Now in the Bahamas

We have arrived in the Bahamas on 11/24/2022, Thanksgiving Day.

We rode out Tropical Storm Nicole in Beaufort SC and fortunately it followed a path that was inland from our location.  We had several days of wind and rain but no winds over 35 knots.  Other locations were not as fortunate.  Our main concern was the warnings of possible tornados as the rain bands moved through.  Where does one go when on a boat?

On Sunday 11/12/2022 we pulled anchor and moved down river again to stage for an early start for our overnight trip to St. Augustine.  The next morning we pulled anchor just after sunrise, 7:00 am, and followed the route down the river and out into the ocean.  We had favorable winds and set sail for St Augustine but staying about ten miles offshore.  We sailed overnight and the next morning when about three hours out the winds died and we motored the rest of the way arriving at noon.  We anchored just off the Bridge of Lions and relaxed.  There is a strong current in the river and when the tide changed we had a catamaran anchored near us moving too close for comfort along with being too close to some docks so we pulled anchor and moved to another location.  In the morning we moved to a mooring for the next two days.  This gave us access to the marinas services such as the dinghy dock, showers, and laundry.  We were on a mooring next to Jim and Laurie in Kismet and after lunch with them we did a bit of shopping for boat stuff.  The next day my ankle was really bothering me and hard to walk on so we made a trip to an Urgent Care clinic.  There I got a shot and a prescription.  I had also arranged for a prescription to be sent to a pharmacy here and Cori got to do the four mile round trip to pick them up while I stayed on the boat and charged the batteries.  That evening we went to dinner with our friend Jim who has a boat in NC but lives nearby in Florida.  Allie and Ryan on Wabi Sabi drove down from where they were working on their boat to pick up some parts we brought for them  Later Jim and Laurie off Kismet and Fred and Ruth from Shooting Star joined us.

After checking the weather we decided to just motor down the ICW to prepare for the crossing rather then going offshore to Fort Pierce.  The first day we motored and arrived at New Smyrna Beach just a couple of minutes late for the scheduled bridge opening.  We maneuvered around for half an hour until the bridge opened and we could pass through.  It was 5:30 and near sunset so we anchored just down from the bridge for the night.  The next morning at 7:00 am we pulled anchor and continued on stopping for the night at Melbourne.  The next day we continued on arriving at Vero Beach at noon.  After checking in and topping off the fuel and water we moved out to share a mooring with Mike and Jean on Desderata II.  Several of our cruising friends were already here or on their way.  With rain forecast for the next day we caught the bus to the grocery store for last minute supplies.  Sunday it was raining and we spent the day on the boat.  The rain let up the next morning and we made another run for groceries and lunch on shore.  The next day was raining again but Desterada II left and Wabi Sabi came in to raft up with us.  

The next day we planned to leave early but it was too foggy to go anywhere.  About an hour later the fog cleared enough that we could see the channel markers and we headed off.  By mid-day we arrived at Fort Pierce and headed out the inlet bound for the Bahamas.

We first motored south along the coast until St Luci Inlet then turned east for the Bahamas.  We went south first to compensate for how far north the Gulf Stream would push us as we crossed it.  The next morning we were across and into the shallow water of the Bahamas.  We decided to continue on to Green Turtle Cay arriving about 4:00 pm on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.  We anchored off the town and the next morning at high tide we moved into Black Sound and tied up at Donny's Marina.  After a short trip to check in we were officially in the Bahamas and celebrated with a couple of Kalik's, a Bahamian beer.  That evening we had a late Thanksgiving dinner with Donny and Mary Earl.

We are hanging out at the marina helping Donny with projects and plan to take some day trips to neighboring islands.  Green Turtle Cay is a fun place to be over Christmas and New Years so our plan is to stay here and move down the island chain after the new year.

North Carolina to South Carolina

We have started our next cruise.

We left our friends dock to move down the river to Clubfoot Creek.  This is where we lived at Matthews Point Marina.  The marina has new owners and is now Bishop's Marina.  We anchored off from the docks to spend more time preparing.  We had left Cori's kayak with our friends Bill and Helen and we brought that back to the boat.  We have other friends here that helped us out, Wayne repaired the wiring on a water pump for the water-maker, Louise took Cori to town for more provisioning and Vic loaned us his car to run errands.  Finally after a hectic two days we felt we were ready and with a promising weather forecast we pulled anchor and started the new adventure.

