Bank Sailing the Exumas and an Offshore Passage to the Abacos

Time hurries on and we find that spring is approaching.  In our world we are beginning to think about positioning our boat for a trip back to the states to “gear up” for an Atlantic Crossing.  Our current thinking is that we will wrap up our “Bahamas Time” in the Northern Abaco region of the Bahamas and then head straight for Beaufort, NC to haul the boat and do our prep work.   In the mean-time Kim’s parents deserve a couple of gold stars for arranging a “spur of the moment” visit with us at Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos in April.  Anna and Finn and Mom and Dad are very excited to be able to share some of our adventure “real-time” with family.

So in contrast to our seemingly aimless wanderings of late we now have an actual calendar date (April 9) where we have to be somewhere specific.  Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos lies close to 200 nautical miles (230 statute miles) away from our current location near Staniel Cay.  There are numerous potential paths or routes to take which will likely include passing through cuts, sailing off-shore, and crossing shallow banks with coral heads and reefs.  We must consider wind strength and direction, tide heights and timing of highs and lows, current strengths and directions, day-light, moon-light, sun and rain.  On top of that we must consider intermediate anchorages and sailing angles and how to minimize motoring to preserve cruising dollars.  We also want the trip to be fun and interesting and not too hard on people or the boat. 

Fortunately, because I don’t generally like people I don’t feel compelled to explore the people side of these islands.  It is not that I am not somewhat interested it is just a much, much lower priority for me.  I understand that interacting with the natives and visiting the populated places to experience the “culture” is most admirable and what most cruisers seem to do but I won’t kid you into thinking that plays a big role in my passage making/cruising plans.  For me it is about the earth…about nature and trying to work with it to get somewhere…I want to see the things that few human eyes have seen.  Kim, I think might be interested in the culture side of things but she hasn’t brought it up so for now it is a non-factor for me.

Though we have been greatly enjoying our explorations of the land and sea areas of the Exuma chain of islands, the more we explore the more we realize that there is no way we can see it all on this short trip.  We trust that we will be back some day and decide it is time for us to move on as conditions will allow.  As captain it is my responsibility to plan our routes and time our movements with the safety and security of our family and our vessel as a top priority.  Probably the most common error made by cruisers and voyagers is to get in a situation where they set aside good judgment and common sense because of pressure to make it to a particular destination on a particular date and time.  These boats move about jogging speed so you simply can’t outrun the weather.  The risks are real and range from the need to endure extremely uncomfortable voyages to the possibility of losing the vessel or even lives.  I suppose I am boring you all with this but I want you to understand that there is a lot more to this process than seeing a cool place on the map and simply driving to it.

In my approach to route planning I like to think in terms of macro-level factors first (Big Picture, more seasonal stuff) and then micro-level factors (Daily variation).  We are still in the steep part of the learning curve so this is an evolving process.

Cruising ground of interest:  Bahamas Starting from the East Coast of US

Examples of the macro-level:

1.       Cruising Season: January through May to avoid hurricane season.

2.       Prevailing winds are East so push to the East fast, far and early when opportunity arises

Note: Seems like it hardly ever actually blows east

3.       Cold fronts tend to be stronger and more frequent in the Northern Bahamas and lessen as spring approaches: Start by getting as far south as you want to go then work your way north as the season progresses.

Examples of Micro Level stuff:

1.       Interpret government wind models from www.passageweather.com

2.       Listen to Chris Parker interpret government wind models on the SSB Radio

3.       Look at our own weather instrument data and look at the sky and water

4.       Consider wave height and direction as well as swell height, direction and period

5.       Check tide charts

6.       Study chart books

7.       Use electronic charting program to lay out proposed routes, estimate speed and distances etc.

8.       Look for safe anchorages and backup safe anchorages

9.       Consider opinions and suggestions of other cruisers

On top of this there are other factors largely gained by experience that help in the decision making and route/passage formulation process.

1.       Passing over the shallow banks should be done in good daylight because many of the areas are strewn with scattered coral heads and reefs which may or may not be charted

2.       Don’t pass through a cut when current is flowing out and waves are coming in

3.       I am comfortable sailing offshore at night in non-storm conditions given the safety of deep water coupled with our electronics like radar and AIS (ship identification system)

4.       I like to catch fish so bottom contours and their relationship to the directions of the wind have some importance.

Now for those of you who made it this far let me put it all together to show you how we went from Staniel Cay in the Exumas to Marsh Harbor in the Abacos.

We found ourselves anchored in the Bay of Pigs (Big Majors) in the Staniel Cay area to finish some last minute provisioning and errands.  The weather forecast revealed a period of sustained southerly winds which usually portends a cold front but it looked like we had a few days so we decided to get moving north while the gettin’ was good.  We left just after sunrise with a following wind.  We could have gone outside into the Exuma Sound but I promised Kim some more Bank Sailing.  Kim really likes the sailing on the bank side (shallow with no swell).  It reminds me a lot of sailing on the Finger Lakes in New York State, long straight runs.  I like it too but the fishing sucks.  We were pushing for Highbourne Cay in the Northern Exumas but when we got there the sun was still so high that we decided to press on a bit further.  Thankfully our days are getting longer so we have a lot more time to cover ground or at least we have a little daylight to enjoy when we stop for the night.  We made it to Allan’s Cay which took us minimally off our route north.  The sailing was slow that day and all dead down wind.  We flew the Genoa on the pole so we could run ‘wing and wing’.  Most folks were motoring or motor sailing but we decided we weren’t in a huge hurry and sailed until the last few miles when the wind died to a whisper.  When you sail with the wind the apparent wind (wind that you feel) goes down to almost zero which allowed us to get nice and hot.  It’s been a bit colder than we expected here so we enjoyed the heat and promised the kids we would go swimming when we were anchored.

 

The anchorage was well protected but full of boats.  Fortunately we found a good spot near the entrance to the lagoon.  Everyone jumped in to the crystal clear water.  Suddenly we had a 3 foot shark darting all around by our feet.  He wasn’t big but still…!  After closer inspection I realized this wasn’t a shark but a really big Remora (has a suction cup on his head and usually catches a ride on another fish).  This one was really big.  Anyway he must have thought our boat hull was a big shark or something.  Anna and I tried to catch him all evening and we were so close but we couldn’t quite hook him.  Apparently it is not uncommon for Remora’s to catch rides on boats.  You learn something new every day.

After dinner Kim and I reviewed our progress for the day and made plans for the next day’s travel.  We were basically at the end of the Exuma chain and we had a lot of options as to how and where to proceed.  As I wrote earlier the southerly wind usually means a cold front is approaching and it looked like we had two and a half more days until it would hit.

We considered four options:

1.       Sail East to the south end of Eleuthera (rejected because there are people there)

2.       Sail North across the banks to Current Island and then on to Royal Island,  Royal Island has a natural hurricane hole and an abandoned marina and is said to be a fantastic place to hide from bad weather.  (This option was rejected because we realized Current Island has a canal you have to run through that can have an opposing current of up to 11 knots.  We can only run about 6.5 knots with our engine at full throttle.)

3.       Sail North across the banks on the Fleeming Channel which opens into the Northeast Providence Channel (ocean) between Nassau and Eleuthera.  Then sail a bit further to the northeast to Royal Island, same as above. 

(This option was compelling but ultimately rejected and would serve as a backup if necessary).

4.       Sail North across the banks on the Fleeming Channel and then continue on North through the night, across the Northeast Providence Channel (Ocean) up the East side of Great Abaco Island and run through a cut into the Sea of Abaco near Marsh Harbor at daylight or thereabouts. (Accepted!)

You all know that I would be all over option 4.  I wish I had a way of describing the look on Kim’s face when I presented the idea…Dad do you remember that “sick dog look” that we used to get as kids?  Anyway there was no getting around crossing that damn ocean and she knew she had weeks to relax once we did it so she accepted the idea.

That evening we laid out the path on the charting program and projected our speed and realized that we should not be in too big of a hurry in the morning or we would get to the Abacos before light.  In any case, this would be a serious passage and there would be lots to do to prep so early to bed we went.

 

At first light Kim, Anna and I got up and began prepping the boat.  We had not put the dinghy up on the forward deck since Grandpa helped us in Fort Lauderdale.  We were all a bit apprehensive of this task but it went surprisingly well.  We actually tried to go slowly just so that we wouldn’t leave too early but we have gotten so efficient at prepping the boat that we were soon finished and just said “the hell with it” let’s go.

Kim needed some time at the wheel so I raised the anchor and finished tying things down on the deck while she got the engine running and piloted us out of the anchorage.  She steered us out to the charted track and we hoisted the sails and we went running to the North like nobody’s business.  The southerlies were increasing and we had gusts to 20 knots.  We ran on various reaches and just one bit close hauled through the last stretches of the Exhuma Chain.  We skated along the shallow bank and then briefly out into the North edge of the Exuma Sound and then into the entrance to the Fleeming channel.  Kim steered the entire time and it was a “spirited sail” to say the least.  We hit new speed records (7 knots) and it was really quite fun.  The entrance to the Fleeming Channel was marked by a little island with an old abandoned light house building which looked like it could have been off the coast of Ireland or something…I loved it. 

 

Once on the channel we set Otto to take over steering.  We actually timed our run onto the Fleeming Channel to coincide with high tide because it had a lot of coral heads to watch for.  After an hour or so these coral heads and mini reefs showed up.  We were in about 20 feet of water and dropping.  At one point we went over one of the heads to see how deep they were and the bottom came up 7 feet.  After that we took the steering away from Otto and posted Anna at the bow to point out the heads and we steered around them.  For the majority of the trip we could see no land and the colors of the water and sky were postcard amazing.

 

This Fleeming Channel passage went on for hours and hours.  Once we got through the bulk of the coral heads and just had a sand bottom Kim went down below and made us our favorite boat snack…POPCORN!

 

 After that Kim and Finn excused themselves.  It was time for Finn’s nap and Kim decided to take a sea sick med and take a nap as well.  Anna and I had a nice sail towards the north entrance to the Fleeming Channel where it empties into the Northeast Providence Channel.  This cut has reefs on both sides and just as we were approaching the tight spot….FISH ON!  We were too close to the edge to heave-to so we just continued.  Fortunately it was a barracuda and not a very big one at that so he played himself out quickly as we never even tried to slow down.  It was a bit awkward trying to get him gaffed and unhooked all by myself at 5 plus knots of boat speed.  I ended up reeling him in as far as I could and then putting the rod in the rod holder.  At this point the fish is just skipping along the surface.  I then hooked my harness to the boat and got out onto the swim platform with the gaff and leaned out and eventually gaffed him under the bottom jaw and released him.  Anna wasn’t too crazy about the whole process but we did it.  At this point we reset the fishing gear and entered the ocean and watched the bottom deepen until our depth sounder could no longer get a return…all the while thinking we would surely get a fish…Nothing.

Kim showed up on deck…our fishing action had kept her awake…Oops.  We steered onto a course that would take us to the Abaco’s.  The wind was out of the south east which gave us a nice broad reach and we zoomed along with a following sea which was minimal because we were in the lee of Eleuthera.  At one point we saw birds working and sailed through a school of feeding fish…but no bites.  We passed Royal Island to starboard and decided it looked like a nice place to go sometime.  Kim noticed a passing ship so it was time to start watching AIS.  AIS is a system that gets data from ships through our VHF radio and gives us information on their heading and speed and closest point of approach…all very handy.  For fun we checked our email and passage weather and I instant messaged my dad our coordinates but we were soon out of range.

As day turned to night we discussed the sailing details.  The wind was forecast to clock from the Southeast to the South and then to the Southwest at 10-15 knots or less.  I decided that I really didn’t want to try to run the whisker pole at night.  Dead down-wind without the whisker pole is really uncomfortable and carries with it the risk of an uncontrolled jibe so we would just continue on with a broad reach.  The wind would force us off our course and we just sort of tacked down wind.  We had plenty of time so this seemed like a good plan to me.  I discussed shortening sail (reefing) and decided against it with the forecasted wind strength (maybe not a great decision).

Just after dark we had an encounter with a cruise ship heading from Nassau to Eleuthera.  This one was on a heading that made us very uncomfortable so I called them on the radio.  They were very courteous and stated that they saw us and would pass safely to our stern.  After this Kim and I discussed the watch schedule for the night and decided we wouldn’t try to do something formal.  She hadn’t really gotten her nap and the medicine to prevent sea sickness had her pretty doped so she went to bed with the kids around 8:20.

