From NOAA radio in Florida we could get the broadcast in Green Turtle Cay, for the most part, stating the conditions of the Gulf Stream for today and the up-coming week.
"For today, Sunday, the wind is from the North- east at 26 mph with gusts to 32, - wave height 9 to 11 feet with the occasional 15 feet, - wave period 5 seconds"
We can wait.
The rest of the broadcast was proving to be more favorable with the wind moderating and shifting around to the east. We decided by the looks of things, it would be sloppy but doable, and if we wanted to put ourselves in a position to cross on Thursday that would mean we would leave Green Turtle Cay on Monday and cut down the straight run to Florida by stopping in the shelter of two Cays on the way back.
Earlier in the week, we left Treasure Cay and headed out to the notorious Whale Cay Passage which would take us from the Abacos Bight back to the Sea of Abaco. Looking ahead out into the whitecaps on the ocean we knew we probably would be in for a frothy ride going out and then when we made the turn north west, the rollers would be on our beam. We were right.
Just before entering the channel between Great Guana Cay and Whale Cay there is a very small island or a very large rock sitting between the channel and the sand bar which keeps us from a direct path to Green Turtle Cay. It is called Don't Rock. Hoping it might be a good omen on entering the ocean, although I knew better. It wasn't.
Just as we got by the end of the land area on both the islands in the area where the ocean meets the Banks we took some direct hits, where the boat rolled to port and everything that wasn't secured came crashing off the starboard side. Once through the worst of it and 'rounding the corner' we had the wind to our back then a beam reach sailing all the way to Green Turtle Cay. We could tell just how bad we were rolling by looking behind a few hundred yards and watch Soulstice II in the same wallow as we were.
On December 16th, after saying goodbye to our friends on Heritage and Miss Ellie we left Green Turtle Cay and made our way on a nice beam reach under sail up the Abaco Sound to Crab Cay. It was an island Dorothy had wanted to stop at on the way down because she had read somewhere that 'it had a beautiful beach with swaying palms'. Dorothy must have been reading an article about Hawaii because when we arrived and rounded to the lee side of the island there was nothing there but a coral rock shore and some scraggly trees. At least we thought, it would make a good anchorage. Not.
The wind was piping up and coming through the channel between two islands. Just before dark Chances had a soft grounding which took 10 minutes and an incoming tide to get off and Soulstice II had to reset anchor for the third time to finally get a good hold. We both put out 120 feet of chain for insurance to give us that extra scope in poor holding. Mike and I both slept in the cockpits of our respective boats to ensure we were close in case we dragged. Dorothy slept peacefully below dreaming of powder beaches, swaying palms and beautiful Hawaiian music!
Dorothy is an excellent sailor. We first met at our sailing club in Toronto and whenever I, as the Club Cruising Director, was putting a cruise together she would be one of the first boats to sign up on the most challenging ones. I had admired her sailing skills as she would almost be single handing (with a non sailor accompanying) across Lake Ontario on her Tanzer to Port Dalhousie or down the lake to Whitby. We were acquaintances then became friends over the years. Last year, she and Keith came to Georgetown in the Exumas to stay with us for a week. This year since Chrissie has decided to take a sabbatical from the boat,she convinced me that I should not solo to the Bahamas. The answer was Dorothy who sprang at the prospect. She thought it would be the opportunity of a lifetime and as far as learning how to live, travel, and experience the cruising lifestyle she accepted it in spades. It isn't always a picnic as the weather and distance dictates when you will travel and how far. She already knew how to expertly handle a boat and soon enough was, planning provisions, navigating, anchoring, and piloting the boat through good weather and nasty chops. Always prepared to go shopping, she almost always was the one who knew where everything was when we got to shore. She even took the dinghy ashore alone and learned how to handle a four cycle, sometimes cantankerous outboard. Best of all though, she found out that cruising can be at least something to fix everyday in an exotic location! With so many moving parts on a boat and the conditions they operate under, there is always something that needs repair. I can tell you she may never do something like this on her own boat, but she certainly is more than capable. Just never know though; her and Keith may be cruising through these islands and to be sure enough to anchor just outside that soft powder beach with swaying palms!!!