On Tuesday, November 1st, we pulled anchor and motored down the ICW from the Neuse River to Beaufort Inlet and at 3:00 pm we headed out the inlet and started off, hopefully to Florida.  Initially the winds were on the nose but the forecast was for them to clock around from the northwest.  We motored along and about 9:00 pm the winds had shifted enough that we could shut down the engine and begin sailing.  Later during the night the winds dropped and we had to start motoring again.  By sunrise the next morning we had made our way past Frying Pan Shoals.  The winds had started to come up and by changing our course a little we were once again sailing.  We sailed all day running from 4-6 knots with the winds from behind.  We continued on this course into the night.  Eventually the winds shifted more to the northeast and we adjusted our sails and altered our course putting us once more on a direct line to Florida.  The winds had been building and we were seeing 15-20 knots of apparent winds.  When you add our boat speed, which at that time was 7-9 knots, we were in 20-25 knot winds with gust up to 30.  We were seeing boat speeds we had only had while being pushed in the gulf stream.  Along with the winds increasing, the seas were building and we were getting pushed around by the following seas.  This unexpected speed was causing a problem.

Traveling at our usual 5-6 knots we were expecting to arrive at St Augustine sometime Friday morning.  By increasing our speed we would by arriving in the middle of the night.  St Augustine Inlet is not somewhere I want to arrive at night.  Due to the shifting shoals the buoys that mark the channel are periodically relocated and are not accurate on our charts and chartplotter.  It can be done at night but daylight and binoculars make it safer.  With the combination of poor arrival time, the increasing wind and rougher sea conditions we made the decision to alter course and make for Beaufort SC.  We continued on to Port Royal Sound going up the Beaufort River and anchoring in Cowen Creek around 2:00 pm on Thursday, November 3rd, a trip of 320 miles.  We spent the night in this quiet anchorage catching up on our sleep.  After checking the weather forecast we decided that we would wait until conditions improved before continuing.  We pulled anchor and continued up the river and anchored across from Downtown Beaufort.  In the evening we went ashore to check out the town and their "First Friday" event.  This is when the shops are open late, music is broadcast in the streets and the merchants are offering complimentary drinks (my favorite) while we perusing their stores.  The next morning we went ashore to be tourists.  I love a good museum and found that the Beaufort History Museum was outstanding.  The volunteers provide an outstanding tour and history lesson.  From there we walked over to the St Helena church and cemetery checking out graves dating back to the Revolutionary War.

Sunday morning we pulled anchor to move to another more protected anchorage.  The forecasts were predicting that the low pressure system off of the Bahamas would form into a Tropical Storm and was heading to the east coast.  Monday we went ashore to check out the new area and hit the grocery store again.  

Now it is Tuesday and we are monitoring the weather forecasts since Tropical Storm Nicole is causing hurricane warning in Florida and is expected to track up the east coast after making landfall in Florida.  We are thankful we did not make it to St Augustine.  For now we are safely tucked away in Factory Creek with the anchor well set and what I think is the proper amount of chain played out.  We just have to wait and see what happens. 

Preparing For the Season

We are back on the boat and preparing for our winter cruise.

On October 2nd we picked up a rental car, loaded it and started our way back to Hi Flite.  First stop was at Cori's sister's near Sioux Falls SD.  The next morning we continued driving nonstop until arriving at her brothers in Virginia.  The next day we made a run to Annapolis to pick up the paint we needed and then down to Deltaville to check on Hi Flite.  We were happy to see that she survived the summer without any problems such as mold, which was our main concern.  For the next couple of days we commuted to the boatyard to prepare for life aboard again.  After dropping off the rental car we moved aboard working on various projects.  The hull got two coats of wax, the bottom got sanded and a fresh coat of bottom paint, the sails were bent on and the canvas and solar panels were installed.  We felt we were ready and scheduled a launch date.  The fates were against us when the boatlift had a flat tire and it took two days to get it repaired.  We were not in any hurry so it wasn't a big inconvenience.  Once in the water we moved to a slip and finished our preparations.

