I now remember why I didn't keep up with a blog when we were sailing on
S/V Epicurus for three years from 2006-08: access to the Internet is intermittent on our travels and is often not as good as what we are used to at home once we leave US waters. We were without Internet service from the time we left Paula and Andrew's dock on Tuesday, February 5, until we arrived in Elizabeth Harbour two days ago and dinghied in from our anchorage off Stocking Island to the lovely and welcoming yachtie haven called George Town. Not much has changed in the ten years since we were last here, and it feels like a home away from home.
We cast off from Paula and Andrew's dock in Lucaya on Grand Bahama Island and sailed overnight to Nassau. How did it happen that we started out with a night sail? I prefer day sailing, but some distances require a night sail. This was not the case this time; we could have sailed first to the Berry Islands and then to New Providence Island, but Peter took longer than he anticipated checking items off his lengthy to-do list.
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| Sunset from south of Grand Bahama Island |
We had to make it to Nassau in time for a rendevous with one of Peter's paddling friends from back home, Steve Wilson and his wife Sue. We anchored in Nassau Harbour in order to meet up with them. There is current through the harbour and few places to anchor, so most boats pull into marinas. Because of this, dinghy docks really don't exist, but we found a place to pull in for a quick trip into town. Nassau has some picturesque and historically fascinating places to visit, but this is not where we went. No, we sought out the marine supply stores near the marinas and boat yards to purchase a new water pump for the foredeck and a valve for the holding tank. Pretty exciting stuff!
On Thursday, February 7, we went to an actual dinghy dock at the Nassau Yacht Haven, where tie-ups are available for free if you are eating at the Poop Deck Restaurant, which we planned to do. Peter did not consult with me when he made plans with Steve, so Peter had chosen to meet at a marina on Paradise Island in Hurricane Hole. When we radioed the marina in advance that morning to confirm that there was a dinghy dock, we learned that, indeed there was, and we could use it to eat at the restaurant for a mere $70! That's right, I confirmed: Seven-O dollars! Who pays that? Although we had a phone number for Steve and could pick up Wi-Fi service at the Yacht Haven, we could not reach him, so I waited on the dock in Nassau while Peter raced across the harbor to pick them up at Hurricane Hole. Peter thought he had arranged to have lunch with them, so we hadn't eaten, but that isn't what Steve thought, so they had already had lunch. They enjoyed soft drinks while we ate, and then we out to
Mantra. We pulled up the anchor and sailed east in good conditions, with Steve, himself a sailor, at the wheel almost the entire time. We were accompanied by a swarm of bees that clung to the each other and the back of the bimini. Never had that happen before! We anchored on the south side of Rose Island. It was much more peaceful there than the harbour, and in the late afternoon, we relaxed in the cockpit and enjoyed snacks and champagne in celebration of their marriage.
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| Sue, Peter and Steve |
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| Hitchhiking bees |
Sue helped me set up the food and then take things back down to the galley. Our practice is for a person in the cockpit to hand down the dishes, glasses and other items to someone who has already descended the companionway. Sue started down with the tray with plates and wine glasses, assuring me she would be fine, but, oops! A wine glass toppled off the tray and glass shattered all over the sole (floor in boat language) in and around the galley. She was most apologetic and used the broom and dustpan to clean it all up. Unfortunately, a small sliver must have been missed, because later in the day it lodged deep into the middle of the sole of my right foot. Peter tried to extract it but was unsuccessful. So, it is still there, just a minor annoyance from time to time; I will have to seek medical attention in May when we are back in California. There are little clinics in the towns and settlements in the Bahamas, but I am not sure that I feel comfortable with seeking help there.
As the sun was sinking in the west, Peter set off with Sue and Steve in the dinghy to return them to the Poop Deck Restaurant, a few miles away. It was a long dinghy ride, but he finally returned in the dark a couple of hours later.
