Making tracks from Nassau to the Berries on a simple broad attain
My spouse, Carla, and I had no intention of going to the Berry Islands. I had by no means even heard of them. We had been at anchor in Nassau, although, when the pandemic lastly reached The Bahamas. Instantly, the whole lot began to shut down. We would have liked a brand new plan, and we would have liked it quick.
We had been because of depart New Windfall for Miami, by means of Bimini and the Gulf Stream, however with the dearth of a visa for Carla because of the U.S. embassy closing, our dream of crusing the Florida Keys was over. It was nonetheless too early within the season to go out into the North Atlantic and make our approach again to Europe, even when the islands of Bermuda and the Azores would take us. We had been going to have to take a seat this one out.
Finally, we had determined to cruise the Berry Islands after which it will be on to the Abacos earlier than departing for Bermuda a few months later. That will give time for all over the place to shut after which, hopefully, reopen. We stocked up with provisions for a month at Solomon’s Recent Market and headed again to our Lagoon 400, Ocean Fox, to place our plan into motion.
Most individuals have heard of George City, of the Exumas, Hope City within the Abacos and Bimini, however the Berry Islands are small and, with their lack of infrastructure for vacationers, usually ignored. Altogether, they cowl a mere 30 sq. miles, cut up throughout 30 islands and 100 islets and cays. They’re additionally house to round 800 folks.
Sitting northwest of Nassau, they aren’t on the rhumb line to Marsh Harbour or the observe west throughout the Nice Bahama Financial institution and Alice City. For essentially the most half the islands are abandoned. My 450-page pilot e-book for The Bahamas devotes solely about 11 pages to them.
The 26-mile passage over was a blast, with the wind simply aft of abeam. We sailed with a reef in the principle and one other reef within the genoa after setting off simply after first gentle with a purpose to give us time to seek out an anchorage for the night time within the chew of Chicken Cay, a non-public island on the southern tip of the archipelago. 4 hours and 10 minutes after our departure, we had been pouring 8ft of chain over the bow curler into the clear gin-tinged blue waters and onto the Egyptian cotton-colored sands under. This was paradise.
The Lagoon 400 Ocean Fox throughout a provisioning stopover
A number of days later we had been on the transfer once more to Whale Cay, searching for some delicate sand and sheltered waters to dry the boat out—it was time to provide the underside a great cleansing. Upon our arrival we set out within the Highfield dinghy with a lead line to seek out one of the best path to the seashore. By the afternoon, Ocean Fox was simply knee deep within the heat clear waters, and we had been out with our scrubbing brushes giving the 2 hulls a great wipe-off to do away with the inexperienced algae that had been slowing us down. Our solely guests had been a number of small sharks that got here alongside to see what all of the fuss was about.
The creator exhausting at work with a scrub brush
With the boat nonetheless sitting on its keels we went for a stroll ashore to discover the seashores across the lower. The waters had been heat, and with the commerce winds blowing at 30 knots, the ambiance was recent and invigorating. The remoteness of those islands is breathtaking, with white seashores, lapis blue waters and wide-open skies.
The next day we had been cruising across the outdoors of Whale Cay to the north level of the island and the anchorage tucked in between Whale and Little Whale Cays. The 15-mile passage consisted of a attain adopted by a broad attain as we handed the elbow of the island and headed just a little extra to the north. We got here by means of the lower maintaining nearer to the north of the 2 islands and located a spot off the small quay that added some safety to the seashore past. To enterprise in farther behind the islands would have been an excessive amount of of a danger with out the assistance of some native information or a information.
A number of days later and we had been gutter working alongside the sheltered aspect of Hoffman’s Cay. With Carla on the bow, we traveled as slowly as we might, hoping to not hit both coral or a rock. At one level, we discovered ourselves on the delicate sand backside and needed to detour again a number of miles to seek out one other approach by means of. Ultimately, although, we managed to get to the massive bay on the west aspect of the island that was our vacation spot and had been quickly within the RIB and on our technique to the seashore.
We had come right here to see the Blue Gap, an enormous freshwater lake, like the attention of a needle within the lengthy slender island. It was a brief stroll by means of the bush and up the rocky escarpment to the vantage level above. The water under regarded darkish and sinister, and we each declined the supply of a swim. The view, although, was one thing else.
Folks usually check with the Berry Islands because the “The Fish Bowl of the Bahamas.” Positioned on the southeast fringe of the Nice Bahamas Financial institution, they’re subsequent to the so-called “Tongue of the Ocean,” a deep underwater trench that attracts in giant fish, rays and turtles, making these waters among the most lovely and productive of all the Bahamas.
Crowded anchorages are not often, if ever an issue on this a part of the world
The runs between the islands due to this fact made for an incredible alternative to get the rods out, and it was by no means lengthy earlier than we might have one thing on the road. Half an hour of preventing, and we’d land a big amberjack or tuna, giving us sufficient protein for per week or two. It actually was fairly extraordinary that they might simply come alongside one after the opposite. All had been filleted, bagged and frozen for later consumption.
Our last vacation spot was the bay on Nice Harbour Cay, an anchorage shielded from the ocean by numerous small off-lying islands. Passing by means of the doorway, you head straight in and make a flip to port across the shallows and into the safety of the so-called mainland. Right here we dropped the anchor in 6ft of water, figuring out all too nicely that at half tide we might be on the underside. There have been two different boats within the anchorage, and sometimes others would come and go, although it will most likely maintain an armada of yachts if it was any farther south within the Exhumas.
There aren’t any giant inns right here, just a few personal summer time homes and the occasional abode for the adventurous or the journey influencer on the lookout for a paradise image that by some means no one else has taken. That leaves solely cruisers like us to benefit from the peace, the vistas and the waters the realm has to supply. We had discovered our paradise. Whereas we had been there we might step off the again of the boat and stroll to the shore by means of the shallows or take the Highfield throughout the deeper passages and on into the inlet. Giant noticed rays would shoot by means of the water as we chased them with the GoPro beneath the floor. Additional into the inlet and the waters can be frequented by the turtles. The nice and cozy water serves a nursery for the younger, which spend their days darting between the shallows.
In all we spent per week sitting on this bay, having fun with these clear blue waters, strolling the shallow sandbanks and brushing the seashores. Each flip was one other tantalizing view. The digital camera snapped at each alternative.
Days would go by as we loved the spectacle of the small islands that shield the bay from the tough waters of the Atlantic ocean to the east. This was a surprising location to spend your time in lock-down. We had the whole lot onboard to remain right here for some time.
Months earlier, our journey by means of The Bahamas had began in Nice Inagua, essentially the most southerly island within the archipelago. From there we had continued on by means of the Exumas, then out east to Spanish Wells in Eleuthera. We had by no means seen The Bahamas at their finest, although, till we found The Berries. On September 1 the earlier 12 months, the islands had been stripped of all vegetation and destroyed by Hurricane Dorian. However by some means the magic of the Berries was saved. If I ever get the chance to sail this fashion once more the Berries shall be my favored vacation spot. The truth that it’s so underdeveloped, pristine and pure is central to its rugged magnificence.
Ed Word: You’ll be able to observe Carla and Simon’s journey by means of the “Crusing Ocean Fox” or “Wholesome on Board” Fb, Instagram, YouTube and Patreon pages. Their web site is sailingoceanfox.com. Their podcast might be discovered at destinationsailingchannel.buzzsprout.com
Pictures by Simon Fowler
MHS Winter 2022
