Black cloud -- she chase me!

Ohhh what a day. We planned to leave HopeTown today to go to Marsh Harbour for a few days and check in with customs to up our time here. Our 90 days are just about up. We do not plan to go back to Hopetown again this season.

The weather forecast was for 5 - 10 kts out of the south going Light and variable -- perfect for going into a slip at a marina. Last Sunday I had called Mangoes Marina to make a reservation. No response so I left another Voice main. Again no response. On Tuesday I left another VM - no response.

Wow out on the sea of Abaco the wind was blowing 12 -17! what about 5 - 10? I didn't like this because I want real light wind when entering a marina slip.

As we approached Marsh Harbour this morning the wind really piped up from 12 to 20 kts!! What happened to 5-10? Then I noticed dark clouds over Marsh -- hmmm a squall line forming. I called mangoes and they had no recollection of my reservation -- grrrrr. They told me to anchor and wait to see if there was anything they could do later today. He said he had 4 slips and 6 boats with reservations coming.

Well there is a MONSTER cold front coming across early tomorrow morning so we need protection before that. I called the other marinas on the phone (to not piss anyone off) and they were all full!!! What the heck!! We were at high tide and I had to move if I was going today. I then checked with Man O War marina and they had a slip for us but more expensive. Ohh well we would try that because I could not wait all day to just be disappointed later and that slip gone. We pulled anchor and headed for Man O War. The wind was still pushing 20+ kts. Ohhhh man and Man o War is a small tight marina and this is more wind than I want. Then it got worse.. The sky got darker and rain came behind us. The wind constantly pushing us to Man O War. Once in their tiny channel at just 1 hour past high tide we made the marina. Wind wasn't bad. They had an easy entry slip for me with the wind behind -- just as we entered the wind peaked again and was pushing us in. The dock hand did not know how to set up a spring line!! Told me he couldn't hold me.. I said to tie it off!! ohhh it was not pretty. We scrambled and fortunately other cruisers came to our aid and grab the lines the dock hand should have handled and we got in. Black cloud still over us!

Fortunately no damage was done other than my pride and we had arrived.

Man O war has never impressed us in the past although we always anchored out and dinghy'd in for a few hours. Well hanging around this afternoon we have met some of the friendliest folks. I think we are going to like it here for awhile.

Oh yeah -- the marina and all the mooring balls are full tonight in lieu of the big winds expected tomorrow through Sunday.

Even though the slips are expensive here the laundry is the cheapest we found yet at only $3.75 a load and the machines work great. I'd have to recommend this place but beware the dock hand.

NOTE to cruisers --- only enter near high tide... Another sailboat came in about an hour behind us just as we were checking in at the office. They called the marina and said they had run aground and asked to be towed off. The marina said they did not have a boat that could and suggested they call Edwin's Boat Yard. Well they were at lunch and when they got back that boat was hard around and leaning over. We were still 4 hours from low tide -- it was not pretty. They will have to wait till 9:30pm before they can get off with the tide tonight. Ouch!!

I wasn't the only one with a black cloud chasing me today.