snappas (great Grouper). After we got back to the boat the admiral took a little nap and then we had to go to the airport for her return flight. We got there at 4PM for a 5PM flight and got an earful about being 'the last passenger' (of 11). Anyways they checked her in and she disappeared through security...
I hung out outside waiting to see if I could spot her plane, but unfortunately couldn't find her. I walked back to town, with a stop at Maxwells for fresh fruit and some kielbasa for grilling. Back at the marina I got a tour of the neighbor boat 'Old School' of Trent and Chris, a 44 foot Pearson Countess Ketch. The boat is almost the same vintage as my Caprice and shares some design features. She's huge and very nicely equipped. I had a great time chatting with Trent and Chris.
Marsh Harbor
Marsh Harbor to Guana Cay
It's unseasonably cool today - the locals are wearing hoodies, imagine!
The wind is still blowing hard from the NW, kicking up some chop in the harbor. I dinghied to Mangoes, another marina I would like to stay at maybe on Friday evening when the admiral comes here. They are unfortunately full, too. I walked around the bay to the Jib room, the marina I visited yesterday. Still no spot available.. On the way back I stopped at some wholesale food place, they have conch and various fish - but frozen. I'd rather find some fresh fish if possible.
The town isn't really much to look at. Mostly services, and some nicer houses, but no real town center and anywhere worth walking around much.
On the way back I found Lou, the guy who can do my pump out - but only at high tide and when the weather is more settled, because the approach to his dock is tricky. I might wait for the pump out until later. Back to the boat and some work.
The anchor roller keeps working itself loose from the wooden boards. I pulled the thing off and mixed up some epoxy and poured that into the screw holes. Unfortunately the strong winds made some epoxy drips fly off and hit my new shorts, Ruined...
Later I watched some Star Trek, the original series. Always fun to watch Cpt. Kirk, Spock etc.
Thursday, March 16
Marsh Harbor
Overnight the wind direction changed to N and moderated a lot so I could easily dinghy ashore with the laundry. I went to the Jib Room first but they had neither space nor would they allow me to wash my laundry there. Next I went to Mangoes, and Ray there said 'yes, I have some space later!'. Next to see if Lou can pump the poop tank but he wasn't there. I cleaned up the front cabin of the Caprice to become the boudoir for the admiral, until now it was my general storage space for all kinds of stuff.At 12 I raised anchor (a lot tougher without the anchor roller, which still has to cure a day or two), and then to Mangoes. Ray came onto the dock and expertly ran my lines to secure the Caprice. His marina is beautiful. It even has a little pool and a gazebo where people would gather, but in today's cool breeze nobody was in the pool.
The showers also were great, and included in the marina price (which is not a given in the Bahamas). First I did the laundry and next off to Maxwell's again for more groceries. On the way I got some bread at the best baker in town 'Da bes yet'. The baker also topped up my SIM card for more data. Data reception so far has been actually very good, Even the more remote Cays have telephone towers, and my old iphone works well as a hotspot.
Friday, March 17
Marsh Harbor
Admiral's Day!
Today my bunny joined me here in Marsh Harbor. I actually walked to the airport from the Marina - it's a 90 minute walk but I could use the exercise and wanted to see what else there might be to see on the way. There wasn't much. The admiral's plane was a little early and all had gone well. She was tired of course and we took a cab back to the marina (15$ for a 10 min ride...).
After looking around the marina and meeting Rey we had lunch at Wally's which was excellent. Wally's is said to be one of the nicest restaurants in the Abacos and we weren't disappointed. Next we walked to the Resort on the other side of the bay - it looks nice but pretty deserted right now. Also the temperature was downright disappointing, we even had to wear jackets! After walking around some more and checking some of the boutiques we decided to catch up on some napping and returned to the Caprice.
At 9 we went to Snappers to check out the band which was playing an interesting mix of pop and Caribbean songs. The beer was green - they celebrate St Patrick's day here...
