Island #4 - Top Ten Beach - March 18 (4 posts)

Friday, March 18

On to Treasure Cay (#4) with one of the top 10 beaches in the world.  We saw one in Barbados, so we are definitely excited to see the competition.

It was not easy breaking away from our idealic anchorage at Great Guana Cay.  It helped to listen to the weather forecast this morning and learn that a another cold front is moving thru, with very high NW winds that would clobber us where we were anchored.  The only drawback to the Bahamas (besides the expensive/unreliable flights) is that it's so damn flat ... which means we really have to hunt to find some high ground to hide behind when the winds build and hit us from a new direction.  All of a sudden, a perfect anchorage becomes fully exposed to the worst of the winds and building seas. 

So, out with the maps, and our intended destination of Treasure Cay was a good choice.  The anchorage isn't big, but it's fully protected on all sides.  If all else fails, it also has a marina where we can dock (albeit quite expensive) ...

After the flat seas yesterday, today we had a wonderful 15knot NE wind for sailing (signs of the impeding front moving in on Sunday).   We didn't have far to go, but we did have the tides against us so we picked a long, roundabout course because we needed to enter the very narrow, very shallow channel into Treasure Cay on a rising tide.

From my favorite perch on the bowsprit.

Can you believe that color??   :)

After a 5 hr, thoroughly delightful day of sailing, we called Treasure Cay on the radio around 4pm for directions on entering the anchorage.  Even though it was 3 hrs after low tide, the harbor master advised us to stay outside for another hour because they were experiencing an unusually low tide because of the full moon this weekend ... which meant it was lower than the 6ft they typically have a low tide.  No problem!  So we read books and sailed in circles for another hour ... as the sky clouded over and the wind picked up, and I shudder to say, we got quite chilly in the cockpit (no sympathy expected from the MN clan!).

Finally, at 5:15pm, we picked our way in ... eyes glued to the chartplotter because on either side of the narrow channel, the water depth was 2-4 feet.  Let me tell you, this is scary shit!  Treasure Cay has just 3 mooring balls and we were told they were all taken (darn ... we had hoped to be securely hooked to one of those bad boys when the storm came through Sunday-Tuesday).   The small anchorage was packed with boats, and as we weaved our way through, we worried we may have to opt for the marina if we couldn't find room to drop the anchor.  But alas, what did I spy through our high-powered binoculars ... YES ... there was one mooring ball bobbing around at the edge of the anchorage.  YESSSSSSSS. 

And we got the last one! 

The mooring cost $12/day and you get full use of the marina facilities ... pool, showers, trash ....they charge $10/day to anchor ... so YESSSSS, we were excited!  Full moon this weekend folllowed by the cold front, so we'll be here until Wednesday.

Saturday, March 19

Off to check out the beach.  And what a winner!  A 3.5 mile crescent beach with pristine sand without a bit of sea grass or reef to mar the clear, aqua water.  Barbados was nice ... but not this nice considering you had to climb down a rocky cliff to reach the beach.  This is, by far, the most beautiful beach I've ever visiited...

Straight ahead.

To the right.

To the left.

They even provide umbrellas and lounge chairs on the beach. 

And yes, that is a beach bar in the back with Grouper Fingers and Pina Coladas for lunch.  How long can we stay here???  We walked the beach, went swimming, read books. We stayed until they had stacked up all the beach chairs and taken in all the umbrellas, then reluctantly we headed back to the boat.  The temps have been staying in the mid-70s, which reminds us of perfect spring MN weather, only it's lasted for weeks, instead of 2 days!

Steve and Brenda

We met this Canadian couple at the Coco Beach Bar when we got the bartender into a competiton to create the biggest and strongest Pina Colada!  He is a pilot, and they flew their private plane in from British Columbia.  They are the 3rd couple we've met who traveled here in their private plane ... that seems to be the preferred way to beat to the hassel of getting here by commerical airline.  They had never been on a sailboat, and since pilots have an inherent understanding of sailing, we brought them out for a tour of Maja.  They ended up staying until well after sunset, and we watched the gorgeous perigee moon rise over the island.  It was a calm night and still winds, so we sat in the cockpit until we has solved all the world's problems!  Perfect company to chalk up that accomplishment!

The moon of huge. My camera doesn't do it justice.

Sunday, March 20

We welcomed the first day of Spring with another day at a most beautiful beach.  We met up with Steve and Brenda again for lunch at the bar ... Grilled Grouper and Grouper fingers, along with a new selection of drinks -- Goombay Mash and Mango Daiquairi!  They will be leaving by plane on Monday morning, and we will be leaving by boat Tuesday morning ... such are the paths that cross while cruising.

