Life on Lailia

Great Harbour Cay, (Berry Islands chain), (anchored)

March 18, 2022

This is the first time we’ve anchored in an open area – we’ve generally anchored in creeks, in ICW lakes (more like wide areas next to the ICW) or in protected harbors. 

When I woke up this morning the horizon seemed to stretch forever.  The moon was full, low, and bright and the water looked silky.  The writer Anne Lamott says there are only three prayers – Help, Thanks, and Wow.  I said the last two over and over.

There’s land just to the east of us which blocks the very first bit of sunrise.  It’s still stunning to see the light start to come up.

There’s also what seems to be about 100 roosters  that start growing around that time.  Add in several flocks of laughing gulls doing their thing as they flew over – it was a delightful morning.

---

Being docked has a lot of conveniences: stability, electric and most of all, being able to get on and off the boat whenever we desire.  When we’re anchored we have to physically lower our dinghy from the davit with a series of pulleys.  For safety as we crossed, we (mostly John, but I did haul it up) moved the dinghy motor from the dinghy itself onto a board mounted on our stern rail.  This is a far more stable platform than a swinging dinghy (swinghy?) when we have rolly or crashing waves.. 

We also need to be able to dock the dinghy somewhere.  The pictures of a dinghy on a beach don’t really tell the full story of trying to lug a dinghy and a 90lb motor safely above a high tide line!   There’s a dinghy dock nearby that we just didn’t bother locate.

So we didn’t get off Lailia today.  We did a few tasks, including cleaning the salt spray off the isinglass. John just realized that he wore neither shoes nor a shirt all day.  I fished for a while without getting a bite (but finished another book).        As much as we want to explore it was great to just chill on Lailia. 

We move a lot on anchor.  Because I worry about stuff like this, I not only have an anchor alarm but I also track our movement over time.  This reassures me that we aren’t floating anchorless. This isn’t perfect – the tracker is phone-based so it shows me moving my phone in the boat, but I do like seeing that we pretty much move in a nice arc off where we dropped our anchor

There’s some weather coming early next week so we’ll need to move somewhere more protected. We considered heading to the Abacos tomorrow but have decided to head into a small bay inside this island.  We’ll have to wait for another weather window to leave the Berry Islands but we’ll get to explore a bit. There’s supposed to be some gorgeous beaches on the other side of the island and I’d like to see them. 

Bimini Cove Marina, South Bimini to Great Harbour Cay, Berry Islands, Bahamas (anchored)

March 17, 2022

We cast off at 5:30 this morning and left with the light of the moon and green beacon.  When we travel with so little light we have to turn down the intensity of all of our navigation instruments.  John even had a towel over our compass because its light is distracting.

Bimini marinas are all either on, or close to, the west side of the island.  The east side is far too shallow for most boats.  Since we were going east, we had to sail north around Bimini on the dark.  Our navigation system has a depth finder and I have two apps on my phone as backup.  It’s important to get to the next anchorage in the daylight so we can see the bottom (we want to anchor in sand if possible because the anchor will hold better).  We also needed to pass to the north of North Rock (an underwater rock that has shallows around it).

There was a line of storms to the west of us with some cool bolts of lightning but they didn’t impact us.  Because I am nervous about all of this, I was glad that we were able to get enough wifi to be able to check radar just to make sure.

We decided to wait until we made the turn east AND when it was light out before we set the sails. 

The waves were not as small and slow as I hoped when we turned.  It’s not that it’s really scary – Lailia is a really sturdy boat – it’s that invariably something needs to be done down below: a bathroom run, John needs a thing, or I hear something fall.  Navigating the companionway ladder while we’re bouncing isn’t easy. 

I took a dose of Dramamine last night and another at about 10am.  I had read that earbuds or earplugs can help, so I played some downloaded podcasts.  Boredom is also a huge issue – it’s too bouncy to read and we’re stuck in our cockpit for a very long time.

