Back out into the big sea – Cave Cay to Elizabeth Harbour, Great Exuma

We left Cave Cay cut with a little apprehension due both to the current running through the cut and what awaited us in the Sound, this was back into the big sea.  We had timed our exit approaching high water so we able to push a little tide which ended up being a couple of knots and all was good.  We cleared the shallows and were able to come away from the wind and get on our heading which was going to be hard on the wind all the way to Elizabeth Harbour, Great Exuma.  It was a little rolly out in the sound but great to be sailing, we had North easterly force 5 and had 1 reef in the main and full foresail,  so made good progress.  Amanda had forgotten how difficult it is to stay seated in the cockpit when we hard on the wind, he legs do not reach across the seats so she is constantly fidgeting to find a comfortable positions.  We also noticed our toilet seemed to be filling a little with water but good to find this now and not on rapidly approaching “big” crossing – since this journey Mark has managed to look at the pump and change.  There were a few other boats heading south one behind and one in front of us but what was funny that after a bout 15 miles we suddenly met all the boat coming north, all at slightly different speed but there was a long procession of them that we then had to dodge.

We reached the cut into Elizabeth harbour which is a little nerve racking as there are various patches of breaking water but we stuck to our way points and sailed on in but at 6 knots we were trying to put away sail and slow ourselves down.  The navigation into the harbour is all through shallow water and one patch was 2.5M which was pretty scary as it should not have been this shallow but we made it through.