We had arrived at Rose Island Thursday afternoon from Highbourne seeking shelter from the forecast 20 knot winds from the north. During our stay it was a bit cool and a bit noisy with all of the wind. But Saturday dawned sunny and warm. And the winds started to come down a bit as they shifted to the east. The West Bottom Harbour is a fairly protected anchorage from northerly thru ENE wind directions. During the day, several day-charter boats from Nassau and Paradise Island bring their customers over there to swim, snorkel, tube, and generally enjoy the water. But they leave by late afternoon and it gets peaceful for the remainder of the evening and night as can be seen from the sunset picture attached with this post (West Bottom Harbour looking west towards Nassau). It is a much less busy environment than Nassau Harbour 5 miles to the west.
Today we decided to head into Nassau and spend the night at the Nassau Harbour Club Marina so we could prep for our trip back to Fort Lauderdale. We needed to pick up some food, refill our water tanks, and fill with diesel prior to departure. It's getting to be that time when we start thinking about re-entering reality. Shortly, the sailing oriented routines that we have picked up over the past two months will change fairly dramatically. But.....it will be good to be back home.

Once again, it has been a while since I updated the blog. WIFI and reliable 3G connections were hard to come by during the past week.
We left Black Point last weekend to find shelter from the cold front coming in on Tuesday. There were supposed to be some strong easterlies and then clocking around to the south and then the west. So we needed someplace where we could find an anchorage with coverage from those directions and Warderick Wells seemed like a good possibility. The western anchorage was good for the easterlies and the northern mooring field protected us from the rest. The winds from the east really picked up Monday and Tuesday and even in the northern mooring field, the wind was really ripping in the low 20's with gusts at 30+ knots. From the mooring I could watch the island to the east and see where the waves had hit the east shore of the island. The island is about 50 feet high in that spot. The waves would strike the shore and shoot upwards 50 feet above the top of the island! It wasn't a great day to be out in the sound.
But life in the shelter of the mooring field went on and we got together with about 20 other sailors for a pot luck dinner on the beach. Very nice!
Once the winds calmed a bit on Wednesday, we made a our way north to Highbourne Cay to anchor for the night. Along the way, a little friend sailed with us for a brief time as you can see from the photo. He/she raced in when we were close to one of the inlets and headed directly for our bow wave.
We spent the night at Highbourne at anchor on the western side. It was a bit choppy with wind out of the SW, but it was tolerable for one night. It was nice to relax and watch the sunset once again. The sunsets and sunrises have been colorful most days during this trip. Usually I get great cell coverage since we anchor only a quarter mile from the BTC tower. But the service was completely out at Highbourne. So no phone, and no 3G coverage.
Tomorrow we are heading further north to Rose Island to find shelter in the West Bottom Harbour to find protection from the very strong northerlies coming Thursday and Friday.

Well it sure looks like I need to catch up on the blog. We've been so busy that the blog has been on the back burner.
Following up from Evan's last entry as we arrived in George Town, we endured some windy, rocking weather the following Sunday the 7th. A front came thru that day and it blew all day and thru the night. We re-anchored near the settlement (east of Kidd Harbor) to get protection from the westerly component winds. But as the wind went to the NW, the seas really rolled under us. At the peak winds of 20-25kt, gusting into the 30's we were bucking 3 to 4 footers. It wasn't a good night for sleeping.
But it eventually moderated and we spent Monday exploring more of George Town. We moved back to Monument Beach anchorage with the promise of clocking winds to the NNE so that we could hike the beaches on Stocking island. Afterwards we visited volleyball beach and the Chat n Chill beach bar for some "social exploration". It was an interesting group of people there. Mostly couples with several years of George Town visits under their keels.
We up-anchored from Monument on Wednesday and went down to the Black Rock anchorage. That was relatively uncrowded until later that day when it filled in quite a bit. But it was a nice quiet night that made for a good night's sleep.
Chris Parker's forecast for the following several days made it sound like we'd need to dash north on Friday the 12th if we wanted to leave George Town before another front swept thru with accompanying nasty winds lasting for the next week. But his Thursday morning forecast showed an increase in wind and waves earlier than expected. So we raised anchor right after hearing his forecast and headed north to Black Point. We motor sailed close hauled into 15-20 knots of wind and 3-4' seas. But the seas occasionally were in the 5-6' range as winds picked up over 20. It made for some significant pounding at times and solid water over the fore deck often. It was an uncomfortable trip but it made the calm waters of Black Point anchorage that much more appreciated.
Well the front that Chris was expecting for Monday/Tuesday of next week is still headed our way with some westerly component winds forecast. So we've got to find some anchorages with protection for then.
Today we are staying in Black Point, doing laundry and food shopping prior to moving north into the Exuma Land and Sea park again. We may find some protection in Warderick Cay or Cambridge Cay to carry us thru next week. We will see.
Photo is in Black Point anchorage at sunrise.

