End of Bahamas Cruise

23 May - Day #81. Before heading off for the day we dingy over to look at Blue Jacket, a 37' Victory Tug like Nellie. Blue Jacket was built in October of 1984 (vs. Nellie in August of 1987) and there are some interesting differences. We weigh anchor and cruise into a placid Chesapeake. The morning calm gives way to a 15kt breeze from the SE. Again we're surfing down the little rollers. Now that the end of this journey is in sight, we're making up 'to do' lists so Nellie will be ready for her next adventure--Maine. As we get close to Church Creek we see the Cheri Lynn, our neighbors' Jones 42', coming towards us. They've come out to welcome us home. 76nm today: 2683nm total. DBH

---- End of the Bahamas Cruise ----

22 May - Day #80. Norfolk is 50nm north of us. First though we'll have to get through three bridges (and their respective bridge tenders) and a lock at Great Bridge, VA. This part of the ICW is like river cruising. Dead cypress stumps litter the shore line. The trees are so thick you can't see 50' into the forest. We transit the bridges and the lock without a problem. The commercial boat traffic really picks up as we approach Norfolk, but everyone is surprisingly well behaved. The number of Navy ships in Norfolk never ceases to impress--saw at least four aircraft carriers. Before heading up the Chesapeake we take on 93 gallons of diesel (for this leg Nellie burned 1.8 gph at 1850 rpm). The winds are from the SE as we head up the Chesapeake. We surf down the faces of the little rollers and at one point see out speed jump to 9.7kts (vs. 7kts ordinarily). The sun sets on us as we approach Gwynn's Island. At anchor in Gwynn's Island. 101nm today: 2607nm total. DBH

21 May - Day 79. It's amazing how the little things in life can bring a lot of happiness. For 2 1/2 months we've been retrieving the anchor almost daily. It's not a hard job. The windlass does the heavy lifting while the saltwater wash-down makes sure the chain is clean. The head of the anchor (where the chain attaches to the shank) usually slips easily into the hause-pipe. Invariably though the flukes need to be manhandled, with a boat hook, so they'll lie flush against the hull. A little fanagaling is usually all it takes. This morning however, it was a perfect lift--all chain aboard, head in the hause and the flukes flush. All three judges awarded 10.0's and the crowd went crazy. See, little things, they can make you happy. Today we covered some of the broadest bodies of water on the trip: Neuse River; Alligator River; Pamlico Sound; and, Albermarle Sound. In adverse winds each of these can be miserable places to be. Fortunately, today it was perfect. 111nm today: 2,556nm total. DBH

20 May - Day 78. With "Follow the yellow brick Road! Follow the Yellow brick road!" repeating endlessly in my head we push off at 0600 hours and head up the Cape Fear River. It's much better than yesterday as the winds are down to 15kts and river relatively flat. Unlike Dorothy's road ours is pink. No kidding, the official NOAA charts actual identify the ICW with a pretty pink line. Not sure if this is a subtle commentary on sailors that use this route--but there you go. An event of almost biblical proportions occurred today. In fact, Nellie's crew is still in stunned disbelief. The Surf City bridge tender kept the bridge open 10 minutes so Nellie could make it thorough. "So what?", I hear you saying. So what! As a group tenders don't suffer pleasure boaters easily. Hell, most of the time they don't answer the VHF radio and only half the time open on schedule (yes, I jest, but not much… ). Most believe that tenders live for the opportunity to slam the door shut on a hapless cruiser. This may be true. We've heard their maniacal laughter. Anyway here we are, despite heroic efforts to arrive on time, still 10 minutes away when the bridge opens. Miss this opening and we get to cool our heels for a hour. The tender hails us. We expect to hear laughter. Instead he says, "Keep her com'in Nellie D.". Soon after we heard angels singing, and Bicki could walk on water. South of Jacksonville, NC, the ICW crosses through 10 miles of Camp LeJeune's training areas. Today we got to watch the Marine Expeditionary Forces with big helicopters, fast RIBs, etc. doing their thing. It was a little ironic though seeing several pleasure boats, in what's advertised as an idylic anchorage, completely surrounded by both surface and airborne military hardware. We run until 2300 and thus get in some more night navigation practice. At anchor in Cedar Creek, NC. 105nm today: 2445nm total. DBH

