Amulet underway

Vessel Name: Amulet
Vessel Make/Model: CR Yachts DS480
Hailing Port: Port Madison, Bainbridge Island, Washington
10 September 2017
30 April 2017 | West Palm Beach, Florida
28 April 2017 | Great Sale Cay
26 April 2017 | Man O Jack Cay
20 April 2017 | Abacos
16 April 2017 | Spanish Wells, Bahamas
10 April 2017 | Exuma Land and Sea Park
09 April 2017 | Staniel Cay, Bahamas
31 March 2017 | Great Exuma Island
20 March 2017 | Turks and Caicos
14 March 2017 | Dominican Republic
09 March 2017 | San Jose, Puerto Rico
05 March 2017 | Culebra, Spanish Virgin Islands
04 March 2017 | British Virgin Islands
24 February 2017 | British Virgin Islands
19 February 2017 | St. Martins
14 February 2017 | St. Barths
12 February 2017 | Nevis Island
09 February 2017 | Les Saintes, Guadeloupe
Recent Blog Posts
10 September 2017

Postscript

"Amulet" arrived largely safely at the MarineService Center yard in Anacortes for unloading on May 14th. There was some shipping damage to the port forward cleat, which was bent, and the teak rail below it cracked, which the yard fixed. On our way home from Claire's graduation from the University of [...]

05 May 2017

Going Windward at 60 MPH

Gary and I spent the 1st of May through the 3rd of May taking down sails, the bimini, solar panels, and dodgers, and removing much of the running rigging. Late the 3rd of May, our rigger, Brad Storm (great job-alike last name) arrived to look over things. He will help us take down the mast, standing [...]

30 April 2017 | West Palm Beach, Florida

Crossing the Stream/Back in the USA

We departed Great Sale Cay at 0500, about an hour before dawn, and made our way to Mango Cay, arriving there at 0930. Our next waypoint was Memory Rock. After 50 miles, again in 10-14 feet of water, and we passed it at 1230-excellent timing, better than expected, and with 50 miles to go, we might make [...]

28 April 2017 | Great Sale Cay

The Last of the Abacos

We had a leisurely mid morning departure from Man O' Jack Cay bound for Spanish Cay, some 14 miles to the north. We listened to the morning weather and again, some wind was expected to ruffle the Gulf Stream this coming Sunday (it is now Thursday), so we figured we should plan on crossing the Stream [...]

26 April 2017 | Man O Jack Cay

Getting Further North in the Abacos

After the somewhat disappointing couple of nights at Great Guana Cay, we pressed on a couple of islands north to Green Turtle Cay.

20 April 2017 | Abacos

North to the Abacos

The wind was still howling, with waves breaking over the reef, so there was no leaving. Gary wanted to see Harbor Island, and I had already been there, so he took off on the early ferry on Easter Sunday. I defrosted the freezer and refrigerator, and halfway filled the water tanks (52 cents/gallon, it [...]

The Last of the Abacos

28 April 2017 | Great Sale Cay
John
We had a leisurely mid morning departure from Man O' Jack Cay bound for Spanish Cay, some 14 miles to the north. We listened to the morning weather and again, some wind was expected to ruffle the Gulf Stream this coming Sunday (it is now Thursday), so we figured we should plan on crossing the Stream on Saturday, ahead of the expected cold front. Spanish Cay is an entry point for customs, and we had to check out. There is no viable anchorage at Spanish Cay, so you are forced to stay in the marina there, and also pay $2.75 a foot for the privilege, which doesn't include water (.36 cents/gallon) or power ($25/day). Worse yet, when we got there, the customs guy explained that we didn't really need to check out, because of their cruising permit rules, which allow unlimited entries and exits for a period of 3 months. Our last check out, and we didn't need to do it.....how ironic.....

Spanish Cay, despite it's expense, was a resort in apparent decay. There was a lot to maintain, and not much in the way of personnel to do it. It was obviously a former drug smuggling hub with a decaying airstrip to prove it. The marina is surrounded by a breakwater, but the rocks had somehow sunk just below the surface of the water, rendering some swell inside the marina-not very comfortable. There was a very nice deserted sandy beach on the east side of the island, a sparsely stocked store, and a marina restaurant, however, only about 8 boats in the marina, so not many customers.

We had a nice meal on the boat, and at 0900 on Friday, April 28th, departed for Great Sale Cay, which is a convenient overnight anchorage prior to the passage to West Palm Beach, Florida. After traveling 50 miles, in 10 feet of water, we arrived at Great Sale Cay at 1900, passing a Han Christian 48 along the way, that had originally been 7 miles ahead of us. There were around 9 boats in the anchorage, in transit, either coming or going from the Bahamas.

It's 50 miles from Great Sale Cay to the edge of the Bahama Bank, and another 50 miles from there to the entrance at West Palm Beach. Our thought was to depart shortly before noon and sail over the shallow bank in the daylight, crossing the Gulf Stream at night, arriving at dawn. We got such a good weather forecast (16 knots out of the east), that we thought we could make better time than anticipated, which offered the opportunity to leave an hour or so before dawn, and possibly make it to West Palm Beach an hour after dark, which would mean crossing both the Bank and the Stream in daylight.

Picture is of Amulet behind the "breakwater" at Spanish Cay


Comments
Amulet's Photos - Main
3 Photos
Created 11 January 2021
Tonga Pictures
17 Photos
Created 11 September 2014
2 Photos
Created 17 August 2014
Our time in Bora Bora
21 Photos
Created 29 July 2014
79 Photos
Created 23 June 2014
Pictures of our time in the Tuamotus
28 Photos
Created 9 June 2014
Pics from mom and my bike ride into town.
5 Photos
Created 25 May 2014
Close ups of "Gracie S." remnants, arrival in Rangiroa, snorkeling by "Gracie S"
15 Photos
Created 25 May 2014

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