White and Wet Knuckles in White Sound, Green Turtle Cay

The clouds rolling in before the storm hit.

We are back in White Sound taking shelter from a cold front that is predicted to have winds of up to 50 knots. We had hoped to stay out all week at Manjack and Powell; however the weather ultimately decides our movments. We have anchoredin the harbour and First Edition has decided to go in to the Green Turtle Marina given the forecast. For awhile during the front we were wishing we had opted for the marina tie up as well. The storm hit hard and the wind gusts were ferocious. We were anchored in weeds and mud and even though we had backed Big Bruce in hard we started to drag. It was a slow easy drag that was hard to feel on the boat but I kept saying to the captain that we were moving. We grabbed our foul weather gear, started the engine, hauled up the anchor and I drove around in the wind and rain until we found some sand to anchor in. The added complication was finding space among the other anchored boats and those on mooring balls. The storm hit hard and fast and before it was dark the front was through. We have no idea how hard the wind blew but it was one of the worst storms we have been in since sailing in The Bahamas. We have slept with our anchor alarm on before but have never had it go off. Big Bruce has always kept us safe and will continue to do so in the future. Rob and I always say that our job is to keep Celebrian safe and in return she looks after us.

There are advantages to civilization....not only harbour protection but a nice dinner out, a walk on shore and internet; however we love the remote places the best.
While waiting for the storm we decided to get some of our boat jobs started....locker cleaning, shell sorting and packing and Rob managed to wrap six fish floats (affectionately known as bonkers for our cottage tree)in our stay sail. The stay sail is going home to be replaced by our sail maker Kevin. Then the big girl will have all new sails and be very proud. She may have to sail her crew to Cuba or the Eastern Caribbean next winter so she has to be ready for her next adventure. We have had a great year in The Bahamas and the weather has been terrific, but we are ready for new places to explore. We love The Bahamas and feel safe here but the idea of visiting different islands and cultures is hard to resist.
The marina and island are named after the green turtle.

The Magic of Manjack Cay, Abaco

We left White sound in Green Turtle Cay and headed north to one of our favourite cays....Manjack. The weather had settled and was perfect for a kayak out into the ocean and a snorkel on the reef. Peter and Lynn joined us in their dinghy.
How can you not love this woman???

We saw lots of fish and a green turtle who wasn't too shy. It is definitely a sign of spring when you can paddle out onto the ocean. Of course everyday is different and the same ocean can look very different when a cold front blows through with 30 to 40 knot winds.
This collage shows how quiet our spot was one morning and how clear the water is. It sometimes feels like we are floating in an aquarium. Actually the night before we were sitting on the foredeck looking at the stars and I heard the distinctive sound of a dolphin at the surface. We have seen dolphins while at anchor before; however we have never had one around the boat at night. He stayed around for several minutes and we could see his outline as he came to the surface for a breath. It was very special.
Peter and Lynn had bought a new blow up tandem kayak but had not used it this season. Manjack's mangroves are made for kayaks and we had a wonderful time paddling among the baby nurse sharks, green turtles and the odd pig. We had lunch along the ocean beach and then Rob and I did some snorkelling on the way back to the boats. Peter and Lynn were delighted with their kayak and look forward to using it more in the future. It will be perfect on Mill Creek on the Chesapeake where they are building their new home.


Frist Edition and Celebrian happily anchored together at Manjaclk Cay.

We will miss sailing with First Edition and her crew next season.