North Bimini for X-mas

We moved from Cat Cay to the west side of Gun Cay on Wednesday as the wind had swung around to the East.  We wanted to spend another night at anchor before going into the house at North Bimini.  We anchored off a beach with the seabed alternating between rock, sand and coral .  Once again the water is this amazing shade of blue and so so clear.  Scott and Sam had a snorkel and there was lots to see - different corals, fish and crayfish.  

Calley finally getting used to jumping from the ships side

Sam on depth lookout

In the afternoon we took a trip into the beach and had an explore around and let the kids run around and play in the sand for a while.  Its always interesting having a look around these beaches.  The shoreline here is littered with conch shells - they are the beautiful big shells which have a amazing shiny pink colour inside.  When they are “live” there is a little critter inside that you can eat and which is a bit of a local delicacy.  We also picked up a couple of floats and a fishing lure so all in all it was a very fruitful trip.

Conch Shells

The night at anchor was relatively quiet.  The next day we had to shift to North Bimini.  The plan was to get up early and spend a few hours fishing to catch a couple of Mahi Mahi for X-mas.  We would then be able to enter North Bimini on the high tide.  All went according to plan apart from catching any fish.  This fishing is a bit like golf - when you think you are getting a handle on things it all starts to unravel.  At least we had a good sail.

We ended up off the entrance channel to North Bimini just before midday.  We had some time to kill so carried out a man overboard drill with the scenario being that Scott had gone over the side.   Everything went OK and we recovered our dummy but conditions were pretty benign.  At least it gave everyone an idea of what was involved.  One of the tricky aspects with Dulcinea is that due to her size the freeboard would make any recovery operation in any sea state quite difficult.  We recently bought a second boarding ladder which can be deployed over the side which would go some way to easing the situation but all in all we hope we will not ever have to use it for that purpose.  It is certainly our worst nightmare scenario.

While we were  drilling we took a good look at the entrance channel.  It is supposed to be dredged to 12ft.  The entrance buoys were in place however at some point between the the buoys and the beach the channel takes a dog leg and runs up the east side of North Bimini.  Unfortunatley the buoys marking the dog leg were no longer in place.  We had read that this is one of the challenges of sailing here and other non US destinations i.e. that marks etc may not be maintained or even worse may be in the wrong location.  As such all the guide books recommend navigating by eye.  The GPS can get you into the area but for any tight work you need to learn to read the water.  The different colours give you an idea of where the deeper water is.

We crept in past the outer marker buoys and at first missed the dog leg and touched on one of the skirting sand bars.  It was not a major as we going extremely slowly and the bottom was sand so we just reversed off and had another go at it.  This time we picked up the deep water colour and slowly motored in towards Bimini.  It was pretty nerve wracking because even though there is a channel you never know if there are any shallow spots and even in the channel there is only 1 to 1.5 m below our keel..  North Bimini must be about 4 or 5 kms long and about maybe a half km wide and no higher than 30m or 40m on the eastern shore.  It is orientated in a north/south direction.  On the west side a beach runs the length of the island and the water rapidly drops off to hundreds of feet deep in the Gulf Stream.  On the other side there is shallow reef for a few kms through which the access channel has been cut which parallels the shoreline and provides access to the resort development in the north end of the island.  This resort was our destination.  

Bimini west side

East Side Bimini

Bimini Street

We motored up the channel passing a couple of low key marinas with sport fishing boats tied up.  There were a couple of other boats at anchor just outside the channel but generally it was pretty quiet.  The shore is lined with mainly single storey individual houses which look like they have weathered a hurricane or two.  There are a few jetties, derelict land with rubble and abandoned boats aground.  At the north end of the channel we arrived at the resort which was also very quiet and berthed Dulcinea outside the house we had rented which was to be home for the Christmas period.  The resort is quite a development with two marinas, lots of private homes and jetties.  They are still building the resort adding more homes and a golf course in the next development stages.