Made the jump from Black Point out Dotham Cut earlier in the morning for destination Georgetown. Jim gave me a chance to fish the inlet on the way out which was nice because a lot of species congregate around the flow area. It usually is not the best time since an extra set of hands might be needed. No luck on the cut. I hope the day brings more. Jumped out into the blue, deep water of the Exuma Sound for a chance to fish the pelagic species. Looking forward to some possibly bigger and different kinds of fish.
Mostly motor sailing during the day with winds nonexistent in the morning and filling in the afternoon. Jim did get a chance to use his sails. Not perfect winds, but just enough to keep him busy while I promised a possible dinner entrée.
After playing around with different lures I found a rattle jet lure that best resembled the blue color of the flying fish I kept seeing. Bingo. Fish on. A big dolphin hit it like a freight train and did a couple of amazing jumps. Managed to keep the line taut and had a great fight until he got near the sailboat, jumped, and shook the hook. Was amazed and pleased with the fight, but really wanted some mahi mahi for dinner. Didn’t give up though, persistence is key; where there is one there is more. Ten minutes later fish on. Not nearly as big, just a schoolie dolphin but it put up a nice fight. Beautiful electric yellow, green, and blue colors so pretty I would have almost have settled for just the photo. It made two meals with some nice, blackened grilled fillets and equally as nice sautéed later for fish sandwiches. Caught a small barracuda on the way into Georgetown and let the toothy bugger free to swim another day. If I hadn’t had the dolphin in the cooler he might have been dinner.
Nice, afternoon zig zag waypoint course entry into Georgetown from the ocean. Followed another slow, progressing sailboat and had a cue of boats coming in at the same time behind us. Found a deeper spot under Monument Hill and anchored. Went swimming in the late afternoon sun and had a saltwater scrub with a freshwater rinse. Trying to conserve everything in the Exumas.

Tuesday dawned sunny and warm in Warderick Wells. The winds settled down in the wee hours Tuesday morn and made for a beautiful day in "the Park". We paid for another night on the mooring ($30) and set off for a long hike. We decided to walk the eastern cliff trail. The skies were blue, the sun was bright, and we were up for a challenging hike. Evan says he didn't mention going all the way to Pirate's Lair, but I distinctly remember that. So after a long and beautiful hike along the very jagged cliffs of the shore, we made it to Pirates Lair near the south end.
We decided to take the western shore trails back. After what seemed like hours and miles (& after draining the drinks we brought), we made it back to the dinghy hungry and very thirsty. Needless to say, we lounged about the boat after a quick lunch.
Late afternoon we hosted a little get-together on Koala with the 2 other Catalina 470's that were at Warderick. There was Joe and Peggy aboard Onward, and Tom and Dana aboard Keelin' Time. It was great catching up with other C470 owners and sharing ideas and experiences with them.
Wednesday dawned with some strong easterly winds. We were planning to leave and head to Black Point settlement. It sounded like a good idea at the time, and in the end it was. But the first several miles motor sailing into the 15-20 knot winds and 2-4' waves proved less than enjoyable with the hull pounding into some of the waves. But winds backed a little as we headed further south and the motor sailing smoothed out a bit. We cleared the entrance to Black Point and dropped anchor in 10' of brilliant green waters about 1:30pm.
The winds stayed up much of the day and night on Wednesday but calmed down around 4 am (it's unfortunate that I know that!) Thursday dawned warm (now in the 80's) and sunny with a light easterly breeze. The plan is to do laundry right now, and then head out on a hike to explore the shoreline along the eastern coast of the island.
Tomorrow we are intending to head to Georgetown, and will make it a long day of sailing (hopefully).

