Long Island, Bahamas

We are anchored off Long Island, Bahamas, on our way towards even further south, the Ragged Islands, about 60nm north of Cuba.

   This is a sparsely inhabited island about 60nm long (big by Bahama standards). There are no significantly large towns, only a scattering of homes and stores/resorts/bars. It's a perfect place to "get away from it all". 

    That's Tides Inn anchored off the Long Island Breeze resort. This site would be idealic if not for the construction on the new government pier. Next year for picture perfect.  The resort provides great support to cruisers allowing free wifi, access to laundry, access to pool, as long as you spend a little money here. Easy to do as the Bahama beer and fresh seafood are great. There is gas/diesel/water at the Exxon station next door. Great reprovision site before heading further south to the Ragged Islands.  We rented a car for a day and toured the island, checking out "Chez Pierre" which is a terrific, competely isolated, spartan resort definitely "away from the maddening crowds."

   This is a view of the "ocean side" of the island taken from the balcony of a house being built by a couple that I met working at West Marine in Hampton. That's their boat anchored off the shore. After cruising here for 10yrs they decided to move to Long Island. 

    We left Pipe Creek, Exumas, on Sunday and sailed overnight to Long Island. We motored through this cut into the Exuma Sound, then down the deep Sound (where the Mahi Mahi live) to Long Island. It was a pretty bumpy, windy trip. A bit more than forecasted.



   While a rough trip, the Sound passage was a fishing success. Here's our first mahi-mahi landed onboard Tides Inn. We've caught several on deliveries before, but this is the first one on our boat. Big enough for two dinners for four. Quite tasty.        We may get another chance to catch another one in couple days when we transit down to the Ragged Islands. We're looking forward to the overabundance of lobsters we've been told about further south.

Pipe Creek, Mid-Exumas

We are still here anchored in Pipe Creek, which has protection from all sides and, is a beautiful place without too many folks, except for our new friends on Mirabelle (with their new transmission) and Just Ducky who we snorkle and picnic with.  We are planning on departing on Sunday for further on south to meet up with other friends, but will see what the weather does.

   Weather has been great since Tuesday (I think thats the right day?) with the light south winds bringing in warm temperatures. Water is about 75deg here. Not bad, but need a wet suit for lengthy snorkling. Will be warmer further south. Sue only got dunked once by passing power boat.

   Gennie is enjoying the trip and likes to explore the beachs and water. She always wants to wade in the water, I guess to cool her feet down some, and we have to keep her nearby so she doesnt get fully saturated with salt water. I suspect she would go swimming if we let her. This is over at "conch beach" where there are over a thousand small conchs at low tide (and a few big ones we are having for dinner tonight.)

   This is the Pipe Creek "yacht club" where we had a bonfire and snacks Wed evening. The "clubhouse" is a collection of ocean debries that wash up on the Sound side of the island (called "East Marine" by the yachties since it is on the east side of the island and brings in new things each day). There are 4 sailboats anchored by us who get together for "events".
There is a great restaurant at the Sampson Cay marina just south of us. Thursday was 2 for 1 pizza day (large pizza is $25 so you dont want to go any other day than Thurs). These nurse sharks loll around the marina waiting for handouts from the conch cleaners. Yesterday on the way back from Staniel Cay we passed a good size Hammerhead Shark who went right under our dinghy. Not all the fish in the sea are as gentle as these nurse sharks.

Breezy Nassau Bahamas

   We departed No Name Harbor south of Miami about 2300 and transited across the Gulf Stream arriving at the Bahamas Bank at dawn.  The conditions in Gulf Stream were fairly calm with 10kts of southerly wind and 2-3ft seas.
   It was a clear, crisp night which started with a terrific bright shooting star.

Checking for traffic as we pass by St Issac Light, entering onto the Great Bahamas Bank. This area is a mesa top about 15-25ft under the ocean surface. We transited down a route free of coral heads towards the Northwest Passage Light chokepoint.

Here's a little hitchhiker who jumped onboard during the Gulf Stream passage. Fairly common occurrance in the Gulf Stream.

 SeaDog Gennie has the potty routine down pat. She really likes the calm water conditions though. We are motor sailing across the Bahama Bank here in light winds nearly on the nose.

  Approaching Nassau Harbor. We followed "Majesty of the Sea" into the harbor and waiting for her to turn around and back into the cruise ship docks. Five cruise ships in port.

 
   We'll stay in Nassau for two nights waiting for the strong northerly winds to abate, then head on south down the Exumas. More photos to follow.
  All are well aboard Tides Inn

Waiting for Weather Window in Miami

Mooring Field Crandon Park Key Biscayne

   We are sitting in the mooring field in Crandon Park, Key Biscayne. Here's the view from the boat with the Miami skyline in the distance.  55 deg this morning but shorts and short sleeves this afternoon.

   With the thoughts of heading over to the Bahamas on Monday night we did some important things today.  A few loads of wash in the machines at the marina, from now on it will be done in the bucket with the plunger.  Had to make that one last trip to West Marine.  It was a 6 mile walk over to the store in Miami.  After our two bags full of last minute items, we decided to take the light rail and bus back.  Genny was glad to hear us pull up in the dinghy, it was her first time alone on the boat this trip.  We enjoyed dinner, some wine and classical music in the cockpit.  Tomorrow will be the last grocery run; produce and perishables.  I have my folding cart and totebags ready for the 2 mile walk to the Winn Dixie.  We will move the boat down to No Name Harbor tomorrow, staging for our midnight departure for Nassau.

