Staniel Cayee just did a quick

We just ds a quick over night from Nassau to staniel cay. The winds are still howling! A stiff 20-27k NE winds! It was a good sail. We had just our little staysail up and we were pulled along at 3k. Which was fine for the night hours. Then in morning we put out our hyperspeed jib which is really a 150 genoa. Two jibs and now we were at 6-8 knots flying.

The trip was a nice evening sail but were so tired that we slept a long time once we anchored!

Here is a blog from my computer that i wrote yesterday.

I'll try to get the big shark picture next time ben and I are on bluetooth.
Where do all the days go?

 

Leaving the dock was thrilling.  My most nervous and the best outcome.

 

At the Marina there is a harbor master, Peter, he is Greek, has a heavy accent, big bushy gray hair that stand up on end. I’d say he’s in his 50’s? you will see him running down the dock to flag a new boater arriving to his dock by waving his arms like a flapping bird. You too will see him because he wears a long sleeve shirt that is a light-lime-greenish color everyday.  I’m sure it is for us to be able to see him from a-far.

 

The first time we were looking for the marina I was talking to him on the VHF and he yelled (lets just say we all yell, you have to speak up to hear over the noise of the wind, the static in the VHF, the distractions around you – so – when I say yelled I mean literally but not in any negative way.) He Yelled to me, “Tell the Captain to turn to port NOW!” This was no time inform him that I was the captain, I just responded, “roger”.  And actually I never felt the need to tell him.

 

We arrived in the strong winds 20k on our back with the tide following us, which is exactly the wrong time you want to enter a slip.  As I came in Ben yelled back are you in neutral? I yelled, “No! I’m in Reverse.” I was not slowing down as much as I would have liked.  Then I cranked it harder and I slowed down to a crawl – all-the-while I was thinking I hope Ben can hop off and run the spring line cuz I don’t trust dock handlers. After the last marina where the guy took our spring line to the bow. EEEKKK!!! You can’t slow a boat of this size down if the line is in the front! For you novices you take the spring line which is tied to the midship cleat of the boat and walk the dock line back to the stern, give it a good wrap around a cleat or pole on the dock and keep it taught while the boat moves slowly forward, the line holds the boat from moving forward and the boat snugs right close to the dock. All in theory of course.

 

Peter put out his hands to grab the spring line. (what are we supposed to do – say no?) Peter grabbed the line and I intently paid attention to his movements as I was watching the boat creep into the slip. Peter grabbed the line and knew exactly what to do.  It was the most pleasant arrival I have made in a long time especially in such hard circumstances. The word got around that small marina that some woman docked a boat… This one guy said that is the best docking he has seen in 3 days (I might have already blogged this but oh well… sorry) this other guy also later in the day asked if I would captain his boat. Ha ha ha.

 

So when we left, I had complete confidence in Peter since I have watched him help boats go in and out all the time we have been here.

 

I was not going to leave the dock without his help! I called him on VHF and asked for his assistance and I also remarked, “… bring your friends too,” to indicate that I need as much help as I can get backing out into winds.  Just a quick wind and current can pull this almost full keel over on its side so fast and leave me with no steerage.

 

So everyone was in their place. Peter at the stern line.  He said, “Back up with power, and this line I will keep tension on it so your stern will be facing the enterance then you just keep powering it backwards all the way out to the entrance.” I said, “I just don’t want my bow sprit to swing.” He shook his head this a face expression of, “I know,, I know, I’m not dumb, of course, I know what to do… I see your bow sprit.” Of course all of that is my interpretation of his head shake.  Sounds easy!

 

So 1, 2, 3, “Backing”…  The other line handler works at the marina too.  He had the front and Peter had the back.  I backed hard but with caution.  Ben was ready for the lines to be tossed to him.  It worked so easy – amazing! I was clear of the dock and peter yelled, “Keep backing don’t let up!” But I saw there was a dock line in the water… or so you know what could happen with a dock line in the water… it can get under the propeller!  Ben said, “I got it keep going” 

 

So I did,  I backed and backed and backed until Ben smiles and says, “I think you are clear now.”  I was in a different world concentrating so hard at so many things… traffic from other boats, wind, this and that.  You know when you are driving a car for the first time there is so much to think about and then later you can multi-task while driving.  Yeah something like that.
Much love
Pam n Ben