TOTALLY FLOATS!                  

A New Year - A New Way of Living!

After leaving The Northwest Channel marker on the Great Bahama Bank, we motored (again - wind on nose all the way) down the tongue of the ocean to Nassau, arriving just as the tide changed from an ebb to a flood.  Our arrival was well time as we avoided the turbulent rip currents in the harbour.  As it was it slowed us down by 2 knots as we negotiated the harbour.  It is quite a sight to see Nassau from the water - cruise ships, fancy hotels, freighters and fishing boats. We had arranged ahead of time to stay at a marina.  We opted for that to give us the security to leave the boat and sightsee.  The marina has security so we are comfortable leaving it for the day.  There has been a lot of theft at the anchorages and the holding is really getting bad - sand over hard bottom with debris scattered over the sea floor from the hurricanes.  Also, according to the weather guru, the winds were supposed to top 25 knots on Monday and Tuesday and not be in any direction to sail anywhere.  By Wednesday, we should be "on the road again".  The cold front coming through seems to be partly a result of the latest tropical storm that should not bother us except for the next few days.  We are glad we are in the marina, at the far end of the marinas pictured here - the Nassau Harbour Club.  Pioneer is rocking and bobbing and that would not be fun in an anchorage with a lot of boats, many of them dragging their anchors. Even under normal conditions, the boats drag in the anchorages here, simply because of the strong current.  With our ground tackle we probably would have had no problems but better to be safe than sorry.

Nassau Onwards....Jan. 4 - 6:

Two days after New Years, there was a spectacular Junkanoo in Nassau.  Unfortunately we did not see it (only some of the leftover floats) as it was at 2 a.m. and we had just gotten in that day and were very tired after crossing the Great Bahama Bank. While sitting out a weather front in Nassau, we took advantage of other local sights - the fish/vegetable market and the Atlantis Aquarium.  In Nassau, we met many more cruisers and saw some very big Mega Yachts!  On a good sized cat, two slips down from us were Gerard and Susan (New Brunswick) on Gaia Su (whom we linked up again with in Allen's Cay), also in the marina were Fred and Nina on Mi Nina (Pompano Beach, Florida), another CR38 couple John and Mindy on Coquina (Vermont) and Reed and Maren on a Jeannau 41 (New York). This picture of a manta ray at the Atlantis aquarium was almost as spectacular as the manta ray that cruised around Pioneer in Allen's Cay the next day.  The seafood and vegetable market was a highlight for Ron.  He was in his element bartering with the vendors and laughing with them.  They were stubborn, but Ron was even more so and got some great deals on tomatoes, bananas and limes!  It was also our first taste of conch salad - a specialty at the market.  While seeking out the best priced and best looking salad in the outdoor market, we ran across two cruisers from Oakville, Ed and Dee on Sea Fox X. They were a lot of fun to chat with and the next day we linked up with them again in our anchorage at Allen's Cay.  We also got a chuckle out of this vendor in the market "Evelyn's Kitchen", it made us think of Ron's mum and how she would love to see these sights.

The next day at about 8:30 a.m. we headed off to Allen's Cay to see the famous iguanas that cover the beaches. After anchoring, we got into the dinghy to go exploring and ran into a great couple from Kingston - Henry and Rachel along with their daughter, Ocean. We also ran into the local attraction - the iguanas.  When they hear you approach, they all come down to the beach.  They are scattered all over the place, in the rocks, in the grass and on the sand.  They are quite bold but are harmless.  The tourist boats feed them grapes, so they are very attracted to human sounds and motors. The signs said not to feed them or bother them, so we followed the signs and just stepped around them!  Gerard and Susan invited us over to Gaia Su that night for happy hour. Ron ended up cutting Susan's hair and I ended up cutting Gerard's.  They both looked great by the time we finished with them!  In appreciation, they invited us for supper, which consisted of a very large salad which we thoroughly enjoyed! The next morning we woke up gently aground, but still straight up, on a sand bar. After we floated off we reset the anchor and then that began a series of anchor resets that we hoped would keep us off the sandbar in the coming storm.  Thinking that we were safely anchored, we explored the snorkelling over a sheltered coral reef - which was full of different coloured and sized fish - but no lobster yet for us!  When we got back we invited Sea Fox over for happy hour and just relaxed. The next morning as the seas started to pick up, we again bumped at low tide. After many more tries, we finally had to give up that area and put the hook down nearer some other boats just after the winds picked up.  It was not great fun re-anchoring in high winds but the hook grabbed and we were able to relax without worries of our rudder bouncing off the bottom.  One of the other boats in the anchorage that morning was totally aground and on a decided list - they had to wait for high tide to get off and re-anchor in a new spot.  Thank goodness for our Reed's Almanac with the                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Gaia Su

