Back on the water again...after too long off..

[MrBill_FLL]

My experience with credit cards in Bahamas, was they charge you the 2 or 3% they would need to pay mastercard/visa.

probably cheaper than a cash advance...

-as the saying goes, bring twice the cash, half the clothes, mon.

 

[Sumner]

If you had already looked at the two pages on the trip report about the stay in Georgetown you might want to go back and look again as I redid them and added a number of pictures and added the narrative.

Here are a couple pictures of the Bahamian boats that were there for the race...

Here are the links to the two revised pages...

http://1fatgmc.com/boat/mac-1/2015 Bahamas/2-Bahamas-2/Bahamas-Page-12.html

http://1fatgmc.com/boat/mac-1/2015 Bahamas/2-Bahamas-2/Bahamas-Page-13.html

Sumner

=======================================

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

 

[Sumner]

Moved this morning up to Black Point. Have to dump trash and get water. Might stay overnight and might just move north more. After here probably no more Internet for a long time, maybe not until I get to FL.

We had lots of squalls down a Little Farmer the last two days. The worst was right at 50 kts according to people who had instruments. Also yesterday lightning hit the comm tower about 1500 feet from the boat and took out Internet and other communications. Very windy there and I only had the 25 lb. Manson down but it held fine.

Still hope to be back in FL around the 1st of June. I also added a couple pages to the trip report at Little Farmer,

Sumner

============================

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

 

[Chief RA]

Sumner: I am still reading and viewing your pictures! Those are some huge main sails on those Bahama rigs. Chief

 

[Sumner]

Quick up-date.

I'm on the north side of Rose Island just east of Nassau. Leave early in the morning for the Berrys as the wind is suppose to be 14-15 gusting 18 and will be the lightest day for some time. It will be about 40 miles across the deep water of Northeast Providence Channel. Thur. on the wind is suppose to go into the low/mid 20's so I'd like to get across tomorrow. Hope it isn't any worst than it was today where the wind was high teens and seas 2-4 feet with some over 4. I finally had to run on the Genoa about 5 as with the main up and reefed the boat just got too fast in the wind conditions and then some waves would make the boat fall off of them and start to round up if I didn't release the main. Tried different combinations of the Genoa with the main and saw high 6's and some 7's but then a gust would hit along with a 4 foot quartering wave and the auto-tiller couldn't handle it and I got tired trying to hand steer and deal with the main. Hard to explain what all was going on but with just the Genoa all the way out the bow would stay put and not roundup and the autopilot could handle it and I was happy with 5 as an average. I need another higher reef point in the main, only have one and with the one in it was still too much sail for today's conditions. It would run over 5 on just the reefed main but wasn't balance without some head sail so would round up in gusts still. So 40 miles all sailing except the last 2-3 through a narrow cut with high currents and then dodging coral heads into an anchorage.

I'm finally getting some sailing in and it has been all sails and no motor for the last 114 miles except to get on and off anchor and even managed that a couple times without the motor. Tomorrow should be all sailing also and wouldn't want to have to motor as the seas are suppose to be around 4 feet again and this will be a deep water passage.

The dinghy took a pounding today with the following seas and would at times be higher than the transom on the boat and then surf down into it and then the tow rope would go slack and it would pop like a rifle shot when it took the slack out. I tow the dingy bow forward but from its transom (see my web site for more detail). I'm sure if I would of been pulling from the normal bow rings they would of been pulled out today. I'd stow the dinghy on the Mac but it is too big and I can't break it down or set it up on the boat. I need flat ground for that. Anyway I don't need to be in worst conditions than today as far as the dinghy is concerned. The Mac handled everything just fine as usual.

I haven't been able to add to the blog on my web site but after Black Point it was on to Fowl Cay with two really nice reefs, finally got to snorkel and see them and the fish. Also 2 really nice grottoes there that I got to swim into along with some guys in another boat. We kind of traveled together for a couple days. Then on to Warderick Wells, Exuma Park, and walked some there and also spent the worst night ever on anchor there. It was beautiful though. Then on to Shroud where there is a 3-4 mile inland loop you can do with the dinghy that also opens to the Atlantic side and that was really pretty also. Then on to Highborne yesterday where I gassed up and anchored out around the point and another miserable night with the surge rolling the boat side to side most of the night.

