Stars, Sails - the Parallax View

A family of astronomers at sea... coming soon to a galaxy near you...

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Nassau to Coral Harbour, New Providence

01 March 2012 | Coral Harbour, New Providence, Bahamas
Heather / sunny and 84 F / 0-10 kts SSE
When we got into Nassau, Chris from Charisma
Chris from Charisma
came over the very next morning and he and Derek started trying to figure out what had gone wrong with the hydraulic steering cylinder and how to fix it, if that were even possible.

It wasn't. The cylinder could not even be serviced by anyone in Nassau, it had to be sent to the USA. Derek and I sent it via DHL Monday from the shopping center across from Nassau Harbour Club Marina, and it arrived THE NEXT DAY. That company (DHL) kicks major butt in the deliveries world!

When it arrived, the guys in the shop expressed shock that it had worked up to the present. It was apparently all rusted in the interior and filled with rusty water. Their words. Has to be replaced.

Meanwhile, the seawater-and-diesel-sodden carpet (see picture previous post) was ripped out, and we walked to Jolly Roger Ltd. (which does paints, tile, carpeting, vacuum cleaner repair and personal care products like shampoo, go figure) and asked to buy a remnant. They directed us to Mr. Wells in the back, which had a large warehouse-like area full of boxes of stuff and another back room filled with rolls of remnant carpet. Unlike the front part of the store, the back was not air conditioned. Mr. Wells was extremely helpful; he even arranged us a ride as one of his guys was dropping off a package to ship to the Exumas from Potter's Cay near Nassau Harbour Club. The carpet remnants are plentiful and of all qualities: we chose a nice beige piece that was thicker than the flooded carpet, and replaced it the next day.
our new salon carpet

Now, brace yourself, because the cockpit was filled with cans that had to labeled with a Sharpie then washed to get the salt off to keep them from rusting really fast, and lines that were displaced, and eventually new carpet remnants and all sorts of other stuff that was temporarily not stowable where it's normally stowed in the following pictures... we did get it cleaned up and stowed down, but not until just before departure!

Even if they could not fix the hydraulic steering cylinder, Chris and Derek could jury-rig a steering system, and Chris was incredibly generous in lending his kevlar straps and two blocks to make it work; Derek had blocks, but not kevlar straps, and both of his vice grips were needed to affix the non-stretch line to the center of the post connecting the two rudders.
Vice Grip Steering

With the small compartment housing the hydraulic access open, vice grips and red line, blocks and straps
blocks and kevlar straps steering
and some chafing gear to lead the line to the two side winches, they set up a steering mechanism: the main traveler.
Main Traveler Steering

Like the wheel, push it to port to turn to port, and starboard to turn to starboard. With the hydraulic cylinder back in the States for repairs or replacement, this was the only way to get us from the costly Nassau Harbour Club to the much more affordable and naturally-appealing Coral Harbour. We are glad to have yet another reason (aside from their general awesomeness) to catch up with Chris and Marisa in the Exumas: to return their blocks and straps!

Derek used one of his leftover pieces of StarBoard making a box with holes in it to cage/cover the drainage hole in the bottom of the diesel locker (Derek told me to add that Chris did most of the work). Underway, this stayed beautifully dry, even when we pounded a little on the southbound leg!
the StarBoard locker drain protector

Derek even found a shop that could rebuild the portside transmission (we hope). Of course, we needed at least that transmission so as to have the valuable reverse gear on that engine when approaching Nick and Carolyn's dock in Coral Harbour. So he will remove the transmission in the morning and take it into Nassau for the rebuild, catching a ride with Nick, who will be driving in for business.

We left Nassau late, almost noon, in order to be sure of getting there after Nick (our hosts are Nick and Carolyn Wardle of the SSCA -- long-term BASRA supporters and ECLSP supporters: Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park) returned from his BASRA lunch today. Steering around the shoal in mid-harbor and the dock and cruise ships in the harbor of Nassau
Derek steering through Nassau Harbour using a line and blocks
was a little alarming, but out at sea it went very well -- we found we could get better leverage on the traveler by using our feet or leaning against the mainsheet with our hips. It was a bit more physical than the usual steering, but satisfyingly direct: and it worked! The weather was also very laid-back: perfect for our purpose! Nick talked us in through their canal system by VHF once we were inside the breakwater; here is the canal system as we approached:
canal system
And Carolyn and Nick caught lines and tied admirable rolling hitches to attach us to their bollards:
Carolyn heading for a bollard
Nick instructing Grant on line handling

It was very peaceful as we got settled in and the sun started to set:
Sunset at Coral Harbour, New Providence, Bahamas
We made a tasty spaghetti dinner with meat from the newly-stocked meat department of the City Market in the shopping center opposite Harbour Club (Grant had helped with the grocery shopping in Nassau before we left! See:
Grant carrying back groceries in Nassau
I totally appreciated that!) and Grant played some of his current favorite anime series for us, after dinner. (Meat was not available at the City Market until Wednesday, the same day Charisma left for the Exumas).

By the way, when you enter Harbour Club Marina, you might as well start using their water right away; they charge $6 - $8 for it each day regardless of whether you are hooked up (reasoning that the heads and showers are usage). They do have a pool, that's a plus, and some pretty plantings:
hibiscus in bloom poolside, Nassau Harbour Club

More cruiser tips: Laundry at Nassau Harbour Club is currently $3/token and the third dryer out from the back wall gets hottest: it was the only one I did not need a second token to use. The tokens are the same "Double D" tokens used farther south (at Black Point near Staniel Cay, for example), but they cost more farther south. The maid who cleans the hotel rooms tends to take over the laundry in the morning, so if you are a night person, buy your tokens ahead and wash after 5 pm for maximum calmness.

Heading out to sea with jury-rigged steering and only one working engine seems a lot scarier when it's ahead of you than when it's happening or has already finished. As it turned out, it was a beautiful day for it. All of us were grateful:
Grant contemplating the sea north of Cable Beach, Nassau

Also after dinner, we were delighted by a call (our first on the new Bahamian cell phone!) from Charisma -- they are at Shroud Cay and looking to get into Warderick Wells for the beauty and also for the upcoming "blow": a norther, wind's supposed to go up around 30 mph on Sunday.
Comments
Vessel Name: Parallax
Vessel Make/Model: 37' Prout Snowgoose (1982)
Hailing Port: Pensacola
Crew: Derek, Heather and Grant
About:
Two astronomers, looking for variable stars and adventure. After cruising the Caribbean aboard S/V Paradox for 18 months in the early 90s, the crew swallowed the anchor and had a child, always planning their next Great Adventure: cruising under sail with Grant, showing him the world. [...]
Extra:
We knew that if we ever got a catamaran, we'd want a name to celebrate her twin-hulledness. Parallax is seeing the same thing from two slightly different points of view, which with our two eyes is what gives humans our depth perception. It's also a good metaphor for one of the benefits of marriage. [...]

S/V Parallax

Who: Derek, Heather and Grant
Port: Pensacola