The first weather window we needed to get from Ithaca to Florida was on Dec 30. We rushed to button up the house, throw everything into a rental car and get out of Ithaca before the snow started, leaving after lunch. We listened to radio warnings of freezing rain and worse all along I81 down through Virginia for the next morning. So we chose to brave the beltway around Washington to I95 and avoid the mountainous I81. We got as far as Richmond the first night, before we were sure we were past all the nasty stuff. A long day's drive on the last day of the year got us to my aunt and uncle's in Port Orange, FL in time to celebrate New Years with them. We actually lasted through a dominoes game before pumpkining at 9:30. We planned to head for the boat early the next morning but the cold rain ruined our motivation and we enjoyed our last chance at the comforts of home and hearth, staying until lunch time. We had just enough energy when we got to the boat to inventory and shop at Walmart for all the non-perishable items. We left the meat, vegetable and fruit items for the better quality at Publix the next morning. We thought we were overstocked until another boater told us he had 15 cases of beer. After returning the rental car, we donned our three layers, ear muffs and gloves and walked two miles to catch our annual movie at the $5 theater. Our Ithaca boater friends, now escaping winter in their RV, met us for movie, dinner at Nicky's, and a round of dominoes on the boat. They did mention a few times the comforts of heat and hot showers on their RV.
Very motivated to seek warmth, we headed south on the ICW the next morning and made it to Vero Beach. The location changed but the (mid 30s) temperature didn't. Our friend Neal on Ming showed us the ropes in Vero, how to catch the free 9am bus, transfer to bus #2, stop at most any big box store we might need, and even lunch at an Irish pub. I was pleased to find a quality Visiting Nurse Assoc second hand store (quality stuff) and a used book store. We had the usual last minute notary, postage, banking needs, but mostly enjoyed sightseeing on a warm bus. Then we headed south again on to West Palm Beach. The next two days were the only window to get to the Bahamas in the foreseeable future and we were on a mission. We headed out INTO THE OCEAN for the run down to Miami since, with the many bridges opening on a restricted schedule, it would take twice as long inside. The ocean was behaving, perfect wind behind us for a smooth ride, an arrival at Government Cut, and around the corner for anchoring in the last light. 
This is a busy entrance and we paid attention!
The sunrise the next morning predicted a good day for crossing, that's not red, it's gold.Our new routine of listening to Chris Parker detail the weather at 6:30 am on the shortwave radio has begun. We usually ask for specifics for our route and trust his predictions. He told us the wind hadn't died down as fast as expected and to wait until mid morning for the seas to lay down before heading across to the Bahamas. The gulf stream with its 4-5 knots of north flowing current can get horrendous if there's much wind from a northerly direction, so boaters pay attention on this one. His favorite quote for me is "well, you might have a big enough boat and a strong enough stomach to enjoy.....". It was a little bumpy at first, but settled down as the day went on, Lee thought the current was wider and thus slower than usual. We could see Miami skyscrapers behind us for maybe 15 miles and then low-lying Bimini came into view ten miles out, so the 41 miles didn't seem so far. 
Again we arrived just before sunset and were glad to have light to guide us into the narrow channel to the harbor. Our friends arrived two hours later and had spotlights on, anxiously searching for the two markers. As is normal in the Bahamas, one was missing.We had one more day of settled weather so we stayed on anchor at Alice Town, Bimini only long enough to check in, pay our $300 annual cruising fee and walk around town. We woke up to this sunrise, still flying our yellow customs flag.
We headed out at 10:30 to make the 80 miles across the Bahamas banks to Frazer's Hog Cay. The captain was very devious, telling me we would arrive by 8pm, knowing I don't like night sailing. He shortly discovered he had miscalculated but didn't tell me until evening that arrival would be more like 11pm. At least the banks were my kind of ocean: no waves, no swells, no land in sight, just beautiful turquoise water 10-15 feet deep. So here we are in paradise, ready to slow down and smell the seashore.
Lee's version: It was quite a wonderful trip motorsailing from Fl to here, we left FL with 3 other boats that we talked to on the radio all day. One, "Wanderer" with Mike and Liz from Oneida Lake in NY, is still with us here. I especially like sailing at night with music in the CD player. The autopilot steers and there was not ever any traffic that we needed to change course for. After leaving Bimini, the area is "The Bahama Banks", which averages just 10 feet deep, this shallow water calms the waves. Sherry hates sailing at night.LeeSunday morning: We have a mooring ball that we are renting for $15/day, not a lot, EXCEPT: The mooring is about 200' from a bar, and they played loud, awful music until 3AM. We took the ball because the anchor holding was described as poor here, and winds in predicted squalls could be 50kts (58mph). Next good weather to move on is Tuesday. I wonder about the mooring. It is a rusty chain to a submerged pickup truck, the chain would be the failure, but it looks like the rust at the last link that usually wears out that is keeping it from moving, may be a good thing.Frazer's Hog Cay seems to have about 20 residents, plus about 10 vacation mansions. The residents are the bar staff, the bar patrons, the police man, and, there must be a fisherman that supplies the restaurant part of the bar. Last night was some private "function", I have no idea where the people came from (found out they flew in from Nassau). We asked what there was to see or do, they answered "nothing". We had a nice walk, 2-3 miles round trip in the rain, with a beach included. Temperature here is around 60 with a 20-25 knot wind. Not bad compared to low 30s Florida nights. I had a nice swim to inspect the mooring, the water was a cool 72 degrees. The boat bottom and props have no growth on them, I think due to the cool recent FL temps. My first sailing year, upon returning to FL after parking the boat a few weeks, the boat would not move until I cleaned a one inch layer of barnacles off both sides of the prop.Today we expect to take our folding bikes to shore and ride the entire length of the island, plus Chub Cay, which is connected. Chub Cay has a newly remodeled glitzy marina. (Power boaters have this NEED for marinas, it is a psychological need, as the power boats are equipped as well, or better, than the sail boats for living at anchor, most have built in Diesel electric generators.) We are going to try the Cracked Conch at the restaurant tonight. I also have an engine oil change to do and a bathroom light to fix. I have a new $129 cheap Chinese electric generator aboard. I may need to get this going to charge batteries, as there is NO sun for the solar panels. Sherry is making granola and sweet potato pie.
No comments:
Post a Comment