So, Patience continues. We received all packages we were waiting for from Colorado. Then, the weather changed again. The weather is a little tricky as I mentioned before. Not unlike anywhere else in North America. Waiting for the tides, the wind direction and speed all to line up for the best crossing. Both major crossings we are making require 8-10 hours of good weather and winds. Mother nature is great but sometimes it is not for us to push. The weather is much more stable once you get across the Gulf Stream and into the Caribbean however we will need to get fairly deep into the Bahamas to get real stability. The trick to the gulf stream, is that it moves 3-4 knots constantly northward in 200-500 feet of water. The slightest north wind generates not only large waves, but steep, almost square waves. Generally, folks refer to this as “the elephants running” as from the Florida shore, on a clear day with a north wind, you can stand on the beach and see what literally looks like stampeding elephants on the horizon. We have sailed in 18 foot seas before without too much discomfort. Today, the elephants are running at about 10 feet in a condition that not only is uncomfortable, but will beat the hell out of your boat and you! It’s not only the size of the seas to consider but other conditions as well. The forecast is for the elephants to keep running for 4-5 more days. Maybe after that we can get across. Another thing to consider is that we are comfortable in a marina with pool, cable TV hooked up to our boat, Wi-Fi, bar, restaurant etc. Just getting across and then hanging on for dear life on the anchor isn’t a lot of fun either. This current weather is unusual and we hope we can get across and enjoy a week or so to get south where winter cold fronts give way to tropic dominant trade winds. Meanwhile, we are just trying to remain patient and trying to enjoy ourselves. We spent a day at the beach, we went Deep sea fishing with a friend on the dock and did more provisioning and planning.
We keep provisioning, because as we sit here waiting, we keep eating. It also has given us time to really think things through. Most of the people we have met here at Harbor town Marina, have made at least one crossing to the Islands. Many of them have vast amounts of experience in the Caribbean. Along with those people, Steve and I have read several references regarding provisioning. As I mentioned before, we are trying to anticipate what we will want and need while in the Islands. We have 150 gallons of water on board. We also have 2 Geri Cans (6 Gallons Each) with water that we will refill at available spots in the Bahamas. In addition, we have provisioned with about a dozen 2.5 gallon water jugs to have for drinking as well as about 80 pre-filled water bottles. I don’t think you can have too much water but we will need to be careful with our use. Apparently, food such as eggs, cheese, some meat and produce are available at the markets in the Islands. We anticipate that they will be somewhat more expensive than in the states. We have been told that many homes will advertise fresh breads and produce. We look forward to meeting these people. We have been told the canned foods, Beef, Chicken, Beer, tonic water, soda or other mixers as well as paper products are available but very expensive. Rum and other liquors are supposedly very cheap and available. So, our provisioning list was pretty much based on our likes as well as the availability of things by what we have been told. We really eat most anything, neither of us is fussy. Steve and I have gotten used to eating about twice a day. We love breakfast but in anticipation of difficultly getting eggs or a traditional meal, we have oatmeal and hope to eat lots of fruit. We have purchased several packets of the pre-cooked bacon, we use this at home and it is good as well as easy to use. We have bought packages of Uncle Ben's rice and Bean packets, several flavors, lots of canned foods. We have visited some of the farmer’s markets in south Florida. We have Potatoes, onions, avocados, tomatoes, fruits, corn and flour tortillas. As most of you know, Steve is an amazing fisherman and we love fish of all kinds. We hope to have fish or Lobster 5-7 days per week. Lobster season ends April 1st. We have purchased Soy sauce and other marinades along with basic seasonings. We also will try some sushi if we catch the appropriate fish. We have a propane barbecue on board. We are fortunate to have a wonderful refrigeration unit on board with a large refrigerator and freezer. We have never had this experience in the boats we have chartered. It was always very difficult to keep perishables for very long. Our freezer is full of frozen steaks and chicken. We have the ability to make ice and keep it frozen. In anticipation of freezing fish, we have stored up lots of large zip-lock bags and foil for
In the Islands garbage removal is often expensive and somewhat difficult. We will try to use paper plates as much as possible to prevent the use of too much water if we can. Steve has invented a simple trash compactor that he has installed and if it works well, he may try to build more or market them. He has talked with a patent attorney and it looks promising. We think there is a market for this on boats in the tropics. A bag of garbage can cost 4-6 dollars to dispose of it at marinas. If we can successfully compress our garbage, we can dispose of more garbage in more compact bags. They don’t care how much it weighs, just the bulk.
We have over 70 gallons of diesel on board in the tank and 36 gallons in Geri cans strapped to the rail. Also 12 gallons of gas for the 15-horse outboard motor on the dinghy and dive compressor.
So we hang out here (where life is not so bad) until nature allows a change of scenery.
How's the forecast looking? Ready to leave in the early morning?
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