Much of the trip seems like a dream from this point on.  I think I was awake for most of it but maybe not?  I had a few more encounters with ships until we were off the coast of Great Abaco and then it was just dark.  The wind never really decreased much but it did back to the south and southwest which forced me to continually alter course to keep the sails safely filled.  A decent sliver of moon was out for a while and then it clouded up and got a little foggy.  Not thick fog but fog nonetheless.  One thing started to nag me and that was our battery status.  I had not started the day anywhere near full charge and the sailing was so good we never needed to motor.  At this point I had the Auto Pilot, Radar, VHF Radio, nav lights and refrigerator running.  This particular point of sail reduces our apparent wind which minimizes the wind the wind generator sees so I was getting minimum power back.  I tried to steer by hand for an hour thinking it would help me stay awake and lessen our power usage.  That exercise only served to make me a lot more tired and realize that I suck at steering compared to Otto.  So during a period when it seemed like the wind had slackened a bit I started the engine and put two hours of amps back into the batteries.  After this I was done…I woke Kim up and we discussed the situation.  We had sailed a fair bit off the lay line to the East and we needed to jibe and sail back to the northwest.  It was pretty breezy, Kim was a zombie and I didn’t feel comfortable with the thought of jibing so we brought her all the way around to the south into the wind and came about and then bore off down-wind on a Northwest heading.  Once we had Otto steering I went down and had the best short nap of my life on the port settee.  I think Kim gave me a couple hours and then I could feel that the wind had freshened and was continuing to back so that the genoa was being blanketed by the main causing it to snap.  We sailed together for a bit and began to approach Little Harbor in the Abacos.  Very exciting but it was still like 2 or 3 in the morning so we brought her in as close to shore as we dared and then did our “come about” instead of jibing procedure.  The wind had really freshened at this point and I really should have reefed…you just don’t feel it when you are going downwind.  When we brought her into the wind to come about she really healed and we created enough of a ruckus for Anna to wake up.  Soon enough we got Midwatch back on a settled track and zooming to the northeast again.  Kim went back to sleep and I waited as long as I could to get her back up.  Just before dawn I was seeing some funky stuff on the radar…rain.  We started getting hit with a few squalls and the winds started gusting to as high as 23 knots.  Around dawn it was time to tack over again and head for our mark.  I woke Kim and we made the course correction.  We decided to run all the way to North Man-O-War Cut and go into Marsh Harbor.  We projected we would arrive at the cut around 8 or 8:30 A.M. just about slack tide and hoped that the cut was enough on the north side to avoid the southeast swell that we were currently in.  The wind and waves were pretty decent but daylight helped make it feel a bit less threatening, we were flying along at 6.5 knots.  I made a cup of coffee and Kim stayed up in the cockpit to keep me company.

 

Sure enough we arrived at the cut at about 8:00 AM.  We listened to the local Marsh Harbor cruisers net radio show and they reported calm conditions at our cut so with that reassurance we skated through into the Sea of Abaco and then motored towards Marsh Harbor in calm cloudy conditions.  Anna and I found a couple of little flying fish on the deck while prepping to anchor. 

It was especially pleasing to come to this spot after this big passage because it is such a familiar place to us.  Kim and I have had the good fortune of visiting this area a couple of times in the past with my parents and their good friends, Woody and Joyce.  It is a wonderful area and we are thrilled to be here again to share it with our kids.  In fact, the last time we were here Kim was pregnant with Anna, nine years ago.

When we pulled into Marsh Harbor we spied our good friend Stein on the Anna Rose anchored nearby.  We met Stein way back at True World Marine in N.C. where this all started for us.  We also ran into a number of other cruisers that we met on our journey…all very pleasing.  Needless to say we anchored, had a big breakfast and Kim and I slept like dogs.  FYI, the next night that expected front finally came through.  There was a gust clocked at the Marsh Harbor Marina at 78 knots (that’s well into hurricane strength)…I don’t know how official that was but for a brief period during this front many boats, and maybe even ours, were dragging.  Fortunately it was over quickly and there were no collisions but it was pretty wild.  Most of us started our engines and stayed up too many hours in case we got another burst.  Damn this boating thing can be tiring.  It’s a good kind of tired though!

 

Passage Data:

Day 1:  Big Majors, Exumas To Allan’s Cay, Exumas

Total Distance: 45.03 nautical miles

Average Speed: 3.91 kts

Trip Time:  11 hours 30 minutes

 

Day 2:  Allan’s Cay, Exumas to Marsh Harbor, Abacos

Total Distance: 140.71 nautical miles

Average Speed: 5.47 kts

Trip Time:  1 Day 1 hour 43 minutes

 Below is a screenshot of our charted tracks (see the purple line). Note the big downwind tacks we took on our approach to the Abacos.