Allens to Ship Channel and back to Allens

Seafever
Wed 7 Apr 2010 23:55
We checked out Ship Channel today, thinking that it would be a good jumping off place for going to Nassau (it's a few
miles closer). However, the harbor entrance was tricky, strewn with coral heads and strong currents pouring in from
the Sound. We anchored off the beach--which is home base for Powerboat Adventures, a company that leads tours from
Nassau--in front of hoards of tourists who we learned had rented the island (including a shark feeding demo) for the
day. We excused ourselves quickly, after anchoring in the torrential current, having to re-anchor ourselves, going ashore
briefly to get two Shirley Temples for the girls at the bar. A bizarre visit. We spoke to the man who was in charge, who
had come from Nassau that morning. He advised us not to go to Nassau today (we were tempted, since the winds were in the
right direction, only a bit too strong for us). He said it was too rough. From what we could see, the banks looked
glassy calm. But we knew that miles from shore, the banks can be whipped up, and we trusted his guidance.

We returned to SW Allen's Cay and iguana beach for the night. Tomorrow it looks like the winds will lessen throughout the
day, so we we will head to Nassau (a six hour trip) early in the morning. We will gas up and then leave very early
Friday morning to do an overnight passage to Bimini. We haven't yet done an overnight, but Saturday, midday, the winds
are supposed to get back up to 15+ knots from the NE and then a front moves through. We heard next week will be nasty, so we
want to be in Bimini for that, poised for the next 12-hour weather window to bring us back home, across the Gulf Stream.

We're ready to come home. We miss our animal and human friends, our families, our community. We miss the fields and woods. It's been great to be here--a fantastic adventure and we will miss the clear waters and beautiful fish and the freedom of pulling up anchor and, at the whim of the wind and the tides, setting off for a new island, a new beach, new fish, new marvels. Two months was not enough time and yet it is a long time to be away from home. Since we can't be two places at once, we pick home.