Leaving George Town

Still in George Town but the forecast for the next few days looks favourable for us to make some distance to the east.  It difficult to try and satisfy all the requirements for a smooth sea, a wind off the beam and then time to see each destination.  We are aiming for the Dominican Republic but depending upon how the weather is will determine exactly where we go.  Doubt we will be able to post so this is a quick update.
George Town has been fun but we are ready to leave.  The wind has been blowing 15 to 20 gusting 20 to 25 almost constantly since last week.  Most of the time the sun has been shining and as we are anchored in the lee of a place called Stocking Island we are pretty well protected and the boat is not moving much.  The main problem is that the town is a short dingy ride away across the bay and the wind can whip up quite a fetch.  The first time Nic, Beth and the kids tried it they came back with a dingy full of water and all of them absolutely drenched.  So now we get our wet weather gear on to go to town even though we have clear blue skies.
Beth has joined the crew and is settling in well.  She seems to have adapted to the life at anchor rather well although it has been fairly relaxed.  She did her first lesson with Calley today which seemed to go well - no tears anyway.  One great thing about Beth being with us is that it gives the kids a break from each other.  Nic also really likes having her onboard to chat to and to help out.  Will have to see how she goes with the sailing.

New Dulcinea Crew - Beth 

We had a major issue last week in that the low pressure feed pump for the watermaker started smoking. We pulled it out and tried to get it looked at but there was little chance.  This next two week period is probably the only time when we need a watermaker.  We will be in the outer islands with relatively few resources.  First step was to used water containers to fill the tanks.  Given the containers are 6gal and we hold about 350gal you can imagine what a pain that was.  Luckily we were over half full already.  Next Scott was speaking with a couple of other people and after looking closely at the pump specs decided we may be able to wire in a different type of pump which we had onboard as a spare for the domestic supply.
Just finished the test run of the watermaker and it seems to be working.  Just as well as a new pump is made to order and would take 2 to 3 weeks for delivery.
It has been pretty relaxed in George Town over the last week.  We have been trying to hit the school books each day although there are a lot of other distractions.  There is an active community of cruisers and the beach is the focus of any activity.  We have met a few people and so there is never any shortage of company.  Calley as always has found some new friends.

Calley and friends feeding the rays

Need to get the boat ship shape.  Hope the Australians had a good 26th Jan and all the Scots a fabulous Burns night.

Still in George Town

We have been in George Town now since last Friday and will probably stay another 4 or 5 days.  One reason is to wait for some favourable weather but also the family is enjoying some downtime.  It seems that this is the first time since Maine that we are not moving on to some deadline or another.  Scott is anxious to get going as usual but with our changed itinerary for the year we have got some time up our sleeve.

We have heard that people are commenting and not seeing their comments on the blog.  Do not know what is happening there.  We publish all the comments but some are not getting through for some reason or another.  Not to sure how to remedy this but feel free to e-mail us on any of the contacts.

Georgetown is an interesting place.  Its a bit of a hub for the cruising set and there would be about 150 boats here just now.   Apparently its gets busier as the season progresses with eventually up to twice this number of boats turning up when there is an annual regatta.  It looks like a lot of the boats are from mainland USA and Canada and the people cruise the Bahamas during the winter and will head back up North once spring starts.  Certainly most of the people we have met are on that kind of timetable.  There are not many boats continuing on south.  It also seems that most of the other big boats head directly to the Caribbean instead of cruising the Bahamas.

With so many boats here George Town is a bit more of a settlement than other places we have visited since Nassau.  George Town is on the east side of Great Exuma island.  Stocking Island lies approximately 1NM off the shore and this together with a number of other small Cays provides a well sheltered bay for the yachts with plenty of space.  We are well positioned at the moment being  in a patch of deeper water in the lee of the island.

So far most of our time has been spent looking around town, lounging on the boat or playing in the water and catching up with other boats we have met along the way.  On Sunday one of the local beach bars had a pig roast so we went across to that and gave Beth and introduction to one aspect of the cruising life.  The beach bar is just really a shack on the beach but it serves as a gathering point for all the boats.  There were dinghies everywhere, kids playing and lots of people relaxing.  Really enjoyable afternoon and a change from the boat.  

