Halfway Home
12 April 2013 | Nassau, New Providence Island
Sunny, breezy, and hot
"Around Nassau town we did roam." - Beach Boys - The Sloop John B.
We are back in Nassau after a serious sail across the Yellow Banks from Allan Cay in the Exumas. The Yellow Bank is especially notorious for coral heads but if you choose a route, stick to it, and it is a sunny day, it isn't a problem. The guides warn that the Bank should never be crossed at night or an overcast day for apparent reasons....you could rip the bottom out of your boat. We chose one of the rhum lines from the Near Bahamas chart book and combined it with one on the Chart Plotter to make our route. The reason for coming directly across, rather than the route we took south, was because we met a catamaran from Texas. They had broken the yoke on their out-drive motor and hoped someone would buddy boat with them, in case they ran into problems. And he needed a route that corresponded with the wind direction. We made it across without problems, but on the way we by-passed our share of large coral heads without knowing how deep they were, mainly because of the four foot swell. To repeat myself, they are fairly easy to see as the remainder of the bottom around them is sugar white sand and they stand out like a sore thumb even for a short distance. But they are dangerous and they mean business.
Just a couple of days before, we left one of the all around beautiful places on earth. When slavery ended and the ancestors of these people were freed they established a community and named it, or it had been named Black Point Settlement previously. This place is written right out of a book. It begs our return and every cruiser we met, passes on the same sentiment. Physically they have very little, but emotionally they have a surplus. They could teach us all something on how to develop a society; friendly, courteous, companionship, survival, protection, and dependency. Some men stay close to the island and fish, but the majority leave temporarily for construction work or work at the resorts. Those left at home, usually the women, have a small business and you may find the owner sitting outside under a shade tree with a group of others weaving baskets or handbags. They have everything they need to live and that's all. They have their churches, a few restaurants, a few bars, a grocery store. It is a cash culture so there is no need for a bank.
The layout of the place looks like a settlement. The houses are built where someone thought it might be a good idea, and then the road, which at one time may have a path, was built to connect them. Walking back to the dinghy dock in the late evening after dinner, people were all out socializing. Some were walking the road, others standing in groups in front of their homes, and still others with their children at the mini park. Kids on bikes, skate boards or just walking were everywhere. It was their Easter week break and almost a celebration. The fact that they were out alone just after dark, spoke volumes about the neighbourhood.
After not spending enough time in Black Point Settlement we weighed anchor and headed north as far as we could get that day. We made our longest run in the Exumas with a fresh beam reach. We arrived at Highborne Cay marina after a seven hour sail. The weather for the next day was supposed to be really windy so after fueling up, we decided to stay the night. The next morning was really windy with gusts up to 30 knots. Expecting bad weather is one thing, but being kicked out of a marina is another! They were fully booked in advance for the weekend, even at the gas dock, and there was absolutely no place to tie us. After a strong argument, we decided not to the press the issue and out the entrance we went with the wind between our legs. A short run up to Allan's Cay, we found an anchorage in amongst a group of Cays at the northern part of the Exumas. There were six other boats and that is where we met our catamaran from Texas. We waited it out until the winds settled down a bit, - and here we are in Nassau.
Since the sail up to the Berry Islands is fair day sail across the East Providence Channel, we want the wind and wave direction to be in our favor. We will stay here three or four days until the wind dies some. It gives us a chance to finally wash the boat completely and see a few sights. We are back at the Nassau Harbour Marina so life isn't that bad. Nice amenities, complete with a pool and warm weather, it isn't hard to take. There is a shopping centre with a Starbuck's directly across the street. We treated ourselves to a day at Atlantis on Paradise Island. Visited the casino and blew a few dollars there in a short time. We didn't need access to the rides and entertainment but did a walk around the whole site. A really interesting place, and worth a visit just to see the sea life for free.
We have quite a few dock mates who we had met, saw, or heard their boat names in Georgetown previously, who are waiting for the right crossing weather; the same as we are. They, like us, are mostly heading home after a real exiciting experience. The annual migration is nearly complete for most of us. We had looked forward to a continuous summer for a lot of years. And from what I hear from everyone back home it was a good year to be away. Chrissie thinks we need a vacation after this!