Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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