Then the 40 miles across Exuma Bank to here today. I'll post pictures when I can and more detail. I plan on working north through the Berrys and then jump over to the Abacos and up the center of them and to FL around the first of June if things work out. 914 miles since I left Florida's west coast the 9th of March,

Sumner

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

============================

 

[Chief RA]

Sumner: Sounds like quite a challenge but what a great adventure! I only have my highest reef point rigged for draw down but ties are in the lower if I want to tie off there as I bring her on down. My best, Chief

 

[Sumner]

sparky wrote:Wow Sum thanks for the up date---so glad to read you posts of you N. bound leg quite the little adventure. When you talk to a sailmaker about the have the extra reef points, also ask about putting in put in a third reef and ask about a storm blade to go with them. If you have enjoyed this great introduction to cruising --it sure brings great peace of mind if one can rally reef down for squalls and storm fronts. The trades can really limit you if one doesn't have off shore systems as you are finding out with the dingy. Have you tried snugging it up the transom step bow slightly up?
​

Hi Sparky,

If I was to do this again with this boat (doubtful) I'd get a little smaller dinghy with a high pressure blowup floor so I could store it easier. I'm not setup where I could pull the dinghy up on the back of the boat. I normally have it snugged right up to the ladder that is held out horizontal but yesterday that was worst so let it further out and last night redid the lines to it so I can let her get even further back off the stern. I run a second line with slack in it just in case I lost the main one. Don't want to look back there and see the dinghy gone.

I shouldn't be traveling on days like yesterday (they had small craft warnings) and maybe today but wanted to get to the Berrys before this next event hits as I would of been stuck in the Exumas, not that bad, for maybe another 5-7 days.

Just listened to Chris's weather report so got to get going,

Sumner

===========================

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

 

[Sumner]

Checking in. I'm at Hard Bargain, Mores Island, at the southern end of the Bight of Abaco, west of Great Abaco and southeast of Grand Bahama, about 150 miles due east of Boca Raton, FL. Made it here last night after a long day going across the Northwest Providence Channel from the northern Berrys, 53 miles.

I wanted to try and go to Sandy Point further east but wanted to sail the whole way if possible, as I'd sailed almost all the legs before except using the outboard to get on or off of a couple anchorages but couldn't point far enough east so ...

... changed course to Hard Bargain and even laid in a route where I could get there if I had to angle more to the west, but didn't have to use it. Still I'm beat because over 9 hours of that was heeled over 18-20 degrees and having to brace myself up on the high side of the cockpit. Water at first was real bumpy but at the end of the day settled down. Still no where as bad as some of the days motoring into wind and waves.

I'll lay up here today and then head NE up into the Bight of Abaco north of here and work north there to the upper Abacos and probably east to Fox Town and then to West End and Florida over the next 2 weeks. Not many boats take the passage up through the Bight of Abaco so kind of expect to have that area to myself. Didn't see any sailboats to here yesterday but there are two cats here. Saw large tankers and freighters and a couple power yachts. Lots of big boats travel through the Northwest Providence Channel as it is very deep.

I went from Rose Island just east of Nassau up to Bond Cay in the Berrys and spent a few days there with a couple other boats waiting out the high winds that were in the 20's for a few days. Nice anchorage but not that pretty after the Exumas. Then north for a day to ...

... Little Harbor in the Berrys.

Little Harbor was one of the prettiest places I've seen on the trip. Pictures can't really do it justice. Shallow getting in and kicked the rudder up going in and out but other than that well worth the visit. Then if was north to stage off of Hoffmans Cay to make the trip across Providence Channel to here.

I have added some more pages for down in the Exumas....

http://1fatgmc.com/boat/mac-1/2015 Bahamas/Bahama Trip Index.html

Still need to add some text to the Warderick Wells page.

Sumner

=================================

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

 

[MrBill_FLL]

Glad to hear you are safe!

Looking forward to the blight of abaco trip log entries... as you said, its the road less traveled.


Are you planning to stop in west end? or just straight through from mangrove key?