It was totally random that we met 2 other Catalina 47' sailboats at Warderick, and totally random that we were placed in adjacent moorings. In forefront is Onward, then Keelin Time, and finally Koala.

We left Nassau on Friday about noon. The winds were still a bit strong and from a bad direction, but we needed to get to a quiet anchorage and on our way south finally. We made it to the Rose Island anchorage and were the only boat there for most of the day. Only one other boat came in the night. We had a very peaceful sleep as the winds clocked from the NNW to the N, and finally around to the NE throughout the night.
We woke up on Saturday and followed the routine of coffee, Parker's weather forecast on the single sideband radio, and then breakfast before motoring out through the coral heads headed south about 9 am. The sail ended up being quite good. The wind was a bit too close to the direction we were headed but it picked up enough to allow us to sail most of the way to Shroud Cay in the Exumas park. We arrived in the Shroud west anchorage about 4:30 pm and settled in for another night at anchor.
Sunday we decided to explore some of the mangrove lined tidal creeks that lace the interior of the cay. The picture included with this update is one of the interior beached just inside one of the creeks. We took the dinghy up to the north end of the island to explore the shallow tidal creek that extends from the banks side to the ocean side of the cay. We ended up making it to the ocean beach on the east side and climbed up to Camp Driftwood. The camp is where the CIA had a covert observation post monitoring the drug running that was going on over at Normans Cay during the 1970's. The camp was originally an encampment setup earlier by a lone sailor who sailed his small boat into the tidal creek and then lived alone on the island for many years.
Monday we decided to head further south and so we made our way to Warderick Wells. Warderick is the main park headquarters cay for the Exumas Land and Sea Park. It is also one of the most sought after cays to visit. It has a couple of very protected mooring fields and the island has several hiking trails. We made it to Warderick fairly early in the morning since we heard on Parker's morning weather update that there was a squall line working east from the Florida straights. So we wanted to be secured in a protected anchorage before they hit. We made it before lunch time and were able to do a short hike before returning to the boat for lunch. After lunch we wanted to hike to the ocean side and were already in the dinghy when some light/moderate rain came thru. Undaunted, we continued anyway and climbed thru the mangroves and up Hutia hill and over to the beach before ascending Boo Boo Hill. And then.....we looked out to the NW. Black clouds and grey sheets of rain lined the horizon. The short way back was to descend and then wade across the tidal creek back to the park headquarters. We made it to te dinghy as heavy rains and wild winds struck. The anchorage was a sea of white water and the rain stung our faces as we motored back to the boat. Needless to say, we were pretty much soaked thru but it was worth the short exploration. The storm lasted about an hour before calming down. Yeah, Parker was correct - the squall line would be coming thru as forecast!

