Dagny's Winter Cruise

09 February 2025
09 February 2025
01 February 2025
01 February 2025
25 January 2025
25 January 2025
20 January 2025
05 January 2025
05 January 2025
31 December 2024
26 December 2024
26 December 2024
23 December 2024
23 December 2024
21 December 2024
13 December 2024
26 November 2024
26 November 2024

Merry Christmas!!

26 December 2024
Allan Gray
After having been on the go for 25 hours we really wanted to stay over night at Morgan's Bluff and visit the new beach bar that has been getting rave reviews. However, the anchorage is wide open to the north and as the morning wore on the north wind kept building and pushing the waves in the harbour. We had been caught here in similar conditions a few years ago, it wasn't any fun then and we knew this time it would be the same. Reluctantly we hauled anchor and headed out to seek shelter in the lee of New Providence Island, 25 miles away. The 15 knot northerly that chased us out of Morgan's Bluff gradually faded away and we ended up motor sailing the last few miles to Southwest Bay, our chosen anchorage for the night. Finally after covering 190 miles the anchor was set just as the sun disappeared below the horizon. Tired but happy we looked forward to a quiet dinner followed by a good sleep.

One advantage of pushing on across the Tonque Of The Ocean from Morgan's Bluff was that we were now in the shallow cyrstal clear waters of the Exuma Bank. However, our anchorage left a lot to be desired, although we had ok wind protection the current kept us rolling around all night severely limiting our sleep. The morning dawned bright and sunny and after a quick breakfast we were off again. Shroud Cay lay 40 miles to the southeast and once again the sails were set for a leisurely sail to one of our favourite islands in the Bahamas. Our plan was to go to Warderick Wells for Christmas but we wanted to spend a day kayaking at Shroud beforehand. There are several kayak routes through the mangroves that are always fun to explore and although we only saw 3 turtles it was great to work some tired muscles.

We had never celebrated Christmas at Warderick Wells but had always heard great things about it. The park wardens cook turkey and ham for everyone and the cruisers supply all the side dishes. We celebrated Christmas morning with a kayak tour of the harbour followed by our traditional Xmas breakfast, however someone forgot the Baileys for our coffee. We made our way to the Park headquarters for 2:30 and dinner was served to the 60 or so sailors in attendance by 4 p.m. The spread was impressive to say the least and a good time was had by all. It was a fun afternoon as new friends were made and old acquaintances were renewed.

Today's Picture is of "Sandi" the Christmas Tree from West Palm
Comments
Vessel Name: Dagny
Vessel Make/Model: Sabre 402
Hailing Port: South Lancaster On
Crew: Allan Gray and Bev Bethune
About: Allan is a retired Montreal Air Traffic Controller and Bev is a retired Elementary School Principal.
Extra: After many years of local cruising and Etchells racing we are living our dream of sailing to the Bahamas. Allan enjoys golfing, cycling and skiing. Bev is an active cyclist, runner, aerobics participant and cross country skier.

Who: Allan Gray and Bev Bethune
Port: South Lancaster On