Another day in Paradise

After being on the hook in some of the most beautiful water for 4 nights it was time to move on so we hauled up the anchor and headed further south to Warderick Wells which is the center of the Exumas Land and Sea Park. We called the day before to get on the mooring list and confirmed this morning that we had a mooring so we set out.

IP 420 Amekaya and Eos.

There was a bit of wind between 5-10 kts out of the east and since we were going southeast it would be mostly in front of us. Very quickly we went to sail and with the apparent wind about 13-14 kts at 50 degrees initially we sailed smartly for about an hour. But as we got further south the islands run more to the east so we had to work up as we could. The winds also calmed a bit as we were sailing 45 degrees to the wind and even though we were towing our dinghy we maintained about 50% of the apparent wind speed. The wind was at 110 degrees and we were sailing well at 165 but we needed to be at 140.

So we sailed as long as we could and then headed straight for the cut into the Park. On the west side of the Exuma Cays are lots of shoals, rocks and coral heads so in many cases the approach to the anchorage is long and often twisty through the shallow obstacles and Warderick Wells is no different. Also, many of the approaches have current running in them that can either really help you or slow you down. Running in to Warderick Wells we were fighting current for the couple miles we had to travel to the curve into the Park.

Ironically once we turned into the mooring field crescent the current was flowing in so we went from fighting it to riding it. But going into the mooring field we would have preferred to have some ahead of us than behind us. So we motored in and turned around to come up on our mooring into the current and secured our place for the night.

Warderick Wells mooring field is one of the most spectacular anywhere. At high tide it isn’t so apparent but at low tide the deep water is apparent and the sand in the shallow water stands out making for a blend of colors that is truly spectacular. The water in the channel is deep and swift but it is not really wide.

After reviewing the weather we have decided to move on so we can run to George Town ahead of the next front and ride out some high winds there while we do some work and get caught upon things. On the way we will make some stops and hopefully get our blog up to date. Finally after all the bad weather we are now enjoying our days in Paradise.

  

Sitting in Cruiser Paradise

We got into the Shroud Cay anchorage late on Sunday and after the exciting sail we had we were tired and it was very cool so I really didn’t want to swim out to look at the anchor so we agreed to take a mooring if one was available. We try to patronize the Exumas Land and Sea Park when we can because the mooring fees are reasonable and it is there only source of revenue. When we got close in we saw several open mooring balls so we grabbed one for the night.

A beautiful sunset at anchor.

The night was cool with a nice breeze but we didn’t need heat for the first night in several weeks. The next morning we slept late and enjoyed our usual Sunday morning breakfast of blueberry pancakes with bacon since we didn’t have time to make it on Sunday. Since we were here now there was no schedule so we rested from our journey and all the work we accomplished over the past several months. Just before we sat down to eat the Park Rangers came by and welcomed us to the Park.

After breakfast and cleaning up we dropped off the mooring and anchored not too far away from the mooring with a bright sun shining above. I swam down to check the anchor and found that it had buried itself deeply into the sand bottom. The water was so clear I really didn’t need to go to deep to see it. After getting the anchor set we dropped our inflatable kayak into the water and explored one of the many tidal creeks flowing through this island. Although the wind and water were a little cool we found a beach and I swam a bit until the dropping sun indicated it was time to go.

Tuesday we dinghied up to the northern creek that is passable at high tide with a dinghy and flows all the way out to the ocean and a beautiful beach. After lunch we dinghied to a creek that we had explored last year and on an isolated beach took a refreshing swim.

Wednesday turned out to be the best day we’ve seen in quite a while. It was nearly perfect with lots of sun and warm. Very few clouds cast their shadows and there was no cool wind to chill it off. We used the opportunity to kayak back another creek we had partially explored last year but this time with an incoming tide we paddled several miles back into it. In the clear shallow water we saw lots of fish, some rays and even a small 3’ nurse shark. After lunch we returned to the north beach and this time we saw several turtles, rays lots of fish. We snorkeled around the beach and saw lots of reef fish along the rock ledges under the water.

