Black Point to Warderick Wells

Friday, February 25
Passage to Warderick WElls
Distance Traaveled:  24.67 nm
Miles to Home:  86.61 nm
Total Distance Traveled:  2273.34 nm


This morning we tried to get weather, but a stand in for Chris Parker had technical difficulties - so didn't get the weather too much.  But we did get BASRA weather which states a small craft caution on Sunday with winds to be E 15-20 knots for 4-6' seas, so we have decided to keep to our original plan to go to Warderick Wlles today and to Rock Sound tomorrow while the winds are to be less than 10 kts and seas 1-3feet.  But first we needed to get water and talk to Ken from S/V Sail Away to work out the plan for the 4hp engine he is borrowing.

But befoer I continue that - I need to tell you a story.  Phil put 12.5 gals of water in the water tank and let the cap off and the funnel in the opening.  I started getting the line for the dinghy and you guessed it - the lid got tangled up in the line and fell into the water.  Phil was upset (Guess Ken could hear him on his boat) and making noise, but did not yell and scream obscenities even though I'm sure he wanted to.  Phil put on his wet suit and went diving.  I got out the lookie bucket and sitting in the dinghy thought that I saw it.  Phil at first thought it was a pop can, dived anyway, and brought it up.  BIG relief!  This time I screwed it in part way and have learned a lesson to not do what we did this time.

We went over to Ken's boat as he was getting in his dinghy (to come help us) and it's been decided that Ken's going to leave his boat in Florida, get a friend to bring his truck down from Canada and will drop off the 4hp engine with us in Ohio on his way back.  Phil doesn't mind him borrowing it for a long time, so this is a great solution for everyone.  We also want to get together sometime in July - maybe meeting in Put-in-Bay, which is about half way between our homes.  We filled all the jerry jugs with water, I went to Lorraine's Cafe and her mom's home and bought a loaf of her coconut bread and white bread.  Everyone has been raving about her coconut bread and as this will be our last time in Black Point for this trip, I wanted to get some.  We are out of bread on the boat and with traveling so much today and tomorrow, won't have time to make it. 

Ken stopped by after we were back from town and help Phil get the 8hp engine off the dinghy and onto it's stand on the stern after we took down the Farouck.  By 10am we started the engine and the anchor was raised by 1004.  Good byes were called over the water, and we found out from Gary that Becky from   Maribelle did fly home today.  Best wishes to her for a complete recovery from her injury.  When we started the wind was coming from 150 degrees at 17kts so that made about 2ft+ seas on the beam.  Made it rolly and things going all over the place until Phil changed course to get a better angle.  As the morning progressed the winds became lighter and lighter so that by 118pm we were going dead downwind, the wind was less than 7 kts and the seas had calmed down to less than 1ft waves.  I went down for a 30 min nap at 1230pm and by 1pm Phil had contacted Exuma Park at Warderick Wells and we were assigned mooring ball #8.  It's so beautiful down here and we was the 2nd week of January that we were here last.  By 210pm we had picked up the mooring ball on the first time.  S/V Cher`e had just arrived and had their dinghy in the water and Charlie was kind enough to give us a ride into the park office with them - saving us from having to put our 8hp engine on the dinghy.  I also bought some internet time as I don't know when I'll have internet on Eleuthra.  Unfortunately, I don't have cell phone signal here to text people I'll be on facebook to chat.

While we were at the office, we saw S/V Tamure a 40' valient sailboat that made the passage outside with us from Beaufort to St. Marys Ga.  They just got back on the boat 10 days ago and are leaving tomorrow morning for Rock Sound also - so looks like we'll be making this passage with them also.  We called Scott and Kitty on the radio and were invited over for happy hour at 530pm and they arranged to have other friends they know come pick us up.  We decided since we missed lunch that i would fix some of the lobster we had bought yesterday - so made a 4 cheese pasta sauce mix and cooked carrots and 1/2 a lobster tail in it.  After supper, I took a shower with warm water in the Sun Shower.

Pete came over at 540pm and took us over and met his wife Phyllis.  She is also a knitter and quilter so you can imagine that we got along great and much to talk about.  It was great to see Scott and Kitty again and we had a great time.  They are planning on leaving about 7am tomorrow morning and it looks like it will be a motor ride.

I will send the SPOT GPS signal when we get there and we plan to be there a few days.  I heard from S/V Iolite and they made it to the Bahamas - in the Berry Island - so we plan to meet up with them early March for me to pick up the package they have for me.

I saw on Facebook that another winter storm is coming in the area, so hope everyone is staying warm and dry and safe when driving.

I haven't been able to upload photos because the band width has been so low - can't risk it.  As it was yesterday, I had only one line so feel fortunate that I was able to get on and stay on for as long as I did.