First Norther
After a few weeks in George Town, the itch to explore started getting louder. Before the boys and I head back home on February 9th for a three-week stint of skiing and Nordic racing, we wanted to squeeze in a bit of island hopping. Winter cruising in the Bahamas is a dance with the weather gods. This time of year you go where the wind allows.
At first, it looked promising. We thought we might make it over to Long Island, then Conception Island, before looping back to George Town ahead of our flight. But forecasts shifted (as they love to do), and suddenly it was clear that any exploring would need to stay north. So off we went to Lee Stocking Island, traveling with a couple of other kid boats. We shared a fun group dinner aboard Desert Oasis, I made an attempt at wing foiling, and the boys spent the entire day launching themselves off the top of the boat. Theo jumped from the tippy top for the first time and was absolutely chuffed.
After two nights at Lee Stocking, we decided to reposition to Staniel Cay ahead of a forecasted westerly later in the week. As the days progressed, the front continued to build, with projected wind speeds climbing into the 50-knot range. North to northwest winds in the Bahamas are no joke. Most anchorages are protected from easterlies, not northerlies. So when one of these fronts comes through, it becomes a race to find the right protection.
After a lot of deliberation and a phone call with a very experienced friend and mentor, we decided to head to the Cambridge Cay area. Nearby is a small private island called Bells Cay (owned by the Aga Khan) that offers excellent protection from west and northwest winds, with grat holding. Since the breeze was expected to clock around over a couple of days, we spent the easterly night anchored at Cambridge Cay, then moved and dropped the hook off Bells once the wind went left.
Once settled, it was all hands on deck. Adam and the boys battened Nanook down. L:ashing the Optis, bringing in cushions, and stowing anything that could move. Adam even sewed new leather chafe gear onto our snubber bridle. Inside, I went into organization mode. There is nothing worse than a middle of the night problem when you’re tripping over Lego and hunting for a headlamp that someone didn’t put back. Organization is a safety measure. I tried that line on the boys, unsuccessfully, but it felt like a noble effort ;-)
That first evening, our newly formed storm-anchorage neighbors organized a beach happy hour while the weather was still nice. Adam and the boys went ashore, explored the beaches, and made some new friends. I stayed aboard, sidelined by a rough autoimmune flare with joint and muscle pain. No fun whatsoever. But I felt comforted knowing we had a little floating neighborhood forming around us.
By Friday, schoolwork was wrapped up and the boys met up with other boat kids for a land-based hangout. This cay is totaly uninhabited, part of the Bahamas Land and Sea Park, and absolutely stunning. On Saturday, while the breeze was still manageable, we met up with friends from Desert Oasis and explored O’Brien’s Cay to the north. The colors didn’t disappoint! Gatorade blue water, white sandbars, and stark green foliage. We scoped out “The Aquarium,” an incredible snorkel spot, but it was a bit sporty for the younger crew. Hopefully next time.
Then it was time to tuck in. Everyone retreated back to their boats, preparing to ride out at least the next 24 hours. Adam and I decided to put out an extra 25 feet of chain, and Adam dove on the anchor to confirm it was set properly. It looked perfect. We were happy with our spacing, our position, and the way the fleet was laid out relative to the forecasted wind. It was reassuring to know we were surrounded by other competent, thoughtful crews.
Theo cooked an incredible dinner of lemon caper wahoo (thanks to Captain Bill from Desert Oasis), paired with a fresh salad. Ben handled dessert with homemade brownies, timed perfectly with a glowing sunset. After dinner, we set our anchor watch schedule: Theo and I from 8–10 pm, Ben’s first solo watch from 10 to midnight, Adam from midnight to 4, and me again from 4–8 am.
I printed out a 15-minute anchor watch log to keep the kids engaged….and awake. They recorded heading, wind speed and gusts (pulled from a PredictWind sensor on another boat in the anchorage), wind direction, distance from anchor, sea state, and notes. Totally overkill… but also incredibly effective. I loved seeing the entire night captured in data, and it kept the boys focused and invested
The wind howled, but we didn’t drag. No one in the anchorage did. Everyone held. It was a solid night, and we felt really good about the decisions we made.
Sunday stayed breezy, averaging around 30 knots. We kept the dinghy on the roof and fully hunkered down. The boys caught up on some much needed rest. And wow! By Bahamian standards, it got COLD. We saw a low of 51°F, with a wind chill down to 41°F! As I write this, we’re still rocking and rolling, but nothing like the night before. I’m very much looking forward to stepping onto land tomorrow and stretching our legs!
**written on February 2nd. Late to post…..