Saturday, March 18
Marsh Harbor to Tahiti Beach
Viewranger link
We walked to Maxwells and got some more fruit, fish and steak and then to the bakery 'Da Bes Yet' for cinnamon swirls and coconut swirls, delicious!
After filling up water and saying bye to Rey (who has been great, I will always go to Mangoes from now on) we headed around Matt Lowes's Cay and south toward Tahiti Beach. I thought we'd just spend a few hours here and then move north to Hope Town but we liked it so much that we stayed the whole day and anchored overnight.
Viewranger link
We walked to Maxwells and got some more fruit, fish and steak and then to the bakery 'Da Bes Yet' for cinnamon swirls and coconut swirls, delicious!
After filling up water and saying bye to Rey (who has been great, I will always go to Mangoes from now on) we headed around Matt Lowes's Cay and south toward Tahiti Beach. I thought we'd just spend a few hours here and then move north to Hope Town but we liked it so much that we stayed the whole day and anchored overnight.
The beach is beautiful, of course, and we motored around with the dinghy to check the surrounding area a bit. Supposedly there's good shelling somewhere too, but we couldn't find it.
Sunday, March 19
Tahiti Beach to Man O War Cay
ViewRanger link
This morning started very nice and calm, we had a good breakfast in the cockpit before heading to shore and explore the communities on land. Much of the area is privately owned and full of gorgeous cottages.
We found a way to the beaches facing the ocean and walked along them a bit. Most stretches of shore are called 'Iron Shore' because it is incredibly sharp and jagged rocks, I'm not sure if this is coral or volcanic. This stuff is so hard and sharp that I shudder to think how a boat, or even worse, a person would be shredded if thrown on this by the seas.
The wind was predicted to pick up and turn north overnight, and I knew we couldn't stay at this place because of that. We hung out at Tahiti beach until high tide and then went north toward Hope Town.
The trip was already kind of bouncy in the choppy waves. Upon entering Hope Town we encountered John from Acadia testing his dinghy, and he went looking with us for any open mooring. Unfortunately we found none. In fact, two had apparently just been taken by boats that we had seen at Tahiti, but which had left a bit before us.
Reluctantly we had to leave and motored to Man O War, which has some pretty good protection. I had initially planned to stay outside in the lee of the island but as we passed the entrance we changed our minds and decided to try to get through the shallows. It wasn't hard at all thanks to the high tide and we found a mooring ball right away. Nobody answered on the radio from the marina, we later found out that literally everything is closed on Sundays here, even the restaurants and the marina office. Tomorrow we plan to take a slip if possible.
On shore I ran into Clifford again, this time with his wife Adrienne, and they invited us over to their boat for a wine and beer chat.
I returned to the Caprice and we grilled some tilapia, and then went to visit our new friends. It was great to see a Pearson 365 in such nice condition as theirs and hear their opinions about its good and less good points.
At last we returned to the harbor for a quick walk through town and to the beach on the other side of the island.
The wind was getting stronger and we finally returned and took shelter on the boat. While pulling up the dinghy I bent over and promptly lost my sun glasses overboard. They sank quickly - I can hope to go snorkel for them tomorrow. It's only 6 feet deep here at low tide, so maybe I have a chance unless there's too much current or they get buried in the sand or see grass.
Monday, March 20
Man O War Cay
After breakfast we went to shore and checked if the marina had space, and they said we could come in at our convenience. We first took a long walk along the 'Queens Highway' to the northern edge of the island, over a narrow isthmus where a nice gazebo invites picnickers. The roads are narrow and people use almost only golf carts to get around, there's really no need and space for cars.
The locals (all 300 of them) seem somewhat besotted with British things.
We then walked back along the NE beach which was wild but beautiful.
Back at the marina we had some lunch on the boat and then I went to snorkel for the sun glasses. Visibility was nice and after less than 10 minutes I found them.
Next we docked at the marina without trouble and went back to the gazebo beach.
Then back to the marina and the most excellent showers we've seen so far. And finally dinner at the 'Dock and Dine' restaurant. We had ribs and mahi-mahi, both excellent. Talking to the waitress we found that half the island population appears to be of the Albury family (waitress included). That explains why most of the shops and the ferry service have that name.