Dulcinea berthed at the house in Bimini

We settled into the house and later in the afternoon Scott’s brother, Lars, arrived with his family and Scott’s mother.  So we are all set for X-mas.  It is great to catch up with everyone and for the kids to play with their cousins.  Scott and Nic are still staying on the boat but the kids moved into the house.  Its also great to know we will be in one place for the next week or so.  We may take the boat out for a sail but that’s about all the boating we will be doing.  We did have an issue with the water depth right alongside which was less than the necessary 8ft at low tide and so ended up setting two anchors out in the channel to pull us off and hold us off the quayside.

Lars working with Scott to set the anchors - note who is not in the water

There are a few cars on the island but the most common mode of transport is by golf cart and so we hired a couple and took off along the only road out of the resort.  Its an interesting place.  Generally outside the resort its pretty run down and our initial impressions when coming up the channel were confirmed.  There are a few shops and restaurants which look like they are based out of someone’s house and an inordinate amount of churches and the obligatory rum bar.  We did the whole island in half an hour and then grabbed some food - cracked conch in a little place called the "Three Daughters" run by this lovely local lady called Kim.  Kim gave us the low down on where to go to buy stuff and so after lunch we ended up at "Charlies" house  buying some bread.  We tried to buy some provisions on the way back to the house and the look around the stores confirmed that it was a good job we had stocked up in the US.  Bimini is known for its great sportfishing and due to the islands close proximty to Miami it attracts a lot of clients from mainland US.  Bimini was also the hang out of Earnest Hemmingway and he is a bit of a legend on the island.  He spent a lot of time on the island and wrote some of his novels here whilst at the same time adding to his reputation for living life to the full.

Local wheels

Lunch at the Tree Daughters

Buying bread island style

So that will probably be all for 2012.  We have had a hell of year and are looking forward to relaxing for the next week.  For everything above the island does have a relaxed feel about it.

We just want to wish everyone reading a merry and safe X-mas and happy New Year. 

Cat Cay (from 17th Dec)

We have just spent the last three days on holiday - at least thats what it feels like.  We are anchored in the lee of a small island called Cat Cay and have spent the last few days living onboard, swimming, reading etc.

We spent a couple of more days in Port Lucaya waiting for a weather shift and decided on a field trip for one of the days to Freeport which is very close to Port Lucaya.  There was an international market which Nic especially wanted to see.  One afternoon we all set off to catch the local bus.  The buses here are little mini-vans with only a rough schedule.  They hang around the bus stop until there are enough passengers and then take off on a determined route.  We got let off at Freeport near the market but it was pretty disappointing.  We were told later that Grand Bahama was hit by two hurricanes in 2004 and it did some real damage and the island is still struggling to recover.  A lot of the tourist dollars have disappeared.  You can still see remnants of the damage around the streets and buildings including major hotels lying empty.  We wandered around a bit and then headed back to the boat.  The island reminds us of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland - same type of tropical vegetation.  It is surprisingly green with lots of trees.  On the road they drive on the left but the cars are both left and right hand drive, I guess due to the proximity of the US car market.

Sam learning to paddle

Dulcinea berthed at Port Lucaya

While we were moored in the marina there had been a sportfishing tournament going on so each evening. The sportfishing boats return from the days fishing and the catch is weighed.  The jetty beside us was the centre of all the action.  A bar is set up for a few hours in the evening and music is played while the crews mill around having a drink and cleaning the fish.  There are some cleaning tables set up at the end of the jetty and when they start cleaning the fish scavengers start appearing in the water.  On the first night there were some big Tarpon and a shark of some sort circling the jetty and our bow.  Its all over within a few hours.  The fishing tournament used to be huge with tens of boats entered but again due to the economic downturn its has been drastically reduced and this time there were only about 4 boats.

The shark and tarpon

Sunday morning we slipped the lines and Nic navigated us out of the narrow marina entrance and into clear water where we found a brisk easterly blowing.  We set a course for Isaac Rock which lies north of the Bimini Islands about 40NM away.  From Issac Rock its about another 20 miles south to North Bimini.  Once we had the sails up Sam got the fishing line in the water.  It was not long before we heard the whirring of the line being pulled out indicating a strike.  This time we were all ready - we pulled in a good sized Mahi Mahi, doused it with rum and then killed it and set it into a storage bin.  We set the line again but with no luck. Sam was so stoked with his catch.

