log of Natie M

Log of the Natie M. 3/6/09  Hog Cay  N22o14.636' W75o45.130' Well here I am at the bottom of the Bahamas, behind Hog Cay which is just north of Ragged Island.    I have been here since arriving on the 4th.  The weather has been a little problematic in the 20 knot winds that have persisted with this high pressure trough to the south.  I left Long Island on Tuesday the third saying goodbye to another solo cruiser and good friend as we went our separate ways to different destinations.  I have to admit that I still look across my solitary anchorage half expecting to see Lutra lying at anchor. After almost two weeks anchored in Salt Pond I and sometimes in the company of Patti of Lutra, had explored about all there was to see in the area.  Had a great bike ride, again the roads there were pretty good shape and I was able to ride my road bike with ease and at speed, the only hazard being an occasional herd of goats.   Everything was closed , what there was, but found a ruin of an old Spanish church, which some sources say goes back to the 17th century, though no local I asked was sure, just that it was always there.   Again, as in other places in the Bahamas, made new friends and ran into friends I had made before.  A short walk across the island you come to the open ocean, with the dramatic limestone cliffs and crashing surf.   Across the bay there is a small tiki bar where I met some ex pats who having retired or just tired of life in the states have established roots here.  It was interesting to get their take on life in the islands.  I was having a great time but I was getting the urge to move on.  Hanging out with Mike at Long Island Breezes was great, he is a wonderful host and very helpful and very helpful and friendly to cruisers, many of which return there every year.   Spent some time watching football (soccer)at the resort  as the European championships are underway.  Learned some more about the finer points of the world's most popular sport.  My last night was capped with a dance hosted by the resort featuring a popular local band led by the infamous 'Smacky'.  Danced as long as the knees could hold out and around 1am headed back to the Natie M.  A great ending to my visit to Salt Pond.  The following morning I had decided to follow Lutra back up to Joe's Pond both for the good company   but the shelter of that beautiful anchorage.  A significant cold front was to pass through on Sunday night and I was not sure of the shelter at Salt Pond.  With a little fuzzy head I awoke at dawn, checked the weather and  weighed anchor.   I discovered to my frustration that when, after some difficulty, when I brought up the danforth anchor I had been using, that the shank was bent over at a 45 degree angle.  Apparently in the winds and current, I had hooked something immovable and when I motored up to the anchor put too much strain on it.  Great!   Another piece of marine grade abstract art to add to the collection.  I hoped that the remote setting of Joe's sound anchorage might present itself the opportunity to repair the anchor.  Its my No. 2 anchor and I would hate to have to replace it.   It has been especially effective in areas of grass or hard bottom.  Finding a metal shop or welding shop, much less a vise that I could use to straighten the anchor is extremely unlikely in the remote Joe's Sound.   Putting that new problem aside got underway and a 15kt NE wind and was soon making 5 plus knots. In my continuing efforts to achieve some sort of self sufficiency in the food department, I let out my trolling rod with my new lure, affectionately dubbed "Squidward".  As I was in a close reach with some gusty winds, I was pretty busy with keeping the Natie M. on course, much less landing lunch.  Sure enough, after three hits on the lure, something large grabbed a hold and I was able to set the hook.  As the line screamed out I increased the drag while wrestling with the tiller to bring the boat more into the wind and slow down.  Fishing from a sailboat underway adds a whole new level of challenge.  I had a lot of line out so it took awhile reeling it in, but soon spotted something jumping out of the water and lurches in the line.  I had a fish and not a piece of debris!  After a struggle a large snapper came alongside and I quickly netted my first 'big' fish.   I guess it was around 8 or so pounds so I think I am justified in calling it a big fish.  Now what do I do.  I got on the radio and announced proudly to Lutra that I had finally moved myself up a couple of notches on the food chain.  I was a killer, a hunter!  But wait, the fish was not dead yet.  A guy on the radio interrupted us and advised spritzing a little rum into the gills to stun the fish which was now flopping around the cockpit looking for the exit.  I had only the dregs of one bottle from the previous week.  The teaspoon or so that I was able to squeeze out of the bottle sedated the snapper somewhat but it was now staring at me, in a somewhat drunken haze, still gasping for breath.  As being stared at was a little less disturbing as the prospect of losing a fresh seafood dinner , I grasped the neck of the rum bottle and clubbed the poor creature in the braincase.  That seemed to settle him down a bit.  After a half hour of disassembly, I had two large filets, about a 3 pounds total.  Dinner prospects had definitely improved.    I washed the blood and scales down the scuppers in the cockpit just in time to drop sail and prepare for the tight approach to the anchorage at Joe's Sound.  It was just as exciting as before, with the current this time going out as I motored almost full throttle through the cut.  