Day 17 - 1/18/11

We are off again.  We watched a beautiful sunrise as we upped anchor and set out on the next leg of our journey.  By the time we awoke, the winds had finally switched from the south, which eliminated the banging from the waves the previous night.  Yes, the waves hitting between the hulls make a lovely crescendo.  It’s called wave slap. 

With the wind from the south, we were able to hoist the jib to give us a little extra speed without using extra fuel.  By midday, the wind had dwindled and shifted to more southeast, so we furled the jib.  However, a couple hours later, the wind shifted and freshened, and once again with the jib up, we had a nice bump in our speed.  Cruising over the Bahamas Banks reveals some of the most beautiful water in the world.

Our goal was the Northwest Channel, over 60 miles away.  Yes, it is an hour drive on the freeway, but a good day in a sailboat.  We passed a pod of 8 dolphins along the way, and I once again tossed the fishing line overboard in hopes of catching dinner.  Denied again; rice, broccoli, and sardines for dinner. 

Once we arrived at the Northwest Channel, we needed an anchorage.  By the time we motored the last 3 miles, the sun had set and we were setting the anchor in the dark.  Luckily, I found some sand and the anchor set on the first try.  Setting out 160+ feet of rode should secure us for the night.  Regardless, we are 5 miles from the channel, and I do not believe that we could drag that far.  Outside is a full moon, and with no other ambient light, as we cannot see any land mass from our anchorage, the stars are so bright.  Now if the seas will settle down, it truly will be a wonderful night.