19 May - Day 77. It's cold at first light, 51F! Just miss the North Carolina record low for this date, 50F, set in 1955. Passing through Myrtle Beach on the ICW is always entertaining. Lots of new, big houses line the waterway. Golf courses too. In North Myrtle Beach is a treacherous section of the ICW called the rock pile. It's narrow and there are rock protrusions well into the waterway. Knowing this no one wants to yield the center so it's a giant game of chicken with each on coming boat. The wind is blowing in the mid 20's as we pass through Southport, NC. This marks the end of our very protected passage and we enter the larger waters of the Cape Fear River. We're welcomed with 4' waves and whitecaps. A quick 180 and we're back into Southport's harbor in no time. A big sail boat fills the anchorage while two rafted sail boats fill the free dock. A quick call to the Provision Company, a local restaurant, and we have a slip for the night. Upon arrival we're told the terms of the mooring: no water; no electricity; no fee. After a quick crew conference we acquiesce to the ardent terms. At the Provision Company Dock in downtown Southport, NC. 68nm today: 2340nm total. DBH

18 May - Day 76. Off before sunrise yet again. We've decided the only way Nellie's crew will sleep in late is by going to bed earlier ;-) Gales are predicted today and we see almost 30kts in Charleston Harbor. Once across there's nothing but very protected waters for the next several hundred miles. Gone is summer as we're all wearing long pants and socks now thanks to the 50 degree weather. It sprinkles off-and-on but gone are the thunderstorms of yesterday. There are 100 hours on the engine since last refueling so we use CruisersNet.Net to check for the best prices. Wacca Wache Marina just south of Myrtle Beach is the winner at $2.09/gallon. We take on 166 gallons which means Nellie burns about 1.6 gph. At the dock in Wacca Wache, SC. 78nm today: 2272nm total. DBH

17 May - Day 75. We leave Savannah's Thunderbolt Marina at 0800 having eaten our (free) donuts and read our (free) Sunday paper. Luxuries we mariners are not used to. Naturally it's dead low tide and Fields Cut, one of the most silted-in sections of the ICW, lies a few miles ahead. On the ICW a 'slow pass' is not another term for the advances of as unambitious Romeo but rather a choreographed dance between two boats about to pass. The ICW is narrow and big fast boats put out huge wakes, so for civility's sake, and to keep VHF 16 with a PG-13 rating, it's common practice for the overtaking boat to come off plane before passing and for the slower boat to go to idle speed while being passed. While slow passes are common practice they're not mandatory. So when a 45' Clorox bottle passed within 20' and going like a bat out of hell, Nellie rolled a might. We kept our thoughts to ourselves but certainly weren't unhappy to see him go hard aground a few minutes later--schedenfreud the Germans call it (taking joy in the misery of others). We pass through Field's Cut with inches to spare. Two 50'+ boats following us didn't fare so well as both went aground and were last seen churning the waters trying to get off. Just south of Beaufort, SC a squall hits with driving rain and 46kt winds. Visibility drops to near zero. The predicted cold front which motivated us to leave the Bahamas now has us in it's grips. The weather forecasters are almost giddy with all the dire news they have to share: gales; microbursts; severe thunderstorms; tornados; and, best of all, maybe even a forming tropical depression in the southern Bahamas. For us it's constant winds, intermittent rain, and dropping temperatures (80F to 50F). We beat into most of the weather and Nellie has a smooth ride so we continue plodding along. At anchor in the very windy Wappoo Creek, SC (2 miles south of Charleston). 95nm today: 2194nm total. DBH

