Marsh Harbor( spelled Harbour here) at Last! Sat. Feb. 18th

Mother Nature had been kind to us the past three days. We needed three calm water days to reach Marsh Harbor and we enjoyed three beautiful days. We have since spoken to boaters that were forced to spend a week at Green Turtle Cay because the waves kept them from coming through "The Whale". The whale is a required passage for all boaters heading South and is the most talked about in the Abacos.  Whale Cay occupies the exact spot where the Sea of Abaco becomes to shallow for boaters to pass. It is here you must navigate out and along the Atlantic side of the Cay then back into the Sea of Abaco. In heavy weather, strong North winds, the Whale is said to be at "rage". Waves can easily clock in at 8-10 ft. We experienced waves of 1-2 ft coming through.  Laughter brought us safely  into Marsh Harbor about 11:00 am. A large harbor with lots of anchorage area and several marinas. We have now learned that Marsh Harbor usually fills up when a cold front with high winds is predicted. it is a popular safe harbor. Because we came in following several good weather days we had our pick of spots to anchor. We had been anchored for just a few minutes when a dingy pulled up to greet us. Mike and Harriott on Duel Dreams.  We had shared many a happy hour on the wall in Demopolis together and were excited to have friends here to help us acclimate to the area. While talking with Mike Tom spotted a  young Bahamian gentleman going from boat to boat in his wooden boat.  Tom thought he might be selling Lobsters so he yelled and motioned him over. No lobster, he was selling conch, pronounced konk. The bottom of his boat was filled with conch shells. Tom bought three of them and I asked to keep the shells. The gentlemen slit the shell, cut the muscle that holds the critter in his shell and pulled him out. He cleaned them for us and Tom handed him a baggie to put them in. Tom was excited! Cool, conch for dinner! My response was "I don't think so!. We have no idea how to prepare them, you learn while I am at home and we can purchase more when I return.  A short time later the conch was in the frig and we wondered up and down the street that ran along the harbor then met Mike and Harriott for a celebratory drink during happy hour at one of the local hang outs. Snappas. We were actually in the Bahamas on our own boat! An accomplishment these two Indiana Hoosiers were pretty excited about!

Young Bahamian gentlemen selling conch from his boat

                                         A celebration drink with Mike, Harriott and Lee

Friday Feb. 17th - Green Turtle

We left our anchorage about seven thirty in the morning. Another beautiful day. Warm, sunny and mild winds.  Before long we caught up with three other boats. A trawler and two sailboats.  Low and behold it was Little Mick and his two friends. Remember we shared an anchorage with them at Little Shark river then again at Lake Sylvia. They were the group that left for West End at 6:30 am.  We talked with them on the radio and decided to slow down and join them for the trip in to Green Turtle. In the early afternoon the winds kicked in enough to allow the sailboats to sail rather than motor sail. They were thrilled and it was fun to watch them gracefully move through the water. The harbor entrance to Green Turtle was a major discussion for the two sailboaters as they discussed whether they would need to wait until high tide to go in.  We found the depths to average seven foot which was good for them.  Mick and his friends went into the marina. Tom and I anchored out in the harbor. Later we found out that when you stay at the marina you can eat and drink up to the cost of your slip per night so if the slip was eighty dollars you had eighty dollars of credit at the restuarent. Not a bad deal especially with beers being five dollars and mixed drinks seven. We met the members of the other three boats for coctail  hour then went back to our boat for dinner.  They had decided to stay at Green Turtle for a few days, we were heading out for Marsh Harbor Saturday morning.

In the dark again!! Lacayan Waterway to Great Sail

Once out onto the Sea of Abaco we were mesmerized by the beauty of the water.  The colors and clarity were amazing. By now I was getting better at enjoying what I saw on the bottom rather than worrying about the fact that I could see it but I still constently check the depth finder. We still faced the decision of what to do about getting to Great Sail Cay. We arrived at Mangrove Cay close to sunset. The water was like glass, no wind and the charts indicated no islands, Cays or other obstructions in our path. We either take a deep breath and go on to Great Sail or we face two very long days ahead arriving at Marsh Harbor late Saturday afternoon.  So on to Great Sail it is!  In the dark! I hate traveling in the dark! Each time we have done it I have said No More! Yet here we go again.  When that sun went down it was pitch black. Our radar and chart plotter were our eyes. I paced across the fly bridge like a nervous cat.  You have no idea how happy I was to see anchor lights and blips on the radar to match our destination waypoint on the chartplotter. Yeah! Except that how do you know how close you are to other boats when all you see is the anchor light on the top of their mast and how do you estimate your distance from land?  Those were my two big somewhat important questions. We watched our depth, guestimated using the chartplotter and dropped anchor. Once we felt the anchor had taken hold we shut off the engines and went to bed. At first light you found out how close or far away you really were. We were a lot closer to land than I thought. By seven in the morning we were moving again headed for Green Turtle Cay.