The next morning we motored out into the Bay and started south.  Of course the winds were on the nose so it was a motorboat ride to Hampton VA where we anchored for the night.  The next morning we moved through Norfolk and the Navy Base down to Chesapeake VA where tied up at the free dock at The Great Bridge.  It is called The Great Bridge after a battle that occurred there which eventually forced the British out of Norfolk and eventually the battle at Yorktown which ended the Revolutionary War.  Early the next morning we and several others started down the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway).  We reached the Albemarle Sound and since the winds were blowing 15-20 knots we pulled over to anchor for the night.  Albemarle Sound and River are well known for getting rough when the winds pick up and since the forecast was for lighter winds the next day we didn't see any reason to get beat up.  The next morning with light winds we sailed across the Sound and continued motoring down the Alligator River and through the Alligator/Pungo canal anchoring for the night in Slade Creek. somewhere we hadn't been before.  The next morning after the fog burned off we continued to Broad Creek.  We moved up the creek and tied up at Donna and Jerry's (Bluejacket) dock to continue preparing.

Cori has her sewing machine out and is doing some repair to the canvas and headsail and I have been working through a list of small projects.  We have made several trips to town for provisions and supplies getting things organized for the upcoming trip.  We will be stopping off at Clubfoot Creek to pick up a number of things we have had shipped there and pick up Cori's kayak that she left there.

We don't know how soon we will be leaving for the Bahamas, it will depend on the weather.  Our plan is to move to Florida then make the jump across to the Abacos and spend Christmas and New Years there.  From there we will move down the Islands with plans to spend time in the island group called The Raggeds.  We plan to return to the States around April or May.

We Closed the Circle

We closed the circle.  We are back in Clubfoot Creek where we started the season.

With a forecast of fair weather and winds that would last four to five days and our check-out papers stamped we left the dock on Sunday afternoon at high tide and started our way back to the states.  We had a nice sail to Powell Cay where we started the motor and went out the cut into the ocean.  We were greeted by a pod of dolphins.  We had a number of waypoints to follow provided by our weather forecaster and we started off to our first waypoint just as the sun was setting.  With light winds almost on the nose we adjusted our course but soon found we would be traveling too slow and far off of our planned line.  We again started the motor and adjusted course to the waypoint.  We continued through the night and the next day.  The winds shifted to be off our stern and was not strong enough to keep the sails full so we continued motoring.  We continued on our course experiencing some eddies off the gulf stream slowing us down into the 4 knot range instead of the 5-6 we were traveling. Wednesday we got into the gulf stream and our speed jumped up to 6-7 knots and we were able to sail giving the motor a rest.  We also took advantage of the conditions to transfer the diesel we were carrying in jerry jugs to the main tank.  We were not sure if we would have enough fuel to motor all the way.  Around 11:00 pm the winds died off, we were out of the gulf stream and we had to motor again.  Thursday morning at 10:00 am we arrived in Beaufort NC and dropped anchor in the harbor.  We went for lunch with Donna and Jerry from Bluejacket who had arrived from the Bahamas the day before.  Friday we spent on the boat recovering from the trip and checking on some problems.  Saturday morning we pulled anchor and motored up the ICW catching a rising tide.  Once into the Neuse River we continued on to Clubfoot Creek and anchored off the marina.  The circle was closed.

We left November 8th and  traveled a total of 2244 nautical miles or 2582 statute or land miles which is about the distance from New York to London.  We visited several islands that we had not been to before and plan to go back.  We met up with many of our friends from previous years, made a lot of new friends and met many of the locals.  Once again the Bahamians demonstrated that they are the most friendly and welcoming people on earth and we are looking forward to returning next winter.

So what is the plan?  We are going to spend a little time in North Carolina sorting out what we need to keep on the boat and what goes to storage.  From here we will move up to the Chesapeake and get hauled out for the summer.  We plan on spending the summer in South Dakota working on the property and cabin we bought.  

I have never mentioned it but if you click on the pictures they will enlarge to full size.

