Our Travels

After limping into the Conch Inn Marina in Marsh Harbour on Saturday, we spent the weekend licking our wounds, so to speak, in disbelief. Can the “heart” of our ‘Mare really be hurt… bad? Yup, bummer.

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As soon as businesses reopened Monday morning, we got busy researching mechanics, service yards, and as it became clear very quickly, tow companies. As it turns out, our proud SaltyMare needs to be towed back to the U.S. for her engine repair. Between availability, expertise, and our desire to treat her right, to the U.S. we go. Given our little emergency engine is just not suited to go all the way back, towing is the only solution.

Timing for the tow is weather dependent, of course, so once the plan was agreed to by all parties, we returned to wait mode. Surprise! Around 1100 this morning, we got the word that we’d be picked up for the tow at 0700 tomorrow morning near Great Guana Cay. Uh-oh, that’s a couple of hours away at our new speed…. (think slower than a snail), and the tide is dropping. Quick! Check out of the marina (Terrell, thank you very much!), “zoom” (ha) out of there with the last of the needed tide to anchor in deeper water outside of the harbor, so we can splash the dinghy to scoot back into the harbor to get to customs! Plan worked! Quick work at customs, and we are now officially free to leave the country. Whew. Hurry back to the boat, return the dinghy to the top, weigh anchor, and head off at our “speedy” little-engine-that-could, breakneck four knots for Great Guana Cay, the furthest north we can stage without transiting Whale Cay Cut, which we didn’t want to risk on our little engine.

Because of our limitation, we were advised that the tow plan should actually be a three-step process First step, pick us up as soon as we get to Great Guana for the tow through/around Whale Cay Cut late this afternoon. So, we anchored at Guana Cay and waited for the first tow boat.

We found it really odd to be “cruising” along without actually navigating, but as expected, all went smoothly. They hauled us to anchor right by Green Turtle Cay. Actually, very near to where our Bahamian adventure began back in December! Time flies when you’re having fun!

The second step begins very early in the morning (rumored 0400), when we’ll embark on Leg #2, a tow across the Great Bahama Bank to the closest point to Florida, Memory Rock, where we will spend tomorrow night anchored. Then the final step, Leg #3 – an actual tug (we’ve been told) will get us across to Florida Friday.

So far so good.