CURRENT LOCATION: Anchored near Moss Cays, about midway between George Town on Great Exuma Island and Stocking Island, Exumas, Bahamas
23 30.546' N, 075 45.529' W (CLICK HERE for Google Maps)

Cold fronts in the Bahamas can take on different characteristics. Some we have experienced present strong winds from the southwest which precede the arrival of the front. This one did not. Winds dropped to nearly nothing early yesterday, in advance of the front. The skies were sunny and the seas in Elizabeth Harbour were calm. Sheryl took advantage of the opportunity to make a few trips into town to provision at the grocery stores and drop off our empty LP tank for filling. I remained on the boat and got caught up on some internet activities. Note, dear Reader, that we finally got our WiFi booster working again, so internet connectivity from the boat is once again possible (although not always available).

The afternoon brought cloudy skies and some sporadic squalls. Then came the winds. Most cold fronts cause the winds to clock around to the north after they pass, and this one was no exception. And when the winds came, they came on strong. The entire evening held 25-30 knots of steady wind, and the seas in the harbor built white caps.

Here is a movie showing the waves and boat motion we were experiencing during daylight hours (and it got worse overnight). Please note that this is footage taken at anchor; we are NOT sailing in this video:



With 150 feet of 3/8" chain deployed and connected to our 60-lb CQR, it is unlikely that we will move any great lateral distance due to a dragging anchor; however, we spent the entire night pitching (tipping toward the bow then stern and back) in the big waves. Although it makes doing things aboard the boat a bit more challenging, pitching we can take. Rolling (alternating listing from starboard to port and back) is the motion which causes us both a fair degree of discomfort. So, fortunately, we were held bow first into the wind-driven waves and minimal rolling motion was experienced.

Despite the constant pitching of the boat over the past 30 hours, we have managed to do a little baking (ginger cookies & pizza) and catch up with internet correspondence. The strong winds are predicted to continue for a few days, so we are likely to remain on the boat for a while and catch up on our R&R (reading & relaxing). Any dinghy rides will have to be undertaken with the desire to get wet, very wet.

Last night, we slept in the salon. It is closer to the center of the boat; therefore, it provides us a bed with slightly less motion than the v-berth:



The pillows and blankets remained in the salon today and have kept us cozy as the daytime temps have fallen from what were 80-degree days down to the frigid high 60s.

I know, I know, many of you have written to tell us how cold it is in the USA (even as far south as Florida), so we do not expect sympathy with our version of this sudden 'cold' spell. But, rest assured, the skin grows thin rather more quickly than one might imagine. So, do as we did and make a warm pot of chili, wrap up in a blanket, and stay warm up there, dear Reader, stay warm.