We drifted down from Daytona south to Fort Lauderdale. On the way we enjoyed settled weather and some nice anchorages, among them Lantana and Lake Worth. Our stay in Lake Worth gave us a wonderful Gulf Stream window, but we were not ready and had to let it go. In Fort Lauderdale we were expecting a storm so we motored up the river to stay at the Yacht Haven Marina and RV Park. The storm arrived late and stayed an extra day so we ended up staying there about a week. It was an interesting place – mostly an RV crowd, and they are so different from us cruisers.

We made Miami in a day and stayed in Miami Bayside marina, a great place to party all night long. Good for us there was a food store within a short ride on the monorail, so we were able to do a big shopping. Since the Gulf Stream weather was not cooperating, we ended up drifting down to Key Largo for about a week, staying at a nice little place with a pool and hot tub (but little else) until the weather began to look right. Then we made a blistering run back to Miami, took on fuel, and spent a short night at Bayside again (the only place on the entire trip that we have ever visited twice).

On Feb 2 we again tried the Gulf Stream. The day before we returned to Miami Bayside from Key Largo. On the way down, we ran out Government Cut and into the Atlantic for 5 miles or so. I just had to sample the waters again and get some experience in the ocean (after all those ICW miles). The Cut was rough, as usual. We hit some large wakes in the inlet and the water was all bumpy from passing ships, yachts, outboard runabouts, you name it! After following the buoys part way out we turned on the heading for Bimini. It was much calmer with light south-east winds. After we were a mile or two out we were able to bring Indiscipline up on plane. Once the water was deeper than 100 feet things smoothed out and the running was easy. There were many Portuguese Man-o-war floating around. So we returned with fresh confidence, bought fuel, and docked at Bayside. At the fuel docks we met our friend Harry and his wife June bound for Abaco on their Cal 39. They were going, so that made us feel even better. The forecast was 1 to 2 with south winds 5 to 10 knots.

At Bayside we met new friends onboard Molly B. Amy and Heidi played Nintendo games with Molly after dinner. We expect to meet them in Georgetown later. The next morning we were up at 5. The forecast was a little worse, 2 to 4 foot seas and winds from the Southeast at 10 to 15 knots. It had been very calm all night and was still calm so we went. The passage was pretty easy, but wet. We got a good rainfall right out of the Cut and took a lot of spray in the Gulf Stream. We were able to run at 12.5 to 13 knots all the way. The stream was probably to 3 feet, choppy seas from the southeast, which meant we were keeping them on our starboard bow. These often produced spray right up to the flybridge. I noticed that we were about a knot slower than we should have been and that the engines ran a little warmer than normal – probably due to a little opposing current, bashing into those seas, and of course the warmer Gulf Stream water.

Karen sighted Bimini and we steered for the south island. We could see Cat and Gun Cays as well. We were lucky to be able to watch a couple of boats entering the strange South Bimini Cut. A channel between sand bars and rocks is marked by a couple of metal poles on the beach. Then you turn and run barely off the beach and follow the island into North Bimini. We were quite keyed up and happy to take a slip at the Blue Water Marina and Resort. Clearing in was quite easy. We filled out a lot of forms and paid our $100 at Customs. Then we went to immigration. We asked for a 120 day Cruising Permit and we were given one for 60 days.

The town is quite dingy and run-down. Buildings are falling down or standing without walls or with holes in them all over town. There is a nice beach and some tourist stalls. The Coconut Bread is indeed good, as is the Italian and Cinnamon breads that I baked. Other than that there is not much to do here. Water is $0.40/gallon, and diesel is $2.20. We signed on for two days however after 2 hours walking around we have seen everything. We spent Day 2 fishing in the morning (for only a tiny jack that became bait), doing school, baking the bread, visiting the tiny Bimini Museum, playing at the beach, and had a late dinner.

We met a family on a catamaran and so changed our plans slightly to try to meet them the next day at Honeymoon Harbor on Gun Cay after a morning of fishing and exploring a wreck.

About 2 or 3 miles south of South Bimini lies the wreck of the concrete ship Sapona. We "anchored" in 10 feet in the lee of the ship. The winds and seas were strong, and our anchors did not hold at all, but it didn’t really matter as we were dragging slowly away from the wreck. The ship is sitting on the bottom and rises above the water about 30 feet. We dinghed over and clipped the dinghy rope to the hull. We were all afraid to dive in the ocean, but our friends on Shangaan (Debra, Dave, Toby and Hanna) were already in the water so I put on my fins and mask and jumped in. One look below the water and I was amazed. Thousands of fish, like in a tropical aquarium. After a little while I swam through a hole in the hull and explored the inside of the ship. It was much calmer in there and there were many more fish. We saw (among others) Spade Fish, lots of different Jacks, Angelfish, Sargent Majors, Bluehead Wrasse, Parrotfish, Barracuda, and more. After swimming for an hour or so we returned to Indiscipline. The boat was rocking and rolling pretty good so we had a quick lunch and went to the anchorage behind Gun Cay, a couple of more miles south.

