the long slog home -- decision day
Seafever
Sat 10 Apr 2010 23:26
After 51 days of roughing it on Sea Fever in the Bahamas, we spent the afternoon in the lap of luxury. We sat on a bench and gathered all the weather information we needed. We agreed with Finesterre: tomorrow would be the best day for us to cross anytime in the next week. We ate gelati and swam in a fabulous complex of swimming pools with a fountain. The girls were in heaven. Both girls opened their eyes underwater--a watershed event, so to speak. As we lounged in deck chairs, we marveled at the contrast this day provided. We could never have imagined that our last day in the Bahamas would be spent at Bimini Bay Resort. We can highly recommend it to anyone. High end marina, along with houses, condos and rentals, and excellent swimming pools. We did not take advantage of restuarants or hot tub or massages or shuttles bringing pedestrians from one place to another within the resort, but of what we partook, we thoroughly enjoyed.
Our decision not to cross last night was affirmed when we heard that the waves were up to 6 feet out there today, as the NE wind pushed against the Gulf Stream current. Tomorrow waves are predicted to be up to 3' high, coming from the East. Winds will be East 10-16 knots, at the high end of that in the afternoon, and then tapering off in the evening. There is no Small Craft Caution for tomorrow, unlike yesterday -- that really helps us make this decision. So, if all goes well, we'll be pushed and surfed to Miami. We'll leave as soon as we can see well enough to leave the harbor, and hope to arrive in the late afternoon, early evening. We're concerned about the crew's discomfort. Both winds and waves are higher than we like to be in, especially for a long crossing over such a peculiar stretch of water. The next weather window is a week from today, with really awful weather dominating that week. (The girls asked to stay here for the week so they could swim at the resort! I'm sure someone would catch on after a day or two. Not to mention that no one will want to hang out at the pool in 25 knot winds.) It's funny how our whole world revolves around wind direction and speed. Back home, we hardly pay attention to the details of the wind unless a major storm is coming and we wonder which tree we should worry about falling on the house or barn. I think we'll keep our wind meter handy after this trip. We'll walk out onto the hill and measure the wind and think about where we would go if our fields were seas.