I napped after reapplying sunscreen .

John would occasionally wake me up to let me know he was heading below.  The one time he didn’t do this I woke up convinced he had fallen over when he was just down below getting a snack.

I need to listen to those podcasts again because I have no idea what they were about.

The waves did finally calm down and once again we could marvel at the water color.

We sailed (no motor) for a good two hours.  As the wind lessened we turned on the motor and motor sailed for probably 6+ hours.  This is the longest stretch of sailing we’ll do in the Bahamas and I am glad it’s done.

We’re anchored tonight off Great Harbour Cay. The moon is up, so the sky is too bright to see many stars.  We can hear some music from the island but we’re tired (even with my naps).  John stayed awake and alert for the entire crossing – it’s more taxing than driving because we can’t pull off the route and rest. Having the sails up meant John had to make adjustments the entire time.

I’ve got an anchor alarm set plus a tracker.  This should help me feel less anxiety about us dragging our anchor (and crashing into rocks or another boat). 

Bimini Cove Marina, South Bimini, Bahamas (docked)

March 16, 2022

This is our last day in Bimini and we had a lot to do. John had a list of boat-related tasks like filling our water tanks and securing the dinghy and davit and checking all systems. Also setting up all the lines for the sails, I rearranged some of our storage in the v-berth and cleaned. I will try to stash any loose items that might get displaced if it gets rolly tomorrow. We also charged our flashlight and handheld VHF radio.

We learned some lessons from our crossing: we will have snacks and drinks in the cockpit tomorrow and LOTS of sunscreen.

This marina is being updated and there’s work being done both on the docks and on the condo units. Today a big boat came in with lots of dock-building supplies.

I had read that the Fountain of Youth was not in St. Augustine but actually in South Bimini. We set off down the road to see if we could find it.

Of course we were skeptical that it would actually work – although there are many youthful looking Biminites.

It wasn’t too far and there was a cute little park and signs around it. We decided we would give it a try. We both could use a little rejuvenation.

We lowered the plastic bottle on the rope and poured some of the magic fluid into our hands.

It’s amazing how well it worked! We have darker, longer hair and no more wrinkles! It melted John’s shirt and fixed his separated shoulder! I grew bangs!

Tomorrow we’ll leave very early and hope we can move fast enough to get to Bullocks Harbour on Great Harbour Cay before sunset. We don’t want to motor or sail close to shore if we can’t see how deep the water is.

Bimini Cove Marina, South Bimini, Bahamas (docked)

March 15, 2022

One of the most Zen things about the Bimini ferry is that there doesn’t seem to be a schedule.  It just goes when people get there – sometimes we’re the only passengers and sometimes there’s a lot of folks.  For the first time since we’ve been here we had to wait for about 15 minutes.  That gave us some time to check out the South Bimini side.  There’s an old barge-type vessel tied up to the pillars of an abandoned building there as well as a sunken boat a few feet under the surface.

We headed to Alice Town because we need some provisions.  Since we had the opportunity, we shared a burger from Bowlegs’ food truck.  Their burgers are good – but I sure miss Rebel Taqueria and Dough Boyz trucks at Low Tide.

The last time we went to the store it was on a Friday and they were well stocked with fresh fruit, and veggies,eggs, and milk.  It was different today: no eggs as well as few fruit and veggies.  Their next delivery will be on Thursday.  It’s quite different from Publix

We learned that the Bimini Shark Research Lab partnered with a vet to spay/neuter the feral cats on the island in the last week or so.  There’s a gracious plenty of them in this marina; they’re very healthy looking (maybe because they’re fed) but not too enamored with people (in spite of my daily efforts to call them to me).

We had a few hours of sunshine this afternoon – the low clouds meant we missed seeing a green flash yet again.  It looks as if there may be another front heading our way before the weather window opens up on Thursday.

Right now, we plan to leave early Thursday to head west to the Berry Islands, which are about 70 miles from here.  We have to travel over the Bahamas Banks which are not very deep.  I am hoping that it’s a much easier ride.

