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

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Yep, deep water is your friend.... you're also learning the "lee shore" axiom. Motor sailing with a reefed main will help keep the boat more stable... that's why the older, slow moving trawlers were equipped with a short mast to hoist a stabilizing sail.
Hi Joe and thanks for the input. I do run with the main sheeted in a lot more now, but if I'm in a situation where I'm having to do much maneuvering I don't as if the wind is high I don't want one more thing to contend with if all of a sudden I have it on the beam. Being alone I just don't have enough hands. Going out into Exuma Sound where it was so rough I couldn't leave the tiller for even a couple seconds and the tiller-pilot was useless in those seas. So if I would of had to release the main for some reason I would of been screwed pretty much. You remember the day you were going to take Ruth and I out? Pretty much like that but you are right that in most cases it is your friend:dance:,

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

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
I'm not getting many questions about the trip here so I'll post a couple I got on the other board as they might be of interest and if that is a problem (moderators) just tell me and I'll stop. So with that in mind here are two that I thought might provide some insight to someone that might want to do this trip.

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Chinook wrote:... I think those parallel lines in the rock near the beach were cuts from a quarrying operation. They use coral rock for construction down there, and it wouldn't surprise me if someone set up a rock saw to cut and split blocks of coral rock, possibly to build that big abandoned house or maybe the big stone wharf down below it. Story I heard was that that British bloke was actually a German sympathizer, and he build the wharf for German U-boats to tie up at. The British actually did sink a U-boat near there, during the War. The Bahamians finally ran the guy off, and his house sits abandoned to this day. ...
The one set were definitely tread marks from Cat or something like it. I think you are right about the squares that were cut into the rock and that it was probably used for building like you said. I pretty much read that same about him being a German sympathizer and think the link I sent probably wanted to downplay that. I passed there yesterday and took another picture from the north.

Coming north from Georgetown 2 days ago was way, way different than the trip going south and no problem at all. The water was fine going in even though I didn't time it quite right. I had to delay departure a day because of weather and that moved the tides up an hour. I wanted to run the cut like before at slack tide and that was going to be about 7 pm. I left at 9 am and was sailing at 2 1/2 to 3 which was a good speed to get me in up there around 6-7. Well then the wind died a little more so I started to motor sail and could easily do 5 with the motor off idle. So now I'm going to get there probably at mid-tide and high current. I thought about maybe going in north of there, but nixed that idea. So thought maybe I could just hang offshore if it looked bad. Well I made good time and was there about 1 hour after high tide so the ebb had started.

I had none of the problems going in as the sound had laid down over the previous 24 hours so nothing like coming out. It was flat and no waves so in I went. No problems as the current wasn't too bad. I dropped from about 5 kts to a little over 2 for maybe 200-300 yards and then started to come out of it and speed increased. Ran up to that Williams Bay anchorage for the night and it was a good day. One should just be patient unless they want 'memories'. Actually speaking of that my memories of the day I went out have for some reason been pretty much erased from my mind now like how some experiences are. I just remember that it was fairly frightening and I hope to not go there again.

I'm at Little Farmers inside a cute little bay inside the larger bay and might hang here until Tues. as there is something that might be big coming according to Chris's weather and have some west wind and my next stop Rocky Point is all open to the west or SW or NW. I was really surprised to find internet here. Only 3 connections and this one was one and is much better than any I had in Georgetown so will try an finish updating the trip report (first part) and also bring it up to-date to here.

This morning I dove on the mermaid and piano the David Copperfield commissioned and is in about 12 feet of water off Rudder Cut Cay. I got some underwater video of it with one of the cheaper cams I bought to use on the race car. I'll post it when I have fast internet. Google it if you haven't heard of it. Pretty neat and I'll bet he spent a lot to have it done. You probably were within 100 yards of it on your way south.

Thanks again for your trip report it has been a big help. I finally did copy all the internet pages to a text file before leaving and glad that I did.

