Staniel to Ottawa 2016

Sandra, who arrived in Georgetown on March 20^th, would leave us and fly out of Nassau in a month. On our journey north from Georgetown we were all keen to explore anchorages that none of us had visited before, especially those that offered peace and quiet and good snorkelling.  We also wanted to spend as much time as possible at anchor in idyllic places and minimize long cruising days.

Pipe Creek took us seriously into road less travelled territory as we picked a careful route to anchor near the beach at Little Pipe Cay. We soon abandoned this spot because our chain was lying across a small healthy reef.

When David dove down on the second anchorage closer to the northern end of the cay, he came up looking worried. There were “mountains and valleys” of sand down there and if we were to change direction in wind or current, the anchor could be pulled free.

L 24°14’13” N; Lo 076°30’16” W

However, it was a beautiful afternoon so we jumped in the dinghy and went looking for reefs suitable for snorkelling. The scenery throughout this cluster of islands was as beautiful as the Pipe Cay lore promised. Every colour of turquoise was represented.

We toured around Little Pipe Cay, Rat Cay and the Mice. Gorgeous private islands, but no good swimming reefs. The currents here are incredibly powerful. The waters between the ocean and the shallow inside banks rush back and forth in the tidal dance through many small openings between the cays.

We saw healthier reefs in these deeper cuts, but they were all running too fast for snorkelling at that time of day. Sometimes (often) slack tides fall at the wrong time – too early or too late in the day. Of the course the answer to that problem would be to get up earlier (not too likely) or to stay longer in the anchorage till the tide times change enough to suit us.

By the time we returned to Peapod she had turned 180° as David had predicted. We dove around the boat. Her stern was perilously close to a shallow reef and the anchor was sitting atop the edge of a sand ravine. The current was too wild for swimming and we were worried about overnight holding. So we made a team decision to move again.

We picked our way back out across shallow banks watching a tour boat full of people go aground in ankle deep water behind us. This is really an area best toured from a small dinghy!

We rounded the tip of Pipe Cay, a much larger island, and found immediate relief from the wind and current. The bottom was even and sandy – perfect for good sleeps! The captain and crew are finally happy, as are the huge rays in this peaceful anchorage.

A few others had also sought safe refuge for exploring this area.

L 24° 14’ 32” N; Lo 076° 31’ 19”

On April 14^th we continued our journey north to Little Halls Pond Cay, a mere 90 minute cruise away. But what a 90 minute spectacle it was!

And this was our destination! Little Hall's Pond Cay is part of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, protected from fishing and other invasive human activities.

L 24° 19’ 33” N; Lo 076° 33’ 59” W

We set off with our snorkelling gear to one of the best areas we found this year for spotting fish and giant rays. The park team maintains dinghy buoys to protect the coral at the Aquarium and a plane wreck - sites where the fish were the largest and most plentiful we had seen on this trip. 

When we returned to Peapod we found that her entire anchor and much of her chain had totally disappeared into the fine white sand. A first for us!

We had a wonderful afternoon and evening in this idyllic spot, with no cell reception or internet!

Now our sense of urgency to get to Nassau was beginning to grow. The forecast for the upcoming weekend was worsening and we felt the need to keep moving. After only one night in this amazing spot, we popped out on the ocean side for an hour and arrived at the Exuma Park headquarters to take a ball in the main mooring field.

It’s always nice to be back here. This time, now that he was strong and crutch-free, David was able to climb Boo-Boo Hill. We searched for our souvenirs from many years gone by. However, we had melted into the ever-expanding pile of memorials.

We were expecting a windy weekend so it was nice to be securely tied. It can be tricky, as we learned, to catch one of these mooring balls in wind and current. We watched one vessel try to squeeze in while moving too quickly. He drifted broadside into the bow of another large cat, which was already attached to a ball.

What a kerfuffle ensued! Dinghies and many hands were employed to try to push off the offending boat. When results were fruitless, the tactic changed to one of escape on the part of the bumpee. He let go of his ball and manoeuvred himself downstream of the clumsy attacker where he was able to safely tie up.

