Today the wind abated slightly, but we still had rain and generally very overcast conditions (featured picture). That being said, today was better weather day than the last several. We are still expected to have a series of squalls pass through the area tonight, tomorrow and most of Monday. The squall activity is supposed to abate by Wednesday and the winds are to moderate. Therefore, our departure is now planned for Wednesday morning. We intend first to go to the west side of New Providence island (the opposite end from Palm Cay) and anchor for the night. The next morning (Thursday) we will leave mid-morning on what we hope will be a non-stop 200 mile run directly to Lake Worth. For the moment at least, the forecasted wind direction would put us on a beam to broad reach the whole way with a low to moderate swell and few if any squalls. The wind is supposed to be 9-12 knots from Tuesday to Saturday. If all goes well, we expect to be anchored in Lake Worth by Friday afternoon. If there are any problems, we have a couple “bail-out” places we can stop at along the way, including just anchoring on the Bahama Bank again like we did on the way over.
Today was again spent doing more preparations for our return trip. Paula did more advance meal preparation and Tommy did a lot of weather and routing analysis. Once we are ready to depart Lake Worth, we might try an offshore leg up to Ft. Pierce rather than proceed up the ICW for that part of the return trip. If the weather cooperates for doing so, that would cut out a lot of tightly spaced draw bridges between Lake Worth and Ft. Pierce.
The rain held off enough today to do some walking around. Paula has noticed that a pair of Giant Bahamian Cricket Birds (aka Gray Kingbirds) have been very vocal and are always hanging around our pier. They are now often seen perched on or flying around the outriggers of one particular yellow fishing boat. We think this pair are building a nest under the upper level steering wheel.
A large dolphin has been surfacing and blowing all over the marina today to the delight of children and adults alike. Finally, when Paula went to check on Feral Kitty early this morning (with a bit of chicken tucked in her pocket), the forlorn feline approached her meowing and looking modestly less miserable. This time she let Paula put the meat down next to her water bowl for her to eat without any hissing or flinching. It is possible that FK feels she is making strides in training this stray human.
We also saw another interesting boat name enter the marina today.
We also saw a blue sailboat called Cookie Monster enter the marina in rough conditions with a “buddy” boat following behind.
A spectacular blunder early in our chess game today was likely ultimately responsible for Paula losing the chance to extend her winning streak to three. As she fights hardest when cornered (like FK!) the game remained interesting enough to keep Tom’s attention.
Tonight’s dinner was a “one pot” meal of stir-fried pork with available vegetables (onion, cabbage, green beans, carrot and chick peas) in a soy/garlic/ginger sauce. Bread and butter was served to wipe up the sauce from the plates. Brownies and Mission Impossible are planned for this evening’s entertainment.
One Response
I know you are careful, but a 200 mile trip, even at 8 knots is a trying, tiring experience and saps your endurance if the unexpected happens. I like anchoring on the bank and getting energy levels back to max.