Out of the frying pan
… Monday 30th April –
Wednesday 2nd May
After a demanding couple of weeks covering large distances
with sub-optimal anchorages, we were keen to make life a little easier moving
forward. On Monday morning, after a better night of sleep, our brains at least
partially re-engaged and we were able to think more creatively about our
options and we came up with a plan. We needed to move on from Turks and Caicos,
not least because our weekly permit was almost done and we didn’t want to spend
$200 extra on a cruising permit. The weather forecast predicted things would
deteriorate on Wednesday and none of the anchorages on the next leg of our
journey look that safe or comfortable in winds and swells with a northerly
component. So we decided to skip those places (Mayaguana, Plana Cays, Acklins
and Crooked Island) and make a longer overnight sail on Tuesday directly to
Clarence Town on Long Island, which has a decent harbor, but more importantly a
good marina where we could spend a few nights and relax a bit.
Part 1 … The Preparation.
We phoned the “Flying Fish marina” and were able to get a reservation for a
slip. We were lucky, they are pretty much jam-packed all through May. We spent most
of Monday checking out of customs and immigration and re-provisioning. We took
the dinghy to shore and dragged it up the beach and then hiked round to the offices
at South dock, which turns out to be an extremely busy commercial port with rigorous
security. We had to show passports and be signed-in at the main gate and then
wear i.d. badges, day-glow vest and hard hats just to walk round to customs.
The immigration / customs people were very pleasant and helpful. Once finished
we asked about the possibility of a taxi to the local supermarket and one of
the agents called a friend of hers. Unfortunately, we waited over 30 minutes at
the gate but no one showed, so we wandered over to the police station and the
officer behind the desk called a taxi for us. We were waiting for it to arrive
when a local guy, Martin Theodore, stopped and offered us a lift. He thought the
taxi would take ages, so we cancelled it and Martin drove us out to the
supermarket. What a great guy – thanks Martin! The supermarket was excellent
and we loaded up with everything we needed. When we asked about calling a taxi
to take us back, one of the staff offered to drive us in the company van. What
an awesome experience – we have been so impressed by how friendly and helpful
everyone has been in the Turks and Caicos.
Later, in the evening a young Canadian couple, Jeff and
Olena, from the only other boat anchored in Sapodilla Bay, came over to chat
and have a drink. They are taking time out from their regular lives and are
trying to sail as far south as Bonaire. In sailing south they have the added
challenge of going against the trade winds.
Part 2 … The Journey. The weather forecast was for mild conditions on Tuesday with
increasing winds and waves on Wednesday (15-20 kts winds from east and 6 foot
seas from north east). This didn’t sound too terrible to us, particularly as we
were headed north-west. Nonetheless, it’s a 180 nautical mile passage and we were
keen to make good speed so as to arrive as early as possible on Wednesday. We
pulled up the anchor on Tuesday a little before 7.30 am, raised full mainsail
and motor sailed west across the banks and out of the Sandbore channel. Then we
adjusted course to the north west and deployed the genoa, but the winds were
too light to sustain a decent speed so we carried on motor sailing. Around 2pm
we were finally able to switch off the engine, and for the next several hours
the sailing was excellent. After passing Myaguana the winds were pretty steady
at around 15 knots from the east, but we needed to turn more to the west, which
was pretty close to dead down wind. There were already several squalls visible
and we didn’t want sail wing-on-wing with the genoa polled out at night and so once
again we reverted to motor sailing. As the night went on conditions got
increasingly bumpy and at dawn we greeted by the sight of squalls all around
us. The wind became erratic both in terms of speed and direction and the seas
were large and disorganized. At one point the wind was solid at 25 knots
gusting 30 knots and waves were 8 feet or more and really swinging the boat
around. This of course was the point at which the engine conked out, presumably
because of crud in the tanks getting shaken up and sucked into the fuel line. With
that much wind you don’t need the engine, however, getting onto a slip in a
marina under sail power alone is not something I would try. Anyway, we were
able re-start after switching filters and fuel tank selection. There was some
rain in the morning, but it wasn’t until around noon when we were starting our
entry into the harbor that the worst squall hit with strong winds and
torrential rain. We opted to drop anchor and have some lunch before proceeding
on to the marina. Since then the wind and rain have not let up. It’s now 9pm
and as I write this blog in the comfort of our navigation station, our wind
gauge is pegged in the low thirties and gusting over 40 knots. Today has been
by far the worst weather we have seen on the whole trip. In fact at this moment
it feels very similar to the conditions we experienced whilst on the dock in
North Carolina during hurricane Sandy. I hate to think what conditions might be
like now out in the open ocean. This was one of the more demanding passages we
have made and on the one hand I think we were wise (and lucky) to complete it by
mid-day on Wednesday. On the other hand, despite weather information from
multiple sources I don’t think either of us appreciated how badly conditions
would deteriorate and we might have been smarter not to set out as we did.
Flying Fish Marina, Clarence Town, Long Island, Bahamas
23o 06.1 N, 74o 57.6 W
What a fashion statement - Gloria at South Dock, Providencales, visiting customs and immigration. Not everyone can carry off that "hard hat on top of bush hat" look ...! (iPhone photo)
The first of many squalls - Tuesday evening, sailing west of Mayaguana. By Wednesday morning it was all squalls and no blue sky.
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