Hanging around the Central Exumas

Jacks Cove

Cove on Sound side, Jacks Cove

Anchored at White Point

Another great beach-White Point

Mon thru Thurs April 25th - 28th

As the trade winds howl we find ourselves wandering about on the protected Exuma Bank. As I mentioned earlier our goal was to get to Georgetown for race week but the vageries of the weather control our movements. We have spent time at Little Farmers Cay where we hiked and explored the cave on Great Guana. A few days at Black Point, White Point, and Jacks Cove all gave us some great time exploring on the beaches and on the Sound.

Fri-
The winds have lessened and we headed out on the sound to work our way south. The swells were reasonable but taking the wind on the nose we motorsailed much of the way. Trolled 2 lines but not even a bite. Picked up a mooring in late afternoon at the Carribean Research Center on Lee Stocking Island. Hiked around for a bit then a quiet night in their protected cove. Able to pick up their wifi to catch up on weather and mail.

On to the Exumas

On to the Exumas

Sat, April 16th
Anchor up at 7AM for our 40 mile trip across the Exuma Sound. Wind was fairly light and we spent much of the day motorsailing. Fished all the way but only caught 2 Barracudas keeping one as we still have a few meals of fish in the freezer. Anchored at Highbourne Cay in time for cocktail hour. This is the first good anchorage for boats coming south from Nassau and by dinnertime we found ourselves surrounded by a dozen mega yachts (over 150 ft) each with at least 2 jet skis and a 25 ft tender buzzing around. Needless to say we moved to a more secluded spot only a mile away and enjoyed a peaceful evening.

Sun-
After making a batch of fish chowder we moved back to Highbourne where we spent the day snorkeling on the reef and wandering the beaches.

Exuma Park

Bucket showers at the well

Mon-
Great sail to Shroud Cay. We are now in the Exuma Park, a land and sea preserve that stretches 22 miles along the chain of islands and includes 19 major islands and numerous smaller cays. After explored a few of the creeks and bays that cross the island we treated ourselves to bucket baths at the fresh water well.

Mangrove swamps of Shroud Cay

Tue-

After exploring in the morning we enjoyed a great sail under double reefs to Wardrick Wells where we picked up a mooring at Park HQ. Even got to watch a movie as the park boasts a book and dvd library. Wind was up all night but we were snug on the mooring.

Wed-
Spent the morning carving a signboard with our boat name to leave on Boo Hill. Tradition is that all visiting boats leave their sign and it can only be made from driftwood. Met up with friends from last year George and Karen from Sunseeker who were on the same quest. After snorkeling on the magnificent coral reefs we enjoyed happy hour aboard Sunseeker and celebrated my birthday.

Placing our boatname on Cairn on Boo Hill

Thurs-
Another sunny day with big winds. Great sail south under double reefed main again to Big Majors Spot. Anchored off beach where we enjoyed the swimming pigs. Very busy anchorage with over 30 boats, mostly mega yachts.

Fri-
Early morning trip to snorkel at the Thunderball Grotto and we found it even more exciting than last year. Another great sail under double reefs to Black Point where there are lots of sailboats but no yachts. In to town for their Easter Celebration and take away dinner from the Church.

Sat-

Off again under double reefed main and jib. The trade winds just keep blowing so we are making our way south while we can. Picked up a mooring at little Farmers Cay. Only 2 other boats here, apparently not a glitzy enough place for the big yachts. Wifi on boat so will update this blog.A dip in the cave

Clear fresh water, we were chicken to venture to far.

Easter- Explore beaches and cave on Great Guana, Winds are still blowing "like stink" (a very technical term used by sailors) so the sound side was wild. Wander about town and got caught in the first downpour we've had in a month. Great dinner of what has become our Easter tradition of cracked conk. This is conk sliced and pounded lace thin then fried.

Normally peaceful cove

Mon-

Still big winds and rain squalls as predicted. A quiet day spent aboard.