Back at Green Turtle Cay

We are back in the Abaco's at Green Turtle Cay where we were for Christmas.

We left Hog Cay in the Jumentos Islands, stopping at Nurse Cay.  We went ashore and hiked to the ocean side and when we got back to the anchorage we started looking for conch.  We added five more to our freezer after Cori cleaned them.  In the morning we pulled anchor and sailed to Water Cay but only stayed the night since it was rolling more than we like.  In the morning we pulled anchor and sailed through  the shallow banks to Calabash Bay on Long Island.  Once again we were someplace we had not been.  The bay at Calabash has a reputation for the swell to cause rolling but it wasn't too bad that day.  As pretty as the bay was we decided to move on to find a protected anchorage from a weather front that was forecast to be moving in.  We left in the morning to sail to Cat Island.  Again the winds started light and by the time we arrived at Old Bight it was blowing 20 knots.  In the morning we went ashore and walked up to the community, stopping at the bakery for treats and a loaf of coconut bread, at the small grocery store Cori checked if they had any lettuce which they didn't, and checked out the straw market next door.  After learning how to make simple baskets we now appreciate how much work these ladies put into their crafts.  On the way back it started to rain so we stopped at a take-away shop for lunch and to get out of the rain.  While we were waiting a van pulled up and asked if we needed any produce, and he had the lettuce Cori was looking for.  In the evening we went ashore to join the other cruisers in an impromptu beach party.  The resort we were in front of, Rollezzz Beach Resort, hosted us with a bonfire, several snacks and a local musician.  In the morning we moved up the bay to New Bight.  There is a new laundromat and Cori took advantage of it getting a months worth of laundry done.  I was running low on gasoline for the outboards and generator so I took several jerry jugs to shore to fill at the gas station.  I got thirteen gallons, after adding the Value Added Tax (sales tax) the total was $138.00, the most I have ever paid for fuel.  Everything is expensive since it has to be shipped in.  The major attraction at New Bight is the Hermitage.  This a small chapel and living quarters that Father Jerome built on the highest point in the Bahamas.  It is all hand-built with local stone and includes a path with the Stations of the Cross built from rock and cement.

After the climb we stopped for lunch and beers at the beach.  In the late afternoon our friends on Wabi Sabi arrived.  The next morning we joined with them for another hike to the Hermitage this time stopping to check out the cave Father Jerome lived in while building the facility.  Again we stopped for lunch and beers at the small beach bar/restaurants.  

The next morning we planed an early start to continue on our way.  After starting the engine I noticed the alternator was not working.  I found that the cable leading to the batteries was corroded.  After cutting it back and replacing the connector we were off.  It is often said that cruising is "repairing boats in exotic places."  We started off to Little San Salvador in light winds that continued to rise until it was blowing around 20 knots. Little San Salvador is a stop for Carnival Cruise ships to let people off to play on the beach.  There was a cruise ship there when we arrived and anchored.  The location we were at was unprotected from the swell and we were being bounced around a lot.  After the ship left we moved closer to the shore and got a bit more protection for the night.  The next morning we pulled anchor early and got underway to Rock Sound on Eleuthera Island as another cruise ship moved in.  We had another day of sailing with winds 15-20 from behind with the seas building to four foot.  We have been able to sail for several days.  The weather forecast was for a front to come through with strong north winds and this is the ideal place to ride it out.  About twenty other boats had the same idea but there is room for many more.  Again, Wabi Sabi joined the crowd and we spent several days ashore with them and Steve from Jade whom we met at Cat Island.  We spent five days here and then moved up the island to the Glass Window to stage for the next leg.  It was dead calm as we motored all day running the water-maker to fill the tanks.  