Sea of Abaco

                                                          Passing Mangrove Cay at dusk

                                                Our first sunset on the Sea of Abaco

Feb. 16th The Grand Lucayan Waterway

The Grand Lucayan Waterway is a man made canal that cuts across Grand Bahama Island a few short miles from Port Lucaya. Once through the waterway we would be on the Sea of Abaco and only two days from our destination of Marsh Harbor. The waterway is shallow and would require our timing our exit at Dover sound to a rising tide. The waterway was built with high hopes of  developing this area of Grand Bahama Island.  Owners would have the best of both worlds as they would have access to The Sea of Abaco and the Atlantic. Unfortunately it never really got off the ground. There was not enough money to keep it dredged along with other financial difficulties. We passed few homes and many many more that were partially built and abandoned. There were also many lots for sale.  Tom and I thought the area held much promise. There were many indentations cut out along the waterway which meant that the homes could have their own dock built.  The waterway is only about 7 miles long.  It would be a short ride or should I say should have been. When we were near Dover Sound, our exit, Toms tide calculations indicated we needed to wait a couple of hours for the rising tide. We anchored in one of the indented areas to relax and wait.  We decided to take the kayaks out and explore the exit to familiarize ourselves with any tricky spots. We enjoyed the current as it took us swiftly toward Dover Sound. Not so much fun was trying to get back to the boat. This is when we realized we had missed the rising tide and were fighting the tide as it was going out!  At one point we were paddling as hard as we could and not moving forward and if you stopped for a second to regroup you lost a kayaks length in distance that you had worked so hard to get.  For a few minutes I seriously began to think my arms would not hold out long enough to make it back to the boat. Once back on the boat we looked at each other and remarked, "not the smartest thing we have ever done". We ended up sitting around until 4:30 pm so that we had enough water to get through to the Sea of Abaco. We have a four foot draft and there were a couple of four foot two spots that we coasted through while holding our breath, but we did fine. Because of the time delay we were faced with a new dilemma. We could only make it to Mangrove Cay(pronounced key) by dark and we really needed to get to Great Sail Cay Why? Two more good days of weather were predicted before high winds blew in and I had a flight home booked for Sunday morning from Marsh Harbor.  I know you are not supporsed to have a schedule when traveling by boat because of the weather but I was not going to miss my Grandsons first birthday party. As frustrating as the tide problem was we were glad we traveled through the Waterway.  It was really interesting.

                                                 The Lucayan Waterway was narrow

                                      You must stay at center because of the rocks on both sides

                              We never met a boat coming the other way - thankfully

Wed. Feb. 15th - Checking in at Lucaya

We arrived in Port Lucaya at 5pm. The dockmaster at the harbor told  us we could stay at the fuel dock while checking in. We would then move to an anchorage.  Checking in is a two step process. You meet with immigration, show them your forms and fill out more forms. Then you meet with a customs agent.  The meeting with immigration only lasted a few minutes. When finished the gal told us to go back to the boat and wait. The immigration agent would come to us. It was now getting dark and we were still waiting. Tom approached the dockmaster and explained what we were told.  He called on the radio and told us we had to go back up to the office, that we were given the wrong information.  Now at the office, the agent is outside finishing a cigarette. He holds up a finger to tell us one minute. Finding out that nothing is done quickly in the Bahamas our minute was nearly 10.  It is now dark.  It only took about five minutes to complete the paperwork. When finished the agent told us we owed him $30.00. When I asked what the fee was for he said overtime. It's past 5pm! Tom politely indicated that the sign said that agents are on call at all times. The answer was, yes but after 5pm we charge overtime. All I had were $20.00 dollar bills. When I handed him forty dollars he indicated that they had no change. I responded with we just paid the $300.00 entry fee so the gal in the back should have change. She responded with a no, it is all locked up. Now frustrated all were quiet. Tom calmly said to the agent, it is dark out and we cannot safely anchor out. You keep the extra ten and let us stay on the gas dock until morning. The agent said No problem man, just be gone by 8am. We complied.  Once we hooked up to electricity I wondered around in the shops that were adjacent to the marina.  We were gone by 7am, headed for the Lucaya canal and Great Sail Key.

   You must fly a yellow quarantine flag until you check in then you fly the Bahamian Courtesy flag. Tom wanted to save nineteen dollars so he flew his yellow shirt as the yellow flag.

