I think that our last post was December 18. I broke off saying that I would update all on our week in Ft. Lauderdale. Forget it! Nothing but work. You’ve seen the pictures of the Ft. Lauderdale Boat parade. The biggest in the world. Dick and Lorraine Lavalliere came down from West Palm for dinner and to see the parade. The only highlight of our week. (Okay, there were a few highlights, like seeing the newest Marts grandchildren who are simply adorable, as well as their big sister and brother/cousins.. and sadly missing seeing two of those new kids on the block, next time Dio and Alex…and seeing our family in a more relaxed way – casual family dinners and an evening or two of revelry…and lastly, learning that wind can blow like crazy for 3 days solid, then just stop! That was an interesting lesson we’d need to know, and best to learn it while otherwise preoccupied with groceries, laundry, electronics and charting) Let’s stick to the Bahamas!!
Crossing from Miami on Friday, December 17, we left at 0447 in order to get a good jump on the day. (I was told we’d leave at 6:00; motor on at 4:30?!? These guys are freaking nuts to go – pitch black out, beautiful city lights of Miami behind us, a line of cruise ships inching their way to port, one carrying our dear friends the Schoonmakers. We waved – I don’t think they saw us) Had a calm and fast crossing of the Gulf Stream under power as what little wind there was, was on our nose. We steered a course 20º off our mark in order to counter the effect of the northward flowing Gulf Stream. Entering the harbor at Bimini was much more tense. This is where you learn quickly how to read the water. Dark is good. Light is bad. Like so many others before us, we back-tracked and started a second time, coming in via the channel running within a few yards of the sandy beach on South Bimini island. Arrived in Bimini proper at 1230 waived off the first Marina we called since they expected us to dock next to the garbage ramp. “Don’t worry. That garbage scow is almost done and will be leaving.” Went to Brown’s Marina instead.
At Brown’s we docked the boat amid a school of squid. Beneath the dock proper were schooling needle fish and sergeant majors. George pointed out the head of a moray eel peeking out amid the rocks at the waters edge just waiting for someone to swim in. The water is literally more shallow than Sylvia’s pool, just as warm, and just as clear. You’ll see photos later that you’ll think are in a pool – pretty amazing to look down through 10, 20, 60 feet of water and see sand and rocks on the bottom. It ain’t Maine, and it sure as hell isn’t the Chesapeake!
Running into a British couple outside the Customs Office, they were all keen to compare “how much time” we received. The big Cruiser complaint this year is apparently the fact that Canadians are being given only 90 day Cruising Permits. I understood them to be saying that some folks were only getting thirty days. I went in and asked for 120 days (till April 1, essentially) and was told no, I was good until June 1. I thought it paid off to shave and put on a clean shirt. At immigration next door, though, I asked for a 120 day visa for me and Tess (only two weeks for our crew, George), but “new rules”, we only received 30 days each. Renewable at any immigration office in the islands. On that basis, I was content, but other Cruisers apparently find this to be a great imposition. The Immigration lady explained that they tended to have some Cruisers “go missing” in the past and were trying to keep closer track of them.
Our day in Bimini had us chase (literally) the annual Candy Cane Parade of school children making their way from Alice Town several towns over to the Bimini school. We literally ran after them through back roads and “short cuts”, catching up several miles from our starting point and very close to the school. We all received candy canes for our efforts, but on the walk home (along the beach side facing Miami), we stopped at CJ’s for cracked conch and conch fritters. Absolutely great and a must find sort of place. Both C and J were there as well as the Immigration lady (still in uniform), drinking beer with a Hennessey chaser at the ready. We got to know these folks well since there was only room for the six of us, the cook and the beer cooler.