16 May - Day 74. Up before dawn the no-see-ums swam as we raise the anchor. Horse flies must not believe in the dictum 'the early bird gets the worm' as they don't swarm us until 0610 hours. Immediately we add four more kills to the score card. The weather thus far has really cooperated with flat seas and calm winds. I've learned to take places with scary names seriously--Ford's Terror in Alaska had us dodging icebergs and whales while being pushed by a 6kt current into the face of a 1000' fjord. Hell's Gate, just south of Savannah, might not have whales, icebergs, or fjords but is a challenge at the best of times. We approach to see a dredge and its equipment spanning the north end. Another thing I've learned is to always call dredges in the ICW. By not doing so last time I put Nellie on a sand bar, for which I got to buy John dinner, and in one fell swoop bruised both my ego and my wallet. Despite the scary name and the dredge we made it through without incident. The last time Nellie stayed on a dock was 5 April in West End, Grand Bahama Island. It was without guilt than that we pulled into Thunderbolt Marine (besides, included with the slip fee is the morning paper and six Crispy Cream donuts!). Dad and Claire join us for a drink aboard before we go for a Mexican dinner. A quick reprovision run to WalMart caps off the evening. 64nm today: 2099nm total. DBH

15 May - Day 73. We're underway before dawn with the spotlight scanning the waters before us. Off to the northeast the St. Augustine lighthouse glows. Being constantly underway means finding your diversions wherever and in whatever possible. Our latest entertainment comes in the form of green-headed flies. Apparently the flies like the miles and miles of low grass lands around us because there are plenty around. With the pilothouse windows open, and they need to be open as the temperature is in the 80s, we find ourselves swatting at them maniacally. Since any game is more fun when you keep score, we did--61 confirmed kills in 4 hours. Quickly Vicki realizes that while we're winning all the battles, we're losing the war. Specifically, carpal tunnel will set in before the last fly does. Her new strategy is to make screens for the pilothouse windows. Not as much fun maybe, but definitely more effective. Today's cruise takes us well into the evening as we drop the hook at 2241 hours. On 125' of chain in 15' of water (yup, we'll sleep well tonight) off the west side of Little Simon Island, GA. 107nm today: 2035nm total. DBH

14 May - Day 72. We're amazingly rested for having run almost straight for the last 48 hours. At 1530 hours we shutdown the engine, in Daytona Beach, to check the oil level. Since there's a West Marine nearby we dropped the dink and got some new flares (I promised the Coastie who 'visited' us two nights ago that we'd replace our expired ones as soon as possible). Night navigation is more difficult in the dark, narrow and less well marked waters south of St. Augustine and so at 2235 hours we drop the hook. 136nm today: 1928nm total. DBH

13 May - Day 71. Once we cleared the Lake Worth breakwater at 0400 this morning we hoisted the quarantine flag and then cell phoned U.S. Customs and Immigration. After a few routine questions they gave us a mile long confirmation number and told us to report to one of their offices within 24 hours. Now, after having visited them, I'm happy to report that Nellie's crew successfully dodged yet another bureaucratic 'reef and shoal' by checking-in without incident. To celebrate we had lunch ashore and bought 2 gallons of milk for $3/gal. Yahoo! The dichotomy between the east and west side of palm beach couldn't be more stark. Beautiful, immaculately landscaped homes and 100' yachts on one side of the ICW and a ramshackle, hand-to-mouth existence on the other. By 1330 hours we're back aboard and heading north. The weather is perfect. About 40nm to the north we pass a slow moving tug, the Katherine, with a load of dredging equipment. At the helm is John Mackie (owner of the LNVT John William, hull #68). After some pleasantries we tell him that he's motivated us to try a night passage on the ICW. From then until dawn the next morning our watch schedule is two-hours-on and two-hours-off. The spotlight on Nellie's pilothouse roof is invaluable as it can light up a channel marker 1/2nm away. A tremendous attribute when much of our navigation is marker to marker. Complement the spotlight with a radar and a chartplotter and night navigation is very doable by one person alone. Underway near Coco Beach, Florida. 68nm today: 1792nm total. DBH

