Great Sail to Great Sale

This morning we woke up early and got underway just before sunrise. The
winds had picked up overnight and were driving a pretty solid 2-4 foot chop
across the bank.

As we turned to Great Sale Cay we turned off the motor and sailed on a close
reach just off the winds and the waves. The apparent wind was blowing over
20 knots so we had a reef in the genoa and we were fighting the wind, chop
and the tide. Even so we were able to do over 6 knots over the ground while
tight on the wind. It wasn’t a really relaxing sail, the decks were
frequently washed from the waves slamming the bow. JV is seldom sailed that
tight on the wind, with that much heel, so it took Nermal some time to find
an acceptable seat.

We fought our way to windward and made the turn past Great Sale Cay around
noon. As we made the turn, we had to face directly into the wind, so luckily
at around that time the wind and waves calmed. We motored the rest of the
way to Allans-Pensacola Cay where we’re anchored tonight.

Our other option for an anchorage tonight was Crab Cay where we stopped the
last time we came across the bank. Those of you that might remember our
rough night and the run-in with the Bahamian Defense Force might understand
why we chose Allans-Pensacola over Crab Cay!

We got in early enough this afternoon to blow up the dinghy and get it off
the deck. It hasn’t been in the water since we left Bohemia Bay and it
looked good floating there in crystal clear water above the bottom 7 feet
below. Tomorrow when we get to Green Turtle Cay I’ll hang the outboard on
the dinghy so we can head in to clear customs. Hopefully the outboard fires
up without problem, my theory is ‘it ran when I put it away, it should run
when I get it out.’ (We’ll see….)

It feels great to be back in the Bahamas, and we’re looking forward to
clearing customs tomorrow so we can enjoy it. The weather is supposed to be
calm on Wednesday and Thursday, perfect for snorkeling.

The lobsters better watch out!