Off the dock with an assist from Darrell in a 20 knot wind at 0920 on Saturday, we headed South toward Gun Cay and Turtle Rocks sailing in a breeze from the SSE. At the Triangle Rocks/Barnett Harbour Cut, we turn left and are out of the Straits of Florida and on to the Grand Bahama Bank.. Water depth drops from 600 feet to and average of 12 feet for the next 90 nautical miles. An amazing sight to see water in all directions and be in water no deeper than a swimming pool. While we had on and off drizzle all day, it was a warm and easy motorsail till we neared sunset. We anchored on the Bank (careful to pull out of the “channel”) at 1713. While the channel was no more than 12 feet (often only 8 or 9), we anchored in 16 feet about 2 nm between the convergence of two “magenta lines” (the lines on the chart followed from point-to-point by most boats – in this case from Gun Cay just South of Bimini and North Rock just North of Bimini, running in each instance to the light at Northwest Shoal.
In the morning we were on our way to Northwest Shoal, were the Grand Bahama Bank ends and the water drops off to over 9,000 feet in the Tongue of the Ocean. Yes, 9,000 feet. And a stretch of ocean that runs between the various Bahamian “Banks”. Down and up again at the Chub Cay anchorage, where it was clear we would spend a miserable and rolling night, we headed further East to the Berry island Club moorings at Frazier’s Hog Cay. By 1430 we were drinking $3 Kalik’s and watching Fox Red Zone Football on the big screen TV. Frazier’s Hog Cay is a picture perfect Bahamian sight. Mangroves, beach and a single dock and building. We knew we had arrived.
But, having a schedule to keep (as per usual), we were gone again at 0802 on Monday and off to Nassau. The great news was we had 20 to 30 knot wind abeam for the whole trip and had our first full day of sailing since….!? We also had a large and following sea and were cranking out 7.5 to 8.0 knots for as long as I could hold the wheel. George hooked two sailfish as we trolled, but could only hope to drown them at these speeds. They broke off and will be on our list to find again someday.
Nassau. Now that’s an incredibly busy looking place. After obtaining clearance from Nassau Harbour Control to enter the harbour and proceed to our selected marina, we passed huge Cruise Ships, the Disney-esque tourist city of Atlantis, we had to figure out how to navigate under the two fixed bridges. You apparently do that by near-scraping along a line of local fishing boats, then taking a 90º turn to the right in front of the Looming MailBoat freighter, then 90º again to pass the proper portion of the bridge. The sailboat in front of us was kind enough to slow down so that we could find the way for them.
Four days at Nassau Harbour Club Marina, with the first two monopolized by attempts to get the phone and communications systems organized, began to look like Ft. Lauderdale. It seems that as soon as a boat hits a dock, there is nothing but work to be done. Better to stay off the dock. But, everything did get fixed (thanks, George), and cocktail hour begins here at 1330 (except when it begins sooner). A liquor seminar for three was conducted at the Green Parrot bar one afternoon, where the otherwise bored bartender insisted that we taste every liquor we happened to mention, many he suggested and some concoctions which he no doubt spent years developing. He charged us for four Kalik’s and a single shot of run ($32) despite the fact that we likely had a dozen additional drinks between us. That is an Island education. Another was lunch at Double D’s where we had the local favorites, a Conch Souse and a Fish Head Stew. No one ordered the Sheep’s Tongue. (no worries Gil, I had the “chicken snack” which apparently means, “with fries”. Good to know)
We also made a daily trek to Potter’s Cay (pronounced key, don’t ask me why it’s spelled that way) to walk among the very “rustic” (read, you’re kidding, right? You’re not going to eat anything from there…) “shops” (read, country fair kissing booth that’s been up for 10 years straight and never particularly improved) to eat a Styrofoam bowl of conch salad, de-shelled and prepared in front of us, from pulling that puppy out, stripping him down, cutting, slicing, dicing with tomatoes, peppers, scotch bonnets, cucumber and then doused in juices from a lime or two, and orange or two, and perhaps a lemon. Tony and George couldn’t get enough. Tess had enough just watching!
Tony and George did Manly Work daily while I did the ubiquitous laundry, cleaning, groceries…but each day we paused for a little adventure. Snorkels were out for Tony & George to dive on a reef in the harbor while I stood guard in the dinghy…cute seeing the two of them off for fishing gear, or snorkel gear, or new tools…brothers and friends. It’s a nice thing.
Friday, December 24 we made a crew change losing George, but gaining Charlie, Tabby and Katie for their respective Christmas Week breaks.
No comments:
Post a Comment