The sail from West Bay to Norman’s Cay is an easy crossing of the Exuma Banks with water rarely over 12′ deep. VPR or visual piloting rules apply which means you look over the bow and if it looks too shallow, don’t go there! Charts are not a big help other than getting you close to where you want to go. The entrance to Norman’s is kind of tricky, and given that we arrived at low tide, we chose to anchor outside for the night between Taffia Point and Skipjack Point.

The next day we motored between the islands in Norman’s Cay channel and anchored close to the downed drug plane. It is, to date, the most beautiful place we have visited. We are learning to read the depth of water by the colors and the colors were just spectacular. It is hard to describe. There is a downed plane in this area and a tale about drug lords who had owned the island until they were busted. This all makes for good stories. There is a restaurant on Norman’s Cay, an airstrip, and a few homes. Wax Cay is the other major island here and it is a private resort! We went snorkeling north of the Whales Tail and along the cliffs off the Whales Tail. We had hoped to spear some fish, but the big fish did not abound that day. We did truly enjoy the structure of the reefs there and the beautiful aquarium fish. We also explored Norman’s Pond until the weather front chased us home. We rushed back about 1.5 miles through water sometimes no more than a foot deep. We thought we were taking a shortcut back to the boats, but in reality, staying in the deeper water might have taken less time. I’ve been waiting for ages to change our blog masthead to include a shot of our own. I’d been searching for a deserted island with a palm tree and I think I’ve found it!

On 2/17 we sailed from Norman’s Cay to Big Majors Spot. We sailed almost the entire way with just the jib out. The winds were 15-20 and gusts to 25. We cruised along at an average of six knots! I had expected an uncomfortable ride, but it was actually quite nice. If we had put up the main sail, we would have gone faster, but the heel would have made Goliath and me uncomfortable, so the captain did the right thing!

On Big Majors Spot there is a beach called Pig Beach because of the feral pigs that roam the area. These are not wild boars, but rather farm pigs that are just out roaming around. They will swim to the boats if they think they will get fed! Very cute. We dinghied over to a resort on Sampson Cay and got a loaf of bread and some iceberg lettuce for $11! That was offset by our first sightings of sharks. They were nurse sharks, but there were about 5 of them lounging in the flowing waters by the cut.

Club Thunderball on Staniel Cay offered happy hour every afternoon. We had to sample so off we went. Great cheeseburgers and $3 beers plus free pool! The club overlooks the Thunderball Cave used in the filming of the James Bond movie of the same name.

We enjoyed Bimini but were happy to leave the confines of the small harbor and dockage fees. We left Bimini on 2/12 around 1130 and had a long day of sailing/motor-sailing. Leaving Bimini was a wee bit lumpy but the wind and seas died throughout the day and we had dead calm to anchor in at Russell Beacon. Russell Beacon is on the Great Bahama Bank and we could not see land in any direction.

John captured a spectacular photo of Harv on Camelot as sunrise. We rose early on 2/13 and motor-sailed (mostly motor) onto the Tongue of the Ocean where the water is a deep blue and we were blessed with dead calm seas. With the calm seas we were able to watch the surface action of the fish. First we saw flying fish running along the water and then take off flying 50 yards or more. Seeing flying fish in dead calm water is unbelievably beautiful. Next John saw ripples forming from scattering baitfish and then a larger swirl of a large fish under the surface. John turned toward the poles as we passed through this area and, I’ll be darned if we didn’t get a hit. As I went over to reel in the other line, we saw two fish jump and instead of bringing in an empty line, I brought in a small dolphin-fish (Mahi-Mahi). The landing was made a little more difficult when I loosened rather then tensioned the drag and let out about 100 yards of line. The fish feeling the tension release proceeded to head toward Bimini before we got the drag tightened. John helped me bring mine in with the gaff while he kept his fish at bay with decreasing the drag and putting the rod in the rod-holder. When John got back over to his rod, the fish had gotten some rest and gone under the boat. He had quite a fight again with this fish, but eventually we landed his 47-inch 16 pound Mahi. All the while we are struggling with our two fish, a larger Mahi was out there trying to take the lure out of the mouths of our fish. Not a bright fish! With two fish flopping in the cockpit there was slime and blood going everywhere. I think we’ve mentioned the cruiser’s way to anesthetize fish is to pour alcohol into their gills and this is what we did. Unfortunately, we still only had the rotgut red wine close at hand and we added the stain-producing red wine to the slime and blood. What a mess and then John started cleaning them! We ended up with enough fish for 18 individual servings.

