West End, Bahamas

The bloglins will really have a feast with this post.

We have had practically no rain this trip, but with Olga, things changed. Once we had finished with everything we had to do on land, we left the marina and anchored nearer the inlet so it would be easier to leave in the morning. As soon as we left it started to rain really hard. The entrance to the anchorage was tricky because it had some very shallow spots. We anchored first and waited for Sweet Tides, and waited and waited. They ran aground and the only way to get them out was calling Tow Boat US. So now we also have a picture of Sweet Tides being towed by TBUS, no jealousy there. We tied together and looked at the weather again: 10 to 15 knots, decreasing in the afternoon, waves 2 to 4 feet. We decided we would wake up at 2 am look at the weather and decide whether to leave then or later. It rained all night, hard. At 2 it was raining, at 4 it was raining at 5:30 it was raining. Finally at 6:30 it stopped and the radar showed no more thunderstorms between Florida and the Bahamas so we set off.

It was a horrible ride. Bucking broncos Idette said we should call it. Wind 15 to 20 on our nose and waves 4 to 6 and sometimes higher, running against us, so we were constantly pounding. Awful. We still caught a couple of storms on the way but not big. Three hours to landfall, when Juan went down to look at the shaft yet again because he was still worried about it and not happy with the vibration, he saw there was water, not a lot, but some. First he thought it might come from the stuffing box, but then realized to his dismay that it was coming from the same place where it had been repaired. It was filtering through the casing. He put some epoxy on it and managed to stop the water. But of course he was extremely worried. 

They were the three longest hours of the trip, but we managed to get to West End, to stop at the marina and do customs.

Mike also arrived feeling awful and went straight to bed but he will be feeling better tomorrow, Zingaro won't. 

I think we will have to part ways with Sweet Tides for a while. They have to go to Marsh Harbor to meet their children, so we have spoken with Idette, looked a the charts and now that the worst is over she thinks they will have not problems continuing on their own. They will do short legs and go straight to Marsh Harbor. 

We have spoken to a large boat yard in Freeport, which is 17 miles from West End. We will take Zingaro there and will not leave until we are sure it is repaired. Juan will dive tomorrow and put some epoxy around the strut to make sure we won't have any problems making it to Freeport, and we will try to go when the wind changes so that we can actually sail the 17 miles and use the engine as little as possible!

Once we are all fixed we will meet up with Sweet Tides!!

To be continued...