Our first catch before getting to Jamaica, Christmas in Nassau, Nassau to Jamaica,

Our first catch on the high seas

A beautiful Mahi Mahi

We feasted on this wonderful fish for two days.

Sunset on the high seas from Nassau to Jamaica

An Island on the way to Jamaica

Cat Island from a distant

Sunsets are nothing like the sunsets on the St Lawrence seaway.

Lighthouse on bird Island where I saw the only bird since we had left Nassau.

Christmas feast with other yachtees in Nassau

PORT ANTONIO, JAMAICA

January 2, 2012


We've been tacking, tacking and some more tacking.  I'm making 8 mile tacks but the wind is starting to die out but the seas remain in the 8-10' category so I decide to motor sail for awhile.  We have 118 nm to go to Port Antonio and I want to make a daylight entrance.  It's still January 1st.  Ten hrs of motoring and the wind comes back up so it's back to tacking.  On January 2, I make one long 15 mile tack to the West and this sets us up for the Port Antonio Entrance about 30 nm miles away.

At 1430 hrs we enter the beautiful harbor of Port Antonio.  This entrance is spectacular with waves crashing on the reefs, palm trees and just plain simple tropical beauty.  The entrance is wide, easy and well marked.  The "piece de resistance" is the Earl Flynn Marina.  This almost idyllic setting is stunning beautiful.  This was the stomping grounds of the swashbuckler Earl Flynn in the 40's & 50's.  He once said, "Port Antonio is more beautiful that any woman I have ever seen".  He must have been getting senile at that time for there is nothing more tantalizing that a beautiful woman.  Still the Marina is the most beautiful we have ever seen.

Port Antonio is impressive.  The locals are friendly, kind and helpful.  Once again we are back into the Caribbean culture with open market shopping and wondering around the crowded town with all its colorful inhabitants.  Surprisingly, this area is not often frequented by cruise ships.  There are few tourists outside the yachting world that uses it as a stopover for setting up a Wx window for the San Blas Islands, Cartagena or Panama.  Now we have left behind the snow birds that frequent the Bahamas and are truly immersed in a unique Jamaican culture: loving it!  The problem with the Bahamas is that it is so close to the States and has so many Americans visiting that is suffers an identity crisis.  Jamaica has their own: no copying or imitating.  Also, there is an acceptance among the Jamaicans to live peacefully and respect each other.  A lot of this is influenced by the Rastaferians and other offshoot religious groups.  It's like a great salad made up of many different vegetables and spices.
You walk down the street and someone greets you with "respect", "love for humanity", etc.: nice feeling.

While we're sucking up all this beauty, Jamaican music and sunshine, the next big challenge is getting to the San Blas Islands.  During the Winter there is a Semi Permanent Colombian Low that produces gale force winds off the Colombian coast.  The winds blow 25-35 kts with higher gusts and seas can run to 15'.  One has to be patient and wait for a Wx window.  My initial plan is to go around the Eastern end of Jamaica and make a direct shot for El Porvenir in the San Blas islands.  If the Wx forecast is unfavorable, will modify and look for alternatives: Providencia, San Andres, Boca del Toro.  
There is always somewhere to go and wait it out.  Each and every place that is not on the Passage Plan is another opportunity to see something extraordinary.  

CAT ISLAND TO PORT ANTONIO, JAMAICA

December 28, 2011 Wednesday

Every morning I wake up at 0600 hrs and listen to Chris Parker who discusses Wx related issues and windows of opportunity for sailing.  This is followed by the Waterway Net which gives a very detailed Wx report and then comes the Cruiseheimers Net for general discussions @ 0830.

This morning the Wx report indicated that there would be very light winds and seas for a Windward Passage--goodbye Father Jerome and Mt. Alvernia.  Up anchor and we're off.  There is a very weak Cold Front coming through and the winds and seas will be gentle.  At the anchorage they were out of the SSE and going around to the SW.  We set sail and off we go on a beautiful tack to Crooked Is. passage.  This tack will set us up for the Windward Passage.  Wind is a little to light at 10 kts but if it holds, it's doable.

December 29, 2011

Wind is very light out of the NE.  We are ghosting along Long Island and making an occasional tack to work our way offshore.  By evening the wind is dying.  At 2030 hrs we are becalmed so we pull in the sails and lie ahull all night long.

December 30, 2011

It's 0800 hrs and still there is no wind.  Time to start the engine and motor 30 nm to Crooked Is Passage hoping that we'll get something soon.