It’s my biggest fear, being hit by a dufus with a big boat.

On Monday April 18^th, we made our final short hop in the Exumas to Lobster Cay, our take-off point for Nassau. We had a wonderful swim, saw a gigantic crab, lots of barracudas and a shark as our farewell gifts. The night was a bit rolly with a light wind from the ESE.

L 24° 40’ 28” N; Lo 076° 49’ 30” W

The next morning we were up early and heading northwest toward New Providence Island. Although it’s only 38 nautical miles, we’ve had wind and waves fighting us for the last 4 crossings over two seasons. After 6 hours of pitching and rolling, we finally tied up at our old haunt, Harbour Central Marina, where we were greeted like long lost friends. It's a great location - an easy walk to provisions of all sorts and to downtown.

We were on the hunt for some particular made-in-Bahamas products for gifts.  In particular we wanted freshly made rum cakes straight from their bakery. We were also on the lookout for unique locally made soaps we had seen many years ago. 

We hit the jackpot on the soaps in one of the downtown alleys, which also housed our favourite lunch spot – the Greek Isles Café. Best wraps in the Bahamas in the treetops on East Bay Street near the cruise terminal and the fancy shops. Great reunion with our glamorous friend.

That night we had a farewell dinner with Sandra at the Green Parrot, a fun dockside eatery. An acoustic band was playing great old songs. The food and drinks were great. Sandra and I danced. The moon was bright as we walked back to Peapod.

The next morning , April 21^st, dawned bright and sunny as we ushered Sandra to her cab for the flight home to New Brunswick, where winter was not yet over. 

The remainder of that sad day was spent on foot in search of snubbers, pieces of rubber that absorb tension in dock lines. Nassau Harbour is so busy that the wakes of all the boats are continuously rattling back and forth across the harbour, straining and snapping our dock lines. These loud noises can be disconcerting, especially in the middle of the night.

Our trip was unsuccessful but we got some nice walking in the sun with a fresh breeze – a special treat in the intense heat of April in Nassau. There are many more exotic blossoms now than there had been 6 weeks earlier.

While we prepared for our departure we were curious about what the “big boys” paid for fuel. David snuck over to the fuel pump and took these cool pics.

 

Yes, you read this right. This, not even an over-the-top medium sized yacht, stopped filling the tanks at just shy of 10 grand USD. Just to put it into perspective, we cruised to and from the Bahamas, spent 2 months exploring, all for roughly $400 in fuel. And I’m pretty sure we had just as much fun in the sun and turquoise water as they did. And all those pesky servants make for a crowd.

Then, on April 23^rd we made the decision to cross to Chub Cay on our way to a Bimini-Lake Worth crossing of the Gulf Stream over the subsequent two-day weather window.

We were delayed in our departure from Nassau Harbour, ordered to idle for 30 minutes as a huge cruise ship came into the turning basin.

Then off we went across the deep dark Tongue of the Ocean and on to Chub Cay where we planned to drop anchor. We had left before 9AM when conditions were relatively calm.  However, after noon we were fighting rising winds and seas from the northwest. This did not bode well for our planned anchorage.

The Captain announced that he would prefer to stay at the marina, well known to be an expensive one! The navigator was happy to oblige and we entered the shelter of the beautiful Chub Cay Club marina. We spent a comfortable night surrounded by a combination of large yachts and fancy-pants fishing boats.

It was great people watching except perhaps for the bare bum of the patriarch in the boat next to us as he hopped into his hot tub on the 3^rd level of his yacht. He and his middle-aged wife were hosting (though not naked in the hot tub) a pair of “young and beautifuls” who apparently enjoyed time on the matching SeaDoos tied to the stern. There was only one servant who looked after the two little dogs and all other chores around the yacht.

We saved money by not taking water or power. We grilled on the stern as usual. We left in the morning with the fishermen. We didn’t know it yet but we were going to experience the best of the best in Chub to Bimini crossings over the Bahama Banks. The sunrise was the first hint. Flat calm water was another.

