Thompson Bay, Long Island, Bahamas to Port Antonio, Jamaica
Liesel writes:
2/6 We went to to to provision for trip to Jumentos and check internet confronted by strong wind and choppy waves in the bay. We had prepared for this by wearing our full foulies (foul weather gear). The dinghy dock had been moved by the owner due to the conditions, so we had to improvise our docking. We ended up tied up by the bow and stern of the dinghy where the dock had previously been. After shopping, the waves were even more rough. We loaded up the dinghy and trudged on home. Somehow, the bread items ended up right where Samson's hind feet were stomping. Back at the boat, we loaded our smooshed bread and soaked groceries into the boat. Then Mark prepared lobster, steak and rice for lunch. For dinner we had hot dogs with mustard and ketchup. After dinner, a front blew through bringing the first rain since Nassau, and we attempted rainwater collection for the first time. Not bad. We were able to get about a gallon with our makeshift method of pulling the dodger (plastic and cloth windshield for the boat) down at an angle, running the water into a funnel and our jug.
2/7 My first attempt at saltwater laundry was today. I used a bucket with saltwater and detergent, hands as an agitator, and washed thoroughly using saltwater hose on the port side of the boat near the cockpit. Then I did a final rinse with fresh water in the galley sink. (I am still hoping for a freshwater install in the back of the boat that would primarily be for rinsing off after swimming but would come in handy for other things too.)Then the clothes got hung up on the life lines with clothes pins to dry. Even with sun and a good breeze, they took most of the day to dry. Meanwhile, Samson and Mark went to meet up with another dog at the beach for some playtime. Lunch was supposed to be smooshed bread tuna sandwiches, but one fell on the floor and was readily accepted by Samson. So, we split a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to supplement. After that, we cleaned and dried up from getting soaked yesterday, made some trail mix for the much anticipated Jamaica passage, and Mark traded out the prop on the dinghy for a for bladed one that Marc and Mary brought us. The hope being that it would help us to get up on a plane more quickly, especially when we have four people in the dinghy. So, we would get places more quickly and save on fuel as well. The plan for the evening is to go to Long Island Breeze Restaurant to see the Super Bowl and get some shore leave. We won't stay long because we are going to get up at 4am to depart by 5am for the Jumentos Cay's, specifically Water Cay. We are leaving so early to catch the high tide through the Comer Channel.
2/8-2/9 The waves were still rough, so the restaurant provided a shuttle via pickup truck at a beach near the anchorage. We enjoyed beer and pizza with fellow cruisers from Nimue, SeaVeyor, Maverick, and Seabatical. We departed Thompson Bay for Water Cay right on schedule. Very shortly after arriving and anchoring, Mark was suited up for some serious pole-fishing in the breathtaking waters of the Jumentos. He quickly caught us a big lovely lobster and what we think was a porgy. We were joined on this adventure by Nimue and SeaVeyor who were soon to follow. Sundowners and snacks were enjoyed on board SeaVeyor for what would unknowingly be the last time; at least for a while. The local weather guru, Chris Parker, foretold of three cold fronts blowing through in the coming weak. Our adventurous trio would be prematurely disbanded in search of "hidey holes" for the coming fronts. We were headed South and the others North. However, we would not leave empty handed. Our friends sent us off not only with wonderful memories, but also with care packages of all sorts of goodies! Snacks, books, toilet paper, dog treats; all the good stuff! Now the dilemma was to head straight for Jamaica to escape some of these cold fronts or try to find a decent anchorage for the night. Mark was in favor of the prior and I the latter. Fortunately for me, we found a beautiful cove to anchor in outside of Jamaica Cay (of all places). We headed to shore to give Samson some exercise before the 3 day passage and to explore. Jamaica Cay was full of rusty, abandoned equipment including generators, a backhoe, and a couple of tanker trucks with South Carolina plates. There were also a few buildings in ruin. I thought it all to be a former settlement with a restaurant to attract passing boaters. Mark suspects it to be a former CIA reconnaissance locale due to it's radio tower, remoteness, and proximity to Cuba. When we got back to the boat, the stop-off proved to be much needed prior to the passage. I made some tuna and other things for the road, we pulled up the dinghy up on deck, lashed the water and fuel tanks, and a slew of other tasks.
