Back in the U.S, Back in the U.S, Back in the U.S. of A.

Friday 1st April
It’s a day to move on and make a big hop over to the north of the Berry islands.  Since leaving Spanish Wells at night would be tricky and there’s a closer jump-off point, we fuel and watered up and headed for Royal Island.

Royal Island is under private development but it was still possible to go ashore with Buddy one last time before getting some sleep.

Saturday 2nd April
Neither of our alarms functioned but fortunately we had left the radio on and  Bilbo hailed us at quarter to two in the morning and it was soon up anchor and off through the narrow rocky exit (in the pitch dark - intimidating).

Not enough wind to sail – as per usual.  After 15 hours and 74 miles we drop anchor off the western side of Great Harbour Cay.

Sunday 3rd April
Took a dinghy ride into Great Harbour and the marina.  Friendly place, they gave us the Internet key and offered us a discount on docking.

Monday 4th April
The waves are building from the south and we have no protection so we decide to head into the marina.
Inside the incredibly well protected harbor there’s quite a setup with dockominiums (condominiums with their own dock) lining one side and the marina and facilities on the other.

We met more Italian circumnavigators: Marco and Deborah and had a happy hour aboard their boat, Kiribati, after taking dinghy ride and walk to the stores.  Not a whole lot available on Great Harbour Cay.
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Tuesday 5th April
We’re glad we’re in the marina.

The wind is quite strong and in the totally wrong direction for anchoring out. 

Just as we head over to Kiribati again for an Italian supper, a thunderstorm rolls through with torrential rain.
We had great supper with lots of food and much wine.

As you can’t really see our hosts in the picture above here they are:

Wednesday 6th April
We’re all still in the marina and surprise, they have manatees in the Bahamas too.

They came up to the dock (there were three of them) looking for water.

Once they get that water hose they don’t quit.

Unfortunately these big gentle creatures should stay well away from humans.  It’s rare to see an older one that isn’t damaged by a boat propeller.

One of our fellow boaters went for a swim with them.

It’s happy hour aboard Bilbo this time.

Thursday 7th April
Time to move out of the marina ready to make another long night-time hop. We had an early supper and tried to get some sleep.

10:30 pm and we’re up and by 11 we’re heading out.

Friday 8th April
As usual, the sails are up but the engine on and it took twelve and half hours of rocking and rolling to get to Lucaya, Grand Bahama and a quiet little anchorage inside the Bell Channel.
After a couple of hours sleep we are ready to go again and we go for the fish fry at a nearby marina – very good and we get to see Kiribati again.

Saturday 9th April
Lucaya has a real supermarket so we took a walk there and a bus ride back to re-provision.
It’s Rejeanne’s birthday so we all go out for supper at an Irish Pub (?) and have fish and chips – Lucaya really caters to tourists.

Sunday 10th April
On the way to the supermarket the day before, we had met Patricia from Nova Scotia and we got invited to drop by her and her husband’s (Mark) boat, Morning Tide, for a chat.  This we did and left with a promise to visit them when we are in the Maritimes later this year.

Monday 11th April
Went down to the beach near the tourist area which is right opposite the apartment block we stayed in five years ago.

I had a swim in the lovely cool sea but black clouds were rolling in so we returned to boat.

Tuesday 12th April
The day before John and Rejeanne had made arrangements to go to a time-share spiel and we’d agreed to join them.

We were a little apprehensive about the whole thing as we know what high pressure tactics they use to persuade you to buy.

Turns out we were Christy’s very first customers and she was way more nervous than we were.  She was a really nice person and we enjoyed talking to her.

 

 We got a free breakfast first were we just talked about ourselves and our lifestyle which I’m sure isn’t that typical.  Then we took a look at the apartments and the facilities – really, really nice.

They have their own beach,

restaurants, swimming pools etc.

Then their sales stuff began but we deflected the pitch by saying we really wouldn’t use a timeshare right now in our lives.

However, we thought (and John and Rejeanne agreed with us) that it’s actually not that bad a deal, the advantage being that you can ‘buy’ time in resorts all over the world at a very reasonable rate.

So we picked up our free T-shirts and $50 restaurant meal coupon and headed back to the boat.
That night we headed off with John and Rejeanne and our coupons for our Spanish Fusion meal at the Agave Restaurant and it was very good.

