Turks and Caicos to Florida (Part 2)
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We always forget how very clear and bright blue the water is here and often wonder why thousands of us cruisers stay so long in the Windward and Leeward Islands when this place is completely uncrowded. Thank heavens they do, though!
Soldier Cay Happy Birthday to Charlotte, looking forward to celebrating with our birthday girls in California! 2 hours and 8.8nms gentle sailing in no winds gets us, through some very shallow waters, to anchor. Mike dinghies over to a little area called The Aquarium. He says it earns it’s name but no photos!
Warderick Wells Mike has us underway early to beat the strong current over the very shallow, narrow channel out of Soldier Cay. We cover the track we came in on yesterday, but still manage only 0.1m under the keel. 13nms and 3.5hrs later we are anchored. We have emailed the coordinates to Spectra in the hope they get back here by tomorrow, the Temple Net having got overlooked this morning!
They’re back, so it would really be churlish to refuse an invite to sundowners, wouldn’t it?! They arrive armed with our shopping from Nassau - sweet chili sauce, pineapple juice and butter and, of course, their US visas. Finally! Norman Cay, Bahamas
Mike takes a dive under the boat and spots this sucker fish mistaking our hull for a shark. Don’t know what will happen when we leave here and start the engine! Earlyish start to do the Exuma Park before the sun is too hot.
Sperm whale skeleton
Hutia paw print Musical rocks, play different notes when you hit them!
Ermm, curly-tailed lizards allegedly! Hermit crab Fading opening hours
Paul over the blowhole and Norma, same blowhole! Yes, Norma, finally a pooing lizard! Whose trail? Not-so-curly-tailed lizard!
Deep wading!
Boo Boo Hill, complete with our Spectra and Right Turn signs
Reminds me of Christmas somehow Huge ray basking in the current Back to the boats and we set off to go to Norman Cay to cut the journey to Nassau down a bit. Paul and Norma are staying for a rest day and intend to meet us in Nassau in a couple of days time. 22.9nms in about 4 hrs.
Yup, there’s the anchor, it’s definitely lying on the bottom!
Nassau Early start (for Mike!) to get us underway for long motor to Nassau, there is not a breath of wind. . Headsail up briefly at the end of the trip as a tiny breath of wind comes in. 36.53nms, 7hrs motoring!
Always ensure you plant your palmtrees equidistant! Paradise(?!!) Island We anchor in 7.5ms of dirty oily water! Paid $10 for 24hours rubbish Internet access, avoid Bahamas WiMax! Did, however, manage an intermittent Skype call with Hannah, catching up with how excited they are all getting re California, only 12 more sleeps, Henry! Having sat out a downpour, Spectra has arrived and we all go ashore for a meal. Goldrich Tours Towing Service pressed into use again, on the way back!
Watching the weather for a window to get to Fort Lauderdale, bouncing up and down as the jet skis and motorboats whizz past. Final trip ashore to get latest weather files and back to stow the dinghy ready for early departure tomorrow. Can’t say we won’t be pleased to see the back of Nassau after the lovely time we’ve had in the rest of The Bahamas enjoying the lovely crystal clear water. Just stowed the dinghy and Paul turns up in the rain to say to come for drinks and Bill & Judy from J&B would pick us up and drop us back! Lovely evening on Spectra with these new American friends. Georgie has just reminded us that we have a reciprocal arrangement with the Nassau Yacht Club which, apparently, has a great pool, good food and Wi-Fi! Grr, remembered a little too late!
Chub Cay Early off from Nassau, it takes us 45 minutes to chug up to the North and out.
The boat is bigger than his house For Sale with deep water dock, wonder how much!
Heritage site or garden? One less fishing boat to worry about Will she fit under bridge?
Bye, bye, Paradise Island! 007 movie cabin relocated in Nassau
Spectra heading off Flowers on a ship called Norwegian Sky? Goodbye, Nassau
A further 5.5 hours of motoring as there is not a breath, has us dropping the hook in 4.2m of water, 34.7nms. Last swim in clear blue water before we head up to USA.
Fort Lauderdale
We leave at 8am as we start bouncing up and down as the chop comes in and the wind (SE 11-14kts) has started a little overnight. Spectra leave an hour or so later. All goes well but as the night progresses the wind is coming further and further forward.
By 5am the next day, the auto-pilot decides to show an error so Mike wakes me to hand steer the last 3 hours while he tries to fix it and do all the other things like looking out for shipping as we are struggling to cross the Gulf Stream. At one point, it looks as though we might shoot right past the Fort Lauderdale inlet as 4kts of current push us ever Northward! We make it into the cut and in time for the bridge opening at 8am, so a 24 hour trip, 125nms, and we pick up a mooring buoy at Las Olas Marina in 3m of water. No sooner are we settled when David from Goldcrest dinghies over to introduce himself and we agree to set up a net for the return trip to UK before he heads off to a cheaper mooring. Spectra parks on a neighbouring buoy. They had had a horrid time trying to cross the Stream, Norma is ready to go home! However, a “double pour” night at the Quarterdeck across the car park and a side of ribs and shrimps and chips later at Bubba Gump’s, good humour is restored! We also get a free glass each which helps even more!
It’s freezing as the cold front takes up position. Norma and I go shopping for cell phones and stuff while the boys do some boat keeping chores and Mike moves RT into our prebooked slip. Spectra’s generator finally goes bang and gives up the ghost so lots of research done on the Home Depot site for an on-deck replacement.
We’ve changed the headsail over and found a few repairs that can wait till Ramsgate. I’ve printed the “California” file, so we are all ready to go and, meanwhile, discovered that we have an extra day before our flights to Vegas – not sure how that happened! Jolly trip on the trolley bus to West Marine and Sailorman to get a few bits. Spectra left to motor up the ICW, hopefully we will meet up with them again in St Augustine before I fly back. Trying to ration out the remaining stores so we can turn the fridge off while we are away so we are living on an odd combination of foods!
Las Vegas Early start for flight to Vegas to see Elton John at Caesars Palace and stay in the Bellagio, FAB!
Bonkers!
Obvious to me, Mike is LOVING it!
 
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Going, going,
gone!
