Monday February 26, 2018 - Warderick Wells Exumas to Rock Sound Eleuthera

The forecast for crossing the 30+ mile Exuma Sound was about as good as I thought it would ever be - 10 to 15 knot winds from the SE.  It would be a reach, on one long starboard tack with the perfect winds for True Blue.  I had seen the Sound from BoBo Hill the afternoon before and it didn't look bad - and the winds were supposed to drop a little over night. 

I was up early and dropped the mooring at about 8:40am.  It took about 30 minutes to motor out of the Warderick Wells North anchorage and put up the main sail.  I debated whether to leave the double reef in the main, go to a single reef, or go with no reefs.  In the Chesapeake, I wouldn't even consider reefing the main in 10 to 15 knot winds.  But this wasn't the Chesapeake so I left the double reef in.  When I went out through the cut, into the sound, I was sure glad I did.  The wind was 15 to 20 and the waves were 3 to 4 feet.  For the first 2 to 3 hours, I was doing 6.5 to 7 knots, consistently.  I was also getting a little wet.  The first 20 miles was all hand steering (no autopilot except for a minute here or there).  I got drenched a couple times by waves that I didn't see coming.  The last 10 miles (to Cape Eleuthera - the southwest tip of the island) was much better.  The wind dropped to around 10 and I ended up using the full genoa.  Once I rounded the Cape, the area is very shoaly.  I removed both reefs from the main and then tacked, head to wind up another 15 miles to Rock Sound.  The last 15 miles was some of the most enjoyable sailing I've ever done.  I love beating in calm seas and 10 knot winds - and that's just what I had. 

My new friends Mike and Lisa had been motor sailing the entire time.  They had started behind me and finally passed me just before coming into Rock Sound.  They complained too about how rough it was and they have a Morgan 46 ketch. 

I got in around 5pm, showered, ate, and crashed.

Rock Sound is both a body of water and a settlement (town).  It's the biggest town I've been in since I left the US.  I'd guess the population is between 500 and 1000.