Back in Miami!

After the wonderful crossing (Idette gave herself a manicure and pedicure on the way) we arrived in No Name Harbor, in Key Biscayne - which during the week is an idyllic place - but during the weekends it becames a noisy inferno. And although it was a Friday it was the last day od Spring Break. So between children screaming, power boats anchoring in every nook and cranny and the singer at the Boater's Grill who sang loud and off key - it was very Miami. There is a sign by the restaurant that says that "all vessels arriving from foreing(sic) must call customs" and they give a number, which of course we knew we had to do it, that was all the cruisers talked about on the radio since they couldn't complain about the weather. The problem is you call and they keep you on hold literally for hours. I ran down Juan's battery and Idette did the same with hers. Mike finally got through at midnight. When you get through they give you an arrival number that you have to take with you to the port of miami with your passports
Juan's cousin kindly lent us a car and yesterday we set off for the custom's office. Luckily as we were driving there I managed to get through and get our arrival number because they will not see you before that.
There was poor guy with a cell phone on speakephone waiting for somebody to pick up while listening to their recording.
At the window they had one of those old fashioned bells with a button you push down on and Mike promptly proceded to ring it. A customs officer came out, gave him a dirty look, removed the bell and went back to his desk!
But in spite of this we managed to check in.
I am now in a plane to San Francisco. Vacations are over.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Just a few more hours....

We are about 5 or 6 boats ready to go. There's nothing to do in Bimini so we are just sitting in our boats, cleaning the fridge, listening to music, reading, looking at the weather forecasts, doing internet. Just waiting. But tomorrow is it, all forecasts show we should have a decent crossing so fingers crossed.
Tonight it's Sweet Tides' anniversary so we are having champagne and ice cream, we don't have a freezer so we put the ice cream in ice. Hopefully it won't melt!!
Tomorrow night we hope to be celebrating in No Name Harbor, in Key Biscayne!!!

Bimini

Our last stop before Miami. We could have stayed at Cat Cay - which would have been better to cross to Miami and is much nicer, but the marina was outrageously expensive, so we sailed a couple of hours to the north, and docked in Bimini to wait for weather. According to the forecasts we might be able to cross on Thursday or Friday, the closer to Saturday the better but since I fly to San Francisco on Sunday morning I don't think we are going to cut it so short.

Bimini is not very nice, the town is only marginally better than Georgetown and a lot dirtier. Our last adventure in the Bahamas will be crossing the Gulf, after that Miami and then it will be Juan's task to take Zingaro back with a little help from our friends.

Although it was great, when it was great, we had a lot of bad weather, I would have to go back to the blog and count how many days we had to hide in marinas and stay put just waiting for the wind to die down. All in all we are happy to be going home.

Cat Cay on to bimini

We left the cursed anchorage in Nassau and had a pleasant ride to Chubb Cay. The original intention was to continue on to the banks and spend the night there but the forecast called for heavy squalls so we stayed put in the marina.

Yesterday we left at 6:30 because we knew we had a very long ride. The plan was to go to Bimini but there were awful storms to the north of us, we manage to skirt them by heading further South to Cat Cay. We had planned to turn North from the Cat Cay waypoint, but the Sweet Tides saw a big storm coming on their Sirius and in spite of my protests at the outrageous price of the marina here we came in. Just in time too, because as soon as we had tied up it poured and gusted to 30 knots.

The approach to Cat Cay was also awful because it was dead low tide and we showed nothing under our keel quite often. It looks as if we will be able to cross on Wednesday, so we will move to Bimini where the marina costs a dollar a foot rather than the 4.50 they charge here!

High Drama in the Anchorage

Nassau Harbor has been atwitter for a few days: must be the boredom of having to wait for weather anchored here.

Two nights ago, a catamaran anchored very close to shore reported an intruder: somebody naked swam to their boat, they flashed the light at him and he quickly dove in the water and disappeared. The following night another catamaran anchored too close to Sweet Tides and in the middle of the night they had a collision. No harm done except for the fright and the aggravation. The catamaran re-anchored a little further away.