2/10-2/13 We sailed downwind most of the way with some wave heights of 3-5ft initially that calmed down after a day or so. The roughest part was the last 80mi. or so, sailing close-hold, against the waves and against the equatorial current as we got even closer. Each night of the passage we could see a million stars and the glow of bio-flourescent creatures in our wake. Mark and I took turns taking watch with shifts of anywhere from 2-4 hours. I passed the time by reading Dracula, tossing the rope for Samson, listening to music, or just holding hands with my new husband. Samson passed the time by watching the waves, playing with the rope, chewing on hooves, and cuddling with whoever was off watch. The second night he discovered some comfort in the aft cabin (the least rocky part of the boat) and the third night he discovered sleeping on the settee with the lee cloth up. He's not really looking forward to going to Jamaica because he isn't allowed ashore; due to their lack of rabies, they do not allow entry of any dogs, cats, or birds. Mark passed the time by replacing the cotter pins on the rigging, tightening the chock blocks for the mast, fishing, and holding hands with his lovely wife. In fact, when he first set out his line, he had caught a Maim within 20 minutes. Our pole and reel, however, are a little rickety. So, even if it held out we had to figure out if we could actually real him in and get him in the boat, safely. Mark managed to get him all the way to the port side within a couple of feet of the deck and then the dang ol' fish wriggled his way off of the hook. To top it off, we haven't had another bite since. It was fun to reel him in and see his beautiful color even if we couldn't taste him. Over time, we heard several prop. planes and speculated that most were going to or from Haiti as we had also passed a hand full of US cargo and battleships. The last afternoon of the passage we determined Mark was overdue for a haircut. He liked feeling his hair shag around his ears and knew he would have to keep it well-groomed in the future while working, so he really wanted to keep the length. But, it was starting to look too 70's or something. So, I got the scissors and comb while he succumbed to the first free hand haircut I have ever given. It turned out pretty good! We were both happy with it even though I couldn't help but giggle in the process at the thought of it turning out really badly being my first time and all.
The lights of Jamaica started to become visible about 20mi. out which made it feel really close even though it still meant about 4 hours more of sailing. (We average about 5knots/hour.) Within 2 miles of the Jamaican shore, the wind died, so we motor sailed the rest of the way into the harbor. I lit the way while Mark drove on our way into the Port Antonio Marina. We pulled in about 4:30 am and were welcomed by blaring music and the bark and crow of several dogs and roosters. Good thing we were tired!
Clearing customs and immigration has been slow. We got cleared by Quarantine sometime mid-morning, so we were able to pull the "Q" flag and raise the Jamaican flag. We cannot clear customs until Monday due to the weekend, but we were able to go to shore for some exploration. We roamed the bustling markets full of produce, wood carvings, clothing, and marijuana smoke. We planned to hold off on buying any souvenirs until later, but we did exchange some money to buy some Red Stripes to walk around with and some ice for the boat. The exchange rate is 85 Jamaican dollars to 1 US dollar.
2/14-2/14 I talked to my dad briefly on his way to church to wish him a happy anniversary. Mom unfortunately is pretty sick and at home in bed. I called her next, and we go to chat a little before the reception on the sat. phone went out. We walked to Anna Banana's restaurant for lunch. On the way we saw locals nicely dressed walking to church, a funeral procession with gospel music blaring out of the hearse, more locals dressed up in black walking to the funeral (in the rain), goats on the sidewalk, chickens in the streets, and food vendors selling jerk chicken, red beans, and the like straight off of the hot coals. The restaurant was right on the water with a cool breeze blowing off of it. We sat at a table set for two which felt awkwardly distant only because we have been in such close proximity on the boat for so long. We work, sit, eat, and sleep only inches from each other on a regular basis. So, we had a giggle at that feeling. Thinking about it a little, we believe Samson the cruising lifestyle has had a similar impact on Samson. He seems to have more separation anxiety than he used to back home. We enjoyed our meals of stir fried veggies and pineapple chicken washed down by red stripes and a pina colada. The next item on the agenda was the search for the holey bulla. We had heard about this food item from a book and yet not knowing much about it, sought it out with diligence. It turns out they sell it in the local grocery and it looked like a banana bread bagel. The holey bulla had failed to capture our interest beyond seeing it, so we bought Red Stripes and Oreo cakesters instead. The beer is cheaper than at home, but all other items seem to be much more expensive.
