Weather Games & Water Torture

Puerto Real Marina, small but very friendly.  Note overcast skies...

Having bid the hurricane season farewell, we did not expect great swathes of fronts crossing from Alaska, bringing storms, unsettled seas and snow as far south as Texas and Georgia.  Warm waters of the Caribbean were not unaffected, and finding a weather window in this milieu to get us to Turks & Caicos, a three-day exercise, was proving difficult.  Finally, an exasperated Cap’n decided, we could leave now with following winds, or wait for another two weeks.  So, we upped anchor and left.

Our voyage started off well in the protection of the reef, but the Mona Passage, between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, has something of a reputation being a regular conveyor belt of storms into the Caribbean Sea.  Other than increasingly strengthening winds, we were indeed, in a following breeze and making good time.  The problem was, wind and swell continued to increase with the onset of the evening and when the Coast Guard issued a “small ships alert” (winds 18-34kts and seas 7 to 10 feet), we knew we were in for a beating.  It was about this time, that the autopilot relinquished command of the helm, and the Cap’n had to hand steer.  We had come too far to turn back, naturally, although at one point we did consider running back to Luperon in the DR, however continued on for Turks Caicos in the hope that these large banks would offer some shelter, eventually...

After 48 hours at the helm, GS took command (and her head out of a bucket) and learning how not to steer in great loops, managed, with the aid of the compass, to head in the right direction allowing our good Cap’n a few hours sleep.  The seas were starting to ease, whales wintering off the Mouchoir and Silver Banks, had better things to do than disturb us, and we only had to dodge 3 local freighters.  Why is it that we only pass them at night when they’re ablaze with confusing lights!  

The third day saw us in much improved conditions although we were still hand steering.  Our approach to the south Caicos Bank though, would be at night.  Having taken the wider Ship (freighter) Channel over this coral strewn bank once before (in daylight) we felt confident (well, sort of) heading for this channel entrance.  Naturally, an hour out, the engine stopped!!  So, we wallowed about, GS keeping a shipping watch, while the now very, very tired Cap’n managed to get us underway again.  Replacing the fuel filter did the trick.  All of us, WJ3 and crew, had had enough by now. 

Over the precipitous bank, from 2000ft of water into 12 is also unnerving, but we followed the channel by our chart’s magenta line, hoping not to meet any more commercial traffic.   Needless, to say, by this stage, we were both hallucinating.  So, we carefully threaded our way through the commercial anchorage, around a bommie strewn reef, then with huge relief, into Sapodilla Bay, busy with fellow cruisers. 

Next morning, our Cap’n shouted, “There’s no one here.  Where did they go?”  We stood staring at stunning turquoise waters as far as the eye could see, and other than a freighter at the nearby Port, we were the only ones at anchor.  

Sapodilla Bay.  Nobody anchored here for sure

Looking back to the Ship Channel.  No-one there either!  
If your wondering, that's a Starlink receiver, used at anchor.
Gee-whiz technology for cruisers

Pickled in Brine

Cap’n and Crew stayed on a few extra days at South Side Marina to clean up, replenish food stocks and fix broken boat bits.  With the help of dockside neighbours, Aleisha and Doug, also Hunter owners, the Cap’n managed to remove the cranky main sail stuck firmly in the mast housing and pack it away, ready for St Martin and the riggers.  

Initially, we had hatched a plan to take the wide and easy Ships Channel south, then after making a quick fuel stop at San Jose on the northern side of Puerto Rico, island hop the Virgins to reach St Martin.  A consultation with the weather gods indicated the folly of that choice, so we set off around the northern side of Turks & Caicos in calm weather.  Over the days, winds steadily increasing in strength, and naturally, found our nose.  We had thought this traditional route might offer us a more direct course for the Virgin Islands.  

Easy?  Well, not really!  We spent 5 days, always with wind head on, bashing and crashing our way south east.  Then fuel became an issue.  At the weather’s worst, the engine cut out (fuel starved rather than empty tanks we later concluded) so we put out additional sail and adjusted our course back to San Juan.  Even that became a challenge given a night arrival, a busy harbour and our unknown fuel tank capacity.  So, we changed course yet again, put up more sail and ran downwind in the island’s calm night lee making for a protected Puerto Real on PR’s west coast.  Fingers crossed that the Mona Passage did not live up to its lively reputation and cause us further grief!  