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Ixneigh wrote:Hi Sumner. Enjoying the write up. What is your opinion of exiting rudder cut and sailing out into exuma sound overnight, and hitting the Georgetown entrance about 11 am the next morning? ...Ix
Personally I wouldn't do that as it doesn't take that long. In fact it isn't too hard to time it for slack tide at both, about 6 hours apart. The only problem there is when do those happen during the day you want to go and that will depend on the day you do it. I left coming back on the day I did because the next day the evening slack would of been too close to dark and I would of then been getting into an anchorage too late. I might of then been able to do the run in the morning instead of the afternoon.

It is really nice if you have tides that are running where you could go out about 9-10 in the morning and in at 3-4 in the afternoon going either direction. Also now the days are getting longer so more options. A month ago it would of been harder. As I mentioned above the trip north was easy the other day and yesterday and today I've gone by another couple cuts where I think I could of gotten our pretty easy and no waves on the outside of them. The trick I think is to let the Exuma Sound settle down and don't do it during or right after or the tail end of a lot of big wind days out of the East like what took place when I went south.

I did get to see the racing on the final day I was there and that was neat but otherwise Georgetown didn't do much for me. Most days the dinghy ride in and out wasn't enjoyable and I've really enjoyed some of the remote anchorages much more but that is just me. Lots of people love Georgetown. They said on the morning net that there were over 200 boats there when I arrived and more came for the races and when I left they said it was up to 240 but don't know where they get those numbers. I called the harbormaster and reported in and also did that on the net, but didn't do either when I left as the harbormaster didn't respond and I was busy getting out when the net was going on. Like I said lots of people do like it there and I'm glad that I went but probably don't have to go back
,

Sumner

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

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

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Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
 
Dec 3, 2013
169
HUNTER 29.5 PORT CHARLOTTE FL
I'm not getting many questions about the trip here so I'll post a couple I got on the other board as they might be of interest and if that is a problem (moderators) just tell me and I'll stop. So with that in mind here are two that I thought might provide some insight to someone that might want to do this trip.


Don't have any questions to ask... but I do enjoy reading everything you write.
 

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
...Don't have any questions to ask... but I do enjoy reading everything you write.
Thanks appreciate that. Here is a little more about the David Copperfield piano/mermaid....

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RussMT wrote:
Sumner wrote:This morning I dove on the mermaid and piano the David Copperfield commissioned and is in about 12 feet of water off Rudder Cut Cay. I got some underwater video of it with one of the cheaper cams I bought to use on the race car. I'll post it when I have fast internet. Google it if you haven't heard of it. Pretty neat and I'll bet he spent a lot to have it done.
Can't wait to see the video...--Russ
Well until I can put the video up here are some stills from it.







It is hard to tell from those but the piano and mermaid are life size. I tried to swim down once closer but evidently I didn't have the camera aimed right when I did. It is hard to tell what it is shooting as if just has a small screen on the back and I'm swimming and anyway I got a lot of 'not the piano/mermaid' :cry: .

Talking about the swimming I did use the 3 lb weight today and the day before. It still isn't enough. I bought some fish weights but maybe not enough of those either. Maybe I've 'bulked up' on all my great cooking ;) . Actually I only cook about every 3-4 days and make enough that I eat cold left-overs the other days and actually like it better cold than hot.

Should I have the weight on the belt so that it is on my back or front side since I only have one? It does help some and I like the fact that with the snorkel and mast on that I don't have to worry about sinking. I'm out of shape. There was a little current over to the mermaid and swimming over to her and around and back wore me out. This is in the edge of a bay right next to where heavy current runs. The boat slowed from 5 to 2 1/2 on the same throttle setting the day before about 1000 yards before where this is and where the cut going out is.

Most people dinghy down from the anchorage in the next bay to the north, but since I didn't want to have to put the outboard on and off the dinghy I just took the Mac down. I had the GPS coordinates so found it right away and even took one video with my hand over the side of the Mac. I went in just a bit and put an anchor down and about 50 foot of rode/chain out and hoped to float back over the art but missed it and was about 35-50 north but could see it from the boat. I put a line off the back of the dinghy but left it tied to the Mac and swam the short distance over testing the current first.

