Laying low in Abaco

As you've read in our previous postings and probably heard on the news there is a preseason tropical depression forming just to the north. The result is high winds, squalls and high seas for probably most of the coming week. So we are back to the Man O War Cay Marina to ride it out. The marina here is well protected in just about every direction and based on the forecasts we should be on the lee side. It certainly won't be worse than Marathon where we had 20 kt or better winds on our nose just about every day. The really strange thing is that it has gotten cool. The temperatures for the past few days ave only been in the 70's. It has been in the 80's for the past 2 months. Certainly an omen of impending change.

Last week we had heavy squalls go through with 40+ kt winds and in one of them it hailed. The locals were talking about it because it doesn't happen often.

The sky here today was very eerie and prescient of  tropical weather. Here is today's sunset with the lower dark cumulus clouds and then constant upper level cirrus clouds and here at sunset the lower clouds look darker and the higher clouds reflect the sun's light. Rain showers or squalls are forecasted to start sometime during the overnight. I've put down and buttoned our cockpit enclosures to keep our patio dry.

We chose to hunker down here for several reasons. Besides the great protection the town is very pleasant. The island is dry so there's no bars to hangout in but the scenery is very pleasant, the people are friendly and industrious. This island unlike those in the Exumas actually has a thriving boat building industry, several well-stocked shops and stores. The island has lush vegetation with fruit trees and marketable fish in the nearby waters.

A very loaded mango tree next to a cactus with flowers.

Today we did boat chores as everything on the island was closed for Sunday. Since we will be here for a while I will see if I can get some of my tasks done that I had planned to do later. I did have a chance to dive under the boat and inspect the keel for damage from the grounding. As far as I could tell only the bottom paint and barrier coat were scratched off of about 4' of the bottom of the keel. Does not appear to be any gouges that will need filling. So that was good news!

So for this week we will try to effectively employ this time while we wait for a return to a summer weather pattern.

Storms of winter return

When we first arrived here in the Bahamas North America was engulfed in an active winter weather pattern with strong north winds. Then after a severe cold front came through the weather changed to a typical spring trade wind pattern with winds from the east. Then a few weeks ago the weather switched to a summer pattern with winds from the southwest. Last week the weather switched back to winter.

The severe weather of mid-week has moved on and today – Friday – was a very nice but cool day. We did some provisioning in Marsh Harbor for next week and some boat chores in prep for our eventual crossing back to the US and then on up to the Chesapeake.

The weather has become a big issue. Rather than being able to cross sometime next week, the tropical depression that I mentioned before is getting more attention and will probably dominate the weather all week. We’re hoping we may be able to move more north and west on Wednesday but probably won’t be able to cross until perhaps the weekend. So we are returning to Man O War Cay to ride out the weather since it is very well protected. The island people are very friendly and I will write more about it as we spend time there.

Our trip to Marsh Harbor was one that we want to forget but probably won’t.  We were in a slip in Man O War Cay and I had taken off the dock lines and set up the lines for aiding us in getting out of the slip. But, as we backed out of the slip we realized I had forgotten one of the spring lines. Well that screwed up everything because as we waited for the dock attendant to get it off we off course blew around in the 20 kts of wind coming across the marina. It took some doing but we finally got out. I had worn down the batteries with the bow thruster so I couldn't use that as I needed so we had to work it out and we did.

The next struggle came as I was slowly approaching the narrow exit channel that we had successfully negotiated at low tide to come in. While following the GPS tracking we got blown out of the channel and aground with tide running out. I tried to back off but couldn't. I called one of the local boatyards but there crew that could help was out.

So after some effort a small power boat came in. Ironically it was the people from the boatyard I had just called. They worked and we were able to move a little bit. Then a fishing boat came in and they offered to help. With them pulling and the small boat pushing we were able to get off the shoal and out of the channel. I will have to dive on the bottom someplace to see if there as any damage. As a minimum I’m sure we lost paint but I suspect there are some gouges in the keel that I will have to fill in the not too distant future. This is the first time we’ve been aground with this boat.  Anyway, thanks to those guys that helped us get off before low tide. We suspect that had we stayed there through low tide the damage could have been worse. If we had a differently designed boat it could have been very bad but the design of the IP with the full keel will take a beating. The keel is lead encapsulated in concrete encapsulated in fiberglass. 