After much effort, 5 testing days sailing and lots & lots of tacking, we made a sheltered, mangrove lined bay of Puerto Real.  What a relief!  With clothes and hair stiff with salt, we recalled learning at school that Admiral Lord Nelson’s body was shipped home in 1805, preserved in a barrel of brandy.  Instead, we have inadvertently gone for the cheaper pickling option – salt.  From our Med days, we recalled bacalao, a famously salt preserved fish that adds an adventurous aroma to Spanish markets.  After 5 days at sea, we were very salty and smelly too!  We threw out the hook, washed off our salt encrusted selves and then ate the best meal we’d had in days.  A medicinal rum (not brandy) aided a sound sleep.

There are other forms of helpful medication available too!

Next morning, our trusty Cap’n sussed out the nearby marina fuel dock and on meeting welcoming staff and friendly fellow boaters, booked us in 5 days.  The best health retreat we could imagine!  So here we sit, plotting our coming course through the Spanish and British Virgins; all in all, it will take much longer than we planned to get to St Martin.  Still, we are now officially on (Caribbean) island time, mon. Caramba!

Catch of the Day at Puerto Real 

Everyone has Comms...Until they Don't

Shroud Cay, Bahamas - brilliant, clear waters & lots of mischievous turtles! 

Greetings all from the beautiful clear waters of Turks Caicos.  We have just spent the better part of a day trying to clear out.  You know, one of those simple, easy to use online forms.  Every boat has wifi...doesn't it?  Hell no, and certainly not us. We (foreigners) couldn't even get a sim card for US phone services, let alone wifi.  

Anyway, it is what it is and we make do with cafe and marina wifi at infrequent stops along the way.  Updating the blog?  No chance just yet.  Your best source of "Where's Windjammer?" will be our Map and Tracker - a tab at the top of the blog that links you to a vague map covered in marching ants.  Entries will be made on it when we find somewhere to stop, and somewhere with wifi.

We find this situation highly amusing, if only to compare ourselves to the locals who have phones forever in their faces. 

Ingrid & Squiz, our guests for the Bahama Cruise segment, have just left for the Turks & Caicos airport so we will now have to manage on our own for a bit.  We also seem to be the only “crazy” ones heading south and the weather has been somewhat interesting so far this year… Next stop is Saint Martin, our longest sail yet (4-6 days straight) and naturally in winds coming from the direction that we are headed.  

Of course we needed a drink to steady our fraying nerves!
(WJ3 docked below in the Southside Marina)

Gone for Bush Crack

We motored out of Georgetown using the challenging North Rocks exit, emboldened by a newly installed boat starter battery.  The turn to Rum Cay, our next anchorage though, was a bash into the wind.  Another day and another bash on the nose saw us then head for Atwood Harbour on Acklins Island with it’s challenging reef and an alarming night arrival.  At least it was calm in the morning and we enjoyed a swim in stunning, crystal clear waters.  

Atwood Harbour, Acklins & Squiz off for an early morning swim to the beach

The final Bahamas leg was to Abrahams Bay on Mayaguana where showing no relief, the wind found our nose.  So no sailing and no chance to dive on the coral bommies or check up on friendly Bazza Barracuda and Steve Ray then.  With one last heave ho, we crashed forth into the wind and headed south.  Finally, the Sandbore Channel took us straight into Sapodilla Bay and a less than calm, but none-the-less welcome anchorage for the night.  Turks & Caicos, we have arrived!

WJ3 all tucked up in South Side Marina, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos.

Other women it seems, still find the Cap'n attractive... 
Blackie insisting on a big hug & hopes of sharing a dinner or two

It was too late to try the challenging skinny and coral-scattered route to the South Side Marina.  Next morning then, on a rising tide we set forth, but still bumped at the green marker on our way in.  The depth measured 4.5 ft; our keel sits at 5.5ft. What?...How?  

Squiz enjoying the last of his Bush Crack (a Bahamian beer)

Finally, we were in a calm and sunny marina, although tying up to the dock was a rather less than gracious experience.  Bob & his four-legged side-kick, Miss Maddie and her mate, Blackie, were still in residence but no longer the owners.  Bob continues to run the Bar so we made very good use of it, especially after many, many days of home-cooked meals.  Mind you, Ingrid always cooked up a storm on-board, even when those nasty, rough seas caused some tummies to blanch.  Our guests were always good humoured, helpful and easy company, despite the rather awful weather conditions and long days of motoring, so we were sorry to bid them farewell.  

Fun on the high seas?  Perhaps better in a dinghy scooting through the cays.

The famous & colourful conch (said "conk"). It tastes like abalone.

Taking unused conch out for an overnight swim
at the beachside restaurant, De Conch Shack, Provo

Too soon, it was time for us to continue our journey down de islands…

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?