Total Miles Traveled 5886 since departing Green Turtle Bay, KY
https://share.garmin.com/RickVicars
Happy New Year from Abaco Bahamas!
We
had been watching the extended weather forecasts and it appeared that a
crossing to the Bahamas was a possibility in the next few days, so we stocked
up on provisions while at Melbourne, just in case we had an opportunity to
cross. We departed Melbourne, Florida December 4th and traveled 66
miles to an anchorage at Jensen Beach, Fl.
The next day on the 5th, we traveled 38 miles, stopping to top off our fuel tanks, and continuing to an anchorage at Lake Worth, near West Palm Beach, Fl. Lake Worth provides a huge anchorage area next to an inlet to the Atlantic Ocean. The water this close to the inlet is clear, it was cool to watch our anchor travel to the bottom in 12 feet of water and watch it rest on the sea floor with our chain laying across the sand as be backed up to set the hook. Way different from the brackish, coffee-colored waters we have been traveling through.
Although the sea conditions were borderline for our comfort level, we decided to give it a try, and if it was too rough, we would return to Lake Worth and continue south toward the Key’s. We weighed anchor at 5 a.m. on December 6th in a crowded anchorage. It was not fun meandering around anchored boats and shallow sections of the bay, to reach the channel in the dark, and then to the Lake Worth Inlet. As it turned out, we had a good crossing with rolling seas hitting us favorably on our boat. We traveled 67 miles to West End, on Grand Bahama Island. It was quite a contrast from cruising the shallow waters of South Carolina and Georgia to depths of over 2000 feet deep crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
Our route and depth in feet
Sunrise toward West End
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AekyX8QaW9GWCQFGIZfk5n_YadjAftI1/view?usp=sharing
Old Bahama Bay
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12CA5s5nyFwABcbJJZFbWezZL1LrN9t5c/view?usp=sharing
It is international law that you fly a yellow “Q” (Quarantine) flag upon entering the territorial waters of another country. This also applies to the U.S., regardless of your nationality and registration. You remove the “Q” flag and fly the Bahamian courtesy flag after checking into customs and immigration. The visiting boats national flag is flown from the stern of the vessel and the courtesy flag is flown high on the starboard side of the vessel.
After checking into customs and immigration at the Old Bahama Bay Resort and Marina, we met several other boaters that took advantage of the sea conditions to cross. We joined the Royal Marsh Harbor Yacht Club when we visited here in 2017 and have continued to be members since then. There were 7 member boats at the marina by days end, so it was fun meeting a few of them for the first time. We remained at the marina on the 7th, as the wind picked up overnight and into following day and explored the island walking the beach, and the surrounding area.
On
December 8th, we traveled 55 miles to an anchorage at Great Sale Cay
(Cay is pronounced Key in the Bahamas).
There were 8 of us that departed the marina after waiting for a rising
tide, due to the shallow water when entering an area known as Church Bank. We were the last boat to leave the marina as
the other boats traveled faster than we cruise.
Two of us anchored at Great Sale Cay, while the others continued to
another anchorage about 10 miles farther.
No luck fishing to Great Sale Cay
We departed our anchorage at daybreak on December 9th and traveled 66 miles, entering the Sea of Abaco to Green Turtle Cay, and secured a slip at the Bluff House Marina. The winds had picked up during the day and we wanted to see what the conditions would be the following day before crossing the “Whale”. To continue south to the lower part of the Sea of Abaco deep draft boats must leave the Sea of Abaco via one pass to the Atlantic Ocean and returning on the other side of Whale Cay via another pass. The passage can be hazardous during northerly swells, creating breaking waves. Over the years, several shipwrecks have occurred there.
The resort is the current home of the Royal Marsh Harbor Yacht Club. The club was formed about 30 years ago by a former Canadian Resident who opened the Conch Crawl Bar. The Crawl became the favorite watering hole for cruisers escaping from the wintery weather back home, so it was decided to formally band together as a club. By the mid 90’s, Abaco had become the number two tourist destination in the Bahamas and the membership had outgrown its original location, so the club began holding its monthly events under a tent at the Abaco Beach Resort. Today the club boasts of having over 800 boat owner members hailing from the U.S., Canada, and some from as far away as the U.K. and Switzerland. Although we have been members since 2017, this is the first time we have stayed at this marina, as we spent our time in the Abaco’s then, exploring the chain of islands throughout the Sea of Abaco.
On our first full day at the marina, we participated in erecting the yacht club tent, located in front of pier 5. The tent is where the club members have docktails every day at 5, Monday night is movie night, and for potluck or special events. Yacht club members also have access to the Abaco Beach Resort pool, beach, and two restaurants.
Christmas
Eve dinner
This is a very active yacht club, with pickle ball two days a week, bocce ball two days a week, daily pool aerobics, and when the weather is settled, cruises to great anchorages and points of interest throughout the Sea of Abaco.
Moni and I rode the dinghy out to Mermaid Reef for a little snorkeling.
https://gopro.com/v/3adVpO5gdrmZL
We also rode the scooters in town
and had Fat Daddy’s conch salad, fresh from the shell.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e0SANbJyGsFLdz9pNC0ojIuAejQYq5qT/view?usp=sharing
Really??????? The temperatures since our arrival to the Bahamas has been mid to upper 70's during the day, and upper 60's at night.....perfect boating weather.
On New Years Eve we had dinner at the restaurant, watched a great fireworks display, and experienced our first Junkanoo rush out. Junkanoo festivals originated in British American colonies and is practiced in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Belize. The locals dress up in bizarre costumes with traditional music and dance.
Junkanoo rush out
We don’t have a definite plan on our length of stay at this marina. We would like to go farther south to the Exuma’s if weather and time permits.