Georgetown itself has shops etc but is like a lot of the settlements we have seen here in that they are suffering from the downturn in the tourism trade from the US.   The general appearance is shabby although there are shops which have most of the essentials you may need and with the airport on the island other bits and pieces can be fedex’d in if necessary.  There are a few cafes and restaurants but these are also pretty basic and many mentioned in the guide books are closed.  One thing you notice is the litter lying around - similar to Bali which spoils the look of the place.  Most of the locals while not outwardly friendly are nice enough and helpful.  All in all its a good rest stop but think we will be ready to move when the weather turns.

The next part of the journey will be one of our most taxing.  We have to travel basically south east into the easterly trades.  When we leave George Town we head for the Dominican Republic but will be stopping in at a few of the more isolated islands and Cays.  Expect to be out about two to three weeks before making a landfall near a place called Luperon in the DR.  There are supposed to be some fantastic spots between here and DR but it can get pretty exposed when the fronts come through.  The boat is ready but you always worry about what could let go.  Only issue at the moment is the watermaker which is producing water slightly under the ideal quality.  Think we will need new membranes for the system but will not manage to get them until we get to Puerto Rico at the earliest.

Quick Update from Georgetown

We collected Beth from Emerald Bay a couple of days ago and then sailed another 15miles further south to a place called George Town.  Its the last major (?) stop in the Bahamas so we have decided to hang around here for a few days.  George Town is a bit of a hub for cruisers and there must be over 150 boats moored in the large bay off the settlement.  We dropped anchor in a patch of deep water and are busy exploring, relaxing and doing school.  Will post a more detailed update before we leave.

Have attached some photos below from the last post.

The anchorage at Warderick Wells

The entrance to Thunderball Cave

Catamaran friends Chord, Frank and Irma

Swimming Pigs

Trying to feed swimming pigs

Nurse Shark sleeping under the tender

Kids at Warderick wells

Dulcinea anchored at Warderick Wells

James Bond and the Swimming Pigs

Have not posted for a while as connections have been limited.  Am trying to send this post from my I-pad but am not sure how we will go.  Will post against in the next few days and will include the photos for the text below


We left Nassau on Thursday 10th Jan and sailed for the Exumas. The Exumas are an island chain which stretch near 100Nm through the Bahamas from the central to southern Bahamas and lying in a general NW/SE direction. They are made up of probably well over a hundred different islands and Cays (pronounced keys). On one side (the east) is Exuma Sound where the islands drop into the ocean. The depth changes from the shoreline to 100’s of metres in half a kilometer. On the other side is Exuma bank which is a shallow water area and which extends 30 or 40Nm. The water is anywhere from 1 m to 6 or 7m deep but usually no more and on average nearer 3 or 4 metres. It is also studded with coral heads which adds to the challenge.
To get to our first destination on the Exumas which was Highbourne Cay we had to cross the Exuma bank. Scott had been agonizing over the route for the last week and had spoken to a number of other yachts trying to find the best route for the 8ft draft of Dulcinea. We set off early in the morning to take advantage of the tide and skirted around two shallow banks called the Yellow and Middle Banks which are the shallowest areas and then headed straight for Highbourne Cay. Its an eerie feeling sailing out of sight of land and having only a couple of meters below your keel. The crossing was nerve wracking but in the end it was OK. We set our anchor in a peaceful bay in the lee of the island and breathed a sigh of relief just in time to catch Leroy, a local fisherman who happened to have some crayfish for sale.
The next day we were on the move to a place called Warderick Wells which is part of the Exuma land and sea park and which we had been told was spectacular. Great snokelling and walking on the islands. The wind was still up gusting to 27kts and we had an exhilarating sail managing over 9kts with just the Genoa flying. It was made even more exciting by the fact that at some points we had barely 2m under the keel. Warderick Wells is a spectacular anchorage. You navigate in toward a group of islands and a channel bordered by white sand winds into an inlet. Moorings have been laid along the channel and the yachts lie in formation. Due to our size we were right at the start of the line furthest out. The colour of the water has all the hues from dark blue to a turquoise colour and it is as clear as glass. We picked up our mooring and settled in for a few days.
While we were in Nassau we had met a few other people on yachts around the marina and since we are all headed in generally the same way we meet up with them at different anchorages. One yacht called Magic we had berthed beside in Charleston and ran into them again in Nassau. Its always a thrill to meet up with people you know.
Warderick Wells is a popular stop on the Exuma cruising itinerary and we caught up with a few people we had met along the way. The nature of cruising I guess is that since everyone is doing the same thing there is immediately a bond. Also as we have children there are other cruising families with kids continually looking for similar families to get the kids together. One family on a boat called Real Life came over to see us while we were on the mooring and we sat and chatted for a while commiserating over things like schooling and maintenance and then ended up on the beach in the late afternoon with a few other boat crews we had met having drinks with the kids all playing together on the beach. We also caught up with a couple called Tim and Diane from the yacht Magic who had first berthed beside us in Charleston back in November. Most of the people we meet are really nice and pretty interesting - everyone has a different story.
In Warderick Wells we got a bit of school done in the mornings and then generally took the kids either snorkeling on the reefs or walking on the island. The first morning we pulled up at the park office and parked the dingy and Calley noticed there was a nurse shark just lying on the seabed directly below the boat. It stayed there just motionless and was still there when we left. The snorkeling was great and it was the first time we had Calley snorkeling properly which she loved although is still a bit hesitant. It was a great spot to dive since it is part of a park and as such there is a “no take” policy. There were small dingy buoys set up near the coral fields which made access easy. We would have liked to hang around longer but there was one more spot we had to see before picking up Beth. 

