We were eagerly awaiting the fireworks display at Staniel Cay for the Fourth. All weather forecasts indicated clear skies with a nearly full moon and excellent viewing. An hour before the event the skies opened up and the rain continued for two hours forcing cancellation of the celebratory pyrotechnics….more Fake Weather! We can’t escape it even in the Bahamas!!
We prepared to get underway for our return to Nassau and a chance to try out our new Asymmetrical Spinnaker. Robin and I designed the pattern and colors and it was a dream come true for downwind sailing! We were doing 5 to 6 knots in only 8 knots of wind for a blissfully serene sail surfing with a following sea. The only thing we heard was the gentle lapping of the crystalline aquamarine sea against our hull.
The spinnaker allows for a cool comfortable ride versus the wallowing motion and heat of a downwind run with traditional sails or the smell of burnt diesel in light winds if motor-sailing. Hallelujah!!
We arrived in Normans Cay, famous for drug running in the 80s, but there was no sign of that activity when we anchored off of Battery Point for a quiet night on the hook. As usual, we took a dip in the shallow, pristine water before a sundowner cocktail and dinner.
The next day we traveled about 36 miles to Rose Island just a few miles east of Nassau. Day number two of peaceful downwind sailing under spinnaker was as good as it gets on a cruising sailboat.
Along the way we had to cross the notorious Yellow Bank known for the numerous coral heads that threaten to take a bite out of your keel. The clarity of the water allows you to easily dodge these devils and although it appears that the “rocks” were near the surface, we never saw any depth less than 10 feet. Since we draw 6 feet there was no problem.
We tucked into Rose Island Anchorage for the night, but the surge and wind were relentless and made us eager to head out early to travel to Nassau Harbor for topping up of fuel and to tie up at the Hurricane Hole Yacht Club.
Having been away from Nassau for 12 days, it was time to tend to such mundane tasks as laundry, fresh food shopping, and boat cleaning inside and out. To prepare for crossing the Tongue of the Ocean, the Bahama Bank and the Gulf Stream, I rolled up the tender and put it in it’s home in the forward cabin and stowed the grill. Between the chores we enjoyed the bliss of air conditioning while we were plugged in and planned for our adventure at the Atlantis Resort.
Saturday, we took the brief stroll to Atlantis to enjoy all of the amenities. As you may know, it is a fabulous property with every conceivable water sport and water park feature imaginable.
We have been looking forward to a relaxing day enjoying the resort and that we did, along with 15,000 of our closest friends. The park is so well-planned and managed that you can actually enjoy yourself without feeling overwhelmed with humanity.
The buildings themselves are works of art and the Aquaria are stunning. I dare you to wander the property without a perennial smile across your face.
Robin found this to be her ideal way to do some shark diving as opposed to my usual method of back-rolling off of a panga into a sea of dorsal fins around a bait ball!
There are hundreds of species represented in the aquaria throughout the resort giving everyone an excellent chance to view the underwater world just as an experienced diver would.
As I write this, we are relaxing in the rambling Atlantis lobby and shops savoring coffee and delicious pastry and planning for our journey tomorrow as we head back to the U.S. The trip will be about 180 nautical miles and will take about 36 hours. We’ll do our usual 3 hour watches, but always show some flexibility in the schedule depending on the status of our crew of 2.
The weather should be favorable with 11 to 16 knots of wind from the ESE and 2 to 3 foot seas:
The Gulf Stream crossing also looks favorable with 10 to 15 knots of wind and 2 to 3 foot seas. No hazards are expected, but with all of this Fake Weather….who knows?!
We’ll be untying the lines Monday morning and heading for the Northwest Channel, entering the Bahama Bank with its mesmerizing 8 to 15 foot shallows.
Near dawn on Tuesday, we’ll be approaching Bimini and then start the Gulf Stream crossing with great light allowing us to dodge the heavy traffic of cargo ships in the Straights of Florida. We will enter Hawk Channel at Fowey Rocks, just south of Miami before sundown.
“There are three sorts of people; those who are alive, those who are dead, and those who are at sea.”
Anacharsis, 6th Century BC
See you on the other side.
Captain Bobby and The Admiral