West End to Great Sale Cay and on

We arrived into West End Bahamas at 1430 hrs from Miami after an 85 mile run on south winds, what a great sale. We checked into customs and docked at Old Bahamas Bay Marina for $1.50/foot. NOTE: If you pre-join the Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club for $150 first year and then $30 each year after that, then you get a 20% discount at Old Bahamaas Bay plus the $15 mandatory water bill is waived. You also get many discounts at other marinas in the Abacos.

Join Royal Marsh Harbor Yacht Club Here..
www.rmhyc.com/

See Old Bahamas Bay Marina here...
www.oldbahamabay.com/

From West End Bahamas, we used the Indian Key Channel which had 6' at low tide as we followed the Steve Dodge cruising guide waypoints. The old posts and pilings that use to be there are all gone and you need to follow these points. SP Catspaw lead us through in a fleet of 6 Island Packets!

Setting sail out of Indian Key Passage, we had a starboard beam reach sail in 12-15 knots out to Mangrove Cay where we could turn to starboard a little and head for Great Sale Cay. We sailed the entire leg of 50 miles and we could have even sailed into the anchorage and drop the hook in 10 feet of clear water right off the NW side of the island, but we motored in the last 10 minutes!

With the predicted approaching frontal system as planned, we raised anchor at 0700 and set sail around the top of Great Sale Cay setting a reefed main and a reefed jib in 20+ knots of wind. With a wind angle of 60 degrees, we all were sailing at hull speed and making way for Spanish Cay Marina where we actually booked docks while still back in Miami. Carey advised us to look into this because this frontal system was well predicted for over a week. We knew we had 3 days of south winds and maybe SW winds, so we used the WX window to make the run of 3 days from Miami to West End to Great Sale to Spanish Cay. Sure enough, we arrived Spanish Cay at 1500 hrs as the winds were building to 25+ and we all docked and were secured in time for a swim in the pool.

With this being the off season, the fee is $1/ft with a restaurant, bar, clubhouse, pool, laundry, beach, and reef to snorkle. Looks like we may be pinned down here as this frontal line is expected to hit here today with 30-50 knots and then be blowing 30 for a few days.

Lucky for us, we are all safe and secure. We usually do not take docks, but with this frontal line, it looks like a good call.

See Spanish Cay Marina here...
www.spanishcay.com/


PS:
We are booked for BAREFOOT MAN concert at NIPPERS on March 16, 17, 18 and more...

Hayden in Spanish Cay with...

SP Catspaw
460 Cutter Loose
420 Flatlander
40 Lark
37 Dragon's Toy

Photos of this leg...

Sailing for Great Sale Cay


Beautiful Blue Waters


The Fleet at Sunset off Great Sale Cay


More photos here..
ipyoa.com/photos/62-hayden/album?albumid=232

Jess:
Thank you for the added info, we are looking at Double Breasted Cay on the way north in April. Green Turtle Cay was fantastic as we spent 4 days there waiting out the high winds.

Marsh Harbor Medical center looks like a good place if one needs help, it is good to know your friend is the Doctor there. It is a small world.

Hayden