Tuesday, March 21
Man O War Cay
After we reached the gazebo we settled on the beach for an hour or two and then returned to town and had a look in the grocery store. It's actually well stocked.
We returned to the marina and asked if we could stay until the predicted heavy weather blows over. Unfortunately they are fully booked. And our friends on Acadia say it's neigh impossible to get a spot, especially with the predicted blow. We'll have too look around, maybe stay on a can here (if we can get one), or return to Marsh Harbor.
We made some tuna salad and then dinghied to our beach at the gazebo for a third time. This time we took snorkeling gear and I found a herd of beautiful big star fish. Unfortunately we had no camera with us, but luckily we met Amy who took some great photos with her iPhone and mailed them to us that night already.
We spent a beautiful day on the beach until sunset. On the way back we first ran aground and then almost got lost. The water is extremely shallow at the northern entrance of the harbor.
Back on board we made Cashew Chicken and some rum drinks. A huge, lucky surprise next - Ted from Little Wing wrote a comment on this blog that he could give us a can at Hope Town. I quickly wrote him an email and he called us soon and we arranged to meet there tomorrow. Unbelievable luck!
Wednesday, March 22
Man O War Cay to Hope Town
I had briefly talked to Sheila of a neighboring Wildcat 350 catamaran and today when I talked to Mac, her husband, we got an invitation to see the boat. This is a South African built boat and it's incredibly spacious and airy inside. And they equipped it with the best and latest equipment. A very very nice boat indeed. They owned a 42 Beneteau before and said they would never switch back to a mono hull. We could see why...
Today we also saw the bank arrive in town:
Two big guys armed with shot guns got off the ferry, and then a lady pulling a box on wheels that looked like a cooler but obviously was the portable cash box. She then set up shop in the bank for the next 4 hours.
We took one more walk through the village - what a cute place. We hope to return to here soon.
One final walk along the Atlantic beach on Man O War to the Gazebo Beach, our favorite place. Today is the warmest and calmest day, just before the coming storm tomorrow. The beach was looking wonderful, and my admiral was posing in her nice summer dress.
We reached the beach and found yesterday's star fish haul had departed in their entirety. After a short stay we returned to the harbor and after topping up our fresh water took off an hour before high tide. Both the entrance to this harbor and the one to Hope Town are rather shallow and best taken close to high tide. We got to Hope Town without trouble and Ted from Little Wing came out on his dinghy to show us the mooring he gifted to us. It's probably the best mooring in the whole harbor with beefier lines than any of the others. What a great service.
We settled in and then went to visit them to catch up. We met 1.5 years ago, for a brief time, and now we meet again at the best possible time. They have a great boat, a Valiant 40, that is very well equipped, especially with rum drinks!
Finally we went to shore and explored the town a little. It looks promising and tomorrow during daylight it's bound to be fun to be here.
Thursday, March 23
Hope Town
The weather is predicted to deteriorate soon - we took the chance to get up the light house while it was still nice.
Hope Town
The weather is predicted to deteriorate soon - we took the chance to get up the light house while it was still nice.
The light runs on pressurized kerosene and the carousel works like a grandfather clock - it has a weight that has to be cranked up and then drives the mechanism for 2 hours. Sometimes the light stops rotating - this means the keeper has fallen asleep.
The view from the top is beautiful. If you look closely you can spot the Caprice close to this edge of the harbor. On the far edge is just a thin strip of land and then the open Atlantic.
Next we motored over to town and walked a bit while the clouds were gathering. The houses are very pretty and painted in typical Bahamian pastel colors. Eventually a strong rain shower made us take refuge at a wine bar for breakfast, and then we returned to the boat (after a quick grocery shop visit).
The predicted heavy winds started as scheduled, and after some time the admiral decided that shore leave was required. As soon as we touched land she was feeling a lot happier.
We walked the village a lot more, admiring the many beautiful cute houses.
