January 30

Left Little Farmer's Cay at 0900 in SSE wind for SE passage. Close starboard reach out into Exuma Sound was initially off rhumb line by 45 degrees. Sailed wind angle until veering breeze pulled course back to Conch Cay Cut, the entrance to Elizabeth Harbour, then eased sheets to maintain. Ghosted down toward G-town in dying breeze for arrival on anchor at 1700. Foresight called for puttering in to St. Francis YC for Goombay Smash. The prudent mariner always gets a head start on drowning his
sorrows for all potential catastrophes. Sufficient consumption of alcohol can reduce error potential, as well (see previous explanation).

Wind eases before passage of a weather system as if to gather itself to wreck havoc on unwary sailors. Should hide like a whipped puppy in Red Shanks anchorage for protection from 25 knot forecast overnight, but rolled dice that worst won't fill in until veering past long fetch. Hook is well set in anchorage chock-a-block with boats.

Familiar cruising ground so far has encouraged natural tendency to sloth in reference to planning route, henceforth. Likely to be: Rum Cay, Long Island (no, not that one), Crooked Island (no, not particularly), Aklin's, Plana Cays, Mayaguana, then on to Provo (Providenciales) in the Turks and Caicos. Began to study charts and "Gentleman's Guide to Passages South". Heck, I'm almost there. What could possibly go wrong?

Jack