Sunday Feb. 6, 2000
Nassau Harbor, New Providence
It’s a quiet Sunday morning (except for the gusty norther blowing- so what’s new!!) and I need to email several people Mon so I’ll try to get out a short journal/letter. Please forgive me if you don’t hear personally or only get a short reply. It’s very expensive to email, takes a while to get connections and we have quite a bit of business each time so we’re always short of time. However, your messages mean a lot to us and keep us in touch with friends and home.
When last I wrote, we were waiting to get out of Lucaya, Grand Bahamas, right next to Freeport (and that nasty Casino. Lost my $10.00. Ken was good and sat at bar while I played.) The northers kept pouring thru from our arrival Jan 19 til the 27th. Only 2 or 3 boats came in during that time and had even worse times than we did crossing from Fla..
Prediction for Thurs the 27th was 15 out of the north and a great 60 mile run to The Berry Islands. Star Child left at midnight Wed, Cavalier and we took off at 6 am. The breeze had died in the night and we ended up motoring all the way. It’s either a feast or a famine. We knew you don’t want to try and enter the harbor after dark, so had to push the engine all day and arrived at 5:30 with a few minutes of daylight left. The harbor at Great Stirrup is open wide to the northeast but the report gave us a day to get in and out before the next onslaught.
There were about 10 boats in the harbor rocking with the surge plus one catamaran tucked up under the shore in calm waters, no doubt laughing at the rest of us. There are several cays (islands) around us, basically deserted. At cocktails, Star Child tells us they were exploring earlier and hit a rock, damaging their rudder. They will jury rig a harness and get to Nassau to be hauled for repairs.
During the night the winds picked up out of the NE, the rollers came in and Ken spent the night on anchor watch. The next day was too breezy to get out so we set a second anchor and Ken spent a second sleepless night as we tossed and pitched about. Now I know you’re wondering why I’m not standing night watch. Ken refuses to try and sleep and would only stay up anyway, so why should we both suffer. I have found that if I stay flat on my back I can survive in the lurching forward bunk and even get to sleep. Someone has to be rested and pleasant during the day.
Sat, the winds decided to get even nastier (we’re not having a lot of fun and Ken is tired!) So we fight the outboard onto the tender and Ken battles his way upwind to set a third storm anchor. About 8pm we hear a MAY DAY. A Westsail 28 (La Haime-excuse my spelling)was attempting to enter the harbor after dark and had gone up on the rocks at the entrance about a quarter mile ahead of us.
Another boat is relaying a message to the Harbor police about 6 miles away in a little settlement. It took them a couple of hours to round up their troops and get moving.
The guys actually thought this mayday might be a joke since they didn’t sound very upset about their situation. They would calmly ask if help was on the way or if any vessel in the harbor could send help. They were breaking up on the rocks and preparing to abandon ship. Since we were all hanging on by our toenails, we knew there was no way we could send a tender. When they finally shot off a flare, the catamaran said they saw it on the other side of the cay from them and would go ashore and try to reach the Westsail to help them ashore. About 9:30 La Haime said they were "locking the boat and walking ashore". One trawler also sent their large tender but the seas were too rough so they were going by land also. Meanwhile, by 10pm the harbor police had 3 boats out there but said the seas were too rough and had to head in. About 10:30 we fell asleep
The next day we heard they made it ashore and were in a marina a few miles away. About 11am the Harbor police called any boat in the anchorage to find out " if the people on the boat in distress had made it ashore and did anyone know where they were." Lesson learned – there isn’t any US Coast Guard, be ready to help yourself, and don’t enter harbors at night. Actually , the boat bounced ashore (off the rocks) and was sitting high and dry. They were calling for a tug from Nassau, thought they could make repairs and get put back in the water. Also, wind died in night, seas calmed, Ken got some sleep.
After a day of rest and relaxation and exploring cays(as well as retrieving anchors) we "motored" in light breezes to harbor (Frozen Cay – I don’t know why) further down the Berries. The perfect time to fish!!
Now you all know that for Xmas I gave Ken a fillet knife and a book on catching and cleaning fish. I also bought a yoyo (hand held fishing line) several lures and a gaff. I’m ready to go but Ken is less than enthusiastic and keeps finding excuses for putting it off. After putting me off for an hour, I get adamant and he finally says "throw the ___ thing over!" I let it out about 40 ft am trying to figure how to attach it to the boat so I don’t have to hold it , when I realize I have a fish. I calmly wind him in, pull out my fish book and discover I’ve a lovely king mackerel, small but tasty. I call Arthur on Cavalier, an ardent fisherman who hasn’t had a strike. This is so easy I retrieve my hook, throw it over again and within 5 min have a 3 ft barracuda on the line, not good eating and possibly poisonous. Arthur says get rid of him. This is not easy since he has a mouth full of nasty teeth and won’t let go of my plug. So Ken gaffed him, we tied him off the transom (after pictures)and had to let him die before getting rid oh him. I hated to let him die but know he’ll be eaten by other fish.
However, Ken wouldn’t let me put my line over again. I think when you’re hot you ought to keep going for that nice dolphin (fish) but I don’t push it. That evening Arthur came over and showed Ken how to clean him and we had "fresh" mackerel for dinner. Is it always this easy?
In Lucaya, I met a young man, 17, single handing on his father’s 30 ft Pearson Wanderer ( Pipkin) for a few months. He wanted to go around the world but his mother said NO, so he’s doing the Bahamas. He’s decided that’s good he didn’t go around the world because he gets lonesome. He sticks with us (three boats) like glue just to be near people. We invite him for party time and help to educate him on life. He’s a pretty good sailor and learning how to grow up. Already lost charts getting wet crossing stream, roller furling broke, hand held radio destroyed when got wet, shut off fridge cause taking too much elect, unhappy with lack of good foods, continues to miss weather cause sleeps late. Every once in awhile, I have to remind him that "old age and treachery can overcome youth and exuberance any day.) When we were getting ready to head for Nassau, told him he’d have to be up early enough to leave with us or travel alone. He was right there behind us heading out of the harbor.
Arrived in Nassau Feb 2, anchored in harbor near cruiseship docks. Cavalier lost engine during trip, had to sail into harbor and start repairs again. Every time we get in seas, the sediment in his fuel tank clogs the filter and he’s in trouble again.
We will go into marina for a couple of days then head off ( in search of that ever elusive Paradise) for few days til friends arrive on 19th. As I sit here looking at Paradise Island and the Casino, I think :Perhaps this is Paradise? I’ll have to take Ken and my $10.00 and go find out. I’ll let you know!!
Warm regards to all,
Jane