Bahamas - Ragged Islands, Little Ragged, Christmas

The days blend into each other. It has been hot, humid and windlass, which has caused us not to go to the beach for Sundowners due to this voracious No-Seeums.

One evening we went to Sojourn for drinks, thanks Karen and Duane for the snacks and company.

En-route we saw a small shark in the shallows, hunting for a meal.

Sunset was superb. Nice to get a photo of Meshugga with the Sun setting

Nicholas made us laugh, with the KVH Dome on his head, which Duane was looking at, as to whether to use if for their intended Starlink dish.

With Christmas approaching, I spent a morning making English Mince Pies. The first 12 were largely inhaled as they came out the oven

So I made another 2 dozen…

Christmas Day, we hosted the boats here at anchor and in total we had 9 Cruisers, including ourselves for Luncheon. Everyone brought a couple of dishes, and we had a feast of Lamb, Chicken, Stuffing, Garlic Potatoes, Green beans, Cauliflower casserole, and Corn Casserole, with all the Trimmings. And that was after appetizers. Dessert was a wonderful Carrot Cake and Cheese Cake made by Donna and Karen.

Russ and Carol of Spirit, Jerry and Donna of Blue Jacket, Karen and Duane of Sojourn, Chris of DragonFly, and us

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our Family and Friends.

Bahamas - Ragged Islands, Little Ragged Island

Two long days sailing. We left at 5am in the Dark from Black Point. With previous Tracks and Aqua Maps, we were confident of not encountering any unforeseen shoals. The day dawned long, and the wind did not fill in as anticipated, so we had to motor the entire day, arriving at Flamingo Cay at 7pm, to a barrage of 8 yachts anchored in Two Palm Bay. With no wind, and shallow water over the bank, it was not for the feint hearted to see the bottom so clear and near.

We were treated to a pod of Dolphins

Next day was a more leisurely departure at 7.30am, and we headed out through the Cut into the Exuma Sound and motor Sailed south to the end of the Raggeds Chain of Islands. As we approached Little Ragged Island from the North, one Fishing Reel screamed, and we had a good sized Mahi Mahi on the hook.

I was busy on the motor and helm, turning Meshugga into the wind to slow us down, and had not had time to reel in the other 3 rods. So Nicholas did that after catching the Mahi Mahi, and found that one Reel, had payed out about 1 km of line. It was a 15 minute slog, to reel in all that line, and on the end of it was a much exhausted, dead Baracuda.

Looking from the Exuma Sound to the South Side anchorage

Rounding south around Little Ragged and then 2 miles north in the Lee of the islands into the South Side Cut. The spot we like to Dive on in settled weather.

With a Flood tide we made it easily through the Cut into the Anchorage, and Nicholas gutted the Mahi Mahi, and I made fast work filleting it for Pickled Fish.

A short trip ashore to say hello to Sojourn, Blue Jacket and Bedouin, but the No-Seeums were so bad that the shore visit was cut short.

Duane and Karen of Sojourn came back to Meshugga for a catch up, and it was great to chat with them.

Our first dive of the Season. Clear beautiful water, but no lobster!

Pretty corals

Nicholas checking out every hole and overhang

Brain Coral

Being the Winter Solstice, after our super dive we invited all the yachts (DragonFly with Chris had arrived in the morning, so we now had 5 yachts in our anchorage), to Meshugga for drinks and snacks as with the light southerly winds the shore would be rife with No-Seeums. A great get together and catchup with everyone.

Donna and Jerry on BlueJacket, Chris and Mandy on Bedouin, Duane and Karen on Sojourn, and Chris on DragonFly.

 

Bahamas - Exumas, Black Point

An influx of Dragon Flies into our Salon. They seemed to mate against the windows and then die.

Leaving Spanish Wells, windless, and ultra clear water. A little spooky as you can see the bottom so well

A little Flying Fish on our Tramp

With a short weather window with light winds we would be motor sailing the next few days, before a strong southerly sets in, which would prevent us from heading south. 

First Day, we motor sailed across the bank, through Current Cut (and caught the tide at Slack Water).

Then into the Exuma Sound and arrived at sunset to go through the cut north of Shroud Cay - Wax Cay Cut, (catching a Flood Tide) anchoring in the shallow just out of the channel.

Beautiful sunset

Second Day, we exited Wax Cay Cut (catching the tide at Ebb), and continued motor sailing south in the Sound to again enter a cut onto the bank at the north of Great Guana, Dotham Cut.

We anchored at Black Point, abeam Lorraine’s Restuarant. As this was a short day sail, and we went ashore for a late lunch and drinks. 

The New Restuarant is still not open. The Roadside Restuarant was empty, and the Inside Restuarant in Darkness. 

