Bellatrix

18 November 2014

West End, Grand Bahamas

Well we’ve made it! West End, Grand Bahamas, the beginning of our next adventure.

We had been watching for an opportunity to cross over from Fort Lauderdale, FL. The weather patterns here are very changable due to the frequent “northerlies” from your way. When a northerly comes in the wind blows from the north and creates unfavorable conditions in the north flowing Gulf Stream. We had been in a pattern of northerly breezes. As a northerly passes the wind clocks around to the east then southeast and eventually back north as the next front approaches. Sunday the wind started blowing from the east and was predicted to clock around until a new fairly strong northerly arrived on Tuesday. We watched the weather and decided that if we didn’t go Monday morning we would not have another chance until next weekend or after. Some cruisers get locked in for weeks waiting.

0230 on Monday morning we woke to a rain squall and thought our chances not good, it cleared quickly, and after checking four different forcasts, we decided to go for it. We pulled anchor at 0300 and made the 0330 17th Street bridge opening, through the Port Everglades inlet and out to sea. A bit intimadating in the dark. We were out about a hour in uncomfortable seas and Robin got sea sick for the first time in her life. She soldiered on. She was much better by 0830. The trip was rough, the seas were like a washing machine, the boat tossed left, right, up, down. We had survived the huge seas at Cape Lookout and these were not that bad. The wind was out of the Southeast at about 20 knots, it later built to 25.

Dawn broke about about 0630 and your intrepid sailors were marveled by the color of the sea, it just got better and better, from blue green in Florida to the crystal deep blue of the Gulf Stream.

Those of you who know us know Robin tragicly lost her nephew last year. In Seth’s short life he did not have the opportunity to travel very much. His buddies have been leaving bits of Seth’s ashes everywhere they travel. He has now visited Disney World, Ireland, San Francisco, and beyond. Robin had placed a note in a bottle along with some of his ashes for a finder to distribute where they are found. It was fitting she sent Seth on a journey, “Riding the wave where ever it takes him” on the Gulf Stream on what would have been his 21st birthday.

The crossing took a total of 11 1/2 hours. I frequently thought of the Gilligan’s Island song, “the tiny ship was tossed”. At no time did I feel that we were in peril, we wore infatable lifejackets the entire crossing and we were tethered to the boat. Taking pictures was out of the question as it took two hands to hold on, the salt spray would have been unhealthy for the camera. There were a few rain squalls early but most of the day was sunny and warm. The water was beautiful, clear, with lots of flying fish to watch. The water was the dark blue color of fine crystal and as the waves crested the spray glittered. We saw a few passing freighters but for the most part we were alone. It was 68 miles from Fort Lauderdale to here and no sight of land for over 8 hours, it felt only a little scary. It was comforting after 11 hours to see land again and to know the chartplotter was right. Bellatrix is a good boat, a strong boat, and she delivered us safely in the Bahamas.

The only must do is to arrange Bahamian phone service, that may take a few days. The rest is “can’t wait to do”, trolling for dolphin and tuna, bone fishing with a fly rod, snorkeling reefs, spearfishing, exploring little islands, party anchorages with other cruisers, and quiet anchorages all alone.