Then when I didn't like my swim shot after loading it in the computer having already rinsed off I then paddled the dinghy over and took a third video with the camera in the water and me in the dinghy. I'll edit the three videos later and splice them together as there are some pretty good shots. You will have to send someone younger next time with more endurance :) .

Also thanks to the rest of you guys that have been reading and commenting. That is nice and I appreciate it :) ,

Sumner

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

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
 
Last edited:

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Ixneigh wrote:....Are you doing much navigation by reading the water?
How closely do the GPS plotted positions match, last time I was there I did not have a chart plotter.
Thanks...Ix


I forgot to answer the above. I'm feeling a lot better about reading the water and as you know that is the first means to keep you out of trouble and not what the chart plotter says. I plot out each move and have the points also in the handheld and use it 90% of the time but keep peeking at the large screen (chartplotter) in the companion way to see if I'm in an area where the channel is real narrow and there might be very shallow water on one side or the other or coral heads. If so then I really try and hit my marks but what the water color tells me is the final factor in hitting those marks or not. None of these charts are that perfect or that accurate.

I plotted the course from Rudder Cut to here (Little Farmers) on a large scale NV digital chart that showed the entire route in detail. There was still a larger scale chart of just the harbor here at Little Farmers. When I switch up to it some of the waypoints I had plotted showed up on top of areas with coral heads so I moved them before I downloaded them into the hand held. When I got here I used them but mainly used my eyes.

I would not want to come into these anchorages at night on waypoints alone since no the charts are not perfect. Everyone says that Explorer Charts are the gold standard and I have them and like them but they are paper only since the digital ones won't work with OpenCPN and the paper doesn't have the detail that the NV digital I'm using have. I think I also have read, this might not be right so check it out, that Garmin now might not be using Explorer in all cases for over here. The Explorer Charts themselves say there could be errors so as you told me use any of this to get you close and from point A to B but your eyes are the final factor. One thing about the Explore Charts is they also have a lot, a lot, of other good info along with tide tables which for sure you need also THE YACHTSMAN'S GUIDE TO THE BAHAMAS, recommended by Mike, is also a good guide to have and also has the tide tables.

Yesterday...



.... I was going to take the 'safe' way, left arrows, vs. the dinghy channel right arrow since it shows depths of under 3 feet at the point of the arrow. When I got close I changed my mind as we were going to high tide and looking over there it looked doable so at the last minute diverted towards the dinghy passage figuring I could change my mind at the last moment. At the same time I had a large motor yacht right behind me a ways and I'll bet they wonder what I was doing as the made their turn to port on the route that I was going to use.



I got to the passage and the water looked good, shallow but good, not white. I went through and it got shallow enough that it kicked the rudder up, so it was probably a tad under 3 feet but it immediately increased in depth. When the rudder kicked I just steered with the outboard for a hundred feet or so and then was able to pull the rudder back down. Looking above it looks like I went over the end of the bar but at the moment where I went was the deepest water available.

Also the references I mentioned above have color pictures on reading water depth that are good for anyone that hasn't been over herel,

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

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
I'm going to hang out at Little Farmers until the weekend. Lots of wind coming in from the west the next 3 days and strong possibilities of squalls that could have 40-50 knot winds according to Chris. I might move over to the other side of the harbor here tomorrow if the water is deep enough for me to get inside a couple boats there as outside of them the current is strong. There is a Cat over there now and some of them get into about the same depth water I like which is 5-6 at high tide and 3-4 at low. If that doesn't work I'll come back over to where I am now which will be pretty good except when the wind moves more NW at the end of the cycle. I'm about 1/2 mile from the town dock and that is a long dinghy ride if the wind/waves go up like they are predicting.

I went ashore today and had a good time and great conch for dinner (I ate the lunch plate) and the place is really nice and so is the owner. He was in Utah a couple years back and said that was the first time they had ever seen snow. I told him that yes ...



http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/misc-pics-11.html

... Ive also seen it there. Sat. they are having a conch festival with it server/prepared every way imaginable according to a public announcement this morning on Ch 16 of the VHF. I'd like to go to that but Sat looks also like a good travel day. If I stay I'll leave early Sunday as that afternoon the winds are suppose to get back up to 20 kts but finally back out of the east or NE. I could of gone north today but the next anchorage, Black Point, is very exposed to the west and that is where the winds will be for the next 3-4 days so don't want to be there.

