We have been here once before on a cruise ship but as big as they are, we felt very much superior to them, as we passed five of them tied to their docks on the entrance to Nassau.
We are in the centre of the Bahamas, on Providence Island, in its capital – Nassau!! Almost directly across from Atlantis on Paradise Island, we are docked at Bay Harbour Marina, for two nights and two and a half days, just to give ourselves a break, get our land legs back and provision for the next part of the trip.
When we had arrived in the Berry Islands the weather was beautiful, after a bit of nasty on the Bahama Banks. I think I mentioned already that it was a bit eerie dropping anchor literally in the middle of nowhere. There was nowhere less than forty miles in any direction. What made it more eerie was that we were doing it in a cloudburst. But when we woke in the morning and looked down through seventeen feet of the clearest water on earth it seemed to be all worth it. Even after we pulled anchor and motor sailed along, whatever there was to be seen on the bottom, we could see the whole way in. There were rays, lobster, jackfish and tuna, and at different times two large sea turtles.
No sense letting all that bounty go to waste. I put out eighty feet of line with a “special” lure and within five minutes I had a seven pound skip jack tuna in the boat. I should have taken a better picture before starting to clean it but there was enough meat on it after filleting it for six people. We cut it into four large pieces and gave two away. When we barbequed it that night on foil with seasoning, the only word I can think of was delicious. Now that dinner is just under our keel we will be having fish for breakfast.
Not so fast Chrissie says. After we landed at the Berry Islands we wanted to check in the Great Harbor Cay, Hoffman’s Cay, and all the islands around White Cay. We found an anchorage just inside Fowl Cay and along comes two fisherman offering lobster tails, four for $10.00. I said how about five tails. I should have said how about seven but was told later four for ten is the going rate. He did give me five though without question. After he did the rounds of other boats, I caught up to him and asked how much for the larger ones I saw him keep. He said three for ten but gave me four with a big grin. So Chrissie just isn’t eating fish. We had lobster for dinner that night and froze the rest.
These fishermen were from Nassau thirty seven miles away, with a beat-up little boat that had no shelter and dock lines that were hunks of different lines tied together to make each line. They had a scuba tank of oxygen with a rope harness which enabled them to pluck their meager living off the bottom as far as fifty feet down. Because they had an 85 HP motor they offered to stay around for an hour to help our buddy boat, Serendipity with Lynn and Lee and Maggie the dog from New York City, get off the sand bar when the tide came in. They went hard aground on the morning tide attempting to come over to anchor where we were. They had been told as we were that there was a channel through there that isn’t on the charts however it is close to shore which is daunting when you look at the jagged rock walls ready to reach out and grab you.
We had tried to come through there the day before but ran aground on sand and with the help of Lee and Lynn were able to kedge ourselves off. Because they knew there was a channel through there they would do it in the early morning when they could get a better view of the bottom. We had been planning to leave to go to Nassau with other boats in the anchorage and had already taken the motor off the dinghy. By the time we were able to get the motor down, pick up George from Heritage and get over there the tide had gone out enough it looked like they were going to be there for the day. I have posted a picture in the gallery of poor sad Serendipity lying hard to starboard. After the tide came in while the fishermen were there it was getting dark so we had to work fast. It was a real struggle to get her into deeper water and had those fishermen not been there circumstances might have been a whole lot different. I don’t know how much it cost but both the fishermen and Serendipity were happy. For the rest of us helping it was like a team victory.
During the day, while waiting for the time to change we dinghyed into the amazing beach area which is the landing beach for the short trek up the hill through the jungle to see the Blue Hole. This water is so clear that it made us think Chances was anchored and we were going ashore inside a swimming pool. It is something we are having a hard time getting used to. Anyway we did get to the Blue Hole which wasn’t everything it is made out to be but interesting none the less. It was strange to be peering over an edge into water that we had no idea how deep it was or how it was formed. It is ringed with caves just above the water line which appear to have been eaten out by water action thousands or millions of years ago, but no one knows how.
After posing for the obligatory Kodak moments at the Hole, we went back to the pure white sugar beach and snorkeled and wasted the rest of the afternoon away. Lying back in the sun after drying off it flashed across my mind that it was January 24th and we had heard a real cold snap was crossing Ontario. I closed my eyes and through my eyelids I could see the burning disk of the sun. I turned to the left to listen to that clear water lap up on the beach, and had a short nap.
