A Very Bad Day

With just ten days to go before we were due to take up residence at Boat Harbour we decided to retrace our steps and return to some of our favourite places. And so just after dawn on Jan 19th we slipped our lines at Man O War Cay and glided out on a high tide back into the Sea of Abaco. Chris Parker had promised a lovely day. But even a guru can sometimes be wrong. and this time Chris definitely was.

We had only been away from the marina for less than 30 minutes when the morning mist--which we had expected to quickly burn off, instead developed into a soupy fog enveloping the boat. Luckily we had radar. And it actually worked. As we approached Guana Cay the fog mercifully lifted and we were able to safely set our anchor at Fishers Bay--just before an unexpected squall hit us! Thankfully ports and hatches were secure and we were able to scramble down below just before the downpour and comfortably sit it out in dry conditions. And then the winds kicked up! We had just put down the anchor and were understandably reluctant to leave the boat for the “delights” onshore without ensuring that we had a good “catch.” But after an hour spent waiting for moderation and watching the “rode,” we realized that the waves now blowing from the west were building to such an extent that launching the dinghy and motoring ashore would be a very wet ride. To paraphrase Dr. Seuss:

It was foggy and cool--a real shitty day

Too wet to go out--too windy to play

So all we could do was just sit, sit, sit, sit

And we did not like it--not one little bit!

The weather forecasters certainly blew this one. And if they could be so wrong about the “day,” could we trust them with the “night?” At anchor with a rocky lee shore. We decided not to wait to find out. And so at 3:00pm, after a disappointing day of fog, wind and rain, we pulled up the anchor and headed off for the safety and comfort of Treasure Cay--arriving JUST after low tide, with JUST a few inches of water below the keel, JUST before sunset. Whew!! A really bad day.