So we here we are on anchor using solar and wind power to keep our power supplied enjoying the sun and breezes from the trade winds. Tuesday morning a light shower washed the salt off the deck and I went around behind it with recycled water and wiped off the teak and stainless to remove the salt from the trip over. As we are in strict water conservation mode we try to reuse water as often as possible until it’s unusable. More in a later blog about water resources.

This is where we like to be. On our own resources with no schedule whatsoever governed only by the sun, moon and tides. Sun, sand and sea that’s where we plan to be. Truly a cruisers paradise.

Escape from Nassau

As planned we left Nassau on Sunday that would usually be the last day of February (but this is Leap Year) to head to the Exumas. We had lots to do before we left so we got up early and got out and about while things were quiet. We visited Starbucks to do our final internetting before leaving because it could be days or possibly a week before having access and then had a few remaining items to pick up at the Fresh Market.

Once the errands were completed we readied for departure. We left the slip shortly after 1100 which was far later than we intended for the ~50 nm trip to Shroud Cay. Forecast was for winds out of the northeast 15-20 which would be perfect for our trip.

We motored out of the harbor with little traffic. There were 2 small J-22’s sailing about in the good wind but there was little traffic around Nassau. While we were at the marina it was not very full which was probably a function of the bad weather keeping people from making the trip from Florida or the north winds keeping people from heading north. There was one boat that came in on Saturday who had crossed from Florida on Wednesday to Bimini and had just made his way into Nassau. They said that they had really been beaten up in the crossing and Wednesday was supposed to be calmer than Tuesday the day we crossed.

As we cleared the last shoals and coral heads that make the Nassau channel challenging I raised the sails and when we reached the waypoint at Porgee Rock we turned due south and began sailing. The boat jumped in the brisk breeze and very soon we were sailing faster than we were motoring. We set the course for 180 which we would follow through the pass between the 2 large shoals that surround New Providence, the island of Nassau, to the south and east.

Beginning just to the north of the Exuma chain is a shallow bank with numerous coral heads and rocks that run northeast to southwest known as the Yellow Bank. It ends just to the southeast of New Providence. From near that point and running east to west south of the island is the White Bank but there is a gap of about a mile between them that is not really shallow and there are no coral heads near the surface. We’ve never seen less than 15’ through there. The Explorer charts actually have courses that go straight through the Bank but on a rough day we prefer not to go that way because the waves make it difficult to see under the water and the waves also distort the depth when looking for shoals.

So our course took us due south for about 11 miles where we began to turn southeast to meet the route from the west side of New Providence to Norman’s Stake. These are map waypoints plotted by the Explorer charts for safe passage through the shallow and often spiny water of the Bahama Bank. We followed the course southeast until we passed another large Bank and then turned more southerly and straight into the anchorage at Shroud Cay.

For once the wind was as advertised. We had pretty constant 15-20 with occasional up 25 out of the ENE. As we sailed our first leg the wind was anywhere from 80-100 degrees of our course which was perfect for using all 3 sails and we sailed 7.5-8 kts sometimes more with little heeling from the angle of the wind.

After we crossed the Banks and began to turn southeast the wind angle tightened. We were sailing anywhere from 45-60 degrees keeping speed and heeling a little more than pleasantly but Amekaya handled the waves well with good speed. We began bringing in the sails about a mile or two from the anchorage so we could get them secured and get ready for anchoring. Sailing our 45,000 lb home at high speed through the continual chop was exciting.

By the time we got into the anchorage we decided to opt for a mooring instead of anchoring for the night. It would be easier and quicker to get settled and we would anchor on Monday. We were on the mooring ball by 1730. We completed the approximately 50 nm trip from slip to mooring in a few minutes over 6 hours an average of better than 8 kts. Unlike the trip across to the Bahamas we didn’t have any seawater issues. But I found water under the stove that I cleaned up twice. Linda went down to investigate and found our fresh water hand pump was ejecting water across the counter when we hit waves. I had filled the tank up right before we left and with the boat heeling the waves forced the water up and out the pump. We remedied by running some water into containers that we kept for later use. Since we are in a water conservation mode we can’t give up any. More about our water conservation in another article. But had Linda not actually see the water come out I could have working for days trying to solve a problem we didn’t have.

So now after months of travel we are finally in some beautiful islands to enjoy swimming, sailing, kayaking and island exploring in gin clear water.   

Fun and work in Nassau

Today is Saturday after coming into Nassau on Wednesday. Tomorrow Sunday we plan to leave and head down island as they say to the Exumas. We had initially thought we would leave Friday or Saturday but we had lot of things going on and time slipped away. But, there is no hurry for us to get anywhere. Best reason to leave tomorrow is that the wind should be favorable to go down to the islands. Hopefully it will be warmer. We wanted to get here to enjoy warmer weather and water but since the cold front came through just behind us it has been anything but. We also want to leave the marina to reduce cost but we need to be on anchor.

We’ve been busy since we got here. We arrived early Wednesday afternoon and we got fuel and into our slip. We checked into the marina and had to wait for customs and immigration who came late because the woman in the marina forgot to call them.  But we used the time to do an initial washing off of the boat to get some of the salt off from the trip and cleaning inside the boat. With all the water and spray we took on the boat the salt didn’t all come off with the first rinse. The weather forecast was for the cold front to come through with possible rain in advance so I thought I would wait until after the rain to finish washing the boat. Of course by doing that it was assured we would get no rain and of course it didn’t rain.

Some anchored boats that were a bot too close to shore.

When we arrived at the marina some friends for Annapolis were here. They had come over more than a week earlier and were still here. It was very nice having some friendly faces greet us along with the smiling Bahamians who are always happy to see new folks arrive. Our friend Wendy Kravit who was here with her friend Voy a former Annapolitan has an IP 420 just like ours. In fact she bought her boat about the time we bought ours and we compared shopping notes and she did many of the same upgrades we did so we compared notes throughout the process. During our time here we spent a good deal of time together discussing boat stuff.

Some salvaged artifacts that were recovered near Nassau in water storage waiting for restoration

The approach to the marina is a bit tricky. Through the middle of the east end of the harbor runs a shoal and we came in at low tide. At mean low water most of it is less than 5 feet and it was near a full moon low tide which meant it was really low. Coming through the harbor we were going against wind and tide so I was using full cruising speed but not getting as far as I should. When I came to a break in the shoal that is right in front of the fuel dock we were heading to I had to turn quickly toward it but still at full power to keep from getting swept onto the shoal by the wind and current. So when we got into the fuel dock I turned to come up right alongside running very fast. So in my Captain Ron moment I turned into the wind and current at nearly full speed and then put the engine in reverse and stopped exactly where the dock master wanted. The moment was not lost on one of the dockhands as he commented to our friends that they should call me Captain Ron.   

Our mission here in port was to enjoy being here but we had the usual cleaning and maintenance items to do. We also had to cleanup several spots where we took in water so we will have to determine where it came in and then fix it. That will not be easy but something we need to do when conditions permit. The deck needed cleaning not only to remove the salt but from stains that developed probably from the excessive water on deck. 

During our passage we encountered some very big waves that rearranged things in the cabin that weren’t sufficiently secured. Usually we secure everything but we found that not to be enough. During one encounter the seatbacks from one of the settees flew off and much of the provisions behind them went on the floor. First time that has ever happened. We picked them up while crossing the Banks where it was calm but at some point I will need to put eyebolts into the seat frame and use bungee cords to hold the seatbacks in place to prevent a recurrence. I probably should have done it here but we shouldn’t have to worry about it until we leave to head back to the US. There is a really good hardware store on Man O War Cay in the Abacos that we will visit just before we leave.  

Along with cleaning we had shopping to do for local beer and rum. We were greatly disappointed that our favorite liquor store did not have any Havana Club 7 YO rum and no likelihood of getting any. So shopping took a fair amount of time as we had to walk to several different stores. We also bought a spear and sling to try to get lobster since the season runs until 1 April. Hopefully we can find some.

