To the Bahamas with John William

John and Sue Mackie, John William 37VT68

jwmackie37@gmail.com

We decided we wanted to see the Exumas and so started the planning stage in 2014.  After doing local cruises, the Keys, Miami up to Jacksonville and around the Cape Canaveral area, we had a pretty good idea of the improvements we wanted to make to John William.

Storage was the big concern so that is where we concentrated our efforts.  Tools, engine parts and other maintenance items were relocated away from the easily accessible storage areas making access to the daily consumables more manageable.   Storage drawers for canned goods were installed under the salon settee.  The pilot house stairway was modified with a shelf and the bottom step hinged to provide easier access.

A 20 gallon per hour water maker was assembled and installed in the lazarette; which was a must for the down island cruising given the small size of our water tanks.

Spare anchor rodes and spare anchors were brought aboard and a new deck box for the stack deck was built to handle diving gear, cleaning supplies and other miscellaneous items.

After helping a sailor rig his propane stove so he could make coffee he commented our boat reminded him of a hardware store.

On April 17, 2015 we departed our home dock with our 14 foot Carolina Skiff equipped with a new 20hp Mercury, bimini top, anchors and 200 feet of tow line which doubled as our second anchor rode.  After spending our first night out with our cruising club we proceeded to the Stuart area to meet up with longtime friends who were going to buddy boat with us to the Abacos.   It was their first time making the trip.

April 21 was a long 120nm day.  We ventured out into the Atlantic under overcast skies and rain, crossed the Gulf Stream and entered the Little Bahama Bank just north of Great Abaco.  It wasn't until well after dark that we finally dropped the hook in Great Sale Cay.

April 22 we arrived in Green Turtle Cay, the heart of the Abacos' cruising grounds, and cleared Customs.

The next three weeks we traveled from Green Turtle through the Southern Abacos and back up to Green Turtle.  Our buddy boat and friends headed back to Florida at the end of May.

June 2 a boat from our cruising club met us to venture on down the island chain to Geogetown, Exumas.  Together we traveled south through the Abacos to Little Harbor.  Our 62 mile, open ocean, crossing to Russell Island in the Eleuthras, was under cloudy skies and rain.  A large ground swell kept it from being a comfortable ride.  After a two day stay in Spanish Wells we made the 50nm hop across the Banks to the northern Exumas.  Here, in protected waters, we worked our way south while exploring the many popular Cays and the Land and Sea Park.  Once we reached Little Farmers Cay it was time for the 47 nm open ocean run to Georgetown.  As luck would have it the 

seas were running 5 feet and hitting us on the port bow, not a comfortable ride.

June 25 we decided to point our bows to the North and head back up the Island chain with 4-6 footers on the Starboard quarter.

June 29 we departed Black Point, Exumas for the Island of New Providence where we spent 2 days at Palm Bay Resort a new development on the Island.

July 1 we were headed for the Berry Islands and then on to Bimini where we were greeted by sweltering temperatures and no-seeums.

July 2 we made the crossing to Ft Lauderdale and after stopping for some R&R along the way we ended at the home dock on July 8 with 1332 miles under the keel.

During the trip we had no mechanical breakdowns.  We did not run out of food, made a ton of water, experienced calm anchorages as well as lots of rough ones.  We sawtrade winds up to 25 kts and experienced very few calm days.  We had no problems towing a 14 foot skiff.  We ate in some good and not so good resturants.   During the 82 day trip we stayed three nights in marinas and utilized as many moorings as possible.

We will do another trip to the Islands to explore the places we missed, mainly Eleuthra, and to spend some more time in the Northern Abacos north of Green Turtle. The boat performed well and suited us fine.  We are planning another extended cruise this year up the East Coast.

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