February 26 to March 10

On Sunday, February 26^th we left Rock Sound.  The wind was flat calm followed by very light and variable so it was a motorboat ride the 62 miles to Cambridge Cay where we anchored for the night.

Monday morning we had planned to leave early but the engine would not start.  We had a loose wire on the solenoid which Bill fixed. Then the toggle switch for the engine starter failed so he had to replace it.  We finally left at 9:45 a.m. and had a very energetic sail to Sampson Cay in 20-25 knots of wind.  This gave me the opportunity of mending the genoa as we ripped this on the way.  All in all, it reminded us once again that cruising is really just working on boats in exotic places.

Thursday we left Sampson Cay after a fun time visiting with Wilson and Gale. We had been hoping to sail to Cat Island but the weather had other plans so we decided to head back to Rock Sound. The sailing was nice for a change and we put the spinnaker up for the first time this trip.  


Wilson said he believed we would catch three fish on the way.  We hooked three fish.  We feel like real fishermen because we have a “one that got away” story. The first fish we hooked was very big!  When it jumped out of the water we were amazed. Bill tried to reel it in for 15 minutes then the line broke.  We hooked another fish as we were coming onto the banks by Eleuthera and managed to catch this one.  It was a bonito.  After landing the fish I put the hook back in the water then had to reel it back in as fast as possible because two dolphins surfaced by the boat.  Once the lure was back in the boat they stayed with us for awhile keeping their eyes on our bonito!  Eventually the dolphins wandered off to catch their own dinner and we tried for our third fish.  Unfortunately the fish we caught was a barricuda so we threw it back.

Friday was laundry and errand day in Rock Sound.  I organized all the laundry and loaded it in the dinghy and thought it would be a great idea to hang the quilt over the boom and bring the pillows outside to air while I was at the laundromat and Bill was at the grocery store.  This was only a good idea if I was trying to leave an offering to the rain gods.  While we were ashore we had a heavy downpour. On the bright side a fresh water rinse made everything smell nice.

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday the wind was 25-30 knots with higher gusts so we stayed on the boat listened to the wind while going stir crazy.  There were 31 boats in the harbor waiting out the weather.  Sunday morning one boat started to drag their anchor and someone else blew a horn to alert them, and everyone else, to watch out.  After that anytime a horn blew on land all the boaters would get up and look around. We looked like prairie dogs.

Tuesday the wind had dropped to 20 knots so Bill changed the oil in the morning.  He waited until the weather was slightly better as we did not want to disable the engine while the weather was bad in case we needed to move in a hurry.  In the afternoon we went for a walk and did a little bit of grocery shopping.

Wednesday we had one of the best sails we have ever had. The wind was 20 knots from a useful direction and the seas were mostly flat.  We averaged over 7 knots all the way to Hatchet Bay.  This is why we have a sailboat!  The 90 foot wide entrance to Hatchet Bay between two rocky cliffs is very impressive.  We had an uneventful entry to the harbor and found a place to anchor then went for a walk through Alice Town.

Thursday the wind was light so we motored to Current Cut.  We had the tide with us so we had a nice ride through the cut.  We were going over 10 knots even after idling back.  On the west side of the cut there was a little bit of wind so we had a leisurely sail to Royal Island.   In the afternoon we went for a walk ashore through the ruins of old buildings then had a great visit with Phil, Donna, and their very cute little dog, Molly, on SEAQUEL.

Friday we left Harbor Island early which gave us the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful sunrise.  We motorsailed most of the 78 miles to Lynyard Cay.  The last couple of hours was nice sailing weather.  Little Harbor Cut was interesting.  Two other boats were entering the narrow cut between the breaking waves at the same time we were surfing down the waves into the cut.

February 25. Eleuthera Road Trip

On Saturday, February 25th we shared a rental car with Bev and Allan from DAGNY.  Allan braved the challenge of driving on the left side of the road in a car with the steering wheel on the right.  Our first stop was Tarpum Bay where we saw a dog enjoying the view from a comfortable chair.

Most of the islands in the Bahamas have very little soil and limited amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables. Eleuthera is an exception, this island has great soil and a long history of agriculture. The sign for fresh produce at the Island Farm made us turn the car around to go back for  a visit.  After shopping at the farm stand we went for a brief tour of the fields.

Hatchet Bay Pond is an interesting harbor.  The entrance is a 90 foot wide cut blasted through rock. From the land side it looks even narrower than it does from the water.  On the north side of town there is an extensive cave system.  We did not have enough flashlights to explore so we stayed in the first part of the cave.  With flashlights, sturdy shoes, and a guide it is possible to walk a mile underground.

The Glass Window is a geological formation where the island is very narrow.  There was once a natural rock bridge 85 feet above sea level. This was washed away by a hurricane in 1926 and replaced by a bridge. A rogue wave picked up the bridge and moved it 7 feet westward in 1991. The current bridge is quite substantial looking.  Standing on the bridge you can see the dark blue ocean on one side and the light blue and turquoise water in the Bight of Eleuthera.

We had lunch at a small restaurant overlooking the Glass Window.  It was hard to know where to look because the view was so gorgeous from all directions.

The calm tide pools next to the breaking waves at the Queens Bath were impressive. This is one of those places where it would be enjoyable to sit and look at and listen to the water all day.

A long washed out dirt road leads to an amazing beach with great surfing. We had to walk the last part of the road because it was so narrow and rough, but it was worth the walk.  We had a chance to watch someone surfing.

We saw a sign for "The Cliffs" and wondered if it was a private residence, or actual cliffs, so we went for another off road expedition.  After parking the car we walked to an area where someone with a huge piece of earthmoving equipment had dug a hole mostly through the cliffs.  We had to climb along the side of a very deep puddle to get to the shore as the path ended in the middle of the cliff.

Late in the afternoon we were all tired and ready to head back to the boats.  A few minutes after we said that we were glad we would be getting back before dark we ran out of gas.  Luckily Allan has very impressive hitchhiking skills.  As soon as he stood by the side of the road he was picked up by a Bahamian who drove him to the gas station.  A couple of men in a pickup at the gas station delivered him back to the car with the gas.  Within 20 minutes we were on our way again.