Next, we showered at the marina-long, hot showers-and headed back to the boat to prepare lobster, steak, and macaroni and cheese for a romantic St. Valentine's dinner. We think our future plans will involve spending a day to sail over to Montego Bay, maybe hit Negril after that, and maybe be on our way to Honduras by the weekend. One of our books mentioned an ice bar across from Margaritaville in Mo Bay. We were right across from it on our honeymoon and didn't even know it. So, we would like to check it out this go around if possible. After eating and talking, the heavens poured down, and we collected 5+ gallons of rainwater.
January 31st Preparing for departure to the out islands
First thing, be aware that I have archived Bimini to George Town and it is available on the menu bar to the left. Also I have added a Georgetown photo album.
I previously forgot to post about my second major injury since we have been on this trip! So, there I was walking down the dock with five Corona bottles in a cardboard carrier on the night we arrived at Emerald Bay. Suddenly, there was a loud crash and I immediately knew the beer bottles had fallen out and that I was cut pretty good by the ricocheted glass. I looked down as I finished my step and saw blood pumping out of a two inch gash below my calf. I yelled out for Liesel to come help and get the first aid kit as well as dropping some serious curse words for everyone to hear. Luckily, I then heard "my husband is and ER trauma surgeon do you need help?" The answer clearly was "yes!!", and everyone came over to inspect the damage. The sun was setting and it wasn't long before our doc had gloves on and with the aid of a spotlight inspected the damage. He said it wasn't bad, but to us non-ER surgeons it was pretty bad. Though what's a readily available surgeon without tools? We didn't have a suture kit. But, some fellow cruisers, Ellen and Al, offered up not only a suture kit but also lidocane! It wasn't long before we were performing minor surgery right there on the dock; I was happily receiving free treatment from an American trauma surgeon therefore avoiding delayed treatment by the local clinic nurse. Much to my surprise, before he numbed my leg he proceeded to stick his thumb into the wound and wiggle it around to check for stray glass sending a shooting wave of pain up my leg and into my stomach and chest like I have never felt before-much, much worse than the finger avulsion pain. As this wound cleaning dropped me flat on my back, I recall hearing all the bystanders go "oooo!!!" as they vicariously felt the pain just from watching. Well, doc then put a couple of stitches in the gash and once again I am missing excellent snorkeling and fishing days in the water due to a healing wound. Attempting to learn a lesson from this injury, we concluded that we should no longer attempt to drink Mexican beer while in the Bahamas. We'll be sticking to Kalik and Sands from now on.
Despite the recent injury, the show had to go on due to a growing "to do" list. So, the last few days have been a series of projects that couldn't be completed until Mary and Marc came down with a plethora of spare parts and supplies for us. I'm sure all of you know that we spend plenty of time doing day to day projects and chores that keep CoolBreeze in working order. Along with the installation projects completed, I got some preventative maintenance done as well. From what I can remember I have changed the generator oil, transmission fluid and engine oil. I installed a sink sprayer and ran the tubing to connect it to the salt water wash down to save water and make dish cleaning easier. Then, I replaced the compass light, cleaned way too much stuff out of the bilge and gave it a good wash, washed the boat and got the scuba tanks filled, fixed the cutting board we broke while cleaning conch. And finally, we bought a 120ft piece of chain and spliced it to the anchor line as well as spliced the chain hook to the snubber line.
