Wednesday February 22nd, 2017
Yesterday morning we awoke with the wind NNE to NE at under 15. A weather system including a surface Low is moving towards us with a scheduled arrival of Wednesday evening into Thursday morning. This system has winds gusting to 30 with squalls to 40. As the Low enters the Atlantic from Florida the wind will be SE and shift through the passage to SW by Thursday morning. We are likely to get some massive rain included in this system.
When you are unsure of anchorages and in the Abaco’s protection from the South and South west is in short supply. Therefore, a mooring in Man O’ War is a good choice albeit coming with some trade offs. We are in the west harbour which has moorings operated by Man O War Marina. They are less than 25 bucks a night which is a good deal here. The trade off is they are pretty close together. We are next to and from time to time close behind a 48 foot Rob Ladd custom (pretty boat) ‘Piquet’. Piquet is for sale/sail.
When we are lined up there is likely less than 5 or 6 feet between our bow and his ass. The owners of this boat have Island connections. They are good friends of Steve and Sally Marshall and they also keep their other boat in Gore Bay.
I can ease my tether but I am unsure where my stern will be when the wind goes SW and we are lined up with the 45 foot Catamaran beside us. So I will have to manage this tether as the wind grows and shifts to make sure we are safe and not get beat up or beat up someone else. Making matters worse there doesn’t seem to be anyone on the Catamaran. Oh well not to worry, we are chained to a big piece of concrete.
The Whale. In order to get from the area of Abaco around Green Turtle Cay down to the area around Marsh Harbour one must go outside the reef into the ocean and back in. The tide was in the last hour prior to low. The wind was NE to ENE at 15 to 17 gust 22. Reports were that the conditions in the Whale were 4 to 6 foot seas without breakers. Whale Cay Cut was passable but not comfortably so. We made it with Fracas being tossed about like a fart in a mitt and Mango somewhat worse. Forty five minutes later we are back under the lee of Guana Cay wondering what all the fuss was about.
The internet here is weak but consistent. I will try to post a few pics of our walkabout on Man O War yesterday. Oh ya, I did get an $8 loaf of whole wheat bread.