Wednesday 13th April
Lucaya has a famous Wednesday night fish-fry which takes place a walk along the beach from where we are anchored.  And when they deep fry fish for these things it’s the whole fish, head, tail and all.
We had fun with all the other tourists (and locals).

Thursday 14th April
A day just hanging on the boat.

Friday 15th April
Another trip to the City Market and then over to Bilbo for a weather pow-wow about leaving.

Saturday 16trh April
Our private anchorage is no more; three more boats arrive.  One from Quebec and two from France.

We thought we may have seriously insulted one of the boats.  He anchored too close and Carol yelled “Vous ete trop proche!”  Turns out proche sound a lot like poche which means something else entirely.

Sunday 17th April
We had breaksfast in Lucaya to look at the weather on the Internet and discuss departure.  We all decide early tomorrow is it.   So we head back to the boat and prepare for departure, eat early and go to bed a 7.

Monday 18th April
By 3 am we’re heading out into the ocean and towards the Gulf Stream.  It’s a full moon and almost like daylight.  Sails are up but the engines are running.

It was rolly, but not too bad.  However, we’ve had enough of these long crossings.  They’re so deadly boring.  The engine makes conversation difficult and the boat motion makes reading or anything like that not an option plus one has to be paying attention all the time for passing cruise and cargo ships.
However, even unpleasant things come to an end and we’re heading towards the Lake Worth inlet with thunderstorms on either side of us but magically it hardly even rains on us while we anchor.

After a celebratory drink and munchies aboard Incognita, we all hit the sack early.

Tues 19th April
First item on our agenda back in the US is to clear customs and immigration and renew our cruising permits.
It’s a dinghy ride to Riviera Beach Marina and then a short walk and an hour so later we’re done and having brunch at the marina restaurant.  Blackened mahi-mahi – yum!

Back to the boats and then up to North Lake Worth where there’s a Publix!!!

Wending our way back north (and a little bit East)

Blog according to Carol:

Saturday, March 12th
Took a dinghy ride to Emerald Rock just south of the park headquarters.  John and Lynton snorkeled  whilst Rejeanne and I walked a trail to look at some ruins. 

The path was very tortuous and rocky, so we turned back as soon as we came across the ruins.

Sunday, March 13th
The time change took us all by surprise.  I thought it always occurred around the end of the month.

We decided to walk another trail on the island where we saw an interesting interplay in a shallow tongue of water.  A small light grey ray, surrounded by an entourage of small fish, was intent on trying to dig itself into a hole.  However, this was obviously the territory of a small, feisty crab about 2 inches in diameter and kept taking a run at the ray.  The ray finally lumbered off, but its entourage then went after the crab until it took off.  High drama!

Monday, March 14th
John was now suffering from a pulled muscle round his ribs – a result of the mooring ball debacle.  So today we left him to recover and went over to a beach with Marilyn and Victor from “Whisper”.  The waves were choppy and the dinghies tried to dislodge themselves a couple of times.
Then back to “Bilbo” to have a weather pow-wow.  It looks as though Thursday will be the best day to leave.

Tuesday, March 15th
Ate something I shouldn’t have done and now I must think about starting  the antibiotic treatment (groan!).
Our friends, Mike and Judy, on “Sea Sharp” just arrived yesterday, so Lynton went snorkeling with them.
There was a special happy hour on the beach at 5:00 p.m.

Buddy came along too where he enthralled a little girl.  She was missing her dog back home.

Wednesday, March 16th
Not a very nice day – dark grey clouds, windy and threatening rain.  The high spot was an evening aboard Sea Sharp .

By the way, we did get a whole lot sillier later on – dancing to the oldies.

Thursday, March 17th
Left Warderick Wells around 7:00 a.m.  The day turned out to be sunny and the wind pretty good.  We arrived at Rock Sound in Eleuthera mid-afternoon and anchored in a large bay.

Friday, March 18th
Went to the local supermarket to stock up again on groceries.  We were getting pretty low as there is nothing at Warderick Wells – not even a water supply.

Went to the local tikki hut with a view of boats in the harbour

for a happy hour drink (non-alcoholic for me of course due to the anti-biotics) as they had been very helpful in giving info about the town etc.  (Have to pump funds into the local economies sometimes!!).