tide tables of the Bahamas and Caribbean!  Now that we have used it extensively, I don't think that we will run aground again in an anchorage. It is now Saturday and we are still in Allen's Cay waiting for the front to pass.  Our anchor has held and so have the ones belonging to our neighbours.  It is still rocking and rolling out here as the current determines which way the boat lies and the wind just does it's rocking job from the beam.  It can be very uncomfortable and make you feel very unstable, but we are coping.  Last night the winds were gusting at 35 to 38 kts and although we did not have the breaking seas we did have the wind and the large roll and swell.  It was an all night vigil for every boat with everyone onboard sharing anchor watch. The next night the wind was less intense but was clocking around to the ENE from the NW.  In anticipation we shortened our anchor rode, along with our neighbour on one side to adjust to the new position that we would be in come morning.  Unfortunately we forgot to inform our neighbour on the far side of us who had the most chain out.  The next morning when the current was slack and the wind changing, they were dancing around in circles while we and our other neighbour were stationary and very slowly coming around to the wind and the deeper water.  The result was a clink of davits to davits at 5 a.m.  Once again we stayed up until dawn to check on our position relative to other boats.  As the cruising guides say, this is a good anchorage in settled conditions but not in the unsettled ones that we faced.

That morning we weighed anchor at about 0930 and headed off to Shroud Cay and deeper water.  The iguanas at Allen's Cay were interesting but most of the anchorage just seemed to be too shallow for us. Must be too much stowage aboard! Shouldn't have bought all those bottles of rum in Nassau! We had a pleasant beam reach sail to Shroud Cay with winds about 15 to 18 kts.  It was

Sea Fox

 pleasant and relaxing.  When we pulled into the anchorage, there were three other Canadian boats there - from Toronto.  We were in the lee of the Cay so it afforded protection from the bigger waves, with very little rocking in the night. The anchor dug in well in a sandy bottom with 11 feet of depth so we felt secure and safe from the bottom bangs we experienced the night before.  Shroud Cay is known for its dinghy trails through the mangroves.  We headed down one of these mangrove waterways for a sightseeing tour.  It was quite fascinating.  The mangrove roots were all twisted around each other reaching down into the salt water. That night was very relaxing and uneventful.  The next morning, the winds had picked up and we got confirmation of a mooring at Warderick Wells so we headed off there at about 9:45.  Our actual departure was delayed as we had to find and retrieve Judy's hat which had blown off into the water in the 15 kt winds.  With a little searching and Ron's keen eyes, we found the hat and picked it up using our best man overboard retrieval method.  Hooked it on the first try!  Our sail during the first half of the trip to Warderick Wells was exhilarating.  We had 18 kts of wind gusting to 25 with our toe rail in the water at peak wind times - well heeled over even with the main double reefed! We were doing over 7 kts with only the main and the genoa up.  At the helm for the initial part of the trip, Judy put her newly retrieved (and favourite) hat on backwards to avoid any future incidents.  Unfortunately the last 8 miles involved a course change that had us nose into the building seas.  So, we finally pulled in the sails and motored the last leg in. 

Warderick Wells is a marine and land park protected by the Bahamian government.  For the most part, only mooring balls can be used - no anchoring except at Emerald Rock on the west side of the cay. It has been quite pleasant here so far but still very windy (no swells and rocking motion, however).  The wind is supposed to lessen over the next few days and then build again to some major squalls over the weekend.  We may stay until the weekend squalls pass through. and then start to work our way further south. On Tuesday, Jan 10th we experienced our first hike on land on one of the many trails at Warderick Wells.  The trails lead to remote and secluded beaches, as well as palm groves and blow holes.  The cay is built up on coral and hiking is best done in runners with good support. On one of the beaches, the skeleton of a sperm whale, that washed up on Shroud Cay, is mounted. Over the next few days we will be able to snorkel, hike, picnic and generally chill out here. We seem to have been on the go since we crossed the gulf stream and we are really enjoying this break. Gaia Su is here along with three other boats from the rough night at Allens Cay.  Gaia Su plans to head out to Cat Cay tomorrow on their first stage of a voyage to the Virgin Islands.  We had considered tagging along but on further thought, we really were not ready to do that yet - we need more time to learn how to sail Pioneer here in the Bahamas. Cuba is still a possibility for us so when we get to Georgetown, we will be looking for other Cuban bound boats.

It is now January 17th and we are still enjoying the Exuma Land and Sea Park at Warderick Wells.  We are volunteering to help with the office and the grounds while the regular management are off tending to medical emergencies.  It is fun and very nice for a change.  We also managed to weather one of the worst cold fronts in years here.  At one point we thought the entire cay was going to blow away as the gusts racked up to 48 kts. That is a lot of wind and well into the gale category. Some of the boats facing broadside to the wind (due to the current factor) dipped their toe rails into the water before they finally swung around into the wind. Two boats chafed their mooring lines badly such that the mooring lines had to be replaced.  Apparently this was the worse cold front in 6 years - we can certainly believe it.  During our stay we have had a chance to meet many boaters, new faces and ones we have seen before. We even got to celebrate a birthday for a one year old, Ocean, from the boat Ray Ocean.  Ocean has been sailing with her mum and dad, Rachel and Henry, since she was a newborn.  She even walks (with support) like a sailor! We also had time to get to know another CR38 couple John and Mindy on Coquina.  Snorkelling by the south mooring field turned into a fun afternoon activity for the four of us as Mindy used to plexiglass bottomed pail to find the best snorkelling sites.  Judy was glad that the barracuda that everyone was admiring was long gone by the time she snorkelled past.  We met a wonderful couple from North Carolina, Bette and David on Tarheel.  They were flying the North Carolina flag so we matched it by raising our NC flag (which had been part of Judy's Halloween costume).