We’re looking at wave heights and wave intervals, hoping for low waves and long intervals.  My anxiety over getting sick is starting to rachet up…I know that once we’re there I will love the Berry Islands, but getting there is nerve-wracking in my mind.  It should be a much more gentle trip.

Bimini Cove Marina, South Bimini, Bahamas (docked)

March 13 & 14, 2022

It’s been very cloudy and cool (for here) with some rain.  It’s really depressing

Yesterday I stayed down below; John did not leave the marina. I read 3 novels and rested.

Today I managed to get off Lailia for a bit but stayed in the marina; John went in search of a place to purchase ice since the marina was out.   He didn’t find any ice but came back with a rum drink.

It looks as if we’ll have more clouds over the next few days.  Because we need some provisions we’ll ferry over to Alice Town tomorrow.  Stores there get their supplies weekly on Thursday afternoon so we’ll see what’s available. 

Bimini Sands Cove, South Bimini, Bahamas (anchored)

March 12, 2022

We took a walk down the road in Bimini during this very windy day. It was only breezy at best on the road – when we got to the open spots it was very windy.

The winds were the highest we have seen since we have been here. We’re so very glad that we moved to this marina. It’s really windy here but the wave slaps aren’t very loud.

The wind picked up even more and changed directions. We watched a sailboat get blown sideways in the marina as they attempted to dock. The boating community is a true community- they rose to the occasion and headed out on a finger dock to grab lines.

And then the wind picked up some more and we actually got a bit of rain. The temperature dropped a few degrees and it actually feels a bit cool. The wind is howling right now. John added more fenders and spider-webbed us into our slip by adding lines on the other side.

The wind will be up for a few more days. It will whip around and change direction yet again.

Bimini Cove Sands, South Bimini, Bahamas (docked)

March 11, 2022

We took a quick ride to North Bimini (it’s like 200 yards from South Bimini).  The ferry is great – there’s no real schedule, they just go back and forth when people come.  The airport is in South Bimini and hotels are in North Bimini, so occasionally there are larger groups of people.  Some of the same folks drive the airport vans and the ferries. – last week one of the ferryman jumped onto a scooter to run to the clinic to get a phone the doctor left behind. 

As much as we love the protection of our marina, the water color is nowhere near as brilliant as the water in the channel. 

We took a long walk through Alice Town and into Bailey Town because we wanted to try food from a conch shack there. A cruise ship had docked so there was a huge line – we decided to to go to a different place. Unbelievably, we went to place that had an excellent pastrami sandwich. Who knows how the Manna Cafe gets pastrami but, dang, it was so tasty.

The Vita Malt drink we had with our sandwich…no doubt it’s an acquired taste. It was very sweet with a very slight beer taste (it has barley and malt in it). It’s alcohol-free but we had hopes that the barley would make it more “beer-ish.”

Part of our walk was along the waterside. It was pretty cool to see this starfish in the shallow water near the sea wall.

Since stores were restocked yesterday we were able to get some groceries today. We brought a small, soft cooler with us so we could bring milk, cheese, and meat back. It was a 10 minute walk to the ferry from the small store. We actually had a longer ferry ride than usual because they had to drop off some folks at a different marina. As a side note, Vita Malt was available at the grocery store. We did not purchase any.

We hung out by the pool for a bit and watched the sunset. We were hoping to see a green flash but didn’t get lucky tonight.

I am hoping to explore South Bimini tomorrow. There’s not many businesses here, but I am hoping to get John to take a walk down the road with me just to see what’s on the other end.

Bimini Sands Cove Marina, South Bimini, Bahamas (docked)

March 10, 2022

I am intrigued by the cat colony here.  They’re fed in the morning and evening.  The gulls also know the schedule and wait for the remnants

After they meet and eat, each cat seems to move to its own territory.  