Sam and the second Mahi Mahi

The sail to Bimini was superb.  The wind stayed in the east and we reached all the way down getting up to 10kts occassionally.  There were a few showers around but we managed to avoid most of them.  The wind moderated in the afternoon as we turned south around Isaac Rock and the sea calmed, I guess due to the calming effect of the Great Bahama Bank off to the east.  At around 1600 we set the anchor off the beach off North Bimini and spent the night.  The islands are all very low lying with beaches or reef all the way around.  From our anchorage you can see buildings lining the shore line but it does not look developed - more kind of rustic.  Although around the other side is where the marina and resort are.  There are no other boats anchored off the beach but there are a few entering and leaving the channel into the island marina.

Sam and Scott set about cleaning the Mahi Mahi and did a pretty good job cutting off two huge fillets that fed the family for two nights.  We have also kept the head to make a fish head curry later - thats those SIngaporean influences coming into play.

• Processing the catch

The weather was forecast to move into the South and West for the next few days so we headed off  to another anchorage in the morning about 12NM further south at an island.  On one of the reefs there were the bones of a ship wreck silhouetted against the morning light.  It was a pretty big vessel and a reminder of  how treacherous this coast can be.  We tried fishing but caught nothing although we did have a strike when I was talking with Graham P (- apologies for my abrupt end to the conversation but when that fishing line starts flying out its pretty exciting).  

The anchorage we had selected was around on the other side of Cat Cay and to get there we had to negotiate a narrow pass between Gun Cay and Cat Cay.  The controlling depths were down to 2.2 meters in places so we had timed our transit to coincide with high tide.  Even so at some points we would only have a couple of feet under the keel so we had to be extremely careful.  We edged our way around the south point of Gun Cay extremely close to the rocks and then turned and glided between a couple of sand banks off cat Cay before dropping the anchor about 300yds off the beach in 4.5m of crystal clear water.  This was home for the next three days.  

The anchorage is off this beautiful beach lined with palm trees and studded with a few houses.  Up one end of the beach about a mile away is the entrance to the marina.  This island is a resort but it is very quiet with little or no movement onshore.  During the day two or three boats may come in or leave the marina but thats about it.  We have seen no-one on the beaches.  The sea bottom is sand with a light covering of weed.  The water is so clear you can see how the anchor is set with out actually getting in the water.  It is a beautiful aquamarine colour exactly like the brochures and warm.

Sam taking Calley out for a paddle

We all have been relaxing for the past couple of days enjoying the sun, swimming, snorkeling and kayaking during the day with some schooling thrown in.  At night we have had a simple dinner and then set up Nic’s computer on deck to watch a movie under the stars.  We watched Forrest Gump to show the kids some of the places we have visited where the movie was filmed.

Tomorrow we take the boat back to North Bimini where we will moor it outside the rental house for Christmas and we can catch up with Scott’s family who are coming down to spend Christmas here.

***** Huge congratulations to Keith and Susan - hope you guys had a great day.

***** Happy happy happy birthday to dear Jess on the 23rd!

***** A special “shout out” to Peggy - Nina’s good friend in Bradenton - who keeps Nina updated when she can’t get onto the blog. Thanks for reading, Peggy! :)

The Bahamas

We spent the last few days in Palm Beach getting ready to leave and buying the last bits and pieces.  If we were here for another month we would probably still be buying additional bits and pieces at the last minute - there is always something else.  Nic is concentrating on the victuals and Scott on the boat equipment.  In addition we had to visit the customs and immigration people to “clear out”.  The process was very straightforward and with our cruising permit did not require us to attend the customs office - a fact we found out only after visiting the customs office.

We also had a visit from Nina and Walt our friends from Bradenton who we visited last week.  Nina and Walt stayed on the boat for Saturday night and we all had an enjoyable time looking around the marina and Palm Beach and generally relaxing.  Palm Beach certainly is full of contrast - we visited Worth Avenue for a look around.  This is the Champs Elysee of Palm Beach where all the ritzy shops are.  It was early evening by the time we got there so luckily a lot of the shops were closed.  It was very clean and orderly and all the shops looked extremely expensive but not much in the way of soul about the place.  Not that far away are the poorer areas which are pretty run down.  Some areas we were told not to go walk around in or to be very careful if we did.  I am sure there is more to Palm Beach but we had limited time to see any more.  It was great to catch up with Nina and Walt before we left.

