20100101 Happy New Year from Nassau, New Providence Island,
Bahamas
The last few days have been great. They have not gone according to plan or
schedule, but they have been wonderful.
We departed Highborne Cay on 20091229, with expectations of a slow but
OK trip back to Nassau. After making our
way out of the marina and going through the Highborne Cay Cut in the reef to
deep water, we made good progress for a couple of miles, then when we turned
northwest toward Nassau, the washing machine action of a northwestern swell and
north wind started. We recognized that
the wind was growing stronger, so it did not take long for us to consider other
options. Our first and best option was
to head due north a couple of miles back to Allen Cay, where we first entered
the Exumas several weeks ago. We know
the narrow entrance and the shoals in the anchorage, so this was an easy
choice. Tacking over onto a northerly
course, we headed to the Allen Cay group and as we approached, started seeing
other sailboat masts sticking up over the cays, indicating others with our same
idea.
We arrived in Allen Cay without incident, finding 10 other
sailboats already hunkered down. Instead
of going for the shallow anchorage previously, we motored up the deeper channel
(15 feet) and edged up to the shoal, sandy middle of the anchorage to drop our
hook. The Delta anchor plus 75 feet of
3/8” chain again did her job, holding us against all winds and current. It is a good thing too that the anchor held
us well. For all that night and the next
day and night, Northern winds blew a constant 20 knots with gusts upwards of 35
knots, gale force winds. The current
and waves through the anchorage were often 45 degrees off of the wind
direction. We bounced a little, but
mostly, with a 20 foot nylon snubber on the anchor chain, the motion was
gentle. Both Cathy and I slept in the
salon, near the center of the boat, to minimize the motion during the
night. I was up often, checking to make
sure that the rocky shore on our lee was not sneaking up on us. Sure enough, the rocks stayed where we left
them and all was OK. The two days and
nights spent in Allen Cay were useful and restful. I piddled and puttered around, working on my
boat maintenance list. Most importantly,
Cat asked if the refrigeration worked at anchor. My first response was, NO; however, somewhere
in my memory, this bugged me.
I broke out my laptop, looking in my Sailboat folder for all
the manuals for electronics, plumbing, mechanical, stuff on Angel. I found the manual for the icebox to
refrigeration conversion unit that I installed 2.5 years ago. Reading carefully, I found that indeed, the
110V AC compressor also has a 12V DC conversion built in. The compressor works
on 110V when at the dock, and switches automatically to 12V, when the 110V is
not available. I recalled that I did not
install the 12V DC connections at the time, since I only had one deep cycle
house battery that could not support the navigation lights, cabin lights,
navigation instruments and radios. Since
then I added two more deep cycle batteries in a second battery bank, charged by
the wind generator. Especially in the 20
knot winds, we were creating LOTS of power.
The only limit is accessibility.
The compressor is located in the starboard lazarette. This lazarette is full of rope bags, fenders,
boat hooks, cushions, life jackets…
I pulled everything out into the cockpit, then with my well
practiced contortionist moves, folded myself into the space. My legs extend under the cockpit, with my
feet resting on the propeller shaft, aft of the engine and transmission. I lay down and over my head was the
compressor. On the inboard side, I found
the small metal plate, held by one screw that contained the 12V DC wires. Removing these and replacing the plate, I
needed only to run new wire to the fuse panel for the auxillary battery bank,
charged by the wind generator. Cathy fed
new wires through the bulkhead and I used wire ties to secure them to other
wiring in the lazarette, connecting them finally to the refrigeration
compressor. As I was preparing to
reverse the procedure of climbing out of the storage locker, Cathy snapped a
picture (attached). I clipped the wires
to appropriate length, attached eye crimp connectors and attached them to the
fuse panel. I labeled a 10 amp fuse and
seated it securely. Turning the
temperature knob in the frig, the green light showed success. Soon we celebrated with cool drinks on the
anchorage.
Cathy read and I puttered.
We talked. We watched a movie on
the computer. We got out binoculars and
watched the tourists from Nassau, who come to the next Cay over, Leaf Cay to
feed the iguanas. These are LARGE
lizards. Many are the size of cocker
spaniels! When the go-fast boats full of
tourists come into the harbor, the iguanas gather just off the beach in the
brush and on the rocks. The tourists
bring the remains of breakfast or the midnight buffet and hand feed the
beasts. When annoyed, they charge the
tourists that scramble off the beach or dive into the water with squeals of
panic and laughter. After an hour, the
go-fast boats tune up their 4 X 200 HP Yamaha engines and disappear back
through the cut, onto the yellow bank for the 1 hour wet trip at 20-30 knots
back to Nassau and the cruise ships. This
procedure repeats in the afternoon with a new set of cruisers.
As we floated and napped, other cruisers stopped by to
talk. A fellow that sold his machine
tool company in Colorado to sail the Caribbean rowed up to discuss our
experience in the Cays south of Allen Cay.
A building contractor and his scruffy dog came by to discuss
weather. His cruising time, like ours
was running short and he is also headed back to NC to (hopefully) catch the
spring “boom”. He also was by himself
and was suffering from self diagnosed Carpul Tunnel syndrome. His right hand was ½ crippled and was a definite
handicap to continuing to sail. A third
tender, bigger than the others with center console steering circled us several
times, then stopped on our starboard side, inquiring the make/model of
Angel. Upon learning that she is a
Pearson Alberg 35, the Italian and French men of the tender chatted with us for
a long time about sailboats. They are
the professional crew of the Annopole (sp), a 106 foot long, 10 foot draft
sailboat from Europe. The owners were
over for the holidays and the crew had escaped for a little while to survey the
boats in the anchorage. This was a
great contact for us. They called us
several times on the radio with weather forecasts and sea conditions as they
headed with us back to Nassau. They were
forced to take another route, due to their draft, but the friendly voice as a
welcome addition to our trip.