After a spectacular day on the Tongue of the Ocean, we anchored in West Bay at New Providence Island. This is the island where Nassau is located. Most cruisers go into Nassau harbor when cruising south, but Nassau has some disadvantages. There is quite a bit of theft in Nassau and it is one of the only places where dinghies and boats are consistently locked at all times. The harbor also has lots of current and is not the most ideal for anchoring. The third reason not to go the Nassau route has to do with navigation upon leaving. The Nassau route to the East takes one through the Yellow Patch, which is strewn with coral heads and is tricky to navigate. The West Bay route takes one through the White Patch, which does not have these navigational obstructions. The disadvantage of the West End is that the anchorage is not well protected from the wind and that factor is often the most critical factor in comfortable anchoring. We were lucky to have dead calm, so the West Bay was perfect. We anchored with our Buddy boat, Camelot and two other boats we had met in Bimini, Blown Away and Euphoria. That evening we had a potluck with Mahi being the main course. Yum Yum!

Bimini is composed of two rather small islands, North Bimini where we stayed, and South Bimini. North Bimini is about 1/4 mile wide and has approximately 1500 residents. North and South Bimini are connected by water taxis that run about every 20 minutes throughout the day. Almost all of the commerce is located on North Bimini which is considerably bigger than South.

My impressions of Bimini are mixed. First of all, the clear aqua-blue water and white sandy beaches are astoundingly beautiful.

There are reef fish, rays, starfish, barracuda, and tarpon swimming beneath our docks. The water is so clear that identification is easy. There are conch shells everywhere. They are so plentiful that the natives mix them in their cement like we use stones. We went out at low tide onto the flats and brought home our first live conch. John is out cleaning them as I write.

The shells of the conch are much more vibrantly colored than the ones you find littering the beaches and in the souvenir shops of the Florida Keys. We also collected sand dollars and picked up and examined (but did not take) live starfish, huge hermit crabs, and an assortment of other crustaceans. The native Bahamians have been very friendly and welcoming. For Super Bowl Sunday, we were all invited to a hotel on South Bimini for 25-cent wings and 2 beers for $5. A free taxi took us over to the pink condo complex that we had lined up with when we arrived. From there we took a “school bus” the 1-2 miles to the Hotel. The bus was painted up like the Partridge Family bus from the 1970’s TV show (anyone remember that?). The hotel and tavern were nice but not luxurious. The wings were good and the beer was as promised. I unfortunately don’t drink beer, and mixed drinks were $7 a piece. Well, I had prepared for this by bringing a flask! I just ordered cokes and enjoyed a wonderful evening of football and adult beverages at just the right price! We started out the evening outside listening to a local band by the sea. There was a huge big-screen being set up for the game, but it was cool, so we soon went into the tavern. We had assumed the bar was empty, but no, it was packed with locals! It turns out that Bahamians are American football fanatics, and like everyone, they enjoy a good deal on wings and beer. All had a good time. We also have enjoyed the “End of the World” bar. The owner is also the cook and she serves up some outstanding conch salad and other fine meals as well. The drinks are expensive ($5 per beer) but, hey, we must support the local economy!!! We’ve also enjoyed local bakery items sold from a “golf cart” in the local craft market. There are lots of small grocery stores on the island that sell most items that you desire, but at a steep price. There is no agriculture on the island, so everything is shipped in. Every Thursday, when seas are favorable, a ship brings in fresh produce and other grocery items.

Well, we have been here almost 2 weeks now, and seas were not favorable. Thursday deliveries were made on Sunday. This meant that all eggs on the island were gone by Friday and vegetables were minimal!!! Prices stayed the same though…. Highway robbery!!! I don’t know how the locals can afford to eat.

Bimini, on the negative side, is rife with abandoned housing and litter is abundant. The beauty of the ocean, therefore, is offset by crumbling buildings and trash-strewn beaches.

There also is a condo development on one end of North Bimini that has upset the locals because of its elaborate gated entry. The presence of the gate truly demarcates the haves and the have-nots. The locals and the Shark Lab people also are fighting the development of a golf course on this end of North Bimini. There is a proposal to fill in some of the mangrove areas that are the nursery grounds for the lemon shark. We went to the Shark Lab and hoped to “swim with the sharks” but the TV show “Shark Week” was filming then. The Shark Lab captures and tags sharks in the area and have research data going back 15 years. We witnessed a 10′ bull shark being handled by the Shark Lab people just across the channel from us. The shark had been caught by locals and they intended to eat it. The lab bought it for $150 and revived it and then released it.