  

The next challenge was getting into the slip in Marsh Harbor. The marina was fully exposed to the full brunt of the 15-25 kt winds and seas currently blowing. After we found where we were going I approached the slip on the leeward side of the dock slowly but with the wind, the narrow fairway and a boat in the slip in front of us protruding into the fairway I opted for a slip on the windward side where I could back in. There were 2 challenges with that as I discovered. The area around the slip was shallow and our shallow water alarms kept going off and with the wind blowing me toward the boats in their slips I had to turn so far out that the wind and waves moved us out of position too much. So we went back to the original slip and we got right into it weaving our way through the tight fairway and the protruding bow. Getting out tomorrow should be a bit easier as the wind should blow our stern down and using lines we can keep the bow up so we can motor right out into the wind. I can supplement with the bow thruster. Then back to Man O War to ride out the storms.

The storms that are forecasted to form next week are supposed to produce near-gale force winds here for sustained periods plus heavy periods of rain. We had 40+ winds last week in 2 squalls and probably several inches of rain. Waves offshore are projected to be 4-6 meters up to 5-8 meters from the northeast. That doesn't make for a good crossing.

So we’re looking for alternate routes and timing to minimize the challenges.

We had a beautiful sunset as we enjoyed the happy hour at Snappas right next door to the marina. We also purchased conch salads from a guy outside the marina and 4 conch to grill for dinner sometime next week. By Monday the weather will probably be getting bad and we’ll be forced to stay in the boat for a couple days. At least we’ll have TV and internet so we’ll have lots to do.

This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship

Yesterday morning we had a plan that would accommodate the weather challenges and allow us to accomplish things like shopping and visiting some highlights like Nipper's on Great Guana Cay. So we pulled up the anchor with our intention of going to Man of War Cay a scant 8 miles to the north and we would plan to get a mooring to ride out some bad weather coming in and then go to Marsh Harbor for Wednesday and Thursday nights to ride out the really bad weather coming in Thursday.

Since it was a short ride from Lubbers Quarters we pulled out the sails and sailed in the light breeze. We sailed up past Elbow Cay and the very scenic lighthouse located at Hopetown Harbor and then around some

shallows and right up to the entrance to MOW Cay. The entrance channel to MOWis probably no more than 20 meters wide through a cut in the rock with mean low water readings under 5' and it was just an hour after low tide.

We got in no sweat and motored over to where the mooring field is but it was packed. Boats were on moorings and anchors so close we almost couldn't get through. People came in early and nobody was leaving. So we motored through the main channel to the other mooring field and anchorage and it was the same story. Boats were so close I can't believe they had enough  swing room given the impending bad weather.

So we called the MOW marina and they had a slip available and we took it. Later in the afternoon when a squall came through it was really good we were in a slip. During the squall the winds clocked an entire 360 degrees while it was blowing in the 20'sand 30's with gusts in the 40's. I would have like to watch the boats in the mooring field but i was raining so hard I didn't get off the boat.

When we checked into the marina we found they had free wifi and television! So for the first time in months we got to have cable.

This island has changed greatly since we were here in 2007 on a charter. One of our boats anchored down in the first mooring field with only a couple other boats, we anchored across the channel from the marina and one of our boats actually stayed in this marina. When we were here before there were 2 places to eat. One was a fast food snack bar right by the marina and the other was in someone's house. Now there are 3 regular-type restaurants and an ice cream shop. The boat works that were here before are all still here and busy and there is a hardware store that seems very well-stocked. I bought a small section of chain to hoist the dinghy to replace the wire lift support that broke on the way from Spanish Wells.

But the real story here is the weather. We knew we were in for 3 days of bad weather but the story changed constantly. It originally seemed like we could ride over the first night here, go to Marsh Harbour and ride out the next 2 days and do errands while the weather blew itself out. Well this morning as we were getting organized another squall blew through as we thought it would but the forecast changed that today was to be the worst day. Tomorrow will be bad but not as bad as originally predicted. Forecast Monday was for 30+ kts of wind Thursday. Well we needed to raise the dinghy before going to Marsh Harbor. We had been towing it on te short trips around the islands. By the time we got the dinghy secured another squall blew up. I saw winds of 40+ as the rain came down in sheets. Fortunately, we had already changed our plans to stay here and push back our 2 night in Marsh Harbor.

There was another weather development last night. We've been trying to plan our staging for crossing back over to the US. Our plan was to leave here early next week. Work our way up to some very northern islands and then jump off for an overnight sail to St Augustine. Looking at the forecasts for the next week the swells in the Gulf Stream will be out of the north from now through the end of the current forecast range which does not make for a good crossing. Then when I looked at the charts for next Wednesday the wind patterns indicated a cyclone wit a clearly defined eye and almost storm force winds extending out to the east, north and west. The pressure charts showed the circular isobars that confirmed the wind pattern. Wave height estimates in the Gulf Stream were for 4-5 meters. Probably an uncomfortable ride.