Again I avoided touching bottom which looked all for certain on the sand bars, and came into harbor to anchor with 4 other boats, including Lutra.  This shallow anchorage is very sheltered; nevertheless, I set two anchors so that I kept away from my neighbors with the tide change.   As the sun was setting Lutra and crew joined me for an incredible dinner of Yellow tail Snapper and mixed greens ala southern Maryland.  I look forward to the next deployment of Squidward. 3/1-2/09 Saturday hanged with Patti.  She has become a good friend and I've enjoyed the company of such an independent free spirit.   We walked the sand flats at low tide and played with her dogs.  We also walked a couple miles down to a local resort for wifi and beers.  We met some new and old friends/cruisers there and just generally enjoyed ourselves in this idyllic setting.  I did manage on the first day there, with Patti's help, to bend the shank back to almost its original shape.  That in itself is a subject worthy of an extensive treatise on Stone Age metal working.  But leave it to say that the opportune location of a large crack in a concrete wall and a piece of lumber we found near an abandoned house was sufficient to make the repair.  I now have my anchor back in service.  Who said "give me a big enough lever and I'll move the world"? The front came through, with not the adverse weather predicted and it was time to move on.  Lutra was to head north and around long island and on to the Turks and Caicos.  I was to turn south to the Jumentos and on to Cuba along with the Canadian boats that I had met in Long Island.    3/3/09 The following morning I said goodbye, not with a light heart to Patti and her crew, Sula and Mirai.  Patti observed my run, again against current and tide and this time with breaking incoming swells , out of the cut and south to the Comers Channel and the Jumentos.  My last sight of her was waving from the beach.  Fair winds Lutra.  My sprits were somewhat lifted when a mother and juvenile dolphin appeared briefly at my bow as I sailed south, I took it as a good omen.  Whole lot of solo sailing ahead. I set course for the narrow Comer channel that leads through the shallow banks from Long Island to just south of Great Exumas.  I was now firmly heading southwards once again after several weeks straddling the Tropic of Cancer.   The wind started out light but freshened with mid day and I was making a solid 5.5 kts when I turned south below Little Exumas.  The water was clear to the bottom which gradually dropped away to 25 feet from the 7 feet of the Comer Channel.   My goal was making it to Water Cay and hopefully a protected anchorage.  The seas were manageable but with the north wind, now around 20 at mid afternoon, I was concerned about finding a reasonable anchorage at sunset.  Examining the charts I noticed an island just north of Water Cay called Barren Rock.  As its name implies, this narrow slab of rock with minimal vegetation, runs NE to SW and forms somewhat of a barrier to the big swells that were starting to form out of the North.  At sunset I was able to round the south point and anchor well off the rocky shore with 125 feet of rode out (remember Thunderball Rock).  A rather large anchorage, I was only joined by a Bahamian fishing vessel also seeking refuge from the waves.       N23o03.425' W75o40.514' 3/4/09 Wednesday 0630  Up and away with the wind at my back.  A fast jibe in 20 knot winds but once out into the ocean the waves calmed down to 3-4 feet.  Rather nice sail most of the day, and I made great time with 6.5 knots most of the way.  Had to stay at the helm most of the run as the following seas were overworking the auto helm.  I listened to the music on my mp3 player that Patti had downloaded for me.  A lot of new bands that I did not know.  Love the 'Waifs', awesome band!  Also played with the shortwave receiver.  Getting a good signal for the weather has been a problem as of late.  My primary source had been Chris Parkers' Caribbean Weather Net.  Fortunately for him and unfortunately for me he is on vacation for the next week.    I was able to get a decent weather report before leaving Joe's that should be good for another day or so.  Lately, some sort of interference was preventing me getting a good signal, not to mention the distance that I was steadily accumulating.  I also have to get in the practice in catching the other broadcasts, government and otherwise. I had selected three possible anchorages for that night, but with the great sailing and fast conditions, by 1500 I was closing in on the inlet between Hog Cay and Ragged Island.  I have to admit a bit of trepidation as the on shore seas were cresting at 5-8 feet.  I was running downwind directly at the shore surfing waves that were easily 8 feet..  Fortunately I waited before turning into shore.  To the north of the inlet mouth was a coral reef and a large rock and to the south, a large shallow shoal.  The entrance channel itself is shaped like a lazy 'S'.  I turned the motor on but just as a backup, the Natie M., I felt was much more maneuverable, albeit somewhat ballistic, in these conditions.  Needless to say, as I am writing this now, it went well.  I came into the harbor which was shallow to the south near Ragged Island and 8 feet in the channel.   Dropping sail I motored north and around the back of Hog Cay and discovered about 10 boats anchored.  I was somewhat surprised as hearing previously that few boats made the trip down here.  Raising one of the boats on the VHF was given information on the anchorage and also invited to a birthday party on the beach.  