On Tuesday 15th we slipped the mooring at Warderick Wells and took Dulcinea out into the deeper waters of Exuma Sound to sail about 20Nm south to the next destination - Staniel Cay. The sail was brusque and the entrance to Staniel’s was through a cut into a bay. As you can imagine most of the cuts between the islands have pretty fierce currents which can culminate in very rough entrances where these currents meet open water conditions. This was no exception, however conditions were relatively calm when we arrived just off slack water. We ran into a bay and dropped the anchor.
Staniel Cay is famous for at least two things. First it is the home of the Thunderball Cave. This cave was used as a setting for one of the scenes in an old James Bond film called Thunderball. The second is a group of swimming pigs which live in one of the nearby islands.
We regrouped on the first day and managed a bit of school and then shifted around to a mooring closer to the settlement and cave the next day. At slack water we were all ready and everyone piled into the dingy and we drove across to a mooring buoy which has been placed near the cave entrance. We were happy to see that we were the only ones at the cave . The cave itself is on a small island off Staniel Cay. The mooring is in about 2m of water and as you pull up it is difficult to see where to get in. Then you notice this small ledge with about 2ft of clearance under it. Once in the water the entrance is apparent under the ledge. You swim in and the narrow entrance opens up into this beautiful cave. The roof of the cave would be 10m above you and it is studded with holes so sunlight stabs through into the water providing plenty of natural light. The cave itself is covered with coral and there are fish everywhere. Very, very spectacular. It really is like swimming in an aquarium. Once inside there are a couple of other entrances which show as a light blue against the darker cave walls. Sam had taken some crackers with him to feed the fish and he was absolutely inundated by the fish. At one point it was hard to see him through the fish. He loved it. Calley was hesitant at first but she also came in the cave for a look. It is wonderful to be able to show the kids these sights.
That night we went into the local settlement, ran into some friends we had met in Nassau off a catamaran and then had dinner at the yacht club.
The next day we were visiting our catamaran friends in the morning. We had been invited around for breakfast. Then afterwards we headed to Big Major island to see the swimming pigs. There are a group of pigs who live on the island and have made a habit of swimming out to anchored vessels to get fed. We could not anchor Dulcinea close so we used the tender to drive around and into the bay. You arrive into this tranquil bay and motor towards the shore. As you drive in the pigs here the noise of the engine and see you and walk down the beach into the water and start swimming out to the boat. Nic was very excited about seeing the pigs but then once they started swimming out to the boat and she started to get worried when she saw how big they were. They came swimming over to the boat and we tried to feed them carrot bits but it was quite hard. Nic was worried they were going to try and get in the boat! After a few minutes of swimming near the boat grunting and wheezing, and having not been that successful in catching the proffered carrots they headed back to the beach for a rest. The kids thought the whole episode was hilarious.
We left Staniels the next morning early (0100). It was flat calm and we motored about 45Nm south to a place just North of George Town where we are picking up Beth. 

Stuck in Nassau

Two things seem to happen whenever we pull into a marina.  First the estimated departure date is never realised and we always end up staying much longer than anticipated for one reason or another and secondly, the cash burn intensifies.