The next morning we pulled the anchor at sunrise to be at Current Cut timing it for slack tide and going through the cut with minimum current.  From there we raised the mizzen, a reefed main and the headsail and started of to Little Harbor in the Abaco's, a trip of 73 miles.  The winds started at 10 knots and topped off at 20 knots when we arrived at Lynyard Cay for the night, arriving just as the sun set.  The next day we hung out on the boat resting, cooking and doing some light maintenance.  After our day off we motored a winding path through the shoals to Elbow Cay and taking a mooring in Hopetown.  We were soon visited by friends that had seen us coming in.  Saturday was Farmers Market day and while there we ran into our friends from Sammy Don't, another Pearson 424, that we had met three years ago in Granada.  Sunday we dropped the mooring and started out sailing to Green Turtle Cay.  About half-way there the skies darkened and we got hit with a squall with rain and winds in the high 30's.  Once we got the sails down and everything under control we continued on motoring to Green Turtle.  We planned to go into Black Sound but it was at low tide so we anchored.  The next morning we moved into the sound and tied up at Donny's Marina where we had started in December.

We have been here on the dock for several days checking out the changes in town, helping at the marina, enjoying going out for a few meals and visiting with the other cruisers.

Today is Friday April 8th and we have just come back from meeting with the Customs official to check out o the country.  The forecast is for several days of good weather and we are hoping to take advantage of it and make a run to North Carolina.  If it works out it will be a four day run.

Our sign in the Tiki Hut on Hog Island

The Tiki Hut on Hog Island in the Raggeds

Now in the Ragged Islands/Jumentos

 We are now in the Ragged Islands, the southern part of the Jumentos. These islands are small and uninhabited except for the one settlement of Duncan Town on Ragged Island.  We were here two years ago when we were returning from the Caribbean and the Covid Pandemic was causing borders to shut down.  It is good to be back.  But how did we get here?

We were in Royal Sound on Eleuthera and planned to go to George Town on Great Exuma Island.  We pulled anchor in the afternoon and motored out to Exuma Sound by sunset.  We hoisted the headsail and the mizzen expecting winds up to 20 knots.  It was a rough trip through the night but by sunrise we had reached the cut that would lead us into Elizabeth Harbor and the anchorages at George Town.  We arrived at the cut just as a supply boat was approaching so we followed them through the convoluted channel.  Once in the harbor we dropped anchor at the first available spot and crashed for the rest of the day. It had been another tiring overnight trip.   In the afternoon our friends Mike and Mary, friends from Mathews Point Marina, stopped over to say Hello. The next day was very windy so we stayed on the boat relaxing.  Thursday we launched the dinghy and made a run into George Town getting very wet on the way.  In town we dropped off our garbage, hit the grocery store and checked out the straw market.  On the way back to the boat we stopped at Chat and Chill which is a bar and meeting area across the harbor.  We met a number of other cruisers, had a beer and checked out the activities.  We stopped at Mike and Mary's boat for a visit then back to Hi Flite for the night.  The next day the winds dropped and we went ashore and followed a path to the ocean side feeling good about getting off the boat.  On Saturday we went to Chat and Chill for a "Treasures of the Bilge"  sale where boaters bring in things they want to get rid of.  I got another rope to make a rug and Cori picked up some fabric.  From there we crossed back to George Town to buy more gasoline for the outboards and generator.  They also have a water hose at the dock and we filled jerry jugs with water.  Back at the boat we pulled anchor and moved two miles down the harbor and re-anchored.  We were closer to town and were preparing to move on.  First we made two more trips to town for more water then dinghied around checking out this part of the harbor.  Sunday the winds kicked up so we took care of some boat projects and later made a last trip into Chat and Chill for a beer and conch salad.  Elizabeth Harbor is large, the official count that day was 304 boats.

Monday morning, 2/7/22, we pulled anchor and headed off to Thompson Bay on Long Island, a new island for us.  The winds were contrary and we ended up motoring almost all of the way.   Our friends on Tilt came by to fill us in with information about the island.  Later we went ashore and followed their directions to a path to the ocean side.  We spent a bit of time beach-combing and then back tot he boat.  The next day was windy, rainy and rough so we spent the day on the boat.  The next day we transferred the diesel we were carrying in jerry jugs into the main tank and made several trips to town for more fuel topping off before we would leave the next day.  We also made a trip to the grocery store to pick up last minute provisions.

