In the Bahamas

Jan. 21, 2012
We crossed the Straits of Florida and the Gulf Stream on the 11th from Long Key Bight, we left at 5:30 a.m. and dropped the anchor at 6:00 p.m. in the dark due to overcast thunder type storms. The winds started out at 15 to 20 knots and strengthened as the day wore on to a point where with the Genoa out full and 1 reef in the main we saw 37 knots of wind but as we were within site of our goal for the day we let it ride and travelled at double digits over the ground. We anchored inside the banks at a place called Riding Rocks in 20 feet of water and had Mini Wheats for supper as the admiral was a little sea sick. The next morning we slept a little late then I went forward to start preparing to leave by taking the bridal off of the anchor chain, this is a device that Paul Baynham gave us made of stainless steel, 2 ropes, and 2 shackles and it has a slot cut in the stainless plate that fits over the 3/8" chain and the ropes attach to the front of each hull spread far apart. The chain is then let out till the ropes are tight and there is some chain hanging behind it. This does a few things, first it puts the stress on the ropes which are quieter than a chain, the weight puts the pull on the chain deeper and more direct for the anchor so it digs in lieu of lifting out and the width of the load helps keep the boat from swinging to and fro. At any rate as I removed the ropes and the plate dropped off the chain, one of the shackles came off and the important half of the bridle sank to the bottom. Due to the tempest of the previous night and day the water was so turbid that visibility was only about 3 feet at best and try as we might for the next day and a half we could not locate it.
The next night was spent in complete solitude in the middle of the banks, not a light, boat or land of any sort in sight and well anchored in 10 feet of water. We spent the next night in the shelter of Chub Cay and the next day we had a stiff wind that made for a quick sail into Nassau although a little rolly. We were sailing along at 10.4 knots while eating cereal for breakfast. The only trouble was a smoking port engine which turned out to be a pile of seaweed wound tightly around the prop that I removed in Chub Cay. We arrived in Nassau on Sunday, the 15th and pulled into the marina at 3:30 p.m. to check in.
I'm on a crappy internet connection that we are "borrowing" while at anchor in Nassau harbor so I'll write more and post some pictures from Starbucks tomorrow.

Tomorrow the Gulf Stream

o In the morning, we go and with the help of the Gulf Stream and a South East wind we should do the 90 or so miles and be snug in 10 feet of water on the Bahamas bank sometime in the evening. Worked for 3 days more or less on the engine and it turns out the plugged filter you see in the top pic and accumulation of soot due to me taking it easy on the engine caused the exhaust to plug at the mixing elbow where water is fed into the exhaust to cool it down. Got it chiseled out today and it's purring like a kitten again, I just have to let it roar like a lion once in awhile to generate some heat and keep it cleaner. Will update again when we can but will have no communication before Friday or most likely Saturday when we can get to Starbucks in Nassau and use their wireless.

Dave & Traci

En Route to the Bahamas (sort of)

Jan, 8.

We left Port of the Islands Marina on Friday the 6th and had to hang around in the canal to the Gulf until 11:30 a.m. as that was high tide. We had almost zero wind so we had both engines running easy and later in the afternoon the newer one started belching black soot into the water then slowed down and eventually quit and that was it, no restarting. The only thing I didn't check was fuel related filters etc so I took them off, I attached a pic. A little gross and unbelievable, surprised it ran at all. I changed both filters on that engine and it still won't start despite bleeding everything. I removed the lines, injectors and had a look in the lift pump and everything looks great so tomorrow I think I'll check the solenoid that shuts the fuel off as the engine is trying to start on 1 cylinder only and fuel at that one is not a normal looking volume and little to none on the other two. Our window to cross the Gulf Stream is Monday, Tuesday then crappy wind direction on Wednesday so I hope for the best tomorrow. I have to look at the pics as I post and come back to describe them as I forget what we took. We saw a lot of stuff on the way down the Gulf like the dolphins who greeted us early the first day and everyday thus far, bald eagles, trumpet fish, jelly fish, 2 hammer head shark pups, sting ray, large shark and regular looking fish. 2nd picture is Traci at the front of the boat maybe praying or just enjoying the view. 3rd pic is our new floor partially done, 4th pic is where you lock the sail sheets (ropes) and where we found the 4th picture which is little gecko type lizard eggs that we took to hatching out, just short of sitting on them. I have other pics and a video but I've reached the picture limit so they'll have to wait until tomorrow night. We made it to Long Key and plan on going under A1A at channel 5 bridge when we have 2 engines. Talk tomorrow,

Dave and Traci