Bimini to the Exumas. We are loving our Bahamian adventure. February 1-18

So as reported in the last post, we crossed the Gulf Stream to Bimini with Brigitte and Scott (Putz’n Around) and Carole and DeVere (Job Site) on Wednesday Feb 1.  It was an uneventful crossing with mostly 2 foot or less seas.  Arrived at the Bimini Blue Water Marina and checked in with immigration. 
Dolphin showing us the way.

Celebrated a successful crossing aboard Sum Escape with the group before retiring early as we have a long 100 mile day to Chub Cay in the Berry Islands on Thursday. 
Gee, I guess we could have come here to get our dental work done!

 Job Site led the way on Thursday and it was again quite calm, 2 footers maximum.  As we approached our anchorage we all exercised the diesels for a few minutes and knocked a few minutes off our otherwise 10.5 MPH or so trip.  Thanks so much for leading the way DeVere!  And thanks for waiting for us slow boats…we still remember those 30 MPH cruise days in our Sea Ray too!

Our anchorage in Chub Cay was real nice albeit a bit rolly with surge from the ocean. 

We cooked dinner and were just sitting down to it and the genset quit.  And yes it was one of those pesky "could be a list of things" codes being reported by the machines computer.  So we will have to deal with this in New Providence at the Palm Cay Marina where we have reservations for Friday to Monday morning.  Gotta have a generator to do lots of anchoring.

Chub Cay Marina has a rope/ chain blocking entrance as it is still closed after the damage from hurricane Matthew last October.  Too bad, as it looks like a real nice property to visit.  We hope they are successful in getting open soon.  We were also able to get Julie’s Bahamas telephone running here.  So her number is now different so email Julie or text Tom if you need it.  She will have this number until we return to the US in late April.

Leaving Chub Cay early in the AM bound for New Providence Island.  Not too rough .....yet.

Oh boy, now for some excitement.  Friday morning wave reports showed 2-3 footers crossing the “Tongue of the Ocean” from Chub to Nassau.  By the way, depths are 10,000 feet here. OK, for our boater friends on Lake Michigan we all know how accurate wave forecasts and even wave direction can be…. no exceptions in the Bahamas.  We had steady 3-4 and occasional 6 footers.  In our boat the only way to counteract all the rolling is to burn fuel and go up to 16-17 MPH.  So that’s what we did.  Ran for about 3.5 hours of the 4 hour crossing.  That took the edge off the ride a bit but we were encountering solid water on the windshield and taking spray completely over the fly bridge bimini.  I know this because after arrival in Palm Cay, when I turned on the bilge pump on the dinghy (which is on the aft fly bridge) it pumped a long time.  We don’t leave the cover on when we are crossing large bodies of water thinking it may need to be our life raft so the spray filled it pretty well with sea water.  And the bow ratchet strap loosened some and the dinghy actually slid starboard about three or four inches.  I need to get another ratchet strap and modify how I anchor it for rough seas. That could have been a disaster if it slid another six inches or so. We constantly learn lessons for sure.

Job Site runs much faster than Sum Escape or Putz’n Around so Carole and DeVere forged ahead at 20-22 MPH or so, followed a cruise ship into the harbor and waited for us in the calm of the Nassau harbor.  But thanks again for all the leadership and forward scouting DeVere!  We really appreciate it.

But we made it safely to the Nassau harbor and calm waters just ahead of a couple cargo ships. AIS was nice to use to determine if our courses would intersect with any of the ship traffic coming in to the harbor on a different angle than our course.  Timing was all good and no course adjustments were necessary.  We saw an AIS target coming out of Nassau, a 82 footer.  Next thing I saw was his speed of 30 MPH….you guessed it a large sport fish coming out.  Wow. It didn’t look as though the waves were even a ripple for him as he cruised past us in the opposite direction.  And no, we never felt his wake as it was smaller than the ocean waves which is not usually the case!   We had to call harbor control and give our cruising permit number before we entered the harbor.  They sort of put me on hold saying switch and standby on channel 09.  So we were almost in the channel before we heard “Sum Escape, permission to enter the harbor is granted”.  It was fun going through the harbor looking at the 4 docked cruise ships, the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island (we chose not to stay there at $7 a foot per night) and then exiting to go around the SE corner of New Providence Island to get to Palm Cay Marina.