12 May - Day 70. It was a long night in Allans-Pensacola Cay. The winds built, and we knew our anchor had a marginal set, so we did an all-night, tag-team watch to make sure Nellie stayed put. She did. At breakfast we discuss the day's cruising itinerary and listen to the weather broadcast. After several weeks of absolutely perfect weather there's now a ridge moving up from the south. It's supposed to get here in 24 hours and then remain about a week. Rather than get holed-up again (last month we spent 4 days pinned down in West End, Grand Bahama Island) we elect to make a dash for the States. Except for a squall which descends upon us while exiting the Little Bahama Bank, the 70nm crossing goes fine. At sundown we're back in the Atlantic--where the games begin. The radar shows a target ahead of us and moving our way. We see no lights. The target gets closer. We still see no lights. When the target is abeam, and about 200 yards off, their navigation lights come on and the boat starts a slow turn into our wake. We're not 5nm off Grand Bahama and the U.S. Coast Guard has come a call'n. Sure beats pirates! After some questions about last port of call, number and citizenship of people aboard, etc., they wish us a pleasant evening and are off. Two hours later (at 2330 hours) the same thing happens again. Same stealth approach, same questions, same answers but it's a different Coast Guard ship and this time they intend to board. The good news in all this is that seas are incredibly flat. We maintain our course but drop speed to 5 knots and then turn on every light aboard. Never having had all the lights on at once, I can imagine the DC panel melting down. Hmm, how would the well armed ship behind us interpret that event… Shortly a big RIB with 5 young men aboard comes careening into our starboard side. They look stern; we try to look harmless. Two of the RIB's crew hop aboard and then the RIB falls back, its spotlight letting us know nothing will go unseen. The two young Coasties are professional, efficient and friendly. Their ship is out of Fort Pierce, FL and this, they now know, is just another routine boarding, I mean safety inspection--as there are no bad guys aboard Nellie. Forty-five minutes later the stalking RIB kisses our port side and then we're alone again. The rest of the Gulf Stream crossing goes amazingly well. The wind and seas combine to give us a gentle push towards Palm Beach. At 0400 we pass through the Lake Worth inlet and are back in the land of cheap milk and free water. On a very well set hook in Palm Beach, Florida. 137nm today: 1724nm total. DBH

11 May - Day 69. Our first challenge of the day is to transit the shallow passage known as 'Don't Rock'. As mentioned in an earlier log entry, this route not only saves about an hour but also means we avoid the 'Whale' passage altogether. Since it's strictly a high tide affair we have a few hours to kill here in Treasure Cay. Florence, the local bakery owner, makes a mean cinnamon bun. We know it's the best in town because that's where all the old men congregate. We learn from one of the guys that there is no property tax in the Bahamas but there is a 10% transfer fee at the time of purchase. The real killer he said was the 45% import duty. His new GE washer and dryer, available Stateside for $1000, cost him $1850 here. After a beach tour and grocery run (milk was $8.00/gal and we're glad to have it) we weigh anchor and head to the fuel dock. Diesel is $3.08/gallon, probably a buck more than Stateside, but with a several hundred mile, potentially rough passage upcoming, full tanks are cheap insurance. We leave Treasure Cay harbor in very settled conditions. At 'Don't Rock' we make a left and feel our way through. It's somewhat anticlimactic after all the thin water we've been doing lately. But it's another successful test of our water reading abilities (i.e. telling depths by water color alone). New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay, lies directly ahead. Yes it's pretty, the houses colorful, the water lovely shades of blue, the people friendly, blah, blah, blah. More importantly, the New Plymouth Liquor Store makes the best double bacon cheese burger in the Islands. It took several of them, french fries, and an order of conch, but we were eventually satiated. Bellies full we weighed anchor and headed for the bight on Allans-Pensacola Cay. The Cays are becoming more desolate and offer fewer anchoring options as we continue north. It's obvious that the well traveled cruising grounds are now behind us. The winds pipe-up at sundown and so we take turns during the night doing anchor watch. On a not-so-well-set-hook in Allans-Pensacola Cay, Abacos. 35nm today: 1587nm total. DBH

