Across the Exuma Sound and Eluthera

 4/22-/23 /16   To  24 51.640N,  76 09.701W    Rock Harbor, Eleuthera    51NM

The forecast wasn't perfect for crossing to Eleuthera with the wind a bit more on the nose than we like, especially since were were a bit further up the Exuma chain.  But it was supposed to be light on Saturday, indicating a motor if we waited another day to cross.  We needed to get provisions which tends to be  more difficult in the islands with shortened (if open) hours on Sunday.  We got underway after listening to Chris Parker's forecast for SE winds, heading for Wax Cay Cut to enter the sound.

We knew it would be rough getting out, with the wind against the current and the sound still lumpy from yesterday's 20-25kt winds. It's a bit unnerving to see a line of breakers, making to difficult to see the narrow channel from the outlying reefs, and realize the way out is through the breakers.  We'd finally gotten a welcome, salt rinsing shower the just before leaving, which would be undone before we reached the calmer waters beyond the cut.  It was ugly since the current was running at 3 kts off the bank into the wind.  With the engine just above idle speed, we were doing 6+ kts  through the breakers and turbulent water which probably extended 3/4 of NM into the sound.  We'd battened the hatches - a good thing since the deck took a number of good sized breakers.  We saw another sailboat just inside the cut and couldn't tell if they'd just come in, or had looked and had second thoughts.  We'd have had a problem fighting the current to get back in if we'd aborted.

It was calmer offshore, and we sailed with a reef in the main and full jib, wishing the wind were 20 degrees more off the bow.  We'd checked the size of the waves during our afternoon walk, and knew the seas were closer to 4' than the predicted 6', and would be dropping throughout the day.  We were the only boat on the horizon, and we were glad to see Cape Eleuthera appear on the horizon as we approached the island.  We'd sailed the whole way, but dropped the sails to work our way into the channel past the shoals.  Unfortunately the last 20NM, over the shoals into Rock Sound was dead to windward, so we charged the batteries and made hot water (like making lemonade when given lemons).  Good thing, since it had been cloudy all day and the solar shower wasn't very warm.  While our daily rinses wouldn't necessarily qualify as a shower, they do remove the salt and grime.

There were only a couple of boats anchored off the town - in the past there's normally been a small fleet.  We dropped the hook just after 1900, ready to call it a day.  Since we were close to town, we were serenaded with music from a nearby bar which continued past 2300.  We were tired enough that it wasn't a major problem.

Leonard spent several  hours Saturday morning trying to get our Link 10 battery monitor to work.  Like us, it's getting old and has a mind of its own, giving huge false current draw readings and then flashing the single red light to indicate the batteries are fully discharged (while showing actual voltages readings of 12.35 or better).  Usually he does his magical passing of hands/wire wiggle and it works again for a while, but not this time, so out came the multi meter and off come the panels to expose the innards and wires.  Somehow it has always started working again - a good thing since the company hasn't been in business for years making getting service or parts difficult at best, and replacing with something  new would be expensive.  Once again it eventually fixed itself, even though he hadn't really done anything but take a closer look.  

We went to shore around 1100, opting to walk the mile to the store rather than have a wet dinghy ride back to the boat from a dock closer to the store.  Although there are a number of good sized foreign owned houses along the shore, the local economy doesn't appear to be thriving, so the selection at the store, while decent, wasn't as good as Georgetown where the cruisers add significantly to the local economy (and are catered to).  The biggest difference I saw was in the meat selection.  There was a local meat market which was closed when we walked past in the afternoon (I don't recall it ever being open when we've walked by in the past)..  The local bakery didn't survive, much to my disappointment since they'd carried more than just bread.  We picked up enough provisions to tide us over until we reach Marsh Harbor.

