Spanish Cay to Florida

We dropped the lines at Spanish Cay at 9 o'clock on Wednesday morning and set off on our long journey home. Our goal for the day was a forty five mile trip to Great Sale Cay where we would stay overnight before going on to Memory Rock on the Bahama Bank. We arrived mid afternoon and dropped anchor in the cove close to the shore for protection from the building wind. Bill and Linda on Ceili arrived shortly after us and anchored next to us. Before dark there were 12 boats in the anchorage. Great Sale is a jumping off spot for boats coming from the US to the Bahamas or on the way back from the Islands. Bill and Linda dropped their dingy and joined Jane and I for a steak dinner on board Kinvara. We were celebrating a wonderful few months in a beautiful area of the world and our good fortune to be able to enjoy it on our boats.
We woke on Thursday morning to inclement weather and after talking to Chris Parker my weather router we decided to stay in Great Sale for another day. We spent the day reading and listening to our trusted Sirius radio.  No one should own a boat without it. We got a perfect reception all through the Islands for the past 3 months.

The Captain



The Admiral



Friday morning we departed at about 8 o'clock for the anchorage at Memory Rock which is on the Banks about 10 miles north of West End on the North West end of Grand Bahama. The conditions deteriorated during the day and by the time we reached the anchorage we were been tossed around in 4 foot seas and blown by 15 to 20 Kt. winds. Not good conditions to anchor in but we had no where to go and no land in sight so we dropped the hook and settled in for the night. Ceili and one other boat joined us before dark. One boat could not deal with the conditions so they decided to get underway during the night and cross the Gulf Stream back to the US. Their boat was smaller than ours and they had two young children on board. Why should we worry when you see that kind of bravery?  Our night was not pleasant. First we slowly dragged anchor at about 10.30 and we had to re-set the anchor in adverse conditions. Neither of us slept well. We slept in the cockpit most of the night fully dressed in case we had to get underway quickly. We got through the night and hauled anchor at 6 o'clock and headed out into the Stream. The conditions changed for the better and for the next six or seven hours we had a very pleasant motor sail westbound to the good old USA. The last few hours in the Stream got a little bumpy with seas getting up to four feet with winds to 18 at times. We hit 10 knots about an hour before we exited the Stream! We were flying! What a sight seeing the buildings on the US coast gradually showing up on the horizon at mid afternoon. By 3:30 we were motoring into the Fort Pierce Inlet and on our way up the ICW to Vero Beach.

We picked up our mooring at 6PM and made a few quick phone calls to the girls and to the US Customs and Imigration Dept. to check back into the US.  We showered and quickly dropped the dingy and motored over to a shore side restaurant for a Guinness and some Corn Beef and Cabbage to celebrate good old St. Patrick. Sleep came quickly when we returned to the boat and we forgot all about the challenges of the previous night.

It is good to be back in the US. We had a wonderful adventure and we appreciate every day we have together in beautiful places. We have lost some very close friends over the past few months and we understand every day how precious life is and how we should not waste even one minute of it. Al, Frances, Kendra, Betty, Paul and our precious Pretzel we will never forget you. Sleep well.




Spanish Cay (again!)

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Bill and Linda Daley and Peter

When we first arrived in the Bahamas to check in we went to Spanish Cay to watch the Patriots playoff game. On our return trip to the US we arrived in Spanish Cay again today. There has been a lot more work done to repair hurricane Irene damage. the store and dining rooms have been repainted, the beaches cleaned, and the exterior repainted. Their seasonal rates go up on March 15th so we squeek under the wire. We are again paying $1 per ft per night. After docking Peter went to do laundry and Jane walked to the ocean side beach with Linda. After they returned we all went into the pool and hottub...with a drink special, Spanish Fly. What fun. We are now all showered, enjoying snacks and drinks watching the sunset....right from the cockpit of our boat. We hope to leave tomorrow for Great Sale Cay. We will have no internet for 2-4 days depending upon when we cross the gulf stream. Sad to leave the Bahamas but looking forward to getting home.

