WEDNESDAY- April 11: We hauled anchor at 3:15AM, following Steve & Linda out the Lake Worth inlet, very close to our anchorage. Once in the open sea, we set course almost due East for the Bahamas. The moon lit our way and the water was smooth with 3 mph South winds. The lights of Fort Worth were still visible 25 miles out. Sunrise was around 7:00AM. The seas were 1 to 2 feet the whole voyage making a smooth Gulf Stream passage. Our day's halfway point was Memory Rock, where the water depth changed dramatically from deep blue 700 feet to aqua blue 25 feet. From there it was a straight line course to Great Sale Cay, Bahamas, a popular rest anchor before continuing on to the Abacos. We arrived at 4:00 PM, making about 108 miles in 12-3/4 hours. Not shabby!
THURSDAY- April 12: Winds picked up overnight to 25 to 30 mph with squalls all around so we decided to stay another night in safely anchored. No going ashore, so we did boat chores and took naps to catch up on our sleep.
FRIDAY- April 13: The winds slackened a little so we hauled anchor at 7:00 AM for Spanish Cay. The waves built 2 to 4 feet as we headed toward Spanish Cay and the wind returned. Rain we encountered actually seemed to beat down the waves, smoothing our ride some. Louis didn't like today's cruise! Spanish Cay assigned us a face dock for a smooth landing in 30 mph winds on the nose! There are very few people there, probably less than 25. The Marina is very nice with a pool, restaurant and store. “Tornado” the dock master, ferry boat captain, overseer, and general “guy around town” was very friendly. The island is owned by a Texan who has built several rental houses, the marina and tennis courts. The island has three trucks, including a fire truck. Golf carts are popular.
We cleared customs at the dock around 3:00 PM, had a delicious grouper sandwiches at the restaurant, and relaxed on wooden rockers on the wrap around porch to enjoy the beautiful view and visit with Steve & Linda. Louis enjoyed meeting “Hurricane” the resident dog, rescued from hurricane Irene last year as a small puppy pulled from the water. He's a Bahamian “pot cake” (mongrel) breed, a Dalmation-sized Jack Russell. Louis schooled him in proper dog manners but Hurricane was still very much a puppy. We took long walks with the dogs running free in the evening: no traffic or people, just ocean & wind sounds. The wind blew hard blew hard while we slept.
SATURDAY- April 14: Left Spanish Cay around 1:00 PM. The 25 mph wind was just slightly to Port of the bow but it was a little harrowing backing down over 200 feet of dock.
We tried an anchorage at the northern end of Manjack Island but the wind were too strong, the rollers too big and the rock shores too close so we headed for a large southern cove near Rat Cay. There we found an excellent anchor spot near the highest shore to partially block this tiresome wind. It howled all night but we felt safe.
SUNDAY- April 15: During a wind lull we launched the dinghy for exploring. A mile north we found Coconut Bay, a small sandy beach just right for Louis to chase his frisbee and practice swimming. He waded out with Mike and soon found himself swimming and liking it while I found coral and shells. The wind was fierce returning to SeaDream. Later in the afternoon we rode to the ocean side of the island in Steve & Linda's dinghy. Conch shells are abundant on the sandy, sometimes rocky beaches. The bottom is sand with sparse grass right up to shore for easy beaching of the dinghy. Back aboard SeaDream we watched the sun set, then had dinner and a movie. The perpetual wind rocked us to sleep.
MONDAY- April 16: Winds and waves continue but they may abate tomorrow. Mike gave wooly Louie a shave today. His fine hair sticks to everything and when it blew off the swim platform/beauty salon it floated for miles behind the boat. Mike did a pretty good grooming job and Louie is much cooler.
I washed windows while Mike and Steve scraped the goatee moss off the SeaDream's water line. Linda and I visited and exchanged boat pictures from our crossing. This evening, we dinghied to Crab Cay to see the wild pigs. Didn't see any but had a wonderful evening ride. Another movie night after supper and a quieter night as the sea breeze diminished.
TUESDAY- April 17: We dinghied about four miles with Steve & Linda to Green Turtle Cay. It's a small island with a few hundred people. Little wooden houses painted pastel colors, side by side in a five block town. There were a few very small stores and one very good, very small bayside restaurant called “The Wrecking Tree”. I don't know where it got it's name. It was nice to go ashore and mingle with humans. The population is about ½ black and ½ white. The original settlers were loyalists to Britain and came here from the original colonies but many didn't stay long because the farming was very poor. Later in the afternoon we took Louie back to Coconut Bay for a beach run and more swimming. He's doing really well and readily swims out to get his frisbee. A huge ray appeared in shallows nearby. Luckily I saw it before we got too close. Back aboard, we enjoyed the sunset then Mike finally got the navigation computer fixed. Windows XP went nuts when he accidentally switched off its power a few days ago.
WEDNESDAY- April 18: Today we departed Manjack Cay and, sadly, Steve & Linda, to head for Marsh Harbor where Stan and Carol fly in tomorrow afternoon. We crossed Whale Cay uneventfully in the wonderful low wind and minimal seas. It was a 4 hour trip and we found plenty of anchoring room in Marsh Harbor. We did a little exploring land side for a grocery store.... there's not much here even though it is the third largest town in the Bahamas. Mike did get us hooked up to the internet and we've been reconnecting with the world and emailing everyone to tell them we're okay. Now I have to clean this boat and get ready for Stan and Carol.
(Sorry no pictures but not good enough connection)