The predicted heavy winds started as scheduled, and after some time the admiral decided that shore leave was required. As soon as we touched land she was feeling a lot happier.
We walked the village a lot more, admiring the many beautiful cute houses.
In the evening Marcia and John from Acadia joined us for dinner at Captain Jacks. The meals and rum drinks were awesome (like Funyons). We dinghied back through the dark and almost got entangled in a mooring that was unoccupied. The wind continued to be gusty throughout the night and made the boat shake and heel. But our mooring was safe and sound.
Friday, March 24
Hope Town
Friday, March 24
Hope Town
The wind didn't let up today, although it started slightly diminishing. We went to shore soon after breakfast and walked the town again
Hopetown school
Bank opening hours - Tuesday 10AM-2PM (On Wednesday, the bank is open at Man-O-War, at the same times)
We decided to explore the island north of the town, and this was a good idea. We found the path led through some pretty spots and vacation/rental properties, and then to a big sign post (notice Chicago near the top)
We found a beautiful beach that was dead calm (since it was on the lee side of the island) and had our picnic there. We waded with some nice big fishes, too. Next we crossed over to the 'wild' side of the island where the wind and waves were beating on the shore. But it was beautiful and not cold.
Finally we got back to town and had some ice cream. It was still blowing strong but tolerable to dinghy to Lighthouse Marina and pay to have showers there. In the evening we met with Ted and Patti from Little Wing for dinner. Snapper and Crawfish Pad Thai, plus rum drinks and fun conversations. We are enjoying ourselves. This time we didn't drink too much and I had brought my head lamp, so we had no trouble finding our way back to the Caprice.
Saturday, March 25
Hope Town
Still no respite from the endless winds, even though slightly diminished they keep everybody in the harbor. We again walked to the beach we had discovered on the protected side.
The local sailing club was racing today and when they took a break they brought their boats up to the beach right next to us.
After a few hours on the beach we walked past a very exclusive marina and then back to town on the ocean side.
Back in town we tried to buy some fruit in the supermarket but all was already gone. Back on board we used the solar shower and then went to visit John and Marcia on Acadia for crackers with cheese and salami and other goodies, and especially some potent margaritas.
The guys from the Catalina 30 from Wisconsin dinghied past and were invited to join us. Another fun evening ensued.
Sunday, March 26
Hope Town
Tonight was finally calmer and this morning was very pleasant for breakfast in the cockpit. We decided to explore south of the town and soon found 'On da beach', a restaurant on a nice, you guessed it, beach.
We sunned ourselves a bit under a little shelter and then, after posing the land admiral, went for lunch at that restaurant.
This island is an odd place. It seems to be a US enclave - pretty much everyone here is from the US. People here seem to be mostly either in their vacation homes, or one-week rentals. And then there's the boaters especially in Hope Town. The Abacos are really extremely easy to travel - no language problems, no safety worries, no supply issues. Even the internet/cellular net is very good in most places. I had expected this to be much more difficult.
After lunch we spent a bit more time on the beach but it was getting too sunny and hot and we returned to the harbor.
We had some showers, and then a short tour of Angel Louise, a Catalac 12m of Sue and Ed that traveled cross Atlantic on it twice and toured the continent (including travelling up the Rhine and down the Danube). This boat has seen more than most. Since the boat is huge and has incredible storage space Sue and Ed are probably carrying more stuff than the whole rest of the harbor combined. Next time I need any spares I'll try to find them.
Finally we grilled some steaks we got from Vernon Malone's shop - today was really the first time we could use the grill here.
Monday, March 27
Hope Town to Marsh Harbor
We arrived in Marsh Harbor while plenty other boats were leaving and we experienced the closest we ever saw to a traffic jam. We got a dock space at Mangoes and Rey came on the dock to help us tie up. As soon as she was on firm land the admiral was happy again. We walked around 'town' a little and got conch salad from 'Show-boo' (excellent).
