FORT LAUDERDALE SOUTH TO GEORGETOWN, BAHAMAS 23:30.50N 75:45.60W
Restless of Auckland
Roland and Consie Lennox-King
Sat 13 Apr 2019 15:06
We had motored over 1200 miles from Deltaville to Ft. Lauderdale, had hardly put up a sail in the Intra Coastal Waterways of America.
We spent 2 weeks at our friend Jill’s dock in Ft. Lauderdale, and other friends, Alycia and David loaned us a vehicle, told us where to go to get jobs done, and we had some dinners and breakfasts together.
We spent the time stocking up on spare parts and filters, repairing systems on board, and trying to throw away a few hundred pounds of excess to requirements. We filled up with fuel, water, and provisions. We booked in our liferaft for service, and drove it to Miami and back, $1,500 poorer, but feeling safer. David guided us back down the New River with its many bridges, including one railway bridge, and after a last BBQ together, it was time to go.
So, at last it was time to set off for the Bahamas! Out into the Atlantic and the Gulf Stream we went on 6 April, to find ENE winds and a choppy sea. We motorsailed through the day and night, arriving in Nassau at 1500 hours, and we tied up at the Yachthaven Marina, where we had been with our young 14 years ago. The immigration officers came to the boat, and we got a cruising permit for $300, plus a marina berth for another $100 for the night. Keir bought us all dinner and Pina Coladas in the Poopdeck restaurant.
8.4 After showers and laundry, we set off with favourable wind and tide in the indigo seas, for Galleon Bank on Norman Cay, a real Bahamian anchorage, and we all had a warm swim.
9.4 Roland’s birthday, but we have no wifi, strange not to receive communications in this day and age. We set off at 1000 and sailed 40nmiles, to anchor at Sampson Cay, in very shallow water. Roast Lamb for R’s Birthday dinner! A windy, rainy, bumpy night, and another squally day, so we stayed at anchor, and read books and did jobs.
12.4 we set off at 0700, and motorsailed into the wind for 10 hours, arriving at Stocking Island near Georgetown, where we anchored in shallow turquoise water, after 70nmiles, with about 40 other boats. In the high season we had heard there could be more than 400 boats in this bay. Bad weather reports on the radio, so we will stay here for a couple of days, knowing we have another 900nmiles to get to Antigua by month-end.
