Spontaneous Departure

March 18, 2014.

A belated Happy Saint Patricks Day to everyone.

So we were sitting in Pipe Creek hiding from a pair of small fronts. After the first front came through the place emptied out and we had it to ourselves.

Pipe Creek.  Where you get to anchor right on the runway

That's Over Yonder Cut in the backround

Since we'd have to come back and hide again in 2 days we decided to stay. It was nice and it gave us a chance to visit with Tokkie & Gail. We even took the dink all the way down to Staniel Cay for lunch.

The breeze leading up to the second front was pretty strong from the south. Then it was supposed to veer to the southwest and go lighter. The course from Over Yonder Cay Cut to the Powell Point waypoint is about 10º. At 1730 on Monday afternoon I decided why sit and wait here for 2 more days when we can use this SW breeze and head north.

So at 1800 hours we pulled the hook and set off, or at least we tried to. The anchor chain was securely wrapped around a rock. So with the boat all ready to roll I had to don my snorkeling gear and jump in to free the chain. Christy paid out some chain and I freed it from the rock. Now we could get going.

Over Yonder Cut is narrow and the current rips through it. So you always want the tide, wind and direction of travel to all be the same. Since it was go now or stay for another few days we had no choice but to fight our way out against the tide. As we headed to the cut we were turning RPM's for 6.7 knots. The bow was pushed violently from side to side as we eeked our way out through the rip at 3.1 knots SOG. Whew!

We had to motor the 30 miles across Exuma Sound as there were 4 foot rollers coming under our beam with barely enough wind to keep the sails from flogging. The evening passed quickly and as soon as we reached the protection of Powell Point the rollers stopped so the engine was shut down. We sailed slowly across the banks reaching Governors Harbor at 0530.

Pipe Creek really is beautiful especially if you can get it to yourself.

We dropped the hook in the dark figuring on moving in closer to shore for better protection when the sun came up. Christy took a short nap while I squared the boat away and connected to the internet. When she got up we cranked up the engine and pulled the hook to move in tighter. Except the hook wouldn't come up. Crap. Again?

Its easy to tell which way the winds blowing with these wind generators dotting the shoreline

There's a 2 inch power line that runs across the bottom of the anchorage from one side to the other. It sits right on the bottom and people hook it all the time. We've never caught it before and I can't believe that it happened the very next morning after getting the hook caught on the bottom in Pipe Creek. So once again it was into the snorkeling crap and over the side.

I freed ourselves and once back onboard we moved in closer for better protection. We'll sit here for a few days, grab some vegetables and top up the fuel tank for the trip back to the states. I might even go check out the bakery....