Shallow Minded

X-ing File #6_A Gulf Stream Crossing & the Atlantic ICW

Ridin' the Ditch: West Palm Beach to Vero Beach

(A speedy number, built to impress for sure.  Typically Floridian in style.  Mostly driven with a sense of purpose.  Watch out for them at the Blue Heron Bridge!)  

Sunset over the port of West Palm Beach.  Still no Green Flash...

The slog across to West Palm Beach from West End in the Bahamas was not too bad.  We did have wind on the nose for the first few hours for a bit of a bumpy ride, then these conditions subsided to a quiet but overcast 55 nm run.  We made an uneventful entry through the inlet luckily missing a vast cruise ship billowing smoke and taking up most of the channel.  We didn’t argue. 

Finding an anchorage was not so easy, and our first attempt at Peanut Island, now full of mooring balls, lead us into “skinny” water and a near grounding.  Welcome to the ICW.  A second attempt, amidst confusing channel markers for both the Port and ICW, led us to quickly drop anchor outside the big ships turning bay.  We could cope with the ships but not the fast-flowing current, so in the morning moved to a deeper, more protected spot; all the better to admire some Palm Beach mansions.  After a few days of chores - clearing in, refueling (by jerry can if you please, in the heart of an all-American big smoke), hamburger tasting, some shopping at an enormous supermarket, and laying low for a few windy days, it was time to move on up the ditch.

Back to the ICW.  There are bridges to negotiate.  Ooh! Just missed that one...

All sorts of other boats float along the ICW too.
 This one's a tiki-bar barge complete with water slide!

This is our FINAL X-ing file for this journey – approx a 1200 nm run inside barrier islands along rivers, canals and over lakes, all in day hops.  Three cheers for the ICW!  As many of our stops will be similar to 2009, we’ll (generally) only add information on new places we visit rather than repeat-post!   There will still be photos from our hike along the waterways, so plenty yet to see of our journey.  

Post titles will be somewhat obscure as we're awarding them to boats with (ahem!) interesting names, along each section.  A very difficult choice indeed with just so much to choose from.  As always, internet connectivity is the critical factor; fine in metropolitan areas but not so much in out of the way backwoods or up reedy creeks. 

Wildlife is never too far away.
Osprey (seahawk) near Peck Lake

We’ve called an initial halt at delightful Vero Beach City Marina for a week, firstly to visit "Mysterry" (Jim & Tammy) and to arrange to sort out our ongoing electrical miseries.  Currently, we’re rafted up on a mooring with a French boat, "Noulica" (Francoise et Patrick), who are also headed for the Chesapeake; just waiting for the snow to melt, oh dear...  Vero Beach City is a very convenient and cruiser-friendly marina with a free bus to shops (and West Marine), a nice big laundry and a book swap; handy whilst we wait for the new electrical part to be couriered in.  We might never leave…

And plenty of reminders to stay within the Channel Markers

Jus Keep Dem Knees in Tight

X-ing File #5_Antigua to Bahamas (perhaps) continues

Warderick Wells to Settlement Point

From Warderick Wells we moved north to Highbourne Cay, home of an expensive resort and marina.  We wanted an internet hit and thankfully they also had a large BaTel tower, so we parked as close as we could, hoping especially to check the weather.  Highbourne is also a good stepping off place for crossing the Exuma Bank to the bright & brassy lights of Nassau, or for us, an overnighter to Settlement Point to wait the weather for our leap across the Gulf Stream. 

A short weather opportunity gave us no time to call in and feed the iguanas on Allens Cay, so we hurried on over the banks in fine style, just making the Old Bahama Bay Marina before the weather got too wild.  Crossing the Gulf Stream is a bit of an art and picking the “right” day essential to a safe arrival.  The Gulf Stream moves north with some force and winds blowing against it can raise challenging waves, known locally as elephants.  We’ll be in touch – on the other side….

So, it's farewell to the Caribbean and goodbye Bahamas, for now at least!

Take a mooring and explore the clear waters of  Warderick Wells

Dine local style in Antigua 

Park your dinghy in crystal clear water on the Exuma Banks

No Boat?  Then stay in cute water-side cabins on Staniel Cay.  

Doin’ The Rock, Rock Lobster

X-ing File #5_Antigua to Bahamas (perhaps) continues…

Warderick Wells, Exumas Land & Sea Park

In 1958, an area of 176 sq miles was set aside by the Bahamian government as a protected area for both marine life and wildlife.  Warderick Wells, one small cay in this area, offers convenient moorings in the safety of the the park, and luckily for us, one in a great spot next to a recommended dive/snorkel site. 

Finally, having fun at last!!