As there were two anchorages side by side, I chose the one unoccupied.  In big wind I like to lay out a lot of rode and the Natie M. does like to 'dance in the wind' a bit.  After setting things in order I cleaned up and got in the dinghy for the short ride around Lobster Hole point to met and greet the other cruisers.  The anchorage was quite the typical cruiser scene.  A couple of large Catamarans and a nice Bristol 45 and Pearson lie at anchor.  A large aluminum power cat was also there, quite a sight, looking somewhat like a naval vessel.  Never did get the story.  Anyway arriving at the beach I could see against a dramatic rock cliff wall a small encampment decorated with the usual jetsam one finds in these waters, including the prerequisite fishnet floats and great drift net draperies hanging from the trees with the backdrop of beautifully eroded sandstone cliffs and overhang.  The 'furniture' was made of various barrels and boards set up around a fire pit.  Clearly these cruisers were serious colonizers!  As I learned later many of them were on their 4 or 5 season here and had established friendships with the people on Ragged Island, who occasionally ran supplies or just joined the festivities.  One of the cruisers on the s/v Kokomo ran the Cruisehiemer shortwave cruiser net from this location. The party soon got into full swing with food and beverages aplenty, barely pausing in the festivities for a passing squall.  As I said many of these cruisers come here every year and spend a considerable amount of time in this remote place.  Duncan town is the only settlement nearby, on Ragged Island but one must come pretty much self sufficient when cruising these parts as the settlement has little to offer insofar as provisions.  By night fall we were singing to the accompaniment of a guitar and banjo with a couple five gallon buckets for percussion.  It was a great time, but I faded shortly after 8pm, weary after a long day at the helm, and headed back to the Natie M. 3/5/09 Wind still blowing like crazy.  I have never sailed in an area before where too much wind was a problem, but that has been a big part of my Bahamas experience.   I would like to move on but with the 20plus knot winds and high seas am pretty much stuck here.  Spent the day puttering around the boat and reading and writing in the log.  I'm also attempting to brush up on my Spanish.  Other than that didn't even get into shore.  I've been listening to the Cuban am stations as that is about all you can get down here.  Great music, but having difficulty following the conversation, which there is a lot of.  Do know that the Cuban National team is playing in the Baseball World Classic and there are a lot of programs about women (year of the women/ women's issues festival??)    One thing that is different from the states is that current events and history are a major part of all programming.  You'll be listening to Cuba rap music or salsa and then it will switch to a discussion about the current economic crisis, of course in the context of a socialists point of view.  Anyway, if this wind ever lets up I will be down there soon. 3/6/09 After breakfast and switching out the anchor rode for a new one, I left for the Southside anchorage on Ragged Island.  I wanted to see the famous Eagles nest restaurant which unfortunately is now closed for the past several  years.  I had read in the Washington Post travel section about this place probably 5 or 6 years ago.  Unfortunately it had seen better times.  The place was a little run down and the place closed down except for the owner's family living their.  A huge pig and chickens along with a pack of small dogs scampered about (except for the pig of course).  The anchorage was extremely rough, with a Haitian boat run aground on shore along with some other abandoned vessels. The building itself was intact, including the fuselage of the DC-3 which was incorporated into the roof of the building.    I took the dinghy in briefly to check out the building and true enough, and took several pictures of the interesting use of recycled aircraft.  Pretty neat structure, but I can see why its closed, its near nothing except a little used airstrip.  I hope someday its can reopen. 3/7/09 My decision to move to the anchorage on the lee of Ragged Island was ill considered.  It was a rolley night, with the swell wrapping around the south point of the island with its eastern facing cut and long fetch..  Spent most of the night previous rocking in my berth and reading.  It calmed somewhat in the early hours so I slept in.  I planned to use this anchorage as a staging point for the jump off to Cuba.   Unfortunately the weather window was not appearing as soon as I had hoped.  All weather reports were indicating favorable conditions not until Monday at the earliest.  It been just plain snotty since I arrived in the Jumentos.  I decided to take the dinghy around the north point of the island and go in the narrow dredged channel that serves as the only access to the Duncantown settlement.   I heard on the radio of the arrival of the weekly mail boat, the lifeline for the settlement.   As I dinghied north I could see it anchored about 1 mile offshore, the closest it can get to the settlement.  Small power boats shuttled the supplies and passengers the two miles into the government dock.  It took close to two hours but arriving at the same time as the boats off loading the mail boat, I could see that many of the towns folk had turned out to pick up their orders.   Duncantown straddles a ridge that runs along a peninsula that separates the banks with the ocean.   To say this place is remote is an understatement.   