Worth Avenue

One of our neighbours in the marina

Walt and Calley on Worth Avenue

On Tuesday morning first light we bade farewell to our alongside bar/cafe and maneuvered out of the marina basin.  It was pretty tricky as we were hemmed in by boats behind us moored mediterranean style i.e. stern into the quay, boats alongside us to Starboard and the quayside to port.  We used the spring lines to “spring” the stern out into the middle of the basin and then turned around and motored clear.  The forecast was good for the gulf stream crossing with a south easterly wind.  We had a course plotted which was just south of east allowing for the influence of the gulf stream current.  The transit was 54NM and was anticipated to take approximately 8 hrs.  It started off pretty windless so we motored for the first couple of hours until the wind started up.  When the wind came it came in with immediate effect - the wind speed went from around 7 or 8 kts to 15 to 17kts in a few minutes. 

Last look at the Mega Yacht Marina

The Gulf Stream western wall starts about 4 miles off the Florida coast at Palm Beach.  The warm waters contain lots of predatory fish and is why there are so many sport fishing boats in Florida and the Bahamas.  We decided that this would be a great place to start our real ocean fishing.  Once into the Gulf Stream we rigged up two rods - one with an expensive lure and one with a Ballyhoo (a frozen fish embedded with hooks).  Within an hour we had a strike on the Ballyhoo.  As we were reeling it in it became entangled with the second line.  So, bit of a shimozzle, but we eventually landed a nice looking Mahi Mahi.  We stunned the fish using rum poured down its gills - apparently thats the thing to do.  It worked a treat and made killing the thing a lot easier.  Turned out the reason the other line got tangled was because a fish had already taken the expensive lure off the line and so it had drifted over the other one.  Sam and Scott gutted and filleted the fish immediately but at this point the wind started and on deck was chaos with fish bits, and fishing gear everywhere, two fishing rods and lines in a hopeless tangle and Scott ranting away trying to get control of the boat.  To cut a long story short we lost our prized fillets over the side when Scott went to drain blood off the fish plate but let the meat slide off as well.  So our first day’s fishing resulted in no fish for dinner and the loss of one very expensive fishing lure but we did learn a thing or two for our next outing.

Sam and the first of many

We sailed for the rest of the day in lumpy seas and made landfall off the west end of Grand Bahama island around 1600.  The island is very low lying with little in the way of vegetation showing and holiday houses dotted on the coastline.  The waters around the Bahamas are notoriously shallow and a vessel with our draft has to be extremely careful.  We were too deep to moor at the marina and so had to find a anchorage “outside”.  The protected northern coast was too shallow for us so we were left with no alternative but too anchor off the exposed western side in an area the guide books described as dubious holding ground.  We went as far south as possible to get in the lee of a old breakwater and let the anchor go in about 6m of water.  The water here is so clear you can see the anchor going down and lying on the bottom.  After a bit of dragging we finally got what we figured was a secure hold.  Finally we were in the Bahamas albeit in a slightly rolly, windy and exposed anchorage with questionable holding.  Not exactly what we had been picturing.

Next issue was customs and immigration to “clear in”.  First we had to run the yellow “Q” (quarantine) flag up the starboard flag halyard.  This shows to all and sundry that we are a newly entered vessel into the country.  Next  Nic and Sam took the dingy into the local marina where the customs officials were located.  Again the process was relatively straightforward and required the filling in of a few forms, payment of $320 for a cruising permit and we were legal.  Next when Sam and Nic returned we took down the yellow “Q” flag and hoisted the Bahamian flag in its place.  We have to fly this flag as a courtesy flag while we are cruising Bahamian waters.  We still fly our red ensign off the stern.