The wind has started to really blow from the ENE as predicted, and we got back to the boat with enough time to put up the enclosure and get the hatches locked down before the skies darkened and the rain began.  And then the winds really started to howl!  We felt secure on our mooring ball for the first couple of hours, and then we started to predict what would happen if the mooring lines broke or the holding gave way (such fun thoughts to entertain ourselves as the wind gets louder and louder!).  Dan got the anchor ready to drop just in case, and we slept with the anchor drag alarm on, just in case..... not that you really sleep soundly when you are listening to the wind get louder and trying to sense if the boat has pulled away from the mooring!


Monday, March 21

Thankfully, it was an uneventful night ... and the winds have continued to blow over 25knots as predicted.  So, one more day in Treasure Cay and then we'll shove off tomorrow.  The last day in an anchorage is never quite as pleasurable as the first b/c it's mainly a day of chores.  We need to replenish our water supply, so we spent most of the day shuttling back and forth to the marina with our water jugs.  It takes about 4 trips to fill our 100 gal tank.  But the sky is blue and the water is lovely ... so no complaints from paradise.  Gotta count your blessings as they come.

On to Great Guana Cay - March 12 (6 Posts)

Saturday - March 12

Moving on to another island today (#3 so far) ... cruising about 8 miles across the Sea of Abaco from Great Abaco Island to Great Guana Cay.  This is one of the smaller settlements in the Bahamas but it's got three key attractions we are looking forward to -- a 5.5 mile beach of pristine sand, two reefs close to shore with great snorkling, and Nippers Bar - with a reputation far and wide for an amazing frozen rum drink -- gonna have me a couple of them!  Nippers also has two pools that anyone can use ... my kinda place.  Make that four. 

We are anchored in Fisher's Bay off Grabber's Bar and Grill http://grabbersatsunset.com/index.cfm one of our new favorite places and home of the Grabber, our current favorite rum punch.  Sorry Nipper's.

We're in the tail end of the cold front, so temps didn't get into the 70s today, not complaining b/c we're in paradise and all, but I think we all would agree that paradise should at least be 75 degrees every day!  At least it's cool enough in the cabin to justify baking lazagna for dinner ... except that it's currently bubbling over in the bottom of the oven, so I'm going to have one yucky mess to clean up tomorrow (just so you know my days are not completely filled with beaches and snorkling and rum drinks!).

We are in the Fishers Bay anchorage, and when we came in at 3pm, there were 5 other boats. By 4pm, there were 15 boats at anchor! Wow ... we just watched a steady stream of boats come in, snug in our place close to shore. I think we'll be staying here for a few days.  From a distance, I could see one particularly beautiful boat ... another Bayfield 40 is sharing our anchorage!  Can't wait to get together with them tomorrow and share notes ...

Sunday - March 13
Hooray ... we learned this morning on the Cruisers Net that the Bahamas does INDEED follow Daylight Savings Time.  This is my favorite season of the year, and we couldn't be in a better place to enjoy longer days.

The number of boats in the anchorage has increased to 25!  It has been quite a learning experience to watch the number of places that boaters find to drop the hook.

Our anchorage is on the Sea of Abaco so we enjoy protected water at anchor. Today, we'll hike over to the Atlantic Ocean as that's where the reefs are. We've also heard there are two beach bars with signature rum drinks, so we're on a mission to sample those! 

Dan back from the sea!

Thanks to Daylight Savings Time, there now is enough time left in the day for us to get back to the boat and have dinner in the cockpit, watching the sun set over the ocean.  Priceless.

Monday ... Tuesday ... what day is it anyway???

Seriously, it if wasn't for the CruisersNet in the morning, we wouldn't know what day it is since we've misplaced our one calendar!  And since we've been hanging at anchor at Great Guana Cay, midst a stretch of settled weather, we've been sleeping through the 8:15 net broadcast. 

Suffice it to say, another day of boat projects in the morning (Dan has replaced the lines to our main and mizzen sails with brand new shiny ones) followed by an afternoon on the beach.  Today, we hiked over to the Atlantic to go snorkling on the reef.  Nice coral ... lots of pretty fish ... the water was a tad cool for my liking, but laying on the hot sand, under a warm sun is a nice way to take the chill off. 

We will stay here one more day.  Wednesday is pot-luck nite at the beach restaurant, and there is going to be a speaker describing her trip to Cuba.... we're hoping it was by sailboat.  She gave this talk last week and over 200 boats were in our anchorage.  So, we're taking advantage of our choice spot and staying put.

It's a Bahamian tradition to blow the conch shell at sunset, so Dan got himself a shell and has been working diligently patching the hole where the conch meat was removed and fashioning a blow hole.  Now, if he can just make some noise from it!  But it is something to hear -- every nite as the sun is dipping below the horizon, the sounds of conch shells echo across the anchorage.

Wednesday
Today marks our first full RAIN day in the Bahamas.  Until now, the rain has cooperated and only fallen after midnight ... after all dinghies have safely arrived back at their boats.

But, who cares, as we got wonderful news from Craig and Michelle which kept us distracted from any rain falling outside!

It will be a Savannah wedding, their favorite city.  They were torn between March and October, and since they didn't have a strong preference, we quickly voiced ours ... and October it is!  March would have messed with our cruising plans (priorities, right), and October is a perfect month to take Maja up to the Isle of Hope marina and get a slip for the month.

Thursday

There's a saying in the Bahama that you don't "have plans" you only have "intentions" ... and we like that a lot. It certainly helps us live with our changing intentions!

We had 'intended' to leave Great Guana Cay today, but our friends Hank and Carol (s/v Kismet) showed up in the anchorage this morning, so we hated to leave without spending some time with them.  Plus, there was not a breath of wind which doesn't bode well to a heavy sailing vessel!

The water is so clear you can see the shadow of our boat on the bottom, 12 ft below!

So today ended up being a great day for boat projects.  It was in the high 70s so after hoisting our Irish Flag, Dan got in the water and spent a couple of hours cleaning a light coating of algae that had started to form on the hull and prop (a sure sign we've been in one place for too long!).  The water was like glass so I got in the dinghy and put a coat of varnish on our teak rub rail.  When I did this last May in hot and humid Georgia, all I could think about was that there had to be a better place to do this job than GA ... and I think I've found it!

This worked great until a motor boat went by and the boat wakes sent me flying!

And to top off another perfect day in paradise, Dan got out our hammocks for the first time.  Ahhhh, rum never tasted so good.  We waited for sundown, watching boats come in to anchor for the night.  Alas, we do have to leave this spot at some point!  The winds are predicted to change on Sunday, so time to find a more secure anchorage for those conditions.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY ... WHEN EVERYONE IS IRISH!

Hanging at Marsh Harbor - March 8 (4 Posts)

Tuesday, March 8

Well, 5:00 a.m. came awfully early, but Mikel made it to the taxi on time, and Dan came back to the boat for a few more hours of sleep.  The rest of the day was spent doing what you usually do when tied to a dock in a marina -- 3 loads of laundry, scrub off the deck to remove all the salt, repair things you don't want to mess with while at anchor, clean off the stern where exhaust from the diesel accumulates (so the people eating in the marina restaurant have a good view of our back end!).

We were frequently told that boaters tend to get to Marsh Harbor and never go any further.  We certainly can understand the attraction.  We had expected a huge bump in prices in the Bahamas, but our slip at the Harbor View Marina is $40/nite, $3.00/day for unlimited water, and they have the nicest/cleanest bathrooms I've seen since we were in Solomons.  Oh yes, did I mention a pool (with fresh water! Usually, you expect to find salt water pools in the islands).  And did I mention, the pool is heated!!!!

Tuesdays are the day for the boater's dock party, where everyone gathers for a pot-luck dinner and a game of Trivia, with questions made up by local boaters.  Everyone donates a beer for prizes and the competition is fierce!  It must have been beginners luck b/c our team won first place, and Dan came back with 4 beers to add to his stash!

We are definiitely the newbies on the dock as the rest of the boaters have been here since Nov/Dec ... all the better for us to collect good tips on places to visit and shop.  The best news was that a new grocery store opened in town, Maxwells, and we were totally blown away when we biked over to see it.  Besides being HUGE, it was stocked with everything you'd find in the states, and prices were fairly comparable.  For all the coffee I've been hoarding, it cost just $1.00 more here ... and lemons are 4 for $1.00 which is less than I paid in Palm Beach.  Compared to the tiny grocery stores we saw at Green Turtle Cay, this place is heaven! 

We only planned to stay here for one night, but now we may wait out the next cold front coming through later this week ... but we've promised ourselves NOT to be one of the boaters who gets here and never leaves!  But I hear they have a great annual rate .... hmmmm, something to think about! I wonder what our insurance rates would be?

Friday, March 11

Well, we've decided to move out from Marsh Harbor tomorrow (Saturday), so we spent our last day in this lovely town (3rd largest in the Bahamas, after Freeport and Nassau), doing what we've enjoyed doing all week -- taking our bikes for long rides around town.

Great folding bikes from Camping World. They fit in our bow anchor locker.

It was a blustery day (20knots NE wind), so we decided to ride to the end of the island.  On one side, we could see white caps rolling in from the outside islands while the other side was placcid, like glass.

Never get tired of the color of this water!

We rode by lots of property for sale on the island ... for sale but not selling due to the huge price tags.  Due to their British heritage, people drive on the left side of the road, something we had to get used to ... and since the roads are quite narrow, drivers are generous with their horns to let you know they are zooming up behind you, something we never got used to!

