Snorkling Thunderball Grotto

   Off of Staniel Cay is Thunderball Grotto where the James Bond movie was filmed. At the Staniel Cay Yacht Club there are several photos of the movie cast with Sean Connery hanging around the Yacht Club bar.
   The grotto is a favorite snorkling sight for cruisers and tourists. I got to try out my new Panasonic underwater digital camera. As you will see, good underwater photography is all about the lighting.

   In the movie, James Bond swims into the "secret" grotto hidden from outside view but if you know where to dive you can come up inside the island into the grotto. We go at low tide and slack current when you can see the opening (its a few feet high at low tide - at high tide the opening is covered with water).

   At the entrance to the grotto a school of "sergeant-major" fish (with their multiple yellow and black stripes) hang out waiting for the snorklers to feed them. We watched a group of young girls feed them from a Cheez-Whiz can.  Sue is checking them out here.

   A large Nassau Grouper has learned the grotto is a safe place to hang out. This guy would quickly be on a dinner plate if he strolled around anywhere else in the open like this. They normally are hiding in the dark shadows under ledges or rocks.

   Inside the main chamber the ceiling is pretty high with openings in the roof. Our friends told us 5 years ago there was only one opening so looks like the erosion is accelerating.

   Most of my underwater photos came out too dark even with the flash on, but I see the closeups in good sunlight come out excellent.
   The water is crystal clear here and the colors are far better through your diving mask compared with how the camera shows them. Staniel Cay is one of the best spots in the Bahamas to vacation at. You fly in here on Watermaker Air from Fort Lauderdale.

Lobster Dinner at Big Majors

   Finally got to have our first lobster dinner, thanks to Conrad on "Its About Time." Conrad got these two lobsters. The smaller one is about a 1pounder, the big one somewhat over 3 lbs.  I shot a small Grunt (member of Snapper family) which provided some good appetizers.
  Other than this success  the fishing/hunting has been pretty slim as these waters are fairly fished out by the many cruisers and locals in the area.
   But the scenery is pretty spectacular.

   Sue and Sally went shelling on this beach offshore of Big Majors on the Bahama Bank side. This island turns out to be the playground of guests from one of the megayachts anchored offshore. Guests arrive to/from the yacht via seaplane.   You all can come visit us here via same seaplane or fly into Staniel Cay.

   This is the view from lower end of Sampson Cay looking west onto the Bank. We didn't stay too long at Sampson Cay as they were out of Kalik beer and much of their food supplies since the supply ship was out of commission and no supplies had arrived in two weeks.

   Sue at work weaving a basket with palm fronds from the islands. You have to learn what the "right" palm fronds are, not just any fronds work.

 
Sue is heading out to search for palm fronds. In the distance you can see the megayacht anchored offshore and the islands where Sue and Sally went shelling. The seaplanes land in the lee of these offshore islands and wait for a tender from the yacht to come pick up the guests.

We're in Nassau finally

   White puffy cumulus clouds fill a blue sky as we enter into Nassau Harbor past the cruise ships and under the far bridge to our marina for customs check in.  We're finally here after a trying crossing following last month's rough and cold transit down the East Coast in winter.
   As I write this, reggae music plays in the night from some hotspot while the wind moans through the rigging and wind generators spin up and whine in the gusts.   It was not the most pleasant Gulf Stream crossing we've had.

   The heavy thunder clouds hanging over the Gulf Stream as we left Key Biscayne past the Cape Florida lighthouse we harbingers of drenching showers to come.  But first, we had to bash across the Gulf Stream straight into a 15kt breeze on the nose (means 21kts when added to our forward speed).  The unforcasted easterly winds on the nose (supposed to have 10kts on the beam from the south) kicked up 2-4ft wind driven waves which combined with a dying (but not fast enough) 2-4ft northerly swell into the Gulf Stream creating confused, sharp faced waves, peaks, valleys and holes. Salt spray went everywhere and covered everything as we bashed our way for 10hours across the Gulf Stream.

   Smiles and excitement soon transformed to nausea and weariness as the 33hr transit dragged on.  These were exactly the conditions cruisers try to avoid, but the wind forecast turned out to be completely wrong and it was too late to turn back.

