Green Turtle Cay
02 March 2014
On Monday, February 24, we left Old Bahama Bay Marina in West End, Grand Bahama Island and began our first leg of the cruise. Our course led us pat Mangrove Cay (a small island sometimes used by cruisers crossing the Little Bahama Bank) and on to Great Sale Cay which was our destination for the night. The weather was beautiful as we crossed the crystal clear water but the winds were light and variable. We had just enough wind to keep the jib filled with air as we motor-sailed downwind. Once we reached Mangrove, however, we began to see the squall lines forming to the north as the wind once again fell to less than 5 knots. We reached Great Sale Cay 30 minutes after sundown, dropped the anchor, ate dinner and fell asleep after a 9 hour trip.
Tuesday, February 25, our course would lead us around the north end of Great Sale and then veer more to the southeast. It was our hope that this angle, along with a predicted north wind would allow our first extended sail of the cruise. As usual, the wind turned light and clocked to the southeast and was directly on our nose……so no sailing today either. As the day went along, the rain squalls reappeared and began to surround us. As we approached Allans-Pensacola Cay, our destination for the night, we were hit with heavy rain and 30 knot winds. Anchoring in these conditions tested our ground tackle and our ability to find a good sand holding spot. Luckily, it only took two tries but the anchor finally set and held all night. As we settled in for the night, the storm passed, the wind died down, and we were treated to another incredibly beautiful view. Allans-Pensacola is one of our favorite places in the islands. It is uninhabited and located in a remote area of the Bahamas.
Wednesday, February 26, the weather forecast indicates that the unsettled conditions will continue for at least the rest of the week. We determined that we would move down to Green Turtle Cay and take a slip there until conditions improve. We are now at the Green Turtle Club Marina on Green Turtle Cay. We will take a few days to walk around the island and see the beautiful beaches on the Atlantic side. It looks like rain every day though so we will probably catch up on reading and boat projects