Palm Cay Marina is a real nice development.  We topped off fuel (boy those fast cruise days make a difference in fuel consumption) at $3.85 a gallon, a far cry from the $2.35 we paid in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday.  But no complaints, it is so beautiful here!

After we got settled we talked to the marina about repairs.  They set us up with Michael…who by the way never showed up.  We walked the docks and talked to a long time marina resident named JJ.  We told him about our genset issue and he picked up his cell and made a call and said “Lincoln will be here at 8 AM on Sat”.  So we’ll see, it is the Bahamas and they are on Island Time.  We all had cocktails and hors d’oeuvres aboard Putz’n Around before dinner hour to celebrate the successful rough crossing.

Saturday we got up early and took an hour or so walk around the grounds of the development.  They are still doing a lot of building and it is really a nice place.  Thanks DeVere and Carole for the recommendation to come here!

Well, 8 o’clock came and went so at around 8:30 I walked over to JJ’s boat.  He said to “just be patient, this is the Bahamas” and yes, around 10 AM Lincoln said he would be over in a few minutes.  Well that turned out to be 12:45 (but it is a Saturday so it’s great he is here).  He quizzed me on what the genset did, pressed the starter switch and you guessed it, the genset started and ran perfectly.  We loaded it up for 45 minutes and it never stalled.  He did notice a lot of deteriorating foam in the sound insulating box that he thinks could be clogging the air intake. 

DeVere stopped by on Sat morning looking for a spare anchor light bulb.  I found a couple I still had in my spares from the Sea Ray we previously owned. So that was an even trade for the ½ bunch of celery that Carole shared in Fort Lauderdale….boaters always help out one another!

So Lincoln tore out the deteriorating foam, cleaned  the generator air intake system, and ran it again for a half hour under 80% load.  He said this foam deterioration is a common Onan issue and “you will be good”.  So we hope so!!

Sunday night the marina had a projection TV set up outside for the Super Bowl and some specials on food and beverage. 

So we all went to watch the game and had pizza and beer during the game.  What a great venue and one of the most exciting Super Bowl matches ever!  The no see ums did come out and those who were sweet treats for them went to the safety of the boats.  For some reason Julie is a magnet for them (she is much sweeter than me) and they really don’t bite me much at all.
We were also able to use the marina courtesy car to get some groceries.  To all upcoming visitors....bring snacks!  They are a little pricey here!

On Monday Feb 6 we departed for Allen’s Cay in the Exumas.  It was a nice 34 mile crossing over the Yellow Banks to our anchorage for the night.   We did some snorkeling and exploring. Here we are with the iguanas on the Cay.

Setting the anchor.  Julie does a great job piloting so I can focus on a good set or retrieval.  Sometimes it takes a little coaxing/muscle so this arrangement works out great for us.

Oh, and thanks Lincoln....the generator is now running great!
Scott had asked DeVere the night we anchored whether he was anchored too close.  Well in the morning, this is what we saw from our boat!

We tried to raise them on the radio and cell phones but could not get anyone!  Well, long story short they were actually a boat length apart....it just didn't look like that from our perspective!

On Tuesday we went a whopping 4 miles or so to Highbourne Marina.  What a nice facility!  Pricey, but a great restaurant (Xuma) and bicycles, private beaches, a small store, etc.  Very well done. 
Our "neighbors" at the marina.

We took a golf cart to the private beach, did a kayak cruise and generally had a great afternoon.

Stromatolites are found in the waters off Highbourne's East Beach. They date back more than a billion years and are the world's oldest known macro fossils.

That evening we went out to a catamaran, Freedom, owned by Brian and Kim from Alma MI.  DeVere and Carole knew them and we were all invited out for cocktails on their boat.  What a beautiful 2014 Leopard 44 cat!  It was great to meet you Brian and Kim.  Thanks so much for the hospitality and sharing your thoughts and stories from 3 years of cruising the Bahamas!

Ready for dinner at Xuma....very good.

 Sunset before dinner.

Restaurant under the moon!

