Log #37 Charleston, SC to George Town, Great Exuma, Bahamas

 

In Log #36 we had discovered yet another problem with the engine and the yard in Beaufort had made arrangements at a repair yard in Adam’s Creek, North Edisto River, Rockville (Charleston), SC for repairs.  This required a 7 hour 20 minute sail from Charleston harbor over to the repair yard.  Ed Kozek sailed with us and Ed and Jim attempted fishing with a lure Ed had brought, but no luck there. 

 

The people at the repair yard had a hard time getting the sheared-off bolts out of the engine and finally had to break some part (the pulley?) in order to get it off.  This required having that part overnighted from the distributor (the yard in Beaufort, NC that we had been at) supposedly to arrive by 10 am Friday.  Needless to say it didn’t.  About noon, Jim decided to take matters into his own hands.  He sat at the desk in the repair yard calling UPS.  First he was told there was no tracking number.  Of course Jim didn’t accept that answer and he refused to get off the phone until a tracking number was located.  He was able to trace the part to the UPS facility on the north side of Charleston (we were on the south side).  UPS then tried to tell him that the warehouse in which it had been determined the part was “lost” did not have a telephone.  Silly people.  Jim replied that every building in the country has a phone and he wasn’t going away.  He had to work through 2 managers before they would connect him to the warehouse (still not giving him the number).  When he got the person in the warehouse on the phone he immediately asked and was given the phone number.  The end of all that was that the part was misrouted in the warehouse and was now scheduled for Monday delivery.  Fortunately, Ed and Gina had given us the use of their pickup truck during the time we were in Charleston and we were able to drive to the warehouse and pick up the part.  Much pleading assured that someone was on hand to install it and put the engine back together when we arrived back at the yard at 4:30 Friday and we were able to pull out of Rockville, (Charleston) SC at 0745 Saturday, December 1, 2007.  While we were here we put up the new genoa which Gina and Ed had taken delivery of and held for us.  Our karma is finally changing as the genoa went up without a hitch and fit perfectly.  Finally, on our way!!!

 

We arrived in St. Augustine, FL and were on the anchor by 1310 on December 2.  We went into town to watch the Giants game (Chicago – Giants won) and were joined by my older brother, Don who stayed overnight with us.  Enroute to the game we met, by chance, Rick – the local guy we have always had so much fun with.  Being on a tight schedule we departed on December 3, the next morning, for West Palm Beach. 

 

We had left at 1110 and by the morning of the 4^th we realized we would be arriving at the Jupiter Inlet after dark.  It is about a 3 hour trip once in the inlet to North Lake Worth where we can anchor and requires the opening of 4 or 5 bridges, so we decided to stop in Ft. Pierce, about 5 hours north, for the night.  The following day we came in Jupiter Inlet, ran the maze of bridges and anchored in North Lake Worth, West Palm Beach where we remained until December 12, while having the freezer and inverter repaired.  We moved to a marina in N Lake Worth on December 5 for the guys to come and replace the freezer.  (Jim had approached the rep at the Annapolis Boat Show complaining about the freezer and he assured us that when we got to FL he would replace it.)  Of course, the people showed up without the replacement and assured us that they could repair the old one.  Jim would not hear of it, got the owner on the phone and made them drive back to Ft. Lauderdale to pick up the replacement.  That was absolutely the right move as the new one made the old one look like a patched together refirb – which it probably was – and has been keeping everything frozen ever since without me having to beat on the compressor 3 or 4 times a day!  Once again friends were generous with us and Kathy and Bruce Weinstein gave us the use of a car while we were in West Palm Beach so we could run all over town getting supplied for the trip to the Bahamas and beyond.

 

By this time we were getting a little concerned.  Tim was due to arrive in George Town, Bahamas on December 22, just 10 days away with PJ arriving there on December 23!  We had to get moving!  We decided that as a last resort, if it didn’t look like there would be a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream, we could pick them up in Ft. Lauderdale and they could sail across with us, but that would be a poor second to the promised Bahamas vacation. 

 

We pulled the anchor in N Lake Worth on December 12 and hit all the bridges just right making it to the inlet in exactly 2 hours.  We put one reef in the main and used the full genoa and sailed to Lake Silvia in Ft. Lauderdale in just over 12 hours.  The next morning we got up and out just in time to get caught in a squall complete with hail off Ft. Lauderdale. The wind instruments gave a preposterous number – something like 48 knots – for the wind during the squall.  I thought it was so improbable I didn’t even write it down.  Fortunately we had the main still reefed and seeing the squall on the horizon had left 2 reefs in the genoa so Dawn Dancer slipped through it stunningly.  Naturally, after the squall the wind died completely and we motored down to Miami making the inlet just before 3 pm. 

