CAT TO BIMINI

3//13/12 THROUGH 3/17/12

QUEST HEADS HOME

  

     After a serious look at the ever increasing demand for Dan’s time and input into the evolving new business, we decided that perhaps it was time to head Quest in the direction of home.  Checking the weather and charting our course, we made plans to leave Cat Island on Wednesday.

      We left Cat Island bright and early, before 7:00, and headed across the open waters to Highborne.  The 71 NM made for a long day but the relative calm waters and sunny skies made for a nice day.  Dan had called the Highborne Marina the day before for a reservation for dockage but had only been able to leave a message.  Thinking they would call if it were not available, we made tracks for their safe haven as the expected blow approached.  Unfortunately today’s call to the marina found them totally booked and almost insulted that we thought they might give us a call.  Imagine that!?  Our first anchorage choice was taken but Dan quickly adjusted his plan and we dropped anchor just beyond the marina’s entrance channel.   With the hook barely set we were scrambling to get doors and windows closed before the rain began pelting down.

LEAVING CAT 

THE STORM APPROACHES IN HIGHBORNE

     Our anchor held fast all night but the surge was AWFUL!  We could hardly wait for daylight to arrive to reassess our plans.  Checking all weather predictions we found that there was a small-craft warning in our path to Nassau but figured it couldn't be much worse than our situation the previous night.  I gathered up life jackets and prepared the “ditch-bag” (this is a water-tight bag that should contain things like passports, boat documentation, cash and other important things that might be needed if you had to abandon ship).  Dan made sure there was an available slip at Nassau Harbor Club and then we took off.  What a good choice that turned out to be.  While a bit rough, it was so much better than expected and the journey was made with little difficulty.  I never even resorted to setting on the floor.

     Talk about returning back to civilization!!  There were 3 cruise ships in, jet skis zipping around, booze cruise boats entertaining cruise ship guests, snorkelers, divers, kayakers, folks soaring up in the air beneath colorful para-sails and just a general atmosphere of activity all around.  Dan radioed the Harbor Master for permission to enter the channel then found Peter and crew waiting at the dock to assist us.  He did a masterful job maneuvering big Quest into the intricate spot assigned to us.

THE HUB-BUB OF NASSAU

     Dan spent most of the day in the execution of business while I attempted to do some catch up with the blog then we were delighted to find Pete from  MY REWARD knocking at the door.  The boating world just keeps getting smaller and smaller.  By 4:00 Algonquin had pulled into the marina to join us. 

    Let me tell you about the new Fresh Market.  The previous market was conveniently located right across the street but closed down over a year ago.  The newly refurbished store is a dream for provisioning with a large produce section, a butcher and fish counter, an in-house bakery and even a deli counter.   Boaters Dream!

     Saturday morning found us strolling westward  towards the cruise ships, shops and Straw Market before hopping on a bus that brought us right back to the marina.  We took on a bit of fuel to get us to Bimini and back to the US then set our sights on the anchorage at Chub Cay.

THE SIGHTS ALONG BAY STREET IN NASSAU

     Our path through the harbor was delayed due to the arrival of the Carnival Freedom which made a total of five cruise ships in port for the day.  Holy cow!  Think that could be messy?  When allowed to proceed we followed a stunning tall-masted sailing vessel out and watched as she hauled up her massive white sails and begin her journey.  We were lucky enough to have their company all afternoon as they sailed about 2 miles off our starboard all day.  What a sight!  The seas were splendidly calm, the blue skies peppered with white clouds and the temperature oh-so pleasant.  

LEAVING NASSAU HARBOR

     Arriving at Chub Cay’s anchorage we were charmed by the large but tasteful beach cottages lining the beach.  We have heard many stories about the development, both pro and con.  We will definitely check it out next trip over.    The entrance channel for the marina passes directly behind the anchorage and we saw lots of traffic as darkness approached bringing the fishermen back in and crossing yachts seeking a night’s dockage.  Around midnight we were awakened by the spotlights of a yacht coming into the anchorage.  Although his bright light’s light up the quiet anchorage, he did creep in almost silently and drop his hook.

CHUB CAY

CHUB SUNSET--JUST TOO HARD TO CHOOSE ONE SHOT

     The alarm clock got us up at “0:dark-thirty”and by 6:40 we were off the hook and creeping out to start our long day’s journey to Bimini.  We were not, however, the first to pull out.  Spirit, the sailboat next to us, hauled up its anchor and snuck out in total darkness  around 4:30.  This is a very popular route and by 8:30 we had faster boats overtaking us west and were beginning to see vessels heading east that had spent the night anchored out on the shallow bank.  By 11:45 we had overtaken the slower moving Spirit and reached our half-way point to Bimini.

THE POWERFUL SUN EMERGES THROUGH THE CLOUDS

      

     I do love traveling across the shallow bank that leads to Bimini.  You just can’t describe the sensory overload of being surrounded by miles and miles of liquid turquoise.   Large orange starfish are easily spotted resting on the sandy bottom in the shallow 12 to 17’ waters.  An hour out of Bimini we found a hitchhiker sunning on the bow of our towed tender.   Oh yes, Dan was in seventh heaven being able to get the NASCAR race on both the radio and the TV.  He would listen to the commentators from the pilot house then run back to the TV for crashes and race restarts.

THE TURQUOISE WATERS OF THE BANK

DAN THOUGHT THIS WAS SO CUTE UNTIL HE SAW THE MESS LEFT ON THE TENDER

    Pulling into the narrow cut that leads to Alice Town and the splattering of marinas along North Bimini’s eastern shoreline we were almost in a traffic jam.  Three of us larger boats were lined up, slowly entering the channel and maneuvering around the working dredge and we sought to reach our destination.  Whoops!  The new ferryboat that runs from Alice Town to Miami was loaded up and ready to take her charges back to Florida.  We gave the Maverick a wide berth, allowing her to keep to her schedule, and then approached our dock at Brown’s Marina.  Usually we stay at Blue Water Marina located just a little further on but were impressed with the improvements we saw going on at Brown’s last December so decided to give it a try.  Gosh, the dock master, was most helpful and accommodating and soon we were all tied up and ready for our week here in Bimini.

  

A PRETTY JUMBLED MESS FOR SUCH A QUIET PLACE LIKE ALICE TOWN

     So now, picture this.  The evening’s hustle and  bustle is in full swing with fishing boats coming back with their day’s catch, cruisers arriving for a night’s stay, the ferryboat hustling off and the dredge working to clean the shifting sands from the much used channel.   Now, in comes a float plane gliding right down in the midst of all this traffic. He quickly takes care of his business and prepares to take off.  As I am watching this I notice he seems to have an un-ticketed passenger calmly strolling on one of the pontoons.  I pointed this out to Gosh and he started waving and yelling at the pilot.  By now other boaters were trying to get his attention.  STOP!  Arms waving!  Finally he got the picture and floated back closer to shore before opening his door, extending his leg and giving the dog a nudge into the shallower water to swim back to shore.  Bet he checks twice for unwanted passengers next time.

THE EXPECTED  PASSENGERS

AND THE UNEXPECTED PASSENGER 

AND ALL IS WELL IN BIMINI