Bimini to Nassau

April 17th was our final night in Bimini and we invited Lanny and Jess over again for dinner. We pulled away from the dock about 7:15 a.m. Friday and prepared for a long day to Chub Cay. In fact, when the Captain plugged the waypoint into the GPS we learned that it was ten miles farther than we originally thought, based on what the charts told us. At any rate, we figured we would reach Chub by 6:30 or 7:00 Friday evening. Along the way we established radio contact with George & Janice who were also on their way to Chub Cay in their sailboat, "Calamus."

About mid-afternoon Janice called to say that they were tired of getting knocked around by the waves and were going to anchor on the Bahama Bank somewhere near the entrance to the Northwest Channel and go in to Chub on Saturday. We decided we would do the same and finally got anchored about 5:30 that evening. We arrived at Chub Cay about noon on Saturday and found a place to anchor in an incredibly beautiful setting; unfortunately, the anchorage is just off channel that leads to Chub Cay Marina. Between the tidal surge from the deep water that is a very short distance from the anchorage and the wakes from the boats going back and forth to the marina, we were subjected to a constant side-to-side rocking motion that was not very pleasant!

Our anchorage at Chub Cay.


We put the dinghy in the water planning to go get some ice from the marina; however, the Captain wasn't able to get the outboard motor started. After messing around with it for quite a while, he gave up and ended up going with George & Janice in their dinghy to do some snorkeling in search of what the Bahamians call "summer crab" after lobster season ends. With a couple of successful hits, we were all set for a wonderful dinner of grilled summer crab and fresh Mahi-Mahi provided by Todd's fishing friends in Bimini.

Shhh... don't tell anyone it's a lobster.


The sun sets over the Bahama Bank...


...as the moon rises over Chub Cay.


We left Chub Cay about 7:45 Sunday morning and crossed what is known as the Tongue of the Ocean, arriving in Nassau early afternoon. The water is several thousand feet deep in the Tongue and it was fairly rough even with a very light breeze from the east/southeast. I would hate to see what it's like in big winds!

About halfway to Nassau, we heard a radio transmission about a search and rescue operation for a woman who had supposedly fallen overboard sometime around 4:30 a.m., and we saw the Coast Guard helicopter flying a grid over the water. Then, about and hour later, we heard someone come on the VHF saying that they had found five dead bodies floating in the water and were making arrangements to have them transported to a nearby marina. We later heard that there were as many as ten bodies found, that it was some kind of smuggling operation gone bad and that their boat probably sank, but it's anyone's guess as to what really happened.

The entrance to Nassau Harbor. You can see two cruise ships docked on the right and the Atlantis complex on Paradise Island on the left.


By early afternoon we were anchored in Nassau Harbor just east of where the big cruise ships dock and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening reading, napping and watching the activities in the harbor. Since we had to do something about the non-functioning dinghy motor, we made arrangements to go to Nassau Harbor Club Marina Monday morning where we were hoping to find someone to work on it. Before going to the marina we stopped at a nearby fuel dock to top off with diesel for a mere $5.03 per gallon (that includes a 2.3% surcharge for using a credit card).

A closer look at Atlantis from our anchorage in Nassau Harbor.


We saw lots of mega-yachts cruising through Nassau Harbor.


After securing the boat at the marina, the Captain promptly got out the hose and spent a few hours washing off the massive amount of salt that had accumulated on the boat since leaving Bimini while I walked to a nearby gas station to purchase a bag of ice.

Our slip at Nassau Harbor Club Marina - "Life's2Short" is second from the front if you can't tell.


Todd also called an outboard mechanic who told him that his labor rate was $75 per hour, with a two-hour minimum. When he learned how old the motor was (1978), he told Todd that any parts they might need would have to be ordered from Miami, assuming they could even still get them, and suggested that we consider purchasing a new outboard while in Nassau. George had told Todd that you could buy an outboard in Nassau cheaper than in the States so I suppose that is the prudent thing to do, under the circumstances. We certainly can't go to the Exumas without an outboard on our dinghy!

So, Todd spent the afternoon shopping for, purchasing and installing a new Mercury 9.9 horsepower outboard while I walked over to the grocery store to see what I could find. Talk about sticker shock! Nonetheless, I found a few things on sale and bought a few other things that were more expensive than I wanted them to be, but at least within the bounds of reason considering where we are.  I should mention that there is an entire shopping center across the street from Nassau Harbor Marina complete with a Starbucks (with WiFi), a Radio Shack, a Kentucky Fried Chicken, a bank, a liquor store, a video store, a Mailboxes, Etc., a home store of some sort (Bed, Bath & Home) and several others. There are also three marine stores and a dive shop within a few blocks. Makes it very handy when you're on foot!

At the time of this update, the marina rate is $1.75 per foot, per night, plus $6.00 for water and the electric is metered (not sure what the price is per kilowatt hour). After walking to a nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner, we took a taxi over to the Atlantis on Paradise Island. Atlantis is a huge resort and hotel complex with a large marina, an aquarium that puts Hemingway's to shame (the Springfield people will know what I'm talking about), a multi-acre water park with slides, river rafting, pools and sand beaches, along with a 64,000 square foot casino and the requisite shops and restaurants. Although not as opulent as the Las Vegas hotels and casinos, it is definitely a spectacular piece of real estate!

A limited view of a small portion of Atlantis. It's just too massive for the camera to capture!


This is an outdoor fountain featuring flying fish.


We spent some time checking out the aquarium and wandering around the beautifully landscaped grounds before making our way to the casino where we played a few slots. Unfortunately, our bad luck with the slots continued and, at $7.50 per beer, we didn't linger long!

Our plan is to leave the marina this afternoon and anchor at Rose Island for the evening before heading to Allan's Cay in the Exumas tomorrow. Rose Island is about four miles east of Nassau and then Allan's Cay is probably another thirty-five miles to the southeast. Our next chance for Internet access will likely be Warderick Wells, Park Headquarters for The Exuma Cays Land And Sea Park, which is about one-fourth of the way down the Exuma chain. Stay tuned as we continue our exploration of the Bahamas!