December 6, 2012
After one last snorkel at Rose Island, we picked up anchor and headed for Nassau. It was time to tend to some errands ashore.
The 6 mile journey to Nassau, taking us about an hour, was all motoring against the wind. Ominous rain clouds were appearing on the horizon, so we kept our fingers crossed that we would make it before it rained. We were in luck.
When coming into Nassau Harbor, all boats must hail Nassau Harbor Control on the VHF requesting permission to enter the harbor. Nassau Harbor Control asks for last port of call and vessel registration numbers. Then, they grant you permission and tell you to have a good day.
Moments after our anchor found the bottom in Nassau Harbor, the rain clouds found us. By that point we were actually quite excited to have the dousing of fresh water. Our foul weather gear had been sitting out on the back of our nav chair since our crossing from Beaufort because it was too salty to hang in the closet.
As soon as the rain began to pour, we put on our full foul weather gear and went on deck. At first, we just stood there, holding out our arms and rotating our bodies in the wind blown rain. Then, we began doing topside chores. I removed the offshore jack lines, and Wil began cleaning the deck and cockpit with a scrubbing broom. We worked to unclog a drain hole that happened to have pieces of refrigeration insulation in it from when we were at Jarrett Bay. We laid out the fishing gear for a good rinse. Anyone watching would have thought we were nuts, but it was so refreshing to be covered in fresh water.
As we were getting ready to go to bed, the wind had died and boats had begun to swing different directions in the current. A power boat had swung too close to our stern. However, since we were the last boat to anchor in the area, we were the ones who had to move. It’s never any fun to re-anchor a boat in unfamiliar territory in the dark, but we got it done. Then, we were able to rest easy for the rest of the night.
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