Central Eleuthrea

Spanish Wells Trawlers

Central Eleuthera

Thurs, April 7th

We spent the morning ashore in Spanish Wells picking up fresh veggies, using computer and checking out a pair of wind generators a local sailor was selling(were old and smaller than we want) but it turns out he is the fellow we took pictures of last year flying his motorized kite.
Set sail south under a gentle breeze to current cut. The cut bisects the western tip of Eleuthera and true to its name the current runs swift with the tides. Spent the afternoon hiking about the beautiful beaches that were home to yet another failed development when hurricane Andrew devastated the area with 200 mph winds.

Rushing waters in Current Cut

Fri-
Anchor up at 7am to hopefully catch the slack water in the cut that lasts for 20 minutes as the tide switches. Our timing was off and we flew thru with about 3 knots of current pulling us along. Even though this is our second transit here it still keeps me on edge as the cliffs fly by and we have to maneuver thru a narrow unmarked channel as we exit. A great sail across to the Glass Window led to a relaxing afternoon exploring ashore.

Ruins of resort at Current Cut

What developer wouldn't love this spot? Defunct Current Cut resort

Ocean crashing into the Glass Window

Glass Window

Lunch stop reminiscent of Lake Champlain

Sat thru Tues
Light southeast winds and sunny skies have prevailed. Since we are in no hurry we have been wandering our way along stopping at a few of the coves along the way. The water temps on the sound are 78 and we have been spending lots of time enjoying the crystal clear waters. The shoreline here is much different from the Abacoes. High limestone cliffs dominate much of the landscape and many of the hills rise to 150 ft.
Rainbow Cay-we spent 2 days exploring and snorkeling both the ocean reefs and the sound side beaches. Campfire ashore with a vacationing family. Dolphins played around the boat a number of times.

Alabaster Bay-Pink sand stretches for 2 miles and the shallow water was like a bathtub. Large Rays would glide by to entertain us. Thankfully none seen while snorkeling even though they apparently won’t bother people.

Waterfront in Governors Harbor

Governors Harbor-This historic colonial village surrounds a large somewhat protected cove. Holding here is poor and a few squalls are predicted so we were pleased to find an old mooring that I dove on to attach our mooring line to. Six other boats pulled in after us, all heading north back civilization. Spent a quiet afternoon wandering about town. The next 2 days were spent biking thru the hilly terrain seeking out the secluded beaches of the ocean side. We found what is now Chris' newest favorite beach "Pink Sand Beach". Biked back there again Thurs morning for the early sun and low tide.

Southern Eleuthra

Possibly Chris' newest favorite beach

Wed April 13th-
Biked to ocean beach called Pink Sand Beach and found what apparently is Chris’ newest favorite beach. The sand really is pink and at low tide as wide as any we have found. Take Away lunch from the Harbor Inn is the best deal we have found yet. Full dinner(much more than we needed for $8 for both of us).

Thurs- Early bike ride to beach followed by another take away lunch (grouper and curried chicken with all the fixings for $8 for both of us). Decided to move on but after sailing in light air for a while with a few rain squalls around we headed back in to Governors again. This time we picked up a mooring off of Ronnies bar where we were able to get wifi sporadically.

Fri- Wind has finally filled in and we had a great sail to Rock sound. To town for a few groceries and propane. We anchored off of the fish fry (A collection of open air shacks found throughout the Bahamas that sell food and drinks. Many are only in operation on Fri nights) and were entertained well into the night by the loud music.

South to Eleuthera

Island freighter passes our stern

Typical fishing boat heading into harbor
reminds us of a duck with her chicks in tow

A good days catch, the freezer will be full

My first Dolphin(Mahi-Mahi)

South to Eleuthera

Monday, April 3rd

Anchor up as we are greeted by another beautiful sunrise. We exit Little Harbor cut into open ocean in company of about 5 other sailboats. Not much wind so we motorsail until noon. Most of the boats we see are at least 40 ft and pass us pass us quickly. We have gotten used to being the smallest boat around but I have to say we have just as much fun as those with big money invested in their floating homes. As the wind builds and our speed increases so does the excitement. Finally caught my first Dolphin fish (AKA Mahi-mahi) and what a fight it was. Leaping in the air at least 6 times showing us his beautiful colors had my heart pounding by the time we landed it. I can see where sport fisherman can get addicted to the sport. Later landed a small Barracuda and Chris informed me that was enough fish to fill our freezer.
Arrived Royal Island anchorage at 6 pm to find 10 boats at anchor. Great dinner of fresh grilled Mahi after a long tiring day.

