We left off our last Web update at the Red Shanks anchorage, expecting squalls with high winds - and we sure got them. One night we clocked a squall at 50 kts; nearby at Monument Beach someone clocked 60 kts. Fortunately, we had no boats around us and our anchor held beautifully. Not the case in other anchorages; the radio was buzzing with desperate voices announcing dragging anchors, a woman going overboard as she was handling the anchor, dinghies flipping and debris floating about.... It was a restless night.
For the next two weeks we saw ENE winds at 25 kts or better, with a few more squalls tossed in for kicks... and it seemed like the winds would never end.
We were happy to get off the boat to the Red Shanks Yacht and Tennis Club for a beach party (the beach was shielded from the wind. The RSYTS is really just the small beach). Everyone in the harbor joined in as you can see! We reconnected with Bonnie and Roger of Kokomo; Bonnie is net control for the Cruiseheimer's net each Thursday, a friendly and competent voice that we have heard and seen often, but never able to spend time with until the party. We spent a couple of fun evenings of drinks and dominoes with Bobby and Francie of Barefootin and also with Kokomo .
We weren't getting much sleep as we rocked and rolled at the entrance to
Red Shanks, so we moved further into the anchorage where it was a bit
calmer. We continued to have problems with the dinghy outboard getting
clogged with bad fuel, so Bob ran into town bucking 25 to 30 kt winds
on the nose, to buy gas treatment. He got soaked - it was not a
pleasant
ride.
With wind abating and a rising tide, we pulled anchor and finally left Red Shanks the afternoon of March 28 - we felt freed! It's a beautiful anchorage with few boats; but it was nice to get back to volleyball beach with the other 280 boats and old friends.
Cruisers were anxious to get underway and head north or south - just get out of GeorgeTown. As one boater said, "Welcome to Hotel GeorgeTown ... where you can check out but you can never leave." Songs played on the VHF radio about the wind, "who can stop the rain" became "who can stop the wind." It was crazy. Everyone was ready to move, after be cooped up for three to four weeks by strong east winds and high seas.
Our friends Bobby and Francie planned to leave at the first opportunity, so we were sure to have our farewell dinner together, and made plans to see each other as they sailed through New England in the summer.
Fortunately we did get together,
because the next morning was the first day of decent weather, and they
left with about 60 other boats, after much radio contact and a lot of
hoopla about the condition of waves at the cut, and was the wind really
dying. We got in the dinghy to watch the parade, and it seemed very
similar to the start of a race. It was sad, too.
The wind returned a bit, and some boats that started out later came back and stayed for a few more days. We were ready to leave, just waiting for the right window to go east. We made several rough trips to town to provision. (Maggie was soaked from head to toe from waves breaking over the dingy bow.) Rosie was happy she didn't have to go, and kept looking for the Heineken to keep Bob happy.
Then finally on April 1, after walking to the Sound side
to check the status of the waves, we decided to weigh anchor
and head to Cat Island. Only a
few boats left that day, and we were asked to report back on the status
of the seas. We had East winds 20-24 kts, with about 7' swells just forward of
our beam. We considered turning back, but kept going. We thought it would lessen once
we got in the protection of the land and made our course change;
it didn't and we were taking water over the bow. Fortunately with the angle
of the seas and the wind just forward of the beam, we made good time
to Cat Island.
We got to Cat about 5:30, and were the only boat in New Bight. We were glad we kept going -- what a beautiful place. Having heard a lot about the hermitage, we knew that would be a place to see. What a great view of it at the top of the hill from the boat.
On Monday, we walked about the settlement, stopped by Irene's Straw Work and bought a few items, and later climbed the tallest hill in the Bahamas to the Hermitage.
Father Jerome was an architect and was sent by the church to rebuild the island churches after the hurricane of 1908. A number of the churches in the area were designed and built by Father Jerome. He built the Hermitage at age 62 as his retirement home. It is a replica of hermitages in Europe and designed for a very small person. Father Jerome was supposedly over 6 feet, so he had to stoop everywhere he went. He considered it part of his devotion to God and Christ. He lived in the Hermitage until his death at the age of 80. It is a unique place with beautiful views and fits well with the devotion almost all the Bahamians have for their faiths.
While standing on this 204' point, we saw 2 more boats coming into New Bight. One anchored near us, and it turned out to be the first of many more. When we returned to the shore, we saw that fishermen had come in with their catch of grouper spearfished that afternoon; we negotiated a deal and had dinner for the night. Large numbers of the townspeople stopped by to purchase the fish, and they were sold out within an hour.
It was a perfect evening, with fresh grouper dinner in the cockpit under the rising full moon. What a wonderful day it was. It was really our first calm night in four weeks of strong winds. If only it would last.
On Tuesday,
we dinghied to a couple of mangrove creeks we had spotted from
the hill, and walked further around the settlement.
There are many ruins of abandoned houses, often with a
new house built right next door.
We stopped by to say hello to Miss Irene, who was
busy with her basket weaving.
Returning to the boat, we found an email that reported a collision between Barefootin and a 99' power yacht in broad daylight. What a tragedy for our friends. Fortunately, they are okay, but it seems their beautiful boat, their full-time home, might be totalled. The mast and rigging came down in the crash, and they limped by motor to Nassau, where they await insurance adjustors. Our hearts ache for them.
On Wednesday afternoon, we dinghied to Old Bight Beach - 5 miles of pure white sand and only one other person walking the beach. It was magnificent. We planned to - finally - bring our beach chairs and sit for an afternoon on Thursday. Returning to the harbor and finding more boats, about 14 in all, Bob decided it was time for a party, so we invited everyone to the Bluebird Restaurant. We had a lovely dinner with Kit and John from Kittywake. What fun!
Rosie has been enjoying the calm winds and likes to play in the cockpit.
Reality soon hit Thursday morning as we listened to Chris give dire warning about a low front that had developed overnight in the Gulf of Mexico. Squalls and westerly winds were forecast for the next few days. Of course, that was the direction we needed for our heading back to GeorgeTown, and there is very limited protection from light west wind in Cat Island, and nothing for heavy weather. So we weighed anchor and motor sailed back, passing the beautiful spot where we planned to stake our beach chairs. Oh well, Mother Nature is in charge, not us. It was a good thing we left - during Friday, we heard predictions for gale force winds, a tornado watch and lots of rain. Just 40 miles away in GeorgeTown we had a beautiful day with some gusty wind, and then a passing rain storm during the night.
We anchored in Kidd Cove, to be protected from the wind and to have wi-fi for a day. We'll move to the eastern lee shore on Saturday, and will then move to a mooring in Hole 2. Our good friend Larry (Lorenzo) arrives on Wednesday to take care of SeaTryst and Rosie while we go to Seattle for Bob's son Greg's wedding. This will be a fun trip to see Greg and Beth and all the family on a very special occasion. Who knows maybe grandchildren one day soon. We will fill you in when we get back.