After our six-month refit and way too many ‘Boat Units’ of expense, Monarch was finally ready to get back on the water and go cruising. While it did take quite a bit longer to get the refit completed, the boat looks exceptional.
We exited Owl Creek near North Fort Meyers, Florida and went to Carl & Nancy Meyers’ spare dock on Marco Island. Once again, they were gracious enough to allow us to dock the boat there while we were back in Michigan for Thanksgiving and early December, seeing family and friends.
Once we got back to Florida in mid-December, Marty and Nancy went into high gear stocking the boat with supplies for the Bahamas. As it all came aboard and Monarch settled lower into the water, we thought we might have enough provisions to get us back to Michigan and then on up to Lake Superior this coming summer!
We were delayed leaving the Meyers’ dock as we waited for a favorable weather window to cross the Gulf Stream between Florida and the Bahamas. If the winds are from the wrong direction, this passage will not only be uncomfortable but could be dangerous. Finally, on Christmas Eve the long-range outlook appeared to be heading in the correct direction and we left for the Keys, to be ready to cross the Stream. Unfortunately, the forecast for Florida Bay was off and we had an uncomfortable trip south to Fiesta Key. We anchored out and during our normal engine room checks found a small leak in the raw water intake hose for the port engine. The weather forecast was still not favorable for crossing so we headed down to Marathon and picked up a mooring ball in the Vaca Key Basin, also known as Boot Key Harbor.
While Carl and Jerry attacked the engine problem for most of Christmas afternoon, Marty and Nancy pulled out the Christmas decorations and decorated the boat, lights and all.
We had a wonderful Christmas dinner that evening with a half a turkey cooked on the BBQ grill. All the trimmings included yams, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, molded cranberry salad, and pumpkin chiffon pie for dessert. We’re really roughing it!
December 27, we began moving toward our “jumping off” point for the Stream crossing. Because the winds were strong from the northeast, we stayed inside the Keys (to the north and west of the string of islands) and avoided the Hawk Channel outside the Keys, which would have been rough.
The inside channel is quite shallow, so we had to keep a sharp eye on the charts and the channel markers to keep out of trouble. The depth seemed to run around 5-8 feet, while Monarch needs 4 ½ feet.
We made the trip without incident, anchoring at Tavernier to spend the night. December 28 was more of the same shallow traveling, stopping off Pumpkin Key for the night, just off Key Largo. December 29 broke sunny with favorable reports for the Gulf Stream crossing. We expected some residual rough seas, but were pleasantly surprised with our 62-mile trip in only a foot or two of waves.
We saw few boats during the crossing, but spotted a sperm whale about 100 feet off our starboard bow. It was a solitary whale, blowing and swimming southwest.
On the evening of December 29, we cleared customs and immigration in North Bimini, part of the Berry Islands in the Bahamas. Bimini is about one-third of the way south from the northernmost tip of the Bahama Islands. On a map, the Berry Islands are about the same latitude as Miami, and the closest to the U.S. mainland of all the Bahama Islands. The islands are perched on the edge of Great Bahama Bank, and are a game-fishing center where world records are regularly made and broken.
We docked at the Sea Crest Marina, in Alice Town, which was one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite haunts.
We easily explored Alice Town on foot, strolling along the two main roads running the length of the island. Local women were selling conch fritters and strawberry daiquiris along the sidewalk.
We purchased some excellent fresh-baked Bimini bread, homemade, white and sweet. A local fisherman wandered the docks selling fresh-caught lobster tails, which we gladly purchased. That evening, we gazed from the stern of our boat at many yachts, including a 120–foot beauty whose homeport was Bay Harbor, Michigan (at Harbor Springs).
The next morning we were off for the 12-mile trip south to Gun and Cat Cays. (Cay is pronounced “key” in the Bahamas). Gun is marked by an old lighthouse, the only structure on the island.
Adjacent is Cat Cay, home to the Cat Cay Club, a large marina for LARGE yachts, and homes to match. We anchored offshore, and took the dinghy into the harbor to check out the boats. The marina has an adjacent airstrip where the rich are ferried in their private planes to their yachts and palatial homes.
Even though we weren’t residents, we ate as well as they did, with our fresh lobster tails done perfectly on the grill.
New Year’s Eve we crossed the Great Bahama Bank, a relatively safe patch of water with depths of 9 to 20 feet, for an 80 mile trip to Chub Cay and Frazers Hog Cay, where we anchored to ring in the New Year. As usual, the early rising, fresh air and ocean passage made us “early to bed” long before midnight! The year seemed just as new over breakfast on the aft deck the next morning.
Anchoring can be a challenge in the Bahamas, especially in “grassy-bottomed” areas, where the anchor has difficulty digging into the bottom. We just keep trying until we can be sure of a secure set – sometimes it can take three or more tries, but for our peace of mind and a good night’s rest, it’s worth it. Frazers Hog Cay was one of those places.