Seduced by the area’s beauty, we stayed for three nights, occupying ourselves with snorkelling trips, using our dive camera for the first time and even taking a walk on a section of the trail around the cay.  We found deep "wells" in rock formations where fresh water collects. It seems pirates of old did not miss this opportunity.  As did Loyalist settlers. (Loyalists (18th c) remained loyal to Britain, so were ousted from Florida to a lonely life on outlying Bahamas Cays.)  

Again, rather than write more, here’s a few (quite a few...) photos of our visit and another "Things to do List":

#1. Dive off the back of your boat (mooring #16) to meet Bazza, the barracuda and his equally nosey buddies;

Bazza escorted us all the way back to the boat...with his alarming grin

#2. Dive the coral bommies off Emerald Rock; scare yourself with a reef shark encounter;

GS had a close & personal shark experience...much larger than he looks

#3. Consider Bahamas History.  Walk to high point, Boo Boo Hill and listen for the ghosts of shipwrecked souls singing hymns (only at night).  Visit Loyalist ruins and spare a thought for these deserted souls too.

The Cay is home to stomatolites, flat gray reefs, the oldest form of life
on earth at 3.5 billion years old.  Only discovered in 1983.

#4. Spot a Hutia (not a one!) They're very shy.

Curly-tailed lizards were enjoying the sunshine however.

#5. Walk the Causeway Bridge and look for baby rays;

#6. Appreciate the scenery surrounding the Park Office and the mooring area.  It's divine.

A large ray often swam between our moorings too!

Rake 'n Scrape, Sister

X-ing File #5_Antigua to Bahamas (perhaps) continues…

Bahamas: Staniel Cay

Although our Stocking Island anchorage at George Town was pleasant (just a bit choppy), we needed to move on.  That meant moving off the bank through Conch Cay Cut again although conditions had settled somewhat.  We had a great sail up Exuma Sound to our next, and narrow cut, Galliot Cut, arriving a few hours before high slack water.  This on-bank flow would, we hoped help to pull us on to the bank.  (The cuts are no place to be when tide is against wind).  Our Cap’n steered us carefully through the deep channel and onto the shallow Exuma Bank with its stunning turquoise waters; seemingly sailing across an endless expanse of beautiful blue molten glass. 

Galliot Cut.  Others joined us entering the Exuma Bank from this cut

As it was only just after lunch, we decided not to anchor off Galliot Cay but make for Staniel Cay where we knew we had a few “friends” waiting; those wonderful, and now famous, swimming porkers.  We set the autopilot to suit the magenta line (proven navigation lines across the banks) and soon made Big Majors Spot anchorage where we tucked in behind Fowl Cay, ready for a few days of fun – something that had been seriously lacking in our itinerary so far.  Rather than write more, here’s a few photos of our visit.

Things to do:

#1. Dive Thunderball Grotto (Yes, James Bond 007 really was here!)

Thunderball Grotto is extremely popular & diving on low slack tide essential.
We missed our chance this time.

#2. Enjoy Lunch at Staniel Cay Yacht Club

We had conch po'boy & blackened fish.  Yum...
(Rake 'n Scrape is a local musical style)

#3. Feed the Piggies at Big Majors Cay

At Big Majors Cay, the Major and her Majorettes, crack team
of synchronised swimming pigs.  Just having a bad day is all... 

#4. Explore the narrow passage between Big and Little Majors Cays by dinghy; then meet a few friends at the dock

Nurse sharks waiting for the day's offering...  Don't slip getting into the dinghy

Hands on Hips

X-ing File #5_Antigua to Bahamas (perhaps) continues…

Bahamas: George Town

We planned to only stay 3 but 5 nights passed too quickly in the friendly and safe South Side Marina.  Given our boat chores (yet another electrician to see to our electrical woes), a dinner out with other cruisers (organised by Matt, from our dinghy welcome committee), Kiwi’s to chat to and evenings at Bob’s Bar, we lost track of time.  It’s a great place to be. 

Turtle Rock near Sapodilla Bay  anchorage in Turks & Caicos..
Oh come on, use your imagination! 

A nasty weather system (actually a cyclone) to our north kicked up quite a swell and on our way to the supermarket, we caught sight of huge waves crashing over the reef on T&C’s north shore.  GS was not keen to leave, but our Cap’n had little sympathy (the toughen up princess variety), so off we set to slide out of the Funnel into the wild blue yonder to make for the Bahamas.  The Funnel was not too bad an exit all things considered, however the swell, once we were out in it, was almost Pacific Ocean stuff – big rollers giving us an elevator ride.