The next day, Friday, February 6, we pulled up anchor and headed south across the Yellow Banks to the Exuma Banks, making our way to Elizabeth Harbour. Peter decided to practice a man-overboard maneuver en route. It went pretty well, although we were unable to actually find and retrieve thetangerine peels we had tossed overboard. Part of the procedure is to activate the alarm on board. The sound must have carried through the hull into the surrounding water, because two bottle-nosed dolphins came to our rescue! They are such a delight to watch.
We picked up a mooring ball at Hawksbill Cay in the Exuma Land and Sea Park. We were quite proud of ourself for doing it with great finesse on the first try! Great snorkeling, vibrant colors and great sunset--what more could one want?
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| Peter part-way up the mast looking for coral heads as I steer through shallow water |
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| Peter securing us to the mooring ball at Hawksbill Cay |
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| The shadow of Mantra on the brilliant, crystal-clear waters off Hawksbill Cay |
We anchored for three nights in Bay Rush Bay on the lee side of Great Guana Cay. Of course, I snorkeled frequently, swimming with the rays, gliding over the gorgeous sea stars on the cream-colored sandy bottom and finding colorful fish among the wide variety of coral, sponges and sea grass. One day, we decided to find the blue hole near the southern end of the island. We swam to shore and put on our sandals to hike there. Peter chose a route over the sharp and broken limestone by the water. It was not good footing, and falling would have been a bloody disaster, literally. Finally, I could take it no more and went back in the water to snorkel south along the rugged shore while he continued on land searching for a path. A quarter mile later, we came to a small sandy beach. Peter scouted and found an overgrown but marked path across to the other side of the island. We bushwacked our way through and found a lovely bay on the Exuma Sound side, where we sat on the rocks to have our picnic lunch. Still in search of the cave, we headed inland on a less prickly path and found the opening.
We scampered down to the entrance and put on out masks and snorkels to explore with our dive light. Unfortunately, many of the stalagmites and stalactites have been broken, but there were still some lovely formations, including flowing draperies. We were surprised that the water was salty but not that there was little visible life. All we really saw were numerous shrimp, each an inch to two inches in length, mostly swimming upside down. Why, we wondered? This will require research later.
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| Sunset the first night at Great Guana Cay |
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| Bay Rush Bay from the aft deck |
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| Mantra anchored at Bay Rush Bay |
Needing to get to George Town before Friday, despite wind from the south and potential squalls, we set off early on Monday morning, forced to motor into wind. We could have made it to George Town before sunset that day, but we were tired of motoring by mid-afternoon, so we anchored on the north side of Rat Cay. The anchorage was a bit rocky, but it was a lovely spot, with only one other boat at anchor. We snorkeled in to the beach. There was not much to see on shore other than the dense vegetation and the tiny snails clinging to the crevasses of the rocks by the water. It wasn't until we were heading back toward the boat that we discovered a lovely large patch of coral with deep ravines with fish darting in and out of the hiding places. Peter had already turned away from the shore and was swimming toward
Mantra when I came across a small area where at least a few hundred medium-size fish were congregating: Nassau groupers, blue tangs, masked butterfly fish, various wrasse, sergeant majors and many others. I couldn't get Peter's attention, so he missed them!
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| Beach on the north side of Rat Cay |
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| Snails smaller than a fingernail clustered on the rocks by the water |
The next day, we arrived in Elizabeth Harbour to anchor with hundreds of other boats in this popular yachtie destination. We didn't know that we were arriving on the opening day of the 39th Annual George Town Cruising Regatta, a fortnight of festivities. I really can't write much more, because the variety show will begin soon over on Stocking Island at the Chat 'N Chill, and I don't want to miss that. Peter got a taxi to the airport at noon and is en route to Antigua, where he will be crewing on an Oyster 49 in the Caribbean 600 Race with his brother Rob. I am on my own here in Elizabeth Harbour for ten days.
I only have Internet service when I dinghy into George Town, which I probably won't do for a few days, so the blog will be picked up later.
