A couple more days ...

The much anticipated cold front bashed its way through the Abacos today. Starting yesterday the winds were pretty consistently in the low 20 knot range, which lasted through last night while adding splashes of rain. Kintala has 2 big hatches, 2 smaller hatches, 10 opening ports in the main cabin and 3 in the aft cabin, the vast majority of which are pretty much open all the time. Rain falling though the V-berth hatch always wakes Deb (sometimes me as well, though usually she has to thump me to life as she exits the berth) and the scramble is on to get the boat closed up. Come this morning, and in spite of the winds ramping up enough to churn even the protected waters in Treasure Cay, we took to doing boat cores. After which getting off the boat for a while seemed like a good idea, even if the dinking was wet and bumpy.


We walked across the Cay to check out the "Big Pond" (what the locals call the Atlantic Ocean). It was surprisingly smooth given the lashing we were getting; proving that I have a lot to learn about big water conditions. Back sitting around the pool to get some Wifi we chatted with another crew working their way south toward Nassau on their Manta cat. Most everyone else seems to be going the other way so it was reassuring to talk to experienced cruisers with a plan similar to ours.

We had noticed several Manta cats these last few days and learned why; there is a Manta gathering going on in the Abacos soon. (We noticed because the Manta is a boat we once thought in our price range; not sure where that illusion came from.) While chatting I noticed the sky darkening up so we headed back to Kintala on another wet and bumpy dinking. Soon after the winds ramped up to 30 plus to stir up the waves, then the rains came and pounded them back down. It was quite a show for a while. We were glad to be tucked away on a well set hook but both of us were surprised had how few boats had found there way here. We had settled in on Saturday afternoon expecting to have a lot of company, but the place is only moderately crowded. (We heard other protected spots in the area were chock full with people scrambling to find a place to avoid getting a spanking. Waiting to the last minute to make a decision on a craft that moves at a slow trot at best? Not sure that is a good idea.)

For a few hours this evening wind faded to nothing and it is an excellent night to be living on a boat. Cooler, dryer air moved in and the harbour was as still as a pond. But the wind is forecast to be back in the 20s tomorrow with 6 foot seas in the Abaco sound, and it is already back in the low teens. Things happening with family have made it important that we not delay our return to the States past the current plan (if possible), and we would really like to be moving south. But the forecast has given us some pause and we may be here a couple of more days.

Gee, a couple more days at Treasure Cay in the Abaco Islands ...