The next morning the weather was still a bit rough - 20kts and a swell rolling into the anchorage but the anchor was holding well.  We thought we must have  hit the ideal spot to anchor.  With the anchor holding so well we decided to stay put and wait until early the next morning to move to a less exposed location approximately 20NM away.  The next problem encountered was when we went to start the genset and it would not start.  Again immediately thought the worst.  Turned out to be a stripped impellar on the raw water pump.  Scott was feeling seasick with the anchorage and havng to fix the pump did not help but it had to be done.  A couple of hrs later the genset was purring away.  Around mid morning a couple of locals in a speedboat came out and shouted to us that our anchor was hooked underneath the main power cable from Florida to the island.  No wonder we had held so well.  Luckily with the locals help we were able to remove it from the cable and reset it.  Scott went into the water to check the setting.  The clarity underwater is just amazing.  Its just like a clear day on land.  You can see all along the anchor chain to the anchor. However it was not a day for swimming due to the swell and so we hunkered down in the boat and did some schoolwork waiting for the weather to abate.

Scott and Sam off to inspect the anchor

Around three in the morning (Thursday) Nic and Scott got up and we moved out off the West End anchorage headed for Port Lucaya.  It was approximately 4 hrs steaming so we arrived just as the sun was rising.  More importantly the tide was at its highest.  The wind and seas had died down confirming that this had been the right move.  Port Lucaya is a major destination on Grand Bahama alongside Freeport.  There are a number of marinas in the area however this was the only one with the necessary depth for Dulcinea.  We lined up the Bells channel marks and headed for the entrance to the marina which consisted of a cut through the beach about 40m wide.  The water is shallow and we could only make this at high tide.  Inside the entrance there are a number of different connected lagoons.  We looked around, decided against anchoring and then obtained a slot in the Port Lucaya Marina.  After a bit more tricky maneuvering - had to reverse in - we were safe alongside.  Not an idyllic secluded anchorage as we were looking for but a great location nevertheless and the weather was definitely Caribbean when we pulled in - beautiful sunshine and a slight breeze.  The marina itself is quite compact and is surrounded by low key stores, bars and restaurants.  We need to have a look around but apparently there are a number of stores and a market place close by.  After squaring away the boat we all felt like we had finally arrived in the Bahamas proper.

The first thing Sam and Calley wanted to do was to try the new standup paddleboard and kayak.  They have been hanging out to use these since Jacksonville.  We put the standup paddleboard in the water and both kids had a try.  As soon as we started clouds rolled in and it started raining but they couldn’t care less.  They had great fun playing in the water at last.  In the afternoon we did some more schoolwork - always schoolwork. 

Sam on the stand up paddle board

And to finish a great day we have just bought some lobsters off a guy on the jetty who came around the boat.  So we are now off to prepare dinner.

Last Stop

We believe we may have found the perfect marina but more of that later.  We arrived in Palm Beach yesterday after another overnight sail from Canaveral.

We ended up staying four days in Canaveral but most of the time we were over on the West coast of Florida.  On the Saturday we hired a car and had a short road trip.  This place is so flat it makes Denmark look hilly.

We took Calley and Sam to see Winter the dolphin at the Clearwater Aquarium and it turned out to be a really great trip.  Scott was expecting just another aquarium with maybe a dolphin show thrown in for good measure similar to numerous other aquariums we have visitied but at Clearwater its primarily a rescue, rehabilitation and release centre and so they talk more about where the particular animals have come from and their history.  Any tricks etc are worked in as part of their physical therapy.  We ended up staying the whole day at the aquarium and got to see Winter the dolphin with no tail.  Its quite an amazing story and you should get the film “Dolphin Tale” to see what happened.  To cut a long story short they rescued a dolphin who was entangled in a crab trap but he lost his tail due to the damage it had suffered.  He managed to learn to swim himself but by moving his tail side to side instead of up and down so they had to give him an artificial tail to make him use the correct swim muscles. He only used the artificial tail for therapy.  Calley was stoked to see Winter.  The aquarium looks as though its run on a shoe string budget but the film has brought a lot of international attention so they are able to expand.

Clearwater Aquarium

Winter with no tail 

Calley with Winter's tail 

At night we stayed at a cheap motel which looked like something out of a Quentin Tarrantino movie but turned out to be OK.  The next day it was off further south to see some old friends Nina and Walt from Scotland who spend time over in Florida each year to escape the wet and cold.  Nina and Walt live down in a place called Bradenton and we had a great visit with the staying overnight and then returning to Canaveral the next day.