They are basically giant snails, and if you eat them super fresh they are tender and taste great raw with lime juice, cevice style. If they are not fresh they need tenderizing (usually by beating them like crazy) and then people usually bread and fry them.
We next walked to the beach at the resort (not impressive anymore after what we've seen), and had lunch at Snappas (great Grouper). After we got back to the boat the admiral took a little nap and then we had to go to the airport for her return flight. We got there at 4PM for a 5PM flight and got an earful about being 'the last passenger' (of 11). Anyways they checked her in and she disappeared through security...
I hung out outside waiting to see if I could spot her plane, but unfortunately couldn't find her. I walked back to town, with a stop at Maxwells for fresh fruit and some kielbasa for grilling. Back at the marina I got a tour of the neighbor boat 'Old School' of Trent and Chris, a 44 foot Pearson Countess Ketch. The boat is almost the same vintage as my Caprice and shares some design features. She's huge and very nicely equipped. I had a great time chatting with Trent and Chris.
Tuesday, March 28
Marsh Harbor
I had to find a solution to the poop tank problem. The only pump out in the area is cumbersome, and Lou the operator never around. I learned that he's essentially the septic tank man for the whole area, but his main business is really all the houses here with septic tanks. He has a sewage truck and all kinds of equipment. I realize also that his stuff is probably overkill for my small tank, and will likely be expensive.
In any case he again was nowhere to be found. I decided to rig something myself. First I went to Show-Boo and got another conch salad, and then made a trip with the dinghy to the Mermaid reef just outside of the harbor here. On the way I saw a few small turtles and a barracuda that was apparently fascinated by my wake and followed me some distance. The reef was very nice, and full of many different fish. Many are so tame (and maybe get fed by people) that they come and swarm around the snorkelers. I think I saw at least 3 dozen different fish species. And a huge lobster in a cave in the rocks. I'm sorry that the admiral didn't have a chance to see this place.
Finally I returned to the boat and went to work on the hoses. I have a manual emergency bilge pump that's useful if the electric one fails. I've never had to use it so far. On the other hand, this manual bilge pump is pretty strong and of the diaphragm type - just the right thing for my purpose. I had a few hours of work disconnecting and threading the sanitation hose out of its usual channel and connected it to the pump. Tomorrow on the way to Guana Cay I'll exit into the ocean proper and try this - I think it should work.
Wednesday, March 29
Marsh Harbor to Guana Cay
Viewranger Link
After chatting with Rey and my neighbors on Old School a bit, refilling water and stowing the dinghy engine we left the harbor to a beautifully calm sunny day. Old School soon passed me with their 110 HP engine, I was sorry to see them go so soon after meeting them. Boating is like that...
I got to Fishers Bay at Guana Cay without incident and after I anchored found that Ted had just called me. When I called back he seemed a clairvoyant - asking me if I had just anchored at Guana?! He confessed that he and Patti were watching me from shore where they had lunch at 'Grabbers'. I rowed to shore (a bit of exercise, whenever I can row instead of motoring, I do it. It also leads to other things, see later).
Youtube video link
It was an unexpected pleasure to see them and Suki again. I have a feeling we'll bump into each other again somewhere.
I saw plenty turtles rowing to shore, I might snorkel here some time to see those guys from underwater.
One reason to come here was that I heard that snorkeling is good on the Atlantic side, so I walked over there and explored. Unfortunately the water is still too rough today to offer good snorkeling conditions. But the beach is gorgeous.
On my way back I rowed past a Gemini 105 MC, a 'pocket catamaran' I had been often eyeing as a good two people boat when I upgrade from the Caprice. Dave and Linda, the admiral and captain, waved at me and we started chatting. They invited me aboard to have a look and I really enjoyed seeing this boat. After seeing the Wildcat 350 and the Catalac 12m this boat appeared much more manageable and suitable for my purpose. Catamarans are, maybe even more than monohulls, difficult compromises in design, but the Gemini has many things in its favor, evidence is their long production run.
