Nassau New Guests

Schadler Pirates of the Caribbean

Hello everyone. Here is your first of several updates from our trip in the Bahamas. I boarded the Stray Cat around 3:00 yesterday. Captain Mark had just arrived an hour prior running on 5 ½ hours of sleep in two days, after sailing 12 hours a day or more to meet us here on time. I helped the captain with a few repairs on the boat…well I mostly watched but I helped a little. I met my first white Bahamian, Captain Tony, a native of the Island. As we waited for the rest of the pirates to arrive, we drank rum and cokes and I listened to Tony and Mark tell stories of life on the island and past charter trips.

David, Peggy, Jared, Ben and Zach arrived around 8:30 and we had dinner at the Poop Deck, an open air restaurant at the Marina. I had the Conch Critters, Conch soup and a Kalik beer, the official beer of the Bahamas. After dinner, we all headed back to the Stray Cat…everyone was pretty tired from traveling so we all fell asleep pretty early.

After buying groceries this morning we sailed out to Rose Island, a small uninhabited island just a couple miles off the coast of Nassau. On our way there we passed the real Gilligan's Island (also called Sandy Cay) that they showed in the opening credits of every show. Unfortunately, it's privately owned so we couldn't actually go on the island. After anchoring at Rose Island, we did a little snorkeling and swam to the island to do a little exploring. After a couple hours of snorkeling and swimming, we then sailed to Athol Island. On our way there we passed where they filmed the movie The Blue Lagoon. We will be anchoring here tonight and then heading back to Nassau tomorrow to pick up Wendy and Michael who are friends of Peggy's from Santa Barbara.

Having a great time so far. We are grilling up some ribs and vegetables for dinner tonight and then relaxing on the boat with some rum and wine. Speaking of that, the ice in my drink is melting so I'm signing off. Til next time….

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Chub to Nassau

I was sailing past Chub Cay last evening and would have made Nassau at about 23:00 . Scanning out twenty four miles on radar changed my mind, there was a solid wall of perception about twenty miles wide. I made it to the anchorage just in time for strong wind and a very heavy down pour.
The good things about that storm were a fresh water wash, I had a good night sleep and the down pour flattened the waves.
This morning I'm motoring into a south east wind at 14, the sea is starting to build from three feet towards four with a few scattered clouds in bright sun I'll make Nassau at about 13:00 with one hour to spare before my guests arrive.
Mark

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Bahama Banks

I completed the Gulf Stream crossing at about nine last night then continued easting on the banks till about eleven.
During my pre sail checks this morning I found that the rope lacing that attaches the starboard trampoline had completely failed. I also found that the out haul car that attaches the foot of the mainsail had also failed I made temporary repairs and got underway at 06:30.
The wind is still east but at the moment it has dropped to 15 knts. The waves in this shallow water are short interval and so called square. Since the water is only about 10 to fifteen feet deep the wind driven waves encounter the sea bed which cases a friction or drag and piles up the waves in a very aggravating pattern that is ruff on boat and crew.
About fifty miles to the east locates the North west channel light marking safe passage where vessels transition from the shallow water of the banks to very deep water (2000 to 4000 foot). of course this body of water called the tounge of the ocean will have a different set of uncomfortable challenges.
The passage east from the banks to Nassau is about fifty miles.
mark

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Miami to Nassau

I haven't made an entry for quite some time so here is the back fill. I did one more week of charter with a very nice family in the Bahamas since the last entry then I sailed back to Coconut Grove. I left Stray Cat there and flew to Phoenix to visit my Son and Granddaughter Ocean. I sent some pictures to Mike to post to the site; Ocean is real cute at three years of age she calls me Pa Pa Mark. I really enjoyed seeing everyone, getting caught up and even driving past my last house.
Back at the Grove I did about seven day charters and what else- boat Maintenance over the next three weeks.
I'm sailing for Nassau right now; I should have started this trip Monday but the wind and sea state made that impossible. Mother Nature sent one more of her best cold fronts down here; I thought that season was over.
I started this morning, currently in very ruff conditions which are not predicted to improve till Saturday. The wind is from 090 at 20 with guests to 35 between have rain squalls. The sea is confused with wave heights at about 4 foot with occasional 6 and building. The sea surfaces temp is 81 and the air is 84. I'll need to sail at least twelve hours today and tomorrow to make Nassau in time to meet my guests. Peggy if your reading this, I have only been late once in all the years so keep the faith.
Call me crazy but it's beautiful out here, the ocean is vivid blue with translucent green wave tops. The course is south so as to avoid pounding into it, as a result I have both sails up making an average eight knots listening to good tunes from my new ipod played through the boats audio system. I better get back to the helm.
Mark

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