While we had the car we made use of it by carrying out any last minute shopping errands.  We are both trying to remember all the last minute items which we need to buy before leaving the land of plenty.  On Bimini where we are planning to spend X-mas we have been told there are no ATM’s so I believe trying to get Lavazza coffee or a spare fuel pump maybe out of the question.

On Tuesday evening we left Canaveral and sailed overnight to Palm Beach.  We are getting a bit more accustomed to the overnight sails.  Nic is still not keen on them but at least we are coinfident about undertaking them.  It does make it easier that the weather is now warmer.  Around midnight we got hit by a thunderstorm - no real problem just got drenched and confused for a while as the wind spun through 90 degrees after the rain.  We lost the wind for a while and so did not arrive at Palm Beach until late in the afternoon.  We looked at the anchorage but decided against it as there are a lot of shallow patches and not enough space in the deeper water - which is not that deep for our draft.  Nic found a marina nearby called Cannonsport and so we inched slowly down a channel and tied up for the night.  The marina was full of massive (60ft plus) sportfishing boats - we felt a bit out of place being one of only a handful of sail boats.  Next morning (Thursday 6th Dec) we waited for high tide and then left Cannonsport headed for another marina further up the Palm Beach channel.  All the water is very shallow around here so moving around is done very slowly.

The next marina is called Rybovich Marina - apparently they are a well known fabricator of top end sport fishing boats.  As we were approaching all we could see was a sea of mega yachts.  As we pulled into the marina it felt like we were entering the land of the giants.  There are two basins here.  We are in the South basin and I would not be suprised if the combined value of the boats that are here is close to $500 million.  There are a couple of boats in the other basin with helicopters on the decks.  On the hard stand area are huge mega yachts completely enclosed in a plastic temprorary housing having work done.  Once in the marina we were directed to a slot all the way in beside the shore services.  So now we are moored literally 20ft from a cafe - Nic is in her element.  But it gets better - at night the cafe is a laid back open air bar.  In addition there is a swimming pool for the kids, a crew lounge etc.  Its a bit pricey but as this will be our last stop in the US we consider it worthwhile.

Dulcinea moored beside the cafe/bar

So for the next few days we need to complete all the last minute items which consists of buying any remaining items.  While we were in Canaveral the fresh water pump gave up the ghost.  Luckily we had a spare we could access but now need to get another spare but also find out why our pumps keep failing - there is always something.  Must say a big thanks to Lars and Diana who have been acting as our quatermaster for our trip so far.  They are joining us in the Bahamas but will probably only have room for a pair of swimmers what with all the spare parts and other bits and pieces they have received for us and must bring in their luggage.  Also while in Palm Beach we have to pay a visit to US customs and immigration (Homeland Security) to complete clearing out procedures.  It should be relatively straight forward but when dealing with officialdom you never know.  And finally there is the never ending task of cleaning the boat.  Since we got down south the frequency of bird excrement landing on the deck has increased substantially - not sure what they eat down this way but a lot comes out the other end making for a endless job cleaning up especially when we are docked in the uber chic mega yacht marina.

At this stage we are planning to transit across to the Bahamas on Monday when the weather looks good.  To do this we need to cross the Gulf Stream which runs at up to three to four knots at times in a northwards direction and is about 30 to 40 miles across off Palm Beach.  As such we need to take due note of it and plan accordingly.  It is said to be a pretty mean bit of water if you get northerly winds due to the opposing forces of wind and current.  We will be making for the west end of Grand Bahama island which will be a run of only about 50 miles so should be able to cpmplete in daylight.  Sam is very excited as the fishing is supposed to very good on the crossing and so he is getting ready to land the big one.

So hopefully this will be the last blog posting from the USA.  Must say that we have all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves over the last 5 months and 2500NM travelling here.  We have met fantastic people all along the way in many different locations and made some great friends who have all helped in some way to make our trip very memorable.  We have seen some great sights and been lucky enough to visit some of the most amazing places in the states but in the end its the people who make or break a memory.  Its also a new phase to our trip.  Certainly Scott is just as anxious now as he was when we started out in Newport even though we have five months under our belt.  This is a different kettle of fish though.  We are moving away from the organised US waterways with assistance around every corner to what feels like the unknown.  We are as prepared as we will ever be so its just a case of getting into it now.