Holed up @ Berry Islands Beach Club

I am on a nice mooring in the Berry Islands While this wind blows itself out.  It is better weather in the Berry’s than the Abacos.


After I left the Keys, and made most of the Gulf Stream crossing in the dark.  There was a lot of ship traffic, and a lot of phosphorescence towards the Bahamian side.  The seas picked up a bit, and I was glad when I came up onto the Banks near Riding Rocks.  I waited an hour or so until daylight to see the rocks, and then began crossing the bank.  After a couple of hours, I anchored up for a few hours of sleep, and then went on through NW Channel, and down to anchor off Morgan's Bluff, Andros to anchor for the night. I went into the channel after dark, but, having been here before, I was familiar with the channel, and most of the channel markers were on station.

I cleared Customs and Immigration the following morning, and pulled pulled my pressure pump on the fresh water system apart, trying to fix the pressure switch that wasn't working properly.  Then I crossed fifteen miles of the gorgeous waters of the Tongue of the Ocean, to anchor between Bird Cay and Frazer’s Cay @25 24. 739N  77 49.900W  I was watching the early Tropical Storm A…, and decided we would be in for a night of blusterymisty rain.  I managed to grill chicken,sweet potatoes, and onions between the squalls.

                      

In the morning, unable to get a good weather forecast, I took the Whaler over to the Berry Island Club, where Harry met me at the dock,and gave me the weather scoop.  I moved the Mercy around to one of their moorings, where I sit, waiting for the wind to ease off a little.

I enjoyed my first cracked conch for the trip, with rice and peas, and coleslaw at their little restaurant. The food was REALLY good!

Today I spent a couple of hours putting things away andorganizing and cleaning, and now, catching the journal up as the misty rain and blustery winds continue.  It blew steady around 35kts with some gusts on that for a couple of hours, and when the wind dropped back to 25kts, it seemed remarkably calm!  Did I mention how I love this boat, her stability, and her ride?

There are now five boats clinging to the moorings, and two other boats I’ve talked to, that are anchored out of sight of here.  One of the boats is from Marathon!  I heard a boat coming into Chub Cay say thathe’d had 10-12’ seas.  It is a great time to be tied to a good mooring, in a somewhat protected area.  I am looking forward to ministry in the Abacos, and this weather has been a good time for me to “be still." The forecast for tomorrow is calling for wind before things slow down on Friday. 

Considering that Abaco is facing the open ocean, I have tofigure out when best to make the crossing over from the Berry’s.  I’ve been reading up on all the anchorages,and there is a lot of exploring I’ll have to come back and do with Allen.