We will soon need to leave for the Bahamas. Most others on E dock this year are staying put and are looking forward to family and Christmas. Sometimes when you are a traveler, special times happen, (birthdays and such) but not on their proper days. We could not stay in New England for Christmas and also make this trip, so after many hugs and kisses we returned to Florida and really went into high gear.
Lots of stuff needed to be on the boat that we had put into storage. It had to begin coming back. What navigational charts and guidebooks did we need- and what if we decided to go on, rather than return to Florida right away? Most charts and guidebooks came back aboard. Clothing- what had I removed? What needed to come back?
We had additional property storage issues, too. We now had the additional "burdens" of a car, motorcycle and trailer to deal with. How long would we need to store them and where would be safe? Historic Storage in Titusville where we had already put some gear was crowded and bursting its seams. We had put our spare sail and canvas boat cover in storage, so out they came.
Historic Storage is climate controlled and we wanted that feature for the motorcycle. Dan was already going through serious withdrawal symptoms leaving his new baby behind. Aha! We were able to rent a larger storage bin on the first floor, large enough for the bike and the items that would remain behind when we left. That worked out well. At the last minute Dan would drive into the large building with a four foot wide hallway, then jockey the bike in backwards with all our other gear around. Our air conditioning unit was stuffed in after that.
The last item we grabbed back out as we locked the shed was our tiny camp stove and two fuel canisters, as a back-up for Sea Star's propane stove.
Through Historic Storage we found Affordable Storage and reserved that for the car and trailer. We explained that we might be back in a few months, or maybe not.
Here is picture one half of the port lazarette; spare anchors, lines, extra autopilot, diesel jugs and water jugs, spare antenna, the sail, baja filter for fuel filtering, oil siphon for when we change the oil....
a picture helps to remember what is where-sometimes.
We found stuff we would need to replace
Items to have spare parts for,
Checked all systems and fluids- did an oil change
Repacked everything and...
Totally enjoyed our dockmates decorations and last evenings together on the dock.
Food was a big issue to. All food that there is in the Bahamas is quite a bit more costly than the US, and there are many items that we would be unable to buy on the outer, smaller islands where we like to anchor. I had learned that the last time we passed through the Bahamas. This time we were not going to the Abacos where grocery stores are stocked more like in the US. I pulled out a few "boat stocking lists' made by other cruisers and stocked accordingly. We packed the boat full of non-perishables--thinking through our typical diet for a month and multiplying for at least four months. I filled our generous freezer with meats from our local meat market in Mims including a turkey and a ham. We picked up more foods and vegetables and fruit in Lake Worth as we traveled the Intracoastal Waterway for two days before heading across the Gulf Stream.
December 16th we dropped the car into storage and left the dock to anchor out to get an early start in the morning.
Made it to Vero Beach on the ICW
Where we were moored with another IPY for a night and off to Lake Worth the second night.
Great weather and wind brought us to Government Cut, an inlet near Miami where I noted in my log that the lights were confusing. All the large ships converge there to enter Miami -- we simply turned east for Gun Cay instead of going into the Government Cut anchorage as planned. The weather was with us, but winds were expected to become higher in a few days, so we felt it was better to push on. One overnight through the Gulf Stream and we safely arrived a Gun Cay for a little rest. Gun is so pretty and has clear, clean water. We stayed to the channel on the chart but our measured depth of 21feet did not mesh with what our eyes thought, maybe five feet! We put down an anchor and Dan went overboard to check our steering because he felt it not working as it should- but we touched the bottom in the soft sand as we drifted. We then got ourselves back on track and he went over the side to check on any damage from grounding. Apparently none so we kept going.
That night, we and many other saiboats, we heard at least nine on the VHF, and some larger ships ventured into the North Channel toward Nassau and the Tongue of the Ocean, a very deep and sometimes turbulent area where many fisherman converge.
It was a bit squally and rainy and a little windy and right on the nose, so we were motor sailing when we heard a motor that seemed to be close to us. It was! Out of the mist and fog emerged a fishing boat. Lucy for us they saw us when we put on our deck lights, and veered around us.
After another overnight we arrived early at Nassau Harbor where we could slip in through the lines of cruise ships.I think we counted six in our view at the Naussau Harbor. In Naussau we would check into the country and take a marina for the expected windy weather to come.
Lots of cruise ships got there at the same time.
Nassau, Bahamas Yacht Haven. We motored through the harbor, looking at the marinas and calling some. We fueled at a Texaco station and took our berth at Nassau Yacht Haven. Check-in to the Bahama Islands, about $300.00 for our size boat for six months, was easy and completed right in the marina office by pleasant officials.
We stayed five days in Nassau. After tying up, meeting our very nice marina neighbors on sailboat Barbara Ann and resting a bit, we went exploring the area of the marinas up to the mall and Starbucks where there was wifi. This picture is of a market under the bridge where we spent some time another day. We also crossed the road to a boaters supply store with just about everything we could need.
Dan drooled a bit and priced a new Yamaha 15 engine, but for the moment we passed that by. Recall this phrase in next month's entry. We could have purchased the motor and carried it on the sailboat and did not.
I had whole fish and plantain.
After the five days Dan and I headed out to anchor at Rose Island where Barbara Ann tried her first SSB radio contact, and it worked beautifully. By the next night we had sailed to Ship Channel Cay, part of the Exuma chain. This was our view Christmas morning. We were alone, but we now felt the passage from Florida was over, and we were in the part of the Bahamas we wanted to be in; the Exuma chain. We called family from our SAT phone and talked a few minutes- comparing notes on weather in New England vs where we were and promising to call as soon as we could get our phone set up for calls on the islands. Dan and I snorkeled a few likely spots and had a ham dinner for Christmas. Our gift of course was a trip to the Bahamas!
Next up January 2012!
