Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Wednesday, January 05, 2011 leaving Nassau on a hot, sunny and windless day.  Filled water tank and fuel tank before leaving Nassau Harbour Club Marina.  $4.299 for diesel.  A premium price which is 25 cents more than when we left on Christmas and 25 cents more than the Marina next door (deeper into the harbor by about 100 yards).  When I was there yesterday filling a gasoline jerry can ($4.14 per gallon), the local guy pumping said that you should expect the price of fuel to rise the further you go East.  But, Nassau Harbour Club is only a stone’s throw away, I says.  It’s still East of here he says.  Yes; an extra 25 cents East.  We only took 24 gallons to fill up (a $6.00 premium).  As we left, a boat pulled up asking for 800 gallons (a $200 premium over the place next door!!).  Good to be a sailor!

An uneventful motor to Royal Island, just West of the town of Spanish Wells and the island of Eleuthera, about five miles distant.  We did see a green turtle just before we went from a 5,800 foot depth to a 54 foot depth at SW Reef.  Anchored now in the “pond” at Royal Island, we are in 9 feet of water and again surrounded by a protective set of cliffs.  This time, unlike Norman’s Pond, we don’t have a treacherous cut and channel.  A nice 14 feet of depth and well marked 35 foot cut (knock on wood).

Expecting a front to move in on Thursday, so we may be here for a couple of days.  Good cell phone coverage to talk and good Sat Phone reception for e-mail.  A steak in the frying pan.  Johnnie Walker in a clinking glass.  We may be here for weeks.  No need to move until one of you says “Meet me in Georgetown!