We left Nassau in the morning bound for Norman Cay with Gene aboard. We had spent so much time in Nassau waiting for the frontal passage and high northerly winds after the passage, that we were a bit stir crazy. So it was exhilarating to finally be headed back to the islands. The sailing ended up a bit close hauled and light winds (yes, LIGHT winds finally!!)and so we motor sailed for a while. But the final leg was a gentle sail to Normans and quite peaceful.
However, the southwest anchorage off Normans turned out to be dicey. We entered at near low tide with a 6 foot draft and saw depth readings as low as 6.2'. But we found a spot fairly close in that had 7.5' and dropped anchor. The wind had picked up from the north and gave us a bouncy time until later in the evening when the forecast south easterlies filled in. It was still a bit bouncy, but relatively good.
We left the next morning (Tuesday) at near high tide bound for the deeper waters of Highbourne Cay. The winds were scheduled to come around to the south and the Highbourne western anchorage is not protected from that direction. But we toughed it out and the winds stayed mostly out of the south east. Winds were around 20 knots so it was still a bouncy anchorage. But again it was tolerable.
Tuesday afternoon we dinghy'd over to the northwest beach and hiked around the rocky shore to the northern anchorage. It was windy in that anchorage but the waters were quiet. It's a good place for any blow that doesn't have a "north" component in it. It is just a tricky access from the banks side for a boat with a 6' draft and low tide. So better timing (rising high tide) could make for a better transit into the anchorage in preparation for bad winds.
We left Highbourne Wednesday morning because Gene had a flight to catch in Nassau Thursday morning. The sail back was dead downwind and fairly nice. We doused the sail and motored through the coral heads on the Yellow Bank so that we had good maneuverability as we dodged the ones we could see. Evan and Gene were high up on the forward deck scouting the the big "keel busters" as I swerved to miss them. So much fun! The final stretch of the sail after the coral heads turned out to be very nice punctuated by Gene catching a good sized bar jack. That rather topped off his short week aboard Koala.
Well, here we are again in Nassau. Gene caught a taxi about 7 am to take the 2 hour drive to the airport. Yep, the whole island is only 26 miles long, but the taxi driver said he needed that much time during rush hour to make sure he caught his flight. And I thought south Florida was bad at rush hour!
I will catch up with downloading the pictures from my camera and then post a few here later on.

We are still in Nassau this morning after 24 hours of 20-40 knot winds out of the west. It was a very noisy night with the waves slamming the stern of the boat as we sat in the #1 slip at Nassau Harbour Club Marina. Today the cold front has finally arrived in full force. The temperature overnight dropped to 62 degrees. That may be warm in comparison with south Florida and hot in comparsion with New York State, but on the boat it is chilly. However, we have a forecast for lightening winds this afternoon. So we will consider moving to the Exumas this afternoon or tomorrow morning. We have a 2-3 day window before we need to get Gene back for his flight home from Nassau. I have my fingers crossed for the better weather.
Yesterday, we decided to hike to the eastern part of New Providence Island to see what life there is all about. We got about 3 miles before a woman in a car hailed us and admonished for walking here. She said it is far too dangerous and we needed to get into her car immediately. After about 20 minutes, of discussion we relented and piled into her car. It turned out that she gave us a driving tour of the area for about an hour, complete with running commentary on Nassau, New Providence, Fox Hill and Bahamian life in general. Ann Marie was an excellent tour guide, very friendly and outgoing to the max. She is a junior economist here and had moved back home here after several years living/working in Canada. She had a very interesting perspective on Bahamian life.
She dropped us back where she had found us, so we hiked back to the marina where I knocked off a few boat projects before starting dinner and afterwards, watching DVD's.
Today is another project-repairing the Bahamian courtesy flag which ripped itself apart last night. It wouldn't be such a loss if I hadn't just replaced it with a new one last week. After the winds we had 2 weeks ago, my original courtesy had ripped itself beyond repair. These winds are destructive.
The next update will probably come on Wednesday when we return with Gene.

OK, looking at the last blog date, we've been a bit lazy. I'm not sure I can recount everything that's happened since the last Highbourne Cay update, but I'll try. (Sorry about the 'stream-of-consciousness' format to this post.)
The weather has been uncooperative this trip. The weather systems have been rolling thru about twice a week. It leaves us with a day or two per week to move around and explore. The rest of the time we are trying to head for sheltered anchorage or marina while the system explodes and then blows itself out. So after Highbourne on the 13th, we went back to Nassau for a few days shelter and to explore Nassau some more.
Many days have been a bit cool for us, running in the mid to upper 70's with a strong breeze. Those temps are great when the sun is out and the breeze is down. Mornings usually start in the low 70's, but we have seen a couple of morns down in the 68-69 degree range. We are supposed to get some 60 degree morns starting tomorrow with the cold front that passed yesterday. It really not bad "cold" weather, but we have been using jackets and long pants to stay warm at times.
After spending too many days in Nassau last Monday we decided to head for Shroud Cay which is part of the Bahamas Land and Sea Park system in the northern Exumas. We had a great sail down there and a pretty good sail back to Rose Island on Wednesday. But the two days spent in the western anchorage was ROUGH. I got little sleep. This was my first stop at Rose and it was very nice and quiet because the weather was settled Wednesday night. Finally, a good night's sleep was had! Rose was an interesting anchorage but challenging because we had to slowly pick our way through some coral heads in poor light conditions. The path was a bit circuitous, but we made it in and out of the corals without managing to kiss any of them.
Thursday morning we headed back to Nassau to pick up Gene for his visit to the Exumas. He couldn't have picked a worse week to come in. The winds and squalls have been cranking since he arrived Thursday morning. This morning it's been blowing anywhere from 15 to 40 knots in the marina. The exposed sea winds are supposed to be running about 30 knots sustained. So we are here for the next night and probably two before the weather moderates and we can find decent anchorage in the northern Exumas.
Anyway, Gene, Evan and I are exploring more of Providence Island and will soon cast off for the Exumas.
The weather outlook for February is looking better. Chris Parker thinks we will see maybe 3 or 4 good days every week before we endure another bad weather front. That's a more normal pattern for this time of year down here. So we have our fingers crossed.

