Leaving Marsh Harbor and the Return
3-7-17 Sometime last night the wind dropped below 20 knots and Mango seemed to calm with the wind. I was awaken this morning at 2:46 AM to the anchor alarm sounding for some reason, once my eyes focused I saw that the GPS lost its signal. I investigated further and found that I had neglected to plug the “Bad Elf” GPS to power and who knew that the batteries don’t last forever without being plugged in every couple of days. Anyhow after a bit of searching in the dark I found the proper cable and plugged into the USB port near my head. I was sure that we hadn’t lost our anchor since the sounds of Mango had quieted so much. No longer did I hear the lumping of the anchor bridal, the howling of the wind or the slapping of nearby halyards against metal masts. I played a “Moth” podcast trying to fall back to sleep and it worked after a half hour or so. This whole time Karen was fast asleep in the rear quarter berth where she’s been sleeping since Friday the 3rd. The stern of Mango is much more quiet and calm than the bow in these conditions so I’m happy if she’s happy.
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| We're not sure if Gail was out with Woody and Rebecca or it's Mango bumping along in the wind and waves. |
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| Yes, Karen and I are very lucky. |
A cloudy morning greeted us which soon turned sunny and the wind had brief periods into the 20’s again but not sustained. I was feeling lazy this morning, it might be because I’ve come close to perfecting “Rum Punch” over at Fracas last night. Instead of going ashore I chose to eat the pancakes Karen made and watch the harbor come alive with activity now that the wind had calmed. We then would go to shore and see if the internet was working to post the blog. Hallelujah the net was somewhat fast this morning, blog posted and got a shower/shave. We stopped by to chat with Fracas and inform crew that since rum punch is almost perfect I was going ashore shopping for more light rum, dark rum and HarborTown Punch after lunch. They seemed to concur with the idea and agreed to come along for the shopping experience.
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| Going on a Boat Safari / Picnic |
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| Some of the sights along the way. |
After lunch we jumped in the dinghy and went ashore to procure the needed items for the punch. While walking past an open field near the liquor store we spotted a Great White Egret that snatched a mouse (I say mouse, Karen and ML think rat) in its bill and was attempting to devour it. The mouse was not going without a fight as it squealed (much to Karen and ML’s dismay) as the large bird worked at getting the vermin to stop squirming and side down its gullet. Hard to believe that the girls felt so squeamish, I thought they’d be happy with one less mouse or rat. We got a great deal on the rum and did a walk-a-bout town on our way to the grocery store for the punch. Once in the grocery store we bought more than planned. Good news is that Greg and I are having Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day. Karen and ML said they’d eat something else, it’s their loss.
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| Greg threw out an anchor and we rafted up to eat snacks while floating just off the beach. |
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| View of anchorage from Tahiti Beach. |
The crew of Fracas just left Mango after dinner, so after we cleaned up and went in the cockpit to relax and watch the myriad of anchor lights shimmer on the water. We both looked at each other surprised by how quiet it is now that the wind is down to a light breeze. It’s been so loud lately that I forgot Fracas had a Honda generator. Of course with the wind blowing as it was the wind generator on Fracas was supplying them with ample amounts of power without the need of the Honda.
3-8-17 Karen slept with me last night in the forward cabin since the front of Mango wasn’t jumping around like kid in a bouncy house. We slept great and were up early to listen to Chris Parker’s weather. I wanted to buy water and fuel before we left for Hope Town this morning but the marina doesn’t open till 9:00 so we ate breakfast and watched the comings and goings in the harbor.
Shortly before 9 we started bringing the anchor up and I can say with certainty that it was definitely set well. After 5 days of constant 20 plus knot winds weighing anchor was a chore. After much effort we lifted the anchor and Karen slowly moved towards the fuel dock and we slid in and tied up which was made more difficult by a low tide and high dock. I was able to assist Karen up on the dock and she went to find an attendant. I was prepping Mango for fuel and water when a gentleman and his wife started talking with me. It turns out that they are from Duluth Minnesota and know Dave and Roberta off of S/V Rodalee. We spoke for a while, they wanted to know how we liked our Solbian flexible solar panels. Karen found a marina worker and soon we were filling with 13 gallons of fuel and about 40 gallons of water. A half hour later we were motoring out of the harbor and on to Hope Town, against the wind.
