OK, looking at the last blog date, we've been a bit lazy. I'm not sure I can recount everything that's happened since the last Highbourne Cay update, but I'll try. (Sorry about the 'stream-of-consciousness' format to this post.)
The weather has been uncooperative this trip. The weather systems have been rolling thru about twice a week. It leaves us with a day or two per week to move around and explore. The rest of the time we are trying to head for sheltered anchorage or marina while the system explodes and then blows itself out. So after Highbourne on the 13th, we went back to Nassau for a few days shelter and to explore Nassau some more.
Many days have been a bit cool for us, running in the mid to upper 70's with a strong breeze. Those temps are great when the sun is out and the breeze is down. Mornings usually start in the low 70's, but we have seen a couple of morns down in the 68-69 degree range. We are supposed to get some 60 degree morns starting tomorrow with the cold front that passed yesterday. It really not bad "cold" weather, but we have been using jackets and long pants to stay warm at times.
After spending too many days in Nassau last Monday we decided to head for Shroud Cay which is part of the Bahamas Land and Sea Park system in the northern Exumas. We had a great sail down there and a pretty good sail back to Rose Island on Wednesday. But the two days spent in the western anchorage was ROUGH. I got little sleep. This was my first stop at Rose and it was very nice and quiet because the weather was settled Wednesday night. Finally, a good night's sleep was had! Rose was an interesting anchorage but challenging because we had to slowly pick our way through some coral heads in poor light conditions. The path was a bit circuitous, but we made it in and out of the corals without managing to kiss any of them.
Thursday morning we headed back to Nassau to pick up Gene for his visit to the Exumas. He couldn't have picked a worse week to come in. The winds and squalls have been cranking since he arrived Thursday morning. This morning it's been blowing anywhere from 15 to 40 knots in the marina. The exposed sea winds are supposed to be running about 30 knots sustained. So we are here for the next night and probably two before the weather moderates and we can find decent anchorage in the northern Exumas.
Anyway, Gene, Evan and I are exploring more of Providence Island and will soon cast off for the Exumas.
The weather outlook for February is looking better. Chris Parker thinks we will see maybe 3 or 4 good days every week before we endure another bad weather front. That's a more normal pattern for this time of year down here. So we have our fingers crossed.