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July 01, 2005
N25.3 W78.2 Great Bahama Bank
We left Lyford Cay with no wind, and motored across to the Northwest Channel entrance to the Great Bahama Bank. Our journey across the bank would be about 60 nautical miles. We entered the bank around 4pm and went from kilometers under the keel to 2-3 metres under the keel. We decided that with the calm weather, we would anchor on the bank for the night, rather than carrying on in shallow water watching for coral heads in the dark. We dropped anchor, got cozy with our books and watched the storms to the south. We soon noticed a sailboat coming straight for us.
“Union Jack”, a ketch-rigged sailboat like ours, came along side and asked if we had anchored for the night, and would we mind if they joined us. Of course, in the middle of the Great Bahama Bank with no land in sight, company is welcome. Turned out that they are from Scarborough, and were heading for Miami.
Later in the evening, a motor vessel was passing our stern and radioed the two sailboats anchored off his starboard beam. Union Jack wasn’t answering, so Dave got on to ask what he wanted. “Green Flash” just wanted to check to make sure we were okay, didn’t need anything, and to give his prognosis of the weather. Dave said we were sacrificing goats, our last attempt at praying for wind.
Incidentally, at the very last second when the sun sets on the ocean, there is a green flash. Many claim it does not exist, but we have both seen it. Hence the name of our friendly motor vessel. Dave has agreed to take back every naughty thing he has ever said about motor vessels. Oh, except for the pair that passed either side of us yesterday in the narrow entrance to the bank, whose wakes combined to give us a wee scare! Krikey!
Posted by dave at July 1, 2005 07:37 AM