Enroute Miami



Underway from Charleston - 39degrees


 Underway from Charleston on a clear, crisp Jan morning with 15kts of north winds. Three layers of polyester on Under the foul weather gear. Bahamas, here we come!




   Heading south with a brisk northerly wind, we pole out the headsails and try to catch all the wind horsepower we can.  We were able to ride these winds for nearly 24hrs before they peetered out and it was over to the trusty Yanmar diesel. We sailed and motored for the next two days, then pulled into Fort Pierce to wait out 12hrs of 25kts on the nose. Heading back out to sea on Thurs am. 



The "Off-Watch" of Port-Stbd team



Sue and I stand port and starboard watches, so when one is at the helm the other is in the seaberth catching some zzz's. We probably average about 4-6hrs of sleep per day (none of it deep sleep) in 4 intervals. 
We stand set watches at night: 9-12, 12-3, and 3-6am. During the day we are usually both up and about, catching a catnap before and after lunch.





Gennie is doing fine and relatively quickly got back into the routine of potty breaks at the bow while underway. She does like for us to slow down so its not too scary up there on the bow. This is her favorite spot during the day. At night we need the blanket for us both to cover with.




Tried to get a video of the dolphins playing around the boat but they were camera shy. We have had dolphins around frequently since passing Hilton Head. No whales seen (fortunately). The adventure continues tomorrow am.   





Provisioning in Charleston

Tides Inn at Tolers Cove, Charleston

   We have been provisioning and preparing the boat for the upcoming 3 months in the Bahamas. Finally got out of the snowy Yorktown area down to 60deg weather in Charleston. The weather looks good for a departure on Monday morning and we should have everything stowed and ready to shove off by Sunday. We'll head towards Miami area and watch the weather to pick our day to cross the Gulf Stream towards Bahamas.  Right now end of next week is looking good. 

Heading for the Bahamas - Driving to Charleston

   Yes, it was a pretty White Christmas 2010, but this is ridiculous. We have got to get moving south.  We depart on 29th by rental car to Charleston, SC, and will provision and make final preps in hopes of departing by 1 Jan 2011. Looking more like 2 or 3 Jan though from weather forecasts today.  We'll head down to Miami and wait there for a weather window to make the crossing to the Bahamas.

   We'll be able to update the webblog whenever we get wifi coverage in Bahamas. We'll keep our track data updated each day so you can click on "Where's Tides Inn" and get an update. Warm beaches here we come!

Heading to Charleston Oct 2010

   We are on our way to Charleston to stage the boat further south for our Bahamas trip this winter.  We'll leave the boat in Charleston while we enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas with the family at home. Then, after Xmas its back to the boat and on to the Bahamas.  Hopefully we can get a couple days of warm weather in early Jan to get south out of Charleston.
   It has been a crisp motor sail so far with a large High pressure system to the west and Low storm offshore giving us 15-25kt winds from the NW. We are heading for Beaufort tomorrow and will go offshore at least to Masonboro, then check the sea conditions and probably skip rounding Frying Pan Shoals, heading back into ICW.  Then back out to sea at Cape Fear River and on to Charleston. Forecast is for NW winds all week, so should be some good sailing.
   Will confirm the good sailing in couple days after we arrive.

Here's the confirmation:  the weather forecast did not hold up. Rather than NW winds all week, we had a wide variety.  First, after leaving Beaufort the winds were from the west (on the nose) all evening hours, finally shifting to north after 0200.  We were then able to sail to Masonboro, arriving at 0700. Unfortunately, the winds were now NE at 25-30 making entry into the narrow Masonboro Inlet a hazardous option.  We hove to for 2hrs hoping the wind would die down to the 15kts being announced on the weather radio. It did drop to 20-25, so after checking with TowBoatUS for any last minute local knowledge on shoaling, we went for the opening. It was "relatively" uneventful - a straight shot in with plenty of deep water. Lots of cross currernt and 2-3ft waves but no breakers.  We got into the inlet and promptly anchored for some welcome rest.
    The following afternoon we proceeded down the ICW to Cape Fear River for the next leg of the journey. Following a short pause while we sat aground at low tide near Carolina Beach, we were soon off and again on our way as soon as the tide came in a couple inches.  We anchored off Southport in the middle of the Cape Fear River. Holding was very tenuous with a bottom full of shells and 2-4kt reversing currents, but winds were only 5kts and no big waves, so no problems. The next morning when we left we found out our anchor chain had been held in place fouled on a block of asphalt (about 100lbs worth) which I knocked off the chain with a hammer.  We were then on our way to Charleston with a forecast of 5kt North winds.
  Again, not close on the wind forecast. After 6hrs of nice slow sailing in the 8-10kt NW winds, the winds came around to the Southwest for the rest of the day (on the nose).  The forecast was now for a shift to the north after midnight, but we saw only a shift to WNW about 0300 just as we needed to make our turn to the west to approach Charleston Channel, so again, winds on the nose.  We motored from 1500, Sat until arrival at 0800 Sun.  But, the winds were light (under 10kts) and waves under 1ft, so it was a comfortable, if long and noisy, transit. At least no repeat of the 30kt winds as we tried to enter the harbor.
   We rode (motored) into Charleston Harbor on a 2kt flooding current and proceeded to Tollers Marina. We are now securely tied up and starting the cleaning and preping to depart duties.  Overall a successful transit.