Well, it's happened--I've lost track of time down here. But I think we spent 7-10 days in the Miami area waiting for the wind to change. First we were at Coconut Grove and then in No Name Harbor--part of yet another beautiful state park in Florida. When in a marina or harbor such as No Name, our entertainment centers on exploring by foot, biking, and walking trails that run along the beach. Due to this new exercise routine, Barry desperately wants to weigh himself to see how much weight he's lost!!
In No Name, we meet another couple--Chris and Elizabeth--who want to "buddy sail" with us to Bimini--this provides a safety net for all of us. Finally the day for our 60 mile crossing arrives. The north winds have switched to East-Southeast and we gave it one more day for the waves to settle down (more about this later). At 5 a.m., we follow Chris and Liz as they guide us out of the harbor through the shallows, using navigation marks from someone else who recently left the harbor. This is a little risky, but shaves off almost an hour of travel time. We make it and are now in deeper water, with waves predicted at 2-4 ft, with occasional 5 footers, just for fun. (more about that later) Waves at 2-4 ft are considered normal for a crossing. 60 miles on a roller coaster is NOT normal to me. Here are my thoughts on the crossing--written in the style of a children's book called Fortunately.
Fortunately, we traveled with another boat
unfortunately they turned back.
Fortunately, we have everything we need on the boat
unfortunately most of it is now on the floor.
Fortunately, it is only 60 miles to Bimini
unfortunately it will end up taking us 13 hours.
Fortunately, the water is a gorgeous sapphire blue
unfortunately it is rolling and crashing nonstop.
Fortunately, I see no sharks
unfortunately I know they're here.
Fortunately, I have several books to read
unfortunately I would throw up.
Fortunately, we have enough food to last for 6+ weeks
unfortunately I can't even think about eating.
Fortunately, we find Bimini and anchor for the night
unfortunately it was a "rolly" anchorage.
Fortunately WE MADE IT! (if I could have kissed the ground, I would have)
Things we learned:
Go into a marina ASAP to have a calm place to tie up and recover
Bring lots of crackers to settle your stomach
Close ALL hatches tightly--we killed our microwave with a salt water bath
Don't put plastic boxes filled with screws and fittings on a high, unsecured shelf
We CAN react quickly in an emergency!
Speaking of emergencies--here is a story for the grandkids, as Popo (Barry) says:
We'd been riding this bucking bronco of water for about 8 hours when suddenly the shackle that holds the line for the mainsail breaks! The shackle is flopping madly in the wind behind Popo's head while the boom is swinging wildly over both of us. Popo reacts quickly--manhandling the line. (Imagine trying to grab the end of a rope attached to a tarp or tent that is caught up in a windstorm....and you kind of get the picture). With great effort, he wrestles part of the line around a cleat and then attaches his lifeline to his lifejacket. (We don't want Popo going overboard, do we?) Even though the seas are constant rolls and swells, we have to get the mainsail down and secured before it knocks us out. Popo bravely clambers to the mast. In the meantime, I rapidly review what to do for a man overboard. Drop the sail, keep your eye on him at all times, cut back power, call mayday on channel 16, give coordinates from the GPS, throw a flotation device at the first chance. OK, he's a dead man. But NO...he manages to keep his footing, is not thrown overboard, and he releases the mainsail. I'm being thrown around in the cockpit as I try to wrap the mainsail sheet around a winch in order to contain it. I manage that while Popo ties down the front end of the sail. Mission accomplished! What a TEAM!
But anyway...
Bimini is a small island that is a gateway to the Bahamas. The people are friendly (to a point) with visitors and very relaxed and talkative with one another. They speak English with a lilting dialect that rolls like the waves. We're in Alice Town--a Bahamian village with small, quaint (i.e. somewhat neglected) groceries, hardwares, cafes, and gift shops. Sometimes they're open, sometimes not. We're on island time, mon! Emptied conch shells are piled high near every cafe, along with old boats. Again, we bike and walk everywhere--but here pedestrians walk at their own risk! The narrow streets are full of bikes, golf carts, old cars, taxi vans, screaming evangelists (really), and morning drunks. Beware!
 |
| Feeding Bull Sharks at dock of nearby marina--I told you there were sharks! |
No comments:
Post a Comment