We had a system, a “Norther”, come through the next day throwing up seas so we couldn’t leave. We could see the waves crashing outside the small island anchorage and feel the swell to some extent, rock our boat. Not enough though I couldn’t work on a project so I constructed the rack for the new solar panel. It is hard to do work here. The sky and the water and the sand and the birds and the beach all are so distracting. All you really want to do is sit with a cold drink and a book and bob your life away. I’m getting off topic. I sawed and bolted and sawed some more. Finally after working all day I got it put together and it fits. It’s square, so it must be level. Hard to tell when trying to level a floating object. Stand on one side and the level has to be adjusted to compensate for your weight. Change sides and do it all over again. As we used to say at home growing up, “it is pretty good for government work”.
The Cays around the Berry islands are mainly isolated except for a few small villages. It was relaxing just to get away from it all. A few other boats would come and go but we were mainly left alone, together, to float in our own little paradise. It is unlikely we will ever return except in our memories and pictures. But what a memory we have to keep with us.
So onward to Nassau, a thirty seven mile easy-breezy down the Northwest Providence Channel which is average 9000 feet deep and leads into the Tongue of the Ocean along the Great Bahama Bank. The best window for weather we could get was Saturday, January 26th and it was expected to be a run with the wind from the north, and a three foot swell. We barely make it through the incoming swell on leaving the cut between Devil’s Cay and White Cay when the engine is steaming mad and hot under the cowling. Luckily we had put the main up while still at anchor, so we had some momentum when I turned the engine off. Unfurl the jib and sail ourselves out of this mess until we are at least out of the seven foot swell, but heading off 90 degrees to where we want to go. Out into deeper water where the swell, was more of a four foot Lake Ontario chop, and precious little wind. I fight enough to crab crawl a couple of miles off shore until we can get a better tack on heading south. However, no north wind as predicted but an east wind put us close hauled to gain some south and let the engine cool down. Chrissie reluctantly took the wheel and braved it out for the next six miles while I took the water pump apart and replaced the impeller twice. The first time it threw out water but then stopped. I realized that in all the confusion of working on a steaming hot motor in close quarters while being slammed sideways against the door for the head then over against the door for the aft cabin there was something I didn’t do. Understandable as I was also getting my brains bashed out every time we dropped into a trough. I had forgotten to turn on the seacock to let the water in to the pump!
I took the pump apart just in case I had damaged the new impeller, but it was fine and as soon as it was put back together, we headed southeast to Nassau. Very heavy oceans swell, but no wind. At least this time it wasn’t on the nose.
When we cruised into the harbour, it was another victory for us. Two of the five were from Carnival Cruise Lines were on the outside, nose to tail. The first in line was Imagination, the ship we were on with our friends, Alan and Leslie, but this time crowds were looking over the balcony at us with waves and smiles. A very large catamaran filled to capacity with bubbling tourists came slowly toward us just as we passed under the Paradise Island Bridge, and on noticing the Canadian flag started cheering and pointing out to each other, we were from Toronto.
Every year at this time there is a huge competition among the long boats and this year was no exception. We spent Sunday afternoon at the races where most of the crowds were Bahamian men cheering on their favorite boat and crew. The sail to boat ratio is huge and the crews are large. They start anchored in a line then when the committee boat gives the signal they start pulling in the lines to lift the anchor while at the same time raising the oversized mainsail and a very small foresail. The guys who pulled the boat along to the anchor now extend a long plank out over the side and a bunch of them slide out to counter the heel of the boat. There is a mad scramble when they change direction, to get to the other side with the plank, under the low boom and get set up before the wind fills the canvas. We were there mainly because of the food. They had all kinds of kiosks filled with all different kinds of Bahamian food, from made on site conch salad, conch fritters, jerk everything, all kinds of loafs including a local favorite made with macaroni and cheese. The music was blaring out happy island music. Everyone smiled except the old men and quite a few with not enough teeth. We bought four different large slices of homemade cake which takes two people to eat one slice.
Everyone is on a pace slower than island time except when they are driving a car. Cross a street to get to the Starbucks and you are responsible for your own life. When you reach the counter at Starbucks though there could be a line of ten people all talking about something to each other while I pace from one foot to the other. Even a line-up of one takes ten or fifteen minutes while the local guy chats with Thelma and Louise behind the counter about the upcoming church benefit. By the time I get my coffee, I really need it. This is all so I can get internet and they have the different access codes behind the counter.
“That’s the ting mon. Git used to it. I does tings my way.”
We are not staying here long, maybe a couple of days to stock up for the Exuma Islands further south. We will wait for a weather window and cross to the Elutheras or to Highborne Cay in the Exumas.
Keep well. Keep warm.