Thursday, January 20, 2000

Port Lucaya Marina

Grand Bahamas

ALL IS NOT FUN AND GAMES IN PARADISE!!!!!! IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO HAVE FUN!!!

Here’s a short synopsis since last journal/letter:

12/19 Left Daytona for Titusville (MI 878). Arrived at anchor 5:30. A pleasant surprise was the shuttle launch about 10 miles away. It was a spectacular sight with a clear night and spectacular view.

12/22 Engine not running quite right. Decided to head for Cocoa and a recommended mechanic. Took slip at Whitly Marina in Cocoa Village, next to mechanic. Little did we realize there was going to be no wind protection from north ( a 10 MI fetch), til we started rocking. Had to pull tender out of water, it was getting beaten to death. Ken had to sleep in the quarter berth, we were bouncing so bad.

Had to spend week there - mechanic couldn’t do job til after Xmas and we needed part shipped from Ft Lauderdale. Head gasket for engine came in wrong size so reinstalled old one. Then ordered new heat exchanger to take with us. They mistakenly shipped it to Jacksonville so had to wait another day. Arrived as we were getting ready to leave dock.

Xmas was quiet. Big event was Elvis arriving at Town Square Xmas Eve. Came by white limo, driving himself and 3 women. Serenaded with carols. Ken gave me a new propane grill; I gave him a fillet knife, a book on catching/cleaning fish and a roll of Santa Clause toilet paper among other things. I had asked Santa to please get the wind out of the North for Xmas and received my wish, and only went back there 2-3 more times during our stay.

12/30 motored to Vero Beach (MI 952). Took a mooring with another boat, Ranger, Morgan Out Island with two couples on board – Malcolm and Heinz with girlfriends. Men both retired and heading for Bahamas and beyond, girl friends still working so staying behind. The guys tried to get them to quit and go along. I’ve heard from several men it’s hard to find a good woman to go off sailing with you. Some people are just lucky as I and other men keep reminding him.

At New Years Eve party ashore met Bob Peterson, originally harbor master in E Prov, for past several years runs docks at Block Island Marina (The Oar) and is Harbor Patrol for the Island, a good person to know. Sails single-handed to Vero Beach for winter (cause he can’t find a good woman to go with him). Also met a Canadian couple who left their boat at the dock while they went back to Canada for 3 weeks, which turned into 3 months. When they returned and opened up boat, found it had been infested with rats. The rats had eaten all food on board, were working on cushions and other things. They found three nests, have killed over 50 rats so far and think they have them all. Others say they don’t. No insurance to cover this!

We had planned only to spend a night or two their but stayed for a week. Many boats never leave, it’s such a fun place. Lots of sailboats, nice lounge and shower, free bus service all over the city, short walk to the beach. Alas, The Bahamas beckon and we take off in possible light showers for Lake Worth, West Palm Beach. Shortly, we’re in such a downpour we can’t see a thing and have to run back and forth between two markers til it stops. Finally anchor for night in lee of bridge for wind protection.

1/7 motored to Lake Worth and anchored next to Pegasus, a Valiant 45. They have a slip on the next dock from Ken at East Passage and are also on way to Bahamas, but heading to Miami to meet another boat first. Spent first few days doing last minute provisioning, getting mail, and customs sticker. Had mail sent to Lake Worth PO, a mistake since it’s 15 miles south. So rented a car to do lots of running around, went to Ft Lauderdale to visit my cousin Carole and her husband, Larry. Took those glasses from "A DAY IN HELL" to Lens Crafters. The guy got such a laugh out of the bag ties and scotch tape (said he hadn’t seen anything like that since high school) that he fixed them up like new and didn’t charge.

