We left Nassau at about 10 AM on Saturday for an overnight trip to North Rock, just north of Bimini. Listening to weather reports, we prepared for the possibility of cutting short our plan to go directly to the US. Lightning was in the sky. According to other people's radar, it was about 30 miles away but headed to cross our path. By then we had picked up two more sailboats in a five boat flotilla (we were traveling with Puff and The Suzanne). We slowed down and were only using 1/3 jib so that we would reach North Rock by dawn and would have a choice: push on or go south to Bimini. About 7 AM Sunday, as we were getting close, there was a lot of discussion on the radio and it was decided to go into Bimini. We rounded the light and went south only to be hit with the thunderstorm. It was pouring buckets. One boat was about 100 feet behind us and we could barely see their lights. We hove-to on one motor for the first time. Harmony was sideways to the 6 foot waves but rode steadily going southwest at less than ½ knot for ½ hour while the storm blew through with 30 knot winds. One of the other boats took a wave over the stern which broke off their davits, holing the dink and they had to drag it behind them upside down.
Coming into port was hairy. Someone on land was trying to give directions but it sounded like we needed to leave a rock to port and come between it and the shore - we were looking at ferocious breakers. We went for it only to do a 180 because there was no water between the shore and that rock. Wrong directions - so we went north to find the pass and got into the marina. As we got there we turned on the port engine to get into a slip. Yeah? No port engine so at about 10 AM Sunday we got to the gas dock where we remain. No starter! We will probably stay here until we get one shipped from the states. OR, if we get a really good weather window, take the starter off the starboard engine, put it onto the port engine, start the port engine and leave it on for as much as it takes while putting the starter back on the starboard engine. At least we have that option but given previous problems with the port engine …
So we sit here. Lew had expected Bimini to be a fancy place with lots to see and do. Wrong! Since the fancy boat traffic goes up to Lucaya, this place is almost empty. At least it is cheap at $.75 per foot. Every other marina had been $1.25 - $4 a foot. Three boats, including Suzanne, left this morning leaving Puff and us here.
On the bright side, we caught a 43 inch Mahi Mahi on the trip over and had fresh fish (very hard to find in the Bahamas) for Saturday dinner. Dinner on Sun night with Puff and Suzanne finished off the Mahi Mahi and we all slept very well at the dock only to wake up at 5:30 in another thunderstorm. Now it is about 8 AM and it is clearing up. Who knows when we'll really head for the States …
Florrie's addendum: During the 24 hours between the anchorage in Nassau and the dock at Bimini, we had to take turns at the helm. Even with an auto pilot that meant someone had to stand watch for other boat traffic etc. At one point in the middle of the night all three women - Kathy, Sue & Florrie - were on the helm at the same time. We chatted a bit. Kathy was hand-steering Puff, a 39' sail boat, while Dave slept. Florrie was paying attention to the auto pilot and doing her nails while Lew slept. Sue was just enjoying the night and stars from the bridge of their 39' trawler, The Suzanne. It was a pretty unique initiation into a very different sisterhood. Bimini is lovely, sitting on the edge of vast sand bars and shoals which means gorgeous turquoise water. There is a little cay covered with Mangroves a few hundred yards to the east that is covered with White Ibis or Egrets. The Pelicans sit on any available piling. Maybe Kathy and Florrie will get to do some more shopping before heading to the States.
Get in touch in an instant. Get Windows Live Messenger now.
No comments:
Post a Comment