We are in the marina at Nassau.  Had hoped to get out yesterday but the weather is not playing ball.  Its not bad as such but its blowing approx 20kts from the east which is the direction we want to go.  They say there may be a slight moderation on Friday so that is what we are aiming for.  The 20kt conditions are easily within the capabilities of boat and crew but if we can wait for a couple of days and get lighter conditions then the trip will be a lot more comfortable.  Saying that we see yachts pulling out each morning heading for the Exumas and so we get itchy feet.  Scott especially gets very impatient to leave almost as soon as we arrive.

Nassau and New Providence (the island Nassau sits on) is an interesting place.  It used to be the home of the pirates in the great days of the privateers and buccaneers.  All the famous names have an association with Nassau i.e. Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, Calico Jack Rackham etc.  They used Nassau as a base from which to launch their activities.  It was a pretty lawless place. Eventually after the european powers stopped warring for a while the British decided they had no more use for a bunch of hired guns who harrasses all maritime commerce and so sent over a bloke called Woodes Rogers to bring order to the place.  He offered everyone a pardon and as you could imagine the first few years were a bit of a mess and there were a few hangings for those who could not give up their primary source of employment.  After a few years order was restored and it became a British Colony.  

Conch Seller in Nassau

Enough of the history.  We are about 2km east of the town centre proper but between us and the town centre are marinas and businesses.  The area around us is not the prettiest but for us its good as there is a shopping centre across the road and the marina has laundry and a pool.  We have been into town a couple of times and the centre is geared up for the arrival of the cruise ships.  Generally there are 2, 3 or 4 ships in at a time all with primarily US passengers disgorged for a shopping frenzy or to indulge in any of the many water based sightseeing tours.  As a result the small centre is pleasant enough although there is nothing outstanding - usual shops, usual hawkers etc.  Outside of the centre the areas are a lot more run down and the roads are rough and there are few sidewalks.  Generally it seems again like Bimini that investment has just stopped and that as a result maintenance work is very limited.

Nassau Main Street

  Its hard to get a real handle on how to describe Nassau outside the centre.  There are not many high rise buildings most being one or two storey.  The colour scheme is pastels for all the buildings which looks very Caribbean.  Every now and then a you get glimpses of the past which makes the walking interesting:  you come across an old building from the colonial times which will be nestled amonst palm trees and beautiful gardens or there will be a old ruin, maybe just a wall with Bouganvillea of different colours running wild across it or a church yard with gravestones from the 1850’s inscribed with elegant eulogies written in 18th century English.  I guess in Nassua its great to see these gems but to a certain extent they are surrounded by urban decay which takes away a bit from the experience.

Occasional Gem

We hired a car and toured the island on Monday.  There was not a huge amount to see but at the east and west ends of the island outside the city are the affluent residential areas with magnificent homes built on the shoreline.  There is a lot of development going on so maybe the investment is starting again.  Outside of Nassau there is a feel of Bali; there is a lot of litter lying all around, the roads are filled with dented cars and minibuses, a lot of the business signs seem to be from the 1950‘s, lots of locals walking at the side of the road and the shops are small family type businesses. The Bahamas is probably a more affluent area than Bali but it still looks like life would be pretty tough for most and prices are not that cheap.  Saying that though all the people are friendly enough although in Nassau there is definitely a “hussle” edge to the atmosphere.

Graveyard 

So all in all we are glad we did spend the time to have a look around but we are all ready to move on.  One bonus is that we have managed to press ahead with the schooling.  Nic spoke to another family on a yacht with kids a couple of slips over and was relieved to hear that they also find it difficult to find the time for the schooling.  So it appears that it is not just a shortcoming of the Anderson College.

Dulcinea in Nassau

We have met and chatted to a few of the other yachts alongside us in the marina and everyone is very friendly.  Most are older couples heading south into the Exumas for the winter.  Everyone is really helpful giving us info on where to go, the weather and what to look out for, so as a source of information for us its great.  We even caught up with a yacht called Magic which we were moored next to in Charleston.  Its always nice to run into familiar faces.  Everywhere we go Dulcinea gets its fair share of appreciatve onlookers.  Partly this is because of her size as generally the cruising boats are around the 40 to 50ft range so we are bigger than most but also her design and proportions just look right and the condition or her makes people believe the boat is much younger than it is. 

Our overall timetable has been revised over the last couple of weeks.  We were trying for the Panama canal by May but that was a bit unrealistic if we wanted to see much of the West Indies so  we have decided to spend all of 2013 in the Caribbean.  We will try and get down to the island of Grenada by September and then stop there for a break for three months.  Plan is to move ashore for that time and get the annual refit works carried out on the boat ready for an offing towards Panama in Dec or Jan.  This means that we will not end up finishing the trip now until the end of 2014.  Everyone is happier with this plan and will probably be ready for a spell ashore by September.  Only concern is that we will be in the Caribbean now for the Hurricane season so due care and attention needs to be paid to this.