On New Year’s Day, the wind had switched on us, and made our anchorage less than calm, so we pulled the hook and motored a short six miles west to anchor off Chub Cay, which is home to another high-end, if small, resort. We took the dinghy into the harbor, but did not disembark, as it is private property.
The cottages looked quaint, painted in the Bahamian favorite pastel colors. Large yachts lined the harbor.
January 2 found us headed for Alders Cay, just 18 miles east. We passed many keys that were uninhabited and quite barren. Alders Cay is small, with one house on it. Adjacent to it is Frozen Cay, private with two homes, a private boat basin and beautiful landscaping.
We went ashore on the far south end of Alders Cay, near a grotto where the sea rushes under the rocks into the harbor. At low tide we could see the ocean through the grotto. This anchorage was our spot for two nights, secure on a good sand bottom. We swam, kayaked and enjoyed the sunsets from the aft deck.
We took the dinghy to Little Harbor Island, just north of our anchorage. There, Flo’s Conch Bar has served up more conch meals than McDonalds serves burgers.
This is witnessed by the mounds of discarded shells. We didn’t have reservations (!) and so will have to eat there next time around.
January 4 we departed for Nassau, on New Providence Island, in a rolling and rough beam sea. The flying fish were sailing just above the water for a surprising distance before diving back into the waves. We began to see more traffic as we approached this governmental and commercial seat of the Bahamas. More than 500 years old, this city is a base for giant cruise ships and freighters bringing all manner of goods into the Bahamas. The history here includes British Loyalists from the US, Spanish, French and ne’er do wells of all kinds, including Blackbeard!
We anchored the first night in the harbor, bounded on the north by Paradise Island and the south by New Providence Island. This creates a harbor with an east-west flow-through with a fair amount of tidal current. Our trusty anchor held well through several changes of the tide, with corresponding noisy wind/waves/current sounds all night long.
With Carl and Nancy scheduled to return to work this week, we secured a slip at one of the many marinas, the Nassau Harbor Club. This marina’s central location provided us a good base for making flight arrangements for the Meyers and for some sightseeing.
We walked many miles during our stay here, taking in downtown Nassau and Paradise Island just over the bridge to the north.
There, we had a quick look at the huge Atlantis resort casino complex, built around an underwater theme with its megayacht marina, and huge aquarium complete with live fish, sharks, and manta rays.
The farmer’s and fishermen’s market, on New Providence Island just under the bridge which spans the harbor, has floating “kitchens” which purvey fresh conch, live fish and fresh fruits and vegetables.
We were sad to see Carl and Nancy leave us on January 6, and appreciated their companionship, boating skill and “local knowledge” of the Bahamas, as they had previously been here by boat. They have promised to return to Monarch before our Bahamas trip has ended.
We walked to the nearby Nassau Yacht Club for a beverage, and were pleased to see the DYC burgee displayed among other club flags.
Generator problems! We noticed an occasional, unnatural revving of the generator, accompanied by a surge in voltage – not good for equipment! Word has it that mechanical help is very sparse in the southern Bahamas, and if you have a problem, Nassau is the best place. We were only one day south of Nassau, so we left Norman’s Cay and headed back to our “favorite” marina, which we had only recently departed. The harbormaster helpfully introduced us to his favorite diesel and generator repair company; shortly after, two pumps were removed from Monarch and air-shipped to the States for rebuild. We are waiting at the dock for at least a week for this process. So we decided to make the best of it and have a “vacation.”
We are doing some sightseeing. The area is very walkable and we have been wearing out shoe leather! We visited the Queen’s Staircase, 65 steps carved out of solid limestone by slaves in the 18th century, in honor of the 65 years of Queen Victoria’s reign. 
The staircase is 102 feet deep, with a cascading waterfall and lush tropical plantings – and a good number of souvenir shops.
We also visited Fort Fincastle, with strategic views of the Grand Bahama Bank. The fort was built in 1793 by Lord Dunmore, 
and has cannons mounted on semi-circular tracks used to adjust their firing direction.
Sunday, we attended St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, the county’s oldest church edifice, which was dedicated in 1802. The church is located in a large, very old cemetery. As is typical of tropical low-lying areas, there were many aboveground crypts, unfortunately in poor repair. We attended the High Sung Mass, a 2½-hour long service of song, instruments, a firebrand preacher, and a very welcoming congregation. An elderly woman with a walker, who was seated right behind us, sang harmony with such gusto and volume, we could hardly hear the organist. The islander parishioners put on their Sunday finery, hats included, for this service.
We went back to the Nassau Yacht Club for a fine dinner of grouper and conch, and met a couple of local members, who were very hospitable. The Club is next to Fort Montagu, which protected the east end of Nassau Harbor. 
This area is nice for walking, with some beautiful flora. Another benefit of our delay – we have made new friends!!! Chris and Lee are from Virginia, on a steel sloop berthed in our marina, on their way south as well. We have enjoyed cocktails on each other’s boats, and asked them to join us to watch the historic Presidential Inauguration. They have no TV aboard, so we huddled round our 17-incher to see the oath of office and inaugural speech – quite the occasion.
