The winds had been howling for days, with gusts up to 38 and no end in sight, and we were mostly confined to our boat. Trying to go anywhere in the dinghy made for a rough and wet ride. Thankfully, we had been holed-up in a good anchorage at Big Majors, which provided protection from the eastern and southern winds we had succumbed to all week. We were still getting pounded by the wind, but this spot provided enough protection to keep the sea state fairly calm.
However, this was all about to change, and change quickly. The southerly winds were expected to make a drastic shift to the west by late afternoon and all through the night, and we would be completely exposed to the strong winds at our anchorage. This direct exposure would produce very rocky seas all day. It was already uncomfortable, but this shift would leave us vulnerable to a gnarled sea state that we did not want to experience.
We had been watching Windy and PredictWind for days to see when the wind was going to clock, and we were preparing for a move to a more protected anchorage where we would have shelter from the westerlies. We just weren’t sure when that would be. But when the winds started wrapping sooner than expected, we knew it was time.
It was a blustery, rainy morning, on our 40th Day since leaving the United States, before showers or breakfast, when we saw a couple of other boats leave the anchorage right after sunup. We prayed to know whether we should also go, and became confident that this was the right time to pick up anchor and move. The winds were already coming from the west, and the wind speeds were picking up as well. So, it was either go now, or not at all. Also, we realized that if we didn’t move soon, there may not be a spot available in the new anchorage. We needed enough swing room for our boat, so we knew it was best to move quickly and get a good spot.
The new anchorage is called Between the Majors and is known as a good place to ride out heavy winds associated with cold fronts, especially the westerlies. This is exactly what we were looking for. There were two routes to get there, either from the north or from the south. We chose the northern route around Fowl Cay.
exposed to westerly winds
much more protected from westerly winds
seas are already picking up
We made it safely around Fowl Cay and to Between the Majors, our new anchorage. There were already several boats there, a couple that had just left our old anchorage right before we did. We were thankful we went when we did. We got a good spot, but had to anchor twice in order to get our anchor to hold. We dug tight the second time and took a moment to take a deep breath, pause, and thank the Lord for getting us here safely and securely.
It was still a crazy afternoon, as the current is really strong in this area. The wind was opposing the current and causing our boat (and the other boats in the anchorage) to move over our anchor. When there is no current, it is normal for the bow of the boat to be facing into the wind, but when there is a strong current, the two fight against each other and the current usually wins. This results in the anchor being behind the boat. We pitched and rolled all night, but the holding was good, and we were a lot more protected from the 30+ knot winds in this location. We did not second guess this move.
By morning, the winds had calmed down quite a bit, gusting to around 24, and the wind had shifted again, coming out of the north for the next 48 hours. This was the perfect morning to leave for Georgetown, about a 7 to 8-hour sail south. We wanted to take this opportunity because the weather was going to change again in a couple of days and we didn’t want to be stuck in this location. Everyone else had the same idea.
Right at sunrise, around 6:30am, we pulled up anchor and headed out of Big Rock Cut from the Exuma Banks to the Exuma Sound. I can’t say that it was a comfortable ride south, as the seas were still pretty churched up after the storms we had been getting, but the wind and waves were mostly behind us, and it was tolerable. The folks on Unfettered followed behind us, along with about three other boats. Everyone was Georgetown bound!
