GPS Position: 25°42'.092N: 78°59'.473W
Awoke this AM at 0600 EST and woke Kim. We have made the boat ready to sail and I checked out with the Dock Master. We pulled out at 0735 EST and cleared the West end of Nassau Harbour, setting a course of 308°, we are making for Chub Cay at a speed of 7.6 knots. ETA in Chub Cay is 1305 EST.
We arrived in Chub Cay at 1315 EST and proceeded into the harbour. We then took on 8 gallons of fuel and proceeded to slip #208. This is a beautiful place and they have great tasting water, water pressure and power. If I was to build in the Bahamas, this just might be the place.
Kim and I took a tour of the facility, walked the beach and retired to the boat for dinner and an early bedtime. Tomorrow, I’ll get up at 0600, check us out at the office and we’ll be on our way to Bimini. The weather is supposed to hold through Wednesday, so we just might make Ft. Lauderdale by Wednesday afternoon.
We departed Chub Cay at 0724 EST on a course of 289° towards the North West Channel Light and the US. Our ETA in Ft. Lauderdale, FL is about 0200 EST on
18 Jan 07, assuming our speed holds and we’re not pushed back by the front. It’s a beautiful day with 5 knots of breeze from the East and the sea is like glass. Hopefully, this will hold.
We arrived at North Rock Light, Bimini around 1700 EST. The wind has picked up and moved out of the NE and the waves are in excess of 8 feet. So, we decided to anchor in the lee of Bimini until morning, check the weather out of the US and decide what to do at that time.
We caught a break on the 19th when the breeze dropped off and the Gulf Stream wave height was forecast at only 2 to 3 ft. So, we hauled anchor and were underway by 0630 EST, on a course for Port Everglades, FL. The trip was smooth until about 12 miles off of the Florida coast, when the wave height picked up and made the last few miles of the trip pretty rough. But, we finally cleared Port Everglades Light at 1430 EST and made our way the Bahia Mar Marina.
On the 23rd, the repairman from Next Generation showed up with a new electrical end. He was finished with the installation 1430 Hrs. We ran the unit for about 15 minutes and were able to run everything electrical on the boat without any issues. Good job, except that I’m concerned about the fact that the repairman stripped one of the bolts on the taper-lock bushing for the electrical end pulley. He says it will not be a problem, but I’m not so sure.
There was window of opportunity for sailing on the 24th. The weather said that the best time to cross would be after 1200 noon and then it would get progressively rougher after midnight. So, with the generator fixed, we struck out for the Bahamas. The wind was steady out of the SW so we decided to ride the wind and the Gulf Stream and head for West End, Grand Bahama Island.
We made West End and anchored off of the N shore in the lee of the island. The wind increased to 18 knots, but it was reasonably calm at anchor. In the morning, we made our way into Old Bahama Bay Marina, cleared Customs & Immigration and checked into the marina. We plan to be here for awhile as there are multiple cold fronts moving through from the north and the weather is supposed to stink for a couple of weeks at best.
The marina was bought out in 2001 and completely refurbished. It is really beautiful. There is a new entranceway for the boat basin, including protective rock jetties. There are now up to date wooden docks with tall pilings and metal ladders for easy access.
On the South side, next to the main Resort office, are two restaurants: “Aqua” is the “white-table” fine-dining establishment. Then comes “Bonefish Folley’s Bar & Grill” with Happy Hour from 5-6 pm, Bahamian mixed drinks & conch fritters. The Grill has nice dinners, salads, sandwiches & desserts. Additionally, there is a gift shop, art gallery, laundry, showers, free bicycles and rental cars that can be had by the day or week.
On the 26th, we rented a car from the hotel and spent the day touring Freeport and Lucaya. The island is very different from any of the Bahamas we’ve toured to date as there’s lots of flat land and scrub pine on the island with no really tall buildings or large structures. The only exception is the Port Lucaya complex, which boasts several multiple-storied hotels. On the way back to the Marina, we found a local bakery that had great looking bread pudding and coconut pie. We overindulged and bought some of each. Then it was back to the boat for dinner and satisfaction of our sweet tooths with our newly purchased deserts.
