Bound for Jamaica, Mon
04 February 2011 | 35 nm SE of Great Inagua, 72 nm N of Punta Masi, Cuba
Sunny, Air Temp 79F, Water temp 74F, Wind E@15-18, guesting to 20
Sherika Wright, Librarian at Landrail Point, Bahamas
Well, a chat with Chris yesterday told us that it was time to leave. I called Willie and said our thank-you's and good-byes and we set off south. in a light easterly and in the lee of the land, we sailed past French Wells, down along Long Cay, across the Bight of the Acklins and anchored in Datum Bay the southern tip of Acklins Island. Well, anchored is a loose term. More marl kept us trying repeatedly until we finally snagged a rock. Then just to be sure, I took a second anchor out and snagged it around another. The area we are in is made up of a number of cays and islands, the main ones being Crooked Island, Long Cat and Acklins Island. They form a triangle open to the south forming what is called the Bight of the Acklins. More future cruising grounds. The evening was spent in preparation for our two night crossing. Meal preparations are a big part of it. In a rolling sea its not always easy to get something to eat, so we prepared ahead as much as possible, including roasting a chicken for dinner to give us cold chicken underway. Finally in bed, we were up early and confirmed that the weather window still looked good, so final preparations including a before breakfast swim to unsnag an anchor that had gotten wrapped around a coral head. Easily untangled with no damage, and supervised by a 3' Barracuda, I was again amazed at the underwater beauty of the place. Then dinghy on deck, jack lines strung and we were off. Total distance is 303 nm, and we expect to arrive Sunday mid-day if the wind holds. Our course is south to clear the eastern tip of Cuba, into the Windward Passage separating Haiti andf Cuba (evoking thoughts of pirates of yore) and then south-west to Port Antonio on the north-eastern tip of Jamaica.