                                                                Entrance to Port Lucaya

                                                    Another view as we entered the harbor

Feb. 15th Crossing to the Bahamas

The alarm went off at four in the morning. Tom looked over and said,well, are we going to do this? I'm ready. Lets go I replied. As the words came out of my mouth I thought,did I really just say that! I would loved to have taken my blood pressure as we pulled out because my breathing was pretty quick and shallow.  Using the spotlight to guide us around the other boats and out to the ICW we were off.  It's funny as I type this from our anchorage in the Bahamas the moon is full, bright and beautiful, lighting up the sky and water. The morning we left for the Bahamas the moon was a sliver and absolutely no help to us!  I had hoped that the lights from the surrounding city would prove helpful. That hope was short lived as we neared the cut through at Port Everglades and the peripheral lights of the city disappeared. Tom was a little concerned that we would encounter a freighter, something I had not given a thought and could have gone without a reminder. Fortunately the only large boat we encountered was a mega yacht that pulled out a ways in front of us. Following his lights out the cut was a nice addition to our chart plotter. We were told that the first three miles would be bumpy but it would calm down to the predicted two to threes after that.  Well bumpy was an understatement. The waves were coming from all different directions and when waves splash over the bow and the spray hits the fly bridge, bumpy is not a word I would use to describe them. Because it was dark you had no idea from which direction the next big one would hit you. It was pretty intense. Tom did a lot of swearing, I fell down twice trying to move from one side of the fly bridge to the other and Peanut was absolutely a mess. I put her up on the bench hoping that would help. She ended up in my lap her head in my armpit shaking like a leaf. To keep from falling again and provide support for Peanut I stayed put.  The beautiful glow from the waters edge, a sign of  the upcoming dawn was a sight for sore eyes, and other parts.  We could finally see the water and adjust our angle to head into waves.  After the sun came up I took over the wheel. I announced "brace yourself" before each of the bigger waves so Tom didn't end up on the floor as I did.  For the very first time ever Peanut crawled up on Toms lap and hid under his arm pit as she had done with me.  About noon the waves subsided to the two to threes so I carefully ventured down to the galley to make lunch. It looked as if someone had come in and ransacked our boat. Anything that was sitting up was now laying on its side or worse on the floor. I have a three tiered hanging basket in the galley that was full of potatoes. The basket was nowhere to be found. I found potatoes on the floor, up in the salon, under the table and even in the sink! Guess I should be glad I wasn't down there to get one in the head! I made lunch which required good balance but didn't bother to pick up anything that fell. After all it would just fall again. By late afternoon the waves subsided to one to twos, the water turned a beautiful emerald green and we could see the bottom even at a depth of twenty feet! Peanut had calmed down and we were enjoying the ride. As we talked about the mornings events and I warned Ton about the mess below he admitted that he almost turned us around, especially when things didn't improve after traveling the three miles. Because the Gulf Stream runs North we were told to run our course ten degrees off because the stream would correct it, keeping us from overshooting our destination.  It was good advise. At 5 pm we were safely tied up at the fuel dock and heading up to the immigration office to check in. Laughter had brought us across safely to the Bahamas! We did it!

                                    Waves breaking over the bow crossing the Straits of Florida

                                                       Another shot of the waves we battled

Sunrise

Feb. 10-15th Weathered in at Lake Sylvia

The first 2-3 days anchored in Lake Sylvia were fun.  Two canals joined the lake with street levels bridges. It was an easy dingy ride down the canal, across the ICW then down another short canal to a Raw Bar.  The bar allowed you to tie your dingy up to their dock only asking that you eat or drink at their bar in return.  From the Raw Bar it was a nice walk to a local outside mall area. They had the biggest wine/liquor store I had ever been in!  I swear it was the size of a Kroger or Stracks. Great prices too so we stocked up one more time before leaving the states.  One evening we enjoyed dinner with the daughter of a good friend who lives about 45 minutes from our boat. Another evening we enjoyed the company of a couple we had met at the AGLCA  conference in October.  By Sunday the 12th we were beginning to get antsy. It sounded like the next weather window for crossing to the Bahamas would be Wednesday, the 15th but we still had not met anyone who was crossing. We had said all along we would not attempt the crossing alone but now had to reevaluate that decision.  I had even posted a note on the AGLCA blog in hopes of boosting our chances. New boats arrived  throughout the day on Monday, most of them sail. We would routinely take our dingy around, meet the new arrivals and ask their destination. No luck finding a boating buddy but we did meet a very nice couple from Manchester England who winter in Florida and spend their summers sailing in Turkey. Nice huh?! We had a lovely time talking with them and they told us to look them up when we come over to England in September.  Back to the boat, we again sat on the aft deck reviewed weather, charts and talked about what to do.  This time when we looked up to watch another boat come in and anchor we realized we knew them.It was Little Mick.  Excited, Tom hailed them on the radio. Yes, they were crossing with two other boats, yes they were leaving on Wednesday! Whew Hoo! Only one slight problem, they were going to West End. We were going to Port Lucaya. We checked out our charts and confirmed that our paths would be similar for a while so we would at least have visual company for a pretty good distance.  Port Lucaya is about 20 miles further than West End so we were happy to hear that they wanted to leave at 4:30 am. That would assure our arriving in Port Lucaya in the daylight. Little did I know that the calm that I finally felt about the crossing would be short lived.  On Tuesday we had a four way planning conversation via the VHF firm up plans. Little Mick and his friends had decided to wait until 6:30 am to leave! That would put us in Port Lucaya in the dark. So much for company. Now Tom and I had a decision to make. We either change our plans and travel to West End, wait for a few days in hopes of meeting another boat or go on our own to Port Lucaya. Tom was adameant. He did not want to pay the $100.00 dock fee to stay the night at West End and we did not want to wait for the next weather window. sooooooo we were again on our own.  I put the waypoints in the GPS, double checked them and Tom did the engine checks. We set our alarm for 4am. The decision was made!

                               A company making a commercial for jet pack tourist attraction

                                               An interesting bar along the ICW

                                              A mansion and their matching Megayacht

                                             Two megayachts we passed on our dingys each day at Lake Sylvia