Gun Cay is the jumping off point for crossing the Grand Bahama Bank bound for the Northwest Channel Light, Chubb Cay, and the islands of the Berrys. An expected wind swing from SSE to NW did not seem to be likely to occur, but we put out two anchors in the Bahamian moor just in case. We spent a wonderful afternoon playing on the beach in Honeymoon Harbor, flying my stunt kite in the strong winds, and exploring this desolate and deserted island.

We were up and ready to go to the Berry’s at 7 AM. The trouble was that I was up at 6:30 watching the thunderstorms blow over us headed east (our eventual heading). So we waited to see what the weather was going to do. While Karen walked Duncan, I got one anchor up and shortened the scope on the other for a quick departure. Our friends on the catamaran were long gone. It was sunny and windy. Then the next wave of thunderheads arrived. We decided to stay. So I let the scope out again on the Danforth. It had taken quite a lot of energy to get the rope on board and stored and there it was, streaming out again over the bow. We talked about it and decided that we had to leave by noon or forget it. About 10:30 the thunderstorms were gone and we gave it a try. I got the anchor up for the third time. This time all the way. In the strong winds it was very difficult to get on board, Karen had to run the boat ahead because the windlass did not have enough juice against those winds. So we headed east to the Cat Cay exit waypoint, then prepared to turn onto the 56 mile leg across the Great Bahama Bank to the Northwest Channel Anchorage. I measured the wind as 10 to 12 from the northwest.

Seas were mostly behind us. Still, they were up to 4 footers. It was very hard steering the boat. We were on plane but it was a struggle to keep her there. The boat was much more comfortable at 8 knots than 13. We made the decision to try it on a better day. This was not the conditions under which I wanted to begin at 72 mile leg.

Returning to Gun, we felt that the anchorage would not be comfortable in winds from the north or east. It was just barely tenable from the north-west. So we kept going, turned south through the cut and made our way through Atlantic rollers that were only slightly bigger bumps than on the banks 5 miles to the entrance to Dollar Harbor. This harbor is not really protected from the north or north east except by very shallow sandbars. This means we get the full wind but no waves. The current is fierce here. Our German friends on Tom Cat were here, that made us feel better because otherwise this is a very lonely place. We selected our spot and got the Danforth down in 15 feet. I think we are laying to about 150 feet of rode, also with the CQR down on about 60 feet of chain. The wind was about 10 to 12 knots all day from the north and now slightly to the north east.

In the afternoon, a dive sailboat named Sea Explorer came in for a break. They got their anchor up later to head out for night dives and got blown aground on a sandbar. We were treated to watching them try to kedge off and push with dinghys for a couple of hours. Nothing seemed to work. Finally we looked up and they were floating. Minutes later they motored on by.

This is not much of a place. There is a poor beach, and this is one barren and bleak island. The anchorage is deep and fairly sheltered, with good holding. I guess on a night like this you couldn’t ask for more. Karen was not able to land Duncan tonight because it is cold, blowing, strong currents, and the beach is too far away. Sitting here this afternoon, I’ve been a little nervous all day. The weather forecast for the rest of the week is bleak. Tomorrow maybe we will be able to get away. 10 knots from the east. I don’t fancy spending the week here.

Up this morning in Dollar Harbor anchorage, the wind was lighter. 10 knots from the northeast was forecast, and seemed to be happening, compared to 10 to 15 from the northwest the day before. It made a big difference on the bank. We had the wind on our starboard bow, with about 2 foot chop. So we went for it, a 75 mile trip from Dollar to Chub Cay, one of the Berry Islands, and from there a mere 35 miles to Nassau.

It was one long, boring, passage. Karen and I alternated steering, she would take an hour at the wheel and I would take 2. The seas grew to 3 feet and we were taking very heavy spray all day. In 4 years aboard Indiscipline we have never taken so much water. It was like spraying her with a fire hose for 6 hours non stop. The salon windows leaked, water pooled under them and dripped into Amy’s cabin. Some water leaked along the port window, too. However, the bulk of it was on the starboard side. At times we had what seemed to be a river running down the side deck, through the cockpit, and out the drains. After 72 miles at 13 knots we finally reached the Northwest Channel Marker, along with 4 other boats that converged on it. The all went into Chub. We decided to run another 15 miles to the anchorage between Little Whale and Whale Cays. We heard that this was a nice spot with good shelter and a little beach. We just got anchors down before sunset. It was a very long day, all in all 96 miles. That is a record for us and smashes the old one of 78 miles.

There is a little beach, that much is true. But with the northeast wind and swell are coming right in the opening and it is a rather uncomfortable anchorage tonight. I was afraid to go in around the little point to a more sheltered bay because it was so shallow. The other side of this bay would offer much better protection, but it is so far from the beach and being a private island there is no place to land Duncan.

Now we seem to be low on fuel so I think that we are going to go to Chub any ways and put a few gallons in before crossing to Nassau. Our mileage pounding into head seas for so many hours (plus the crossing opposing the Gulf Stream) seems to be very low. The channel to Nassau can be rough and I don’t want to even think about risking running out of fuel. I will put the extra fuel in tomorrow AM and then we will go to Chub.

