Third Time's a Charm--Lake Worth Inlet to Port Lucaya

Most of these Boats will leave Lake Worth tonight for the Bahamas.  Note the full moon.  Also this  remarkable photo was shot by Jan on her iPad in the late dusk when the scene was barely visible to the eye. The famous Palm Beach is the background.

Every crossing of the Gulf Stream is unique, but success tends to bring repetition. So it is with the White Pepper. This was our third successful crossing from Lake Worth Inlet, Florida to Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas.

Let's review the options. A rare cruiser will leave Jacksonville, cross the Gulf Stream, and then head South for Marsh Harbor. I believe this is for the boat that does not mind a beating.

Another set of brave souls will set out from Fort Pierce, sail South, turn East, cross the Stream and then enter the Bahamas at the Mantilla Shoals bound for Great Sail Cay, Spanish Cay and Green Turtle Cay. In reverse this route is my preferred course for leaving the Bahamas in May. However, it present considerable difficulty in January.

Further south at the Lake Worth Inlet (essentially West Palm and Palm Beach) many cruisers gather to cross on the so called northern route. Most travel from Lake Worth to Memory Rock on the edge of the Little Bahamas Bank to Great Sail Cay (about 110 n. miles away from Lake Worth) and then on the escalator to Green Turtle Cay and the Abacos. While very popular this route leaves one exposed to the vagaries of winter in the Southwest North Atlantic. Another option is a quick daytime trip to West End, Bahamas on the tip of Grand Bahama Island. This trip is only 55 n. miles. White Pepper chooses to go south to Port Lucaya which is 18 n. miles past Freeport for a total of 90 n. miles. This route is both up current and up wind. It is the path less frequently traveled.

The great problem with going to the Abacos from Lake Worth Inlet in January is that it is winter in the Bahamas. While the weather is often nice it is occasionally terrible. Great Sail Cay while fine in settled weather is no refuge in a storm.

Another rant is that the best time to actually sail across the Gulf Stream as opposed to motor is just before a cold front. If one is tucked into Port Lucaya, no problem. If tucked into West End when the front passes, you a just bored for a few day. If caught out in the Little Bahamas Bank in a northern, real problems can occur.

Moving on South Fort Lauderdale is a good spot to launch out to Bullock's Harbor on Great Harbor Cay in the Berries.

Further South, Miami is very close to Bimini and Gun Cay/ Cat Cay. This is the so called southern route. Of course, from these destinations one is committed to a long, maybe overnight sail across the Great Bahamas Bank to Nassau, New Providence Island and all those hassles.

White Pepper has actually traveled the southern most entry route which is from Marathon to Riding Rock Cay, across the Great Bahamas Bank, through the North West Channel and on to Chub Cay. This is a rarely used entry to the Bahamas.

This year White Pepper arrived at Lake Worth looking for a narrow window that had been predicted days earlier. The window was narrow indeed and predicted just ahead of a weak cold front. The front was so weak that there would be none of the usual clocking Southwest and West wind. The Southeast breeze would only weaken at night for a few hours.

Jan and I picked up the anchor at 10:30 pm and left the Lake Worth Inlet at 11 pm. 5-10 knots with 1-2 foot seas were predicted. What we got was 10-12 knots from the SSE with 2-3 foot seas. We could carry the reefed main which stabilized the boat. Actually sailing would have been a long sorry beat. However, with the new powerful 3JH5e Yanmar motor White Pepper powered along at 6+ knots all night long. There was a beautiful full moon with clear, dry skies. It was an easy trip.

We arrived at Port Lucaya at noon 13 hours later and were docked by 2 pm. At 3:30 pm the front arrived. The skies opened up; the wind howled. Jan and I were at the bar and raised a toast to those fellow cruisers still out on the Little Bahamas Bank headed for Great Sail Cay.