Farewell Exumas, Until Next Year April 7, 2013

We waited around Staniel Cay for several days for our replacement parts for the thrust bearing for the auto pilot. The parts arrived on April 2 on the 4:00 flight and we started the installation. It took several attempts to get it right, or as close to right as we could because Raymarine changed the dimensions on the parts since out unit was built. The linear drive functioned fine manually, but the true test would come when installed. It failed that test, so we hand steered north to Cambridge Cay, where we rejoined friends Burt and Pru on Exuberant and met a new host of cruisers, including Pike and Linda on Tioga, a Hinckley 51. We really enjoyed them and Burt and Pike, both having experienced auto pilot failures, came over on the morning of April 5 and helped troubleshoot. We think the computer on the AP has failed, so we are resigned to hand steering home.

On April 6, we departed Cambridge early in the morning, after having bid farewell to our friends there. We decided to go to Highborne Cay to anchor on the west side, in the lee of the East winds. The sail up the outside was easy (actually, it was a motoring day as the winds were very light and on our nose, and then built to worthwhile, but still on the nose. En route, we chatted with Exuberant (heading north) and Tioga (heading south). It turned out that Burt and Pru decided to push farther than they originally planned to shorten their legs to the Abacos, and they ended up anchoring right next to us. We had cocktails and dinner aboard Exuberant ant then really said goodbye this morning. Their first stop today was Royal Island, outside of Spanish Wells, where our trip really began this season. We headed to West Bay on the west end of New Providence (Nassau) Island because it provides a shorter route to the banks and the USA. While it is not a lot shorter, every mile helps when one is hand steering.

We had good winds all the way and sailed – all sails, even – right to the entrance to West Bay. En route, we passed Steven Spielberg’s 235’ (+/-) motor yacht as well as several others anchored off the SW coast of Nassau. The area is Lyford Cay and its associated marina, very high end and where the truly rich and famous play. Johnny Depp (who owns an island in the Exumas) keeps his boat there as do John Travolta and several other names we dare not drop (but the initials of one are YSL). Our trip north was accompanied by Onward and One Eyed Parrots (whose owners each lost an eye as youngsters, hence the name), whom we had met in George Town and islands north. So, we invited them for cocktails aboard Gratitude. On the way, we caught a fish, which Van filleted, and Lauren made ceviche.

Because all of us are heading back to FL, we discussed our planned routes and the fact that none will be doing overnight passages (we, because of no auto pilot, Joe, on Onward, because he sails single handed, and Ken and Leigh, on OEP, because they simply do not like overnights). The plan is to depart at “Oh-dark 30” and press on as far as we feel comfortable onto or across the banks. If we can, we may cross to FL on Tuesday. If not, then Wednesday before the next front nails us down.

While we do not like to see these trips come to an end, and we really do not like leaving the Exumas – where the water is incredibly beautiful (the photo is not from Nassau!) – end they must and so we press on. Once we get to FL, we probably will find a place to do a lay day and sit for a spell before heading up the west coast to the boat yard. We will write more, but the Bahamas soon will be behind us. Stay tuned for what FL has in store!