Land again....how nice to set foot on the Bahama limestone! We had quite an adventure getting to Georgetown, Exuma. Bahamas. It was a 10 day adventure without ever getting off the boat. Here is our travel log....
We left Mayaquez on Monday April 6th after spending some awesome time with our friends at the Club Nautica. Rooster showed up an hour after hearing that we were back. He brought us gifts...a rooster hat for Will and an antique wooden rooster for me. We had fun being with him again. The next day he picked us up at 9:00 am and took us for a 3 hour boat ride along the southern coast. There was a translator with him named Rene and two other friends. That night we met Rene and his son for dinner. While we ate the clouds burst open and it rained heavily for over an hour. The dinghy was filled with rain water, and when we arrived back at the boat, we found we had forgotten to close the hatch over the aft cabin. Everything was soaked....the sheets, the mattresses, the pillows, and some of our clothes. It will take days for the mattress to dry out.
Rooster driving the boat with our friends in Mayaquez
Day 1 - 10:30 am
April 6, 2015
Pulled anchor after drying as much as we could on the lines. We also stowed the dinghy on the bow of the boat and the dinghy engine on the stern. Everything in the cabin is tied down, locked up or stowed away in a cupboards....at least we hope it is. Usually something is forgotten.
Dinghy secure on bow with diesel jugs
Our winds were from the south west about 10-15 knots, so we flew the jib. We had some rain showers. Later the winds switched to NNW and the waves were hitting us from the side. We rocked back and forth for hours. Bentley and I tried to sleep, but the noises from the creaking wood, the wind howling, and the waves hitting the boat were overwhelming. Will stayed in the cockpit and managed to do his sitting up sleeping routine.
Bentley has no problems with his sleep routine
At 4:00 pm I was getting something from the refrigertor, when I noticed all the food in the freezer section was defrosted. So Will jerry rigged the battery and got it working again, but there was a block in the drainage, so we had to pull up the floor hatch and Will was able to blow into the tube until he got a flow. All of this in the rolling seas.
Day 2 - 10:30 am 24 hours - 110 miles - location 40 miles off the eastern coast of
April 7, 2015 Dominican Republic
I relieved Will at 4:00 am The wind and the waves are the same, but waves are much higher now. Bentley was able to get to the bathroom....he is an amazing sea dog. I stay below a lot as it is the safest place for Bentley and I. I tried to make coffee, but the ninth wave always gets me. Coffee and coffee grounds are all over the place!
The ninth wave is what Will calls the wave that sends us heeling over at the greatest degree. All the other waves rock us, but that ninth wave is the strongest. My hips and arms are bruised from banging into the cabinets from all of the waves.
This is what the detergent looks like with the rocking and rolling
Imagine what our insides must look like
Things to do on long voyages....play with camera settings
I take shifts at the helm so that Will can get naps. He usually only sleeps 2 hours at a time. We eat very little and drink lots of water. After 30 hours on the water, I did spot a mega yacht behind us during one of my watches. It was the only boat I saw during our first leg of the trip. I am so glad to have a good book to read. Emma my granddaughter gave it to me when I saw her....Land of Stories.
Thank you Emma....it was a great book
Day 3 - 10:30 am 48 hours - 116 miles - location 30 miles off the north coast of
April 8, 2015 Dominican Republic
Up at 4:00 to relieve Will, but he says he feels fine and for me to go back to bed. Up again at 5:30 and the winds and waves are calmer, we had a nice sail for the rest of the day. Will was able to take many naps. The sun was shining all day, no rain, but also no whale or dolphin sightings. Bentley has a walk on deck every morning and afternoon.
we see many beautiful sunrises
Day 4 - 10:30 am 72 hours - 113 miles - location Six Hills Cay in Turks and Caicos
April9, 2015
Up 12:30 am so Will is able to sleep for awhile. We are 20 miles from Six Hills and have slowed down the boat by pulling in most of the sail so as not to arrive in the dark.
After checking out Six Hills which is literally six little hills in the middle of no where, we decide to cross the banks towards Provo. We decide to anchor at French Cay because we are both tired, we don't have a weather forecast for tomorrow due to reception problems. We anchor at 4:30 pm and are alone behind a spit of land with one bird feeder and one palm tree. Winds are gusting 20 knots, and some swell wrapping around cay, but not too bad.