The sailing to and from Highbourne Cay in the northern Exumas was actually pretty comfortable in spite of the stronger winds and seas. We left Nassau Monday on a broad reach in 15-20 knot winds and 2-3 foot seas. The return trip was more difficult since the wind and waves were on our bow. It was a little difficult finding the coral heads on the Yellow Bank so that we could dodge them. But we did, and here we are.
On the way to Highbourne, Evan caught a spanish mackerel after what seemed like hours of trolling. It provided two tasty fillets for dinner that night. The little mackerel didn't compare to the 'little fishies' that sat quietly off the Highbourne Cay dock waiting for someone to venture too closely (see the picture). They regularly hang there waiting for the fishermen to clean their fish and send them the scraps. They are impressive and intimidating. Dinghy-ing over the top of them in 6 feet of water is discomforting-one bite of the inflatable's tubes and down we go!
This time we ended up hiking to the northern point of Highbourne. There isn't much there, but they are building some homes on the island (expensive, I'm sure). The Eastern shore exposed to the full force of the ocean, is very rocky where we were. But around to the sound side there were small sand beaches ideal for beach combing.
We had some stronger winds out of the NNE Tuesday night and it made for a bouncy evening at anchor in the western anchorage. But the wind shifted direction slightly and things calmed down a bit for sleeping.
Since the weather forecast from Chris Parker Wednesday morning was for deteriorating weather over the next few days, we made plans to head back to Nassau for a while. Besides, Evan and I are are entered in a 5k race in Nassau on Saturday. So we needed to be back for that too. So here we are, sitting in the local Starbucks right across the street from the marina, sucking down their coffee and sucking up their "free" internet.

Highbourne Cay's northern beaches

This is a picture of the southeast end of Paradise Island from Montague Park in Nassau.

Came into Nassau Harbour on the back of two cruise ships after 25hr nighttime transit. We seemed to be the only ones on the water other than the big boys. At least those and the freighters were the only ones I had witnessed while on watch. The entrance to the harbor was interesting with rolling surf over the breakwater up to their small lighthouse.
We came in and made a quick call to Harbour Court Marina but were unsuccessful. Later determined we needed to be on another channel, but, no problem, as we buzzed their fuel dock and Dudley jumped right over and settled us in a slip.
Greeted by the same courteous staff as four years previous upon arrival. Peter arranged the details and introduced us to our neighbors as we got settled. He welcomed us back and remembered our last stay for good or bad. I just don't know. The place seems just the same as before. A secure, friendly marina in a somewhat maintained state of disrepair. It seems to cater to everybody with some motor yachts, some anglers, a busy dive operation, and a good deal of sailors.
We hooked up, showered, and had a big late morning breakfast. Afterwards, I stopped into the coffee shop to get reconnected to the world. The Marina is directly across the street from Harbour Bay Shopping Plaza which has all the necessities. It is a very convenient location with a Starbucks having free Wifi, a Fresh Market with an instore cafe, a well stocked pharmacy, a liquor store, and a Bahamas Wimax.The plaza also has some fast food for those tired of cooking.
After killing some time decompressing, I went back to the boat to find Jim right back in the middle of it. I assumed he would have fallen out and would be fast asleep after the long hours traveling. No such luck, he was back in maintenance mode again. I bucked up and joined in and we gave the boat a full cleaning before an early dinner.

