We left Princess Cays, on Saturday the 22nd of March on a cloudy, but windy day about 8 o'clock in the morning. We cleared the lagoon just as the Queen Mary 2 was dropping her huge anchors. We heard the loud rumble as the anchors plunged into the water and the chain ran out over the big bow. As the Queen and Princess Cays faded astern of us we started to fish. We caught a Black Fin tuna, then we caught two small Spanish Mackerals, which we threw back. We hooked a huge something out there that took our lure as well, and that was the end of fishing for that day.
We were heading to a town called Governors Harbor about half way up the coast of 100 mile long Eleuthera Island. We got there about 3 PM, covering the 48 miles in 7 hours which is pretty fast for us. We anchored in about 13 feet of water on a bottom that said "poor holding" on the charts. Everything was cool until Easter night about midnight, when a little squall came up. We were in bed when it started to sprinkle. All of the hatches were open since it had been really still and hot. I got up the close them when it start to rain harder. About the time I got the hatches closed and the the port holes shut, the wind hit, blowing about 30 to 40 knots. I started the engine, removed the cover on the helm station. I calmly went inside the boat as the wind howled and got my and Chennie's foul weather coats out of the closet. By then we started to drag anchor across the harbor. Luckily we were about the only boat there except for a trimaran on a mooring. We had met the owner, Roger earlier in the day. We had to pull up the anchor, motor around in the wind and rain and try to reset it. Chennie took the helm and I went forward to drop the anchor again. Of course it dragged immediatly, so we pulled it up again. Roger saw all of this and yelled to tell us to tie on to him at his stern for the night since he was on a mooring. Since anchoring on an hard bottom wasn't going to work we tied on for the night. The next day Roger helped us set up another unused mooring near him with his "hooka" underwater breathing device. We had to put in new lines and cut old rotten ones off so we could attach to it. That night, we felt secure tied to a huge concrete block and knew we weren't going anywhere even if the wind started to blow a hurricane. God decided to test it. About 5PM the sky got really really black. We could see lightning from far away, and rain, lots of it. It came closer and closer and we knew we were in for it. When it hit blowing about 50 to 60 knots and raining so hard you could hardly see it was bad, but Wy'East and us took it just fine. Then it hit us with a 100 knot gust of wind at least, which laid Wy'East over to the water with the rail nearly under. About then the dingy with the engine on it started to fly, about 4 feet off the water. It flew like that for about 5 seconds until it flipped over upside down, engine and all. A big bolt of lightning hit the docks about 40 yards from us as well about that time. Chennie had had enough. She gathered up some clothes, passports, money, our computer and said we are going to the land.
I flipped the dingy back over, but we couldn't use it. The wind was blowing hard and it was still raining hard. Roger came over in the storm and took us to shore. We walked up the street not knowing where we would sleep for the night, but Chennie was sure it was not going to be on the boat with the lighting storm going on. We walked to a sign we had seen for the "Duck Inn". Chennie called them on the phone and they had a room for us. John was also a sailor from England, and came to Governors Harbor 25 years ago and never left. In fact he had a boat in the Harbor called "Magic Carpet" The invited us down for dinner and wine in their home and were very nice to the two drowned rats that showed up on their door step. The next morning the sun was out and all was well. I went pay for the beautiful room we had stayed in and John said "maybe we can work out a deal". I agreed, and he asked me to repair his outboard motor. I had it running in about 30 minutes. Then we went down to the harbor. Roger came over and brought me out to to Wy'East, and we towed our dingy to the beach. I took the engine all apart, cleaned the carburator, cylinder, replaced the fuel, cleaned out the lines. Roger and I put it back together and it started on the first pull! Man did I feel lucky, and glad I had new Tohatsu motor.
John Byrne flew into Governors Harbor on Thursday the 27th of March. We said goodbye to Roger and sailed up to Spanish Wells, where we planned to rest a day, then head further north to the Abacos Islands. While in Spanish Wells Chennie has been cooking some amazing meals. While there we had Rack of Lamb courtesy of Buddy and Abbie, Shrimp, Stone Crab claws (see photos) and about the best halibut/salmon we've ever tasted, which was also courtesy of Buddy and Abbie at Princess Cays. The stone crab claws, were given to us by a fishing boat captain. Chennie tried to buy some of these tasty things, but he wanted too much. Chennie then was offered the "floaters" which were claws that floated when placed in salt water since they had less meat in them. Well they floated right over to our boat and we ate them all!!! YUM! John bought some fresh tuna from a local fisherman, and we barbecued that as well. It was very very good. We even ate some raw with wasabi and soy sauce.
One day turned into 5 days as the weather was not good. We were not anxious to sail in 18 foot seas in the Atlantic ocean to get there, so I decided after looking at the weather to head east to Nassau. We left Spanish Wells on the 3rd of April in a 25 to 30 knot east wind. After a rather ominous looking morning, the day brightened up and we flew across the 42 miles to Nassau, making upwards of 8 knots in Wy'East. I think she senses were are headed for the barn. We plan to leave tomorrow morning (Friday) for Chub Cay. From there we'll sail to Bimini, and return to Fort Lauderdale across the gulf stream. John is flying out of Fort Lauderdale next week on the 9th instead of Marsh Harbor in the Abacos. So after this week, we'll be back in the good ol USA.
Tonight we are in Chub Cay Marina, about 80 miles from Bimini, and about 130 miles from Florida. We had a rolly, but good sail over here today from Nassau. We caught yet another Barracuda.