Also if any of you were reading the first part of the trip report on my site...

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

...some of the pages were not finished with just pictures. I've completed the narrative for that part of the trip and the rest of the trip is current up to arriving in Georgetown. I'll try and get it current to here over the next few day while waiting to move north,

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

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Ixneigh wrote:....I've parked in what's called big harbor on my chart for a week. There wasent much current....It it was me is waltz right over there cats be ***** and snuggle up with them for the incoming weather....Ix
I moved over and glad I did as wind is picking up. The winds aren't suppose to be terrible unless we get hit by a squall and Chris says that tonight and Friday are the best chance of that happening and then winds could be over 50 kts. Hope that doesn't happen. The one on the banks with probably 30 kt winds was enough for me. At least here I'm not underway. I put a second anchor down just in case and have about 100 feet of rode on one and 75 on the other. Ended up with the anchor going down pretty far into the beach in what should be about 3 feet of water there at low tide. Where the boat is probably 4-5.

The current was ripping on the way over here as it was half way between high going to low. I was down to about 2 1/2 until I made a turn and then was running 6 1/2 and cut the motor back and then it went up again just as I got to Big Harbor. All of that in about 2/3's of a mile. It is interesting
. The current went way down like you said once in where I dropped the anchor.
Ixneigh wrote:...Also, later, if your by little bell island, on the western side there is a deep area right up by the beach and you need pretty shallow draft to get to. I had that all to my self. Don't know what's on little bell these days but back then there was nothing. Except me. Ix


Thanks for the info up by Bell but I can't find Little Bell but only looked at the digital NV at this point. There are a couple small islands by Bell by the cut but don't look like what you are talking about. It looks like Bell has 4 pretty nice cove/beaches on the east side and one is marked Harbor Bay and has an 'anchor symbol' but it with 2 to the north of it and one to the south of it,

Sumner

P.S. On the weather Chris doesn't think it is going to happen but still he says one model is predicting the possible formation of a tropical storm in the Abacos north of where I am with possible sustained winds over 50 kts.. I should be up there in a couple weeks. I don't think the weather has been typical according to him since I've been over here.

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

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Ixneigh wrote:On that chart little bell island is shown as Cambridge cay. See the little "6" area on the side of the cay that faces the nw ?
That's where i parked. No current that I recall in there. Not much else there except a nice little beach that you can bring the boat right up into in nice weather though...Ix

Thanks, I dropped a mark there on the chart with OpenCPN and might use it if I get in there. I also now see where they have Little Bell in parenthesis under Cambridge :redface: .
Ixneigh wrote:....Re squalls yea. Windy. I put out a second anchor since the wind is going around in 360 in space of four hours.
Collecting rain as I write this though. Ix

I hope neither of us get hit hard but you might possibly get hit harder there than me here. Good luck with that.

The wind is up some here but went down a little from earlier when I'd guess that it might of been 20. Along with some other things I forgot to find and bring my wind gauge. No problems anchor wise and I'm staying cool in the boat with the ...





... wind diverted down into the cabin. The last 2 nights were the first two that I went to sleep with the Caframo gimbal fan running on me and kept it running most of the night. I've been using one of the upright ones in the cabin for some time now during the day. I've had mo bug problems at all to this point with the with the exception of some house flies at times during the day. I've heard others complain about them but Ruth put the skirts on the poptop cover and I've been closing up the door and such before dark each night so the screening in it and the forward hatch has been working I guess.

Good luck with the weather there and send it north if you would,

Sumner

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

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
 
May 4, 2005
4,062
Macgregor 26d Ft Lauderdale, Fl
fwiw, http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/east/eaus/flash-wv.html

We got a LOT of rain this morning (ft laud), and the front appears stalled.

The good news is its going to get cool... calling for upper 60's low 70's on fri, sat morning. low 80's for high...

also, I've seen some plastic zip loc bags full of water in the islands...(suspended from strings). something about it keeps flys away... I forget why it works... but I saw it a several bars.