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| View from Tahiti Beach |
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| View looking South East from Tahiti Beach |
It seemed that the day went by quickly and we headed back to the boats and soon we were aboard Fracas eating dinner. The sun went down quickly along with the breeze that blew earlier in the day. After dinner we exited Fracas to sit up top and watch the Elbow Cay Lighthouse being lit. It was shortly after 7 and the light was lit and casting its beam of light around and around. It’s interesting to watch since lighthouses today just flash an electronic light. This lighthouse shines a revolving beam of light illuminated with hand pressurized kerosene. Along with the Elbow Cay Light we had clear skies and a moon 84% full which was so bright it shined its light through the clear water casting shadows on the sea floor. It’s just a wonderful place to be on a boat.
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| Weather becoming interesting just outside of Hope Town. Winds soon built to 26 knots with a bit of rain. |
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| Mantus anchor set well in grass and sandy clay. |
3-9-17 Morning came early for me since I told Karen I would get up and listed to the weather. It wasn’t too long and Karen was up and moving around also. I was busy in the cockpit when Karen yelled from the seat on the bowsprit “There’s a shark”. I scrambled up on deck to spot the shark but only caught a glance. Not sure it was a shark but it was a good 3 feet long. Shortly thereafter we spotted the fish returning to circle Mango and it was not a shark. Not sure what it was but it had a tuna like body. I felt better since I was preparing to go snorkeling.
Karen spotted Greg leaving Fracas in the dinghy and said she was going to visit with MaryLynn. Cool I thought since Karen doesn’t take off that often in the dinghy on her own. She got in the dinghy and I untied her once she got the motor started and she was off. YUP, she was off straight into the front of the boat and anchor chain/bridal. I didn’t really see what happened because I assumed she was on her way but noticed that the outboard motor was still revving but didn’t sound any further away. I walked up to the front of Mango to find her in the dinghy just leaving the front of Mango. Apparently she got a bit excited and turned the motor handle faster rather than slower. No harm was done to anything other than Karen’s pride.
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| View of Nipper's from the Beach |
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| View of Nipper's from the deck. Women are happy that Donald Trump's and his grabby hands are not here. |
A half hour later Greg stopped by and asked if I could help raise him up the mast to check his anchor light which has stopped working. I put on my swimsuit and fins to swim over to Fracas while Greg was assembling the needed equipment to take with him up the mast. I arrived at Fracas out of breath, I forgot what a good workout swimming is.
Greg donned his climbing harness as well as his boson’s chair and little by little I used the anchor windlass to lift him up 50 feet above deck. Greg did what he could up top without success and soon asked to be lowered back down to earth. I released the cam cleats and lowered him at what I deemed was an acceptable rate but apparently this was too fast for him, I’m sure I’ll get chastised on his Facebook for my performance. I really don’t think Greg likes going up the mast to much, it seems each time he gets his feet back on the deck he needs a beer.
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| Cat laying around Nipper's. Pussy Cat's are happy Donald Trump's and his grabby hands are not here also. |
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| Bahamian Poison Ivy growns very big here. |
Afterwards swimming back to Mango I used the mask and snorkel to see what I could find and very quickly noted one undersea cable about 50 feet starboard of Fracas. I reached Mango and noted her stern was now over another cable. I swam up to Mango’s anchor and found the Mantus anchor firmly in place 20 feet from the cable. Kinda scary since the charts showed that we were well away from both cables. I climbed back aboard Mango and signaled to Karen on Fracas that I was out of the water and it was okay for her to drive the dinghy back. After her dinghy experience this morning I did not want to take any chances with being in the water and her behind the tiller.
The day went on a both Karen and ML floated about the anchorage enjoying the cool clear water. Karen on a floaty and ML snorkeling to see what she could find. Afterwards we pre-made drinks and snacks and boarded the dinghies to see a deserted area about 2 miles away. Once there Greg threw out an anchor near a private house and we rafted up for lunch. It was a great time and the rum punch was tasty once again. After our snacks we got courageous and went ashore on what appeared to be a private beach. We didn’t see any “Private or Keep Out” signs so we figured is was all good. Rum punch running out and starting to get too much sun it was time to return back home. We made it without issue and it felt good to relax aboard Mango. Karen unfortunately needed to start making dinner which was good but did not go as she planned. The recipe was supposed to be Chicken-ala-King but Karen said it didn’t look like it should so she called an audible and added veggies to it. Like I said it was good even if it wasn’t as planned. Desert consisted of cheesecake we bought a few days ago so everything’s good.
