Enter (drum roll) The Bahamas!
By golly, we’re going!
With the weather models in happy agreement, we left for The
Bahamas on January 12th. “17th Street bridge,
this is the sailing vessel Hiatus checking in for your 4:30 opening.” It will be our last bridge opening until we return to the States sometime this spring.
We crossed from Fort Lauderdale to West End on Grand Bahama. Navigating the crossing has to take the Gulf Stream into account. It’s about 68 NM to West End, with a heading of 58 degrees true. With the Gulf Stream averaging 2.5 knots at 2 degrees true, magnetic variation at 7 degrees 30 minutes W, and Hiatus traveling at 6 knots, we planned to maintain a constant heading of about 84 degrees magnetic. The Stream will sweep us north to West End. The crossing will take us about 10.5 hours. Our actual course over the ground will be a slight S curve as we enter, cross, and exit the Stream.
The crossing was easy-peasy. There was little wind. We motored or motor/sailed the entire crossing. We traveled faster than our projections, so we adjusted our course to West End as it neared. Up went the quarantine flag as we approached West End for our customs and immigration check in.
We didn't stay at West End. Our plan was to push on directly to the Berrys island chain. Here is an email I wrote on January 14th, describing our passage to Great Harbour Cay, Berry Islands.
We checked into the West End on Tuesday, cleared customs and immigration and filled up our diesel tank. We spent the night at the abandoned development site a few miles away, Ginn Sur Mer. Well protected. Quiet. Someone's broken dream.
We got up early and pulled away at 0400 for the long passage to Great Harbour Cay. We'll get our day 5 COVID test there, and it looked like a good place to hang at anchor and explore. We motor sailed and then motored into a light wind clocking onto our nose.
By late afternoon, the European and US weather models had not agreed on today's (Thursday's) weather. One predicted strong westerlies beginning Wednesday night, so we decided to splurge on the marina. Gary, our Garmin, predicted we would arrive outside the harbor entrance about 15 minutes before the marina's closing (they're on reduced COVID hours). I called up the marina on VHF and, as we spoke, the diesel died.
We were in about 8' of lovely water. I dropped the anchor and started rummaging for fuel filters. The tow arrived before I got the primary removed. We rigged a tow bridle. F took the wheel. She steered wildly. I took command. The tow boat was steering wildly. Two guys onboard taking selfie pics and videos and laughing and arguing loudly. I decided to not follow them and keep Hiatus pointed to the marina. The weight of Hiatus pulling on the tow boat's stern caught the guys attention, and they veered back on course. They veered away from the course as much as 60 degrees. But, they got us in and for not much more than the cost of a month's groceries.
F and I replaced our primary and secondary filters this morning. The primary was 2 micron. It's bowl had 1/8+ inch of black sludge on the bottom. The filter was black. I've not seen its like before. Maybe it's from long term biological growth in the tank. But, we ran Hiatus from that tank for an entire summer. Or, maybe I should have remembered to use Mr. Funnel when we refueled at West End. I now only have one primary filter in reserve. We filled the tank from our Jerry cans (through Mr. Funnel), hoping to dilute any remaining bad diesel. We ran the engine for an hour. If we clog up this filter, we'll be skating on thin ice.
So, life is grand, or as F said yesterday, "This is not my dream Bahamas trip yet."
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