Royal Island
Tues-Wed
We have anchored in this protected natural harbor for protection from big winds and a storm that are predicted. It is a beautiful place but is slated to be developed in the future. Apparently work has halted due to the economy and we enjoy its solitude while we can. Great snorkeling from shore where we see numerous colorful fish and plants. Practice with my new Hawaiian sling spear brings in a snapper and a few grunts for lunch.

Spanish Wells
Thursday-Friday
After a morning spent snorkeling we motor to Spanish Wells for some fresh produce, propane and wifi. This is a vibrant fishing community with one of the best kept fleets of trawlers we have ever seen. 90% of the lobster harvested in the Bahamas comes from here. The fleet is in the harbor as lobster season has ended and everywhere we walk along the quay fisherman are busy with painting and repairs. Soon the boats will all be out again harvesting fish.

Hub of Abaco

Channel Rock

Chris' new favorite beach

Quick stop in the Pelican Cays Park

Sunset thru the smoke in Marsh Harbor

Chris' new haircut

Abaco burning, not a cloud in site, smoke is from numerous forest fires

Hub of Abaco, March 28th thru April 2nd

Mon, 3-28
Set off south in brisk s-w winds. Had a great sail to Marsh Harbor where we plan to spend a few days. The anchorage here is large with room for many boats, good holding and protection from nearly all directions make this a popular spot during inclement weather.

Tue thru Fri
With storms and strong winds predicted we are here for a few days. Not our favorite spot but very convenient. The village has nearly anything a boater might need. We were pleased to find a new large supermarket almost like we are used to in Fl(just double the prices). Spent the days snorkeling at nearby Mermaid Reef, doing laundry, getting haircuts, shopping, filling fuel (diesel prices are the highest we’ve seen at $5.49 and gas at $5.65), water(seems like a bargain at 20cents/gal). Spent a morning working with John on Smartmove with problems at the top of his mast. Dan aboard Marion Claire over for cocktails on thurs. We have been traveling on and off with these boats since leaving Fl.

Smoke has filled the air much of the time as there are brush fires burning all around. We spot at least 5 different fires along the coast and the woods are very dry so each wind shift brings a new flare up. The fire service here is all volunteer with little modern equipment so most fires are left to burn unless they threaten homes.

Sat April 2nd
With settled weather predicted we set off south for Little Harbor to stage for our next open ocean crossing. Good sailing to North Bar Channel where we stopped for a swim and exploring at channel rock in the Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park, a great little island that may become Chris’ new favorite beach. Anchored for a quiet night at Lynard Cay where there were at least 10 other boats, some waiting to cross, but most arriving from Eleuthera.

Sea of Abaco

Having entered the sea of Abaco we will spend the next week or so in mostly protected waters. This body of water is protected from the west by Great Abacoe Island and from the ocean to the east bu a string of reefs and beautiful barrier Islands.

Friday March 18 thru thru Monday Mar 21st.-
We setteled in at Donnies dock in Black sound and were pleased to meet up with friends from last year. Had a great time biking about enjoying this quaint community and its wonderful beaches. On Sat eve Chris cooked up our St Pats dinner (overdue) and had Donnie over, we rode to the beach to watch the full moon rise over the ocean at dusk . Sunday Donnie invited a few friends for local caught Tuna dinner at his house which was a great treat.

Tues

Off with the tide to head south. The winds have calmed down allowing us to head out to the ocean thru the Whale Passage. This is the only spot in the Abacos where you have to leave protected waters and this channel is notorious for big seas. Anchored in beautiful Bakers Bay on Great Guana Cay, Walked and swam in the ocean then enjoyed another great sunset from our protected anchorage.