The view from the center of town , is quite stunning, the salt ponds and ocean to the east and the mangroves and banks to the west provides quite the panorama.  It being barely a mile long I soon had walked most of the town.  Stopped in a small club for a cold beer and talked to the owner.  Raphael, who kept calling me white boy, was very informative about life here.  Barely with 80 or so residents the houses are modest with chickens and goats roaming apparently at will.  Almost every yard had a hammock made from drift net remnants.  Very few cars or trucks, but mostly golf carts is how people got around.  Of  the settlements and towns that I had been to in the Bahamas this was the most secluded.  The lowland that lies just behind a small ridge that borders the ocean is where the large salt works are located.  These shallow ponds are periodically flooded with sea water and then with the sun evaporating the water out, salt crystals soon start to form on the low stone dikes which form a sort of grid pattern.  The interesting thng is that they still work these ponds.  I grabbed a baseball sized chunk of the stuff out of a storage barrel for the salt shaker back on board.  These works have been around for more than a hundred years and like many other places, no one seemed to know how far back they go.  Stopped by the small market and then headed to the local school house where I was told that I could get a wifi signal.  I was soon up and running getting out some long delayed emails and hearing from friends family.  Several cruisers also got in touch to let me know of their location and progress.  Pattie announced her safe arrival in the Turks and Caicos after a 38 hour passage without a auto pilot.  That's a long time at the helm.   Glad she made it safely.  3/8/09 N23o31.67' W75o46.123' Spent the previous day checking out the caves that dot the shoreline.  Found one that went into the island pretty far, at least as far as I was willing to go.  As I scrambled up from my dinghy into the cave entrance was startled to see a large owl, of what specie I do not know, swoop out of the entrance.   It looked like a snowy owl, which is somewhat incongruous considering the latitude.  I have to admit it made me jump as it seemed to come out of nowhere.  Just inside the entrance, another owl appeared out of one of the numerous holes in the ceiling and flew over to and disappeared into another hole.  I peered up into the hole but it went several feet into the ceiling before becoming dark.  There was a lot of guano on the floor of the cave so I imagine these birds had taken up residence for quite awhile.  The cave also had several low passages that went further underground and as I was not equipped for a spelunking expedition and crawling around in guano was not appealing, I only made a cursory exploration.  Ended the morning with some snorkeling in the company of a school of eagle rays.  By 2 it was time to return to Natie M. to begin preparation for departure, finally! I had been in contact with some other boats who had more sophisticated weather reporting systems and they all reported that the wind was finally going to settle down along with the seas starting that day.  True to forcaste the wind did seem to be down to 15 knots or so, but I knew that the waves would still be up for a while longer.  Nevertheless, I was determined to get underway before dawn tomorrow morning. SIDE NOTE:  I would like to explain my decision to disobey the Helms Burton legislation and the US economic embargo against Cuba.  Over the years I have read many history both of the left and right of the relationship between our 'super power' and the island nation of Cuba.  From what I have read, no matter what you may think of the respective economic and foreign policies of the two nations, I have come to believe that the main reason that there is an embargo is that the nation and people of Cuba have and are determined to chose their own course, irrespective of the interests of the United States or rather the international corporations of the US.   I have come to believe that the policy of the United States has nothing whatsoever to do with human rights or democracy.  In fact if you look at the history of the US foreign policy in respect to Latin America , only rights that our government has ever been concerned with is that of the rights of American corporate interests.  It is in this light, that I have also come to believe that the embargo is inhuman and illegal from the standpoint of international law and what I believe what the United States should stand for.  The United States is the only country that conducts such a vindictive and warlike foreign policy against Cuba.  Finally and in addition, my family history has significant ties to Cuba insofar as my Grandfather was born on the island and I wanted to see this country at this critical juncture in its history.  I realize that Cuba is not a workers paradise and is on the cusp of a major change, possibly for the good, possibly otherwise.  It is with this understanding that I chose to take this opportunity to come here before this change.  I want to see it before it is internationalized, with McDonalds, Hilton hotels, and all the material crap that we Americans have come to believe constitute human rights.  In publishing this log, especially the sections that you are now reading, I put myself at risk of serious legal sanctions, involving heavy fines and possibly the loss of my only possession, that of the Natie M.  I believe it would be hypocritical for me not to include in my blog my observations and experiences here, having made the decision to come.