We have enjoyed Bimini but we are ready to move on. It has been 10 days cold fronts and the winds have been high. We look forward to going to Chub Key and the Exumas next.

The weather is calming for a period so we’re off to cross the banks to Chub Cay and then on to Nassau. We’ve had a great time in Bimini and will post a detailed entry soon. In the meantime you can check out some pictures on my Facebook page.

We will anchor somewhere on the banks overnight and then head towards the Tongue of the Ocean in the morning.

Last night we had dinner on the beach and watched the sunset on an almost calm ocean. We were rewarded with a small but distinct green flash as the sun dipped below the horizon. Very cool.

TTFN

We were ready to go at the end of the first week of January but we needed to wait for the weather to be relatively calm and warm enough for the crossing. During the second week in January there was a weather window that would allow passage, but the temperatures were down in the 40-50s. We chose to wait and finally departed on 1/26/09 with our buddy boat Camelot. Camelot is a catamaran with a much shallower draft, so they went up the Keys to Angelfish Creek on the Gulf side and we went up on the Atlantic side on Hawk Channel. We spent two nights on the Gulf side just inside the bridge off Channel 5 at Islamorada while we waited out winds. Night 3 we spent anchored just north of Angelfish Creek right out in the Atlantic. Luckily it was a very calm night and we rested well.

At just past dawn on the morning of the 29th we met up with Camelot. Camelot had spent the night on the Gulf side of Angelfish Creek. This was the first Gulf Stream crossing for both John and I. We had waited and waited for a weather window that would have favorable winds (no northerly component and not over 20 knots) and favorable wave-heights (less than 5 feet). The Gulf Stream flows north at anywhere from 1 knot up to 3 knots and if there are northerly winds opposing the stream, the waves make it very uncomfortable (very similar to sailing Lake Michigan in high winds). The day we set off was predicted to be “perfect” but it was a bit rough. It was sunny and mild with winds of 15-20 from the south to southeast, so we were able to sail or motor-sail the whole way over.

The waves were in the 2-4+ range and we got roughed up a bit. I was not totally comfortable with the amount of heel but by tweaking the sails, we were able to make the passage tolerable. Neither John nor I believe that getting there is half the fun and Goliath was pissed. He stayed in his house for the trip. The passage was only 8 and a half hours. We averaged 7 to 8 knots sailing! We saw lots of freighters out in the Gulf Stream and our buddy boat had a semi-close encounter with a cruise liner.

The cruise ship actually altered course to avoid us, which we certainly appreciated. Freighters are not so accommodating as we have blogged about before.

Our depth sounder quit working out in the stream where the depths were twenty two hundred feet or more but started working again as we motored into North Bimini. The entrance to the harbor is hair-raising, unmarked, and requires some local knowledge. Luckily there were friends from Marathon in the harbor and they talked us in. We also were lucky enough to follow Harv and Ann in! Nice buddy boat!!! The entrance requires you to line up with “the pink condos” and motor toward shore until you are about 50-100 yards off shore and then take a 90 degree turn to port. There then is one red marker that you head toward. Meanwhile, waves are crashing off the shallows to port and the shore lurks to starboard! I don’t think it would be advisable to try this at night!

We are here!!!! First thing we find out is that the marina we wanted to stay at was full, so we pull into the first available spot at Weech’s Marina. There is quite a current here and the winds were blowing some, so our attempts at docking were a bit clumsy. We touched bottom once but eventually made it into a slip. All the while we are attempting the landing, the dockmaster is hollering out instructions that only I could hear. John thought he was talking about our “buddy boat” Camelot who was also trying to dock when he actually was yelling, “don’t hit anybody’s boat, mon”. Camelot “kissed” the dock on their first attempt in and more yelling back and forth ensued. We finally made it though and then I had a minor melt down while trying to fill out the volumes of paperwork, supplied by the dockmaster, required for customs and immigration. I guess the nerves just get to me when things don’t go completely smooth!

Marylee sits “suspended” in the crystal clear waters of Bimini.

Once docked, the quarantine flag went up and only the captain could leave the boat until we “cleared customs”. John and Harv took care of customs while Ann and I calmed our nerves with some adult beverages.