We also visited our favorite Starbucks to communicate with the world. Since we got a Bahamas Telephone (Batelco) we hoped to use it for data but have not been able to get our Wirie to recognize our Sim card. So we are looking for alternate ways to communicate once out of Nassau.

Hard to believe we’ve been here 3 days but we’ve been busy. Besides working and shopping we’ve spent time socializing with our friends. Thursday night we all dinghied over to the Atlantis Marina on Paradise Island and walked around the aquarium and shark ponds. What a treat! 

We were able to get out to our favorite local restaurants to enjoy local conch and lobster. Today we went to McKenzie’s for lunch which is a little local place on Potter’s Cay but it has now become a tourist place. It was packed with cruise ship people who were guided there by taxi drivers and Trip Advisor. So much for a secret.

This evening we had a happy hour with some new friends who came in yesterday with an IP 40 Dream Catcher. Dean and Kim are from Idaho on their way to Puerto Rico where they are going to drop the boat for the offseason when they go back to Idaho.   

Tomorrow off to the islands to enjoy some beautiful water and beaches. With any luck it will even be a great sail. Next blog whenever we get connected again.

We made the crossing!

Well we made the crossing to Nassau as planned and the trip will be one to remember for at least as long as we can.

We left our slip on Tuesday morning the 23^rd of February about 730 as expected. Our original plan was to leave Monday afternoon and anchor out behind Boot Key and get an early start but the forecast was for strong south winds that would have made the anchorage uncomfortable. The winds were supposed to weaken during the day so we thought if we left a little later we could enjoy another night in a slip and spend less time in sloppy conditions. There was also another movie night planned at the Clubhouse which we would get to see. Someone bought the “Martian” and was going to show it. Staying over would give us one more night of comraderie with the Club and watch the recent movie.

So we headed out under questionable skies but just before we left there was a bright rainbow toward Key West. The evening before had also brought a rainbow and walking back from the Clubhouse Linda and I both saw a shooting star. Clearly the signs portended a great trip. It had stopped raining long before we left but the forecast was for possible showers so they weren’t unexpected.

We had our waypoints from our weather routers Dane and Jennifer Clarke so we made it down Moser channel and headed toward our first waypoint some 48 miles almost due east. The trip from Marathon to Nassau was about 220 nautical miles. Maybe slightly more. We expected it would take us about 30 hours if all went well. Considering it takes the average cruiser 28 hours from Miami 30 hours from 100+ miles further would be a good time. But using our trip last year from Key West as a guide it seemed probable.

As we made our way toward the edge of the Florida Reef the winds were enough off our bow that I could use the sails for lift but not enough to actually sail. The winds were blowing 15-25 kts at about a 30-40 degree wind angle. We need 45-50 to be able to sail so we motor-sailed with our staysail and a reefed mainsail into the wind. Forecast was for the wind to be more southerly so we thought that eventually we would be able to sail. Our principal heading was northeast so a southeast wind would be good.

As we made our way out through the reef the waves increased in size and intensity. Forecast was for 4-6’ waves and we saw every bit of that as we got toward the edge of the reef. The waves also were running faster than we expected with a very short period between them. After we left the reef the waves continued to grow in size and speed.

We were expecting the northern side of the Gulf Stream to be more intense but we weren’t prepared for the onslaught of waves we experienced. During the morning the apparent wind was consistently 25 kts or above with our true wind ranging 15-25 kts. During the afternoon it dropped a bit but the real story was the waves. Forecast was for 4-6’ waves which would normally have been no real issue but the seas were running on average 4-6’ but with frequent waves in excess of that and usually only a few seconds in between them. Numerous times we would fall off the crest of one wave only to fall into the trough before the next wave as it washed over the deck. This routine went on for hours.

There was a period when we turned toward our second waypoint were the extreme waves settled down. The wind had declined more to the 10-15 kt range and as we continued the extremes became more rare.

As we motored through we carried good speed and for much of the time ran 10-11 kts speed over ground (SOG) getting us through the gauntlet faster. When we finally made it to the Bahama Bank the water was relatively benign and we then got about some normal tasks and finally got something to eat.

