YACHT "WANDERING STAR": Hello Bahamas!

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Hello Bahamas!

Monday morning as a sea breeze kicked in we sailed out of Bouqeron, Puerto Rico with SY Khaya Moya and SY Unwind on a down-wind sail - Bahamas bound. In a small boat at sea the days merged into one – Sea – Sky – Sails and Sleep are all that matter; trying to make the boat as comfortable as possible while keeping a good speed in the direction we want to go is all that counts. Wandering Star performed fabulously goose winging it down wind. At first we were plagued by bees 15 miles offshore. Then we spotted pilot whales. Then tiredness set in. But we had a good weather window, the seas though uncomfortable were bearable, the wind generally kept up – only the first evening did we have a few hours where the sails flogged and the mast shook, the lumpy seas tossing our small world this way and that......my thoughts returning me to a more comfortable life on land. But Sim is the hero in all of this; while I lie listlessly in bed, he tirelessly trims the sails to make the boat more safe and comfortable. When I sit queasily at the helm he makes me something to settle my tummy. When I try and give him an extra 15 mins in bed – he gives me an extra hour. What did I do to deserve this?

Jib poled out for down wind sailing

By day four we are approaching landfall. Mayaguana – the most easterly of the low lying Bahamas islands. We need to make our way through the reef of Abrahams Bay and then eye ball our way three miles up a coral strewn passage dodging the bombies (coral heads) as we go. At 14.30hrs on Thursday afternoon after a passage of 445 nautical miles we drop anchor in the clearest water you can imagine. I can see starfish larger than footballs in the shallow water below. As I drop the anchor I can see as it neatly digs in. The colours are breath taking as sea meets sky. Cobalt blues turn turquoise turn aqua marine dotted with white fluffy clouds. Hello Bahamas, we have arrived.