 

 

Just after we got in Government Cut, we saw the Coast Guard in one of their inflatables chase down a weekend power boater.  We figured it was because they were throwing a wake in a “no wake” zone and Jim even warned another power boater.  Now that we had gotten to some calm water and sunshine I put the herb plants out on the back deck and proceeded to water them.  Up comes the Coast Guard.  (I’m thinking they were checking on just what it was that I was watering, but Jim says no, it’s obviously parsley.)

 

“When was the last time you were boarded?” they asked.

 

“Never!”  Jim replied.

 

“Never?”  They were incredulous.

 

“Please don’t ruin my record!”

 

“Your record’s going down.”

 

Since we were just coming in from off shore, our through-hulls were open to the sea.  Jim asked if we could get through the bridge and into some deeper water before they came aboard and they agreed.  This was my signal to scurry below and close and lock the through-hulls.  Got one.  On to the one in Jim’s head.  Wouldn’t budge.  Okay, slip the lock over the handle and fake it.  Back to the one in my head.  Got it.  Get a wrench and (I’m sweating now) and go wham the handle on the through-hull in Jim’s head just hard enough to break it free and not hard enough to break it.  Hope they can’t hear that outside.  Ha!  Got it!  Just in time!  I went out to the cockpit just in time to hear Jim giving the Coast Guard people a hard time about their black boots.  I offered them one of those white sponges so they could clean the black marks off the decks after themselves.  Okay, that’s a joke guys, come on aboard! 

 

We handed them our ships papers booklet and Jim’s driver’s license.  (Why?)  Wouldn’t you know, after all that, all they wanted to see was the bilges under the engines to be sure we weren’t leaking oil.  These young people were extremely polite and articulate.  They told us they were off the cutter “Le Gare” which was patrolling off the Florida coast.  After viewing the bilges (requiring me to empty my dressing room) and checking that the discharge placards were in place they only asked how many fire extinguishers we had on board.  When I started ticking off 5 in the cabins, one in the cockpit and one in the dinghy (only 3 are required plus one in the dinghy) they decided we were just no fun and gave us a “no infractions” certificate.  They told us that was a “get out of jail free” card good for 3 months.  Like we’re going to be boarded by the US Coast Guard in the Bahamas.  It was only after they left that we realized they hadn’t returned our booklet of ship’s papers and we had to call them back!

 

We got the anchor down in Dinner Key by Coconut Grove by 1800 and went to Jim’s favorite restaurant – The Knife (all you can eat of any kind of meat) to celebrate.  The next morning we crossed Biscayne Bay and anchored in “No Name Harbor” to stage for the trip across the Gulf Stream.

 

The weather cooperated and we pulled the anchor at 0205 on December 15 and were out of the channel by 0250 and on course for Gun Cay.  (In the Bahamas Cay = Key and is pronounced Key.)  The trick is that you want to arrive at the islands just after noon so the sun is high and you can see the coral heads before you hit them.  (That way you know what it is you’re hitting.  Just joking.)  My log notes that the seas were 7 – 9 feet on the nose and my comment is “This was horrible.”  I was seasick the whole way over.  We were running both engines and at times were only making 2 knots over the ground.  After an anguishing 13 hours and 42 minutes we dropped the anchor in Honeymoon Harbor, Gun Cay, Bahamas at 1545 on a cloudy day (hence, we didn’t see any coral heads!) and ran up our yellow “quarantine” flag – meaning we can’t leave the boat, and no one can come aboard until we have cleared customs.  I can only think that it is called “Honeymoon Harbor” because there is absolutely nothing there to distract you but a tiny lighthouse – unmanned.  Since the international charts are in meters not feet, on the way over I changed the depth sounder to meters and had already marked the anchor chain in meters.  I must say that it is much easier to figure chain rode in meters than in feet.  President Regan really should have let the US switch to the metric system. 

 

At 0730 on December 16 we pulled the anchor and headed over to Chub Cay, a 10 hour trip, to check into the Bahamas.  Since it was so late when we got in – 1815 - of course Customs was closed.  You have to go to a dock to check in as the Customs people might want to come aboard.  The dock was $125 a night or $100 just for Customs.  We selected the first option hoping to get cable TV for the Giants game.  The marina people told us they didn’t have cable, but we could go to the bar and watch the game even though we weren’t checked in as it wasn’t our fault Customs was closed.  Gotta love the Bahamas.  We got to the bar in time to see the Eagles tromp over the Cowboys for their second loss of the season and the first half of the Redskins spanking the Giants.  Then, mercifully, they closed the bar so we didn’t have to watch it to the bitter end.