During the hurling about much of the cabin contents were thrown about as they have never been before. The baskets behind the starboard (windward) setee crashed on the floor as the cushion flew off the couch. We have decided that we will install eyescrews behind the cushions and attach bungee cords to them to hold the cushions in place and prevent a recurrence. I was happy to see the items secured on deck remained in place in spite of the pressure of the waves and water moving across the deck.

Our enclosures kept us secure and relatively dry throughout the trip. Had we not had them the cockpit would have been flooded constantly and we would have been doused repeatedly. The bottom line is that our Island Packet performed admirably as expected. We did discuss the option of returning but the issues that presented greatly exceeded the relative discomfort of pressing on. When I trained troops many years ago we often cancelled or adjusted training exercises because we believed we didn’t need to teach anyone to be miserable. But the lesson is how to continue to perform under adverse and miserable conditions like we endured. At sea conditions could be far worse so experience is still the best teacher.

Of the 30 hour trip the first 6 were by the far the worst. The trip across the banks was relatively calm and we even got to sail for a while. The full moon was absolutely gorgeous and lit the sea as if it were daylight. The final leg across the tongue of the ocean into Nassau was sloppy with bad surf but again we motored through and finally got to Nassau about the time we expected.

When we arrived at our marina we saw our friends from Annapolis there who were waiting for us. The marina staff called me Captain Ron for the way I approached the fuel dock. There is a long shoal in front of the marinas that ends just before Nassau Harbor Club where we were coming to. I made a sharp right turn toward the marina at the end of the shoal but was motoring fast because of the strong cross current and wind. When I turned left at the end of the fuel dock I was still going fast because of the current and headwind but then I put the boat in hard reverse and stopped exactly where the marina staff wanted me. This boat handles well. 

After fueling we got into our slip with little fanfare and so our adventure in Nassau begins.   

Once again preparing to move

I started this post about a week ago but with everything we've been doing I'm just now finishing it.

One of our weekly gales blowing through. More than half the days and nights we've been here the wind was over 20 kts. and frequently was over 30 for sustained period.s

Hard to believe that we have been here in Marathon for almost 2 months. We got here just before the holidays with some very beautiful weather but with little fanfare the weather went south as they say. Ever since the beginning of the year it has been windy and cold with lots of rain. There have been a few very nice days but by and large the weather this year again did not facilitate the boat work we wanted to accomplish. I actually accomplished my task list that numbered about 40 things with 1 exception being the teak that needed at least a couple days of decent weather at a time strung together without rain or high winds. It's hard to do teak work when there is a good chance of rain or the wind blowing sea spray.

Two of our good friends,Sunny and Ralph Hernandez who visited over 2 weeks while they were at their condo in Marathon.

I've mentioned previously many of the major projects we completed but recently we've emptied our cockpit and anchor lockers and cleaned them along with the contents that needed airing. The damp marine environment plays havoc with stuff stored away as dampness gathers from humidity and condensation. It's a slow process to remove everything and then clean everything. Often just letting it out in the sun and fresh air for a few days is enough but it's an ongoing task to check it and with high winds keeping it from blowing away. This is a task that we will need to do at least annually if not more frequently.

A visiting manatee swimming behind our boat.

We've continued enjoying time with friends here at the marina and elsewhere. Activities here around the Super Bowl and Valentine's day are lots of fun and sharing food spices up the special events. We've done more than our share of happy hours here at HCC or out on the town. Key West has been fun but we missed one of our favorite entertainers, Jim Morris, when he played at Margaritaville.

One night for dinner we visited the famous No Name Bar by No Name Key which is by Big Pine Key that is home of the remaining Key Deer an endangered species.

So tomorrow some last minute preparations and then we will leave the slip here at HCC on an incoming tide to help float us off the dock and then we plan to go around to the other side of the Key so we can leave at first light on Tuesday to make Nassau by noon Wednesday.  Weather should be ok but will probably wind up being a motor sail at best as it starts out with some wind just off the nose but falling off to very light later. There is a front coming through Florida Wednesday night that will probably hit Nassau Thursday but we should be secured by then.

