The Bahamas - Part One

As we had no luck extending our visa waiver in the US we were forced to leave on tuesday the 6th April, even thought the forecast was not the best. We got up at first light and left the anchorage of West Palm Beach , heading for the Island of Grand Bahama.It was 60 odd miles and with sailing across the gulf stream we were not sure how slow we would be going so we had 14 hours to make it before the sun went down. This was our first actual sail on Gyspy Moth out at sea. The wind forecast was on the nose so we thought it was going to be a bumpy ride.
Ahead of us by a few miles were four other boats and after getting out there is was choppy but nothing major or worth worrying about.We hoisted the main sail ( for the first time )...so much smaller than Quartermoons rig..i think Gypsy moth under full sail is more or less Quartermoon second reef!!! and sailed as close to the wind as we could with the engine on to keep us at a good speed to get us to to anchorage before the dark.
After 5 minutes we saw the three catamarans in front turn around and head back for west palm beach...shortly after we were called on the radio by this couple we briefly met the day before asking if we were carrying on with the trip. Sym informed them we were carrying on and told them it was flat as a pancake and he said that in America they prefer their pancakes a bit flatter!! HAHA!! as it was too much for them and they were turning around too!! I was absolutley god smacked!! Dont get me wrong i hate bad weather and will do anything to avoid it, im a right pansy, but this was nothing!! the seas were four foot at most( it was choppy dont get me wrong ) but all the bloody boats turned back - crazy Americans!! No offence!!
Anyhow we were loving being back out on the water, both of us grinning when the head sail back winded and got caught on the spreader..we looked up to see a tear about a foot long ... a second later i looked up and the whole lenth of the sail was shreaded to pieces!!! What a sickening sight, we were horrified!! Especially as we had left the states so we would have to first look for a new one then get it shipped to the bahamas... this puppy was beyond repair - god knows how long this would take...and we had just spent 500 dollars on getting a lovely navy blue sacrifical strip to go on her to match the rest of the canvas work...arrrggg!!!

Sym taking down our ruined sail!!!!



Anyhow we finally made it to the anchorage of West End and dropped the hook a couple of hours before nightfall. To top it off what a crappy anchorage.. it was really rolly and exposed and we only had a couple of foot under our keel. the floor was rocky with few sand patches so whenever we swung around when the current changed we were pooping it th anchor were not going to re bite. Check out these pics!!( at some point the following day we were inches above rocks)







Although the anchorage was awful, it was amazing to be in clear water again...we had been so long in the inland water ways, it felt soo good to dive in and swim around the boat...it was the first time since we bought her we actually saw what she looked like underneath, lol



Me and Hallie enjoying our swim...there were loads of Rays around





Oh and before i forget those who are looking for a cruising guide to the Bahamas...dont get the one we have as its completly shit! Its called " A yachtsman guide to the Bahamas".We bought it off Amazon and so did not get much info on it before buying, but it is written by a power boater and therefore 99.9 % of the anchorages listed are for really shallow drafts less than 4 foot! After spending hours reading through and searching the book there were only a handful of anchorges mentioned for boats of a draft of 6 foot or more. The only two places that we actully anchored on Grand Bahama were not even mentioned in the sodding book.