Trading beer for lobsters at West End

 

White Sound, Green Turtle Cay

 

Sleeps With Dogs - Bahamas Style

 

Crossing the Stream

 

In the Abacos...

Bahamas at Last

After waiting patiently in Lake Worth, FL for 12 days, we finally got our weather window to cross the Gulf Stream. At 4:00 am, we weighed anchor and departed Lake Worth. Our first landfall was to be West End, Grand Bahamas where we could clear customs. Under jib and engine, we motor sailed along averaging 7.4 kts and arrived unscathed at the Old Bahamas Bay Marina at 1:30 pm. It wasn’t long before we joined a gathering of cruisers at the tiki bar to celebrate. After all the planning and preparation, we finally made it!

In the clear blue waters of the marina I took the opportunity to try out my new 12-volt Sea-Breathe diving compressor and used it to change the sacrificial zincs on my prop and bow-thruster. It worked like a charm. However, next time, I’ll need to add a few more pounds to my weight belt to keep me from bumping my head against the hull.

With a few days of relaxing resort-style under our belts, we departed West End and beat our way north through 8- to 10-foot seas for 10 miles before turning east and sailing another 45 miles across Little Bahama Bank to an anchorage in Great Sale Cay. Our companions for this leg were Martha and Greg on S/V “Southerly” from Marblehead, MA. After drinks, appetizers and sharing tales with this very entertaining couple, we turned in for an early night. Sleep came easy, even with the heavy rolling due to our exposure to the south winds. The next morning, we left with the tide and sailed on a beam reach about 40 miles to Spanish Cay.

Two days later we sailed another 15 miles over to White Sound in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco. There’s no shortage here of white sandy beaches, blue water, birds, fish, and entertainment Island style. Joop and Tula particularly enjoyed riding around with us in a golf cart as we toured the island from end to end.

Last night we joined Greg and Martha from Southerly and Steve and Martha from Priority over at their marina in Black Sound for a wonderful potluck dinner, complete with lobster tails, chicken kabobs, wonderful salads and wild rice. We all had an enjoyable evening. Unfortunately, Sandy has discovered since her arrival in the Bahamas that she has a violent allergic reaction to any of the local shellfish. She'll be sticking with chicken from here on out.

Tomorrow, if the weather holds, we plan to sail ten miles through Whale Cay Pass and Loggerhead Channel over to Great Guana Cay, home to the world famous “Nippers Bar.”