THE BAHAMAS

Google Maps is a wonderful application. We wish we could have displayed where we were in real time with family and friends, however, there are two kinds of internet in the Bahamas, poor or expensive. Now that we are back in America, we can show where we went:

OUT

CHARMED CREW PULLS ALL NIGHTER

Sometimes weather forecasts are favorable. Sometimes they are not.
Sometimes forecasts are accurate. Sometimes they are not. Sometimes
you need a fair period of favorable weather to allow a series of small
voyages, or a longish voyage, to be completed comfortably and safely

Recently while lying Hope Town, Bahamas, we started closely watching
the weather, looking for an extended forecast that would allow us to
get the two hundred plus miles back to America comfortably and safely.
We had hoped to stop a few places along the way, maybe Lucaya, maybe
the Berry Islands. But the scientists put out a forecast that had us
wondering whether we might be day sailing in the Sea of Abaco for more
days than we wished unless we weighed anchor and moved directly on to
Mijami. Scientists were predicting two upcoming cold fronts spaced
several days apart.

After concluding we had "done the Bahamas" to a large extent, we
decided to depart Hope Town, and we decided to sail from Hope Town to
Miami in one fell swoop. Departing at 0900 Monday would mean we
should arrive Tuesday afternoon. We got the anchor down off the
Venetian Causeway at 1600 and cleared in by telephone by 1700! The
voyage and weather was as expected.

There was some risk we would encounter the first front while on the
Great Bahama Bank or on the Atlantic Ocean. We note that weather
often comes faster than forecast. Several alternatives existed if we
needed to seek cover. The worst situation would be if we got to the
Gun Cay Cat Cay Cut with winds having already turned North. Then the
Gulf Stream may have been impassable.

We had an easy out of the Sea of Abaco through the North Bar Channel
Passage. We had an wonderful crossing through the Northwest
Providence Channel, over the top of the Berrys, and over the Bank, and
we had a smooth Gulf Stream crossing. The Stream crossing was so
smooth we kept a close weather eye out for Billy Zane!

THE OBINATOR GETS A LIFT

Here is Obie from Jay Sea Dee, getting a ride from owner Jodi (from Jay Sea Dee). Obie loves to get off the boat, but his little legs wear out. What else is a backpack for?!

WE'RE NOT HAVING FUN AT ALL!

IT'S A MINIVOUS

Here is Morning Wind, Plan Sea, Charmed and Jay Sea Dee in January for an unscheduled Island Packet Minivous at the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park ... but shorts and jackets?? It was cool and we soooo wanted it to be warm!!

YANMAR OIL PRESSURE SENDER

Does anyone know how the oil pressure sender works to drive the oil
pressure gauge?

While motor sailing a day or so ago we watched the oil pressure gauge
flicker from normal to 0 psig. You can imagine the circumstances when
this happened. We were one mile from entering the North Bar passage,
connecting the Atlantic and the Sea of Abaco. Seas were not breaking
in the passage, but swells were six to eight feet, and we were surfing
some. After stopping the engine we realized the oil pressure alarm
did not beep until the engine stopped. That was the good news. After
careful inspection we started the engine again. The alarm silenced.
Oil pressure read low on the gauge. The gauge continued to flicker.
Engine temperature and all else were normal. We motored on.

The oil pressure sender has one small black wire connected to it.
When engine is running there is 12 volts or more at the connection.
The oil pressure gauge reads 0 psig. Grounding the connection causes
the gauge to read 80 psig. I have to believe the sender has failed.

Craig.
Charmed IP 440.33

STAR FISH ON GREEN TURTLE CAY

Jenny (from Lady) and I were on the hunt for sand dollars at Gillam Bay at Green Turtle Cay, Abacos, Bahamas, and look what we found! I never saw star fish as large or as beautiful as these until we reached the Bahamas (the first time was in the Jumentos). We also found a different kind of star fish. I told Jenny that we had caught an Asterisk.

Jenny is not from Florida, so she didn't understand. In any event, we were also rewarded with lots of sand dollars. The trick is to go at low tide so you can walk far out into the water. Jenny's husband, Charlie, and Craig, were good sports to tag along with us for the entire walk, which took several hours.

The next day we went over to an island we saw from Gillam Bay (we dubbed it "Gilligan's Island).

While Charlie and Craig went snorkeling, Jenny and I went on the hunt again, this time finding sea biscuits. This may all sound quite boring and redundant (I was back out to Gillam Bay a day later with Jodi (from Jay Sea Dee) when Jay Sea Dee joined us in the anchorage), and I had just as much fun. I never realized how very relaxing it is to walk along the beach, especially when the tide is low, the water is clear and calm, the sun is shining, and we're with good friends. Could I do it day in and day out? ... I'd be willing to give it a try!

THE BAREFOOT MAN HAS ARRIVED.

