The Great Bahamas Bank

20 Jan 2015 07:01 Sunrise 

The Great Bahamas Bank is a table of shallow water, 15-18 feet deep, extending 50 NM at its widest point and it measures about 180 NM north to south. For us, it will be about 82 NM to cross from North Bimini to Chub Cay a distance greater than we could safely cross in daylight. Many cruisers sail the Bank over night, many don’t.  We find its just no fun sailing all night, exhausted at the end. If we don't have too, we just won’t do it. Not only that the winds are expected to become to light to sail, and we have been playing the sails up sails down game already more than we hoped. 

 Anchoring in the Bank is not difficult, many do it, It’s just we haven’t, so I am a little excited. We of course checked all our different weather resources and will safely be snuggled into an anchorage somewhere around Chub Cay by Thursday some time, when the weather is expected to begin picking up. 

11:00-11:30 

Sails up, Sails down. I guess its true when they tell you that you will motor more than sail. 

20 Jan 17:48 Sunset

If I look in each direction this evening the clouds are as different as can be.  All day their have been heavy clouds and little sky but now the clouds have opened and the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen is off our stern. 

21 Jan 2015 07:00 Sunrise

Our night on the Bank was uneventful, and in the morning light we both agree that we would go this route again. The wind was low and the waves calmed through the night. My only wish was that there had been a full moon instead of new, can you imagine watching a meteor shower or a comet out here. We knew there were two other boats in close proximity (5miles), but when the night fell we could see seven mast lights. 

Man the ocean can be a fickle bitch and her friend mother nature likes to play right along, but please don’t tell them I said that, I don’t want them to be mad at us.  As a side note is the wind masculine or feminine? Hmm let me know. Watching weather, talking weather, listening to weather is a full time chore. Marc and I have made weather and route planning over coffee between six and six thirty our morning ritual. Because of this we have found out that there will be some nasty weather that may hold us up in Chub Cay until Tuesday or so, so we have decided to move on to West Bay Providence Island for the night then scoot across to the Exuma Cays on Thursday. We don’t want to have to hurry to meet the kids and are ready for a rest. Chub Cay will have to wait for our trip north in April.