There was a break in the weather and we took advantage of it to move on into the Jumentos.  The Jumentos are a chain of uninhabited islands, except for one, that are near the bottom of the Bahamas Islands.  We were able to sail the entire day arriving at Flamingo Cay before sunset.  After several attempts to set the anchor we were finally down for the night.  In the morning, after getting the weather repot at 6:30, we pulled anchor and continued on to Buena Vista Cay.  The next morning we went ashore and hiked across tot he ocean side.  In the afternoon we motored down to Hog Cay where the others cruisers were gathering for the annual Valentine Party put on by the locals from Duncan Town.  In the late afternoon we joined some of the others for evening sundowners, a tradition here.  On Monday Cori attended a basket weaving class and I worked on making a mat from some rope I salvaged from a beach.  Again we joined the others for sundowners.  The next day was windy and rainy so we spent the day on the boat.  The next day Cori was off to the beach on the ocean side and I worked on the rope mat then sat in on a basket weaving class, finishing the day off with sundowners on the beach.  The rest of the week was more of the same and helping prepare for the party.  Saturday was the party and there were a lot of boats in attendance along with locals.  The locals along with the cruisers have built a thatched roof hut for our use and that is where everything happens.  There was a lot of food provided and prepared by the locals and then an auction of things donated by the cruisers to benefit the local school.  At present there is one little girl living in town but the feeling is if they can get the school running and a teacher hired more people will move back to the island.  The next day we debated moving the boat or dinghying down to Southside Bay which is between Ragged and Little Ragged Islands.  We opted to go in the dinghy which was about a fifteen mile round trip.  We had good luck with conch last time we were here but this time we were nearly skunked only bringing back three.  We spent the week hiking trails, walking beaches and learning basket weaving.  One of the cruisers had put in a request to the locals for a goat and on Thursday it was delivered.  Being too large for one couple it was divided up with cooking instructions and brought to shore for an impromptu party.  The goat was finished cooking at the firepit and sides and deserts were supplied by the other boats.  A good time was had by all.

Many of the boats were leaving the anchorage and we decided to move down to Southside Bay for a couple of days.  The next day, Sunday, we launched the dinghy and went down to Little Ragged Cay.  We had been given the location of a trail across the island and walked the beaches to the bottom of the island.  At this point the next island was Cuba sixty miles away.  The anchorage turned out to be a little more rolling then we like so we pulled anchor the next day and moved past Hog Cay to Double Breasted Cay.  We were anchored by noon and then took the dinghy out looking for conch.  We found a lot of young one but only a couple of keepers.  The next day we went looking for conch and checked out the beaches on the next island. Later we hiked a trail on Double Breasted Cay to the ocean side to check out those beaches.

The weather forecast was calling for strong winds over the weekend so we pulled anchor and moved back to Hog Cay to ride it out.  We spent the next couple of days hiking the trails, walking the beaches, learning how to basket weave and drinking at sundown.  A number of boats showed up to ride out the blow including our friends Mike and Mary.  The winds have been blowing over 20 knots for several days but we have been able to get off the boat most days.  Once on shore we are protected from the wind.  The other day I stayed on the boat after taking Cori ashore to take care of some maintenance and Ali from Wabi Sabi gave Cori a ride back.  Later she stopped by to drop off two lobster tails for us.  We haven't had local lobster in many years.  We have also been joining them and several others on beach clean-up.  The beaches on the ocean side are littered with trash that washes up, most of it plastic, and we have been gathering it to be burned.  It's not the best solution but something has to be done with it.

The forecast is calling for high winds again this weekend so we decided to stay for another week.  We hiked more of the trails, combed more beaches and when the winds died  down we joined another cruiser snorkeling in the cut between islands looking for conch.  He was better at finding them than I was but he was kind enough to share.  We now have some conch meat in the freezer and several more conch shells.  The winds kicked up over the weekend as forecast but we are in a well protected spot so we only experienced a little uncomfortable rolling as we listened to the wind in the rigging.

We plan on starting back in the next couple of days hoping to visit several islands that we have not been to yet.  That's what has been happening here.