Two days in Green Turtle Cay

Our first day, Sunday, we stayed on board all day. the wind was blowing 25 gusting to 30k and it rained on and off. It was difficult to even get off the boat. So we spent the day reading, blogging, and planning for our return trip. We did get off at night to have a delicious dinner at the restaurant.

 On Monday the wind was still pretty gusty so we rented a golf cart to drive into the town, New Plymouth. If we had taken the dingy it would have been a wet ride. We stopped in Green Turtle in January only for 1 overnight so today we wanted to see the town. It really is charming with very English overtones. We stopped into the grocery store to refresh the larder for the next week or so then did a little fun shopping.  We found a model ship builder on a side lane where he displayed beautiful ships models in all sizes. Look what else we found there!! This is a little 3yr old female who is a little too fat but adorable just the same. We both got a little doggy fix.


Peter and boat builder

 Peter bought a model of a traditional Abaco craft and we had to return at 4PM to collect it. We also did some shopping in a little gift store and walked the wild Atlantic beach side for shells. On our return trip to the marina Jane spotted a large wild pig crossing the road as well as lots of chickens along the side.


We had our last dinner out at the marina with Bill and Linda so we have literally 'eaten' our dock fees!

Restaurant built around this very old tree

Picnic anyone?

Love the street signs!



Stairway to????



Wouldn't want to end up here!

Great Guana Cay to Green Turtle Cay

We took advantage of the clear and calm morning on Friday and dropped our mooring ball at 6:50.
It was quite a surprise to actually see our mooring clearly under the water!

Besides the ever present fear of crossing back over the Gulf Stream the passage through 'The Whale' was #2 on the fear factor scale. The passage through was just four or five miles away but the anticipation built with every mile. We were in the company of Ceili our new buddy boat since Marsh Harbor a month ago. We have signed a pact in blood to return to the States together over the next week or two. Shortly after leaving our anchorage we were overtaken by a freighter who was also transiting The Whale so we dropped in behind its wake and followed its course all the way through the cut and on to Green Turtle Cay. Of course we could not match its speed but we kept it in sight figuring that if it ran aground we would high tail it out of there.

s/v Ceili

Bahamas freighter

 For the last mile or two we were in open ocean and we had swells ranging from 2 to 6 feet. A thought came into my head as we were transiting the passage: The Whale is like a marriage it has its ups and downs but once you commit to it you have to stick with it!!!!!!
An hour later we were tying up at the dock in White Sound in Green Turtle Cay. What a relief. We celebrated our successful passage by having a wonderful breakfast in the marina restaurant. Once again we are preparing the boat for another extended stay as the weather once again is heading down hill. If we have to sample one more Rum Punch we may never get back to the US.

Approaching Green Turtle Cay

Bluff House Marina lounge

Bluff house restaurant area
Love the woodwork!

Bar....from the inside.
It also opens to the outside pool area.

This marina has a special deal. If you eat in their restaurant the cost of the food is deducted from your daily docking fee. I guess we will be eating out a lot this week. They also have a special for next weekend, St Patricks Day, If you join them for their buffet you get docking free on Friday and Saturday. It looks like we will be toasting St. Patrick here and we will keep our fingers crossed for some better weather next week.