 

[Sumner]

...Are you planning to stop in west end? or just straight through from mangrove key?

Right now I'm thinking about hanging in Fox Town at Little Abaco. Then listen to Chris and the weather and when it looks like crossing the gulf might be good leave for West End 2 days before and go to West End and just anchor and then hopefully go and not have to stay there long.

Anchorages don't look great there. The other option would be to head for Memory Rock and go from there but the angle to St. Lucie isn't great from there. Not looking forward to those long hops but won't try and do it straight through like I did on the Banks going East. Will probably stop at Mangrove Cay for the night and then West End and then the crossing.

Suppose to be some really heavy weather coming not too far away so hope to sit through that at Fox Town. Weather has not been normal according to people here,

Sumner

============================

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

 

[Bob 04 H260]

Hi Sum, excellent adventure ! We are back home and getting caught up with friends and family. I really enjoyed your blog. As usual a great job.
Fair winds, Bob

 

[Sumner]

Chinook wrote:Hi Sum, You're making great progress. Your description of weather conditions confirms that you've had to deal with far rougher conditions than we experienced while down there. Just a few frontal systems hit us, and they were well mannered and past right by without excessively lingering. We don't get stalled fronts here in the NW, but back east they can really mess things up. ..., Mike
​

The weather has been something. Another day of strong winds now. I'm going to try and leave here (Fox Town) on Thursdays. Winds are suppose to be 16 gusting higher but dropping as the day goes on. I'm hoping that it won't be too bad that night out on Little Bahama Bank and the next day I can make either West End of Memory Rock. Saturday looks like the day to try a crossing as the prediction is 15 dropping to 10 and 2'-3' seas. Sunday might be ok but then Monday it starts all over again. I guess there is a system in the Caribbean that no one quite knows what it is going to do but wind speeds are suppose to rise again from Sunday on.

Chinook wrote:Hi Sum, You're making great progress............ I'll be extremely interested in learning about your crossing of the Bight of Abaco, since I'm hoping to make that passage next March or April. Any info on waypoints, depths, anchorages, and entrance and exit points will be most appreciated... Mike
​

To tell you the truth the Bight of Abaco was kind of anti-climatic. I think it has our imaginations up since not many boats do it. The night I got to Hard Bargain on the southern side there were two big (over 40 foot) cats there and they left going north over the Bight the next morning. I left the following morning and never saw them again. Sailed off anchor and right away had a small squall brush by off to port. Winds went up some, not bad, and it rained pretty hard for a few minutes. The squall sucked the air out of the winds and when I saw another approach off to starboard I was almost glad to get some wind back. It hit harder and the main tried to jibe over but having a preventer on (always have them on the boom when running) prevented that and I soon got things back under control More wind with this one but just a touch of rain. It moved off to the NE. Winds were non-typical being out of the SSW as they were clocking as the onset of the next weather system. This was Thursday and I wanted to be on the north side of Little Abaco by Saturday afternoon when the next wave of east winds hit.



I had planned on a few days in the Blight but with the next system coming it I decided to anchor up at Basin Harbor Cay.



I didn't sail directly there as I wanted to check out Joe Downer Cays in case I got back this way. I sailed by them but didn't go into the small bay there, and it is small. They didn't do much for me and I'd have no real desire to go back to them. I had also thought about going by Norman's Castle which was a lumber camp back in the 20'-30's. According to the guide book not much there and that looked to be the case using the binoculars so didn't detour all the way over there.



I got to Hard Basin Cay and dropped the sails just off the Cay as by now the wind had picked up and there were a lot of waves going in the narrow cut to the inner harbor. Once in I first motored off to the SE side but a lot of surge with the waves running in right out of the SW and then went to the N side and the same problem and it shallowed pretty quickly (kicked the rudder). This would be a very nice place in normal east winds and very pretty with the high bluffs guarding the entrance. There is a house in there but looked deserted.

I made a retreat and cavitated the outboard a number of times trying to get back out the cut and couldn't wait to get the sails back up since the boat is so much more stable with them up. A few hundred yards past the entrance I did that and then sailed around the NW tip of the Cay and anchored in a small bay there. It proved to be a little too small as I got in close to shore and dropped the anchor but by the time I let the rode out I was back to the mouth of the bay and in some surge there. Still not as bad as the other bay.

