The Bahamas – going the wrong way in the wrong boat

When we left the UK, we had charts (for the passages) and pilot guides (for the details of where to anchor in which conditions etc) for most of our route. Tim Blackman had kindly given us his complete set from his Transat Classique in 2008, but he had given the Bahamas and Intra Coastal Waterway a miss. James had trouble getting guides in the UK but thought it should be easy to pick them up this side of The Pond. We were wrong. Everything is based on the American boat cruising down from north to south from the USA. Even in the BVIs, it was impossible to find a chart or guide for anything other than the BVIs and USVIs – the limits of the charter fleet excursions.

Whilst we were awaiting our ensign, I had ordered two pilots from Amazon. The delivery had cost as much as the guides. It turns out I spent all that money to find out that there is only one stop in the Bahamas or Turks and Caicos suitable for Croix des Gardes and that is Nassau. Despite our fatigue at yesterday's conditions, it still seems daft to pay the $300 clearing fee just to visit Nassau.

We spent the last 24hrs running under three reefs and staysail only. Matthew was moved to James' berth, Elizabeth took the driest of the saloon berths and James and I slept in our wets. The wild ride only abated in the early hours, but we were reluctant to increase sail. Only by morning did we shake out a reef. The wind dropped rapidly to force 4 and we are now running downwind under full sail once more. We have stopped shipping waves over the deck and things are beginning to dry out down below, although the remains of the swell are still causing a lot of roll.

Having failed to make good progress to windward, we had to discard any ideas of running to Provo, Caicos for respite and bore off for Little Inagua instead. We cleared the north of the island just before midnight and are now tracking for the south west corner of the Crooked Island / Acklins archipelago. I read the pilot in hope of a quiet day stop so we could do a spot of snorkelling but to no avail. The guide tells of exposed Atlantic coasts, shallow coral-infested west coasts and no facilities or sheltered anchorages. "If you have no purpose other than poling around to see what it is like down there, think twice." There is one protected anchorage hereabouts at French Cay where we will find "at least 12ft of water," but it is only by examining the chart that we see we need to cross a sand bar at the entrance with barely 7ft of water at high springs. Yet another haven is denied our deep draft yacht.

This is a shame as the areas sound really interesting. Great Inagua is a National Park and home to the largest flock of flamingos in the Western hemisphere, as well as roseate spoonbills, reddish egrets and other interesting birds. Further on, the Crooked-Acklins-Long Cay archipelago has two interesting and ancient disused lighthouses to explore and amazing beaches and reefs. Tomorrow will take us past Long Island with its internationally famous blue hole – a 4000ft deep cavern just off the shore where the AIDA free diving records are made. Again, every anchorage here is for vessels drawing 6ft or less, and require calm seas, good weather and a noonday sun to make the visual approach round the shifting sands and coral heads. We will press on and hope to see our first land since leaving Puerto Rico this afternoon.