We have some very strong winds coming in tonight and through the weekend so we decided we wanted a safe harbour. Thus we left for White Sound GTC this morning to either anchor or get a slip. The Sea of Abaco was in a snit with 3 foot wind chop. All the cuts to the ocean were suggested to be unusable. It was rough out there today. Fortunately we had to cover only 4 miles on the Sea of Abaco.
We entered White Sound on the high tide and it was fine except for meeting an outgoing large power vessel that was intent on keeping the center of the narrow channel and not sharing. What a BOZO. Well with the high tide I could hug one edge with no problem. The anchorage looked manageable but I was thinking with the dinghy motor on the fritz, lots of laundry, and a need to get some provisions, water and fuel before leaving for Florida we should go to the marina. That and the holding is not ideal in White Sound, it was crowded, and lots of wind 20 -25 SW - S - WNW predicted to begin tonight through Saturday and early Sunday - let's go to a Marina..
Well I called the Green Turtle Club and they had a spot on a T-dock for me - usually an easy access. Well there was a large mega yacht already there but room in front of it. The wind had died down to 10 or less so I just went right for it with the wind to my back which is not really bad but preferably you want it on the nose. Well we eased in and Karen threw a bow line to the dock master, I stopped the boat and left the cockpit to throw a stern line. The dock master says I'm still moving foreword - because of wing and he is leading the bow line forward like leading a horse.; He should have taken the line aft to stop and hold me. I jump back and reverse hard. The stern kicks away from the dock so I throw a midship line onto the dock. He is still fussing with the bow line, I say "you better grab that line before it pulls off the dock. He saunters to it grabs it and tries to pull me back but a big gust (20 kts reported by the boat waiting to come in behind me) catches me and is putting me perpendicular to the dock. I now about ready to wrap around the bow of the mega yacht. I yell to cast the line off and for Karen to cast off the bow line. I need to leave and in a HURRY!!. We are just inches from the bow of the mega yacht when my prop finally digs in and pulls me away - perpendicular - from the dock. Whew that was too close!! Even the dock master had big eyes!!
I turn around a lightly run aground just off the dock. I power away stirring up mud then come from behind the mega yacht and into the wind and work the boat into the dock where the dock master and friendly boaters catch our lines and problem solved.
Two things went terribly wrong and both were the dock master fault. First he should have taken that bow line and lead it aft to a cleat/piling and fasten it. That would have stopped my forward motion and allow me to power the stern into the dock. With that not done right he could have taken the midship line and fasten it rather than hold it and that would have stopped me from going forward and moving further from the dock. Grrrrr just total lack of experience and really knowing NOTHING about docking. NO TIP WAS PRESENTED.
Once in and relaxed we rented a golf cart with Born to Cruise and went to town for groceries and stuff. It was just too rough for a long dinghy ride and min e is not working very well. It was only $35 for a half day on a golf cart and we split it. Then after depositing the groceries we rode around a bit and visited different beach overlooks to watch the spectacular large waves coming in from the ocean and the real wind has not even arrived yet!!
Boy the showers here at Green Turtle Club are really nice and it felt GREAT. It has been a month since I took a real shower. Boy I smell good now..
Tomorrow will be dinghy motor work and changing diesel fuel filters in anticipation of a gulf stream crossing mid week next week. We will stay here till Sunday or Monday.
I'm going to sleep well to night tied to the dock!!
Ohh it is a bit expensive but they have a special on till the end of the month were I can subtract whatever I owe from the dockage from anything we spend in the restaurant or bar -- We will be eating out but not much. Food and drinks are quite expensive here. For example a Tipsy Turtle and a Margarita was $17.25 tonight -- that's just one of each!! Maybe we can afford lunch tomorrow.
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