Sum, have you gotten any bahama bread? its almost like pound cake its sooooo good!
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
fwiw, http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/east/eaus/flash-wv.html

We got a LOT of rain this morning (ft laud), and the front appears stalled.

The good news is its going to get cool... calling for upper 60's low 70's on fri, sat morning. low 80's for high...

also, I've seen some plastic zip loc bags full of water in the islands...(suspended from strings). something about it keeps flys away... I forget why it works... but I saw it a several bars.


Sum, have you gotten any bahama bread? its almost like pound cake its sooooo good!
That is a neat link. Looks like so far a lot of what has been coming off Florida is just missing us to the north. Chris said tonight might be bad for us if the front drops just a little more to the south. Then it is suppose to weeken tomorrow and then maybe rebuild Friday so where I am right now tonight and Friday night are when it could get bad.

On the bread I've been buying local breads since Highborne. They have been white, wheat and one was a raisin. They have all been good and I'm just finishing one loaf now and have another in the fridge (they keep well there). The guide book says that the restaurant that I ate at will make breads and such on order. I'll check there next time I go in,

Sumner

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

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,811
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
also, I've seen some plastic zip loc bags full of water in the islands...(suspended from strings). something about it keeps flys away... I forget why it works... but I saw it a several bars.
Did the bags have a penny in the water?

All U Get
 
May 4, 2005
4,062
Macgregor 26d Ft Lauderdale, Fl
Ask about pie! LOL ;)

if they are making amazing bread, they are probably making wonderful cakes and pie's. often on request, order in am, pick up pm. so good.
 
May 4, 2005
4,062
Macgregor 26d Ft Lauderdale, Fl
Did the bags have a penny in the water?

All U Get

might have.

When I finally asked I think he said its something like fishing line over the pool to keep birds away. IIRC, the fly see's it reflection and takes off. so the penny could be the fly
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Ask about pie! LOL ;)

if they are making amazing bread, they are probably making wonderful cakes and pie's. often on request, order in am, pick up pm. so good.
I had the great conch at Ocean Cabin restaurant and the guide book does say that the restaurant's co-owner, the wife, Earnestine does make bread and cakes to order. I talked to some other guys who dropped by last night looking to visit and needed an onion (I had one). They said to also ask around for a guy named 'Slim' here as he makes excellent bread, one being coconut bread.

I still have one loaf left from Georgetown that I need to eat before buying more and also one other small problem and that is cash. I need to start watching that aspect since I need to keep some for fuel maybe 2 more times, 20 more gallons will probably do it. I could use my credit card some places but I'm trying to avoid that.

Storm went through last night but closest lightning I saw/heard was a little over a mile away, but you could see it and hear it in all directions. Instead of a big squall the winds went to zero for a while after clocking around way to the north. It never rained hard but steady for some of the night. I finally quit reading a book I got here and went to sleep. While there was still lightning in the area I slept with my head as far to the bow as I could get away from the mast where it is stepped. Still in this small boat you aren't far from the mast anyplace so whatever you do is probably wishful thinking :cry:.

This morning the winds have picked up and back to the west and are suppose to be low 20's today here. I'll still probably move north Sat or Sunday early. I only have about 12 miles to Black Point and would like to spend 2 days there. No one seems to be sure what the weather is going to be like Monday on. It could go back to bad in this area or not. Should know more by Sat. The weather is really dictating a lot of this trip since I can't move a lot of days that bigger boats can. I can see why a lot of people come in the fall and are back to Florida by now. Still it is great most of the time if you just don't have to be on a schedule and I am pretty much free of that.

Interesting about the fly solution. The last thing most of the flies that have been in the boat saw wasn't their reflection but a yellow fly-swatter rapidly approaching their position,

Sumner

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

2015 to The Bahamas and back -- I hope

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
 

Sailm8

.
Feb 21, 2008
1,750
Hunter 29.5 Punta Gorda
Mythbusters was on the local TV night before last and debunked the water bag repelling flies. I guess it was too good to be true.
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country