9:00am Some misty rain, then clouds, then clearing. Summer Flight is heading to Staniel Cay to fill up with fuel and water. All In left heading to George Town.
There are 2 large drawers under the master berth. These are built into a cabinet and then the whole unit is fitted into place. Apparently, one end of cabinet got wet at some point. The cabinet appears to be just regular plywood. Everything is dry now, but the plywood is coming delaminated and falling apart. The rails on the right side of the cabinet now have no support and have dropped, causing the binding that prevents the drawer from moving. Luckily, I have a skill saw, wood, hardware (screws, angle brackets, etc.), glue and clamps on board. I managed to rebuild the cabinet, re-attach the support rails and get everything back together using new wood (teak). The remaining plywood will be replaced with plastic wood when I get back to the US, so that is if gets wet again, it won’t matter. Lisa helped with the carpentry and then went to the beach with Saber Tooth.
5:30pm Sundowners aboard Summer of 42 with Saber Tooth. We saw a green flash at sunset! Beautiful evening. We all played Mexican Train. Nora brought some vegetable pancakes she had made that were yummy.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020 Beautiful, sunny, wind E@10-12, puffy clouds. Summer of 42 departs for Staniel Cay for fuel. Saber Tooth departs for Bitter Guana Cay, which is just south of Staniel. This island is home to some unique iguanas. A small cruise ship comes in to the anchorage and anchors. It has 84 passengers and they are all headed to the beach. We’ve never seen something this large this far south. It looks like one of the small cruise ships you see on rivers or the ICW. Time to leave here.
10:00am Anchor up, sailing north to meet Saber Tooth at Bitter Guana Cay. Beautiful sail, wind E@10-15.
2:00pm Anchor down at Bitter Guana Cay. Saber Tooth and 3 other boats are here. Beautiful beach, lovely island.
8.1NM 24°08.56’N 076°25.12’W
Lisa inflated her kayak and went ashore with John, Nora and Nigel (Saber Tooth). Nigel swam the ¼ mile each way. They hiked to the top of the hill. This is a beautiful island and because of the iguanas, there are lots of visitors (and tour boats from Nassau and George Town). Lisa made shephard’s pie for dinner, yum!
6:30pm We went over to Saber Tooth for Mexican Train. Another beautiful sunset. 5 more boats come in and anchor. A brief rain shower overnight.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 Partly Cloudy, big puffy clouds, 80 degrees, wind ESE@10-15. A mega yacht came in and anchored during the night. Not sure how they managed to get in here without going aground. They have all the toys out (center cockpit run about, inflatable dinghy, jet skis, paddle boards, kayaks and a water slide from the third story of the boat). They also have an inflatable dock (maybe 30’x30’) off the back of the yacht where all the toys are moored.
9:30am Lisa went to visit Windward, who we have met before, and Bright Eyes, who just came in and anchored.
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| All In at White Point |
11:30am We raised the anchor and headed north around Staniel Cay to Big Major Spot. 1:30pm Anchor down at Big Major Spot. Lots of boats and tour boats here. This is the sight of the famous “Pig Beach” where you can feed the pigs and watch them swim. I guess that’s an attraction.
7.3NM 24°11.18’N 076°27.52’W
4:00pm A rain shower comes through, but only lasts about ½ hour. It does considerably cool things off tho’ and the wind swings into the North.
5:50pm A pot luck dinner and to celebrate Connie’s 75th , Nora’s 60th and Ian’s (Mahini) birthdays. I took the red beans and rice. Lots of food there. I also took a gallon of Goombay Smash, which everyone seemed to enjoy. Nora made a big cake. Also present were Ian and Michelle (Summer Flight), another Ian and Michelle (Mahini), John and Nora (Saber Tooth), Walter and Connie (Summer of 42), Pat and Gillian (Scatterling) and us. We all agreed not to discuss the craziness or politics surrounding the coronavirus, but it is certainly on everyone’s mind. It is not at all clear what is going to happen here in the Bahamas or back in the US. It was a very nice evening. Overnight, the wind shifted more to the east and went to 15-20g25. This is a good anchorage for that wind direction and the water was nice and flat here.
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| Lisa, Connie and Nora aboard Summer Flight for Connie's 75th birthday |
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| Summer Flight at Big Major Spot |
2:30pm We are back at the boat.
3:00pm There is another rain shower.
4:00pm The sun is back out.
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| Summer of 42 at Sunset Big Major Spot |
8:00am Cloudy with light showers, then clearing, 75 degrees, wind E@15-20.
10:00am We again went to shore on Staniel Cay with Mahini, Saber Tooth, Summer Flight and Summer of 42. This time we walked to the south side of the island where there is a beach. With the east wind the surf here is very high. We walked from the beach eastern end of the island around the point and over the rocky hill to the cut to the Sound between Little Majors Spot and Staniel Cay (aka Rocky Cut) and then back along the harbor to the club, about 3 miles. We stopped at Isles General Store and got a cold drink and another 5 gallon jerry can for gasoline. There is starting to be concern among the cruisers about whether the coronavirus is going to shut down the islands. If so, a bit more fuel on board may be a good thing.
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| View from the highest point on Staniel Cay looking North |
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| Us |
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| Lots of painted rocks along the waterfront in Staniel Cay |
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| Cottages at Staniel Cay Yacht Club |
7:30am Lovely morning, light east wind, no clouds, 70 degrees. I take the dinghy to shore and get rid of the last of the trash. The party boat is very quiet this morning. Summer Flight leaves for Nassau and then on to the US. They keep the boat in Daytona during the summer, but they are Canadian and are concerned they might not be allowed entry into the US. Saber Tooth and others who are Canadian and keep their boats in Florida have the same concern.
8:00am We raise the anchor and head north toward Cambridge Cay. There are still lots of boats out and about, some heading north, some heading south. George Town is still open, but there are now restrictions on how many people are allowed in the stores at a time. Because of all the uncertainty, both here and in the US, many boats are heading home, unsure of what they will find when they get there.
11:00am We pick up a mooring at Cambridge Cay. Saber Tooth and 3 other boats here.
15.5NM 24°18.20’N 076°32.45’W 80 degrees, wind E@15, no clouds, flat water.
12:30pm We went snorkeling with Saber Tooth at the “Bonsai Islands”, small islands on the west side of the anchorage, one of them has small trees growing. The coral around these islands is full of sea life, fish, turtles, rays, etc. Afterward, we went to the coral reef on the south side of the anchorage. This one is beautiful also.
2:00pm Lunch and then we went to the beach at the south end of the anchorage where there is a “blue hole” (a very deep spot).
4:00pm Showers on the stern and then dinner on board. What a nice day. Rains squalls overnight.
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| Sunset at Cambridge Cay |
7:00am Cloudy, lots of pink clouds a sunrise.
8:00am Clearing, 75 degrees, wind E@15+ We have talked with many friends over here, and in the US. Very little useful information is getting over here concerning what is going on in the US. Here in the Bahamas, the government says no public gatherings, restaurants and bars are closing, except for take out. Commercial passenger vessels large and small are restricted from moving passengers between islands. All the islands are supplied by ship. Fuel is especially important, as generators need diesel and the RO water makers on the islands are powered by electricity. We assume that food, fuel and water will remain available, but no one seems to know for sure. Many boats have left for home and just as many are still here trying to wait out the chaos. We went back and forth about whether to head back to the US or hunker down here. It is less likely that you would contract the virus over here, but if you needed health care services, there are few here, especially away from Nassau. So far there has been only 3 confirmed cases in the Bahamas – all in Nassau.
10:00am We walk to Honeymoon Beach on the southern end of Cambridge Cay with Summer of 42 and Saber Tooth. We did not find any treasures here, but an impromptu meeting was held, and we all decided to go to Shroud Cay tomorrow, then on the Highborne, Nassau and then back to the US. Thursday and Friday the wind and the wave forecast look fairly benign, so we will plan to use those days to cross back to Fort Pierce. We talked to Dalmatian, who is still in Vero Beach. They have been there all winter because of their generator, which has never gotten repaired (not for lack of trying). They are planning to head north to the Chesapeake, where they will leave the boat for the summer, then drive on to New Hampshire. It’s too soon to head north for us, 7 inches of snow in New Hampshire today! We talked to Fancy Free. Gail and Laura have decided to stay in Green Turtle Cay (Abacos) until all this craziness has settled down. By the afternoon, they have decided to head back to the US. Autumn Borne has also been in Vero all winter and have decided to “stay a while” to see how things play out.