10 May - Day 68. If this is the Abaconian summer pattern I like it: winds are 10kts from the SE; air temps hover in the 80s; and, the sea temp is now 79 (a long cry from the 36F water we had in the Chesapeake on 4 March ;-). With the marine park at Sandy Cay only an hours' cruise south we cast off our Hope Town mooring and get underway. The huge ocean swell which kept us clear of the dive site last week is down to 3'--better but still uncomfortable. We drop the hook in the very rolly day anchorage and dink 1/4 mile to the dive site. This reef is much bigger and the water deeper than at Fowl Cay. The stag horn coral is magnificent and the largest we've seen. Timing is everything. As we're getting back into the dink a large tour boat arrives with more people aboard than we'd seen in one place since our arrival in the Bahamas. About 5nm to the west is our next stop, Snake Cay. We anchor behind a small bight of land which is just barely being held in place by a decaying seawall. The land is littered with old train cars, rusted fuel tanks, and collapsed buildings--a lot of capital gone to seed. Behind the spit is a narrow entrance to a vast labyrinth of shallow waterways. The rough seas instantly calm once we're inside. If the ocean has a nursery this is it. We see baby corals, fish, stingrays, and ferns. We penetrate in about a mile and then drift back to the entrance with the rapidly ebbing tide. The peace and quiet and all the new life around us makes it a magical place. We weigh anchor knowing that we've crossed a milestone. While there's a lot of cruising and exploring to go, Nellie's nose is now pointed generally north. On the hook in Treasure Cay, Great Abaco Island. 44nm today: 1552nm total. DBH

9 May - Day 67. Today started with some small maintenance projects--new fuel filters for the Racors and Cummins. Bleeding the lines between the last Racor and the engine is a pain. Apparently we didn't do it well enough either as the engine started but then quit seconds later. Bleeding the high pressure lines on the fuel injector got it running again. With the chores complete, we weighed anchor and headed to Matt Lowe's Cay. This private island, along with the small rock outcroppings called the Sugar Loaves, provides a wonderful and protected anchorage. It is just East of Marsh Harbour. The Sugar Loaves surprised us with a small reef which was perfect for snorkeling. After lunch we motored to the quaint community of Hope Town, on Elbow Cay, where we picked up a mooring ball. The moorings are placed by local entrepeneurs and the fees collected as soon as the mooring is picked-up. Nellie's front row seat cost $20. The town was founded in 1785 by Loyalists and boasts an exceptional harbor which is protected by an off shore reef. It's hallmark is the red and white, candy striped lighthouse that has been in service since 1863 and whose beam can be seen for 20 miles. An evening tour up the winding stairs did not disappoint and provided amazing views of the Sea of Abaco. It was interesting to see the keeper light the kerosene-fueled mantle and wind the mechanism which turns the huge prism . The light puts out 325,000 candle power and yet only burns 2.5 gallons of kerosene per night. At the base of the lighthouse there are homes for both light keepers and their families. The two keepers work alternating nights. At a mooring in Hope Town, Elbow Cay, Abacos. 7nm today: 1508nm total. DBH

8 May - Day 66. In preparation for the upcoming, long, return trip north the engine's preventative maintenance jobs have begun. The oil and filter were changed yesterday. The raw water impeller will be replaced today and the fuel filters tomorrow. The jobs are done before we start the day's cruising because it's more comfortable and easier to work in a cool engine room. Impeller replacement is straight forward and takes about 15 minutes. Unless, of course, one of the bolts shears off! So here's the picture, we're placidly laying at anchor, in the middle of nowhere, and have just incapacitated the engine's cooling system (unnecessarily I may add as the impeller was in perfect shape). Oh well, better here and now than while underway in a big sea. As luck would have it Nellie has a spare raw water pump onboard and we scavenged it for the needed parts. With the engine running well we head south. What a glorious day. The winds are calm. The water is smooth and crystal clear. Big rays and fish are seen crisscrossing our bow. The bottom is littered with big red star fish. The Bahamas have designated some of their most beautiful reefs as preserves. One of them, Fowl Cay lies just ahead. We anchor Nellie in the Cay's lee and dink out into an incredibly calm Atlantic ocean. Interspersed over the white sand bottom are huge ominous mounds of black. It isn't until we're overboard that all the colors and abundant life becomes apparent. In 20' of water this ball shaped reef island is about 100' in diameter and rises all the way to the surface. Getting up close and personal isn't a problem. The big fish, like parrots and barracuda hang out down low while the little fish dart around us near the surface. Colorful hard and soft corals abound as do sea fans. We visit several dive sites and are surprised by how different they are. Continuing south on Nellie we again put into Man-O-War Cay. Many of the Cay's inhabitants can trace their roots back to the English loyalists who first came here 1778. At anchor off of Man-O-War Cay, Abacos. 9nm today: 1501nm total. DBH

