January 24, 2009 NASSAU, NEW PROVIDENCE, BAHAMAS

PICS
• Summer Breeze looking down from Flo’s
• Entering Nassau Harbor, with permission
• Nassau Yacht Haven . . .Us & the yachties
• Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island (the other side of the tracks)

On Thursday, Jan. 22, having already said goodbye to Flo & Chester, we tip-toed out of Little Harbor Cay’s hurricane hole on the high tide with our little diesel thumping in the morning quiet. We woke up in the dark, so we’d be ready to get out of the anchorage as quickly as possible, just as soon as we could read the bottom and see the few marks following the small channel heading out from Flo’s toward deep water. It was a small, quickly closing window of tidal opportunity. It’s a quarter-mile of breath-holding tension . . . waiting for a dreaded bump on the sand or coral. We succeeded by the narrowest margin of 6 inches, according to our depth sounder. Then, minutes later, we were clearing the coral heads protecting the harbor and popping out that big ol’ genoa on a heading southward for Nassau. The sun was just starting to peep over the horizon on the port side of the bow; still a bit chilly from the passing northers, but a beautiful morning nonetheless. We even had on our sweat pants and raingear for warmth. Boy, as much as we enjoyed the Berry Islands, being on the move again out on the water felt great! It always feels good getting underway. Within a couple of hours, the Berrys were history; we could see nothing but water again. Well, water . . . and a couple of other sailboats following along way behind us with their sights set on the same destination.
“Give me that horizon; Nassau in seven hours.” (Capt. Jack Sparrow, s/v The Black Pearl)

At 10:30am, I win the contest between Nan and I; I spot the tiny little bump that is the top of the Atlantis Resort Hotel on Paradise Island only 17 nautical miles straight south and right on our rhumbline. Nassau harbor is still 3 hours away, but the weather is perfect and the deep waters of the Tongue of the Ocean upon which we are sailing now are treating us very respectably. This is serious blue water here, not the shallow Bahama Banks stuff, there’s over 3000 meters, a mile & three quarters, beneath Summer Breeze’s hull. Then again, anything over 6 feet deep is a problem if you’re only 5 foot 11 inches tall; so, who’s really counting?

By 1:30pm, we are passing the west harbor entrance lighthouse and have received permission from Nassau Harbor Control to enter the harbor. Down comes the sail, we’re back in civilization. A hundred feet away at dock is Carnival Cruise Line’s “Fascination”; she appeared out of nowhere a couple of hours ago, as ships are so apt at doing, and zipped in front of us. I guess she wanted to get to the best slip ahead of us. We heard her checking in with the harbormaster, too. She had 1200 passengers and 900 crewmembers on board preparing to assault Nassau; their last port of call was Key West, yesterday. Shortly, we were tied up securely in our slip at Nassau Yacht Haven Marina ready to attack a honey-do list a mile long. We were out of everything!