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.