Living in a postcard, does not come cheap. I arrived in the Bahamas (Bimini) yesterday, and I realized a few things, and yes it is beautiful.
Joshua Slocum was the first man to sail around the world alone (Late 1800’s), he’s a bit of an idle of mine. The worst weather he saw during his circumnavigation was in the Gulf Stream (Straights of Florida).
Although my experience was not all that bad, I realized a few things. I have been an avid sailor for many years, and I’m convinced I have the skill to achieve my goals. I have single handed my boats on many occasions, and, all be it, it wasn’t always such an easy task, I always seem to make do.
For those of you who don’t know what the Gulf Stream is, it’s basically a 45 mile wide river in the Atlantic Ocean hugging the North American coastline. In Florida, it’s just a few miles off the coast, and creates a bit of a hurdle to get to the Bahamas. You should never attempt to cross the Gulf Stream in any kind of northern wind, as the current runs south to north. The local marine weather does not give conditions in the Gulf Stream because it would be near impossible; they just say “Waves higher in the Gulf-Stream”. The wind only averaged about 23 knots, and the seas only about 8, with the occasional 11, but they were tightly packed, and came from every direction, It kind of felt like sailing through a blender at night.
I left No-name harbor in Miami around 23:00 pm yesterday. I don’t often get sea sick, but wow, by 3am, Namaste just had to fend for her self, I was on the cockpit soul, and down for the count. Every once and a while I would reach up and press a button on the autopilot to adjust the course, but that’s it. I had one reef in the main, and Namaste did just fine, much better then me I must say.
I arrived around 10:30 this morning, clearing customs & immigration went smoothly and I couldn’t wait to get to the anchorage, drop the hook, and get some sleep, It’s never that simple though is it?
I ran aground on the same damn sand bar I ran aground on in 1996, sailing my Dad’s 50’ Soveral, I couldn’t believe it. I’m usually quite graceful dealing with situations, but not today. I put an anchor in the inflatable to haul out a few hundred feet and managed to run it right through one of the tubes.
There I was…, sinking in my dingy next to my sailboat which was now lying on her side on a sand bar, talk about an embarrassing moment. Oh yeah…, I had a point to all this.
I had not slept for over 48 hours, and I was dehydrated from being sick all night. I had always single-handed in good conditions, and in water I knew like the back of my hand, not the case anymore. It really hit me today how physically & mentally demanding this trip will be. Alone…, sick…, in the middle of the gulf-stream, is a tough place to be in the middle of the night, I wanted to go home.
My hands are slowly growing gloves of scar tissue as I always seem to be cutting them up, especially on the barnacles when I clean the hull. Cuts & scrapes don’t seem to heal as easily in the warmer climates, and get infected much more easily.
After the cost of re-building the motor, and last minute expenses I don’t have the money to get through the Panama Canal just yet, so I’m going to go to Cartagena Columbia which is a safe place to wait out hurricane season, and spend a few months. I’m going to extensively cover the city, and compile my videos into a DVD, which I’ll sell online and hopefully through places like West Marine. That’s the latest plan.
I wish I had a picture of myself sinking in my dingy, I’m sure you guys would have had a good laugh at my expense. I’m sure I looked quite pathetic, and very unhappy.
After I leave Bimini, I’m going to Chubb cay, then to Nassau before doing the Exumas. I’ll send out another episode from George town.
Hopefully I’ll keep Namaste off the reefs & sandbars.
Keep dreaming.
P.S. One of the subscribers has a Precision 28 sailboat for sale, check it out @ www.idavid.com (click on the Express II link).
– Alex