An 11 hour trip is a pleasure when the conditions on the banks are perfect. Turquoise as far as the eye could see to the horizon - shallow water, sandy bottom, dolphins, rays and easy steering.

We anchored at South Bimini Beach, which wasn’t quite as protected from the east as we would have liked. However, it was a fairly good night and we rose at dawn for the “Big Show” – crossing the Gulf Stream.

I am here to report that Peapod has yet to experience a Gulf Stream Crossing that we would rate as “good”. So far, we have consistently been beaten up by unexpected winds and waves to the extent that we are considering drastic measures in the future for interpreting forecasts.

We set out with a course to take us into Lake Worth, our favourite place for checking in with Homeland Security. Trouble was, the waves and wind were coming from the east and our efforts to go northwest were severely thwarted by our sideways rolling. I am developing less of a tolerance for this unpleasant phenomenon and proposed early on that we alter course to go along with, instead of against, the waves.

This helped considerably from a comfort perspective, but added another day to our trip. We bashed our way through the current at the mouth of Fort Lauderdale Harbour and then, thankfully, into the almost wind-free Intracoastal Waterway. What a relief! However, we were still 50 miles south of Lake Worth and needed to keep going.

After our second 11-hour day, we decided to drop the hook at Boca Raton Lake. This shallow lake can accommodate a few boats in the deeper waters of the northeast corner. The middle is extremely shallow, nearly dry at low tide. Apparently this is THE party spot on the weekends and we spotted many young entrepreneurial snorkelers diving for treasures such as cell phones, watches and designer sunglasses. Quite the business!

L 26° 20’ 78”; Lo 080° 04’ 35”

This anchorage gave us a relatively short hop the next day to check in at Customs and an afternoon to rest up after 3 very long days of travelling.

We spent one night at the Riviera Beach Municipal Marina, which is still under construction but looking more spectacular by the day. Our check-in with Homeland was perfect. We now know all the ropes and manage to stay out of trouble!

The next day we cruised up the ICW to the St. Lucie River and into the Okeechobee Canal. Sitting in one lock in the blazing sun reminded me of summers past and why we avoid locks whenever possible. We arrived at our “home base” in Indiantown in the late afternoon sun and breathed a sigh of relief.

We were soon reunited with Lucy at the home of her beloved caregivers, Ara and Graham. These people are true dog lovers. We believe Lucy had her best winter in living memory with their love and the love of their extended family. 

She really isn't much of a boat dog. Once we got her back to the boat she played along but we sensed she missed their lovely home and large fenced yard with bunnies and squirrels - doggie heaven!

So now it is REALLY hot in Florida and we are in countdown mode for the haul-out. We are ready by the weekend but not scheduled till the following Thursday as we didn't provide enough advance notice. Lesson learned. We are put on a cancellation list. 

In the meantime we had an amazing brunch with friends at a local inn built by the uncle of Mrs. Wallace Simpson. The food was plentiful and tasty. The gardens were lovely. It would be a nice place to stay while working on the boat if only they would take Lucy (not).

Fortunately, the wonderful team at the Indiantown Marina managed to squeeze us in for a haul out on Tuesday May 3rd at 2 PM - two full days early! We were ready!  By 5PM with the two of us working non stop, Peapod was totally prepared for summer storage. We had a quick shower, jumped in the car and went all the way to Stuart Florida. Haha. This is a very short drive and a sensible option after slaving away in 95F heat for most of the day. Flanigan's Ribs tasted darn good that night just as they had on the night David was discharged from hospital!

Three easy driving days later we were home in Ottawa, greeted with lovely tulips from our dear neighbour, Barbara. Barbara is also a special friend of Lucy's.

This week we've more or less settled into spring at home - provisioning, cooking, cleaning and gardening. Looking forward to seeing all the families, including grandbabies, within the next week or so. Life is good. Signing off till next cruising season with Peapod.