bahamas – Simple Guy Goes For A Journey

Week 4

One week has turn to three weeks as I stay in green turtle cay. I have been on a morning ball for two weeks and then the actually dock for another week. The island is amazing. The people of friendly and welcoming and the mooring ball community is amazing as well. When I arrived here I instantly was told to come out to 4pm happy hour at the marina and meet everyone. I grab some beers from the local liquor. Pretty cheap I might add 3 for 10 dollar deal and relaxed in the beach sand hangout area.

Everyone was in their 50s and beyond. Retired, semi-retired but all had the same relaxed vibe and drink in their hand. People was impressed that I was by myself and also questioned if I was lonely. I was lonely but not now. Every day from that point I would have someone to talk to and someone to hangout with. The goals of the island I wanted to achieve was find someone willing to spearfish with me. Go surfing one day. Go to all the beaches. See the sea turles and the string rays. Catch some lobster. Catch a mutton snapper by fishing rod.

Weeks went by and I did the majority of this but only once or twice when the weather permitted. Since I have been here there has probably been 5 days total of good weather out of the 23 days. The winds would just be so strong blowing at 25 knots and no sun with a barely chilling temperature of 68 degrees with humidity. Just enough to not be able to do anything on the water. The days that were nice I would take advantage of and be fully in the water. One day I did get to spearfish with 2 gentlemen that were on sailboats as well.

We went on the outside reef with our dingys. Anchored them and then drifted over this beautiful corral head that was a bout 15 feet tall with huge caves teaming with life and a 30 foot shelf drop off on the outside sand bar. One of the crew caught a lobster and I speared a lesser amberjack. I bleed the amberjack and gave it to the guy to go back to the boat. Suprisedly a minute later I saw a shark swimming fast in the shallows chasing him down. Luckily he did not get hurt. There was other days when the wind was down and I would take my dingy around the whole island. I would stand on it looking into the shallows and see turtles, sharks, barracuda and bonefish. I would go visit no name island to check out the pigs and then see every beach.

Another day the surf was up in the one same bar section. Rainy it was that day but the water still clean at 2-3 feet breaking right. I remember I caught a wave and it was so clear and smooth that I could not tell my board was on the water. It looked like it was levating above the same and the pitch of the wave made it very confusing on how to angle my board and I almost feel several times in awe of view. I did fish a couple times and spear fish on the inside with no luck. I would see big snapper but they would not come for my bait, only grunts would and then the same thing for spear fishing. They would keep just enough distance where I wouldn’t be able to shoot them.

In and out of these good days where the windy, rainy and chilling days that took the majority of my time here. I was glad I was on a mooring ball or else it would have been an awful time. These days ended up consisting of drinking. There would constantly be people coming into the marina and wanting to check out the bars. My local favorite was pineapples. These people would be 50s and below and would always ask people at happy hour if they wanted to go. The 20 people would deny and I would look around feeling bad and say I’ll join. Always those nights I would think would just be a couple beers and chill and some how some way we would meet some locals and go bar hopping.

Cheap rum and cheap beer would put me a coma the next day and I unfortunately would do nothing but lay down and sleep on and off till 4 o clock when I felt better. I didn’t feel too bad about this as far as wasting the day because I always planned on if I go out and it better be an awful weather day the next day. This is the lifestyle though on the island about this time of the year. There is not much to do so come sunset people drink and party and repeat. I have gotten into this rhythm and as I come to move on from this island I will get out of this rhythm.

It has been fun though. The reason why I have stayed is because of the weather but also because of the people and the community. I have made friends with the locals and also the boaters. Boating life for a solo sailor is a little different. You meet these couples mostly that are awesome and you become friends as quickly as they leave. You meet awesome people for two days and then never see them again. The process repeats time and time again and you just get used to accepting people going and that’s it.

Today is my last day at the marina. I am writing here this morning and by 10am I’ll be at the beach getting a tan and reading my book. It is an actual nice day again after 5 days of brutal rain and wind. The boat batteries can finally charge and I can start charging up my computer. I will leave tomorrow morning before 9am to go to Nunjack Cay. It is this beautiful island that is uninhabited and a national park. There I will enjoy the beaches and the wildlife and stay for a day or two and then off to Marsh Harbor where my buddy will be.

On the way to Marsh Harbor I will have to either go through Whale Cut Cay a passage of waves and terrible stories if you go the wrong day or take a risk at high tide through the shallows. Where people have gone but everyone is scared to get stuck on bottom because its 2.5- 3feet on low tide. I have yet to decide but I am excited that my good friend Joe is coming February 1st through the 5th for my birthday. I will be turning 32 and we will go to Hope Town where I can finally say I lived out my child who dream to come here by sailboat.

The journal will be a short one because island life is simple. You start to slow down and don’t realize the day of the week or time. You only look at where the sun is and where the winds are going. There is nothing planned for tomorrow so you only live day by day. Days go by fast and then all of a sudden, you’ve been in the same place that you though only week turns to 3 weeks. I am excited though and nervous to out there on anchor again and start to become a better sailor.

Week 3:

I stayed in West End till the 30th of December 2024. The weather was still blowing 20 plus knots from the east and I needed to the winds to shift to the south. Finally that day came and I was off during mid to high tide to try to do a 9 hour day to Great Sale Cay and then wake up early the next morning and make it to my second town called Fox Town for New Years Eve.

Coming out of West End there is a passage you can take the saves an hour of time. The thing about this passage is that on low tide it is 4.5 feet for 5 miles straight. So that being said I was a little nervous about leaving mid tide dropping down but I had to to get help off the docs at 9am when West End Marina opened and that’s the best I could do to beat the tides. Getting to the passage you have to go out to the Atlantic ocean again. The waves were rolling on my port side 3 feet tall and I did not prepare for that and everything started crashing down below for not being secure and my propane tank off my magma grill was clanking so hard like a snare drum. For thirty minutes it was like this and I was eyeing for the small 80 foot length passage to go into. Finally I saw it.

It a deep cut that walled up the water washing out and on each side there was 2 feet of water and waves. I gulped looking at it but pressed forward with confidence. I was it through and then it was a mission for the next hour to look at my garmin and make sure I stay within 50 feet of the center line of the passage so I would not run aground. I did this for an hour cruising about 5 knots. I needed atleast 5.5 knots to make that 10 hour window so once I got into deeper water I slowed down the engine to put up the sails. This was the first time I was out in open water to do it by myself but the water I was in was like a lake and then wind was only 10 knots so it was no problem.

Once the sails were up I was cruising about 6 knots with the motor on. I was so happy because this mean I would for sure get there on time. For hours I just sat and stared at the teal vastness with the island that I came from disappearing. I got comfortable enough to cook some velveta, constantly checking navionics to make sure my autopilot was working. About 5 hours into the trip the wind died and my sails were fluffing. I had to take down the main Jib but I could leave the main sail up because it barely had wind. This part of the trip was incredible. The water was so flat for miles and that’s all you saw for miles and nothing else. No land in site, in. the middle of nowhere 15 miles in all directions.

I sat up at the nose for 2 hours staring as the sand and small rocks drifted by. I couldn’t believe I couldn’t see on fish. Finally after these 2 hours I could see Great Sale Cay and an hour later I was anchored on the north side protected by south winds. It was dead quiet, 25 miles away from everything. It was so quiet I could here the dripping off my prop shaft into the boat which kept me up and made me think I should fix that once I’m in a safe spot. While I was up, I went up top to look at the stars and they were great. Thousands of them I could see and I felt like I jump into the vastness of the universe from the perspective it gave me. I went downstairs and back to bed to await the next big journey. From Great Sale Cay to fox town for New Years Eve.

I woke up the next morning had a coffee and some eggs. Quickly started the engining praying it would start because I was nowhere and thank god it did. Pulled up the anchor and off I went. I had 6 hours of sailing going about 30 or so miles. The winds were great blowing about 10-15knots. I was so nervous turning off my engine but I was tired of burning up diesel and paying money for something I can get for free with wind. I acted and turned off the engine and had the sails up.

It was an amazing experience. The boat was perfectly keeled over cutting through the waves like butter. Felt like I was in a car on a flat surface. I was flying 6 knots and the sails were humming all way for 5 hours in the end. I had some dolphin visitors along the way that I played with for an hour and then just relaxed and soaked it all in for the last 4, very proud of myself. I arrived at fox town to a little bit bigger waves, about 1 foot but not a big deal and anchored. The winds were slightly south still and the anchorage seemed all right for the night. I went into town and asked around if there is anything to do for New Year’s but unfornately there was not.

So I ended up being by myself on the boat. Told myself I deserved tequila on the rocks from my journey and had a nice drunken dance along myself night with some tabacoo. I woke up the next day with a hangover that was bad and to 2-3 foot waves. I was so mad at myself that I went too far and then I had to deal with the worst anchorage I have had as far as rolling of the boat. Huge waves would be crashing on the bow. I told myself I had to do something that day so it was a big struggle getting into the dingy and back out of it when the fishing didn’t go well. I was pretty much seasick by 4pm and was filled with so much anxiety seeing that the weather was only going to get worse with 20 knot winds from the NW. I manned up and pulled the anchor up and went a mile to the North side and reset my anchor. Much better but still 1 foot waves.

Even so I was very proud of myself and went to bed. The next day I felt recharged and ready to get the hell out of Fox Town. Nothing to do or nothing to see. The journey would be the start of the true abacos to Spanish Cay were things would turn around and feel more rewarding and comfortable.

I pulled up my anchor and once I was out an open water I again turned off the engine and brought out the sails. The sail trip was sporty. Two foot waves on the East side and the winds at 15 knots. I had full sail out humming the rudder and water a half foot under the rails. I sailed with no autopilot to feel the sport for two hours and then decided to have a little break and give the autopilot a go. The goal today was to sail all the way to Spanish Cay and then a mile out drop sails and motor in and I just did so.

When I pulled up the Spanish Cay I tried to furl the main jib and it just wasn’t budging. Back and forth I went and then finally the line came undone with I what I thought was rust shooting out from the bearings. A fix that will need to happen once no winds either from less line or something else. I came up on the Northwest side of the island, set anchor and off to shore I went to refuel up and get some lunch.

The island was private and you were only allowed to use it if you were staying in the expensive marina or in one of the villas. The island was owned by one man that had his yacht stationed on the outside slip. I went into the restaurant that felt a little bit Jimmy Buffet themed with no one insight. Finally a lady came out and I ordered some conch fritters. The people that worked on the island had said they had a big New Years party and now everyone was on their way to Green Turtle Cay. Darn I thought to myself. I keep missing the fun stuff.

I asked one of the managers how do I fish here and the guy was very polite and the said the only way to catch fish is with conch entrails if I am going for snapper or trigger fish. He gave me a free bait bag of conch entrails and pointed out the spots all around the island where the fish congregated the most. With in minutes I got my rod and set up and instantly started to catch fish. Eventually I caught my target species, the yellow tail snapper. I was so excited. I have never caught this fish and looked at it with awe. I have always just been an inshore fishing men and this was the first offshore fish I caught in a very long time.

I cooked up the fish that night and felt like finally the trip is starting to feel what I thought it would feel like. Catching my dinner, cooking it up on a nice sunset and hearing the gentle breaks of the waves on the outside reef. I didn’t want to leave this place. I had things to do. One was fish for bonefish in the morning on the flats. The other was to find lobster on this one rock overhanging by a house that was sharky. The last was to fish the reef on the ocean to catch even bigger fish. Evidently this was basically the best fishing I will have from Spanish Cay to Green Turtle Cay.

I woke up the next day and did all three things and the only luck I had was fishing on the outer reef catching a massive grey triggerfish. Dinner for the night. As I brought it done in the sailboat I checked the weather it showed 25 knot winds from the west later in the night. I thought oh no there is no way I will be protected in this island with winds in the direction. The manager of Spanish Cay helped me out. She called Donny’s Marina in Green Turtle Cay and asked if there were any mooring balls available. There was and the guy wanted me to stay for atleast 7 days and I was skeptible but the lady told me you might stay there a whole month cause that is where to most fun is in all of the Abacos. I agreed with her and paid the week amount.

I had to leave right away to Green Turtle to beat the low tide. This cove was only assessable at high tide or else you would get stuck. I motored the whole way for about 2.5 hours and finally arrived through the tight channel. Donny had a guy come out on a dingy to help me tie to the mooring ball. It was the first time doing this so I was nervous but there was no wind inside the marina which gave me confidence. I tied up and I was save and sound. The marina was nice. Had somehow grass everywhere with a little gazebo and a sand pit underneath it giving it beach vibes. All the people there were very nice and semi to fully retired enjoying the comfort of a bay and the mooring ball. It was awesome to finally socialize with people and I felt like finally this is where I need to be.

I slept fantastic on the mooring ball that night. No worrying of drifting away. The flatness of the water made it feel like I was on land and no clanking of halyards on masts. This is going to be a hard place to leave I am glad I bought a week. Better make it two weeks and enjoy my time here.