Even though today is a very calm day, even under these conditions a monohull can roll quite a bit at anchor, while a catamaran is much more stable. It also allowed them to go much closer inshore to get better protection. As you can see on the photo above, I'm forced to stay out of the actual bay.
Guana Cay
I spent the whole day on the boat today - it was a beautiful day to snorkel around and I went for a very long trip at lunch time, and a shorter one in the afternoon.
I was looking for turtles, but even though I covered about 1.5 kilometers I didn't get lucky to see one. Instead I encountered plenty fish, even some pretty big ones, and the usual fat sea stars.
Boats kept coming and going today, since it's pretty calm the Whale Cay passage is busy. I got some work done, finally. The wind is predicted to increase from the S tomorrow, when I think of going to Treasure Cay to check out the famous beach. They say anchoring there is poor, I'll see if I stay there or move somewhere else after.
Guana Cay to Treasure Cay
ViewRanger Link
The wind did increase from the SE overnight as predicted. The anchorage at Guana Cay was becoming choppy, so I left soon after breakfast.
On the way across I raised the jib for some extra speed but was too lazy to unpack and raise the main sail. It was only a 90 min trip. You can see how much of a sailor I've become...
I had considered anchoring outside the harbor, but when I got there it was much too choppy for comfort. I headed in and anchored in the mooring field, and then rowed to the marina office to pay my $22 fee for anchoring there. This includes the use of the facilities, especially the showers and the pool. However, the place is pretty deserted. The beach on the north side is post card gorgeous, and had about two dozen people on it - on a two kilometer beach...
When I returned to the boat I found that I was almost aground, and the tide still falling. I let out more anchor rode and pulled off into deeper water, but had to deploy the second anchor so I wouldn't swing all over the place with 140 feet of rode. I went back to shore one more time to walk around and sit on the beach and took a long swim. It's not really my cup of tea here - the resort somehow seems out of place and is almost deserted. The water looks beautiful and is nice to play in, but not good for snorkeling since visibility is nil.
The showers were OK though.
Treasure Cay to Man O War Cay
I had to wait for 10am for a rising tide to get both anchors out and then motorsailed towards Man O War Cay where there's a 'Heritage Day' on today. I had badly underestimated the distance though and arrived at my assigned mooring only at 13:20. By the time I had secured the boat and motored to shore most of the events were already over. On the way in I met a famous racer from the past:
The main event had been the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. It well documents that this island is dominated by the Albury clan.
I don't know what the story is with the pasted on paper photos - I guess that those hadn't been done yet in metal and would follow eventually. Next time I'm here I'll recheck.
I found Jen from Edwin's Boat Yard and I gave her my contact information - she said they actually had to send somebody away from my reserved buoy that had grabbed it yesterday.
I found that Mac and Sheila from 'Saving Grace' were still here and hang out with them a little while my laundry was washing and drying, then returned to the boat. Since it was a nice day I decided to return to the Gazebo one more time for a last snorkel. I simply anchored the dinghy in the shallow water close to the rocks and went in, After that I returned to the boat and started cleaning up, packing and putting things below: Jib, Bimini, Dinghy(after deflating and jamming it into its bag), outboard motor etc. I finished all the fresh food, but decided to keep on running the fridge on low during my time away to keep some condiments etc in it fresh and prevent it from smelling.
I wanted to rig a second bilge pump for backup in case the first one fails, but found that the spare I had on board had seized. I'll have to chance it - I have only minute amounts of water coming in from the propeller anyways and shouldn't have a problem.
Treasure Cay to Man O War Cay
I had arranged that the Albury ferry would pick me up from my boat at 10:15 (on their way in) but didn't see them come in at that time. I guessed that this ferry was actually starting from here, and not Marsh Harbor. I tried calling them on 16 but never got a response. At 10:35 the ferry was coming by through the harbor entrance, 200 meters away from me, and I kept calling and waving at him, to no avail. He passed through and never looked in my direction. In my panic I didn't think of my air horn that would certainly have been loud enough to alert the driver. In my rush to wave at him I bumped my head on the bimini frame (when the fabric is not on them, I tend to run into those steel bars a lot) and cut myself badly on the nose with my glasses. Thankfully they didn't break,
Now I had a bad problem - the next ferry would be much too late to make it to Marsh Harbor and the airport, and I had no way to get anywhere since I had just packed my dinghy away. Also, on a sunday in Man O War pretty much everything is closed.