We were heading to a town called Governors Harbor about half way up the coast of 100 mile long Eleuthera Island. We got there about 3 PM, covering the 48 miles in 7 hours which is pretty fast for us. We anchored in about 13 feet of water on a bottom that said "poor holding" on the charts. Everything was cool until Easter night about midnight, when a little squall came up. We were in bed when it started to sprinkle. All of the hatches were open since it had been really still and hot. I got up the close them when it start to rain harder. About the time I got the hatches closed and the the port holes shut, the wind hit, blowing about 30 to 40 knots. I started the engine, removed the cover on the helm station. I calmly went inside the boat as the wind howled and got my and Chennie's foul weather coats out of the closet. By then we started to drag anchor across the harbor. Luckily we were about the only boat there except for a trimaran on a mooring. We had met the owner, Roger earlier in the day. We had to pull up the anchor, motor around in the wind and rain and try to reset it. Chennie took the helm and I went forward to drop the anchor again. Of course it dragged immediatly, so we pulled it up again. Roger saw all of this and yelled to tell us to tie on to him at his stern for the night since he was on a mooring. Since anchoring on an hard bottom wasn't going to work we tied on for the night. The next day Roger helped us set up another unused mooring near him with his "hooka" underwater breathing device. We had to put in new lines and cut old rotten ones off so we could attach to it. That night, we felt secure tied to a huge concrete block and knew we weren't going anywhere even if the wind started to blow a hurricane. God decided to test it. About 5PM the sky got really really black. We could see lightning from far away, and rain, lots of it. It came closer and closer and we knew we were in for it. When it hit blowing about 50 to 60 knots and raining so hard you could hardly see it was bad, but Wy'East and us took it just fine. Then it hit us with a 100 knot gust of wind at least, which laid Wy'East over to the water with the rail nearly under. About then the dingy with the engine on it started to fly, about 4 feet off the water. It flew like that for about 5 seconds until it flipped over upside down, engine and all. A big bolt of lightning hit the docks about 40 yards from us as well about that time. Chennie had had enough. She gathered up some clothes, passports, money, our computer and said we are going to the land.
I flipped the dingy back over, but we couldn't use it. The wind was blowing hard and it was still raining hard. Roger came over in the storm and took us to shore. We walked up the street not knowing where we would sleep for the night, but Chennie was sure it was not going to be on the boat with the lighting storm going on. We walked to a sign we had seen for the "Duck Inn". Chennie called them on the phone and they had a room for us. John was also a sailor from England, and came to Governors Harbor 25 years ago and never left. In fact he had a boat in the Harbor called "Magic Carpet" The invited us down for dinner and wine in their home and were very nice to the two drowned rats that showed up on their door step. The next morning the sun was out and all was well. I went pay for the beautiful room we had stayed in and John said "maybe we can work out a deal". I agreed, and he asked me to repair his outboard motor. I had it running in about 30 minutes. Then we went down to the harbor. Roger came over and brought me out to to Wy'East, and we towed our dingy to the beach. I took the engine all apart, cleaned the carburator, cylinder, replaced the fuel, cleaned out the lines. Roger and I put it back together and it started on the first pull! Man did I feel lucky, and glad I had new Tohatsu motor.
John Byrne flew into Governors Harbor on Thursday the 27th of March. We said goodbye to Roger and sailed up to Spanish Wells, where we planned to rest a day, then head further north to the Abacos Islands. While in Spanish Wells Chennie has been cooking some amazing meals. While there we had Rack of Lamb courtesy of Buddy and Abbie, Shrimp, Stone Crab claws (see photos) and about the best halibut/salmon we've ever tasted, which was also courtesy of Buddy and Abbie at Princess Cays. The stone crab claws, were given to us by a fishing boat captain. Chennie tried to buy some of these tasty things, but he wanted too much. Chennie then was offered the "floaters" which were claws that floated when placed in salt water since they had less meat in them. Well they floated right over to our boat and we ate them all!!! YUM! John bought some fresh tuna from a local fisherman, and we barbecued that as well. It was very very good. We even ate some raw with wasabi and soy sauce.
One day turned into 5 days as the weather was not good. We were not anxious to sail in 18 foot seas in the Atlantic ocean to get there, so I decided after looking at the weather to head east to Nassau. We left Spanish Wells on the 3rd of April in a 25 to 30 knot east wind. After a rather ominous looking morning, the day brightened up and we flew across the 42 miles to Nassau, making upwards of 8 knots in Wy'East. I think she senses were are headed for the barn. We plan to leave tomorrow morning (Friday) for Chub Cay. From there we'll sail to Bimini, and return to Fort Lauderdale across the gulf stream. John is flying out of Fort Lauderdale next week on the 9th instead of Marsh Harbor in the Abacos. So after this week, we'll be back in the good ol USA.
Tonight we are in Chub Cay Marina, about 80 miles from Bimini, and about 130 miles from Florida. We had a rolly, but good sail over here today from Nassau. We caught yet another Barracuda.
Here is a shark that a fishing boat caught off Spanish Wells.
We'll update this when we get back in Florida.
We'll update this when we get back in Florida.
Till then,
Chennie and Preston
1 comment:
Wow! Now I know what you meant about having a BAD time in Governer's Harbor. Glad everyone was safe. - Matt s/v Alisios
Post a Comment