Warderick Wells, Exumas 24º23.744N | 76º37.925W
We've shaken off months of stillness and turned Cara Mia into a working boat again. Sailing out of Elizabeth Harbor with Jessie Marie and Katerina on Wednesday marked the beginning of our northern plod. All three boats stopped at Emerald Bay for free laundry (!) and to pick up Katerina's namesake returning from Canada, then once again set sail for Black Point and beyond.
Our plan all along has been for Chip and I to share the duties onboard, for both of us to know how to do everything. With a crew of two, even a minor incident, like a sprained wrist or seasickness, can leave either of us single-handing.
However, even with the best laid, as we headed south, we fell into "roles," unplanned tasks that we each handled all the time, born in part from survival instinct. Being new to our boat and new to cruising, the learning curve seemed taller than the mast. So, given the choice of learning 10 things or 20 things, we made an obvious if subconscious choice.
We decided that the day we turned to head north, we would swap duties, primarily the roles underway. For docking, anchoring and mooring, Chip has always been at the helm, I have always worked the lines. On the northern trek, we have traded roles.
And now the compass has turned.
Black Point was our first anchoring as rookies, and we both performed beautifully although not quite perfectly.
Today, pulling into Warderick Wells with its tight moorings and narrow channel, I was imagining somewhat of a parallel parking maneuver. I was fully prepared to chicken out, but our mooring ball was between two empty balls, wide open. Our first successful mooring: DONE.
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| Sailing out of Elizabeth Harbor behind Jessie Marie and Katerina. |
Our plan all along has been for Chip and I to share the duties onboard, for both of us to know how to do everything. With a crew of two, even a minor incident, like a sprained wrist or seasickness, can leave either of us single-handing.
However, even with the best laid, as we headed south, we fell into "roles," unplanned tasks that we each handled all the time, born in part from survival instinct. Being new to our boat and new to cruising, the learning curve seemed taller than the mast. So, given the choice of learning 10 things or 20 things, we made an obvious if subconscious choice.
And now the compass has turned.
Black Point was our first anchoring as rookies, and we both performed beautifully although not quite perfectly.
Today, pulling into Warderick Wells with its tight moorings and narrow channel, I was imagining somewhat of a parallel parking maneuver. I was fully prepared to chicken out, but our mooring ball was between two empty balls, wide open. Our first successful mooring: DONE.
 |
| Back on the amazing Bahama Banks. |
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