7 May - Day 65. Reefs and shoals, the prudent skipper stays clear of them. In Navy parlance however 'reefs and shoals' also refers to the hazards of bureaucracy. We do our best to stay in deep water but sometimes there's no choice. That's how we found ourselves in Marsh Harbour's Immigration Office this morning. Nellie can stay here a year with no questions asked while her crew is given a maximum of 90 days. Upon entry at West End, Grand Bahama Island, our mistake was only asking for 40 days. Now with 10 days still left on our visas we're facing a bureaucrat begging for more. Gone are the welcoming smiles and "How do you do?". Clearly we're asking for a lot as stern faces, consultation with higher-ups and much more paperwork are required. In fact, it felt more like a petition for parole than a visa extension. We got another 40 days and were happy to leave the reefs and shoals of the Immigration Office. After re-provisioning, getting some spares, and picking-up John, we head north at full speed to Spoil Bank Cay (just south of Whale Cay and west of the north end of Great Guana Cay). A few years ago a 30' deep channel was dredged in this area with the hope that cruise lines would come to the Sea of Abaco. Unfortunately the seas at "The Whale" were impassable so often that the cruise lines abandoned their plans and now reportedly take their passengers to Nassau. The spoils from the dredging operation left behind a new island: Spoil Bank Cay. We can testify that it is great for shelling and very pretty. At anchor in Fischer's Bay, Great Guana Cay, Abacos. 21nm today: 1492nm total. DBH

6 May - Day 64. The long awaited May weather has finally arrived. Think sunny skies, warm air, cooling southeast winds, and very clear water. We celebrate by kayaking to Tahiti Beach (clearly named for its many palm trees and beautiful white sands) and then taking a walk. Once back to Nellie I jump overboard for a swim. We're anchored in about 8' of water over a sand and grass bottom. Conchs, sea urchins and sand dollars litter the bottom. Two silver fish with yellow tails keep me company and eagerly grab the morsels I scrub from the hull. Cruising is definitely a state of mind that has little to do with physical age. Dave and Beverly Feiges of M/V Cloverleaf, stop by and introduce themselves. They're full time live-aboards who just returned after five years cruising in the Med. They're both almost 80 years old. John is flying into Marsh Harbour tomorrow morning so after a nice day on the hook we too head to Marsh Harbour. At anchor in Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco Island, Abacos. 24nm today: 1471nm total. DBH

5 May - Day 63. We weigh anchor and go a few miles south to Fisher's Bay on Great Guana Cay. Another pretty spot with good protection from easterlies. We drop the dink, explore the bay and then motor southward into Settlement Harbour and the Cay's largest community. Large is a relative term as there are fewer than 100 homes. Several restaurants in the Abacos have developed an interesting model: the usual table with a great view but also a pool, a beach, and internet access. Go to lunch and take your towel and PC. It's like a mini-vacation. After our exploration we weigh anchor again and continue heading south. Our destination, Tahiti Beach. With a name like that who could pass it up? At anchor off Tahiti Beach, Elbow Cay, Abacos. 14nm today: 1447nm total. DBH

4 May - Day 62. It's a day for small luxuries and house keeping. We breakfasted in a little bakery after dropping our wash off at the laundry. Here on Great Abaco Island well water is readily available and this manifests itself in lower costs for many things. For example, today's laundry bill will be $4/load for drop-off service. But on Green Turtle Cay we paid $4.25/load and did the work ourselves. This is the place to take on water as it is $7 for all you want. It was decadent, we washed Nellie, her bilges, the dink, ourselves and then, finally filled the water tanks. A little damp, but much cleaner, we cast off the dock lines and headed NW. Don't Rock is an alternative to the infamous Whale Passage. It's shallow, narrow, and unmarked. That this passage is even considered an alternative is an indicator of just how bad the 'Whale' can be. The anchorage in Baker's Bay on the north end of Great Guana Cay is huge. The closest boat to us is 1/4 mile away. Needless to say swinging room is not a problem and we put out lots of scope. This area has been the source of much local contention as a development, including marina, Fazio designed golf course, and lots of home and condo sites has broken ground. The homes will start at $2M. We dingy through the new channels they've cut for the marina and home front slips. It's all very impressive. At Anchor in the Baker's Bay, Great Guana Cay, Abacos. 10nm today: 1433nm total. DBH