Looking for expert help I emailed our weather and gulf stream routers Dane and Jennifer Clark to give them a heads-up that we would be looking for route assistance. Dane wrote back that the forecasting models were showing the probable formation of a preseason tropical depression just north of the Bahamas. So today I spoke to the marina here to see if we could get a slip after visiting Marsh Harbour and possibly Guana Cay before returning to get secured for the high winds that will start by Tuesday. Looking at the charts this morning the current fronts are moving faster than originally predicted and the tropical low may be forming further north and less well defined but travel will still not be good. But, we may be able to begin heading north Tuesday or Wednesday and jump off Thursday or Friday but we'll see. So we may be getting well acquainted with this little island. It is a friendly place and one that is well tended so it is not a bad place to be.

Our first morning in the Abacos

With our arrival in the Abacos we have returned to a lattitude equivalent to Ft Lauderdale. It wasn't that long ago we were in the tropics.

We enjoyed our first day in the Abacos on a day I think is Monday anywhere else. We slept late for the first time in many days. It’s amazing how every morning there are things to do that require an early rise. Sunday we got up before sunrise for our trip up to Abaco. So after a lazy start we had French Toast from some of the remaining coconut, cinnamon and raisin bread we had in the freezer from Black Point.till excellent!

We puttered around the boat all morning and then went into Pete’s Pub for lunch. There were several turtles swimming around the boat and in the lagoon. Pete’s place was busy, the food was good and it came out fairly quickly for an island place. After lunch we took our dinghy and ran the entrance channel using our portable depth sounder to check the channel depth. We saw no readings less than 6’ so we went back to the boat and secured everything.

Forecast was for the NW winds to die off into the evening and have weaker north winds come in behind. The rest of the week the weather is going to be very unsettled with 2 quick cold fronts coming through. Thursday is 100% chance of rain and gale force winds so we made marina reservations for Wednesday and Thursday nights in Marsh Harbor. During the day we can get errands done like shopping and laundry while the wind howls and the rain falls. I can also get a section of chain to use in hoisting the dinghy to replace the wire that broke. Being on anchor wouldn’t be profitable because we would have to stay in the boat all day as we wouldn’t even want to dinghy around in those conditions.

So we successfully made it out of the channel at mid-tide. The trip to our planned anchorage was less than 10 miles and the course required turns which would have taken us right into the wind so we opted to just motor. It usually take us about a mile to get the sails up and a mile to get them down so we would only sail less than an hour and with the heavy wind doing both would be challenging.

Well when we got out and away from the protection afforded by the harbor the wind was howling between 25-30 kts, not the 15-20 as expected. But the wind varied and the chop was worse in places as we motored through some very pretty but disturbed water and once behind the island where we intended to anchor relative calm prevailed. 

Setting the anchor was a bit challenging. I tried to use the CQR since it was relatively shallow and we only planned to be here one night. But it didn’t hold well. I dove on it and it didn’t inspire confidence in its ability to hold the boat in a blow. The bottom here is very grassy and hard so anchors to dig in really easily. So we pulled it up and I worked down the big Rocna and it seemed to be holding. I dove on it and it too was not well dug in but was digging in. So I let out more scope (have out about 60’), put on the bridle and backed down it. Dove on it again and it was dug in better.  Rocnas tend to work themselves in with load. So far we haven’t had much load and hopefully we won’t need to test it any more.

After the anchor excitement we went for a swim with our snorkel masks to see if there was life in the grass. Saw a few fish, a few conch and some junk. The water is shallow so retrieving the anchor in the morning shouldn’t be too difficult.

Tomorrow on to Man of War Cay which is just another short jaunt and hopefully another mooring so we can visit one of the town we did in our trip here in 2007.

A long sail to the Abacos

After 2 nights in Spanish Wells we regrettably left the shelter where we moored and headed out for our trip to Little Harbor, Abaco, The trip is about 60 miles from mooring to mooring and the wind forecast was for 15-20 out of the SW for a perfect beam reach.

Saturday night before we left we had dinner at the Shipyard. This was the view from our table and a picture of Linda imitating a palm tree.

As we left the small channel that is the main entry into Spanish Wells we came out into 25+ knots which was not as advertised. Fortunately with the shallow water and limited fetch at that point the waves weren’t too large so we were able to motor into the wind to the point where we could clear Egg Island  and turn north.

