23 March -- 30 March 2009

23 March 2009

Itching to keep moving south, but a couple more days of strong and gusting wind are in the forecast.  Scratched the itch by grocery shopping and blog updating, but the empty shelves of the grocery store were a grim site.  Tomorrow the supply boat comes in.  A middle-aged white lady in an older nondescript Japanese car gave me a ride to the grocery store.  Two black schoolgirls were riding in the back seat, so I assumed the lady was a school teacher or church sister.  Many of the local whites are descendants of British Loyalists who were disenfranchised after the American Revolution and moved to the Bahamas.  “Winds from the Carolinas” is an excellent historical novel describing this migration.  Whites here are a minority.  They are represented in all economic classes, but seem to provide the bulk of the nation’s middle class as business owners and professionals.  They are especially scarce in the social and political circles and almost non-existent in the local media.

 

24 March 2009

The supply boat arrived early this morning.  Pallets are lifted off the boat one at a time by an old crane driven onto the pier amidst a swarm of people looking for their stuff.  Seems like a lot of chaos and effort for something that happens every week.  Now, how long will it take the grocery store to fill its shelves?  Explored a cave south of town.  The mouth sits a few feet above the water level and the cave branches into several tunnels twisting back into the island.  Bought $57 worth of groceries in preparation for the next trip.

 

25 March 2009

Wind this morning seemed manageable and I almost ignored the forecast and headed out.  By mid-morning the wind was howling in the rigging and by noon two more boats ducked into the harbor.  While I was wearing swim trunks, they pulled in wearing full foul weather gear.  Outside the harbor must be wild.  The forecast did call for 10-foot ocean swells and 8-foot chop going in different directions.  Probably best to go to town, eat a hamburger, and wait until tomorrow.

 

26 March 2009

At 7:00 am some sort of native unrest started in town.  The bullhorns garbled the words, but it seemed like a political protest.  Maybe that is why all eight sailboats left the harbor within an hour.  The weather was great, but once south of the Bight of Eleuthera, the leftover swell and chop were rough.  Positions enroute:  1413WT 2434 7619, 1534WT 2424 7622, 1916WT 2415 7621.  The wind allowed me south to Dotham Cut in the Exumas.  Just after dark, I was heading in to anchor off Black Point Settlement, but the darkness, along with the surge, wave chop, and unknown tidal current in the narrow rocky cut led me to bail out, tack away, and head offshore to spend the night.  Yesterday, I diligently prepared food so I would not have to cook while sailing today.  It worked well until sometime in the night everything eaten today came back up.  Four heaves before it all escaped.

 

27 March 2009

Position enroute:  0224WT 2411 7613.  Just as dawn was breaking, arrived at Rudder Cut Cay.  Rudder Cut Cay is privately owned, so permission is required to go ashore, but it yields a few small anchorages sheltered from the ocean.  Found a small beach with a cave and by 7:30 am was anchored at 2352 7614 west of Rudder Cut Cay.  Soon the wind shifted south, pinning me in the small rocky anchorage, with two anchors down in six feet of water, backed up close to shore praying at least one anchor would hold.  The worst part was this south wind would have carried me to Long Island.  Instead it had me trapped in a dangerous spot.  The chop coming into the open south side kept me too queasy to eat until things calmed down around sunset.

 

28 March 2009

Stayed anchored at Rudder Cut Cay as the wind weakened and shifted.  Was lazy the whole day and felt bad about not getting much accomplished, until I realized that lounging around in swim trunks with no real cares or interruptions in such a beautiful, natural place was okay.

 

29 March 2009

The wind shifted south and the seas were mild, so I headed out about 2:00 pm.  Today, though, I was actually enjoying the lounging around and was almost too lazy to leave.  It is amazing how changing perspectives can change your whole outlook.  Still not sure where to go.  This wind might still be good enough to take me to Rum Cay, Conception Island, or Long Island.  Positions enroute:  1725WT 2346 7601, 1911WT 2345 7557.

 

30 March 2009

Positions enroute:  0203WT 2343 7548, 0619WT 2343 7543, 0938WT 2341 7549.  The wind almost died out last night and was too light for the boat to maintain course while I slept.  But, was able dream.  Dream sleep seems to be a threshold that allows adequate functioning the next day.  Woke up between Georgetown and the northern tip of Long Island. Which way to go?  Decided on Georgetown.  Anchored at 1536WT 2332 7547 by Goat Cay, two miles north of Georgetown.  There are approximately 150 cruising boats in Georgetown now.  Many cruisers spend the winter here until their insurance companies demand they leave the hurricane path each Summer.  The colors are amazing.  The water is several colors of blue, with the main color turquoise.  The water is clearer than many swimming pools.  A large starfish 8 feet below the boat is clearly visible.