The alarm went off at 5:30 am. Today, Nick flies home, and we are hoping to leave for Green Turtle Cay if the weather looks OK. Finally at 10 am, the captain gave the thumbs up, and we headed out with plans to spend the next two nights at Black Sound Marina. Under cloudy skies, we bid farewell to the Jib Room and Marsh Harbour Marina as we begin our return trip to Florida.
During our passage through the cut, we had very heavy winds (25-30 mph) from the west. Before, during, and after The Whale, Dream Chaser fought 2-4 ft. chop with 6-7 ft. rollers up to 10 ft. Rather like riding a wild horse! Steve found it interesting to navigate this passage coming from the east, but interesting wasn’t the word Mary had in mind. The spray off the bow showered us with salt water as we sat in the upper helm. We were very relieved to get through The Whale before the bad weather hits in a few hours and is predicted to last for a few days. After the storm passes, it will take a few days for the ocean to calm down. We will wait out the bad weather at the smaller islands and when the calm arrives, we plan to motor back to Florida. Boat captains are current on the weather everyday even when docked. Our decisions for navigation and trip planning revolve around the weather. If it’s nasty, you don’t want to go out into the sea!
About 1:30 pm, we arrived at Black Sound Marina in Green Turtle Cay. With such a strong west wind blowing, docking was challenging, but before long Dream Chaser was securely tied.
About 2 pm, a huge $7 million 85' catamaran, HAYFU II, pulled in and docked nearby. We think the owner is the president of a LARGE billboard company in the U.S. who loves to bone fish. This catamaran is really something!
About 6 pm, we took a nice walk through the village of New Plymouth. The cay was named after an abundance of green turtles that inhabited the area. The architecture is unique in the Bahamas with steep pitched roofs which originated with settlers from New England. Love the beautiful flowers!
Steve is ordering our conch dinners at Two Shorty's!
New Plymouth is one of the quaint villages that we have really enjoyed, and we are happy to spend a few days here while the weather improves. With most basic services available, this would be a great choice for a warm get away spot! We will miss these beautiful evenings and gorgeous sunsets!
Wednesday, March 25, 2014
The wind and tide kept Dream Chaser moving around last night, but we did get some sleep. About 2 am, Mary woke to a muffled conversation with a lady who was frantic. The boat docked next to us had left their marine radio on all night. Apparently, a couple had been anchored near White Sound, towards the northern end of the island, and their boat had pulled free (due to strong winds) and had grounded near shore. The wife was on the radio requesting help from some locals. There is no Coast Guard here. In fact, we have only seen two Bahamian policemen in two weeks. We aren't sure what happened with the boat, but it sounded like they got some type of assistance. It took us awhile to get back to sleep, though.
We woke to continued 20-25 mph winds, but the sun was peeking out. High temps will be mid 70's today, and people are complaining that it is so cold. It's all relative. We are still hearing reports of cold weather in the states.
It's a day to relax, take final walks through the village, and do some prepping for the crossing to Florida.
In the village, we saw the fishing boat (below) unloading cargo, so we headed over to check it out.
This boat fishes the Sea of Abaco for spiny lobster. They used to get grouper, but without government limits enforced, grouper has become fished out. However, laws regarding bone fishing are enforced. There are nine live aboard workers, and they are out at sea for two weeks at a time. The arms on the sides of the boat are stabilizers that drop down 15 ft. into the water.
In the Bahamas, provisions are expensive and there are no inexpensive eating establishments. Everything is about twice the cost of what it is in the states, except dockage of the boat. We have a good supply of groceries, so we eat many of our meals on Dream Chaser. At one of the little grocery stores, we found conch salad and little homemade coconut and pineapple pies. They usually have homemade coconut bread, but it is all gone this morning. A family with two boys who are visiting the area came into the store and bought all she had. The boys like this coconut bread so much, that they sat in chairs by the checkout counter and each devoured a loaf on the spot!
It's 4:30 pm, the sun is shining brightly and the clouds are puffy and high in the sky. We plan to leave tomorrow and will miss the warmth of the people, the wonderful weather, and the breathtaking beauty of the area. We wonder if New Plymouth will be like this if and when we return to the Green Turtle Cay. The captain wonders if the admiral is ready for a last walk through the village. So, off we go. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a way to capture the essence of this area?! The pictures we have taken seem to lack in projecting the rhythm of the island, but we have tried.
On the way to the village is Pineapples, a favorite local bar/restaurant, located at the end of a very rough road where you are rewarded with a beautiful view.
We have prepped the boat, dinner is over, showers have been taken, and the night is setting in. The plan is to depart by 6 am, motor all day, and anchor at Great Sale Cay or Mangrove Cay tomorrow night.
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