Great Sale Cay to Green Turtle Cay via Spanish Cay

The anchorage at Great Sale Cay was peaceful and quiet at sunset, but we knew that the winds were going to increase and blow from the southeast overnight as a weather front moved through. Five boats eventually anchored here for the night. We anchored well off the beach, and away from the shallow inner cove just in case the high winds might cause our anchors to drag. We each prepared a second, heavy weather anchor in advance, so it would be easy to deploy if necessary.

This is a picture of KISMET, our twin boat, with the sunset lighting her up like gold.


We (KISMET and KINGDOM) had planned to get underway around 7:30am next morning, soon after sunrise. However, we awoke to very windy, squally weather. We tried to wait it out, but by 9:30am, it was still raining. Hoisting the anchor was a perfect opportunity to get a bath while fully dressed. Bill Meissner called ahead to Spanish Cay Marina, making reservations for us to put in there as our next stop. Spanish Cay has good protection from northern winds, and a decent breakwater helps break up wave action from the south and southwest.
Since Kismet's autopilot was acting weird, I offered to lead the way to Spanish Cay. I had already set the waypoints for our course. So Bill and Shelly fell into line behind us. Another boat, FREEDOM (owners Arthur and Pauline), had generator problems, and asked if they could join us. Two other boats anchored overnight at Great Sale Cay fell in line behind FREEDOM. They were PEACE and IFFIN, both out of Palm Coast, FL.
The squalls blew themselves away, but the wind clocked around to the south, and our anemometers registered wind speeds of steady 20 to 30 knots, with gusts of up to 35 kph through the afternoon.
It's a bit hard to see, but in the picture below in our wake are KISMET, followed by FREEDOM, and then IFFIN, with PEACE on the horizon. Squinting my eyes, I could imagine a line of WWII destroyers in convoy...


My First Mate likes to nap on the Pilothouse Berth while we're underway. I like having her nearby while I'm at the helm. She keeps me company, even when she's napping. I also appreciate that Susan demonstrates this level of confidence in my navigational skills. It is always good to be rested for the next leg of our trip.


KISMET and KINGDOM arrived at Spanish Cay Marina around 3:30pm. FREEDOM arrived right behind us. Unfortunately, PEACE developed a leak in their hydraulic steering system, and was dead in the water about 2 miles from the marina. They were forced to drop their anchor and heave to while they diagnosed the problem. Their friends Barry and Barbara, aboard IFFIN, stayed with them until the marina staff agreed to send their work boat out to tow them in. We anxiously monitored their progress by VHF radio from the marina's bar until they arrived safely, around 5:30pm. Then we proceeded to get fairly wasted!
Since the weather was messy for the next 24 hours, we all decided to stay at Spanish Cay Marina another night, before proceeding on to Green Turtle Cay. This gave Jim (Captain of PEACE) time to hitch a ride on the marina's work boat over to Great Abaco Cay, where he was able to get a taxi down to Marsh Harbor, obtain a replacement hydraulic hose, and get back by evening. (I heard it was a $200 taxi fare to get a $100 part! Bummer!)

The next day, we all departed from Spanish Cay. FREEDOM elected to go on down to Orchid Bay, while PEACE and IFFIN decided to anchor in Black Sound, Green Turtle Cay.

Bill Meissner had pre-arranged dockage at Bluff House Marina in Green Turtle Cay for KISMET and KINGDOM. The approach to the harbor there is quite shallow and narrow, so we followed KISMET over the bar at high tide, since they had been there before. Once in the harbor, the boats are protected from winds from all directions, and especially the South and East. A few hours after our arrival, FREEDOM entered the harbor, and docked at the Green Turtle Club Marina, across White Sound from us. We learned later that they had tried to make the passage around Whale Cay, but turned back when they encountered 5' to 8' waves in the channel.

Bluff House is aptly named, since the main dining area is situated high on a bluff overlooking the harbor to the east, Plymouth Town to the south and the Sea of Abaco to the west. Sunsets are spectacular!

This is a view of the dock at Bluff House Marina. In the background is the Jolly Roger Cafe and Bar, which was not yet open for the season. Up the hill to the right is the Bluff House restaurant, which offers excellent meals.

Again due to weather, we stayed put at Bluff House Marina on Green Turtle Cay for two nights, watching for the seas to subside before making the passage through "The Whale". This passage requires deep draft yachts like ours to leave the relative protection of the Sea of Abaco, traverse a narrow cut out into the Atlantic a mile or so, and then head south around Whale Cay, and back into the Sea of Abaco through a wider cut between Whale and Great Guana Cays. When the wind has been blowing from the North or Northeast at more that 15kph for very long, this passage becomes very treacherous for boat traffic. They call it a "rage", and smart boaters wait until the seas are settled before making this passage.

While we waited, Bill, Shelly, Susan and I rented a golf cart, so we could do a bit of sight-seeing. We drove over to Plymouth Town, a tiny village on the island that dates back to the 1880's, located on Black Sound.
Plymouth Town harbor...