To Abraham's Bay
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 23 Mar 2011 23:38
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En Route to Abraham's Bay,
Mayaguana Island in the Bahamas
  The alarm went off at six, but we didn't rush as it was still
pitch black, so a slow breakfast and off in the sunrise at
seven
 We followed Mi
Amante
  A quick
hair update. I tried to give Bear a Mohican - he tried to
look cool. Not sure about the rear view though, it
has been threatened with a grade two.
 We waved our 'farewell' as we left
Sapodilla Bay
  We wiggled out
through The Funnel and face a similar entry at the other end
some sixty miles later. We still cannot get over one minute being in three
metres of water, the next too deep for Beez depth gauge. A lady in a dive shop
yesterday told how so many divers feel vertigo for the first time in their
lives, when one minute they are paddling in the pretty shallows, the next
staring into the deep, dark abyss.
 Soon out to sea we passed a deserted island on
our left, another project begun and left
  Bear getting caught being handy with "my" camera - and the 'butter wouldn't melt look'
  The stunning Classic Yacht - Nancy
Dawson overtaking us. Still a
favourite of mine is to photograph a hull as it seems to disappear underwater.
Here she looks as if the weight of Mi Amante is too heavy to bear, you can just
see her 'cargo' behind the main sail.
  We didn't have the T+C Flag to do the raising
ceremony, so here is the lowering. The inaugural raising of the
Bahamian Flag
   We entered into Abraham's Bay and for six
miles had VPR (not visible panty ridges) but Visual Piloting Rules. According to the Explorer Chartbook you need: good
weather, sunlight, bottom reading and piloting skills. With the caution: The
position of all features is approximate and portions of this chart are
unsurveyed (the bloke with the greasy plumb bob who always seems to shout "sand
and shale"). The publisher assumes no responsibility for omissions - well
they really cannot be held responsible for new coral heads popping up, but they
have to cover all bases - errors or alterations and advises that any use of this
chart for navigational purposes is done at the mariner's risk. The prudent
mariner will not rely solely on any single aid to navigation. Well that said we
have found the Chartbook to be really useful and accurate so far. But
prudent we are. On went the forward facing sonar for me to get a handle on depth
changes (from three metres to one point one under the keel) and
my Beautiful Assistant in charge of A1 Eye Ball. Our new code system is as
follows: one finger - turn a bit, two fingers - turn a bit more and three
fingers - a real swing in direction. All went well.
 Safely anchored behind the reef for the
night
 "Time for bed" said Zebedee
ALL IN ALL GLAD TO CLOSE MY TIRED
EYES
I'M GOOD AT MY NEW
DUTY
DON'T OVER EGG YOUR PUDDING
MATEY
THAT'S SKIPPER TO YOU
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A TOOTHBRUSH USED AS AN EYE GOUGE
BEFORE
BEAR HAS
DUCK
BEAR, DUCK
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