Wednesday we travelled to an anchorage near Shroud Cay.  We took the dinghies through the tidal river out to the ocean side.  Saw a few turtles, fish and rays on the trip.  We also climbed to the highest point on the Cay for a photo.  One just does not tire of God’s beauty here.

The weather forecasts were showing a big blow for Thursday through Saturday morning (at least) so we started out toward Staniel Cay Marina thinking this would be a good option. More on that later.  DeVere snagged a brief phone signal and was able to secure reservations.  Thanks DeVere!

On the way we stopped at Warderick Wells and snorkeled a couple spots.  The tide was not ideal for snorkeling at the time we were there but there certainly were some nice corals and fish.  This would definitely be a spot to take a mooring can for a few days.  However, the only ones available would have been exposed to the weather on its way. 

We pushed on to Staniel and immediately upon arrival launched some dinghies to go snorkel Thunderball grotto at a reasonable tide level.  Currents were pretty swift getting in and out, but it is a pretty spectacular place.  For you James Bond fans, this is where some Thunderball scenes were filmed back in the 60’s.  Really cool.

Thursday night and part of Friday we rocked and rolled pretty good right at the docks.  The cruising guides did say this was not a good marina for a northerly blow and that was a correct observation.  Had to get up around 4 AM to add another spring line and tighten things up.  In fact the marina “rules” stated that they may ask you to leave in severe winds.  Not a safe harbor marina that is for sure! 
One of the famous Staniel cay swimming pigs.

Thursday night we were invited to Brian’s 50^th birthday celebration at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club restaurant.  A great time was had by all!

Julie and I took some nice walks around the cay each morning. 

Friday Brian came over by dinghy to lead us to a spot where we could try spearfishing.  Unfortunately, it was very rough and then DeVere’s dinghy ran out of gas too!

Saturday morning we started fueling dinghies before our planned departure back north to the Cambridge Cay mooring field.  DeVere’s fuel fill was not working.  We fashioned a long garden hose on the end of a funnel to get the gas into the tank.  There must be a restriction in the vent tube although we could not find one.  This is why he thought it was full the last time he got gas and ran out yesterday.  It is always something on a boat…..

Once we fueled the dinghies, thanks to Scott having a 5 gallon jerry can, we left the marina for a trip back north a bit to Cambridge Cay.  Tom and Vicki (Grand Baron) were moored there and it was so great to catch up with them again! Here we are catching a mooring with their boat Grand Baron just ahead.

And on the beach exploring with Tom and Vickie

On our trip to Cambridge, it was time to take care of waste business.  Remember, there are virtually no pump outs in the Bahamas (except very populated harbors) and an overboard discharge is the only way to deal with waste.  So when we tried to discharge the pump kept blowing the circuit breaker and no discharge was possible.  The pump ran but there seemed to be a restriction.  What’s up with that?  I had the pump rebuilt in Annapolis this summer to be sure it would be OK for our Bahamas cruise.  So, I borrowed Scott’s shop vac at the mooring because his would “blow”.  (Note to self, get a different shop vac that will also blow).  I donned my PPE and disconnected both the output and input into the pump and blew air through the lines.  No restrictions.  So, I removed the pump and got it to the cockpit where I could further disassemble the pump and investigate.  Another “repair the repair “scenario.  The professional (I use the term very loosely) had installed one duckbill valve backwards.  Basically, the pump was fighting itself and would overheat and blow the breaker and could not discharge.  Reinstalled everything in the correct direction and now we have a working system again.  This is the fourth time on the trip we have paid to have something repaired and it was not done correctly.  Of course when one is cruising, one finds out about it hundreds or thousands of miles later…  And every job requires good supervision....thanks Tom B, Scott and DeVere for the support!

Some of our excursions in the area.

On our walk we met a couple on a beautiful Selene (Barefeet)…Erin and Chris.  They invited the entire group over for cocktails.  We learned they retired young and sailed around the world over a five year period.  Wow.  What great stories they could tell about their adventure!  Being chased by a "pirate boat" in Sri Lanka was the scariest story.  Makes our adventure seem tame.  It was great to meet them.  Perhaps our paths will cross in Boston, their summer home, this summer on our way to Maine.