Saturday, March 19th
Went to the local farmers’ market and bought a few vegetables.  A restful day for me for me after that while Lynton got connected to the internet.

The wind is supposed to pick up tomorrow (around 26 knots) and then decrease after one day.  It has been very quiet here up to now, with just the roosters waking us up at around 4:00 a.m.!!

Blog according to Lynton:

20-Mar-11 – Sun
That wind built just like ‘Windfinder’ said it would – don’t know how they do it but that Windfinder is the best way of predicting weather (apologies to any Chris Parker fans).

We all took a walk ashore and visited Ocean Hole Park in the town.  Ocean holes are inland lakes that are fed directly with seawater through tunnels.

Monday, 21st March
It’s a cloudy day with strong winds so it’s a day for boat chores like getting more water and diesel.

Tuesday 22nd March
The wind has dropped (as predicted) so time for a bit of shopping with John and Rejeanne – Carol definitely isn’t feeling so good.

In the afternoon I accompanied John and Rejeanne and we visited the local caves.  They’re not as extensive as the ones on Long Island but certainly have their own character.

The more amazing thing there is the tree roots that come down through holes in the rock above and drop tens of feet to the floor of the cave and carry on digging into earth.

Wednesday  23rd March
Time to move on further up the coast of Eleuthera.

We had very little wind so we motored all the way to Hatchett Bay and Alice Town.
I took a walk around the town with John and Rejeanne and we stopped for Internet and a beer with a view of the very well protected harbour.

Thursday 24th March
Up before light we negotiated the (very) narrow exit

out of Hatchett Bay in the early morning light to try and reach Current Cut at slack tide.  We made very good time motor-sailing all the way but still had to battle over 3 knots of current to get through.  3 knots doesn’t sound much unless you only go about five and a half – you lose your ability to steer properly - scary stuff!

Once through the cut we roared on our downwind motor-sail.  Our GPS log says we hit 8.2 knots along the way.

We arrived in Spanish Wells off the northern tip of Eleuthera at mid-day and as there were no available moorings (there’s only 8) we checked into the Yacht Haven marina.  Showers, laundry and free Wi-Fi – woo hoo!

Carol went off right away to the clinic to see a doctor where she was given more antibiotics.  The visit plus the drugs - $34 – that’s cheap, not even worth claiming.

The ladies got going on the mountain of laundry.

Friday 25th March
One mooring has become available and John was ready to go get it.  We rented a golf cart to take the ladies shopping before they left.



Bilbo left and we settled in for another night in the marina – not so bad at all.

Saturday 26th March
Another mooring has become available so we settle up at the marina and head the ½ mile down the cut to the mooring field.

We then got to see the waterfront there which is much more like something you would see in the US than the Bahamas with many fishing boats.

In the afternoon I went for a dinghy ride up the cut to the ocean at the other end of the two islands that seem to be referred to generally as Spanish Wells.  I bought what I thought was some fresh grouper (over 2lbs).  However, it certainly made me feel very bad during the night.

Sunday 27th March
Buddy’ coat was getting thick again and he was panting all the time so I got out the old clippers and gave him another amateur cut.  After a bath too he really looked comical.

Monday 28th March
I was supposed to have gone on the fast ferry to Harbour Island with John and Rejeanne but at the last minute someone told me that if I left the dinghy where I thought I had safely tied it up it would be squashed by the ferry.  It was good I heeded the warning because they were sooo right. 

The dinghy would have been crushed by that big underwater thingy and the dock.
By the time I put it in a safe place the gangplank was up and they wouldn’t let me on – sigh!  I got my fair back and John and Rejeanne, although they enjoyed it said I didn’t miss a whole lot.

Tuesday 29th March
Needed propane so I took a dinghy ride to the closest point and then got a ride from Dennis (never found out his last name) who ferried me to the propane place, the supermarket, back to the propane place and back to the dinghy in his golf cart.  Saved me a lot of lugging a propane tank for some distance.

Wednesday 30th March
Just pottering around the boat.

Thursday 31st March
Another trip to the clinic with Carol who is still under the weather.  But she felt better after seeing the doctor.
We had a pow wow with Bilbo and tomorrow we are heading out and a big long trip to Great Harbour Cay.