Bahamas Departure

Hi everyone,
At 1200 today we were at 26 40N 076 59W steering 040M, beam reaching under single-reefed main and full yankee at 4.5 knots. It was hazy and partly cloudy with low puffy cumulus clouds. The wind was 8G12 from the SSE. We had just passed through Man'o'War passage into the Atlantic Ocean. 

Motoring across a glassed-out sea

It's now mid-afternoon and we're motoring. The wind is predicted to go around to the SW then W tonight, but so far it has only died, leaving a glassed-out sea and a short 1.2m SE swell. The predicted 1 knot SSE flowing current is actually 2kt or so. Oh well, we're donking along with the air in the cabin at 35C. Our instruments say the water is 39C and the air 30C.

Here's hoping this evening's wind eventuates.

Trust you're cool where you are!

Last Weeks in the Bahamas

Hi everyone,

The last three weeks have flown by.  After Cheeseburger in Paradise we sailed to Black Sound on Green Turtle Cay, then Hopetown and then back to Marsh Harbour.  Here in Marsh Harbour we've been preparing for our departure from the Bahamas.

Burger at Sundowner's

Two of the passages were very short.  From Black Sound to John Cash Bay near Marsh Harbour was 27nm and we had a great sail.  We anchored at John Cay Bay to await the next morning's high tide into Hopetown.

Black Sound Arrival Track

Black Sound to John Cash Bay Track

Hopetown Arrival Track

Hopetown to Marsh Harbour Track

Black Sound on Green Turtle Cay appears to be recovering from hurricane Dorian more slowly than White Sound.  We took a mooring for US20/night, the same as White Sound.  Donny's marina was up and running with a new jetty.  We used their laundry and loos.  It's a 15 minute walk into New Plymouth from there.

Rear-view arriving in Black Sound

Rebuilt Marina Jetty

New Plymouth is quite an old town.  Many initial settlers were Loyalists who moved there during or after the US War of Independence.  Lots of pretty buildings with many sadly not rebuilt after Dorian.

Well-kept New Plymouth cemetary

Hurricane-damaged house

Nic in her happy place

The happy place

New Plymouth's small supermarket

Interesting memorial to Loyalists

New Plymouth store

New Plymouth house

Another hurricane damaged house

Wrecking Tree cafe

Sundowner's Bar & Cafe in New Plymouth

From Black Sound we sailed to Hopetown with an overnight stop to await the tide.  Hopetown is on another Sound.  Like the others the entrance is shallow but inside there's 3-4m.  We needed 0.5m of tide to get in safely.

Entering Hopetown

The conspic lighthouse in Hopetown is the last operating kerosene burning, hand-wound lighthouse in the world.  Well worth a look.

Famous Lighthouse

View from the top of the lighthouse

We took a mooring here too. US$25/night or US$150/week.  It was a very short dinghy ride to Hopetown Marina Resort whose loos we could use.  Their bar & cafe is good and they have a pool.

Most of the town is on the E side of the Sound.  There's a dinghy dock next to Capt'n Jack's.  It's a nice walk up and down the road past all the pretty cottages.  Apparently you can buy one for US$2M.

Capt'n Jack's Bar & Cafe

Dinghy Dock next to Capt'n Jack's

Hopetown House

Even the mailboxes are pretty!

Hopetown Marina Resort

Local sailing vessel on the Sound

A seat with a view

We spent this morning readying Zen Again for sea.  This afternoon we cleared-out using 'click2clear' then a quick visit to the nearby Customs office.  The forecast isn't ideal but it's OK.  Thunderstorm activity is meant to be easing, but so are the winds.  Unsure how far north we'll get.  Ideally to the Chesapeake but failing that hopefully Beaufort, NC.

Trust all's well where you are!

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Hi everyone,

As I alluded to in our preceding post, a famous cheeseburger awaited us.  Each 4th July the Green Turtle Island community runs a fund-raising event on nearby Fiddle Cay.  Cheeseburgers and drinks are free.  Merchandise is sold to raise funds for the island.  Particularly relevant following hurricane Dorian.  Once upon a time the event was known as 'Stranded Naked'.  Now it is 'Cheeseburger in Paradise'.  Any relationship with Jimmy Buffet's song is unclear.  The location certainly merits the name.

Been There Done That!

This morning we were up at dawn and ready to sortie to Fiddle Cay.  We didn't want to spend long there since it has a reputation for becoming rowdy later in the day.  Who'd have guessed that with free beer, rum & spirits?  Two rain storms came over and we filled our water tanks from them.  By 1100 the storms had cleared and we dinghied over to Fiddle Cay.  It was just over a mile and consumed about 15% of our Torqeedo 1103's battery.

MacMansions on Green Turtle Cay
(some actually very nice)

Rain storms clearing away from Zen Again

Approaching Fiddle Cay

Dinghy Ashore
(our dinghy wheels attracted a lot of attention for some reason)

Walking around the shore past scores of anchored motor boats

Around the headland past more motor boats

Approaching Cheeseburger HQ

Spectacular Location

Oh, Escuse Me Ladies!

Enqueued for Cheeseburgers

Queue lengthening behind us

Wonderful Volunteers

Yes!  Cheeseburgers in Paradise!

Silly Grins

Time for Rum

Rum & Coke in a treasured souvenir
(sadly they had no ginger for a Dark'n'Stormy)

How Good is This?

During our brief stay on the Cay we encountered a couple of American families we'd met at the Green Turtle Club bar a few days ago.  Nice to see them again.  Everyone - locals, Americans and others - were in good spirits.  The Americans were of course wishing everyone a 'Happy 4th".

So cruisers, put this waypoint in your navigation system.  Just go there.  A wonderful destination for a worthy cause.

We took the opportunity to buy our merchandise at the Green Turtle Club last week.  They had a stall selling last year's and this years goodies.  As the photos show, we both have Cheeseburger in Paradise long-sleeve, UV resistant shirts.  And a nice plastic glass (we don't have real glass aboard Zen Again)!

Here's the event's Facebook site.

Trust all's well where you are.