 

The next morning Jim, dressed in khaki’s and a collared shirt (can you stand it?), presented himself and all our papers and passports to Customs.  Of course, there were faults with the paperwork, but he managed to jolly the lady through it and we could finally pull down the quarantine flag and run up the Bahamas courtesy flag.  Yea!  We’re in!  While there, Jim met another guy who had made the crossing in a 47’ sloop on the same day we did.  He said the waves were so hard on him that his prop was coming out of the water!  He anchored on the “bank” a huge body of water that you can’t see land across that is only 6 feet deep or less when we anchored in Honeymoon Harbor.  When he got up the next morning he found he had dragged 4 miles!!  We had heard that anchoring on the banks is dangerous and this confirmed it for us!

 

Now to continue the race to get to George Town in time to meet the boys.  Due to the shallow depths and coral heads, we could only sail during the day.  In addition, there are not always handy sheltered places to anchor for the night.  Remember, no anchoring on the banks.  We did our sailing on the “outside” – in the sound between the western and eastern islands.  The sound drops off to 3000 feet (yep – 3000) just off the western islands but the winds (and also the seas) are stronger out here.  Hence, Jim felt we could make better time out in the sound.

 

On Monday we went 35 miles in 5 hours 35 minutes in 23 knot winds using the working sails with no reefs.  We anchored in West Bay, on the tip of New Providence Island – the one that has Nassau.  We’re hoping to get a chance to get back up here before we permanently leave the Bahamas as there is a marina that has a walk-through aquarium.  I want to see that! 

 

Tuesday we did 50.6 miles, again in 20 knot winds, in 7 hours 50 minutes and anchored at Skipjack Point on Norman’s Cay finally in the Exumas.  This island was owned by a drug lord who was finally deported in the 60’s.  While here, one of his planes crashed just off the island and is a favorite snorkeling site.  Hope to get back here, too!

 

On Wednesday we did 48.9 miles in 7 hours and 46 minutes in mere 15 knot winds and anchored at Black Point on Great Guana Cay, Exumas. 

 

Thursday was a little more exciting.  We went back out into the sound between the Exumas and Eluthera and proceeded to start putting up the sails in 20 knot winds.  Somehow, and no one is claiming responsibility for this, the main sheet got let out too far and the boom started swinging back and forth across the cockpit flinging the loose reefing lines as it went.  I set the auto pilot to steer the boat into the wind and reached for the sheet to tighten down the boom.  Naturally, the reefing lines took this opportunity to wrap themselves around my neck and drag me across the cockpit.  Fighting panic, I worked them off and flung them away from me and started back to the steering station.  The reefing lines, not wanting to give up, wrapped themselves around the wind generator.  Now I am yelling at Jim to come back to help which he can’t hear in the wind so I can’t explain what happened.  He finally got the message but not before the wind generator had snapped a blade.  (Fortunately that went aft and didn’t try to decapitate me.)  After freeing the lines and getting the main sail up, the name calling began.  “Incompetent” was mentioned.  Now I had been seasick since leaving West Palm Beach and was in no mood to put up with this.  I can safely say this was the worst argument we have ever had since moving onto the boat 2 years ago. 

 

I stormed off to take a nap and Jim threw out the fishing line with a refurbished lure that came with the boat.  It wasn’t out 30 minutes when he snagged a 15 lb 47” Mai Mai.  Since he needed my help to get it in, all was forgiven and we were friends again.  There are pictures of him cleaning this fish on the back deck.  Note the condition of the seas.  This was while I had the boat slowed down to 2 knots.  I insisted he wear the harness because certainly an “incompetent” person would not be able to turn the boat around and get him if he fell overboard! 

 

We came into the cut to make our way to the anchorage in George Town and found that our two chart plotters and two sets of charts all said different things!  Needless to say picking our way through the reefs was a little tense but we finally made it into George Town at 1650 dodging squalls and were greeted with a rainbow! 

 

Friday gave us (?) an opportunity to clean the boat and get set up for the arrival of Tim on Saturday and PJ on Sunday.  We had heard just after we got our prescriptions of chloroquine that the CDC had lifted the malaria alert in the Bahamas.  Jim opted to stop taking the medicine while, with malaria being a life sentence, I decided to keep taking it.  When Tim arrived he said his research had showed that the chloroquine has a side effect of nausea which explained my seasickness.  I have since stopped taking it and am feeling much better!  Boy am I glad I’m not developing a habit of seasickness as that would definitely ruin our lifestyle!

 

So we are all in George Town, basking in the sun and enjoying having the boys with us for the holidays.  I hope everyone had a great holiday!

 

Regards,

 

Roxanne, Jim, Shadow

s/v Dawn Dancer

roxanne@farrell.fm (no pictures, please)