3/5/12 Thompson Bay, Long Island

Thompson Bay Long Island

Happy Birthday Greg! What a night. March is definitely coming in like a lion!

It was incredibly warm and still most of the night. Needless to say, the sheet had been kicked off and was bunched up. Then at 4am the winds just started roaring from 20 knots and gusting higher. The strong breeze came blasting through the hatch above our berth, the boat swung about, pivoted and tugged aggressively at the chain and anchor. I needed a breeze but wow! It’s been roaring ever since then.

We picked up the weather this morning from Chris Parker and it sounds like all week we’re in for 20-35knot winds with gusts and squalls 40 maybe higher. I was able to connect to the internet briefly (10 minutes) from the boat. Long enough to read an email from Pam (Blue Pearl) but when I tried to respond found I no longer had a connection grrr…frustrating. But it was good to read her email at least! It’s too windy out to venture putting the dinghy in so we’ve spent the day aboard reading and putzing about. I chatted a bit on the radio with the boat next to us (Night Hawk). He has a beautiful boat. I’d love to chat more with them. They got here yesterday after a 4 day trip from St. Thomas – good winds, the trades were with them. It will definitely take us longer to get to St Thomas since we’ll be heading into the trade winds and currents…

Someone gave the weather for Salt Pond in Mike’s (the Long Island Breeze) absence today. Billy Bob came on at 8:30am on the VHF channel 18. It’s pretty much the same forecast that Chris Parker gave – NNE-ENE 20-30 knots with 7-10ft seas in the ocean for today and tomorrow, then Wednesday from the NE with Gale force gusts. Tides here: High tide today is at 07:30 with a 3.4’ rise. Low Tide is at 13:47 at 0.8ft; then high tide again at 19:52 at 3.2ft and the next low tide at 01:58 tomorrow morning with .6ft above datum. When I can get it I love this site for weather here: http://www.bahamasweather.org.bs/index.php?page=marine

The internet keeps coming and going from the anchorage, so I’ll post when I can and maybe even get some pictures uploaded this week finally. Needless to say we’ll be here sitting out this front that’s bearing down on us. So it’s a good time to download pictures while I’m listening to radio chatter and reading. It looks like one of the cruisers is talking with Trapheena at the Thompson Bay Club and there’s going to be a Cruiser’s buffet tomorrow night. She puts on a wonderful spread (ribs, cracked conch, cracked lobster, chicken, mac/cheese, plantains, peas & rice, slaw and potato salad) I hope we can get to shore without being blown away in our little dinghy!