From Grand Bahama Island to the Berrys and Nassau

It's Thursday December 20 and we take off from Ocean Reef at 4:00am in an attempt to reach the Berry Islands before dark. “I'm always anxious on these legs into new cruising grounds. Once we're there I'm usually pleasantly surprised to find easy access to the anchorages, and even more relieved that we made it safely. But no matter how long we're out here I'm sure those concerns will be a part of me”. LM

As is often the case, winds and waves are not generally in our favor and we motor-sail close hulled for 13 hours and 60 nautical miles. Was it worth it? You better believe it. We had this feeling that we were the first people to have ever landed here as we find another hidden pocket of sandy beaches and palm trees that have been there undisturbed for centuries. In reality, we're anchored in Bullocks Harbour just south and east of the Stirrup Cays. There are two Norwegian Cruise Line ships anchored to the north and thousands of passengers enjoying the same warm day as we are. Great Harbour Cay is also nearby and sparsely populated with a few dozen native Bahamians who fish and cook and bake and repair boats. One of the pamphlets we're reading about the Bahamas placed the total population in the Berry Islands at around 750.

We spent two nights here before moving inside to enjoy the Great Harbour Cay Marina. We rode our bikes over much of the island passing by the local grocery stores and restaurants. Coolie Mae's Sports Bar and Restaurant bakes bread for those who want it and we managed to buy a loaf without having ordered one in advance. Mmmmm, tasty. With the laundry done and boat washed off we're ready to move again. Along with an intermittent escort provided by the local dolphin pods, we sail back out and around the Stirrup Cays to a place called Panton Cove.

This truly is a beautiful part of the world. Close your eyes and imagine sitting on a boat or raft in a clean, clear, blue bottomed swimming pool. That's no exaggeration of how blue and clean and clear the water here really is. So far this is the closest description we've been able to come with for someone that's never been here.

Next stop, Hawksnest Cay where we spend a few days collecting shells on the beach and relaxing in the sun. I managed to prepare a 6lb. Turkey breast and all the fixings for a delicious Christmas dinner. And the leftovers on Coolie Mae's bread were even better! After one more stop along the Berrys and a nice long ride with a tail wind from there, we're anchored behind Rose Cay just outside the busy Nassau harbor. We plan to refuel and fill up on fresh water before moving on again. Next stop, The Exumas!

Winter 2012-13

Merry Christmas everyone!  Early we know, but still very much our wish for all of you.  We're on Grand Bahama Island tonight as well plan our next few steps into new territory for the winter.  Here's out notes from the last few days:

12.17 Finally, our final preparations for departure to the south and then across to the Bahamas. 8a eye appt, quick stop at the store, return the bikes, dinghy out to the boat, raise the outboard and the dinghy, top off water tanks, ride through the bridges and we're off at 1045a. ICW to Lake Worth, set anchor @545p, try to sleep, ha.

12.18 Our Window to Cross

We're underway @245a. Seas are calm, waves are small, winds are light, and the sky is very dark. We motored until sunrise and had the sails up by 7a. With the motor off for the rest of the day, winds stay steady out of the west 10-12kts, 15-19 for a while, then back down to 12-15. If you asked for the best possible conditions for a crossing today you couldn't done any better than this. After the sun started to warm things up we finished opening the enclosure for better visibility and some sunshine. What a surprise it was to find a flying fish that had made his last flight. Poor guy, laying still just inside the toe rail there. Off you go! At 1130-1p we were surrounded by dozens of dolphins that enjoyed playing in our wake, chasing the boat and jumping into the air. What a sight, “Dancing with Waves”.
Our boat speed averaged around 5, then up to 7 for a while, then back down to 4-5 after the Gulf Stream dies out. Being in no real hurry we enjoyed a long overdue sail and landed easily at West End by mid-afternoon. Customs-no problem, top off fuel-no problem, take a slip for the night-no problem. That's the Bahama way, No Problem.  The water is clear and blue and we are already seeing small colorful fish all around the docks. We enjoyed the company of friends Duncan and Cathy all afternoon and evening before hitting the bed hard for some rest! We'll use tomorrow for recovery :)

12.19 After a much needed rest, we're up and out of West End, Old Bahama Bay Resort at 845a and fully under sail @9a. The ride was wonderful from there to the turn towards east at Freeport. Winds died for a bit, and so did the auto pilot. Instead of staying out on an anchor for the night we've pulled into ORYC (our home away from home) to evaluate the repair. If all goes well we're off to the Berry Islands in the AM. Or, we stay here. It's a win-win,really.