Our primary anchor is now 120 ft of chain and 80 ft of line giving a total of 200ft. As the vast majority of anchorages we will be in are less then 40ft deep this will allow us to maintain a 5:1 scope on the rode and still keep the anchor locker workable. We still have our second and third anchor rodes that are both 300ft for those rare deeper anchorages.
Many are wondering our plans over the next couple of months. After we head out to Long Island we will complete two milestones for this trip. First, we will do our last east bound leg. This whole trip we have been heading East and as we have now gotten further South the prevailing easterly trade winds are making that harder and harder. Second, we will pass the Tropic of Cancer, which for me that is the point South that all but the strongest of the cold fronts often do not make it past. That being said, the month of February is predicted to have many strong cold fronts much like the month of December this year. Hopefully, the days of 60 degree temperatures are behind us until next winter.
After spending the rest of this week in Long Island, the plan is to ride the next front out there on Saturday night then possibly head to the Jumentos Islands for some lobstering before heading southeast to Acklins Island for the next front. From Acklins we will take the first 5 day window of no cold fronts, preferably East winds, and sail south between Guantanamo Bay and Haiti and arrive in Port Antonio Jamaica roughly 3.5 days after our departure from Acklins. If the weather is favorable we will stop off in Great Inagua for one night of rest at anchor before taking the jump to Jamaica via the windward passage. That would make our Jamaica trip only about 230 nautical miles which we can do in two 24 hour days. From Port Antonio Jamaica, we will ride out the next front there while getting provisions and supplies for the long 500 mile trip to Roatan, Honduras. One the way to Honduras, if the weather is fair, we will stop for a night about half way across, at the sparsely populated Swan Islands for a night of R&R, hopefully making the 4-5 day passage a 3 and 2 day passage. Either way we have over a thousand miles to put under our keel in the next 3-4 weeks so pray for us to have a pleasant and comfortable month sailing with fair winds and seas on our quarter.
January 29th Emerald Bay Marina, Great Exuma Island
Well, in the last week we have traveled to a 4 star marina with 1 star prices (50 cents / ft.), had family/friends come and go and eaten just about every Bahamian dish there is. My cousin and her husband, Mary and Marc, flew down for a visit and we decided to pick them up at a marina north of Georgetown and then head down to Georgetown for the week. Well the wind gods were against us and affluent amenities where for us and we decided to use Emerald Bay as our home base for the week. Being cursed with strong winds in the 20+ kt range M&M (Mary & Marc) rented a car and together we saw Great Exuma island from "nort to sout" as the locals say. Along the way their visit turned into a culinary vacation which allowed us to find and try the best of conch fritters, cracked conch, grouper fingers, guava duff and lobster in the Exumas. In between the gluttony we managed to find and visit every historical site on the island. The best part is that during the search for the tombs, salt beacons, lobster and old prisons we met some Bahamians, that along with there stories, we will never forget. We saw beaches and lagoons with such vibrant shades of blues and turquoise one would swear it was photo shop if they didn't see it with there own eyes. We discovered the bar, far from any other tourist, that was used as the jump off point for the first and second "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies as well as the locals that had the job of washing the sand between the sword fighting scenes and burring the treasure chest over and over for take after take. Being to far south for most tourist the locals where eager for us to flip through photo albums of these locals along side stars like Johnny Dep, Orlando Bloom, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. After 3 days of asking around we found the old lobster man who thought all the fisherman how to catch lobster and bought some from his giant freezer out back of his small house that was so full of lobster tails it made your mouth water. So although we were disappointed we couldn't take them snorkeling and swimming the clear waters nearby we where delighted to meet and experience the land lubbers side of the Bahamas we would have likely never seen if calm winds and flat seas were here.
January 18th Black Rock
N23 41.728 W-75 59.236
Well I know many of you are wondering what we have been up to for the last week or so and the answer is not much of anything for a change. After spending over 10 days in Georgetown catching up on laundry, cleaning and provisioning the boat and doing routine maintence Samson and his masters needed a break from the chores and the same old, same old of being in one place for a long time. So along with some new friends on the boats SeaVeyor and Nimue we buddy boated for the first time up to black rock to do some snorkeling and general relaxing during a 4 day window of light winds that was coming. After rafting up three boats together and having a potluck we made plans to go out snorkeling the next morning and look for fish and lobster.
