Passage to the Bahamas

On January 11 we left Brunswick, Georgia for the Bahamas.  Here are some highlights of the trip:

Cleared for departure – On the 11^th we took our Covid tests and uploaded the negative results to obtain Bahamas Health Visas.  We now had five days to check in.  We fueled up and left the dock around 1:30. We had to fight the incoming tide, but once in the Atlantic we had perfect sailing conditions with moderate wind on the beam as we turned south on the setting sun.

The red or blue pill – Near Fernandina our wind switched from the west to the south requiring us to motor sail into the wind.  Our plan with the forecast was to get south of Cape Canaveral to cross the Gulf Stream, but does it make sense to motor when you should cross the stream in southerly winds?  We have learned from experience that conditions can be rough near the stream and were not sure what the sailing would be like on the east side of it.  We decided to take the risk and cross early with the favorable wind.  The waves had not caught up with the wind, so the crossing was quite bumpy with wind in the lower 20s knot range.

Sensory Deprivation Tank– On the afternoon of the 13^th we arrived on the very shallow Bahamas Banks which is sort of like a corn maze for deep draft boats like ours with shoals and sand bars.  We had specific waypoints from our recently updated Explorer Chartbook but still did not wish to transit the banks at night without visual reference.  Calm weather allowed us to anchor in 12 feet on the bank in the middle of nowhere with no land, lights, or sound.  This was an eerie experience but one we recommend everyone should try.

Fintech Blues – We made landfall at our destination of Spanish Cay, a small island with marina and a few condos.  We came here with the intention of giving some needed tourism to these islands still recovering from Hurricane Dorian.  We had a curveball at check in when immigration said the $600 cruising permit must be paid in cash and the only bank or ATM to be found was in far away in Marsh Harbour.  We were rescued by the kind marina manager who gave us an advance on our credit card and suggested to the customs officer that getting a Square reader (no land lines here) might be a good topic at their next meeting.  I am glad she suggested it verses me because I have observed that C&I officers can make life exceedingly difficult on chatty skippers that make any commentary on their processes.  

Spanish Cay– This tiny, picturesque island is like a boat because it makes its own water, power and has no land lines.  Some of the resort buildings have been destroyed but the marina is fully functional.  Surprisingly, this is its low season, and its clientele are almost all sport fisherman in the summer, so we have the place to ourselves.  I went running today to the end of the 5,000-foot runway on the north end of the island.  This size runway can take small jets so I guess professional captains take the boats over from Florida and the owners take a charter plane or fly themselves.  We have some weather passing through today but hope to go south tomorrow.