Tuesday morning struck early for us as a rain storm hit around 6am...the time when we had planned to get up and get the boat ready to set out for points East. So, what else do you do in a rainstorm but go back to bed?! By 8am, the rain had subsided to a light drizzle and I was antsy to get the day started and to get the mothership on the road (so to speak). We readied the boat and headed to land for a few last minute fill ups of water and gas, then a quick stop at the Marathon Marina on our way out of the harbour to top off our fuel and we were heading East.
We turned the corner around Marathon and were happy to see some wind in our favor. Out came the sails and we were soon enjoying a great sailing day. However, as with most sailing days, the wind wasn't quite in our favor and we found ourselves quite a ways off course. While we were enjoying the sailing, we were not making much progress Eastward.
All morning, we had been monitoring the weather and talking among the other boats in the harbour about crossing over to the Bahamas. We had originally planned on crossing today, but the wind had turned more East and that would mean a motorbash. Add to that the fact that there was a cold front bearing down behind it and we would be pressed to make it to the Bahamas Bank before it hit. All morning while we enjoyed the nice weather and wind, we tossed the idea around to see if we should go or not. Finally, at 1pm, I looked at Brad and said, "We are going." The wind was predicted to stay light through the night when we were crossing the stream, and although we would be motoring into it, there hadn't been any more favorable weather since we had arrived in Marathon a month prior. And the clincher was the following day when the wind was favorable for us to cross the banks under sail. So, at 1pm, we stopped farting around with the wind, pointed our bow to the East and turned on the motor.
We knew there was a gaggle of boats ahead of us and another gaggle of boats behind us, but as usual, we hadn't joined into the buddy boating mentality and were going it alone. We motored through the night across the stream. For the most part our mainsail just luffed in the wind and with the light wind, the water was mostly calm. It wasn't until about 2am that the wind piped up a bit and the waves became a bit larger. We were both awake and in the cockpit and having already put a reef in the mainsail, there wasn't much for us to do but hang on and press onwards.
By sunrise the waves had laid down and we passed onto the banks into shallower water without incident. By 9am, we had turned off the motor and were making great time under sail alone. At this point, we were exhausted and were debating whether we should stop and anchor or continue on. If we anchored, we were in the middle of nowhere, with no idea how close the front was to being upon us and if the wind piped up, the waves would also mount and we would be bouncing around. So, with the wind being in our favor and us making great time, we opted to continue on. Both fortunately and unfortunately, the wind held up and we made great time across the banks. But, by this time we were extremely tired and just ready for the trip to be over.
By nightfall, we were within 30 miles of Chub Cay and so we pressed on. We passed through the Northwest Channel, with the assistance of a large passing motor vessel, with no issues. This channel comes in from thousands of feet of water, through a narrow cut onto the shallow 20 foot banks. In strong wind and flowing tide it can be quite dangerous, but everything worked in our favor and we had a strong current on our stern pushing us through the calm waters.
Finally, at midnight, we dropped the sails, turned on the motor and motored the last few miles into Chub Cay as far as we dared in the pitch black and dropped anchor. We were so excited to finally be ending our 39 hour sail and as soon as we got everything put away, we both fell into bed for what I'm sure was the best sleep we have had in weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment