Bimini and Beyond

March 25, 2010 Thursday We had a beautiful sail yesterday from Nassau to Chubb Cay. The wind blew around 11 knots all day in a favorable direction so we could put out our main and head sails. This morning we hauled the anchor at 6 am and started our long trek across the Northwest Passage to Cat Cay and then Bimini. We will be traveling appx. 75 miles today to Cat Cay anchorage and don't expect to get there anything before 8:30 pm. Tomorrow to Bimini. The wind isn't as favorable for us today, but we are flying the jib. As our usual practice, we take 1/2 hr turns at the helm, and do boat duties in between turns.



March 26, 2010 Friday. Long day - 14 1/2 hrs - but we are in Cat Cay today. We dropped anchor in the dark at 8:15 p.m. Again I wish to state I don't like sailing in the dark, and anchoring is no fun either. Today is very warm and humid and threatens rain. We are leaving the anchorage at 1 pm to travel to Bimini on the incoming tide. We will stay there until the weather favors a crossing to Florida. It was nice to have this morning to sleep in awhile and do fueling, engine checks and boat work. Also to catch up with our fellow cruisers whom we have not seen, only radio contact, for two days. Bill is making a conch horn now for Erik. I am thinking since he has mastered the trumbone he will be able to blow the conch. I sure as heck can't. I now can pick up emails through my Blackberry - still not using the phone because of the $50 roaming charges - but as soon as we are on the mainland we will be reachable by phone too.



We set sail for Bimini at 1 pm and what a 15 mile trip it was. 20 kn winds and high seas, the barometer dropped like a rock and just as we pull into the harbor the storm hit with driving rain. We dropped anchor at first site and waited out the storm until we could see again. Then we moved to a second anchorage. It rained so hard for about two hours that you could see a foot in front of you. Anyway, we are here safe and sound. It feels like we have come home for whatever reason. The weather forecast - not that we can trust it obviously - says we probably will be here until the middle of next week. The winds are all northerly and we don't want to think about crossing the Gulf Stream with winds with a "N" in them. Today is beautiful and warm. We have dried out the main sail and done some other odds and end boat work. Bill is now trying to get the outboard running. Anything to do with water, and it won't run. Who knew! Then we will go ashore and get off the boat for the first time in days.



March 28, 2010 Sunday We enjoyed the beautiful weather yesterday. Did some shopping. Had lunch on the beach. We dined with our fellow cruisers on conch chowder, salad, corn bread and strawberry shortcake. It was a feast! During the night however Higheeled swung onto a shoal and they woke up to the boat heeded over to the toe rails. They kedged to keep it steady and when the tide came in it took them off the shoal and they moved about 7 am. The Bahamian shoaling waters are a test for all of us. This morning Release, Higheeled and Snow Goose all headed in to the marina here to ride out the next couple of days with the front coming in - high winds and at least a day of rain. Once done with that, we enjoyed the beach and hot showers!!!! Skipper is here visiting us now watching the Pelicans. Snow Goose is a bird's eye view, and besides we have good treats. We met a couple on the beach today that have a 43' 1980 Grand Banks Classic yacht. They are from Scotland. I wondered if that is the boat Rob and Karen have - Miss Julia???