The day started very nicely after a couple days of high winds and rain. So sunshine and light winds was a reprieve for us. We decided that we needed to make tracks to get to Nassau before the next system was due to arrive. But, the whole trip was going to be in exposed ocean waters and pushing to get in before the 'evil head winds' arrived. We left Marsh Harbour Friday morning bound for Lynyard Cay to the south through some fairly shallow waters. It was a casual motoring trip into very light winds.

We dropped anchor at Lynyard awaiting a departure at 4:45 pm so that we wouldn't arrive Nassau harbor before sunrise. We were expecting to start in seas about 6 feet and very light winds and then see reduced seas but winds increasing to 10 knots close to our nose. What we got...an Ocean swell running up to 6-10' and light winds to start, and 20+ knots of wind and the same waves as we approached Nassau. And it was all on our nose. It was a long and gloomy night! There are no pictures of the crossing since 1) pictures never show the wave heights as they really look, and 2) I was too busy navigating and cursing the bad luck :>)

We arrived Saturday morning somewhat late around 10 am after a total trip of about 24 hours. I was lacking from sleep as I only drifted off for a few minutes one time. Evan was able to cat nap several times, so he was fresh as a daisy. And if the lousy weather didn't make me grumpy, his cheery attitude really set me off! (Just kidding)

Anyway we made it to Nassau and decided to set into a marina for the night since the boat was just a cake of salt from stem to stern after all of the breaking seas we took aboard. We went to the east side of the harbor after getting clearance from harbor control and found a dock at the Harbour Club Marina and Resort where we had stayed the last time in the area. The rate was $1.75/ft with $8 fee for water and electric metered at $0.60/kwh. Fortunately we were right across the street from Evan's second home - Starbucks (he needed the free WIFI to stay in touch with everyone, and of course the coffee). I will let Evan describe Nassau as we saw things on Sunday from hiking around the area.

Our next leg will probably take us to Highbourne Cay for a couple of days. Highbourne is in the northern Exumas and is a nice stopping point after crossing through the coral heads of the Yellow Bank. If the weather cooperates, we will leave Monday morning late, but the next front is already upon us and forecast to be squally for the next couple of days. Then we will return to Nassau Wednesday of Thursday ahead of another strong frontal passage on Thursday and Friday. Coming up Saturday, we are all registered to run the 5k Susan Komen race through Nassau onto Paradise Island. And then we are back off to the northern Exumas for a few days before picking up Gene in Nassau and heading south to Georgetown. But, plans do change.

They really do prepare for any weather down here, even global "Chillin', mon"

We have just endured 2 days of windy, rainy weather at anchor in Marsh Harbour. The poor anchor held firm in 20-30+ knots of wind that literally howled in the rigging. The 3/4" anchor snubber line was stretched so far that it was smaller in diameter than half an inch- yikes! If we didn't get soaked enough from the rain, the dinghy ride thru the breaking waves finished the job. The wind was so strong and the rain so relentless we didn't even leave the boat at all Wednesday. But Thursday (today) dawned sunny and relatively dry. 'Twas a great morning to go ashore and explore. We walked down to the east of the harbor and checked out Abaco Beach Resort & Marina. Very nice, quiet, well taken care of, and a large clean marina. The Gunboat 62 we saw in Green Turtle was even there. When I asked about dockage, she referred me to their website where I couldn't find any rates. I guess I wasn't dressed appropriately, and if you have to ask 'how much' you can't afford it. Later we checked out the Jib room marina for dockage rates. They were $1.05/ft for one night and $0.85/ft for 2+ night stays. After stopping at the internet cafe we got some Jamaican wraps for lunch at Rubis' gas station. Yep, I said 'gas station'. I was expecting the equivalent of the proverbial "gas station sushi"! But Evan had a craving for Jamaican and that's what some local folk recommended. It was actually very tasty. But, check back with me later;-)