Well, it’s the last day of the month and for the past two days and today, it’s rained cats and dogs. It’s cold (41°-F) and windy (22 to 30 knots), so all we’ve done these three days is lay about and read or work on the web site. There’s a rumor, however, that the weather will be clearing late this coming week, so finally, we may be able to leave here.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
01 JAN thru 15 JAN 07, Nassau Yacht Haven, Nassau, Bahamas
GPS Position: 25°04’.538N: 77°18’.998W
It's now 2007 and we're looking forward to the new year. We're also excited about the fact that our middle daughter, Erika, and her boyfriend, Jeremy, are flying into Nassau to visit with us for a week.
The only thing that's put a damper on the forthcoming visit, is the fact that the A/C generator quit working on the 3rd. I've done everything I know how to do, plus talked to the people at the factory, but there's been no success. Oh well, we'll just have to use the main engine and alternator to keep the batteries charged until after the kids leave.
We set sail for Nassau on the 7th and had a really nice day at sea. It only took 5.5 hours to get from N. Eleuthera to Nassau Harbour. We came in past the west end light and were tied up at the Yacht Haven by 1400 hrs.
We spent the rest of the day washing down the boat, filling the water tanks and doing some regular maintenance items on the boat. Then, it was off to dinner at our favorite resturant, The Poop Deck, for a really great Island Style meal. From the Poop Deck, we walked back to the boat for a good night's rest.
In the morning, I called an old friend of ours, Gary Symonette, who owns Bus #10 and one of the routes from Nassau to Cable Beach and back. We agreed to meet Gary downtown and he would run us out to the airport, pick up the kids and carry us all back to the Yacht Haven.
We met Gary as planned and went along with him as he worked the bus route going north towards Cable Beach. Once all of the passengers were dropped off at thier various hotels, we turned up the airport road and headed towards Lynden O. Pindling International Airport.
The kids finally cleared customs around 1330 EST and Gary carried us back to the Yacht Haven. We made plans to all go to dinner tonight, which will give us an opportunity to meet Garys wife, and Gary will be back to pick us up at 2000 hrs.
After dumping their bags, we took the kids to Potters Cay and had lunch at a local take-away called Tony's Seafood. You can't miss Tony's bright yellow building with the fire engine red lettering and the cracked conch and conch salad (hand prepared by Tony to order) are to die for.
From Tony's, we caught the bus to bay Street and went into town for an afternoon of shopping and sight seeing. We walked the length of Bay Street and went into just about every store. Then we went over to the Government Complex and saw Parlement Square with the statue of Queen Victoria out front.
We caught the bus back to the marina and, after showers and changes of clothes, met Gary and his wife in the parking lot. From there, we went to Johnny Canoe's Restaurant, on Cable Beach. The menu was extensive and the food and service were excellent. We all had a great time and didn't make it back to the boat until after midnight.
Kim and I got up early and let the kids sleep in. We went over to the grocery and picked up some needed items and then went back to Tony’s for more conch salad to eat during the trip to Current. We pulled out of Nassau at 1200 EST and by 1300 it was pouring rain with a strong breeze out of the NE. It took 6.5 hours for our return to Current and when we arrived, we anchored off of N. Beach again and settled in for the night.
The weather has been really rough the past few days. Blowy and cold doesn't provide much of an opportunity for snorkeling, but we've spent lots of time down island exploring all of the touristy, and not so touristy, places on Eleuthera. The only swimming that anyone got to do was clear down at Tarpum Bay as the lay of the island made for that area being sheltered from the wind. Then, it was back to Current followed by a scrumptious dinner each night at the Neilly's.
And it was on just such a night when, after dinner, Jeremy proposed to Erika. She was caught completely off guard as she had no idea that he was going to pop the question during this trip. Way to go future son-in-law, ya' gotta' keep 'em guessing! The kids finally departed, via N. Eleuthera Airport on the 14th. We were sad to see them go, but know we'll be seeing them late this summer for the wedding.
We too are departing N. Eleuthera for the US due to the Generator issues. The manufacturer, Next Generation, will replace the entire unit if we can get to anywhere in the States. So, we’ve set sail for Nassau, leaving our bicycles and portable VHF radio with the Neillys until our return. The wind is out of the East at 12 knots, seas are calm and the temperature is around 80°-F.
We arrived Nassau at 1445 EST and proceeded to the Nassau Yacht Haven. This time, we docked on the East end and it was just as good as the West side of the complex. It was good to have water and good power again.
It's now 2007 and we're looking forward to the new year. We're also excited about the fact that our middle daughter, Erika, and her boyfriend, Jeremy, are flying into Nassau to visit with us for a week.
The only thing that's put a damper on the forthcoming visit, is the fact that the A/C generator quit working on the 3rd. I've done everything I know how to do, plus talked to the people at the factory, but there's been no success. Oh well, we'll just have to use the main engine and alternator to keep the batteries charged until after the kids leave.
We set sail for Nassau on the 7th and had a really nice day at sea. It only took 5.5 hours to get from N. Eleuthera to Nassau Harbour. We came in past the west end light and were tied up at the Yacht Haven by 1400 hrs.
We spent the rest of the day washing down the boat, filling the water tanks and doing some regular maintenance items on the boat. Then, it was off to dinner at our favorite resturant, The Poop Deck, for a really great Island Style meal. From the Poop Deck, we walked back to the boat for a good night's rest.
In the morning, I called an old friend of ours, Gary Symonette, who owns Bus #10 and one of the routes from Nassau to Cable Beach and back. We agreed to meet Gary downtown and he would run us out to the airport, pick up the kids and carry us all back to the Yacht Haven.
We met Gary as planned and went along with him as he worked the bus route going north towards Cable Beach. Once all of the passengers were dropped off at thier various hotels, we turned up the airport road and headed towards Lynden O. Pindling International Airport.
The kids finally cleared customs around 1330 EST and Gary carried us back to the Yacht Haven. We made plans to all go to dinner tonight, which will give us an opportunity to meet Garys wife, and Gary will be back to pick us up at 2000 hrs.
After dumping their bags, we took the kids to Potters Cay and had lunch at a local take-away called Tony's Seafood. You can't miss Tony's bright yellow building with the fire engine red lettering and the cracked conch and conch salad (hand prepared by Tony to order) are to die for.
From Tony's, we caught the bus to bay Street and went into town for an afternoon of shopping and sight seeing. We walked the length of Bay Street and went into just about every store. Then we went over to the Government Complex and saw Parlement Square with the statue of Queen Victoria out front.
We caught the bus back to the marina and, after showers and changes of clothes, met Gary and his wife in the parking lot. From there, we went to Johnny Canoe's Restaurant, on Cable Beach. The menu was extensive and the food and service were excellent. We all had a great time and didn't make it back to the boat until after midnight.
Kim and I got up early and let the kids sleep in. We went over to the grocery and picked up some needed items and then went back to Tony’s for more conch salad to eat during the trip to Current. We pulled out of Nassau at 1200 EST and by 1300 it was pouring rain with a strong breeze out of the NE. It took 6.5 hours for our return to Current and when we arrived, we anchored off of N. Beach again and settled in for the night.
The weather has been really rough the past few days. Blowy and cold doesn't provide much of an opportunity for snorkeling, but we've spent lots of time down island exploring all of the touristy, and not so touristy, places on Eleuthera. The only swimming that anyone got to do was clear down at Tarpum Bay as the lay of the island made for that area being sheltered from the wind. Then, it was back to Current followed by a scrumptious dinner each night at the Neilly's.
And it was on just such a night when, after dinner, Jeremy proposed to Erika. She was caught completely off guard as she had no idea that he was going to pop the question during this trip. Way to go future son-in-law, ya' gotta' keep 'em guessing! The kids finally departed, via N. Eleuthera Airport on the 14th. We were sad to see them go, but know we'll be seeing them late this summer for the wedding.
We too are departing N. Eleuthera for the US due to the Generator issues. The manufacturer, Next Generation, will replace the entire unit if we can get to anywhere in the States. So, we’ve set sail for Nassau, leaving our bicycles and portable VHF radio with the Neillys until our return. The wind is out of the East at 12 knots, seas are calm and the temperature is around 80°-F.
We arrived Nassau at 1445 EST and proceeded to the Nassau Yacht Haven. This time, we docked on the East end and it was just as good as the West side of the complex. It was good to have water and good power again.
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