Valentines party food table

Valentines party

Sea beans, what we are searching the beaches for

Ali with a gift of lobsters

Some of the beans called "hamburgers" with a quarter for size reference

It's not all sunshine and fruity drinks with umbrellas. A squall that missed us

One of the disappointing realities, ocean side beaches are covered in trash, mostly plastic

The hazards of beaching the dinghy at high tide and coming back at low. We dragged it a long way until it floated and we could get in and start the motor

Abaco's to Eleuthera

 We have moved from Elbow Cay in the Abaco's to Eleuthera in the Exuma's.  The Bahamas are divided into various zones with the Abaco's in the north, Exuma's in the center and then the southern island group.  We have moved to the Exuma's, more particularly the Outer Islands.

After waiting out windy weather in Hopetown we dropped the mooring and headed out.  It was a bumpy ride motoring into 25 knot winds but soon we were able to turn and sail downwind to the Little Harbor area to prepare for the jump to Eleuthera.  That evening we were joined by the crew of Selah who are fellow Minnesotans for stories and drinks.  The next morning we were up at sunrise to make the sixty mile move to Eleuthera.  We needed to get an early start since we calculate our speed at six knots and therefore estimated a ten hour trip.  The weather apps were telling us we would have ten and three quarters hours of daylight and an early start was necessary to avoid arriving after dark.  We were able to sail half the distance using all the sails and even resorting to our spinnaker when the winds dropped to very light.  About two thirds of the way it was time to pull in the sails and start motoring.  We chose this day to move because the forecast was for even lighter winds the next day.  We arrived at the anchorage at Spanish Wells with plenty of time to spare before watching the sunset.  The next day we dinghied into town to check it out.  We had been here about five years ago so much of it was familiar.  One highlight was a visit to the Wood "N" Stuff Gallery.  It is a gallery showing off and selling the woodworking and art projects of the students at the school.  They do some interesting stuff and we had a nice visit with Austin, their teacher and the gallery manager.  Unfortunately we do not have room on board or we would have made a purchase.  I highly recommend a visit if you are in Spanish Wells.  We walked to the grocery store to buy a couple of things and were offered a ride back on a golf cart.  It turned out to be Bubba's wife and Bubba's was going to be our next stop for a beer and snack.  I also recommend a stop at Bubba's when visiting.

The next morning we pulled anchor and started off to Current Cut.  This cut between islands is narrow and has a strong current that switches direction as the tide changes.  It is advised to time your trip to coincide with what is called "slack time" which is the time between tidal changes when the current is changing.  We made the move through the cut with four other boats and continued on to The Glass Window.  Once anchored at the window we dinghied ashore to check it out.  Again, we had been here before but it was worth a revisit.  The Glass Window is an opening at a narrow point of the island but not completely open.  You can stand on the bridge and watch the surge from the ocean funnel into the cut and roll back out.  When the surf is high or during a storm it crashes through into the sound.  The amazing part is looking east to the deep blue of the ocean and then turning and looking at the calm turquoise waters of the sound.  There is also what is called a "blow hole" where the water is pushed into a cave and shoots up through a hole in the ceiling of the cave.  I have a video of it in our videos that you can visit.  Look for the link on the right side of this page.  Just be aware that because of the name "blow hole" YouTube has marked it as "Adult Content" which I find amusing.

The next morning we pulled anchor and moved down to Alabaster Bay.  The cruising guides point out that there is excellent shelling here, especially sand dollars but we were not able to find much except some sea urchins.  Since the water near shore is so shallow I tend to anchor the dinghy out from shore and wade in.  As I got out and stated to shore I spotted a four foot shark swimming between me and the shore.  I don't know what type it was but it didn't seem interested in me as it swam away.  We spent the next day on the boat hoping for winds to sail down to Rock Sound Harbor.  While waiting we dropped the headsail, started the generator, set up the sewing machine on deck and took care of some sail repair.  Next day we had an enjoyable spinnaker run to Rock Sound.  We anchored off of the Frigate Restaurant and were able to use their dock when going ashore.  Cori was able to get some laundry done at the laundromat while I ran the generator to charge the batteries and run the water-maker.  We did some sightseeing around the town, running into the family on Unplugged at the Ocean Hole.  This is a deep pond that has an underground connection to the sound and is a popular spot to snorkel, view and feed fish.  The weather forecast was calling for high winds over the weekend so we, along with all of the other boats in the harbor moved across to the west side to be protected when the winds kicked up.  Friday evening it started and blew into Sunday but with winds only reaching 25 knots with gusts to 30.