Looking back over the T&C Bank from The Funnel

For a change of pace, we headed east to come up the inside of Acklins Island and made for the Clarence Town harbour (on Long Island).  Waves crashing into the harbour reminded us of winter storms off the Victorian coast.  Not. Good.  While the Cap’n assessed his chances of surfing in, GS prepared the life raft and her speech for the moment of mutiny.  Fortunately, it did not come to this and we sped on and into the night for an early morning arrival at George Town.  “We” considered the merits of the first protected cut (an entrance across the reef onto the bank) for calm waters and safety.  It too, would have put us side on to swell breaking over the reef – a dangerous sport, so we moved on to the next cut with fingers crossed.  It was wide and deep enough with less challenging breakers and we watched as several boats made early morning departures.  If they could get out, we could surf in. 

Yes, I'm sure we can get in, somehow....

Yes, we did.  In one piece.  Here's proof.

The busy anchorage though calm-ish, held other dangers.  A cranky boat owner asked us (nicely) to move away from him.  We clearly export our best overseas.  Too tired to argue, we moved on and dropped anchor not far from the early morning aqua-aerobics class on the beach.  George Town has a “resident” community of boaters – perhaps 200-300 – who arrive annually to spend a pleasant winter in the tropical paradise that is the Bahamas.  Masthead lights twinkled at night across the broad bay giving it the look of fairyland.  “We could easily do this”, sighed GS…

View from our very nice lunch stop, Blu on the Water

Doesn't every Supermarket have a dingy dock? George Town, Bahamas

Then a Step to the Right

X-ing File #5_Antigua to Bahamas (perhaps) continues…

Turks & Caicos Islands: Providenciales

Oh, for the Open Ocean...maybe

With WJ3 sporting shiny, new guardrails, rigging and a jaunty raked mast (very sporty), and tired of strong katabatics smacking us on the nose in the Lagoon night AND day, we were determined to leave in the next weather window.  Our schedule was also blown out of the water, so we toyed with ideas to catch up a few days.  A dawdle through the reportedly windblown British, US and Spanish Virgin Islands was definitely out, as was the plan to shelter along the south coast of Puerto Rico.  We settled on making for St Croix then staging our leap for Turks Caicos from Culebra.  Even that seemed too complicated in the end, so we agreed on just the one, long (5 day) haul to Providenciales in Turks Caicos.  And a few rest days in a marina, for sure.  With luck, we would beat a strong westerly forecast for the weekend, blowing courtesy of a storm over the US east coast.  Oh well, it really is winter here!

Waiting our turn to exit the Simpson Bay Lagoon yet again!

The conditions were generally very good with the only rough patch after hitting the Atlantic NE Trades exiting the Virgin Passage.  It soon settled and we floated over some “marketing magazine” turquoise waters along the Puerto Rican north coast.  It was still windy enough for us to be the only sailboat out there.  Customs & Border Protection made itself known (in a variety of ways) along the coast however we made an uneventful entry into San Juan Harbour to refuel, toyed briefly with the idea of staying in a slip, only to see sense and continue on.

The old fort marks San Juan Harbour where we refuelled

Once past the Mona Passage and in the lee of the Banks, we made good time with very pleasant sailing conditions under a full moon.  Whales come to give birth in these waters at this time of year (Jan to Mar) but they too must have become fed up with this unseasonable weather and moved off early; we saw not one flipper or fluke! 

An early morning arrival at the Caicos Bank suited us just fine, so we cautiously took the Freighter Channel, hoping it was wide enough for two freighters to pass (it isn’t) and therefore no threat of a grounding over coral heads.  We only had a fine magenta line on the chart to follow, so wobbled our way up to Sapodilla Bay to hover whilst we contacted the marina. 

We made it in.  Just.  Now, can we make it out?

Three men in a dinghy and holding a depth measuring device met us on our way to the marina.  Thanks guys!  Magenta lines offer little comfort - to quote our Cruising Guide (Bruce Van Sant) “think of rice pudding and just avoid the brown bits!”  Only this rice pudding is wafer thin, brilliant turquoise and see-to-the-bottom waters.  It’s a precarious ride and very shallow.  Somehow WJ3 floated in 4.5ft of water (our keel is 5.5ft?) but another sailboat following us in, ground his keel to the metal.  We all needed a stiff drink after that effort.

Tucked up in South Side Marina, we can reflect back to 2007 where it all started in the BVI’s when the Cap’n set eyes on the still lovely, Miss WJ3.  We came to cross our wake, although sadly had to miss floating by Nanny Cay, Tortola, and to celebrate our 11^th year/season of cruising.  Who could believe? 

Even more unbelievable, the Cap'n & his two minute, 3kg Tuna...
The worst part was it tasted awful and we're not sure why?