I love checking out all of the cool inhabitants of this marina basin.  There’s new stuff daily.

Although we killed a gajillion noseeums, we’re still dealing with their nastiness.  John gets bitten but he doesn’t seem to suffer the same consequences as I do. The one remedy that seems to reduce itching is toothpaste.

Today was my last day of a virtual school meeting.  I won’t have another for a long while.  I know I will miss the collaboration and opportunity to meet others but I won’t miss the stress of wonky internet connections. We also won’t miss weather windows because of my work schedule.

This has been the most consistently overcast day since we have been here. There’s cold weather coming to Florida this weekend so I wonder if these clouds are from that front.

Tonight we started our newest Netflix binge: Peaky Blinders. Since we’ve been on our trip we’ve finished Breaking Bad, Ozark, and Better Call Saul.

Bimini Sands/Cove Marina, South Bimini, Bahamas (docked)

March 9, 2022

We woke up before sunrise to help five boats from marina leave.  They’re on their way to the Berry Islands.  It was bittersweet to see them leave, especially since we want to go there, too.  We’ll get our opportunity when the next weather window opens.

I am on day two of a three-day remote school visit. That means I am in Lailia’s salon for much of the day. John brought lunch from the marina’s cafe for us to share. I had to head back to my online meeting while John took care of important tasks at the infinity pool.

After work we walked on the beach.  The sand is very coarse here with lots of shell fragments; it’s loosely packed so our feet sink into as we walk. There’s a cool ridge of limestone that runs along the edge of the water with cool tide pools. We sat for a bit just watching the teeny striped fish, snails, and hermit crabs.

This western facing beach was getting hit by a bunch of waves this afternoon.  We watched some boats head out of the channel between the the two Biminis.  They were rocking more this afternoon than the boats this morning.

We see a lot of marine life in the basin because the water is so clear.

There’s a lot we miss from Charleston and every now and then we get a visual reminder.

We’re in for another big blow this weekend with predicted gusts of over 40mph. Thankfully we’re in this protected place and won’t have to deal with hull-slaps.

Bimini Sands/Cove Marina, South Bimini, Bahamas (docked)

March 8, 2022

This marina has new ownership and they’re in the process of changing names.  I’m not sure what its current name actually is.

There’s a pretty awesome feral cat presence here – they keep the vermin down, which is great.  I didn’t actually know how many cats were here until I went to the showers this morning.

These cats run if you walk towards them; if you stand still, they get closer.  I think my kitty call also brought them to me.

Marina showers are all very different.  Some are really large and private.  Others are kind of small or cold.  This marina has a nice restroom but…the shower stalls are across from the toilet stalls and have clear vinyl curtains.  There’s not a lot of privacy.  I will be showering on the boat, I think, from now on.  I may still go out to see the morning cat meeting, though.

The internet here is wonky, too.  John hoisted my hotspot up the mast which seemed to work well except for the three times it didn’t.  I have two morning days of Zoom then a break for five weeks.  Hopefully the next time I need intense internet we’ll be in a better place.

After work we headed to the infinity pool.  It’s on the western side of the island so a bunch of boaters go to watch the sun set.  We saw a pretty cool shark in the marina basin. 

The last time I was at the pool I was bitten by ants so tonight I decided to protect as much of myself as I could by getting in the water.  The sunset was gorgeous but the invasion of noseeums was pretty awful. They were out in multitudes.

Noseeum bites are nasty – they stay itchy for a few days and they usually come in clusters. They can get through screens or follow us into the boat. They do seem to cluster around lights

Some boat neighbors recommended using a vacuum to suck those buggers up.  It works!  There’s still a few hanging around but I know we took a bunch out.  I am wearing leggings and a long sleeve shirt to minimize bare skin.  I have also killed two on my phone as I have typed this.

Many boat neighbors are heading east tomorrow.  I wish we could join them but I will be working.  We’ll be living the March-in-the-Bahamas life of hunkering down in between weather windows.