Hopefully we get out on Friday and will be able to send the next post from Georgetown in the Exumas.  The plan is to be there by next Wednesday to pick up Beth our next guest/crew member.

Bahama Mama Spits The Dummy

Happy New Year to all.  We spent it anchored in a bay with the wind howling around us and were in bed by 9 O’clock - real party animals us cruisers.

So its all over for another year and once again its a bit of a relief.  It was good for us to catch up with our family in Bimini especially for the kids who were inseparable for the entire duration.  For us however it was not as relaxing as we envisaged.  The issues with quayside depth near the house meant that Scott had to be ever vigilant about the tide and had to shift the boat closer or further from the dock a a couple of times a day.  In addition there were some jobs on the boat which had to be done - changing all the fuel filters on the engine and genset, a sail repair on the Genoa and a few other bits and pieces which while they could be put off are good to get done when time is available.

Running repairs to the genoa

We took everyone out for a sail on X-mas eve and anchored off a nearby Cay to have a barbeque.  Weather was perfect and think everyone really enjoyed the day.  We put out some lines on the sail back hoping to hook something for dinner but alas there was only one bite just as we were returning to Bimini.  Lars hooked an angry barracuda which escaped off the hook just as we were trying to land him.  So Christmas dinner the next day consisted of some leftovers.  Luckily we had bought some lobster in Port Lucaya also.  Anyway everyone enjoyed themselves regardless.  The rest of the week was spent relaxing either in the house or at the pools nearby or exploring the beaches.  There is no real town in Bimini to have a wander.  The weather was generally sunny but windy also which was not ideal.

Bahamian Christmas Tree

The Bimini Bunch

On Friday 28th Dec we said our goodbyes to the family and they all flew off back to New York.  We heard later that the day after they arrived they got 5” of snow.  We spent the day anchored off the house packing up the boat and finishing off odd jobs in preparation to departing.  In the afternoon after buying some lobster and conch from “Mike” who came around the boat with his wares we staged around to the beach off North Bimini and got a few hours sleep.  At 10:00pm we weighed anchor and set sail for the Berry Islands.  The Bahamas sit on and around a few very shallow, very big banks.  The water goes from 100’s of meters deep top just a few meters over these banks and the banks are 30 to 40 miles across.  The water depth over the banks generally make it unsuitable for a vessel carrying Dulcinea’s draft so even though the Berry islands lay due east we had to sail North first to get up and around the bank (Great Bahama Bank).  The sail North was perfect - a warm evening with 12 to 15 kts of breeze on the beam.  Only had one incident when a sportfishing boat out for the night motored over to have a look at us.  Never know if they have seen you or not and at night it is pretty uncomfortable when other vessels come in close.

When we rounded the top of the bank however and started our run South East for the Berry Island the weather kicked up a bit and the seas picked up until we were sailing into 20kts and a really nasty short chop.  We spent an uncomfortable 10hrs beating towards our destination which was an anchorage at the north end of the Berry Islands called Great Harbour, eventually reaching it in the early afternoon.  Great Harbour may be a great harbour if you draw less than 6ft but for us we had to anchor in a pretty exposed location.  

Once we got anchored, emotions were running a bit high as Scott had been up all night and Nic was pretty shook up from the pounding sail we had just experienced.  The option of packing it all in was raised seriously for the first time - more of a knee jerk reaction to the previous night I guess and a natural release of tension from the last few months.  The rough patches seem to act as a touchstone to any simmering discord and the moments after are a time for venting all our frustrations.  Nic has never been comfortable with any of the rough sailing to a point of being scared and so it is a real challenge for her when the weather builds.  Scott, while not enjoying the rough patches has faith in the boat.  He is very conscious however of his limited experience and ability and begins to have doubts as to whether he has bitten off more than he can chew.  Having the kids onboard just heightens the concerns felt by all.  