   We arrived at St Issac's light on the Bahamas Bank just before dark after the 10hr bashing across the Gulf Stream. At this light we make a 40deg turn to the southeast down the bank to the Northwest Passage Channel. Unfortunately, the easterly winds had now shifted to the southeast (forecasted to be south shifting to southwest - perfect sailing winds) so again we were motoring directly into the winds. At least the seas were down now and the northerly swell was gone. The conditions were not uncomfortable - until the rains came in the early morning hours. First was a steady 30 minute shower with light winds that got everything and everyone in the cockpit wet (no, we didnt have Sue's great enclosure in place and regretted it.)  But then came the classic tropical downpour with winds to 37+knots, lots of lightning and blowing rain that got into every nook and cranny. Fortunately we were prepared sailwise with very limited canvas flying so there was no fear of damaging the boat. But now we were totally wet, cold, tired and miserable. Fortunately we did not have the enclosure up as the fierce winds could have shredded it.

  As dawn broke, however, with its blue skies, warm sunshine and light winds/waves, yesterday's miseries were gradually replaced with the realization we were through the ordeal and in the Bahamas.
  We had a very pleasant 10hr motor from Northwest Passage Channel down to Nassau in the warm, rejuvenating sunshine.

   A we passed by the Nassau Harbor lighthouse with Paradise Island resort buildings in the distance, the anticipation of snorkling, spear fishing, lobsters, snappers and conch for dinner had edged out the memories of rough, wet and cold storms/winds/squalls off Charleston and the Bahama Bank enroute.
   After a quick pit stop for customs, hot shower and boat housekeeping, we'll be off for the Exumas on Monday. Watch out lobsters, here we come!

      We're finally underway, staging for the Bahamas - anchored off Cape Florida this evening for a 0630 departure for the Bahamas. Weather is a bit squally today but supposed to clear some tomorrow with winds light from south. The light winds, squally weather is what we need to make the crossing of the Gulf Stream and 160nm of east transit to Nassau before the good weather trade winds come back in from the East.
    We are sitting here just after dark, listening to the very quiet whirl of our wind generator (all fixed now with new stainless steel bearings and whisper quiet blades from Europe) which is keeping our batteries topped up. Only downside is that it is so quiet now we can't use it to tell us what the outside wind speed is. We used to be able to tell wind speed by the freq/sound of the noisy old blades. Anybody with an Air-X or Air-Breeze needs to update to these blades.
   Should arrive Nassau about mid-afternoon on Saturday. We'll have wifi at Starbucks there and will update the blog.
   We're off....   Mark and Sue

Last minute maintenance

   Down to the last maintenance items before pushing off to the Bahamas - we took advantage of the light winds for "Rigger Sue" to go up the mast and attend to a couple items.
   In addition to lubricating our anemometer at the mast head, we had to remove a cleat and line off the backstay. I put it there (with the mast pulled) to fly our national ensign but, we learned the hard way that the mainsail topping lift snags on it.

   A long stretch but Sue was able to clean and lube the anemometer, then spray T9 on the other hardware. Mission accomplished.
 

  
  Meanwhile, we are enjoying our stay here. We had a visiter this morning checking out the boat next door. Sue got to pet his back some. He had the typical propeller scars down his back, but seemed all healed up.
   

 Another of our interesting dockmates here out for a stroll. Genny gave him a wide berth.

   

    We plan to leave the marina tomorrow and sail around Biscayne Bay until a weather window opens to the Bahamas. Looks like Fri or Sat may work. Thursday closed down with strong winds from north forecasted, so will go out for a nice sail on the bay and wait for Friday.

Waiting in Miami for weather window to cross to Bahamas

   We are back onboard in Miami, at Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, waiting for a weather window to head for the Bahamas. We need 2 days of winds not from the east (where the prevailing tradewinds blow from) to make it to Nassau. Looks like next weekend may be a good time to go.
   Meanwhile, I guess our friends in Yorktown will not be too sympathetic that we have to cool our heels here in Miami walking along the beach in 80deg weather.
   The forecast was for a tropical disturbance with rain all day today but the hard rain seems to be on north side of Miami. We have blue skies over Biscayne Bay.

   This photo is from Biscayne Bay looking north towards Miami as we were entering the channel up to Crandon Park. Today its all heavy rain clouds over Miami, but blue skies over us in the marina on the island.

   Key Biscayne is a very nice place to visit with its State Park and National Park and walking/biking trails. We spotted this peacock standing proud as we walked by. There also are many parrots and lorikeets in the coconut trees here. And, crows, seagulls, pelicans galore in the marina that make a mess on your boat.

   This is where we want to be next week - in the Bahamas outer islands.