For more pictures of this concert and Great Guana Cay, see the slide show under Photographs. Aside from the fact that we enjoyed a terrific concert, we loved this settlement. Our first night here (and every Wednesday night), Grabbers hosts a pot luck mixer for both cruisers and residents. So we grabbed some chili from the fridge, dinghied over and bought drinks and had a wonderful sampling of food. The residents apparently really look forward to Wednesday nights, and we felt very welcome! The next day we rented a golf cart with Jenny and Charlie from Lady and toured the town. Again, the houses are richly colorful. Most are on, or have a view of the water, and most seem to be rentals. A lot of the "residents" here own houses that they use as their vacation home and rent them out during other times. We have learned much from the look and design of these houses, and we are starting to get the itch to build another house or renovate an older one. Fun!

SOMEONE IS READY FOR A PARTY!

Jodi from Jay Sea Dee is ready for The Barefoot Man concert to begin at Nippers in Great Guana Cay, Abacos.

TALK ABOUT LOW TIDE!!

Great Guana Cay, Abacos, Bahamas.

BAHAMIAN LOBSTER TRAPS

The Bahamian lobstermen use this simple design to "trap" their lobster. Once these are placed, the lobsterman puts a waypoint on the GPS and waits. The lobster find these "shelters" and, considering them safe, hide -- or so they think. The lobsterman returns later, pushes the trap away and starts picking off the catch. We understand this design was invented in Spanish Wells, Eleuthera, and we learned about it from a lobsterman in Spanish Wells. Until then, we wondered how the Bahamians caught lobster, because we never saw any buoys marking traps. The lobstermen use their GPS rather than buoys to find their traps, because if they use buoys, their trap would be obvious to thieves and their catch would be stolen.

WHICH WAY DID THEY GO?

OLE POT LEADS THE WAY

We stopped in Spanish Wells on February 27 and took at slip at Spanish Wells Yacht Haven. We had read in the Charts and in the cruising guides that if you wanted to leave Spanish Wells by way of the north cut (we came in through the south cut), it was wise, even necessary, to hire a pilot because of the unmarked coral heads. When we checked in at the marina, Pilot Ole Pot was in the office and we hired him on the spot. For $35 per boat, he led us and Jay Sea Dee out of Spanish Wells the next morning. We wanted to take the north cut for a quicker run to the Abacos -- that $35 saved us two hours in rolly seas.

SPANISH WELLS ... MORE CIVILIZATION THAN WE'VE SEEN IN WEEKS!

It was early afternoon when we arrived at Spanish Wells (northern tip of Eleuthera, Bahamas), and we had little time to waste (stores would close at 5 p.m.), so after docking and checking in at Spanish Wells Yacht Haven, we and John and Jodi from Jay Sea Dee rented a four-person golf cart and off we went. First to the grocery store, which we heard would be more similar to state-side grocery stores than we had seen in the Bahamas so far. We heard right! I've never been so pleased to spend so much money on groceries before! We found a number of items we had not found in quite some time (like a quart of half and half for $4.50 -- we splurged on two quarts!) Then it was back to the boat to unload the groceries and off we went again. We spent the rest of the day touring the area and stopping at shops. We had great fun taking in all the sights and sounds of this community and meeting some of the people who live here. While Spanish Wells is so far the most populated community we have come across in the Bahamas, it is still quaint and also beautiful. Not only the houses but the businesses are decorated and colorful and, as everywhere so far in the Bahamas, the residents couldn't have been friendlier. We ended the day with dinner at The Gap Restaurant. Craig had to try the turtle. He and John say it tasted like chicken -- hmmm.

WHAT GIVES?

So how does this guy get his boat heeled over so much with no wind and no sails?? Look closely, and you'll see the light water . . . this guy is hard aground! Just minutes before he climbed up the stern and back into the cockpit, we watched him walking all around the boat -- in water that was only waist deep! This is a charter boat, and we're betting that the charter company won't be happy!

IT'S ALL THE RAGE

A recurring issue in the Bahamas is what side of the Islands to sail
on, the Bank side, or the Ocean or Sound side. The difference is in
how big and how deep the water is. The bigger and deeper water on the
Ocean or Sound side can be significantly rougher than the smaller and
shallower water on the Bank side. The wind direction and wind speed
are watched closely. How long it has been blowing from one direction
is taken into account.

A related issue is how to get from one side of the islands to the
other. Each navigable cut has particular characteristics. Some are
safe only in settled conditions. Some are safe as long as wind and
current aren't opposing each other. If wind and current oppose each
other a Rage can develop. Waves can be breaking across the whole cut.

Day before yesterday we took our best chance to get from Eleuthera to
the Abacos before upcoming heavy weather, a trip necessarily in the
Ocean. We entered the Ocean soon after 0700, knowing we would arrive
at North Bar Channel about 1400, hoping conditions would be right for
entry.

When we got to the cut, swells were big and wind was light from right
behind. We pointed Charmed right at the middle of the cut. The
swells were perpendicular to our path and not breaking. All good.
But we still were a twenty ton surfboard. Keeping Charmed straight
was the trick, avoiding a broach. Once through the cut and in the Sea
of Abaco, it was like we were sailing in a swimming pool.