Filling the time gap between the 4th and today: We found that blue hole on Hoffman's Cay – lots of turtles, some cliff jumping, and having the place to ourselves made for a great couple of hours. The next day we went to shore on Devil’s Cay to find the “hot tub.” The ocean side of the island had some significant swells and the crashing waves closed off any potential bathing site near the rocks. We will visit some other day when the weather is calm. After Devil’s Cay we decided to head to Nassau while the weather permitted a reasonable passage. Four days in Nassau allowed us to re-provision, refuel, and deal with a couple of maintenance items. The two Robins did a fair amount of sightseeing while Bob tended to some boat items while the boat was safely in a slip at Yacht Haven. We left Yacht Haven on Wednesday and headed SE toward the Exuma Islands. Once we were anchored in Leaf Cay, we knew that we had been at the marina (and near a city) too long. The peace and the scenery were fast reminders of what we are here to enjoy. The Robins went to shore to check out the endangered rock iguanas. The iguanas were happy to see them, until they realized the Robins had not brought food. Later the next day we sailed down to Saddleback Cay hoping for a quiet anchorage and some new sights. Despite having an anchorage recommended from Active Captain, we found ourselves in a very strong current. Without realizing how swift the water was, Robin D jumped in to dive the anchor. She barely got into the water and found out that even with fins on the current was too strong and she was being pulled away from the boat at a rapid pace. Luckily a long piece of line was nearby and we were able to pull her back onboard. In addition to not knowing if we had good holding for the anchor, we discovered that Blue Bonnet would not go into reverse! A quick check below and we discovered that an engine mounting bracket had broken. We immediately pulled up the anchor and motored around the Cays to the inside banks. Shutting down the engine, we hoisted sails and set our course back to Nassau. Even though it was not planned, this event gave us the great opportunity to sail through the night with fair winds. The stars and moonlight were a bright backdrop to the sails set for a broad reach all the way! Today we are anchored off Fort Montague in Nassau. A local boat mechanic/fabricator will be onboard Monday to remove the broken bracket. He will then return to install a replacement that he will fabricate in his shop. While we wait, we have been entertained by boats from the local yacht club’s sailing school, navigating a course that is near our boat. Yesterday we saw sailors of 420s getting a lesson in teamwork and spinnaker flying. Later we saw a group of Lasers racing. Today there was a fleet of Cat boats competing and then a small group of sunfish sailors. There is also a local DJ spinning tunes on the beach nearby and a fresh food market. Lots of fun in this beautiful harbor. No wonder Oprah has a house just across the bay! We are thinking of popping in, but we have big plans for a beans and rice dinner tonight. I thought I had the hang of adding photos to this blog, however, that is not the case. So here are some photos of our most recent adventures.
2 Comments
Dennis Wagner
4/2/2018 06:10:17 pm
As I sit here watching the snow fall on April 2, I'm really starting to wonder about my wonderment of winter in the northeast.
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Robin
4/6/2018 09:52:15 am
Dennis, put Miss Peg on a plane and come on down!
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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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