Arrival in Eluthera
31 January 2013 | Rock Sound
Sunny, with an approaching front
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Our twenty mile sail from Big Majors Spot to Warderick Wells yesterday was uneventful. It was a broad reach, then a beam reach with the engine running just above idle to recharge the batteries from the overcast we had in Big Majors that thwarted the efforts of our solar panels. Since it was mid afternoon when we arrived at the Exuma Park anchorage we spent most of the rest of the day on the boat except for a short trip to park headquarters to renew our annual park membership.
Today we went ashore in the morning to hike the trails on the island. Our first attempt was to take the trail up to Boo Boo Hill. About a third of the way there we encountered high water and were unable to cross Banshee Creek. So, we turned back and hiked the Causeway Trail to the top of the ridge and were able to look out on Exuma Sound. It is still a bit rough out there in the deep water that separates Exuma from Eluthera. On our hike we did find a piece of driftwood that we will offer to King Neptune. It will be adorned with "Sanity II" and deposited on Boo Boo Hill tomorrow in accordance with local tradition. This token will join the the previous two offerings we have made on our earlier visits here in 2011 and 2012.
The afternoon was spent snorkeling and then an impromptu cocktail party at the gazebo on the beach with the crews of three other boats.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
We woke up to showers and squalls yesterday morning, which was okay as we did not need to hike up the hill until after lunch to deposit our offering to the gods. The rain rinsed the salt off the boat. We ended the day with another impromptu cocktail party with about 18 people in attendance. It was a very diverse and interesting group.
Today we set sail for Eluthera, crossing the open water Exuma Sound. The crossing was 30 miles of fairly smooth water with winds clocking from the SE to the SW at 12-16 knots. Another day that required the use of a preventer on the mainsail. The final leg of the trip into Rock Sound, past Powell Point was 10 miles with an adverse current, narrow channels and a few coral heads, so we motored in.
Tomorrow we will begin exploring the largest settlement on Eluthera with our primary goal of finding a place to watch the Super Bowl.
Dave & Mary