Chilly today - 68 deg - but we're in the Bahamas!

Several of the homes built their own personal beach bar across the road of their home.

On our way back to the marina, we decided to ride to the other side of the island where there was a another marina we wanted to check out.  For such a flat island, we had to climb one hellva hill to get there.  Thank goodness Dan had the forsight to bring cash b/c the stop at the Jib Room bar was the motivation we needed to get back!  The thing I love most about the bars here is that they are so open ... no walls, no windows, just open to the outside and the sea.

So, after exploring Marsh Harbor from one end to the other, we can see why it's a favorite place for boaters to spend their entire season ... everything you could possibly want it is here ... Ace Hardware, Napa Auto Parts, fresh fish markets, Bahama Telecom Company where we bought a sim card for an unlocked GSM cell phone I bought on ebay before we left Florida and are now the proud owners of our own Bahamian phone number!

But, we get antsy when hanging in one place for too long ... we are cruisers at heart ... so tomorrow, we'll take our last long, hot shower, top off the water tanks, and then untie the dock lines and shove off once more.  Time to get out the Abacos maps and pick another anchorage.

Sailing on to Marsh Harbor - March 6 (2 Posts)

Sunday, March 6

Yah!  It's a go ... we are taking on the The Whale today!

After the 8:15 weather report and a flurry of radio calls with a few other boaters who'd been waiting to make the passage as well, we decided to go for it.  What the hell ... we can always turn around and come back!  We're told that it's fairly easy to determine if The Whale is safe to cross ... if all you see is breaking waves, then don't go!

After sitting at anchor for 10 days, it took a little mental reorganizing to get back in moving gear.  Oh yeah, gotta raise the dinghy, stow the motor, put away everything that will go flying when the boat begins to heel....

It took about an hour to get thru the Whale Cay passage ... quite rolly and wet ... the report we got from a boater on the other side was "not too comfortable but doable..."  And we did it!  The swells were running about 4-6 feet, and we had a couple of 8-10 foot waves that broke over the bow (now that's excitement for ya!), but once we cleared the cut and were out in the Atlantic, we were able to set the sails and have a good sail.

Reef in the Whale Cay Passage.  Need to avoid this!

Hard to get steady pictures of waves breaking on the reef on a rocky boat!

Tha Bahamas are basically one huge sand bar ... with some parts sticking up high enough to qualify as islands while other parts have only 2-3 feet of water covering the sandy bottom (at high tide!).  In order to navigate through the Bahamas, there are times when you must cross out to the Atlantic to have enough water under the keel to reach other islands in the chain.  So from the Atlantic, we came back into the Sea of Abaco through Loggerhead Channel, and headed towards Treasure Cay, our destination for tonight. 

The anchorage at Treasure Cay was full (I guess lots of boaters were out moving once the wind calmed down to 15 knots!), so we anchored out in the Sea of Abaco.  Quite a strange feeling to be anchored in 12 feet of water, but 1/2 mile from shore, and to be the only boat out there.  It became even more unnerving when we woke up at 2am to lightening in the distance ... as Dan and I were putting up the enclosure for the cockpit, we were both wishing there were other masts around us (and taller ones!).  Fortunately, the lightening and rain stayed over an island a few miles away from us.

Monday, March 7

Today is the last day of Mikel's journey on Maja.  Good thing our order for ideal sailing weather came through!  South winds, 10knots, would send us all the way to Marsh Harbor on one tack.  Just set all 4 sails, engage the auto pilot, and pass around the beer!  Ahh, life is good today!

We sailed along at about 4 knots, in no particular hurry to reach Marsh Harbor.  We had a slip reserved at the Harbor View Marina, so no worries about finding room at the inn.  However, what we should have been worrying about was low tide, but somehow that managed to escape us until we entered the harbor and the depth sounder started beeping, meaning that we were in 7 ft of water.  The dockmaster assured us we'd be fine ... no worries mon ... you'll just plow through mud ... but Dan was nervous as he threaded though the deepest part of the entrance in 6 ft of water (5.5 feet and we're aground .... eekkk).

But we made it in fine form, including docking between two huge motor yachts and securing our lines around the fixed pilings.  Mikel has missed all the fun of our docking mishaps as Dan has masterfully lined up the boat each time we've had to land on fixed pier.

Following a long, long, long hot shower, Mikel treated us to dinner at the marina restaurant.  Yummm - the special was MahiMahi with a wine/capers sauce, twice baked potatoes and glazed carrots - $18.  So far, we are really liking Marsh Harbor!

After sunset, we returned to the boat to get Mikel ready for his 6:00 am departure tommorw.

The Jack Daniels didn't get finished, but the rest of the vacaction was a success!  Mikel was a generous and gracious guest, and we look forward to a return visit.