There is no doubt that there will be some more rough patches ahead but the key will be to minimise them as far as possible.  One of the main issues here is weather forecasting.  The route we are following for the next three months i.e. through the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands is essentially against the prevailing winds which are easterly.  There are fronts which move through and provide shifting patterns which can be taken advantage of but you need to understand what is happening.  If you can get a handle on the weather and take your time its possible to have a comfortable passage (called the “thornless route”).  Whilst we have the time Scott still needs to get a good handle on the weather.  He is trying and has all the necessary information but its now a matter of interpretation and then implementation.  Unfortunately if you get it wrong you are really going to know it.  The size of Dulcinea also limits contingency options available for us in many places around here.  

Luckily tempers cooled after a while and we agreed that we should carry on.  We settled down to wait out the passage of the front at the anchorage for the next two days.  For us anchoring in the Bahamas is always a stressful time because of the depth issues.  We are always feeling our way into anchorages and are lucky to get more than a meter below our keel at MLW if we want to be in any sort of shelter.  Part of this is the geography of the islands and part is probably the inexperience of the captain and crew.  We are all learning all the time.  We had to move around the anchorage as the weather shifted.  The really sheltered part of the anchorage was off limits to us due to our draft which was pretty infuriating.  Whilst the ground tackle (anchor and chain) has proved very dependable we are always anxious if anchored with 30kts of wind and a chop making Dulcinea dance around on the water.  Just never know when something could let go.

So that how we spent New years Eve.  Hunkered down in the boat waiting for the weather to abate.  We prepared the conch we had bought in Bimini for dinner and had one G&T before calling it a year.

Nicole vs Conch

On Tuesday when the weather had abated a bit we shifted to a more sheltered spot about 5 miles down the coast off an island called Hawksnest Cay.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  The weather eased off altogether and we spent the next couple of days just relaxing on the boat, swimming and in the afternoons visiting the nearby Cays to explore the shoreline and play soccer on the beach with the kids.  In the evenings after dinner we would manage a couple of family games before an early night.  This was great for the whole family after the emotional high earlier in the week.

Island Life

The weather during the day was sunny and warm with some breeze and at night it would be still.  Scott and Sam slept on deck one night for the first time.  The water is that clear that sometimes you look over the side and if there are no ripples its like you are just suspended in mid air over the bottom.  The bay was huge and there were only two other boats in it.  On the west side was the main island of Haines Cay with a few holiday house dotted on the shore but they looked largely vacant.  On the other side of Haines is the main town on the island but there is no evidence of it from where we were.  On the East side is Hawksnest Cay which provides the shelter from the ocean swell and easterly breeze and to the North is another small island called Petit Cay giving us further protection.  All the Cays are low lying but have many trees on them and other thick scrubby vegitation.  One afternoon we went ashore and walked all around Hawksnest Cay.  The shore is littered with coral and shells and other seabound debris.  The ocean side is rough and rugged while the bay side is a beautiful tranquil beach.  On all the beaches you find these beautiful conch shells.  Most are damaged in some way but many of the newer ones still have the amazing pink colour inside them.

First nights sleep on deck - not as a result of earlier tensions

The last night at anchor around sunset a pod of dolphins appeared in the bay.  There must have been about twenty of them cruising around, jumping and playing.  They came over close to Dulcinea for a look before surfing in front of a big 80ft yacht which was just pulling into the bay.  That night was so calm there was not a breath of wind and we just hung in the water motionless with the anchor chain straight up and down.

Stunning sunrise - Hawksnest cay

The next morning (Thursday 3rd) with the weather still flat calm we set off at 0400 and motored towards new Providence Island and Nassau.  After a 6 hr passage we carefully threaded our way around the north of the island through various shallow spots between the islands and reefs and pulled into the Nassau Harbour Club marina.  Coming into Nassau is amazing.  There are opulent residences with immaculate lawns leading down to private docks in turquoise water on the exclusive islands near Nassua.  Nassua itself is a busy port and we counted four massive cruise ships tied up at the docks further down the harbour.  We were told that the pen allocated to us was 20ft wide and Dulcinea has a beam of 17ft but when we went to berth it felt like the pen was about 17.1ft wide.  Anyway we shoehorned ourselves into the pen secured our lines without too much damage.

Plan is now to have a look around Nassau for the next few days.  Nassau is a fairly big town dominated by the tourist trade and centered around the cruise ships.  It has a lot of history especially surrounding the buccaneers and pirates who used to roam around here.   We will take a few days to explore and stock up and then head onto the Exumas - a island chain about 30 miles from here and stretching South for almost 100miles.  We have our next passenger/crew member to pick up in a place called Georgetown at the south of the island chain around the middle of Jan.