The Blue Hole at Rock Sound

Fish swimming at the edge of the blue hole waiting to be fed

Later in the afternoon we went back ashore for a walk.  The ocean hole in town is interesting - there is an underwater opening to the sea, so there are usually a number of fish in the hole.  After checking out the hole, we walked to the ocean, about 1.5 miles east, where we found a path to the beach.  A gathering of locals were enjoying an afternoon at the beach, but other than that, we were the only people on it.  The beach was a combination of rocky ledges interspersed with sections of sand with a reef offshore.

Atlantic beach at Rock Harbor

Casserina tree hanging on by the roots at the beach

We plan to head to the Abacos fairly quickly to take advantage of what appears to be a weather window to hop N Tuesday (4/26) before the NE trades fill in again.  A sagging trough and a cold front that didn't quite extend this far S, brought us lighter, southerly winds with numerous clouds Saturday, and predicted lighter winds into the middle of the week.  We were a surprised that the S wind on Saturday held through the day (it would have made for an easier crossing, but was forecast to die by noon), not clocking into the W until late in the day.  Six more boats arrived in Rock Harbor during the day, so we expect company en route to the Abacos.

Although the wind on Sunday was from the N, it was light enough to sail, albeit slowly, up the island, with numerous tacks, before going light around noon.  Leonard was undecided if we should go to Hatchet Bay, or stop at Governor's Harbor, notorious for poor holding, for the night.  After the wind went light, we decided to stop at Governor's Harbor, the capitol of Eleuthera, motoring the last segment. 

4/24/16    25 11.363N    76 14.503W    Anchorage by Laughing Bird Cay at Governor's Harbor

then   To  25 12.588N,   76 15.572W    Levi's Cay, Governor's Harbor    30.9NM 

View of Governor's Harbor from Cupid's Cay

Governor's Harbor has been around for a while

With the wind out of the N, we dropped anchor just S of town, behind Laughing Bird Cay.  The anchor didn't really catch (I watched the 'X' I placed as a way point on the plotter where the anchor was dropped, move slowly as we attempted to set it).  The winds were light, and we were the only boat in the anchorage.  If we dragged, we had a lot of bank to cross before we'd run aground, and the anchor would act  as a drogue if we dragged, so  we ventured ashore.  We had a similar problem anchoring here on our first trip to the Bahamas, there's a light layer of sand over a hard coral substrate, and getting the anchor to set is more happenstance than skill.  Like last time, we planned to relocate for the night a bit further N, by Levi Cay, where the holding is sightly better.

St. Patricks Anglican Church on Cupid's Cay

It appeared the economy in Governor's Harbor, the capitol of Eleuthera, was slightly better than Rock Harbor - there are more foreign owned vacation homes and a resort N of town as well as government positions giving the economy a boost.  Being a Sunday afternoon, the proverbial sidewalks had been rolled up for the day, with little happening in town.  We walked out to Cupid's Cay where the dock and government offices are located and saw 6 boats anchored or on moorings in he N harbor. 

Public library at Governor's Harbor located on Cupid's Cay

By the time we got back to the boat, we'd been joined by another sailboat in the anchorage.  Having decided beforehand that we'd move up to Levi Cay for the night, we stowed the dinghy on the deck and departed.  We didn't have any better luck getting the anchor to catch there than by town, but we were the only boat in the anchorage (and a long way to drag before we went aground), so we set the anchor alarm and crossed  our fingers that the forecast for light winds was correct.  A local fishing boat joined us while we were eating dinner, but wouldn't be a problem unless the forecast was drastically wrong.

An American Kestrel perched in a palm tree

Monday we'll cross the rest of  the bank  and exit at Current Cut, stopping  at Royal Island for the night.  Early Tuesday morning, we'll head for the Abacos, hopefully making use of the E wind currently in the forecast - it's a long day, and a bit of wind from a decent angle would give us a welcome boost.  Although Current Cut is relatively short, misjudging the current can make for a very slow passage - hopefully an early morning departure will have us passing through the cut at slack tide.  We'll see, tides and currents can be difficult to predict, especially when local data is scant .

Lynnea