In the early morning hours of February 17, we finally made it to Bimini, Bahamas. The night crossing was not too bad, although we worried about voltage all the way over. MANY cruise ships at night.
In Bimini, the captain went to shore to clear customs. The two Robins stayed with the boat and took their first swim in Bahamian waters. Luckily for Miss M., Bahamian customs declined to come on board to check the vessel. We kicked around in Bimini for a week, checking out the wreck of the Sapona and doing some snorkeling. We saw stingrays, dolphins, fish, and even a shark or two. Even before our first week in Bimini, we quickly learned what all boat owners know: It’s always something. Bob cannot get the watermaker to work. The anchor light quit, followed by the foredeck light. The windlass had a short in it. Rust on the bow has caused worries about other electrical issues. With all that being said (along with some creaks and squeaks), we are loving life on Blue Bonnet. On February 24, we made the ill-advised decision to leave Bimini and head for the Berry Islands. The ride over was a nightmare. We probably should have waited for a more favorable forecast, but off we went. Heavy seas and high winds on our nose made the entire 18.5 hour-trip extremely unpleasant. But at 1:30 am, we finally made it and anchored in Bullock’s Harbour. The following morning we treated ourselves to an overnight at the Great Harbour Marina. The entrance to Great Harbour Cay was cut out of a small hill and the 75’ wide canal that was created made steep walls on either side. If you did not have ready navigation tools or if you did not know the markers, this entrance would be very hard to find – giving it a sense of a “hidden” grotto. After a quick bout of laundry-doing, we headed back to Bullocks Harbour. Our last night there, we hailed a local fisherman who sold us 6 yellow snappers for $10 and offered to bring us lobster if we stuck around another day. As tempting as that was, we left Great Harbour Cay, circled north around the islands at the top of the Berrys to the east side of Great Harbour Cay. Our anchorage in Petite Cay was one of the best we have had so far. Instead of coming directly to Petite Cay with the wind on our nose, we headed out for a couple hours of quiet sailing. Robin Moore got two poles out and had lures in the water, just in case. As we turned toward our destination with sails doused there was a hit on one of the reels. The barracuda that made it to our net was the first fish caught on this trip – though he was released to live a little longer. On the shores of Petite Cay we did some beachcombing. Lots of shells, a couple of sharks in the shallow water and just beautiful scenery provided a really great afternoon diversion. We made a short stop on Little Petite Cay and Robin M brought back a few live conch that she and Bob harvested. Robin D made conch ceviche, and learned a few hours later that raw conch does not agree with her stomach. Luckily, everything had worked its way out by morning. Today is March 4, our son Andrew’s birthday. We really miss our kids, and hope to see them soon. Unfortunately, Bud gets seasick sailing, so we’ll have to think of some other way to connect. We are currently at Little Gaulding Cay, waiting for the weather to improve. We hope to check out the Blue Hole on Hoffman’s Cay before we head further south. Nick also mentioned something about his having a personal hot tub on Devil's Cay, so we’ll be looking. No swimming today, due to the two small sharks* swimming below our boat, checking out the fish we painted on the hull. Robin D. has named them Ernest and Patrice, because they seem pretty friendly. Miss M. refuses to put her toes in the water, regardless. *3/18/18: The sharks were actually fish called remora, also known as sharksuckers and whalesuckers because they, well, you know, suck on those creatures.
4 Comments
georgia kennett
3/18/2018 01:17:35 pm
I just discovered this and loved reading about your adventures.Stay safe!! It's cold and lots of snow here on the island......No new news....No new babies or love affairs that I know about....Sunday isGet to Know Your Neighbor. I've been very sick this winter but im doing ok now......Have not been allowed out of the house or allowed ompany because of my immune system.....spent a week in the I've written a book!!!!! have fun and stay healthy!!!xxoo Georgia
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Robin
3/18/2018 01:33:45 pm
Georgia, it's awesome to hear from you. So sorry to hear you've been under the weather. Please keep all the Georgetowners in line up there! Hope to hear from you again, soon!
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Steven OB
3/18/2018 02:42:23 pm
🍀hope you found time for a pint or two yesterday...be well my friends
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Robin
3/18/2018 02:49:40 pm
Yes, we did! Tried some Pirate Republic beers, which were delish. Miss you!
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AuthorRobin and Bob recently quit their jobs, sold all their belongings, and headed south to begin a new life on the sea. Check back here to find out how life adrift is going. Archives
February 2019
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