Early morning on New Years Eve, the wind shifted as a front
came through. A few light showers
and the almost full Blue Moon signaled an opportunity for departure.
The weather forecast at 7:30am from Highborne Cay and from the sailing yacht Annopole, confirmed
our plans. The wind was from the east,
clocking around to the south at 15-20 knots was good news for our sail
northwest to Nassau. We set out at
8:30am and found the Yellow Bank with waves 1-3 feet. With full genoa foresail, we sailed at 6-7
knots until we were 5 miles from Nassau.
Then the wind died and we motored into the harbor. We decided to get a slip at the Nassau Harbor
Club, since it is directly across the street from the main shopping plaza. We need to restock our bottled water supply
and want to minimize the carry distance.
We pulled into the slip around 3pm and while Cathy called her family to
reassure them all is well, I washed the salt from the sails, deck hardware and
decks. Cathy gathered the laundry for
washing tomorrow and added to our grocery list.
With backpacks in hand, we walked across the street to the grocery.
Cathy wanted some more Guava Jam, eggs, cheddar cheese,
crackers ($6 for Triscuits), local cocoanut cookies, Coke Zero for mixing with
cocoanut rum and some tortillas. Holiday
shoppers were out, getting mixers and snacks for New Year’s Parties. The marina has TV outlets at the dock, and
Cat wanted to know if we could get the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. I went back to the shopping center and got an
extension cable, but unfortunately, TV is NOT hooked up at the dock. We will have to find a sports bar tomorrow.
Work finished, we need showers…badly. Clean clothes., soap, & towels in hand,
we head up and take a shower with soap, rinse, take another shower with soap,
shampoo, rinse, repeat. I really
appreciate hot water, soapy suds and clean clothes after swimming in the ocean
and rinsing with fresh water from a pump up garden sprayer for 2 weeks. Both of us were revived and felt human again.
We decided to go back to the Poop Deck Restaurant, just up
the street, for dinner. We enjoyed their
Greek salads and cracked conch during our last visit. We arrived in time for Happy Hour, ½ price
drinks and free conch fritter appetizers.
They had two TV’s with football bowl games for Cat to watch. Two quick cocoanut rum & Diet Cokes and
we started making friends at the bar. A
gentleman sat near us with white “stuff” all over his hands. We chatted and learned he also had just come
from Allen Cay. He sailed his Island
Packet yacht just ahead of us into Nassau Harbor. When I asked about his hands, he laughed and
related his story. He had purchased the
yacht in Chapin, SC; then had it trucked to Charleston City Marina. He motor sailed it to Key West, where he had
some work done and stored it. A couple
of month ago, he came across the Gulf stream, and last week motored into Allen
Cay cut. The anchorage was crowded, so
he went to the south anchorage, that has good protection from southern and
southeasterly winds. Unfortunately, the
winds shifted to the north. He was
preparing to reset his anchor, when his dinghy painter (rope) was pulled into
his propeller, stopping the engine. With
no anchor and no engine, the northern winds drove the boat into shoal water and
the stern quarter onto rocks. These
rocks proceeded to pound a hole, just above the waterline into the boat. Other cruisers heard his radio call for help
and with their dinghy’s took out bow kedge anchors to hold him off as much as
possible. One cruiser also brought over
another anchor to hold his stern off.
For the next 6 hours, as the tide rose, he took one turn from each winch
on each anchor to gradually pull himself off.
At daylight, he dove over the stern and cut the offending
line free from the propeller shaft. He
then retrieved the anchors and motored into the more protected main anchorage
to rest and make repairs. With white Eastman
5200 adhesive and scrap plywood and some closed cell foam, he closed and sealed
the hole beaten into his home. As he
related this tale, I considered myself fortunate to have confidence in a heavy anchor
and rode to protect Angel from the same fate.
Some additional customers came into the bar and asked us to
move over to free up two seats adjacent to each other. We gladly complied and soon found additional &
complementary cocoanut rum and diet cokes presented to us. This long distance couple, from Texas and
North Carolina, flew in for a week in the islands. We talked restaurants, activities, events,
Charleston, Key West, Raleigh, Dallas, etc.
Our Greek Salad came and was consumed.
Conch fritters arrived, then our Poop Deck Lover’s Platter of cracked
conch, grouper fingers and shrimp with cole slaw, peas & rice. When we finished, the bartender, who we had
gotten to know a little, provide us with a “nightcap” for the road. More rum & coke for the stumble
home. We collapsed back into Angel and
at 9pm prepared for bed.
Sleeping soundly, we were blasted awake at midnight by the
fireworks from Atlantis, Paradise Island, welcoming in the new year; just across
the channel from our slip. The display
was more boom than sparkle and seemed to go on for hours, although 20 minutes
is a better estimate of the duration.
Falling back asleep, we awoke at 6:30am, rose and got organized for the
day. With Starbucks across the street,
we treated ourselves to Chai Tea Latte and Vanilla Latte Coffee with a cheese
Danish, while I work on this blog.
Finishing our breakfast, I walked back to Angel, retrieved the dirty
clothes and sheets, helping Cat to the laundry for the necessary bi weekly
chore.
I will be reviewing the weather to find our exit opportunity
for heading northward, then back to the USA.
Cathy & Jim
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