This mooring field at Warderick Wells is quite spectacular.  The boats are all anchored in a narrow channel that curves around like a big "C". We have explored many of the hiking trails and we left our mark on Boo Boo Hill, where all visiting boaters leave some memento of their passing. We did that hike with John and Cheryl from Malabar and got some great pictures from atop of the hill including a spectacular shot of Pioneer. On our hikes we have run across various snakes and lizards - some with hardly any fear of humans. Ron has been commandeered by some of the cruising ladies to cut their hair.  During our stay he has tackled two other heads besides Judy's - Dee and Lisa were the lucky recipients of a new hairline.

We will probably stay here as long as we are needed. We are also waiting for the winds to cooperate and give us a good sail down to our next stopping point which should be Big Majors Spot.  That weather opportunity may come sooner or later - we are not concerned - it will eventually happen.

Boo Boo Hill

                    Pioneer on Boo Boo Hill

Local Wildlife

                                                             Judy and Ron on Boo Boo Hill

Ron's second client - Dee

                                       Client #3 - Lisa

On January 19th, we detached from our mooring ball and headed for Big Majors Spot, near Staniel Cay.  We motor sailed to charge up our batteries although the 18-25 kts of wind didn't require it.  At the Big Majors anchorage, there were several other boats that we had met along the way so it was like revisiting old friends.  Although our stay there was windy for the most part, we managed to get into Staniel Cay once, by dinghy to offload garbage and enjoy happy hour with the other cruisers at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club.  However, we were beginning to get our introduction to "how to ride a dinghy when the wind and waves were up". We also attended our first beach party, which was fun and allowed us an opportunity to meet several cruisers we had heard on the VHF but not met as yet.  Inflatable dinghies are very common on most boats in the Bahamas and they all seem to look alike, so we are glad that our motor is painted bright white - it does stand out in a crowd!

On January 23rd we left Big Majors Spot for Black Point Settlement and will be here for close to a week.  Black Point is a fascinating place with delicious home made bread, plenty of water, two small grocery stores. an absolutely fantastic coin laundry (the best we have seen since we became boat people), a school (with a school marching band) and two restaurants.  We spent our eating out dollars at Lorraine's Cafe where the food was very good and the fellowship outstanding.  Lorraine's was also the place to go for a local beer when doing laundry at the laundromat nearby.  The settlement has only a few streets, lots of kids, a few cars/trucks, ladies weaving baskets everywhere and gets its supplies from the mail-boat that arrives every Wednesday. We will leave here as soon as the wind dies down a tad.  We have shredded some seams in our headsail and so we can't use it until we get it repaired or it will just rip to shreds in the 25 knot winds.  That probably means motor sailing to Georgetown, at least for part of the way.  Hopefully we can sew up the seams and put some patches on the sail so that it will last until we get someplace where a new sail can be ordered.

Upon leaving Black Point, we headed for Big Galiott Cay and the Cut that would take us out into Exuma Sound on Tuesday morning.  Up until now we had been sailing entirely on the Exuma Banks as we wandered south through the Exuma island chain. Now it would be into the deep water of the sound.  For the last week it had been difficult to go out onto the sound with its 5-6 foot swells and 25 knot winds, most of the time on your nose as you travelled further south. The last opportunity to go out on the sound there was no wind and it would have been a motor experience.  This time there were 10-15 kt. winds from the NW with 2-3 foot swells and that made for very good sailing.  We stayed two nights in Galiott, tolerating the current flow in order to get a good start for Georgetown on Tuesday morning.  The currents in all the cuts are strong and in Big Galiott Cut the current is exceptionally strong.  Once again we appreciated the good engine under us and the calm winds at the time of our trip through the cut.  The current was against us and the wind was the opposite to the current.  On days with greater wind speed, the cut would have had very dangerous standing waves. We arrived in Georgetown in the early afternoon and got settled into an anchorage with good holding near some other boats that we had met along the way.  Here we can get our sail repaired, reprovision do laundry and have as active a social life as we wish.  So far in our 4 day stay here we have only missed sharing happy hour with friends once and the next two days ahead are already booked!  We have attended a breakfast on the beach for Ontario sailors, which we crashed along with a couple from BC.  It was a great opportunity to meet new friends and ones we had met on our way through the Bahamas.  We also attended happy hour on the beach for anyone who wished to come.  Then there are the organized and casually set up games!  Bridge, dominos, volleyball and just sitting around under the trees on the beach chatting with people. Judy has started bridge lessons and is enjoying them while Ron works the crowd getting to know the other boaters.  This place is just like summer camp for adults!  We will stay for a while - how long is anyone's question.  Since there are another two cold fronts coming through, we could be here for possibly two weeks or more.  Our destination after Georgetown is still up in the air.  Right now this is a good place for us to hang out and get to know a lot of people.