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| Time never stops, we'll all end up somewhere in the end. This doesn't seem like a bad place to rest for good. |
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| Sun starting to set on Grabber's Beach |
3-10-17 When I woke up Karen was up on deck listening to the weather and watching for life through the crystal clear water. I slowly climbed up the stairs and looked around as the sun was just climbing up above the horizon which made the water seem even more glass like. Nothing is really new with weather so we plan on leaving Hope Town anchorage this morning during high tide for Tahiti Beach only about 2 miles away.
The trip to Tahiti Beach was quick and painless even though we did motor all the way due to lack of wind. We anchored just north of the beach and since it was early morning we got to watch several boats come in and put on a show while anchoring. One large M/V “Plane to Sea” (75 to 85 feet) from West Palm Beach tried several times to throw out his anchor and then proceed to back down at what seemed to be an alarming rate. After several attempts I thought he was just trying to plow furrows in the seabed. His anchor finally did catch on something down below and he appeared to stay put. Later in the day we watched a sailboat from Canada come in a buzz through the anchorage trying to anchor in several areas before finally settling on an anchor behind a sailboat that had an older man with a beard taking a bath in his dinghy. I wasn’t sure what he was doing until I saw him lather up and jump over the side like a diver. Less than 2 minutes later he climbed “Butt Naked” back in the dinghy and rinsed off with bottles of water. After his rinse he climbed “Butt Naked” from his dinghy onto his sailboat. Shortly after “Naked Man’s Bath” the Canadian boat left the area to anchor further up the beach. Funny stuff.
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| Sun Setting on Grabber's |
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| View of sun setting on the anchorage from Grabber's Beach |
3-11-17 This morning Karen was up first again and listening to Chris Parker give his weather predictions for the next few days. Sounds like a bit of craziness after Sunday as there are hurricane strength winds in the North Atlantic and a disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico, we’re not sure how much will make it over here. Needless to say we’re starting to give thought to return to the good ole USA and there may not be a good crossing until the end of the month, we’ll see in the fullness of time.
With the potential of a blow coming we thought we’d leave Tahiti Beach and try for a mooring ball in Hope Town. Mango was first through the harbor entrance followed by Fracas and hot on our tails were 2 other sailboats. Mooring balls in Hope Town are first come first serve and are hard to come by. We witnessed first hand why. As soon as Mango entered the mooring field a man from a moored sailboat sped in his dinghy over to a mooring ball to reserve for someone who was not there. We slowly passed by as he sat in his dinghy grasping to the ball “This ball is taken”. This is a shitty thing, it reminded me of Forrest Gump’s first school bus trip. It’s a beautiful area that seems to be permanently squatted on by a bunch of old farts that don’t want anyone else in their self proclaimed area. For this reason I’ll stay outside or elsewhere next trip and recommend the same for others who ask.
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| Twilight on Grabber;s Beach |
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| Rainbow after 4 inches of rain in less than an hour. It's not all beaches and sunshine. |
After exiting Hope Town harbor we noted dark clouds on the western horizon. I was determined to sail and hoisted all sails just to have the wind fall to ZERO. I took down sails and proceeded to motor towards Great Iguana Cay. It wasn’t more that 15 minutes and I noted the sailboat a mile ahead of us heeling. I called down to Karen to let her know that there was wind and heeling in our near future. It was only a minute or 2 and we had 26 knots on our starboard beam. I unfurled the staysail and putted along comfortably in the wind, splitting rain and building seas. I went below to cut up a cantaloupe for breakfast as Karen stood watch under the dodger to stay dry. After about 45 minutes the wind started to fall and I unfurled the jib as Karen was now washing floors and cleaning up down below. When Mango entered the bay it was sunny and beautiful. We rode our sails into the harbor and turned into the wind to drop the sails and start the motor, picture perfect. We motor a short distance and dropped anchor in 10 feet of crystal clear water. Fracas entered 20 minutes behind us because they stayed in Hope Town to take on water. Our Mantus anchor again grabbed the bottom immediately. I later put on the mask and fins and went to look at the anchor, it looked just like an instructional video for a proper anchor.