I hailed my next door neighbors and he came over with his runabout while I bandaged my bleeding nose. To my great luck Barry agreed to run me over to the mainland, and just for some fuel money. Boaters are wonderful. (Ferry Operators are not boaters). I was double lucky because not only was he willing to take me there, but his boat was super fast and made the trip in just 20 minutes. I will have to bring him some present on my return.
I got to the airport by taxi in plenty time, and had a nice and uneventful flight to Nassau with Bahamas Air, and there changed to a flight to Chicago. With my beat up nose I must have looked odd and nobody talked with me.
That flight was delayed from takeoff by heavy traffic and then was surprisingly bumpy for good parts of the way. Heavy thunderstorms and flying in 'soup' much of the way. My admiral was at the airport just at the right time and we happily went home.
To be continued in June!
After chatting with Rey and my neighbors on Old School a bit, refilling water and stowing the dinghy engine we left the harbor to a beautifully calm sunny day. Old School soon passed me with their 110 HP engine, I was sorry to see them go so soon after meeting them. Boating is like that...
I got to Fishers Bay at Guana Cay without incident and after I anchored found that Ted had just called me. When I called back he seemed a clairvoyant - asking me if I had just anchored at Guana?! He confessed that he and Patti were watching me from shore where they had lunch at 'Grabbers'. I rowed to shore (a bit of exercise, whenever I can row instead of motoring, I do it. It also leads to other things, see later).
Youtube video link
It was an unexpected pleasure to see them and Suki again. I have a feeling we'll bump into each other again somewhere.
I saw plenty turtles rowing to shore, I might snorkel here some time to see those guys from underwater.
One reason to come here was that I heard that snorkeling is good on the Atlantic side, so I walked over there and explored. Unfortunately the water is still too rough today to offer good snorkeling conditions. But the beach is gorgeous.
On my way back I rowed past a Gemini 105 MC, a 'pocket catamaran' I had been often eyeing as a good two people boat when I upgrade from the Caprice. Dave and Linda, the admiral and captain, waved at me and we started chatting. They invited me aboard to have a look and I really enjoyed seeing this boat. After seeing the Wildcat 350 and the Catalac 12m this boat appeared much more manageable and suitable for my purpose. Catamarans are, maybe even more than monohulls, difficult compromises in design, but the Gemini has many things in its favor, evidence is their long production run.
Even though today is a very calm day, even under these conditions a monohull can roll quite a bit at anchor, while a catamaran is much more stable. It also allowed them to go much closer inshore to get better protection. As you can see on the photo above, I'm forced to stay out of the actual bay.
Thursday, March 30
Guana Cay
I spent the whole day on the boat today - it was a beautiful day to snorkel around and I went for a very long trip at lunch time, and a shorter one in the afternoon.
I was looking for turtles, but even though I covered about 1.5 kilometers I didn't get lucky to see one. Instead I encountered plenty fish, even some pretty big ones, and the usual fat sea stars.
Boats kept coming and going today, since it's pretty calm the Whale Cay passage is busy. I got some work done, finally. The wind is predicted to increase from the S tomorrow, when I think of going to Treasure Cay to check out the famous beach. They say anchoring there is poor, I'll see if I stay there or move somewhere else after.
Friday, March 31
Guana Cay to Treasure Cay
ViewRanger Link
The wind did increase from the SE overnight as predicted. The anchorage at Guana Cay was becoming choppy, so I left soon after breakfast.
On the way across I raised the jib for some extra speed but was too lazy to unpack and raise the main sail. It was only a 90 min trip. You can see how much of a sailor I've become...
