Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Arriving in West End, Bahamas

On the evening of December 6, 6:30 pm, we left from Lake Worth inlet at Palm Beach, destination West End.  It's only 55 miles or so east, but the Gulf Stream flows at about us 2.5 knots due north, so you need to travel 30%. or more off the direct course and that much farther, maybe a total of 72 miles. No biggie, just need to plan it in. The wind had been blowing hard, 25 knots, out of the south for a couple of days. It had lightened up to about 15, but the seas were still pretty big.
Just outside the inlet in the dark, big seas, a boat came up to us fast and close before we figured out it's a Coast Guard inflatable type patrol boat. They called us up on Channel 16, and as things go, our main VHF radio would not transmit at that moment. We eventually responded on the other VHF, and they asked us a bunch of basically friendly questions, like: Where are you from?  Where are you going?  How many on board?  Are they US citizens?  Just 2 U.S. citizens, and 2 US dogs. They finally said, well, remember if you ever need help from the US Coast Guard, just call us on Channel 16.   Thanks. Really.

We were able to sail at a pretty decent speed (5 to 6 knots) for the first part of the night, until midnight. Then the wind died to light out of the west and we motor-sailed. The sails took a beating because of the rolling from the seas, but they stabilized the rolling of the boat somewhat.
Early in the morning, Albert noticed that the boom connection to the mast had come apart, and it was putting excessive forces on the mainsail tack and the first couple of sail track slides.  He woke up Jenny, and went up to the mast hoping it was a loose bolt or something reasonable. But no, the whole fitting was stress cracked, and the 5/8" bolt/ pin had completely sheared off.  So, a line was tied from a remaining piece of the fitting to the mast, securely, so that the mainsail could hold some tension.
We only used this emergency repair for the next few hours until we entered the outer harbor at West End. We prefer to handle sails in a protected condition if it's possible, which it's not, of course.
One thing we noticed before entering the breakwater channel was a sailboat about1/4 mile north, apparently beyond the rocks south of Indian Cay, lying low in the water with her mainsail luffing and not moving. A little strange.


Later in the morning on the dock, Albert talked to a guy named Pat with red, sun-bleached hair in shorts and sandals, who said that's his boat, a 32' production catamaran.   Yesterday morning in the dark, he ran her onto the rocks trying to find them West End channel, and she sank and is now awash.  It was only a matter time before she broke up completely.  He would get the sail down today, and begin to move what he could off the boat.
His wife had just moved aboard with all of her important things, and he had all of his worldly possessions aboard, including carpenters tools, some from his father and grandfather.  Locals were helping them with a place to stay, and some logistics, hopefully. He said he had been living on sailboats for most of his adult life, they had raised their (now adult) children on a different boat. This whole situation would be a good article for Cruising World magazine, but we didnt have the time for that effort.  In a later conversatoin with a Customs official, he said that boats end up the rocks somewhat regularly, its a shame. Good luck, Pat and his wife!

Another thing is that the resort/ marina at West End, Bahama Bay something, was officially closed due to damage from Hurricane Mathew. The marina had reduced services, meaning no electric or water.  We got a low rate to stay there, so we did.  The clearing in was easy, too.  The navigation lights on the breakwaters were not working, of course. They did have fuel, using a generator.







Post script on the failed boom fitting, Albert improvised a jury rig replacement with a plain steel bolt and a shackle, but the original would need to be repaired, or replaced with something better.  A week later in Green Turtle Cay, we found a welder who fixed up the old hardware and we'll see how long that works.



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