Next updates will be from Nassau about our crossing or an explanation of why we didn't.

Wasting away in Margaritaville

I don't know if this is what Jimmy Buffett had in mind when he wrote that epochal song but spendng the coldest part of the year in the Keys has to be close.

For the past 6 weeks or thereabouts we have lived tied on to some pilings and endured gales, monsoonal rainfalls, relatively cool temperatures, big chop but some absolutely gorgeous winter weather like today. I think that for the most part this winter up north has been mild with some notable exceptions and likewise the weather here in the Florida Keys has been pleasant although the high winds and frequent chop make getting work done challenging if not unlikely. So the nice days get busy with the work that can get done in those days.

But also competing with work on the nice days is meeting friends and enjoying time with them in pleasant surroundings. For most of our lives to this point we had been focused on work, work related stuff, kids and trying to get in a little R&R. Now we can take time to enjoy being with friends we have known both long and not as long as we enjoy life in the Florida Keys.

An evening pot luck with a presentation by 2 Club members about their recent trip to Cuba.

We have managed to achieve several notable boat projects. I have been able to completely restore our solar arch from before our accident at Crandon Park in Miami, I was able to do all of the work myself

except for having a shop straighten the rails. Before the accident I never really knew how the system was constructed. I took it apart and put it back together again. Secondly, we worked through restoring our dinghy by finding, sealing and patching several holes. We also cleaned it to make it look great! As I look at it now it has held air for about a week and today we successfully took it on an excursion running our spare engine and exercising that. Additionally, we are working through cleaning projects and finalizing our inventory management in preparation for long-distance cruising. We also had an opportunity to tune the rig. Last summer we had to replace some shackles and was not able to get the rig to factory specs. Our good friend and IP dealer Norm Pierce was in town and he and his wife Mary drove over one day to help us get the rig back to factory spec.

A visit by a former college friend Mike Jarboe. Great to catch up after 43 years.

From a work perspective on the boat we are finally getting to where we have worked through everything at least once and focus on maintenance and repair instead of renovate. The only area left to master is security. Before heading on we need to install a security framework that we are beginning to refine. One fact that is continually highlighted in reports that I read is that most events happen to unsecured boats. Most of the violations are to unsecured dinghys, motors or open boats so by hardening that target we can reduce the probability of loss and deter all but a heavily armed attack. A good defense is a good defense when you don't need an offense.

A gorgeous sunset from the Tiki Hut.

Many many years ago through education I learned that the more you know, the more you don't know and the same is true with working on the boat. It's not just the knowing but as you do more work there is more work that you find you need to do because more things become apparent.

But with the time we're spending here it is hard to know which predominates; work time or friend time. It seems that everyday we spend many hours with friends from here in the marina or friends elsewhere that we know from before or even in a previous life.

Lunching with our visiting friends Ralph and Sunny Hernandez after a dinghy ride around the island.

With our marina friends we have had numerous parties and happy hours everyday. We have had movie nights, holiday parties, dinghy excursions, painkiller parties and other good times too numerous to mention. Interspersed with that we ave met other friends here in Marathon, in Key West and some friends who came here. Last week an old college friend, Mike Jarboe, came to visit while he was vacationing in FL. We also got to see some friends from our stay in Boca Chica last year, John and Renee Siewers as they passed through and prepare to visit Cuba.

Local entertainer Eric Stone performing at the celebration of life for local entertainer Rocketman who passed recently.

Another great surprise a week or so ago was when we ran into Bahama Bob at the Hurricane Hole on Stock Island when we stopped for dinner one night. Bob is an international rum judge extraordinaire who used to tend the Rum Bar in Key West.

Even though the water has gotten cooler I swim around the boat to check for growth and ensure there is nothing growing underwater that will present an issue. So far our bottom paint is holding well but with the cloudy water it is hard to get a good visual. The chop has kept sediment stirred up so visibility is only a few feet making inspections very difficult.

But, here we are working most days and partying every night. Can Margaritaville be any better?