After our 10-hour passage from The Abacos, we anchored in a protected bay on Royal Island, just outside of Spanish Wells on the island of Eleuthera. We had been watching the weather closely for days and were trying to determine if we should stay in this protected anchorage, and possibly be stuck in this location (with no amenities) for the next ten days, or work our way south to get farther away from this huge low-pressure system headed our way.
It wasn’t until the next morning, when we looked at Windy again to determine the wind strength, wind direction, wave height, etc., that we determined it would be safe and comfortable for us to pick up anchor first thing and head south. One of our challenges was trying to find a protected anchorage on the leeward side of south Eleuthera where we could arrive before sunset.
We determined that we would have a comfortable eight-hour broad reach sail with 15-knot winds and three-foot following seas, and that we could get to our destination before sunset. Everything looked good, and it was time to go. We let the folks on Unfettered know our plans, and they determined it looked good as well and decided to follow behind us. It was either leave now, or get stuck in north Eleuthera for over a week. Time to go! This is the life of sailing. You always have to be willing and ready to go when the right weather window opens. And things change often, so sometimes you don’t get an accurate forecast more than a day in advance.
The most difficult part of our trip was going through Current Cut. It is a very narrow cut with a strong, fast-moving current. At one point through the cut, between the pointed tip of Eleuthera and the adjacent Current island, it is only about 300 feet apart. We took our sails down before entering the cut, knowing that we would need full maneuverability, concentration, and visibility while going through. Kory took the boat off auto-pilot and hand-steered us through. It certainly was narrow and a bit scary with the fast-moving current, but once through the narrowest part, it opens up to stunning beaches and turquoise waters. What a sight! There is an optional cut, Fleming Cut, that many cruisers use instead of Current Cut. It’s much wider and easier, so perhaps we’d use that cut in the future instead, but we were thankful that all went well through Current Cut this day!
Overall, it was a great day of sailing! We love following winds and following seas. It makes for a very comfortable ride even when the swells are three to four-feet high. We made it to Rock Sound by late afternoon, in plenty of time before sunset, and anchored in the northern part of the harbor. Kory took Gracie for a ride in the dinghy and for a walk along the shore near the government dock while I stayed back to make dinner and prepare for another day of travel.
We only stayed in Rock Sound overnight, so we weren’t able to experience all that Rock Sound has to offer (Cathedral Cave, Ocean Hole, beaches, etc.). If we come back here again, we will definitely check those things out. Our plan was to get up early the next morning to continue our way south to The Exumas, and get further away from this ugly weather system that had already begun to build in the north.