We are now busy getting ready for the next move.  We plan to leave in the afternoon and make an overnight trip to Georgetown on Great Exuma Island.  Georgetown is a very popular location where many (hundreds) of cruisers spend the season.  We have not been there yet and it has always been on out list of stops to check out.

Sound side

Ocean side

Green Turtle Cay and Hopetown

 We are spending a little time in Hopetown.

We spent several days at Powell Cay doing some beach walking and hiking.  I must have gotten into something poisonous because I had what felt like small bites on my leg and it progressed to a series of itchy bumps that turned red and took several weeks to get back to normal.  Otherwise it was a good time.  While walking the beach I recovered a piece of rope that had washed up and I had plans for it.  We left Powell and moved back to Manjack Cay.  While walking these beaches I recovered several more ropes with plans for them also.  It seems that fishing boats lose nets and lines fairly often judging by the debris on the beaches.  We planed on spending Christmas at Green Turtle and after several days we moved back and tied up on Donny's dock again.  Our new neighbor at the dock was from New Bern and we found we had many friends and acquaintances in common.  

New Plymouth, the settlement on Green Turtle, was decorated for Christmas and were about to start their traditional morning caroling.  They have a tradition of welcoming the Spirit of Christmas by gathering before sunrise and go about the town singing Christmas carols accompanied by several drums.  We, along with several other cruisers joined them in the festivities.  I went the first and last day, Cori went every morning, I'm not much of a morning person.  While sitting on the boat at Manjack I started weaving a rope into a rope rug and finished it at the dock.  It now greets you at the door of the showers at Donny's docks.  We helped Donny with several projects around the yard and docks, they are still recovering from hurricane Dorian two years ago.  There are a lot of changes to the town and island from the hurricane and recovery will take a long time.  It was interesting hearing their stories.  Christmas Eve we did a few projects on the boat.  I made a rug from an old line Donny was going to throw away.  Christmas Day we took it easy.  The next day Cori was able to go deep water fishing and I had a lazy day on the boat.  We went to several of the beaches while here and are somewhat disappointed that we are not finding as many shells as we had previous years.  We did find the ice cream shop which is very reasonable priced for the largest single scoop cup we have found.  Several trips were made.  We also attended several fundraisers put on by people trying to raise money to rebuild after the hurricane.  We also attended the Christmas Festival where Santa Claus makes his appearance.  New Providence is a sister city to Key West, Florida.  Their is a foundation formed that helps support the community.  The citizens for Key West send presents for the children and this year there was supposed to be a group of children from Key West that were coming over to present the presents.  Due to the Pandemic that was canceled but the presents were sent.  At the end of the festival Santa arrived on the back of a firetruck donated by Key West, their firetruck was destroyed in the hurricane.  Santa handed out presents to every child there and the looks on their faces as they showed off the packages was priceless.  We also noticed that the presents were not unwrapped but taken home to be unwrapped at Christmas.

On Monday, the 27th, we left catching the high tide to move down to Hopetown on Elbows Cay.  To get there we had to go out around Whale Cay into the ocean then through a pass back into the Sea of Abaco.  If conditions are not good it can be a very uncomfortable ride.  We stopped at Spoil Cay for the night and went beachcombing in the morning.  Later we moved down to Man O War Cay and anchored off the north end of the island.  We dinghied into town to check it out and compare it to our memories from pre-Dorian.  They are making headway on recovery but have a long way to go.  The next day we moved down to Hopetown and anchored outside the harbor near the lighthouse.  We hung out here for several days taking the dinghy into town to act like tourists and visit with friends there.

New Years Eve we pulled anchor and on the high tide we moved into the harbor and took a mooring back in out favorite corner.  We have been hanging out here visiting with friends and other cruisers.  Our friends Lee and Cheryl from Martha's Vineyard are here and we have been spending a bit of time with them.  We have been wandering about the island, spending some time on the beaches and checking out the changes.  We have had several days of high winds and are due for several more this week.

Once the cold fronts let up we are planning to continue further south.

Line and nets washed up on shore, There is a lot of this.

Asking the eternal question: WHY?