Monday, we made a short inside trip to Blackpoint Settlement anchorage. Another nice spot with a great laundry facility.  Have you ever seen a better view from a laundromat?  

It was the nicest laundry facility we have had in the Bahamas in two years. A few of the other services available at the laundromat.

 Tuesday we explored the Blackpoint settlement by foot.  Took a nice walk over to the ocean side beaches and decided it would be nice to load up the dinghy and enjoy a beach in the afternoon.  So that is what we did....a very nice way to spend Valentine's Day and Julie's birthday!!

Going to cocktails in honor of Julie's birthday!  Look, the laughter is already beginning!

And then a  fresh lobster for dinner aboard!

Wednesday we departed for Little Farmers Cay to find some shelter form a clocking westerly wind. 

Our leader DeVere showing us the way through the shallow "Visual Piloting" inside route to our next destination.  Thanks again DeVere!

What a great little island.  It is "owned" by the Nelson family and only had 55 residents.  The family owns everything.  The marina has only 4 slips and three were available so Julie and I took a mooring ball and Grand Baron, Putz'n Around and Job Site took the available slips.  Our third mooring can ever was a challenge!  There was no floating painter, the loop was under the buoy about two feet.  And the current was running 3 knots or so.  We were so fortunate to have Chris and Erin from Barefeet already in the mooring field and in their dinghy.  They came over and snagged the mooring loop and took our bow lines and threaded them and handed them back to me on the bow.  What
saviors!  Thanks so much  Chris and Erin!

The winds did develop and it was great to be in safe harbor.   The current was so strong that the wind did not affect the angle the boat swung from the mooring except at changing tide.  The tide really rips through this area.  But it was restful being securely moored in the winds that came for two days.

 A free wash!

We walked down the runway of the airport to get to Ty's Sunset Grill for happy hour.  We actually had to get off the runway for a plane taking off!  In fact the marina manager was in a pickup and said he was from TSA and we needed to get off the runway for the take off!  Things are different in the Bahamas.  Note the chain link fence providing "security" for the runway.

Good fire prevention equipment at the airport too!  Maybe you cannot see the rust but I doubt the wheels will even roll!

And the conch salad was fantastic!!

On Thursday we went into town to see about getting some produce and explore a bit.  We bought fresh conch salad (Derek made it right at the docks as we waited and watched).  And Bridgette and Carole got into the water to help feed the stingrays and turtles.

And here is a bit of Bahamian ingenuity...zoom in to see the fuel supply and exhaust mounting.  Incredible!

 Thursday night the marina manager Julian said they were going to have drink and dinner specials.  We had to order our meals in advance by 3 PM.  Happy hour started at 4 and dinner was to be served around 6PM. Well, this is the Bahamas and dinner came  around 7:30.  But it was very good.  A huge lobster tail with rice and peas and a salad for $25.  There were about 16 people in the small restaurant for dinner and the marina manager's wife was the cook.  It was a fun evening.

On Friday we departed for an anchorage at Williams Cay.  What a great spot!  Beautiful beaches, sting rays, turtles and fish.  Hiked up to a high spot and got some great views of the anchorage and the ocean side of the islands. 

Spent a little time on the beach.

Then we went to Grand Baron for a good bye gathering.  We will be leaving them on Saturday as we push on and they receive family visitors.  We will get back together in the Abacos later in the winter. It was so great to see you again Tom and Vickie....we will see you soon!  Enjoy your family time.

Saturday morning we departed for Emerald Bay Marina about halfway to Georgetown.  It was much rougher than forecasted in the ocean so we cranked it up a bit to smooth things out.  This made for a quick trip of the 18 miles. 

We washed the salt off the boats and then rented a van that could accommodate all six of us to go to Georgetown to get provisions and see the area. 

We are all glad we did not decide to take our boats there.  Little shops, bars and restaurants galore.  Lots of anchored sailboats.  Not really our cup of tea for the Bahamas.  Give us a small anchorage and a beach to explore and walk and we are happy boaters! And groceries were pretty sparse on the produce front as well.  But we did get to see Georgetown so now we understand the culture and just what is there.  It is just not for us.