Six Hills Cay
We have done an additional 24 miles since 10:30 am.
Day 5 and 6 - 10:30 am. Total of 78 hours - 363 miles - location French Cay, Turks/Caicos
April 10 and 11, 2015
To go to shore legally in the Tucks and Caicos as in any country, we must check into customs and pay the travel permit fee. But we are far from any customs office and the fee is $200.00, so we will spend the next two days aboard Varua.
We spent the time sleeping, reading, doing little projects, listening to weather, and discussing what our plans should be.
Day 7 - 8:00 am
April 12, 2015
Pulled anchor at 8:00 am after getting boat tidied up again and are off to the Acklins Islands in the Bahamas. We had wanted to go to Great Inagua, but the winds weren't favorable. We motor sailed with a double reefed main with 10-15 knot winds for most of the day. By 4:00 pm wind came up, and we turned off engine at 4:30 pm and sailed through the night. We had some rocking and rolling but now we are used to it and hopefully it is only for one night not three. We ate our first Dinty Moore beef stew recommended to us by cruiser friends Cate and Mike. It actually tasted good and was easy to make...open can...eat. I went to bed at 8 and relieved Will at 3:00 am.
Day 8 - 8:00 am. 24 hours. 129 miles - location west side of Acklins Island, Bahama
April 13, 2015
We arrived at the southern tip of Acklins at sunrise at a place called Castle Island. We were excited about anchoring at a place called French Wells on Crooked Island. The Acklins and Crooked Islands are very close to each other and form a horseshoe effect with the open end facing to the west. As we rounded the corner of Castle Island, we saw a huge Bahamian Defense Force boat. We will need to check in to the Bahamas before legally going to shore, and with the thought of the police so close to us, we decided to keep going and visit this beautiful remote island another time.
Pic lighthouse
If you zoom in you can see the Defense boat on the left of the lighthouse
Castle Island Lighthouse
We had nice pork chop and rice dinner, and I was in bed at 7:00 as I have been up since three and didn't nap all day.
Day 9 - 8:00 am 48 hours 92 miles - location Crooked Island passage near Diana Bank
April 14, 2015.
Will had a great night of sailing with calm seas. I was awake by 3:00 to find Will had reduced the sails so that we wouldn't arrive in the banks during the night. The banks are much shallower waters. The water drops from 1,000 of feet to 7 to 8 feet and there are coral heads that we need to watch for, At 10:30 am we put sails away and motor into the east winds heading for Thompson Bay, Long Island. We talk it over as we usually do a lot during our travels, and decide that even though this is one of our favorite places, checking in is not easy. We would have to rent a car, plus we have good winds to head north to the Exumas. So sails back up and we turn north/northwest towards the Exumas.
As we arrive at the southern tip of Exumas, five playful dolphins join us for our final leg of the day. The water is aqua blue and so clear you can see the dolphins as clear as day. Bentley joins us on the fore deck to watch the show. We set the anchor at 4:15 pm near a tiny spit of land called Sand Cay. The water was calm and we were both able to get a good nights sleep.
Day 10 - 8:00 am 72 hours. 35 miles - location Sand Cay, Exuma, Bahamas
April 15, 2015
We were up at 5:00 am and enjoy coffee and breakfast waiting for the sun to rise. We pulled anchor at 7:30 am and will sail the final 20 miles to George Town.
We pass another boat pulling anchor about five miles north of us, and they hail us on the VHF radio. They are Connie and Mike on Lady Bella. They commented that our boat looked beautiful sailing along with her red sails. Of course, they couldn't see the torn bits of sun cover along the edges of the sail that are flapping in the wind like ribbons on the tail of a kite. But the sails themselves are in one piece and they keep us moving!
We arrive in Elizabeth Harbor in George Town and set anchor near the town called Kidd Cove at 11:30 am. We made it!!!
Quarantine flag raised till we check in at George Town
Totals
10 days 639 miles Passed by 4 countries. No broken bones