The following morning we decided to get out of here and head for Great Sale Cay which again is uninhabited but a really nice harbour to anchor in. Really good holding in eight feet of water and completely sheltered from the north and east wind. Since we planned to leave at eleven o'clock on Wednesday evening, we would anchor here on Tuesday night and rest up on Wednesday. After listening to a far clearer report from NOAA weather radio in Florida we all agreed this was the opening we were looking for to cross.
We spent most of the time resting but did take a dinghy ride to shore to check out the beach and look around. There are still signs that the island was used as a NASA satellite tracking station at one time but all that is left is the broken up concrete pad that once would have held a fairly large structure, a supply shed and water tanks. It is another private island and there are sites on-line that it is for sale for just under ten million dollars. But it offers nothing more than a hurricane hole, as the scenery is barren and it is a long way from its sister islands. However, it is a great staging area to cross the Banks and the Gulf Stream.
We couldn't sleep so we were out at ten o'clock getting things ready at by ten thirty were pulling anchor, making sure everything was fastened tight and reefing the mainsail for the long night ahead. Setting a course for the northern entrance on to the Bahama Banks we set the waypoint on the chart plotter and engaged the autopilot. We would be running all night so anything that was lit would be easy to see. It would be pretty well a straight run and either we would be following or leading Soulstice II. It doesn't take long to get a bit sleepy but the cool air in the cockpit keeps us alert.
Since I didn't bring a jacket with me, or any pants longer than a pair of shorts, I settled back in the seat against the companionway wall, in a light sweater and a big beach towel. Dorothy did the same on the other cockpit seat. So here we were, sitting backwards, travelling on a boat controlling its own speed and direction while we swayed with the motion of the ocean and stared out over the stern of the boat. Every ten minutes or so one of us would stand up and look forward at the nonentity ahead of us. By daybreak we reached the edge of the Bank and water although the surface remained the same (except the colour changes from turquoise to a royal blue) the depth went from twenty feet to well over 2000 feet.
The trip across the Stream was uneventful except for the constant pitching and rolling in six to seven foot troughs coming at us just aft of the beam. The wind was just enough to be annoying coming from the same direction. No matter how we set the main it slatted and banged from side to side even though I had put a preventer on. Finally there wasn't enough wind to even bother with the jib luffing. We had hoped to make Ft Pierce inlet to catch slack tide and get in before dark but it appeared an hour out we were going to be just that hour late. I called Chrissie to drive up from Stuart to the marina at the head of the inlet and just as she answered a pod (more like a swarm) of dolphins was around us everywhere. After I hung up from telling her when we would be in and the location of the marina, both Dorothy and I went to the bow of the boat and watched as dolphins in layers of three to five deep swam immediately in front of the bow, all of them wanting to be noticed and would turn sideways to see if we were looking at them. Amazing how they can swim so effortlessly, immediately in front of the boat at six knots without any apparent movement of their bodies. After 15 minutes they were gone. I have seen a lot of them up close in the wild in my travels, but this performance was extra spectacular.
We reached Ft Pierce just as the entry lights started flashing and what would be simple in the daytime became exceedingly difficult with all the channel marker lights, the back drop of the city, the intra-coastal flashing lights and the Christmas lights combined. Slowly and carefully we manoeuvred up the inlet to a short run into the Intracoastal then to the marina. Chris was on the dock to meet us and although we were sad it was over it was good to be home for Christmas. This time a year ago we left Chances in the same area and flew back to Toronto. This year we would spend our Christmas in Florida, our first time away from family and without snow.
About the middle of January I will pick up this adventure by taking Chances down the Florida Keys to Miami, Key Largo, Marathon and Key West. This time I will solo sail as Chris has lost her desire to sail and is making a lovely condo her home for the winter.
All is well.