I had considered anchoring outside the harbor, but when I got there it was much too choppy for comfort. I headed in and anchored in the mooring field, and then rowed to the marina office to pay my $22 fee for anchoring there. This includes the use of the facilities, especially the showers and the pool. However, the place is pretty deserted. The beach on the north side is post card gorgeous, and had about two dozen people on it - on a two kilometer beach...
When I returned to the boat I found that I was almost aground, and the tide still falling. I let out more anchor rode and pulled off into deeper water, but had to deploy the second anchor so I wouldn't swing all over the place with 140 feet of rode. I went back to shore one more time to walk around and sit on the beach and took a long swim. It's not really my cup of tea here - the resort somehow seems out of place and is almost deserted. The water looks beautiful and is nice to play in, but not good for snorkeling since visibility is nil.
The showers were OK though.
Saturday, April 1
Treasure Cay to Man O War Cay
I had to wait for 10am for a rising tide to get both anchors out and then motorsailed towards Man O War Cay where there's a 'Heritage Day' on today. I had badly underestimated the distance though and arrived at my assigned mooring only at 13:20. By the time I had secured the boat and motored to shore most of the events were already over. On the way in I met a famous racer from the past:
The main event had been the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. It well documents that this island is dominated by the Albury clan.
I don't know what the story is with the pasted on paper photos - I guess that those hadn't been done yet in metal and would follow eventually. Next time I'm here I'll recheck.
I found Jen from Edwin's Boat Yard and I gave her my contact information - she said they actually had to send somebody away from my reserved buoy that had grabbed it yesterday.
I found that Mac and Sheila from 'Saving Grace' were still here and hang out with them a little while my laundry was washing and drying, then returned to the boat. Since it was a nice day I decided to return to the Gazebo one more time for a last snorkel. I simply anchored the dinghy in the shallow water close to the rocks and went in, After that I returned to the boat and started cleaning up, packing and putting things below: Jib, Bimini, Dinghy(after deflating and jamming it into its bag), outboard motor etc. I finished all the fresh food, but decided to keep on running the fridge on low during my time away to keep some condiments etc in it fresh and prevent it from smelling.
I wanted to rig a second bilge pump for backup in case the first one fails, but found that the spare I had on board had seized. I'll have to chance it - I have only minute amounts of water coming in from the propeller anyways and shouldn't have a problem.
Sunday, April 2
Treasure Cay to Man O War Cay
I had arranged that the Albury ferry would pick me up from my boat at 10:15 (on their way in) but didn't see them come in at that time. I guessed that this ferry was actually starting from here, and not Marsh Harbor. I tried calling them on 16 but never got a response. At 10:35 the ferry was coming by through the harbor entrance, 200 meters away from me, and I kept calling and waving at him, to no avail. He passed through and never looked in my direction. In my panic I didn't think of my air horn that would certainly have been loud enough to alert the driver. In my rush to wave at him I bumped my head on the bimini frame (when the fabric is not on them, I tend to run into those steel bars a lot) and cut myself badly on the nose with my glasses. Thankfully they didn't break,
Now I had a bad problem - the next ferry would be much too late to make it to Marsh Harbor and the airport, and I had no way to get anywhere since I had just packed my dinghy away. Also, on a sunday in Man O War pretty much everything is closed.
I hailed my next door neighbors and he came over with his runabout while I bandaged my bleeding nose. To my great luck Barry agreed to run me over to the mainland, and just for some fuel money. Boaters are wonderful. (Ferry Operators are not boaters). I was double lucky because not only was he willing to take me there, but his boat was super fast and made the trip in just 20 minutes. I will have to bring him some present on my return.
I got to the airport by taxi in plenty time, and had a nice and uneventful flight to Nassau with Bahamas Air, and there changed to a flight to Chicago. With my beat up nose I must have looked odd and nobody talked with me.
That flight was delayed from takeoff by heavy traffic and then was surprisingly bumpy for good parts of the way. Heavy thunderstorms and flying in 'soup' much of the way. My admiral was at the airport just at the right time and we happily went home.
To be continued in June!
