Becalmed on the Bank
14 December 2016

We finally got out of Bimini on Monday morning once the conditions had moderated. It's amazing to see how everyone's itinerary revolves around the latest weather forecast, we left with 7 or 8 other boats who were all anxious to get on the road after a few days in Alicetown. It was another sunny warm day and we managed to motor sail for 6 miles before we made a hard right turn heading east over the bank and directly into the wind. It was our first experience of travelling all day in water so clear that you felt you could touch the bottom, but it was 12-15 ft deep all day. We motored until 5:30 and called it a day 10 miles east of the North West Shoal. There are numerous boats that cross the bank at night, so the protocol is to anchor a mile either north or south of the rumb line and leave lots of lights on. We settled in for a quiet evening, however the swells from the changing currents made sleeping difficult till about midnight. Afterwards, flat water and a nearly full moon made for an unforgettable night. When we awoke in the morning there was barely a ripple on the water and we were miles from land but I could clearly see the anchor lying on the bottom. The unlimited visibility and a horizon that blended into the water reminded me of the prairies after a fresh snowfall.
We continued on to Chub Cay on Tuesday. The weather was sunny and hot with a slight mist/fog first thing in the morning. The day was relaxing and uneventful until we anchored at Chub Cay. The anchorage was amazing! Water was an aqua colour and crystal clear. Finally we were able to swim!! When we arrived we had the anchorage to ourselves but by the end of the day there were twelve boats anchored wit us. Chub Cay is a home to a private resort and marina which are unfortunately closed dueto damaged caused by hurricane Matthew.