Paradise

     It was on December 21^st that we came east to Spanish Wells and Eleuthera Island.  We had been weather bound in Spanish Wells for too long despite having a great Christmas weekend.  And after working our way south on Eleuthera Island and making stops at Hatchet Bay Harbour,  Governors Harbour and Rock Sound Harbour, we decided today was the day to make a move east over to the Exumas.  The Exumas are a chain of islands and may be the heart of the Bahamas experience.  To cross over from Eleuthera Island to the Exumas you must cross the Exumas Sound.  So, after much debate and reexamination of the numerous weather models we had, we started out the morning at Rock Sound Harbour at 6:30 am to make the crossing.  All of the weather models called for easterly winds in the 15 MPH range.  One marine forecast called or 2-4 feet seas while the rest called for 1-2 foot seas.  Within a couple of hours we were on the sound and found 2-4 easterly waves and rollers coming out of the southeast.  In other words, the seas were confused.  The Exumas Sound crossing was to be 25 miles from Powell Point to Normans Cay. After the first 5 miles, we made a course correction from a heading that would take us to Normans Cay to a heading a little further north to Ship Channel Cay.  This would eliminate the beamy sea causing us to roll.  It turn, we now had a following sea and from time to time we would ride the waves like a surfer on his surf board.   The Exuma Sound has depths that average around 1400 feet deep.  As we approached Ship Channel Cay the bottom quickly rose up and with that came even more confused seas.  We had the waves driven by the easterly winds and the ever persistent swells from the southeast.  And for good measure let's add in currents from a falling tide. What do you have?  A roller coaster on water.  So, here we are at Ship Channel Cay and about to start a new adventure.  The adventure I have been waiting for ever since December 17^th when we first made the crossing from Miami.  We are on the hook at a Bahamas Island with crystal clear water and a sandy beach.  Can you say "Paradise"?

 Above - The Western shoreline of Ship Channel Cay.