At 1715 we can see the Light House on Bird Rock, Crooked Island.  As we approach the wind start to pick up ato 10 kts.  There is hope.  Further into the Passage the wind increases--God is Great-- by 2200 hrs we have 15-18 kts and in the lee of Crooked Island: this is glorious sailing!  We're whipping along at 6.8 kts.  The wind continues to increase so at 2230 hrs we put a double reef in the mainsail.  Windward Passage here we come.

December 31, 2011

The wind is our friend and there is plenty of it. Double reefed mainsail,  jib and our tiny staysail and we're whipping along at 6.8  kts.  This lasts throughout the day and toward.  We're out of the lee of Crooked Island so the swell which comes with wind increases to 6-7'.  We enter the Windward Passage in the evening and the wind and seas continue to build.   By 2300 hrs it's time to reef the jib down to a scrap.  I'm hitting 7.5 kts in gusts and the Valiant isn't complaining but I still need to learn what she can take.  This boat is remarkably dry and manages the seas like any good woman does with a stronger force.

January 1,2012

We are out of the Windward Passage and have 177 nm to Port Antonio.  This mornings Wx report indicates that a very strong Cold Front will be entering our area by Tuesday.  There is a long 8-10' swell running but the seas are gentle giants for "Solstice".  It's good to be back in the Trade Wind seas we remember from our Catamaran "Giniginamar".  We are have to tack now as the wind is out of the ESE.  This goes on throughout the day.

hIGHBORNE CUT OT NEW BIGHT ON CAT ISLAND

December 27, 2011

The wind continues to be out of the NE but it is fading away.  We have a high pressure trough sitting over the Central Bahamas so the winds are light to less than 5 kts.  At 0730 hrs we became becalmed so we started motoring to Cat Island.  Arrived at New Bight @ 1648 and dropped anchor.  The plan is to visit Mt. Alvernia which was the austere retirement home of Father Jerome.  We can see it from the boat and are anxious to hike up the mountain to visit it as well as meet some of the local people.

The rich and famous have set up their Xanadus on Eleuthera Is but Cat Island to the South has far less development.  After Cat Island there is Long Island still further to the South with even less development.  Then comes the Jumentos or Ragged Islands which have no development at all:  Just scrawny little pieces of coral and sand.  We will not visit these areas since we're looking for a Wx window to get through the Windward Passage.

NASSAU TO NEW BIGHT ANCHORAGE ON CAT ISLAND

December 26, 2011

We departed the dock @ 0806 hrs this morning for Highborne Cut which is about 40 nm distant.  The navigational challenge here is to follow a predetermined course with fixed Way Points (WP).  There are scattered coral heads along this route so a lookout is required during certain points.  The Explorer Charts have an excellent reputation for reliable routes and course lines.  I have made up a Passage Plan with all the info needed to safely negotiate this passage.  The final challenge is to thread the way out of Highborne Cut into Exuma Sound.  This requires sunlight and very careful navigation.  The currents are very strong in this pass and one doesn't want to exit on an ebb against the prevailing wind if it is brisk.  These conditions reduce the visibility and make the passage through the cut more dangerous.

Phyllis and I have a great working relationship when it comes to piloting these areas.  She is at the helm and I am looking at the electronic charts and running up to the bow for visual confirmation.  I give her the helm orders which she executes, most of the time, flawlessly.  We use this system for entering and leaving any harbor.  I am sure that most other yachtsmen do the same thing.  No one person can do it all as efficiently as two working together. 

The Wx was perfect for the passage through Highborne Cut so at 1430 hrs with the Sun still high enough,  and behind my back, we made our way out of the last reef obstacle.  This was a great relief. 

We set sail and continued through out the night to Cat Is.  Our plan is to drop anchor and visit the Hermitage of Father Jerome at New Bight.  The wind are a little too light but we're sailing.

CHRISTMAS DINNER AT THE NASSAU HARBOR YACHT CLUB

December 25, 2011

The yachting community at the Nassau Harbor Yacht Club came around and invited us to participate in preparing a Christmas dinner.  Our experience has been that Americans and world travellers will find some way to celebrate this most important holiday.  And so it was....everyone prepared some dish and desert to bring to the community table.  There was turkey, fish, lamb and a myriad of different kinds of deserts.  One of the yachties contributed eggnog with a bottle of bourbon!!  Our contribution was a leg of lamb roast which turned out wonderfully.  Phyllis has many complaints about the different equipment onboard but she is satisfied with the Force 10 oven.

This will be our last day in Nassau.  Tomorrow we leave on a 460 nm voyage to Port Antonio, Jamaica.  There will be a few anchoring stops to rest.  We have topped off with fuel, water and food.  Our challenge will be to thread our way through Highborne Cut into Exuma Sound.  The trip is about 40 nm from Nassau.  The Wx window is perfect for tomorrow so here we go!