From: briangale@alum.bucknell.edu [mailto:briangale@alum.bucknell.edu]
Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 11:06 AM
Subject: West End -> Nassau
Hello all! At last writing, I had just cleared customs in Bahamas and was preparing to make a 3 day journey to Marsh Harbor, relieved that I was finally assured of making it in tme for Christmas and Mom's arrival.
HA! On Christmas Eve I ran into a big low pressure system and had to duck into Green Turtle Cay just before the 35 knot winds started blowing. I spent Christmas Day eating, reading and eating. Fortunately the storm blew itself out quickly and i was able to make Marsh Harbor only a day late. Mom had been marooned in the Miami Airport by the airlines, so mom, sister and I arrived simultaneously. We had four nights of sun, fun and sailing they departed on the 31st, which gave me the opportunity to cut loose and... not go to bed until 10:30. Hey, I woke up for the 2:30 fireworks!!
After a couple days lounging in Marsh Harbor waiting for weather, I'm on the move again. After a short day sail, I made the 60 mile transit from the Abacos island to the Eleuthera Island chain (25.5 degrees North, 69.8 degrees West, for those of you playing at home).
I've spent a fair bit of time on this vacation out of sight of land. Well, out of sight until you look down and realize that you're in 6 feet of water! On my first full day in the Bahamas, I helped a couple get back into the channel after they had run aground - out of sight of land! On this particular passage, however, things are a bit different. The water here goes from 80 feet to over 13,000 feet in just a couple miles. After spending a few weeks here, it is somewhat comforting to be able to look out and judge the depth of the water by its color - dark green is good water, yellow is shallow. When it gets this deep, however, the water becomes an incredible cobalt blue, absolutely beautiful. Beautiful and a bit unnerving. I mean, sure, you can drown in seven feet of water just as easily, but thirteen THOUSAND feet? Seems a bit extreme to me.
With that uneventful passage finished, it was another 40 mile hop to Nassau, where I pick up my buddy Truman. Truman did this same vacation three years ago, so he'll be my guide for the next week as we return to Eleuthera before returning to Nassau to pick up my second tour guide, Truman's co-pilot Nisa. From Nassau we'll head south to the Exumas, where I'll sopend the next month.
I hope all is well with all of you. Thanks to everyone who has written. One request - when you write, please don't reply with a previous message atached. Phones here are on a fairly slow microwave and satellite system, and I've been creating gridlock at the payphones downloading my email.
Take care,
Brian
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