We are at our home port again so this will be the last post for winter 2011. We may add some photos later but no promises. We have always found it difficult for some reason. For our friends in Oregon, we will be back May 14th.
We left Great Guana the day after Easter headed west with southeast winds blowing 15 to 20 knots. So, once again we quickly did the 40 miles to Allans-Pensecola Cay. The weather was ok for snorkeling but great for sailing and with the wind expected to go north early Friday we made the decision to leave the next day for Florida. But we did meet the folks on all but one boat in the harbor, took a beach walk and retired early.
Around 3PM, Tuesday April 26th, we decided we may as well keep going past Great Sale Cay (the last decent anchoring spot heading west) and run all the way to Fernandina, over 300 miles away. We passed Mantilla Shoal at the western edge of the Bahama Bank at 11PM and bounced our way west to the gulf stream. The ride was pretty rough with following seas and swell but we were averaging over 7 knots and were not in the gulf stream yet.
Once we entered the gulf stream we put down the main and headed nort with following winds and confused seas. With only the jib and 3 knots of current our speed over ground (SOG) was 8.5 knots, which was okay given the wind direction. We sailed like this all the next day and night and then made the turn west towards St. Marys Inlet. The wind stopped for about an hour around 8AM so we motored but then it came back strong and we finished the ocean voyage by motoring on a close reach against the current in the inlet.
One other point about the sail, which Ann thinks is important. Once again, Ed fed the fish, this time three times during the three days but he came around quickly once the seas settled.
The inlet brings you into Cumberland Sound. Going west you enter the St. Marys, south you enter the Amelia, north is Cumberland. We went to Fernandina for the Isle of Eight Flags Festival or as everyone else calls it "the shrimp festival". After cleaning up the boat, refueling which we had not done since Sampson Cay, Exumas, we took a mooring ball for 3 nights to enjoy the festival which ran for the weekend.
This was our third straight time for the festival and again it did not dissapoint. Thursday night we caught a little of the opening parade before hitting our favorite restaurant, Espagne, which features Portuguese and Spanish foods. Friday, our friends from St. Marys began arriving on their boats.
Different bands this year but we enjoyed them, shrimp and artwork galor. Ann got some new jewelry to wear at our daughter Rachel's wedding in July. Actually, it was my idea but some how there are more pieces than expected, hmmm.
Tuesday, May 3rd we headed over to the boat yard and now the boat is onshore, we have rented a car, and we are closing the boat for the summer. We leave for Myrtle Beach to see Ann's folks at a condo for a week and then it's back to Oregon.
Hope you have enjoyed our travelog.
Ann and Ed
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