Thursday, February 11, 2010 West End to Xanadu Grand Bahamas

We were able to get a pump-out at the marina this morning. So we have a happy holding tank until we can replace our macerator pump – hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Blue Pearl has some friends coming into Nassau in a week and the offer to bring a macerator pump over from the mainland was generously made and we accepted! The morning was busy with last minute items. Where are we going? Anybody know? Who’s going? Who’s staying? Last minute showers; farewells to Equus (they’re staying - hopefully we’ll meet again in the Exumas); a pump-out then checkout at the office; have Axel hoisted up the mast; figure out the weather patterns; figure out where we’re going? Then the exciting stuff like throwing off the dock lines and backing out of the slips (I don’t think any of our boats back well) and heading out and off to Xanadu. It was a cool but beautiful sailing day! Temperatures were in the sixties with partly cloudy skies and a nice moderate breeze! We started motor sailing then ended up cutting off the engine and putting all the sails out on a beam reach. After watching Blue Pearl shake the reef out of their main, we followed suit and managed to get our speed up to 7.69 knots! I thought of Bill when we did this! Back on the Great Lakes when Bill & Holly came sailing with us we were trying to see how fast we could go (Bayfields are not known for our speed) and for some reason I thought back to them sailing with us :) Bill if you’re reading this – you guys would love sailing here! Blue Pearl pulled out first, then Kolibrie, Guinevere, and Azaya. We were all off to Xanadu Channel where there looks to be very good shelter from the weather that’s roaring down from the north. Originally we were looking at the Lucayan Channel but thought we’d be better off tied up in a protected cove for the wicked winds (35-45 knots) that are forecast for Friday night and Saturday. I got some lovely pictures of Blue Pearl and Azaya under sail but Guinevere was way off ahead of us so I didn’t get any of Maggie and Jonathan. Maybe next time :) We got in around 5pm – which was pretty good considering none of us were sure where exactly we were going LOL. The entrance was a little tricky and shallow – especially for Azaya who has a 6.5’ draft. This was the depth at the entrance of the channel in one spot but we were on a rising tide and it was all good. We called off depths for each other and managed to find the marina and get tied up for the night. This place (Bahama Bay Marina – not to be confused with Old Bahama Bay where we’d just left) has very good rates - $45/night which includes electricity and water. After checking in and squaring things away, we stood around chatting with each other and watching the sun go down. Then we all separated for our boats for the evening. Pam took some wonderful pictures of us under sail! I think I have a new boat card picture with an updated picture of Kolibrie! I need to make sure I get the pictures I took to her and Mary in the morning.