Curious about who we are?  Learn a little more about us....                                                          What's next?  Our itinerary.  

 

Thursday, May 7, 2009, Long Island, Bahamas

     With Lisa safely delivered to the Beef Island airport on the 28th, we came up with a game plan to get ready for a passage.  We stopped in Cruz Bay, St. John's to clear into the USVI and then cruised over to Red Hook on the eastern end of St. Thomas for a provisioning stop.  We also happened to catch the local windsurf/kayak/kiteboard shop open which is apparently something of a chore.  John Phillips is open "by appointment only" and every time John had stopped by, the place was locked up tight.  At any rate, both Sky and Zia were in need of some gear to complete our set-ups.  Joe and I needed another board, and Po needed a harness.  John also wanted to get a harness for the kids in case we had the chance to keep progressing with their instruction. 

     A few hours later, all chores were complete and we moved three miles over to Christmas Cove for a quiet evening and a passage planning meeting.  We had talked previously about stopping in Puerto Rico, but the big incentive of finding this missing kite boarding gear was no longer a factor.  The weather window looked beautiful for a quick passage up to the Turks and Caicos.  We agreed to an early morning departure, a swim stop in Culebra after lunch, and then a 450 mile passage to the southern end of the Caicos Bank.

     The trip was amazing.  We had 20 knots on the beam the whole ride, with a following sea that pushed us along quickly and comfortably.  The girls were wonderfully cooperative when it came time to get serious about school again, completing two lessons each day at sea.  With lots of time on my hands, I spent hours in the galley cooking up meals for the family: sausage pasta, chick pea salad, and homemade hummus were a few of the selections.  The fishing proved excellent as well.

     As it became apparent that we would not reach our initial destination of French Cay in daylight, we started looking for an alternate first stop.  Big Sand Cay is the southeastern most of the Turks and Caicos Islands.  The guide made it pretty clear that there was nothing onshore but, as you might guess from the name, loads of sand.  After two days and nights underway, that sounded just fine to us.  We went in for a look.

     The illusion was of actually floating on top of the sky!  The color of the sea took my breath away.  The sand onshore was so soft and fine that it felt like walking on silk.

Of course, we got out the kiting gear to give it a go and it was worth it just for the photos.

Even the kids were inspired by the natural wonder of this place.

     We spent two nights and one and a half days enjoying our secluded anchorage.  Whenever I want to imagine myself at the perfect beach, I think I will close my eyes and transport myself back to Big Sand Cay.  We are so very lucky that we have the opportunity to see these remote and hidden slices of paradise.  In moments like these, the joy of discovery makes all the inconveniences and challenges associated with our lifestyle melt away into insignificance.

     Our next stop, French Cay, was 60 miles away, across the southern end of the Caicos Bank.  The cascade of hundreds of shades of blue continued to mesmerize.  The way the clouds captured the sky-blue color of the shallow water over the Banks and reflected it back with a greenish tinge was more than my skill and camera could conquer but you can get a hint of it here.

     The other startling visual phenomenon was the change in water color, from creamy sky-blue to a deep almost violet, when we passed over the ridge between the Banks, with depths anywhere from 20 to 3 feet, into the surrounding ocean which is miles deep.  I wanted Joe to hoist me up the mast to try to get that picture but our spare halyard is messed up so that didn't happen.

     Realizing that he hadn't been up the mast since before our Atlantic crossing, Joe decided it was a good time to check everything out and took this picture of "Sky" anchored next to us in French Cay. 

     With light winds predicted for the next week, we keep moving along a little farther each day.  We usually have a navigational meeting each evening to decide our course for the next day.  Tuesday, we decided we would travel to Atwood Harbor, on the northeastern tip of Acklins Island.  En route, we passed by the Plana Cays.  Always looking to keep his three ladies happy, John suggested we pull over for a swim and walk along the beach. 

It was another spectacular location: completely deserted, powdery, pinkish sand and crystal clear, blue water.  We discovered an interesting fact about the area, thanks to our cruising guides and Encarta.  The Bahamian hutia, a rabbit-sized rodent, native to East Plana Cay, is the only endemic mammal in the Bahamas.  I'm intrigued by the fact that this little beast, which is nocturnal and feeds on bark, leaves, twigs and fruit, has confined itself to this tiny island, not even migrating as far as West Plana Cay, less than two miles away. 

     Leaving that mystery unsolved, we continued on our way, twenty miles further to Atwood Harbor.  Fellow cruisers had told us about the mangrove swamps which meander for miles behind the shoreline.  The kids enjoyed following behind the adults plus Skylar in Sky's dinghy in the super-shallow water.

     Wednesday it was another thirty mile trip to the northwest tip of Crooked Island.  Boasting the Bahama's farthest "Out Island" hotel, Joe and I actually visited Pittstown Point Landings maybe fifteen years ago via plane.  There is a twelve room hotel and a landing strip.  We came down in the Mooney airplane that Joe used to fly before we discovered sailing.  It was fun to return so many years later, this time by boat, and check out the place, which was completely deserted.  I guess high season at Pittstown Point is over.

     Bird Rock lighthouse also provided an entertaining side trip after the long motor.  Constructed in 1876 by the British, this must have been built as more than a mere aide to navigation.  It seemed set up for long term dwelling by a few dozen inhabitants with four out buildings besides the main rooms surrounding the lighthouse. 

Although largely in disrepair, there has been talk about renovations.  I guess the economy and tourism will have to recover before that talk progresses beyond mere speculation.

     This aimless wandering of ours has recently taken on shape in the form of plans for another visitor on Zia!  Francois, encouraged by dear Lisa after her quick visit, has booked a ticket to arrive in George Town on Monday!  We've been working on an itinerary over the last couple of days, and have come up with the perfect plan for our dear friend to maximize his time with us.  Unfortunately, he'll have only three nights and two days onboard, but after a year of absence we are excited to get whatever time we can.  We'll be spending the next few days meandering towards George Town, with current plans for pit stops in Long Island, Rum Cay and Conception Island.  That's a lot of forward planning but with a hard deadline for Monday morning in George Town, I'm betting we will stick with this itinerary.

Next Entry >>>>>>>>>>
   

 
                                                            ©2005 Zia Later.   All rights reserved.   Your mileage may vary.   Void where prohibited by law.