ARRIVAL IN THE BAHAMAS

On the New River, Fort Lauderdale

Our jumping off point for crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas was Fort Lauderdale. We were there for a little over a week, having some more work done on the boat, including new batteries, some electrical upgrades and work on the saildrives. Prior to Lauderdale we met up with Steve and Sheila Zukor in Melbourne where they were visiting family on their way back from a trip to Patagonia. We had lunch and their minivan was a great help for some much needed provisioning.

The day before departure for the Bahamas we anchored in Lake Sylvia, so as to be near Port Everglades to get out in the ocean. Our destination was West End on Grand Bahama Island, a distance of just under 70 nautical miles.

We thought at first about leaving in the late afternoon and crossing at night for a morning arrival, but in the end, decided instead on a four AM start with arrival at West End in the afternoon.

Getting from Lake Sylvia to Port Everglades in the dark turned out to be straightforward with well marked channels and one bascule bridge to negotiate. By five AM we were outside the Port Everglades entrance. There was a bit of traffic at the port, particularly some five or six large in-bound cruise ships that were lighted up like Christmas trees, so fortunately they were quite visible from a long distance. Radar and AIS were helpful for negotiating the traffic in the dark.

The wind was light when we left so we had to motor, but there was a nice boost from the Gulf Stream current. A breeze picked up after noon and we were then able to sail in light winds the rest of the way, arriving at West End at 4:15 on Saturday, February 24^th. We tied up at the Old Bahama Bay Marina and cleared customs and immigration.

 

West End Settlement, Grand Bahama Island

West End, Grand Bahama

West End, Grand Bahama

West End derelict, Grand Bahama

Old Bahama Bay on West End, Grand Bahama

  

Sailing on the Little Bahama Bank

On the Little Bahama Bank

 We stayed in West End for two nights and then sailed across the Little Bahama Bank in beautiful turquoise water as far as the eye could see. We spent a night anchored at Mangrove Cay and another in Great Sale Cay, en route to our destination, the Abacos.

Sunrise through the porthole at Great Sale Cay

View from the top at Allans-Pensacola Cay

 Allans-Pensacola anchorage from the mast top

 

Arriving in the Abacos, we sailed into the anchorage at Allans-Pensacola Cay, where I managed to get the topping lift tangled while taking down the mainsail, and then lost the topping lift up the mast. There was nothing to do but to climb up to the top. Fortunately, I have an ATN Mastclimber, a clever device that makes it possible to hoist oneself unassisted up a halyard, by alternately bending/raising legs and then standing; the climbing effort comes primarily from the legs. The topping lift fed nicely down inside the mast and we were back in business.

There is a beach on the ocean side of Allans-Pensacola where cruisers have left signs of their arrival, so we left our memento as well, carved from a scavenged board.

Memento on the beach at Allans-Pensacola

View of the Atlantic at Allans-Pensacola

From Allans-Pensacola we sailed to Spanish Cay, where we tied up at the marina. This location is a big sport fishing attraction during the summer, but strangely quiet during the winter off-season months. There is an airstrip on the north end of the island so boat owners can fly in for fishing after their captains have brought their boats over. The island is only three miles long and very narrow, very easy to walk everywhere.

Spanish Cay Marina

From Spanish Cay we plan a leisurely cruise southward in the Sea of Abaco, looking forward to a rendezvous with Charles and Sue Springett on Ariel, in Marsh Harbour, sometime in mid-March.