Last night, the wind blew from the North and swung all the boats 180 degrees. Suddenly many of us starting having close ups of boats we had not seen before. A ketch which had anchored last night at an uncomfortable distance when the wind changed became really close. The skipper was arrogant and rude and although they were the ones to anchor near us, we decided that it was too dark and windy to discuss anchoring etiquette and re-anchored a little further up to avoid damaging our boat.

A couple of hours later the same boat became too close to another boat whose skipper was not half as nice (or sleepy) as us and screamed at them, so they moved. We discovered then they had no windlass, that is why they did not want to have to re-anchor by hand in the dark. 

In the meantime, the same catamaran that had hit Sweet Tides the night before started approaching them again and touched them. We overheard on the radio that their cat had warned them of the danger, so they weighed their anchor and anchored well away. In the meantime another small boat dragged and became very close friends with Sweet Tides, but he continued dragging and left them. While all of this was happening, Sweet Tides' crew were peacefully asleep!!!

The wind has turned again and hopefully there will be no more close encounters!!

Stuck, stuck, stuck

We were hoping to leave today, and we didn't, it was windy in the morning, we might have made it had we decided to go in the afternoon, but we didn't. Tomorrow was going to be better, it's not. It will be very windy again. The worst part is leaving Nassau to the Berries, where we have to cross the Tongue of the Ocean, which is open sea. Once we are in Chubb we have about 80 miles on the banks which can be done even if it's windy. And then we have the Gulf Stream. If we do not leave tomorrow, and it seems very unlikely, then our window is being slammed on our faces and we might have to stay stuck even longer. Not good.

As it is, we will leave Saturday very early and do as much as we can, overnights and all and see what happens. However if the weather gets too nasty we may have to stay stuck and I will fly to Miami on the 29th.

Hopefully it will not come to that!

Stuck in Nassau

On Sunday, given the weather forecast was dire, we decided to forego one more day in paradise and have a smooth run to Nassau. And we did. Sweet Tides' auto pilot is not working so they have to be at the helm all the time. We caught a fish, about a foot long, but have not eaten it yet. By now it will be used as bait.
Since we arrived the wind has been blowing over 20 knots non stop. We couldn't even go to a marina because they are all full so we are anchored in front of the restaurant that has the dinghy dock and internet connection (Green Parrot).
Our friends left this morning so now we are just waiting for the weather to clear. If we get a window on Friday we might make a run and try to be in Miami by Monday.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Retracing our steps

We are back in Warderick Wells, hence the chance to upload pictures and update the web albums. We had a wonderful time in Cambridge. the Seaquarium lived up to our expectations and the Rocky Dundas this morning exceeded them. The water was transparent and the visibility superb. The elkhorn corals looked wonderful and we had all sorts of fish. We sailed the Exuma Sound to the cut in Warderick Wells, had our lines out but no bites.

Tomorrow we will do some more snorkeling and hiking and the day after will probably head to Shroud. Ana and Armando are really enjoying their stay and we are enjoying their company. 

Staniel

My friends finally made it to Staniel. They arrived on Tuesday at around one thirty just as we were weighing anchor from Black Point where we had spent a peaceful night. We made our way to the marina where we docked to get fill up our tanks, picked them up, anchored off Big Major and immediately dinghied to Thunderball cave. We were exactly at low tide and showed off the cave in all its glory! We stayed for over an hour until it began to flood and the current becane too strong.
The forecast was for a wonderfully calm week which of course did not come true. The wind blew from the West, it became very rolly (and we were on the "dreaded lee shore" Bobbi). Sweet Tides arrived in the anchorage just as we were getting ready to go to the beach. They stayed in Black Point. They said it was so rolly they could not get back on the boat from the transom, Mike had to tie the dinghy to the side, pull himself up and then pull Idette in. But we all went off to the beach in the afternoon and had a great time snorkeling off the rocks. When we came back we reanchored further west closer to Sweet Tides and Spartina, hoping it would be more protected. And it was until the tide changed again and the effect of the tide kicked in and we stared rolling. So we weighed anchors yet again to make sure we were far from the cut from where the tide was running. It was a good move because we had a good night.
Today we sail to Cambridge Cay and we are taking Spartina with us. His wife went back to the US for the birth of a grandchild and he is sad and lonely!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Another doable but not agreable

The forecast was sunny, 10 to 15 knot winds, 2 to 4 ft waves. The only thing they got more or less right was the wind. The sky was overcast, it rained and the waves were 7 to 9 at a ninety degree angle so really uncomfortable. But seven hours later we made it through the cut and anchored in Black Point.
We had our fishing lines out in spite of the waves. The fish bit the tails of two of our lures and Mike caught a three foot wahoo - which we saw- but it got away. Too bad it would have been dinner!
Tomorrow morning Zingaro will make its way to Staniel because my friend was able to get away and will arrive there, while Sweet Tides does its laundry here in Black Point.
The anchorage is peaceful and the water awsome!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Back on the boat!

Joanna took this photo of me and I loved it!! We had a lovely time while she was here, took her for walks, to the beach and she went snorkeling with her father after I left.
I left on Wednesday for Santo Domingo to return on Saturday, but the return trip was a nightmare, flights were cancelled and delayed and I had to overnight in Miami so I only arrived this afternoon. It was good to be back!
Georgetown looked sunny and colorful, everybody is getting ready for the cruiser's regatta tomorrow flying all sorts of colorful flags.
Zingaro and Sweet Tides however, are weighing anchors at 9 or thereabouts, to head back to Staniel.
Mike went diving under his boat today and he says his propeller is full of growth! That means we have been here too long. Both Mike and Juan went to a fishing seminar on Volleyball beach and then shopping for lures, lines and hooks, so we are ready to catch all the tuna and mahi mahi that will be waiting for us in the Exuma Sound.
We are all looking forward to leaving Georgetown at last!

Biding our time in George Town

Zingaro and Sweet Tides are anchored in George Town waiting for my return from Santo Domingo for us to start on our way back. 

Joanna is safely home, she had some days of bad weather but in the end she was even able to go snorkeling with her dad. Our next visitors have cancelled their visit because of work so we are now at loose ends, winding up our tour. 

While I am here waiting for my conference to start I keep thinking we might as well trying to go to Conception before we leave, or the Jumentos, but the best of plans have all been shot down by the weather. 

The picture is one of the best from our Spooner reunion! 

Wind and rain and wind and more rain

Poor Joanna, the weather hasn't helped but she has been a great sport. The first day, Tom and Bobbi's last, was windy and cloudy but we walked on the beach for a couple of hours and she managed to get sunburnt on her shoulders. Yesterday was another gray and windy day but at 11:30 we went out for a hike, climbed the monument hill, walked on the beach to the end of the island and back and managed to hurt her feet. At 2:30, no sooner had we got into the boat than the slies opened and it rained and rained all day. The winds gusted up to 35 knots.
Thankfully today the sun came out and although it's still very windy it at least looks better.
In the meantime Sweet Tides was trapped at the marina. They had a very rolly and noisy night. Juan went over to help them out (plus several others on deck) and they are now anchored just beside us. We missed them!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Reconnected

The wind has been howling in Georgetown, so bad that it was hard to take Val and Tom back to their hotel. Yesterday we were all going to have dinner together and couldn't. Sweet Tides moved to the marina in Georgetown to be able to spend the evening with them but Zingaro stayed put. Juan picked up Joanna in the dinghy and it was a very very wet ride.

This morning we went for a walk on the beach with her and Tom and Bobbi and at around 11 we docked at the marina to fill up with water and do laundry, go to the market and allow Tom and Bobbi to take their taxi to the airport. We almost got trapped again in the marina because the wind was pushing us against the dock. Mike and another couple helped us with the lines and we managed to get out. We were lucky, we saw two other sailboats being towed out from their slips.

Sweet Tides will attempt to leave tomorrow. The winds will continue to blow so we will do the best we can to make sure Joanna has a good time.

  

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile