Royal Island to Hatchet Bay

When we got to Current Cut this morning, we still had about an hour of ebb flow.  Myron tucked into the flow to test the current speed and found it to be about 1.5 knots.  That is not really a problem for Hold Fast and we proceeded through.  Our plan was to spend several days at Glass Window on Eleuthera Island with light winds out of the north and east.  For this we waited another day in Royal Island.  Best laid plans.  The actual wind was out of the south and then the west.  We arrived at Glass Window just before 1 pm and drug the anchor around until it grabbed.  Myron caught a yellow tail snapper in route on some old lure that was on Hold Fast when we bought her.  We rarely, if ever, fish the banks but we heard someone excited about catching a snapper yesterday.  Could not miss out on that!  Myron BBQ’d it in foil for lunch with batata (like a white sweet potato that is red on the outside), sweet onions, sweet peppers and a plantain.  As we dined, we waited to see if the wind was going to let up.  The clouds and swell told us it was not going to give up for several hours.  The holding is not that great and we were on a lee shore.  So we pulled up anchor, snapped a few pictures and leisurely sailed southeast along the rocky cliffs.  Gregory Town’s harbor was along the way, the guide describes it as precarious.  Moving on…  When we got to the entrance of Hatchet Bay, it took my breath away at first.  We had turned to drop the main sail and suddenly the entrance was there and then it was gone.  The tidal current sets along the coast, directionally dependent upon flood or ebb.  It was just past max flood and set us toward the rocks on the right.  Something to keep in mind on the way out.  

If the forecast holds for winds with a south or west component in a few days, we will stay here for several days until that passes.  We are on a government mooring and we are not sure about any stay limitations.  We are happy to be here and will begin our adventures on shore tomorrow.  There is some disappointment that we could not spend a few days at Glass Window walking on the beautiful white sand beaches and investigating the bridge that was moved seven feet to the west by a rogue wave in 1991, but that is how it goes with weather and anchorages.  At least we got to see it.

Just before posting this blog, we watched the fuel freighter move off the government dock, right by us (we are on the mooring furthest east near a dock) and out of the cut.  A large ferry was on its way in and the freighter wanted to be out of the cut before the ferry came in.  I wish I could have seen their width against the cut!

Love to all,

Dena

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