5:00pm Cocktails and Mexican Train aboard Summer of 42 with Saber Tooth there too. Nice evening. No real sunset because of the gathering clouds.
7:00pm Back to Rhiannon. We lift the outboard and get the dinghy up on the davits in preparation for the trip to Shroud Cay tomorrow morning.
Monday, March 23, 2020 Rain squalls overnight. Partly Cloudy, 70 degrees, wind SE@15.
8:00am Anchor up. We depart Cambridge by the south entrance. We probably should have gone to the north. The SE wind and then tide moving out the Conch Cut (between Cambridge Cay and Compass Cay) has made this channel very rough. Although going out the north entrance puts you right is a cut as well….
9:00am Sailing north at a leisurely 5+ knots.
10:00am This area from Compass Cay north to Highborne Cay has almost no cell service. Cell service has been expanded to most of the Bahamas, but this area is still lacking. We managed to talk to friends and family, and so far everyone is OK.
1:00pm We pick up one of the 12 new moorings at Shroud Cay. A group of “Long Tails” come out to greet us, chirping up a storm.
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| White long-tail tern |
It is mostly sunny, lots of big puffy clouds, 80 degrees, wind SE@10-15. It’s pretty flat where we are moored.
24.2NM 24°31.98’N 076°47.84’W
Summer of 42, Saber Tooth and 6 other boats here.
2:30pm We dinghy over to the sand bar between Elbow Cay, Little Pigeon Cay and Shroud Cay. At low tide this is almost dry, at an extreme low tide, it is dry and you can walk from one island to the next. There is a house on Little Pigeon Cay and potcakes live there (mongrel dogs common in the islands). They are named “potcakes” because the locals eat a lot of rice and peas and many time it sticks to the bottom of the pot making a “cake”. These are fed to the dogs, hence the name “pot cakes”. One of the potcakes comes running out to greet us and hangs out with us until we are ready to leave and then he heads back to the house. Most of these dogs are very friendly and very smart. Most also have “work” to do guarding property. One time when we were here three of these dogs had gotten stranded on Shroud Cay. While we were there, we feed them (chicken soup) and brought fresh water for them.
Afterwards, we explored the South River through the mangroves. It is low tide and we could not get very far. The tide is normally about 2+ feet, but it looks like it is more like 3+ feet with the current full moon. We also explored the rocky coast and the inlets all the way back to Rhiannon.
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| Sea Turtle in South River Shroud Cay |
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| John and Nora (Saber Tooth) South River Shroud Cay |
This is a beautiful island, lots of wildlife, it is part of Exuma Park and today we are the only people exploring it. Tomorrow, we will explore the mangrove rivers to the north at high tide (about 9:00am) and then we will head north to Highborne Cay. At Highborne, there is a cell tower and a marina for fuel and water. If the marina at Cape Eleuthera and the stores in Rock Sound and Governors' Harbour are open, we may head in that direction (east), instead of west to Nassau and the US. Without information, it is hard to make that decision. Many boats are staying in the Bahamas, including Mahina. Ian is a doctor with the CDC and is familiar with the whole pandemic issue and thinks everyone is safer over here than is the US. I made chicken Marsala for dinner. Dessert was cookies made by Nora (Saber Tooth).
7:00pm After days of a constant east wind, it has finally given up. A beautiful evening and sunset and a chorus of conch horns at sunset.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 A perfect morning, blue sky, puffy clouds on the horizon, 75 degrees, wind SE@10.
9:00am Saber Tooth, Summer of 42 and us dinghy to the north river, through the mangroves to the beach on the other side (sound side) of the island. The river is full of sea life, turtles, fish, rays, sharks. The beach and the lagoon where this river meets the sound is one of the prettiest spots anywhere.
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| North River meets the ocean on the east side of Shroud Cay |
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| Walter and Connie (Summer of 42) |
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| North River meets the ocean |
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| Us on the beach North River meets the ocean Shroud Cay |
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| North River Shroud Cay |
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| One of the many sea turtles Shroud Cay |
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| Rhiannon at Shroud Cay |
3:00pm Anchor down at Highborne Cay. Saber Tooth, Summer of 42, Synergy and 16 other boats are here, plus several on the docks in the marina. By nightfall, several other boats have come in.
3:30pm Elsie Mae comes in and anchors. Great to see them again. They are headed home, next stop for them is the Wardles’ dock. Irish Tango is still at Staniel Cay. We are able to get a weather forecast from Chris Parker. It looks questionable whether we could make it all the way from here to Nassau (approximately 8 hours), then on to Fort Pierce (maybe 36 hours) with the current weather window. We are going to meet with Summer of 42 and Saber Tooth at 5:00pm to discuss.
4:00pm Lisa and Nora go kayaking. I called and talked to Nick Wardle to see if they have room for us if we decide to follow Elsie Mae tomorrow, instead of heading to Nassau. He said there would be room for us.
5:00pm We went over to Summer of 42 to discuss what to do next. We are really at a “coin flip” moment – go east to Eleuthera or west toward the US. Saber Tooth and Summer of 42 are pretty sure they can get dockage at Nassau Harbour Club for tomorrow night or longer if the weather deteriorates. They stay there often and know the dockmaster (Peter) well. We have stayed there, but I’m sure he would not remember us. Overnight, the wind went to SW@10-15, which makes this anchorage very lumpy.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
8:00am Sunny, big puffy clouds, 70 degrees, wind SSW@10-15 great for a downwind sale to Nassau or Coral Harbour – or over to Eleuthera. Saber Tooth and Summer of 42 depart for Nassau. Eleuthera lost the coin toss, so we are heading west to Coral Harbour with Elsie Mae. 8:15am We raise the anchor and have a beautiful down-wind sail to New Providence.
10:30am We saw what looks like an old rusty dive boat cross our path heading north.
11:00am We can see squalls on the horizon ahead and behind us and the sky is now completely overcast (not in the forecast).
12:10pm Wind has gone to West@8. Sails in and now motoring.
12:30pm Ranger (Nick Wardle) calls on the vhf and asks our position. We are about 2 hours from the entrance buoy to Coral Harbour. Nick tells us that the Defense Force Base in Coral Harbour (which you pass through on the way to their house/docks) is closed to all traffic coming or going. We can’t get to his house and the people who are staying at Nicks can’t get out.
1:00pm We change course to the North with Elsie Mae and are able to raise Saber Tooth on the cell phone. We ask him to ask Peter if there is dockage available for us along with fuel and water. The answer we received was that the marinas in Nassau could only supply necessities – fuel and water, no transient dockage. We could go in and fill up, then anchor somewhere. Because the harbor is a “controlled harbor” you have to get permission from Nassau Harbour Control to enter and to leave the harbor. While I am having this conversation, Elsie Mae called Palm Cay to see if they had any transient dockage, fuel, water, etc. They do and Elsie Mae made a reservation for both of us. Because they are a private marina and not in Nassau Harbor, they can still accommodate us. Elsie Mae has been in this marina before and the path to the entrance is strewn with coral heads, so we follow them in.
3:00pm We are on the dock at Palm Cay. Beautiful place. It is a development with condos, houses, a golf course and marina on the southeast corner of New Providence.
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| Rhiannon at Palm Cay |
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| Elsie Mae at Palm Cay |
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| The local "potcake" greeted us on arrival at Palm Cay |
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| Docked charter boats at Palm Cay |
The complex is very secure. It is all fenced and there is a big gate with security at the entrance. At night they put a chain across the entrance to the marina to keep boats from sneaking in or out. We are greeted at the dock by Demoro (dockmaster) and Leslie who help us tie up and get plugged in to the electric. The local potcake came by to say hello as well. Dinner on board, then hot showers ashore. Nice! Tomorrow, we will use one of the marina courtesy cars and get out and about a bit. There is a new Fresh Market only a couple of miles away.
We heard from Dan and Dawn Ritter (Gertie) who are in Marathon, FL, with Nelson and Mary (Last Boat), that they have been quarantined aboard their boat for the next two weeks. The chaos continues. 40.9 NM 25°01.25’N 077°16.44’W
The security here is very good. That would not keep someone who is really determined out, but it would be discouraging. Other areas would be easier targets. The bad news is that they place a chain across the harbor entrance at night and you can’t depart until it is removed, usually after 9:00am.
Thursday, March 26, 2020 Partly cloudy, cool, 65 degrees, no clouds, no wind. We used the fuel in the jerry cans to fill Rhiannon’s tank, the used a dock cart to take the cans to the fuel dock and refill them (16.1 gallons). We also got a bag of ice and refilled Rhiannon’s water tanks. We carried all our laundry to the machines behind the office. The washers and dryers take both US and Bahamian quarters. Valerie, John (Elsie Mae) and I used one of the marina courtesy cars and went to find the new Fresh Market. It is only a couple of miles away. When we got there, there was a line to get into the store. Everyone was standing 6 feet apart and there were two store employees spraying down each cart with disinfectant, the whole cart, not just the handle. There is a security guard at the door only allowing people entry when someone leaves, controlling the number of people in the store. The guard at the exit is checking your receipt as you exit. Several customers had masks and all the employees had masks and gloves. There was plenty of everything, but limits on what you could buy – 1 package of toilet paper, 10 lbs of each meat (hamburger, pork, chicken), 1 gallon of bleach, 1 carton of milk, 1 dozen eggs. We managed to get everything on our list. While in the produce isle, I was waiting for one lady (no mask or gloves) to choose tomatoes. I think she pretty much handled every one. I asked her if she found the ones she wanted and if she had washed her hands before handling every tomato. She huffed off and began going through all the Honey Crisp apples. The cashier was washing down the moving belt with disinfectant after every customer and both the bagger and the cashier had masks and gloves. There were marks on the floor so the customers knew where to stand and stay 6 feet apart. Pretty impressive set up. The store was very busy, but not crazy. Controlling how many people could be in the store at a time was certainly a good idea. Back to the boats and stowing everything. I helped Lisa fold all the laundry and then we used a dock cart to get it back to Rhiannon.
Rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes and fresh green beans for dinner.
Friday, March 27, 2020 Partly cloudy with big puffy clouds, 70 degrees, wind E@10-12.
9:00am We check out at the office and they lower the chain across the entrance.
9:30am Demoro helps us off the dock and we follow Elsie Mae out the channel. The waves are surprisingly big for the amount of wind. The south and east side of New Providence Island face the “Banks” and the water is shallow. The north and east side the water is very deep (The Tongue of the Ocean). The wind, differing water depths and tides always make this area interesting to navigate. 11:30am We are motor sailing around the south side of New Providence at 6.5 knots. We hear Irish Tango calling very faintly, but they are too far away to be able to communicate. Usually, channel 16 is very busy in this area. That is the channel you call Nassau Harbor Control and between the cruise ships, other ships and marine traffic, the chatter on that channel is constant. Today it is eerily quiet. 1:00pm We round the west end of New Providence and turn north towards Chub Cay. Mostly sunny. Wind E@11, 75 degrees. The seas are very choppy where the deep water meets the shallow water coming off the banks.
1:45pm Both sails out and trimmed. Making 7.5 knots over ground on a beam reach (wind coming at 90 degrees to the direction you are moving) in just 11 knots of wind. This is why we own a sailboat! We were able to sail like this until we reached Chub Cay!
6:15pm Anchor down just outside Chub Cay Marina. Elsie Mae and 4 other boats here. Dinner was left over chicken Marsala. Always better the second time around after it sits in the fridge a bit. Another spectacular sunset.
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| Sunset at Chub Cay |
56NM today, 25°24.71’N 077°54.90’W
Saturday, March 28, 2020
6:45am Partly cloudy, wind E@10-12, 70 degrees. We lift anchor and head west towards Northwest Channel (between Andros Island and Chub Cay). We are planning to make it to Bimini today.
7:30am Beautiful sunrise. We are getting about a 3-4 knot push from the tide. We need all the help we can get. Lots of miles to go today and we are trying to make it back to the US without having to do an overnight sail.
9:00am Leg 1 Chub Cay to NW Channel Light 14.7NM 2.25hours
9:35am Leg 2 NW Channel Light to NW Shoal waypoint 4.7NM 40 minutes
10:15am Wind ESE210-15. Motor sailing with the main out. Wind directly astern. Making 7+knots. Sun peaking out, clouds dissipating.
1:15pm Leg 3 NW Shoal to Mackie Shoal waypoint 24.7NM 3hours45minutes average 6.5 knots 3:00pm Wind had died down to less than 10 knots. Our speed is also down to 6.5.
6:10pm Leg 4 Mackie Shoal to North Rock 33.7NM 4hours and 55 minutes
6:35pm Leg 5 North Rock to anchorage on NW shore of Bimini 2NM 25 minutes
79.8NM 25°46.35’N 075°16.19’W
Sunday, March 29, 2020 Partly cloudy, 70 degrees, wind ESE@12-15. Yesterday, the tachometer started acting peculiar, like there is a short or loose connection. It was jumping all over from zero to 4,000 to zero, then it would read ok, then nothing. I checked the connections on the engine at the sending unit and those all seemed tight. I will have to check the tach itself when we get somewhere I can. We replaced the sending unit not long ago.
6:45am We raise the anchor and head northwest toward Lake Worth Inlet. We encountered some pretty significant waves coming from two different directions as we head out. Not unusual, but considering the forecast unexpected.
8:45am We enter the Gulf Stream and are getting ½ knot push.
12:30pm The wind has picked up to ESE@10 and the seas have flattened out making the ride more comfortable. We see three big cargo ships heading south toward Miami. We see a cruise ship heading toward Hens and Chickens (the edge of the banks, its fairly shallow). Not sure why they are headed that direction unless it is to anchor. We are able to ride the Gulf Stream to within 2 miles of the Lake Worth Inlet, sometime making more than 9 knots over ground.
4:30pm Lake Worth Inlet – a lot of people out for boat rides and three large yachts anchored by Peanut Island with lots of people and music – party, party!
5:30pm Anchor down on the west side of North Lake Worth. The condos close by still have their pool open and lots of people enjoying it. The are many people walking the walkway along the edge of the lake. Sunny, wind ESE@10. No clouds, beautiful evening. We were told this anchorage was full, but there are only about 20 boats here. We have seen as many as 50 here at one time. We hear our names being called and see Irish Tango (Paul and Kris) on shore. They came in a bit before us and are in the Old Port Marine Marina.
78.1NM MM1015 26°50.08’N 080°03.34’W Average speed 7.1 knots
Monday, March 30, 2020 Beautiful morning. No Clouds. 72 degrees and no wind.
7:30am Anchor up. We were going to leave earlier but were still tired from the previous long days. I used the excuse that we needed more light to properly wash all the mud from the chain and anchor. 7:45am Parker Bridge – on schedule.
8:00am PGA Blvd. Bridge on schedule.
8:30am Donald Ross
9:30am Indiantown Blvd. – missed 9 am
9:45am Jupiter Federal – on request
9:55am 707 – on request. Extreme low tide. At the corner of Jupiter Inlet and Jupiter Sound. (Red 2) we touched bottom.
10:50am Hobe Sound – on request.
11:40am Peck Lake.
12:20pm St. Lucie Inlet Big puffy clouds, partly cloudy, 75 degrees, wind SE@10
3:30pm Fort Pierce North Bridge - scheduled
5:30pm On mooring 17 rafted with Fancy Free. Everyone maintaining correct social distance. Sundowners with each couple on their own boats. John and Valerie (Elsie Mae) come by in their dinghy, Nightingale (Libby and Grant) in kayaks, Autumn Borne (Dean and Susan) in their dinghy – not all came at the same time. Lisa made some of the ¼ pound hot dogs we found in Nassau for dinner and shared with Fancy Free (Laura and Gail).
62SM 50.4NM MM952 27°39.56'N 080°22.23'W 4 scheduled bridges, 3 on request.
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