Our dinghy on Lorraines Dock

So we went next door to the BLYC (Black Point Yacht Club), which was lively with a charter boat clients all having lunch.

Exumas Excapes, told us that they came from Nassau and average 42-45 knots. Making it about a 2 1/2 trip from Nassau to Black Point, with stops at Pigs Beach and elsewhere.

Charter Boat leaving with 25 passengers.

Officially in Bahamas with Kalik and Rum Punch 🇧🇸🤣

BPYC now empty with the Charter boat having left

Excellent Cracked Conch. Nicholas had a cheeseburger.

A little surprised at the Check, with food costing $31 for two meals (that’s okay), but 2 Rum Punch and 2 Kaliks costing a hefty $43 !!

Still we had a great lunch out 👍

USA - Florida No Name Harbor to Bahamas - Eleuthera, Spanish Wells

3rd Boosters done and dusted!

Arm was a little sore next day, like I’d been punched and had a lame muscle. Otherwise all good.

We are ready to GO, all prepped, except for a DHL package from South Africa that had been delayed by American Customs Inspection. 

I went ashore on Friday mid-morning and took a Freebee Shuttle to UPS Store to collect our final Amazon and other supplier packages. I was MOST surprised and happy that whilst in UPS the DHL man with my ‘Out for Delivery’ South African package walked in. Yay!!

As I arrived back at Meshugga, Nicholas had all systems ready, Hatches Dogged, Main ready for Hoisting and Windlass Remote ready for me to lift the anchor.

We had 18 knots SW wind, a 3 foot swell, which gave us a fast ride across the Gulf Stream Current, averaging 11 knots all day. Although we headed due East, the current swept us north, and we made good time to cross onto the Bahamas bank north of Bimini. Our Route was to sail north of the Berries, and to Spanish Wells, Eleuthera to Clear Into Bahamas.

Here we are anchored north of Spanish Wells in the lee of a resort with a pretty beach and a big Private Beach sign <g>.

22 hours Anchor up to Anchor down. A good fast crossing!

We went ashore to clear-in. I unfortunately left my iPhone/ Camera on Meshugga so no Pictures.

FYI, for other Cruisers, the Customs Man was not in his office (the yellow building next to the Golf Car rental spot) on the Main jetty. Although he had a phone number on a sign on his door, with no phone we went to ask help at the Golf Car shop who kindly called him.

At all other Checkin Islands we had to do Immigration first, so we walked (just up the road the lady said), which ended up being next to Fair Shopping (in the Eagle Landing Building), about 1 1/2  miles along a busy road, in hot humid conditions. Immigration would only give us 90 days 🙁

Having checked into Immigration, I told Nicholas I was hitching back, and stuck out my thumb to the first Golf Car that came past. It immediately stopped and we jumped onto the he back seat, and he kindly gave us a ride to the Marina, where we walked the last 200m.

Back at Customs, the Officer was most kind and courteous, and told us that he doubles up and does Immigration for yachts as well (so there was no need for the walk to Immigration). Customs quickly done, we had our 1 Year Cruising Permit for Meshugga!

All Legal, time for an Arrival Libation 🇧🇸 

USA - Florida, Key Biscayne, No Name Harbor

So, we’re back at Meshugga, and Nicholas is shopping up a storm for maintenance and repair items. We’ve also hired a vehicle and are doing the huge stock up for 1 year of victuals, food, snacks, booze, drinks, propane, diesel. The lists are never ending.

So cool to see dolphins in No Name Harbor, it’s sporadic but most days there is a sighting.

Nicholas helped Stephen, a single handed, retrieve and rerun a halyard. Stephen was most kind in keeping an eye on Meshugga whilst we were in Batavia, Chicago.

I like Pelicans, and we’d often see them at Crandon Marina, where we anchored to receive our new additional Solar Panels.

Returning our trusty Hire Vehicle. It did the job well for all our victualing.

Shopping complete, we headed for Matteson Hammock Marina where Diesel was more than a dollar cheaper than Crandon marina. Seeing we were filling up with almost 300 G, it sounded like a good deal to us.

Whilst Nicholas attended to the Filling Up, I took an Uber to Uhaul, in Dixie Highway to get our Propane tanks filled.

As usual I had the run-around from the staff as our tanks are Viking Composite, and not the ‘normal’ household American steel BBQ tanks. On my insistence, the Manager was called, and reluctantly agreed to get out the Handbook and call American Gas to confirmation that they can fill our tanks.

I’d told him that I’d been to this same facility 4 times previously and every time it was the same saga. But at least I got my 3 x 22Lb tanks filled. Yay! 

Exceptional sunset tonight, almost not a breath of wind