Hopetown to Great Guana Cay

This morning we dropped our mooring in Hopetown at 8AM. We had been there for 10 days due mostly to weather but enjoyed our extended visit. today we left just short of high tide to get out of the harbor and had a wonderful 10 mile sail to Great Guana cay. We turned the engine off, put out the main and jib, turned on our water maker, and just cruised for about 2.5 hours. We arrived at Great Guana Cay and picked up a mooring ball from Dive Guana for $20 per night. Within 30 minutes Bill and Linda picked us up in their dingy and we walked about 1/2 mile ti Nippers Bar. It is located on the Atlantic and they have a salt water pool, great ambiance, and a great frozen rum punch!! After drinks and lunch we went for a swim since the Atlantic was too rough to snorkel. After returning to the boat we went in the dingy about 2 miles to an island which is known to have lots of shells. The Island is called Spoil Island. It was formed when Disney excavated a channel into nearby Bakers bay for a stopover for their cruise line. The destination has since been abandoned by Disney but there is a private resort there now, very exclusive. Well it was a long ride and we were disappointed with the shell selection. The ride back was into the wind and waves so we got quite wet!
Tomorrow we leave at 7AM to pass through a dangerous section called "The Whale". We have to go outside the islands into the Atlantic for 2 miles and come back through a cut in the reef. It is dangerous to do in heavy winds and seas but tomorrow everything is suppose to calm down. We will post pictures for this blog tomorrow.

You can't miss Nipper's on the beach

Love this place

Peter looking over the Atlantic reef

A pirate theme..what else?

Linda and Jane

Nipper himself in the pool

Week 2 in Hope Town

Cascading Bougainvilleas

We have survived a big blow yesterday, Sunday 4th. We recorded winds of 30 during the afternoon and we believe the gusts got a little stronger around 9 or 10PM. We were monitoring the radio during the afternoon and heard a report that a gust measured at 79 to 80 was recorded in Grand Bahama. That scared us a little but the front causing those conditions passed us by. Today, Monday was hot cloudless and very very pleasant. What a difference a day makes. Chris Parker, our weather guru, has advised us to stay put here until later in the week so here we are and here we will stay. If we had to pick a location to spend a few weeks this would be it. It is the quintessential Bahamas. The beaches are wonderful, the streets and lanes are from 2 to 6 feet wide, the houses are a combination of every color under the sun and the flowers and shrubs are in bloom everywhere.

KINVARA on her mooring in paradise.

On one of the quaint lanes along the waterfront we found a wonderful coffee shop. The fact that KINVARA is tied up just a short distance away ads to the ambiance. We have had lunch and several coffee stops there during the last few days. The shop is on the second floor so there is a clear view of the harbor and the wonderful lighthouse which Hope Town is famous for.

KINVARA and the Lighthouse

Hope Town, Elbow Cay, Abacos

Yesterday, the last day of March we dropped the docklines in Marsh Harbor and started our 7 mile journey to Hope Town. This is a stop everyone says you can't miss.  It was a short trip and unfortunately the wind was directly on the bow making us unable to sail. We had to enter the harbor before high tide. the deep draft route is rather convoluted, heading you to shore south of the entrance with the lighthouse as a marker. Then you turn 90' to port and follow the coastline to the very narrow entrance. We entered 1 hour before high tide and saw 1.8' under us so that was not too bad. We followed our friends on s/v Ceili since this was their 4th trip into hope town. We picked up a first come first serve mooring and went ashore for lunch and a stroll around. This is a really lovely little town with pastel painted houses and lots of flowers blooming.

Another "Lover's Lane"

 The lighthouse is a famous landmark since it is 1 of 3 lighthouses left that are gas powered and lit each night by the keeper. The view from the stern of our boat is just beautiful!

This morning we went ashore and did a self tour of the lighthouse. It was only about 100 steps to the top. Once there you had to go through a small half doorway to get outside. The view from the observation deck was stunning. We never get tired of the color of the water here.


We had to crawl through this to get outside

Looking up inside the lighthouse.
Like the inside of a conch shell

Looking North

Looking East
Kinvara second boat from the left

Looking South

Part of the lens

The clock mechanism for the kerosene fired
light

 In the afternoon we split a golf cart rental with Bill and Linda,  just $50 for 24 hours, and we drove to the end of Elbow Cay to have a picnic on Tahiti Beach (no shells though) and stopped halfway back at Fireflies, a beach resort, restaurant, and bar.  After returning to the boat we decided to relax, read, and blog before dinner.


almost high tide





Just a man and his dog...
sailing home