Ann unwinds after her rough landing!

We also chatted with our neighbors to port and across. We found out that they were Wisconsinites!! Small world! Wisconsinites and Canadians like to cruise in the winter…. I wonder why? Harv and Ann are from Wisconsin too, so about a quarter of the cruisers here were Cheeseheads!! Anyway…. boats over 35 feet are charged a $300 entry fee ($150 for smaller boats) and this includes fishing and spearing for 6 months or two crossings, whichever comes first. Once these fees were paid and our papers were stamped, we hoisted the Bahamian flag and began to enjoy Bimini.

Our stay in the Keys lasted one month. While there we renewed friendships with those we met last year, met new cruisers, and provisioned for the 3-4 month cruise to the Bahamas.

New Years on Camelot

(clockwise from back, Art, Jean, John, Mary, Larry and Kitty (Sail Dreamer)

We spent Christmas and New Years Eve with friends Harv and Ann from Camelot and Art and Jean from Samana. Art and Jean left shortly after the New Year for Isla Muherjas in Mexico and Harv and Ann are our traveling buddies.

Harv and Ann

Art and Jean getting to leave for Mexico.

As always we enjoyed our morning dose of local news on the Cruiser’s Net on VHF 68, visits to Dockside for nightly entertainment (especially Joe Mama), Christmas Eve services at the Methodist Church, Wednesday night meet and greets, the Wazoo Cup “race”, fishing on the reef with Dave and Joann, snorkeling on the reef by myself, wings at the Hurricane, sunsets at Frosties and the feeling of community that we get when we are in Marathon.

Dave’s fish, we broke the curse!

For those of you who are familiar with Marathon, you will be happy to hear that the new bathhouse and laundry are completed. You also will be unhappy to know (but not surprised to know) that same bathhouse and laundry are not open yet due to some administrative details having to do with the sewers. When we left Marathon the bathhouse was scheduled to open in mid-February. We look forward to the new bathhouse next fall.

A major task while in Marathon was provisioning for the trip to the Bahamas. While groceries are available in the Bahamas, the prices are astounding, so we stocked up for a four-month trip. Harv and Ann had a car in Marathon, so Ann and I took off for the closest Walmart superstore that was two hours away in Florida City. Making a shopping list for a four-month trip was a chore in itself. I inventoried all food items that we had in stock, entered it into a Filemaker database, and then made an educated guess about what we’d need. I ended up with a 3 page, single-spaced, typed list of what we needed. Ann and I enjoyed a girl’s day out and chatted all the way. Once in Walmart, we were all business. Ann went her way and I headed to the canned goods. Four hours later I had filled 3 grocery carts and was exhausted as I limped to the check-out lane. It took a full half-hour to check out the $650 worth of groceries and then my credit cards were rejected! Apparently the credit card companies were protecting me from fraud and didn’t believe that I could spend so much at Walmart. It was about enough to send me over the edge when the store didn’t offer me a phone to use to contact the credit companies. Luckily Ann had her cell phone and I was able to contact one of the credit card companies and get things straightened around. It took several attempts though because Capitol One’s computer thought I wanted to speak Spanish after typing in the 14 digit credit card number, the security code, texting my mother’s maiden name, and the last 4 digits of my social security number. If you have ever seen me red in the face and frustrated, you can picture me that day. We eventually were able to leave exhausted and hungry. It was wings night at Hurricanes, so we called the boys and met them there for wings and a few cocktails!! The groceries were non-perishable for the most part, so they got dinghied to the boat over a couple of days. This too is a task in and of itself.

Where does one put $650 worth of groceries on a boat that is already cramped? Well first you take packaged items out of cardboard and put them in plastic to keep them fresh and moisture-free. Then you tear off the paper labels from the canned goods and label them with permanent markers so that the paper does not attract moisture and mildew. And then you find every nook and cranny and fill it. I kept my Filemaker database up-to-date on where we put things and we filled the pantries, cabinets, bilges, and hidey-holes behind the settees. Without the Filemaker database, I suspect we would never be able to find what we need. Case in point, John bought some activated charcoal that we use as a deodorizer in the plumbing vent. It came time to refresh that vent and our big sacks of charcoal remain hidden. One day when we least expect it, charcoal will be found.

While I provisioned, John made repairs on the boat, filled propane tanks, filled water jugs, filled fuel jugs and the tanks. Next up, the crossing to Bimini!