3 May - Day 61. We go ashore on Man-O-War Cay for a morning walk. All is quiet and we see almost every street. This is where the Albury's have been building boats for generations. Originally known for their high quality Abaco dingy's (a small, scullable, four person, gaff rigged sailboat) they now make the very popular Albury runabout. The boats are made in the middle of town in several open buildings. It's strange to see tools and materials just laying around without concern for theft; a definite advantage to small island life. Underway again we turn north along the western side of Man-O-War. The SSE winds are blowing 15 to 20 kts but Nellie's ride is smooth and dry as we head northwest to Treasure Cay. During this leg of our ill fated 1992 cruise we never made it to Treasure Cay. It's a long story but basically we broke the boom off the mast during an accidental jibe and had to divert to the repair shop in Marsh Harbour. Today's safe arrival in Treasure Cay was a small vindication of our current yachting skills. The resort here is a good deal for cruisers. For $10/day we have access to all their facilities: pool; beach club; showers; and two restaurants. The beach here is said to be one of the nicest in the Bahamas and it is beautiful. Our several mile walk almost killed us though as or feet would sink in several inches with each step—and it was uphill both ways ;-) Treasure Cay is the land of expats with nice waterfront condos and houses adorning the extensive, manmade waterways. At Anchor in the safe and snug harbour of Treasure Cay, Abacos. 20nm today: 1423nm total. DBH

2 May - Day 60. It's a lazy morning as we have to wait on high tide to clear the Little Harbour entrance bar. Our tide tables for Marsh Harbour, about 20 miles away, say high tide is at 1530 but at 1330 Vicki notices the tide starting to ebb. Unlike yesterday the seas are much calmer today. We decide to do some coastal exploration along the Sea of Abaco's southwest side. This area is completely different than the high-rent-district along the barrier islands. It's mostly uninhabited, very shallow and mangrove strewn. There's evidence of past enterprises that the sea and wind haven't totally obliterated, yet. Companies which try to make a living off the land don't exist here for long. A tree harvesting business lasted only until the trees were gone. The soil is so poor that nothing grows quickly. If the vagaries of the market don't do the business in, a hurricane surely can. We saw several industrial buildings whose roofs were peeled back as though by a giant can opener. We slowly work our way to Man-O-War Cay and pickup a mooring in the harbor. Man-O-War has to be one of the most delightful islands here and reminds me of a quaint English village. The golf cart paths are all concrete and the yards well tended. It's a devout population as no alcohol is sold on the island and only churches are open on Sunday. On a mooring in Man-O-War Cay, Abacos. 23nm today: 1403nm total. DBH

1 May - Day 59. After a quick morning walk through Elbow Cay's Hope Town, we weigh anchor for points south. A Moorings catamaran shadows us out. Last night we saw this same cat aground in the Hope Town entrance. As we head south the cat closes in on our starboard quarter. Suddenly two guys, out on the cat's bow, wave and yell to get our attention. Fearing there's something wrong with Nellie we do a quick once over but find nothing. By this time the cat's abeam. In italianized english we hear "luva yu bot. Whata ish e?". With heart rates returning to normal we recite the LNVT monologue. With the Italians continuing south we turn to the west and cross the Sea of Abaco towards Sanke Cay. An unappealing name but supposedly an interesting place to visit. We arrive to find the winds blowing hard and the anchorage unprotected. Plan B is to head towards the southern terminus of the Sea of Abaco. The southern cays get very low and narrow and the Atlantic waves penetrate through in many places. The strong east winds have made big waves. Our curise is like being in an elevator that can't make up its mind. The approach to Little Harbor is hair raising. While Nellie pitches and rolls we are funneled into a narrow entrance over a shallow bar. About 100 yards to leeward the big seas crash on sharp limestone cliff walls. Once inside Little Harbour all is calm and quiet. I fear Nellie's crew won't be able to resist the siren call of Pete's Pub which lays dead ahead. On a mooring in Little Harbour, Abacos. 19nm today: 1380nm. DBH