Around 10 the next morning we all headed out in our dinks for a shallow reef nearby and began swimming around the coral heads and between the elk horn coral and sea fans chasing brightly colored fish that mimicked a well stocked salt water aquarium back home. Well with the help of Liesel's keen eye for "crawfish" as they call them here, we ended up with enough lobster for all six of us! That evening we all gave thanks for the good times, weather and food we had before us and grubbed out on lobster till we were too stuffed to do anything but crawl back to our boats and get some rest for the next day of water activities. Contrary to what many back home think, everyday is not spent snorkeling and diving as anything other than 10 knots or less winds make snorkeling uncomfortable. This long window hasn't been usual this season and we were all determined to take advantage of the fair seas and wind.
January 10th Georgetown
N23 31.683 W75 46.003
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After spending a full day sailing south, we arrived at George Town, a destination for some and just a stopover for others like us on our way further south. After spending two weeks away from any sizeable town, it was nice to see a town with a real grocery store; which is still only a fraction of the size of a normal grocery back home with cost of goods averaging about twice as much. Being more in a rush to dive and sightsee, we put off going to town for a couple of days while we enjoyed the great warm weather and light winds we had been waiting for this last week. The first thing we did was hike up monument trail that leads to the highest point in the area with, go figure, a large, unmarked, concrete monument atop. You can just make out the text "I (heart) u" in the limestone from the picture above, but can you spot Samson? He's there, though you may have to zoom in to see him. (Hint: on the left by the edge of the foliage.) This photo was snapped shortly after reaching the top of this steep hill, and Samson had just been in our immediate sights. Then suddenly, he was way down at the bottom of this hill running around with a large stick. This feat shouldn't have come as a surprise to us, but it did.
The next morning fishing and free diving was the name of the game, and we all quickly loaded up our snorkel gear and spear poles and set out to a nearby reef to hunt some fish and see the corals. Before long, Rich and Mark had enough fish for dinner in the boat, and we spent a while longer snorkeling around even spotting a nice sized shark. We headed back to clean and put away our prize. That afternoon the boys headed back out and to get a few more fish for the freezer. Along the way, they ran into a fairly massive manta ray, and Rich speared a nice sized Yellow Jack that made for a tasty dinner. Meanwhile, Samson and Liesel relaxed in the hammock with a book with the goal of being the epitome of laziness. Liesel soon began to snooze off only to become alert again by Samson running and barking. Hmm, no dinghy's flying by, so what then? Three dolphin were swimming around shooting air out of their blowholes, much to Samson's dismay. He's not sure what to think of them, but he knows they are getting too close to his boat.
The next afternoon, the 9th, a strong cold front that made the USA so cold was heading in with strong winds so Rich jet setted his way home the the below freezing temperatures back in the states. Liesel and I spent the warm day doing laundry, re-uping water and fuel, and catching up on boat chores that had been neglected for the last couple of weeks due to playtime. That evening, the winds shifted from the south to the west to the north and built in the same pattern that we have been experiencing weekly during our Bahamas adventure; the only difference from fronts back home is that our cold fronts rarley drop the temperature below 60, which feels like freezing to all of the locals and cruisers alike. During the night we saw some of our strongest winds averaging 30+ with multiple gusts that read 35kts on the anometer.
Today, we celebrated my birthday and ventured to the nearby beach to stretch Samsons legs. Typing this we are already awaiting the slack in wind which is coming on Tuesday and should give us some fine weather until the next blow sometime on Saturday.
I fixed the link to the archive, so it should be up for good. Thanks to all that are sending the e-mails with the problems on the site. I am unable to look at the URL very often, so it helps to know where the issues are.
Check out the new Exumas ShutterFly album. Due to the slow internet speeds we can only put up a few of the pictures.