Governors HarbourWe spent 8 days in Governors Harbour setting the anchor down four times in four different places in the harbour because of weather/wind direction changes. We did get a few blows from various directions, but nothing to worry about. Bumped into Steve and Ruth Morgan at Tippy's Restaurant abour four miles SE of Governors on the Atlantic side. They are renters in Ten Bay also south of Governors. Steve is a contractor in Maine who built Tom Labrano's (a surety agent in J'ville, FL who I knew by reputation when I was in the bond biz) summer/hunting home in Maine . I mentioned to Steve that Labrano was diffucult to work with but that my past manager, Gregg Alexander, had worked things out with him and was now doing business with him the last I heard. Tippy's was so fine that we celebrated Linda's 61st there with a luncheon: incredible Ahi; wonderful company; terrific ambiance.
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Andersons, Wool, Harry and Linda at Tippy's
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Tippy'sOn the 28th, we took off after determining the tide (because of the swift current through there) at Current Cut (25° 24.2N, 76° 47.5W). The difference in times ranged from 1 to 2 hours so we ended up getting there just before the low with a following current of about 5 knots: we screamed through the cut at well over 9.5 knots. We continued on to Royal Island (25° 30.963N, 76° 50.431) where we settled in for the night in 7' of clear water. Royal's anchorage is shaped like a "C", protected all around except for the entrance on the SSE side. In the center of the bay is a ruined mansion dating back as I understand to the twenties and the rail road tycoons. Very sad and depressing to view and one can easily see how glorious it was in its day.
Bill Anderson and I went diving on a wreck (25° 28.3N, 76° 53.3W) that was near by . We tied the dingy off on the rusted steel bow sticking out of the water and went over the side directly above three 60+ lbs. Jacks not ten feet below. Wow!! They and a school of barracuda were just lazing through the current. Unfortunately Bill's spear gun rubber broke, and we didn't get a shot before they were out of sight. Bill replaced the rubber and headed away down current about 40 yards. The next thing I knew the Jacks were back, I'd stayed near the dink, I was yelling for Bill to come back, and he was yelling to me that he needed help. Thinking it was a lost spear, I swam over to him only to learn that he was having extreme difficulty staying afloat because his mask kept flooding and he was drinking sea water every time a wavelet hit him. He'd already dropped his weight belt, so I grabbed his arm, got him on his back to float and kick, and started to pull him up current to the dingy 40 or so yards away. Well that lasted about 30 seconds when I realized I wasn't in good enough shape (and tired) to pull him up current, and he was so tired that he couldn't kick and keep himself afloat on his back without taking on more water. I had to leave him and get the dink. The whole time I raced back to the boat, got it untied, motor started and headed back I kept thinking what would I feel if I got back to find Bill was gone. Holly crap!! Luckily he was still barely afloat, and managed with my help to get back in the boat. Needless to say the Jacks were spared.
3/30/09 - we're off across the NE Providence Channel to Little Harbour , Abaco (26° 19.62N, 77° 59.98W) instead of the Berrys
. Light winds, but somewhat smooth seas made us motor for about the last three hours. We took a ball at about 1730 hrs. for $15/day from Pete's Pub and Foundry. Sat there for two days. Again another beautiful little spot.
On 4/1 we headed for Tiloo Cay (26° 28.5N, 76° 59.6W) for the night. Fortress anchor wouldn't hold in the grassy/sandy bottom. When I finally gave up and dove it, the anchor was up on one spade and the cross bar???? I dove down about 12 feet, set it in straight and had Linda back down on the boat to drive the flukes in. Finally!
Still no camera, so these pics are from our fellow cruisers.
Next morning we headed for Marsh Harbour and had the auto pilot (that's crewman Otto) go AWOL. Oh, well, at least we were in a place where we could get it fixed.
At Marsh Harbour we settled in for another front. Winds of 25+/- knots and white caps for two days covered the sandy mud, polluted anchorage. But, the Fortress held even as we swung around it as the winds changed direction. A center console, twin engine open boat was flipped over right at the dock. Easter week was coming up which means that everything shuts down Friday thru Monday, so we took a little sail over to Great Guana Cay where, two years ago, we had our dingy stolen right off the dock. Seems some SOB missed the last ferry to Marsh and appropriated our dingy to get home. He left it floating in the harbour where another cruiser, having heard our plea on the Cruisers' Net, pulled it in and called us. What luck!! Anyway we anchored again in Fisher Bay in about five feet of water: the anchor dug in first time. (Have you noticed we have a thing about anchoring?). In the process of lowering our Mercury engine (25 hp, 164 lbs.), the knot I'd tied on the 6:1 block gave way and the motor plunged into the water with me standing there like a fool holding the line. No screaming and swearing, honest! Thankfully, I had a safety line on it, so it only sank below the dingy and above the bottom. With help I managed to get it back on Kuhela and secured in its bracket on the stern. After a good douching of fresh water, changing the oil and filter and squirting WD-40 in all of the electrical connections, she started up, coughing and spitting, but settled down to her purring self within a few minutes. Wow; what luck again! The Easter Egg hunt at Nippers, another bar on the Atlantic side of the island was a hit for young and old: eggs in the sand for the kids, 60's music for the elders, and lost of scantily clad young things to ogle for the dirty old men. We then repaired to Grabbers, home of the rum drink, the Guana Grabber. Live music, drinking, dancing and boche ball. Yup, bowling in the sand. Linda and the GG are calling, so enough for now.