The trip over to Marsh Harbour from GTC was rather uneventful although I am finally able to fish. It keeps Jim free from incessant questions and allows me to concentrate on something primal.
Caught a nice mackerel while trolling a spoon but tried to bring it over the hull instead of going to the platform. Rookie mistake as it shook the hook and swam away laughing. We'll call it catch and release.
Had some rain showers in the afternoon; hopefully washing away some of the salt we had build up on the trip over. Viewed a massive yacht near Guana Cay in the ship channel. If size matters, it mattered. But for being the biggest, I'll admit it had beautiful lines.
At the entrance to the marina in Guana Cay, we witnessed a float plane land. The pilot had to put down in some rocky, churned up water. I hope the passengers were ready for their bumpy landing and rolling taxi ride. It touched down in the direction of our sailboat so it was fun to witness.
Made it into Marsh Harbour in the late afternoon and found some suitable deeper anchorage off of the ferry dock. Settled in and enjoyed a nice sunset and even better twilight on the hook.

Sitting in Green Turtle Cay Saturday morning listening to Chris's weather synopsis for the upcoming days, it was becoming evident that the passage of the next cold front was going to make our anchorage a little rough. So we opted to move to something a little more protected to our south. After some discussion and a more detailed check of the weather files, we picked Marsh Harbour as the next stop. Sunday morning dawned as a partly cloudy day with some rain clouds patrolling to our south.....yep, right where we were heading.
Of course the wind cooperated by staying right on our nose a good portion of the way. But the seas were pretty flat with only some good sized rollers coming in off the ocean in the Whale Cut area. So the travel wasn't uncomfortable. When passing Whale Cay in a rain storm we noticed a "little" boat anchored all by itself and taking up the entire anchorage at the north end of Guana Cay. It IS a pity when the chopper has to hang off the aft deck. I guess that the Attessa IV just wasn't long enough at 330' to fit it completely. Kinda puts in perspective just how small our own problems really are!
Anyway, we arrived and anchored in Marsh Harbour Sunday afternoon and we are probably staying put thru mid week until conditions turn a little better. The harbor is fairly busy with boats coming and going all day and night. The inter-island ferrys seem almost non-stop at times. Sitting at anchor we watched a couple of dolphins play in the harbor beside the boat. I guess Marsh isn't all hustle and bustle.
We found out that Marsh now has digital TV broadcasting in the harbor. They re-broadcast some major network feeds from south Florida on channels in the 12.2 thru 12.8 range at 480i resolution. We watched for about a half hour to find out how the "rest of the world" lives, especially Hollywood types. Turned it off and went back to life in the Abacos-aahhhhhhh, much better.
Now back to the boat chores.....hmmm, life!

Not happy, all motoring and no sailing due to wind direction before New Year's Eve.
No one on the water today with little contact or sighting whatsoever. Jim commented, it felt like we fell off the face of the earth. It seemed really desolate especially hearing and feeling those same stark words.
Saw a complete rainbow amid squalls near Spanish Cay.You don't see many of those. I felt lucky to be on the water after all.
Experienced what appears as some engine trouble with the motor intermittently bogging and losing some rpm. Oh well, going on the list of things to address. This list constantly changes. It is in need of attention and then execution to keep the sailboat shipshape. Arrived in Green Turtle Cay and found some deeper anchorage off of the Bluff House just as the last time.
Began New Year's Day with a big breakfast after finally feeling a little grounded. Experienced a long night filled with fireworks, crowing roosters, and a pumping baseline coming from a party in Plymouth.
Sometime in the evening, a 62' Gunboat catamaran slipped in beside us. It looked amazing with a price tag to back it up.
We witnessed a great deal of traffic in and out of GTC on New Year's Day. Unfortunately, we were sequestered under the yellow quarantine flag to the boat until check in at Customs.
Spent the day reading and watching the traffic. Got in the water and managed some time scrubbing the boat's waterline for exercise. Found out how poorly I am in the water nowadays. Gives me a target to work for considering we're running in Nassau on the 15th in their road race.