Molasses Reef to Man of War Bay

Molasses Reef to Man of War Bay

Thursday 20th - Friday 21st March 2025

The cold front passed through quickly and the conditions, at least in the Molasses Reef anchorage, were not as bad as we feared. Whilst the winds were high it did get a little bumpy because of the long fetch to the shore north of us, but we were well protected from the ocean swells. We were able to get a few boat jobs completed, including patching a small hole in the main sail caused by rubbing on the lazy-jack lines. 

On Wednesday afternoon we re-launched the dinghy from the davits and went in search of areas of reef that we could snorkel. We found two suitable spots, and anchored the dinghy off to the side. The second area we explored was excellent. The rocks and corals rose from about 20 feet depth up to the sea surface and we snorkeled in a circle around this underwater island. The visibility was amazing and we saw lots of sea ferns and quite a few fish, including a school of chub that were 2-3 feet long and seemed quite friendly. Both of us felt the water was pretty cool and by the end of our second stop we were ready to call it a day. The breeze was still from the north and relatively cold, so by the time I had finished showering in the cockpit I was covered in goose bumps. It’s the first time I’ve actually been cold in months.

We awoke on Thursday to dead calm. The water is so clear and the details of the sea floor visible from the deck that you almost get a sense of vertigo. After breakfast (homemade toast and peanut butter) we prepared to depart and head back up to Man of War Bay. Pulling up the anchor was less than trivial because, despite our best efforts, the chain did get wrapped around some rocks. As we could see exactly what the situation was, it became an exercise of driving the boat in the right direction to pull the chain around the side of the rocks. We motored out of the anchorage following the track we had come in on and headed round to Matthew Town. In contrast to earlier in the week, there were no other boats anchored off the town. We dropped the hook and took a quick trip to shore to get rid of our trash and buy provisions, and then continued northwards up the coast. In the evening, our friends Paul and Tracy from Magic Pelagic came over for dinner (Butter Chicken Curry). It was lovely to catch up with them.

We plan to make Friday our last day at Inagua and if the weather forecast holds up, we will sail overnight Saturday to Sunday up to the Ragged Islands (~ 130 nm). This is a really remote area of the Bahamas and one that we have heard is beautiful. It comes with some challenges because the following leg of the journey up to Georgetown requires navigating the Comer Channel, which is only 6 feet deep, and consequently we need to make use of the high tide and settled weather. (Our draft is only slightly less than 6 feet). The next suitable high tide is not until the end of the month. (This is when the timing of the high is after noon so that we can get to the shallowest section without traveling over the banks at night.) So we may be out of contact for the next week or so …

Mike

21 05.515 N, 73 39.265 W

The chop in the Molasses Reef anchorage during the north winds (20 knots) is not so obvious, but you can see it's a long way to shore.

Juliet in the Molasses Reef anchorage

Molasses Reef anchorage Thursday morning

The anchor chain / rock issue

Anchored off Matthew Town (note: you can easily see our rudder in this picture!)

Juliet off Matthew Town