That night I tried something different. I know from your trip report that you are familial with the surge over there at times where the wind has the boat cocked one way and the reflected surge comes in a different way and rocks the boat hard side to side. You try and sleep and it feels like someone is yanking the bed out from under you one way and then the other. I got to thinking that wind the waves and wind are on the bow I sleep like a baby as it is lifting me up and down over the length of my body. So what would happen if I slept from side to side in the boat? I put two oars from the dinghy inside the cabin from the settee on the port side to the one on the starboard side and put the settee cushions, turned around, on top of them. I slept that way for the night and it was much better. I'm going to make a shelf like piece that will span the two settee's in a situation like that and sleep in the cabin. Now when the boat rocks side to side it is lifting me up and down along the length of my body.

Part 2 of across the Bight of Abaco to follow....

Sumner

===================================

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

 

[Sumner]

Part two of across the Bight of Abaco



The next morning I sailed off anchor (starting to get better at this sailing deal) and headed west across the upper part of the Bight of Abaco towards Spence Rock where I would exit the Bight. Winds were still enough SW that I couldn't make a run straight to Spence Rock so had to tack to the north of it which meant a tack south later. As I headed west though the winds started to diminish and started clocking to the south more and as they did I kept bringing the boat around but still had to make one tack back down to the SE, but not a long one and then was off to Spence Rock again.

The tiller-pilot has a feature where if you push two buttons on it at the same time it will bring the boat about for you about 100 deg. So your can handle the sails. I hadn't had much luck as the boat wouldn't come about fast enough and would stall in the irons and then I'd have to go about losing ground doing that. One problem with the auto-tiller is that it has limited movement so doesn't put the tiller over very far. I decided to try it without the auto-tiller and put it on standby and lifted it off the tiller and swung the tiller all the way over by hand like one normally does, released the main and I'd already pulled the Genoa in so that it was less than a 100 Jib.. I back winded the Genoa and the boat came right about. I've done it since in very light air with the boat moving barely over 1 kt and still had good results, so no more using the auto-tiller to come about.



As I moved towards Spence Rock the winds really died and passing it and going north I was under 2 kts running now. I was tempted to fire up the outboard but I still had a lot of daylight and I could now see coral formations under the boat as I was in the first shallow water of the Bight crossing. All the water before this was over 10-12 feet and more. Saw some rays for a while and slowly and I mean slowly made my way north to go out the cut between Cave Cay and Cashs Cay. I saw some 5' to 6' water there for a couple hundred yards but that was the shallowest of the whole crossing and this cut, the only one on the north side, is the reason bigger boats don't use the cut.

When I left Harbor Basin and looked back I saw a power yacht anchored north of the next cay to the north but didn't see another boat the whole crossing. Right a Spence Rock I saw 3-4 small boats with single outboards going from I guess Fox Town down in the direction of Grand Bahama Island or coming from it at high rates of speed.



I wanted to sail onto anchor at Cave Cay and managed after two attempts. There are rocks everywhere there and I didn't know how far I could get in towards two very small beaches there. My first pass I tacked back towards where I wanted to go too soon so had to tack out and then back around for another attempt and ran closer to shore before tacking parallel to it in the direction of the two beaches. Problem there was the shore blocked almost all of the light wind I had and I was making less than 1 kt. Just enough to keep some steerage and couldn't use the auto-tiller as it could handle the very light conditions. As I approached the beaches I found rocks coming out of the water just before them so anchored just off the rocks. It took about 3 hours to make it from Spence Rock to when I dropped anchor a distance of only about 6 miles but it was worth it. Since I had sailed off anchor at Hard Bargain on the south side of the Bight I'd only fired the outboard up to try going into the bay at Harbor Basin and back out again, about 15 minutes. Since leaving Black Point in the Exumas I'd traveled right at 300 miles to Cave Cay and only ran the outboard for 5-8 of those. I was really liking the silence!!

The next day though I couldn't get into Fox Town without running it for the last 8 miles into there, but I tried real hard.