Meanwhile another norther came in, winds steady 25-30 with gusts to 40’s. Since every book and person says never try crossing the Gulf Stream with any north breeze, wait for S-SW, we spent several days waiting. We ended up spending over a week there waiting for our weather window. Finally, a prediction for west winds (10-15) Tues. afternoon through Wed (a short favorable weather window), before another Norther forecast for Thur. through to Mon. Had been talking to Cavalier. Pearson 35, who had tried twice and had to turn back. Arthur said Bahamas weather word on single side band predicted this window then "getting dicey" Wed night. So we took with three other boats: Star Child left at 10am, calling back sea conditions every hour or so, then Strider left at 2pm; both saying seas down, they’re going for it. We left the inlet at 5pm along with Cavalier, one couple on each boat. Ranger wanted to go, but had to wait for another boat so couldn’t leave til next window. The only thing wrong with the anchorage in Palm Beach was no showers. Ken and the guys from Ranger walked three miles to a state beach with their soap to get a cold shower on the beach. When they got there they had only ten minutes to run down to the beach, have their shower and get out of the park before the gate closed and locked them in for the night.

Wind west dead behind us, motor sailing with only jib, no mainsail, seas just a little choppy. About 8pm hit the Gulf Stream. We were lulled into a false security. Winds were light, seas had gentle roll, almost full moon overhead providing plenty of visibility, looking forward to a pleasant night at sea (HO HO HO)! But the Wind Gods decided that was not to be!

In radio contact with other three boats, first two reported winds freshening and seas building ahead. We put it out of our minds and sailed on with Cavalier just ahead. By 10pm we were in middle of Gulf Stream and fully committed with seas up to 8-10 feet and wind from the west 20-25. Cavalier called to report their engine had quit and they would have to head off under sail alone on southeasterly course. We decided to cut our engine to stay with them in case they got in trouble. We gradually lost sight of them and later found out they had problems with their sail. Also Martha had bad cold, was seasick and when engine conked out she went below and wouldn’t come up til next morning. Arthur had to do the whole thing by himself.

Around midnight we figured we had successfully crossed the Stream and things would get easier. Little did we know!! The winds would remain gusty, 25-30 from northwest, and the seas became very confused. We needed to slow down our progress because we were only 25 miles from landfall with 8 hours to kill before safely entering harbor at daylight, so we reduced the sail to a small diaper. Even with that we couldn’t get below 5 knots. (Meanwhile we hadn’t eaten since lunch, I’m seasick, the boats rolling like hell and a tanker is bearing down on us) I said to Ken, If tomorrow afternoon is supposed to get dicey, I don’t want to be here. We called tanker on radio and they said they couldn’t see our lights or pick us up on radar, but agreed to change their course to avoid us.

Meanwhile, the first boat (Starchild) reported they were hove-to (backwind sails to sit still) in calm seas at channel entrance waiting for daylight. At about 8:30am we all converged on channel entrance and entered Lucaya Harbor within an hour of each other. Cavalier had to get towed in by the Bahamian version of Sea Tow.

By 10:30am, we had lunch and I headed to bed leaving Ken to take care of customs and Immigration. He had to wake me up to fill out Immigration and said the guy made him put the yellow flag back up til it was all presented correctly. He thought Ken liked older women when in my sleepiness I said I was born in 1914. When heading for a well needed shower later, I discovered the door opened right into the shower, had no lock and there was a woman in there. No problem, I can handle this – until when I was in there , a guy walked in on me since the men’s was occupied. Now I’ll make an Occupied sign!

Now here we are in "Paradise", dressed in slacks and long sleeves (chilly and overcast), wind out of southwest 20-25, getting ready for our 4 boat party tonight. We’re glad we made it over, but it was definitely one of the most unpleasant overnight sails I can remember, perhaps only second to the ride to Atlantic City. LIFE IS NOT ALL FUN AND GAMES IN PARADISE!!!!

PS 1/21/00 – Last night met with other three boat crews in Count Basie Square for drinks and live Bahamian music while we watched the lunar eclipse take place . Quite a sight! May take off with other boats in day or so for Berry Islands then on to Nassau mid Feb to pick up friends.