Andros anchored at Archers Cay

Seas crashing on Whale Cay as we exit to the ocean

Wed
Sail to Archers Cay on Great Abaco as wind is predicted to shift overnite. Wandered about the sand flats at an exte low tide. The moon is currently at it's closest to the earth for the year and tides have been extreme the past few days.

Thurs
Sunny with a brisk west wind, sailed about, checking out Treasure Cay anchorage we found it very crowded so sail back south anchoring in the lee of Great Abaco.

Fri thru Sun
Another sunny day but the winds have shifted to the north. Sail back to Treasure Cay as the anchorage has now cleared out somewhat. This resort is located on Chris' favorite beach where we spent the afternoon basking in the clear waters and white sands. For a fee of $10 a day boaters are allowed to anchor in the resorts dredged harbor and use all the facilities including pool, showers and wifi.
On Sat we biked a few miles in the hot sun to a nautical flea market where we found a few items we couldn't live without. Chris spent the afternoon baking up a storm; bread, muffins and best of all a blueberry pie from wild berries we picked and canned this past summer. The boat is loaded down with canned raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and venision that we brought from up north and are real treats in the remote islands. Cocktails aboard Stardust with Harvey and Nancy, friends we met in Lake Worth, capped off another great day in paradise.

Back to the Bahamas 2011

After spending the past 8 months ashore we are finally back on the water. We had a great summer dividing our time between our home in Piercefield, NY and camp on the Racquette. October found us back in our winter home in Jensen Beach, FL where we kept busy with some major renovations.
Having stored our boat in Fl for the summer which made the trip south a bit quicker by car this year. Once again we were able to rent a dock within walking distance of our home and enjoyed being able to bike to the boat daily. Some of the boat projects completed this winter included a larger fuel tank, dingy davits and a better solar charge control.

I won't even admit to how much wine went aboard!

Friday March 11, 2011- Even though sailors consider starting a journey on a Friday to be a bad omen we are off to Lake Worth (Palm Beach) to wait for weather to cross to the Bahamas. A sunny cool morning gave way to a brisk north wind that brought us into the anchorage in North Lake before cocktail hour.

Sat thru Mon- Sunny days and cool nights, Biked about visiting the beaches at McCarthur State Park and doing a few last minute errands. As the weather looked favorable for a Tuesday passage we moved the boat south Monday afternoon to the harbor entrance to be in position for an early morning exit. Two other boats, one our size and the other a 26 footer(yikes) will be making the crossing at the same time.

ACROSS THE GULF STREAM

Tues March 15th

Anchor up at 4:15am under a starry sky with a bright moon. Seas were lumpy and the wind once again didn't cooperate as predicted. Our little diesel chugged away and after bashing into the waves with just a reefed main we finally anchored at Mangrove Cay on the Great Bahama Bank
at 9pm. After trolling 2 lines for 60 miles with no action as we left the deep waters of the Atlantic to enter the Bahama Bank Both reels started screaming. Brought a nice Barracuda alongside where he managed to bend the snap swivel as I was trying to gaff it. the other rod brought in a nice smaller but tasty Spanish Mackerel that made a fine dinner and chowder for lunch.

Wed
After a tiring crossing we enjoyed a quiet sunny day motorsailing in light winds to Great sail Cay where we met up with friends on S/V Stardust .

Thurs
Lite wind found us motorsailing once again. Fished the whole day catching a small(30") Barracuda, but losing two huge fish, one to a broken swivel, the other to a broken 50lb test braided line. Both were exciting fights but it seems I have a lot to learn about landing these big fish. The only consolation being that they were most likely Barracuda, which aren't good to eat at sizes over 36"(they build up a toxin from eating reef fish) and I would have had to release them anyway. Anchored at Allens Pensocola Cay with 5 other boats. Quiet night after a refreshing swim.

Fri
Finally a fair wind. Our plans were to visit friends on Manjack Cay but we were having such a good sail we continued on to Green Turtle where we wanted to visit Donnie who took such good care of us last year. Arriving at the harbor entrance at low tide we anchored off to wait for the water to rise so we could enter the shallow channel. While we waited we dingyed in to clear customs and greet a few friends from last year.
Wed
Sunny with light wind