Delivery Cruise - Part 3

Handover Cruise - Part 3

Current Location: 3/4 of the way across the Caicos Bank.

Wow. This is different! We have spent the day crossing the Caicos Bank. Just like the Bahamas Banks further north this is a vast area of shallow water. Around 40 miles by 30 miles. We started off at a nice 6m depth with clear water around us. Soon we approached the light blue water and it shallowed to 5m then 4m and we were dodging brown coral heads every few hundred metres. It got hot. We caught a nice eating size tuna, then a much too big toothy kingfish. Finally the 30kg line snapped as another 'big one' lived to tell the tale. As we approached the middle of the bank we had not seen another boat for hours. You could look through 360° and all you saw was this.

Gilly - Coral head spotting

Can't see any there

Ah, there's one at the top of the picture. Steer around it!

A bit like the Sahara or the middle of the Atlantic in that flat day Jen. But here instead of 3km beneath us there was just 3m for mile after mile at 6 knots. The sea started to turn greenish blue as we reached the shallowest part. The depth alarm set for 0.5m under the keel sang it's little song as we dropped to 0.3m below the keel. We negotiated the last of the coral bommies which entailed a diversion of maybe 1/4 mile. Then slowly, so slowly the depths finally began to increase. It was hot. It was still. It was almost mirage like.

If you think this looks nerve-racking...

...try these depths!!

Provo Safety Radio asked all internationally travelling yachts to radio in. We did. Switch to Channel 74 please ma'am. Then they wanted every detail of P and her crew. They were so thorough we thought they were going to ask Gill what her bust size was!

Anyway we finally made it to the western side of the bank. Tired but satisfied it was time to gut and the tuna and cook the goujons. Very good though we still worry about ciguatera.

Less than 300 miles to go to George Town now. A quick check of the weather though shows even more wind over the next week. Staying put is not really an option as our days are running out so after a 12 hour day today we'll be up early tomorrow to check out of the Turks and Caicos. Next destination? The Bahamas. We've been with John and Helena now for three weeks. We know their foibles and they know some of ours. It's been good but I think we're all ready now to get to George Town and to complete the sale. Preparation is complete. The start is complete. The middle is complete. And now we've just got the end to complete. Still 300 miles but the end is in sight now after almost 1,000 miles. Even if we are in a shit anchorage on a lee shore with 20 knots blowing. Come on P, you're an absolute star!

Handover Cruise - Part 4

Current Location: East of Acklins Island, the Bahamas!

Your mind plays tricks in you during night watch. Tonight I had the red light shining in my head torch. I looked up along what should be a clear port deck and saw a massive lobster lying there. I called the others. We all thought tomorrow's dinner had thrown itself into the deck. Until we realised it was just the coiled main preventer line that had dropped off its hook. Ah well, you can't win 'em all.

This morning Gill and I took the dinghy, now repaired after the water man jumped in with gravel on his shoes, on a 2 mile return sleigh ride trip to check out. A bleak, dust strewn parking lot with a grubby little shack and nowhere to tie up. One other sailor there who had spent a pleasant night in the next bay. Wrong decision last night on our part.

Back on passage again, we were hit by a big squall tonight, just before it got dark. Instead of creeping up on us from downwind this one lay in wait for us. 30+ knots took us flying back towards the treacherous Caicos Banks where we had just left from. Captain Gilly ordered the genoa furled and we motored away from land again for an hour in the cold, with the wind roaring and the waves laid flat by the strong winds. Our trusty yin-yang-adorned wind steering paddle snapped off sometime in the excitement leaving just an orange stub. True gale conditions for an hour or so. At the height of the squall a large black bird came swooping up behind us. All very atmospheric and strangely wild and beautiful.

After the big squall

Watches. We are doing 3 hours each during the day and 2 hours at night. These are shorter watches than most people do but it works well for us. Not on watch? You will be sleeping, doing jobs or helping with a sail change. If you're lucky there will be time to read, write your blog or cook dinner! Yesterday we had a scrummy tuna caught by myself on the Caicos Banks and tonight during the storm John A made us all bean stew with rice each of which was topped off with two fried eggs. Scrumptious.

Well, we are now past the first of the Bahamas. Mayaguana slid by earlier in this 0400-0600 watch of mine. We might reach our final destination tomorrow or we may decide to break the final 200 miles into two. It's a grey old dawn here now. Plenty of small squalls around and it's spitting with rain. Only 15 minutes of my watch left so I might stay dry yet. Please.

14.28 Friday 28th April.

Thankfully the squalls stayed away during the night. We sailed on and on under jib and mizzen, our now standard downwind rig. 12 knots of ESE plus our boat speed of 5 knots makes for a gentle sail. We swoop along with the seas hissing past us. Long lazy swells, soporific and ceaseless. The end feels close now. (Remember Jen and Marcus?). Jobs are finished, floors are swept, bread is baked and all is good with the world. Around 0200 tomorrow morning we'll arrive in Long Island in The Far Bahamas. From there it's a couple of short hops to George Town.

Handover Cruise - Part 5

Current Location: East of Long Island, the Bahamas

So it's the next night and we're still at sea. What's that all about I hear you ask. It was a classic sailing dilemma. Our course and speed to Long Island 50 miles away would have us arriving at 0200. The entrance is strewn with coral heads and may have breaking waves. Once inside, the anchorage is very confined. Not a good place to drop anchor in the middle of the night. We could wait outside for daybreak but stronger winds are forecast. Our alternative is to crack on round the northern tip of Long Island and down the more sheltered western side to George Town. 60 miles longer and with winds increasing to over 20 knots this means another night at sea which no one (apart from me) relishes. We opted for this second option so it's now 0036 and my watch again. So far the winds have only increased slightly and the skies are pretty clear. We have 35 miles to make before reaching the northern tip. Current predictions show us rounding Cape Santa Maria just after 0600. Watch this space!