Just before we made the turn we heard a loud pop and a big drop in the dinghy. The transom of the dinghy was held up by a mounting wire and the far leg broke leaving the dinghy hanging at a severe angle. I had strung security lines around the dink to reduce the swinging so they kept it from falling off. With no options for safe harbor we continued on and turned while I quickly strung a dock line around the engine bracket to help hold the weight. Then I got out our spinnaker sheet and tied it to the mounting bracket in the transom and ran it up over the arch to the turning block for our spinnaker and back to the jib winch. Since we would be sailing on port tack we could use the port winch. We then winched the dinghy back up to level and I tightened the line on the motor and the dinghy was secure.

After finishing with the dinghy we went to sails and had a great sail over the remaining 50 miles to Little Harbor, Abaco. Winds were from 7-25 kts mostly out of the SW until we got closer to Abaco where they became more westerly and we went to a close reach. With the wave action it was hard to keep a consistent speed but we made the 50 mile trip from Egg Island to Abaco in about 7 hours. 

The sun rising as we prepare to leave and a view along the way

There were 2 boats we found on AIS about 10 miles ahead of us that no doubt also came from Spanish Wells. They were far to the east of us initially so they must have come out the east pass which would have been a lot closer but is strewn with reefs and coral heads so I deemed it too risky in the conditions having never done it before. Instead we did the slog into the winds and probably added 10 miles to the trip. We are continually amazed at how fast and comfortable at sea this boat is.

The entrance to Little Harbor is narrow and shallow. At low tide the channel is less than 5’. We came in at high tide and got low water alarms. Once inside we found a very sheltered mooring to hold us in the gusty winds. After securing the boat we dinghied into famed Pete’s Pub for his famed Blaster’s and enjoyed the shade of the surrounding palm trees.

Just before the sun set we went back to our boat for a great dinner of vegetable pasta with wine sauce and the rest of the bottle of wine.

Next is just wait for the tide to come in on Monday to continue heading north.

Every hour is happy hour

As much as we enjoy the places we've visited we still enjoy getting out and sailing. Tomorrow, 26 April we will be doing a 50+ mile sail from Spanish Wells to Little Harbor, Abaco across open ocean. From there we will work our way up through the islands to the northwestern most point to jump off for an overnight sail to St Augustine, FL sometime around the 5th or 6th of May.

Today we rented a golf cart and drove around the islands. Absolutely beautiful. Unlike the other Bahama islands we've seen everything here is clean, in repair and functional. The restrooms actually have soap and hand towels. Spanish Wells is obviously a prosperous area with the nation's fishing fleet and real commerce. There doesn't seem to be lots of tourists and no mega-yachts although a faiir amount of cruisers.

We crossed the bridge over to Russell Island and drove to the end of the road. Along the road were lots of fruit groves of bananas, mangoes, papayas and of course coconut. There were many large and very well kept homes. There is a new beach bar opened over there, the Sandbar that we stopped by for a view.

At the end of this island was a very nice park and the water was just incredible.

Weather tomorrow is forecasted to be squally with winds out of the south-southwest at 10-20. Should give us a good beam reach all the way to Little Harbor and give us the chance to run at 8 kts the whole way. Should be a great ride.

So next update should be from Pete's Pub in Little Harbor or maybe someplace else.

View from the Galley

As most people do we prepare and eat most of our meals at home, or for Maris and I it's dinner 'on board'. I truly enjoy preparing meals on board! We have a wonderful galley. Of course we don't have a dishwasher, garbage disposal or state of the art fridge but you can't beat the view! I have one beautiful view after another as we journey to one beautiful anchorage after another.

                                           Galley View at Bitter Guana Cay, Exumas

                                                          Galley View at Shroud Cay

It requires more preparation to make meals aboard. It's best to gather all ingredients before preparing. I have figured out a system that works well for me. Last night I made sauteed conch with carmelized onions over a bed of quinoa with a green salad. I tenderized the conch and set it in a marinade in the morning after breakfast. After a day of swimming and snorkeling it was time to make dinner. I find that just about everything cooks faster our propane stove. Rice and other grains simmer to finish in just about half the time or less. So I begin with the quinoa while I prep the the other ingredients and make the salads. I then carmelize the onions, dredge the conch in seasoned panko crumbs and saute them. Below is a pic of the conch cooking with the rest of dinner already done. Dinner is about to be served! 

Coming from such a large kitchen on land I am surprised I don't find our galley confining. I always feel our galley is a joy to work in. I can say at this point the trade off is worth it. Yes, I gladly give up the conveniences of a "land" kitchen to the beautiful, changing views from my galley.