So the Bight was a lot of water. All of it plenty deep and not that much to see. I'd use the passage again but only as a passage and spend my time in places that are more scenic. I'll have more pictures up on my trip report later for this part of the trip,

Sumner

============================

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

 

[gettinthere]

When you have a surge hitting you broadside, try springing the anchor rode. You tie a spring line on the rode and run it back to a mid ship or stern cleat on the side away from the direction of the surge. Then let out some rode and the boat should swing into the surge not the wind.

 

[Kestle]

When you have a surge hitting you broadside, try springing the anchor rode. You tie a spring line on the rode and run it back to a mid ship or stern cleat on the side away from the direction of the surge. Then let out some rode and the boat should swing into the surge not the wind.

I do that in my favorite place on Catalina Island every time...also, flopper stoppers, or their proxy, are wonderful.

Have fun my friend!

Jeff

 

[Sumner]

When you have a surge hitting you broadside, try springing the anchor rode. You tie a spring line on the rode and run it back to a mid ship or stern cleat on the side away from the direction of the surge. Then let out some rode and the boat should swing into the surge not the wind.

I've laid down a second anchor and have then done the above off of the rode from it using it to pull the boat around but some places it is hard to do and also if the wind is high like a few times I don't like the boat broadside to the wind or the anchor gear.

A few times if the wind piped up I disconnected the second anchors rode from the back of the boat and left it on at the bow roller. I felt better having two anchors down. I have two down here because of the high gusts going through and little 'boat size' rock islands everywhere and think the bottom is rock also. The Manson and Bruce work well in rock so I haven't moved and no surge just the wind driven waves on the bow that don't bother me.

I'll try your suggestion the next time the conditions are good for it as then I wouldn't have to drop the second anchor and retrieve it.

Thanks,

Sumner

==================================

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

 

[Sumner]

Change of plans. Not going to leave here until Friday getting to West End Sat and crossing Sunday. This system is moving slower than they said a day or so ago.

Highest sustained winds I've had on the trip other than a couple squalls but they didn't go on for hours/days. They were suppose to be around 20 today but I swear they have been 25-30 all day. Lots of long rows of foam even in here.

Tomorrow wind going across towards West End is still suppose to be 15-20 with 3'-5' seas. That would not be comfortable with this boat. Fri. 10-15 and 3'-4'.

Sunday crossing around 10 with 3'-4' seas about a foot less than Saturday. I could probably cross ok on Saturday but it is getting from here to West End by then that is the problem.

All of the above is subject to change. It is NOAA info and Chris is close to it and so is PassageWeather.

Timing with the tide at St. Lucie will be better Sunday also and they are predicting 3'-4 foot seas there also so that will be important.

Sumner

============================

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

 

[Joe]

Sum..... re: auto tack. Try steering with the tiller between your knees, leaving both hands free to throw off the old sheet and strip in the new one... make sure the winch handles are off the drum... once you're on new tack.. turn on the T.P. and tweak your trim. Glad you're having a great time...

 

[Doc_holiday]

I think with the auto tack you just have to allow the jib to backwind, let the main come over then start the leeward jib sheet while releasing the windward sheet. If both sails find themselves without wind that's when the turn stops and you find yourself in irons. Just don't maneuver both sails at once. One has to be working at all times with a slow tack.

Also make sure your at your best speed before starting the tack.

 

[Sumner]

The main problem is the tiller-pilot just does not have that much travel so it doesn't put the tiller over near as far as you would any time you tacked with you on the tiller. It is installed the correct distance from the tillers pivot point. Just imagine you were tacking and only moved the tiller over about 10 inches.

Not using it now (just for the minute it takes to tack) has overcome the problem so I think I'm good to go now but thanks for the input and I do what you guys are talking about.

Now using the tiller pilot I push the 'standby button' and lift the tiller end off the pin on the tiller and manually throw the tiller over and then when done with the tack put it back on the pin and push the 'auto' button and we are off on a new tack.

If I did this trip again I'd buy a backup tiller pilot as I couldn't of hand steered this whole way. It has been a lifesaver in many ways and now I know why people love them,

Sumner

===============================

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida