Crossing to the Bahamas

The Gulf Crossing
Wed. March 24,
Boot Key Harbour
   5 weeks in the Fl. Keys isn't exactly a form of cruel & unusual punishment, but when the weather window finally came, we were hoisting sails and heading to the Bahamas.  We decided to work a long diagonal run of 129 miles through the Gulf Stream to our target of Bimini, the most western islands in the Bahamas.

Journal entry March 24

4:30 Sailing (moto sailing) at 85 dgs. trying to angle into the gulf stream. You have to work with the stream, it has it's own current of about 2 knots and can generate it's own wave action.  We're with a loose group of 7-8 boats.  Poor little AliceMae is probably the smallest and the slowest;  The day is calm, sunny & perfect for this big crossing.









7:00 getting into the gulf stream. doing 7.2 knots!
9:00 lots of stars
10:00 dark. lots of stars
11:00 still dark!
12:00 midnight on the gulf stream
12:15 moon rise.  A huge red blob on the horizen. Thought it was a cruise ship. Warned our travel buddies to watch their course headings.  Didn't want to run into that big thing.  Felt pretty foolish when the cruise ship rose slowly into the night sky.  Our moon.
3:00 following the lights of our buddy boat, Creola.


sunrise in the Gulf Stream

7:00 sailing wing to wing. skies lightening up. 9:15 Almost there.  Can see a tree-lined island on the horizen.
10:15 tied up at Alice Town, Bimini.












Our lunch spot

 Bimini: a skinny little strip of land with the Kings Hwy. on the east and Queens Hwy. on the west.  Both are narrow, one-lane roads about 400 ft. between.  Alice Town has easy customs.  Golf carts the most popular mode of transport.
Bought coconut bread, coconut rum and a
Bimini T-shirt.  Life is good.

Crossing the Great Bahama Bank
    The 2nd leg of this crossing is a 70 mile stretch of white sand shallows that funnel down into a narrow N.W. Channel cut through the bank.  Then another more 20 miles to the first islands, Chub Cay, in the  Berry chain.  Too far to sail in a day, but the Banks are big and empty so the usual procedure is......
 - get a 24 hr. calm weather window
  - sail all day
   - drop anchor in the middle of no-where (just stay well off the shipping lanes!)
    - try to sleep in the rolling waves 
     - get up at dawn
      - make coffee
        - head east again.


Sunset on the Bahama Banks

The Berry Island Chain
   These small islands form a cresent of white sand and scrub islands that border the eastern side of the Great Bahama Bank.  Total population of 760.  The main town, Bullocks Harbour, has a downtown that consists of 2 buildings, one the police station and next door, the all-in-one grocery/restaurant/bar.  But they do have beautiful white sand beaches and friendly people.

Sunday, March 27 Berry Islands



Marinas - Bahama style




our shower house- basic but clean

 Berry Island Club Marina
Sunday, a day of rest. We've been traveling hard since Wed. when we left Marathon. The overnight crossing was exciting.  Bimini was friendly. The Great Bahama Bank was VERY large and flat.  Anchoring in the middle of the bank was a unique experience. Realizing our chart plotter card didn't have "Bahamas" was an extreme bummer.  Snagging a mooring ball at Frazier Cay, a welcome relief.  Enjoying the sunshine and clear, clear waters makes the last four days seem well worth the efforts.
Al.ice Mae is in the Bahamas Mon!



conch shells by the pier



The northern end of the chain, Bullocks Harbour.

      

Bullocks Harbour Marina- 2 adult manatees came for their morning drink of fresh water. Such docile  creatures.  They would drink from the hose, sucking on it like a bottle.  The female had 2 new boat-propeller gashes on her back.

Monday, April 5

Little Harbour Cay,

Flo's Conch Bar & Moorings

   We're tucked behind a groupings of small islands, protected on all sides and just waiting for this storm to come rolling in.  Already we have more cloud cover and strong winds out of the South. Gusts of about 20 and whitecapping in our little cove.



Flo's Conch Bar  -  check out the "You Welcome" on the roof

  Flo's is obviously a laid back place. No one there yesterday but the chickens and the very vocal roosters.  One crows so much he's hoarse.  Must be some very satisfied chickens.  Chester (the one-man-do-it-all-owner) has loud speakers broadcasting VHFch.68 24/7. We can sit back and keep up with all the news and gossip from the boaters.  David tried to order bread.  Chester said "he might be baking tomorrow".  Guess I still need to get used to island time.  Imagine I'll be doing without bread.  Oh dear!

Sunday, Apr. 10 (I think:)

We left our Berry Islands, sailing southerly winds the 30 miles to Nassau.  A couple days of re-provisioning and we were ready to get away from the big city.  We're presently in Spanish Wells, north of Eleuthera.  A pretty, clean town of well-maintained homes. We rented a golf cart and perused the island yesterday.  Tomorrow, onward to new frontiers. 

  Next big run.....Abacos!