January 4-5

January 4

We set the alarm for 4:30 am.  Unfortunately, we did not check the time on the clock, and it woke us up at 2:30 am. After we got washed and started the kettle for coffee and breakfast, I opened the PC and saw the real time, so we shut everything down and tried to go back to sleep. Needless to say, we were NOT bright-eyed and bushy-tailed...more like, bushy-eyed and droopy-tailed when it went off again.

By 5:30 we were headed out the inlet and C-Soul was 10 minutes behind us, and by the time were on the ocean proper, past the Sea buoy, they were well past us.

We managed a fairly uneventful crossing to the edge of the bank.  As we approached the edge of the bank, the waves came up and a little dolphin ran ahead of us for miles, running back and forth across the bow and jumping in front of us. [See pics] reminded me of a little kid running around in a store. Where the heck is Mom??

Our speed picked up when we put the main away and went solely with the jib for a few miles. Of course the approaching squall might have had something to do with that. We were 15 miles behind C-Soul when it hit, and we had just wrapped the main with tie downs. This time Rick stripped off, and managed to get the bag over it, and drop the anchor in 20 knots and pitching seas. It was easier to dry his skin than the clothes but he was wearing a life jacket. The bank is only 25 feet deep, so wild waves off the deeper ocean are worse when they roll over the edge of the Banks. This was a quick low one because C-Soul couldn't see it on his radar and he was within 15 miles.

If it hadn't been dark, the approaching storm would have been awesome on camera. The night went from dark with a bit of moon to I-can't-see -anything black!  If he hadn't been wearing a headlamp, I wouldn't have been able to see him!  So we were a little too busy dropping 100 feet of chain in 25 feet of water to take pictures. We didn't drag!!

SO we pitched and rolled all night and got us at 7:30 to no wind and flat water. We left on our anchor light and our steaming light [not proper, I know, but when you don't see or hear anything, more light is better, because some of these idiot boaters let Auto drive and go below with no lookout.

This morning Jan 5, we were away at 8:05 and heading for Great Sale Cay. [I could never figure out if they spelled it wrong, or someone bought it at a great sale.]  After an hour of no to very light wind, and motoring at 4 knots, we decided to try the spinnaker that I mended at Jack's this summer.  It works great. We are now travelling at 5.5-6 knots in no-light wind [with the motor] but it's faster than no wind and no motor. It looks like crap, and it's too small for our boat but it works! So making a bigger one is on my work list for next summer!

We hope to be at Crab Cay or Foxtown tonight but it depends how the winds hold after our next tack. BY Friday afternoon we should be checked in at Green Turtle Cay and have our phone and internet back. Fingers crossed! If you are reading this Friday, we achieved our goal. LOL