Tonight, after an all day passage, I arrived so depressed. This island is kind of bleak and the beach is nothing to write home about. The wind is blowing hard and the water is choppy. A fair sized swell is pitching and rolling us. There doesn’t seem to be any place to snorkel or play on the beach. We are alone in a remote and desolate place. We are wet, and we were pounded all day. Amy’s sheets and blankets are hanging up in the cockpit to hopefully dry sometime tomorrow. The last 3 miles here were with large beam seas and a very confusing wave pattern. Quite uncomfortable, as we slowed to 8 knots. Our food is running low (but we are fine with water – we have not even touched the spare jugs yet). The last 2 days have not been fun.

My problem is mostly anxiety. I can find so many things to worry about. Fuel, water, the dinghy, anchors, food, weather, mechanical systems, or making a bad mistake like running aground. Karen says that we need time to adjust. We are in a different country, far away from any kind of safety net. We are alone. There are no buoys and very few aids to navigation. Everything is stressful right now, but we should adapt in a little while. I hope so. I’ve been wanting this for so long and now that I am here I am not too happy!

A little later that evening, we were aground as the tide went out. Indiscipline was banging on the rocks. We looked it up and we went on the rocks about 1 hour before low tide. So we dingied out to the CQR anchor, got it up, hauled it out to deep water. Then we commenced to pull on the Danforth and the CQR with the winch. I must have put 1000 pounds of force on the Danforth. Indiscipline would not move. We were in about 2.5 feet of water (on the depth meter) so we were just hitting. Swells were still moving the bows. The propellers and rudders were making a terrible noise.

Every chance I got we pulled the rodes tighter. The boat moved 6 inches, then 4 inches, then nothing. About an hour after low tide we started really banging. I returned to the bow and pulled again and suddenly we were off.

Karen and I quickly got both anchors up and re-set in about 15 feet. It was a much more rolly spot but we were not going to drift or hit anything. It was 1:30 AM. We had first hit the rocks at 10:30. I couldn’t sleep after all that for another hour or two. The next morning we got up early. As best as we could tell nothing was damaged, but the rudder stuffing boxes were dripping a little more than they should. Karen walked Duncan and I put in the reserve fuel and got one anchor up while shortening the other rode for a quick exit.

The seas were really building outside the inlet and the weather forecast was for 20 to 25 knots of wind from the North east for the next 3 or 4 days. I really felt I wanted to get to Chub Cay Marina. I didn’t like the idea of those winds stranding us in there for the next week. So we left as early as we could, taking on the inlet.

The waves were steep, breaking 6 footers. The current was running out while the wind and seas pushed in. We deeply buried the bow in the second wave getting out of the inlet. There’s rocks on each side and a rocky reef in the middle of the inlet (which was breaking in these conditions). An error or panic on my part would have lost the boat. I kept the speed up to 6 knots and powered out as slowly as we could. There were no gaps or calm moments. There was no turning back. As we reached about 25 feet of water, I began to turn slightly, to take the waves at a slightly better angle than head on. We began to work our way around the point of Whale Cay. A big, ugly, mixed up swell and 20 knots of wind was deeply pitching, yawing, and rolling the boat. One memorable wave rolled us almost to a breech and Karen screamed in fright. Actually we were just yawing far off course with a deep roll and I never felt that we would lose it. However, in those conditions we could not afford to take even a single wave on the beam. So I tacked into them to get far enough off the point to turn quickly and put them astern, as we headed downwind to Chub.

The instant we turned downwind it seemed the seas were gone. Once in a while we would yaw wildly as our stern got pushed around by a big following sea, but Indiscipline does that all the time and it’s not really scary since there is no roll. I am just real busy steering. I was even able to push the speed up and we were making 9 knots at an RPM that should have been about 8. The rest was due to the push of the wind and waves. 30 minutes later we were tied up in a slip right next to our friends on the catamaran.

A lesser boat would never have made it out the inlet. A low powered sailboat would still be in there as I write this. However, a deep keeled boat would have been much more comfortable once out the inlet, to be sure. Indiscipline is a much tougher boat that we ever expected, as this culminated the worst night and roughest day we have ever had on board, all due to errors in judgement on my part!

We’ve been here for 3 days now and it looks like 3 or 4 more. The winds are 25 to 30 outside with seas 8 to 11 feet. Listening to the Bahamas weather net this morning on SSB one skipper reporting said "Don’t even think of going out today!" There is no rain, just wind and waves. Nassau is 35 miles away and we will wait for a calm day if we have to wait here all winter. After this high pressure system causing the wind moves out, it is going to be followed by a cold front, so we have to wait for that to pass as well. It looks like next Tuesday or Wednesday may be possible (it’s now Friday).

Chub Cay is very nice. There are 2 great beaches, a little store, two pools, lots of coconuts, and very friendly people. There are 3 transient boats here, us, the catamaran and 3 fishing buddies on a Boston Whaler. We hang out and talk about the weather and do boat projects. It is a good time to get caught up on school. We are getting everything dry from our two very wet days getting here. The kids enjoy the little store and the lovely beach. There are two pools and free showers!