Karen started prepping for dinner and after Fracas got settled we made our way into Fishers Bay for a visit to Nipper’s for a drink and see the sights. Then it was on to Grabber’s for another drink and a fantastic sunset. Since it was sunset and such a beautiful area we decided to eat pizza here and put Karen’s dinner away for tomorrow night. The sun went down and the moon came up full and bright. We tiptoed our way down the beach to the dinghies. The tide is high now and there wasn’t too much beach left to walk on, at least walking in the water is warm. While making our way back to Mango we were impressed with the brightness of the moon and how it cast shadows of us moving across it with the dinghy.
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| Anchorage as seen from Mango's stern while wind blows in at 26 knots. |
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| A web of lines holding Mango in place for the next week of high winds. |
3-12-17 Something that a person cruising has to become accustomed to “Constant Movement”. What I mean is the fact that the only time anything in your day stays still is when you’re on land. Otherwise, whether laying in bed, cooking, cleaning, showering or eating your world is constantly moving. Laying in bed or taking a nap we watch as the moon or sun flips and flops back and forth with Mango’s attitude to the wind and tide. Last night, or I should say early this morning was a good example of this issue. We went to bed to a gentle breeze blowing down the hatch above our head and Mango slightly swaying in the current. This morning about 3 AM an un-forecasted wind kicked up and now we were swaying but now bouncing every 7 seconds of so as a swell from somewhere appeared. After an unknown period of time we were constantly bouncing and swaying. This movement did not make for a restful sleep, especially for Karen. We were both up early partially due to daylight savings time but more because of the extraordinary movement.
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| Sun coming up over Elbow Cay and the Hope Town Lighthouse. |
The aforementioned movement without any signs of of an end caused the crews of Mango and Fracas to head for smoother waters. We were needing to move anyhow because of forecasted strong winds headed our way in the coming days. So off we were to our local “Safe Harbor” of Marsh Harbor motoring against a 15 to 20 knot wind. Karen and I made the best of it discussing plans for this summer and next winters cruising destinations. The distance traveled was only about 7 miles and went very quickly. We entered the harbor and found a patch of calm water with enough room for us and plopped down the anchor. Time for lunch!
We never had lunch but got ready for a walk-a-bout to Abaco Beach Resort to test out their sandy beach. While at the beach we noted dark clouds on the horizon and thought we should return to the boats to make sure all hatches were closed before the rain. The skies spit on us a tad while walking back to the dinghies but nothing more. Sun came out again and Greg and ML from Fracas came over for dinner. Shortly after the appetizers the clouds came back with a downpour and I started collecting rainwater after the decks and canvas got rinsed. Then the real downpour started along with wind. Greg got into his dinghy to make it back to Fracas “Just in Case” . He probably could have swam over and been drier but made it in time to ride out the bulk of the squall. Highest wind we saw was 26 knots in all directions so it wasn’t too bad but during the 45 minutes we got about 4 inches of rain. The rain subsided and then there were rainbows right behind Mango and Fracas.
Shortly after the squall Bill from Wanderer stopped by to say “Hey”. Turns out Bill is from Southport Marina in Kenosha, our old home harbor. Bill trucked his boat down to Florida and then sailed to the Abacos. Sounds like Bill comes down for a month or two and then returns back to Chicago area for a month or two as his work allows, lucky guy. The rest of the night was quiet and peaceful, in fact it was one of the quietest nights I can remember on anchor.
3-13-17 A groggy morning greeted me, still wondering about “Daylight savings time”. New weather forecast shows crazy weather over the next week so Karen worked her ass off and found some of the last slips available in Marsh Harbor. So, for the next week we can get on and off Mango without need of a dinghy which is especially nice considering the winds will be blowing at 20 knots and up. Karen likes that. I got a quick workout in while Karen and ML worked their way to the pool. Nice way to spend the day.
3-14-17 Late night / early morning showers led to the closing of all ports but a pretty good nights sleep. Morning greeted us with building winds out of the west that called for additional lines on Mango and Fracas. Karen and ML went to do a load laundry Greg and I stayed behind to do whatever we do (Boat Chores). Just after beer-thirty I talked Greg into playing a game of Backgammon and drank a wife-beater. I did a crappy job of explaining the rules which led to my being victorious. I may not be so lucky next time. The girls got back from laundry and we ate lunch which caused the need for a nap. Per forecast the winds are now down below 20 knots and seas are settling. There are not forecast to build again until sometime pre-dawn tomorrow. Hopefully a quiet nights sleep.
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