GRAND CAY HARBOR TO CHUB CAY HABOR (50 NM)

December 17, 2011

We departed the anchorage this morning @0815 hrs.  Since we are now on the western side of the Berry Islands, we are sheltered from the wind and seas coming from the NE-E.  The Passage Plan calls for a circuitous route around to the southern end of the Berry Islands through a passage called Northwest Pass Channel.  This is not to be confused with the major shipping channel which is the Northwest Passage.

The wind is too light on the first leg to set sail.  It is on our stern and we are motoring along at 6.2 kts.  The second and third legs give no opportunity to set sail.  On the last leg we are keeping a good eye on the course line and looking out for obstructions.  En fin, it was a day of motoring.

At 1648 hrs, we dropped anchor in Chub Cay (25 deg. 25' N x 77 deg. 55' W) in 11 ft of water.  The chart indicated that there was a surge in the harbor and this is very true --rock-a-bye-baby.  Chub Cay is at the southern end of the Berry Islands.

This morning's Wx report indicates that a Cold Front will move through the waters tomorrow.  This means there will be strong NW'ly wnds which will clock around to the NE and blow seven bells of shit.
We will move into the Chub Cay marina until the worst has blown through and then make a run to just North of Providence Island and begin the passage through the reefs into Exuma Sound.  Once we are in Exuma Sound, it is pretty straight forward to the Windward Passage. What has become obvious is that there is no way we could have left Ft Lauderdale and made a direct passage to Panama: 1348 nm.  We are in the winter season with strong trade winds and Cold Fronts.  Also, there is a Colombian semi permanent low pressure system that has emerged off the Colombian coast and is producing gale force winds in much of the SW Caribbean.  This system is persistent and can last weeks.  The realization of this means that we will thread our way down the chain of Bahamian Islands and wait on a Wx window.  We can anchor and get some rest along the way until we commit to the Windward Passage.  Additionally, there will be a stop in Port Antonio, Jamaica for provisions and rest.

The biggest difference between this trip and the crossing of the Atlantic from the Canary Islands is time of year and age.  We left the Canaries in March.  It was Spring and the Wx was improving all the time.  Conditions in the Trades was lighter.  We were 35 yrs old.  We left Ft Lauderdale in December.  It is Winter and conditions deteriorate rapidly.  We are 68 yrs old.  In the Caribbean they call these the "Christmas Winds" with good reason.  The Trades are blowing 20-25 kts and gusting higher; seas are running 10-12 ft.  The boat can handle this and so much more under double reefed main and staysail but the crew is getting a little long in tooth.  Therefore, we'll sit tight and wait on a Wx window.