we're in New Providence

Ho, ho, ho!  Looks like we'll have internet for Christmas!  Thanks, Santa!  We are at an anchorage at the west end of New Providence Island, on which Nassau is located (about 10 miles from here, on the north side).  We will be here through Christmas riding out some (more) windy weather.

But last night - The last blushes of pink vanished into the darkening layer of clouds. Nearest land was 15 ft down or ten miles away. The lights? Our Christmas lights, 5 masthead anchor lights, and Christmas lights on one other boat. Of the 9 boats that bolted from Bimini this morning, on the first mild day in the last 5, 4 went north around Bimini, 5 went south and then south west and west into the Grand Bahama Bank. Like sheep gathering for warmth on a cold night (actually about 65 degrees) all five anchored within 150 yards of each other – on the banks. There’s just no place you can get to in daylight, going west from Bimini. The wind was forecast to be mild, promising  easy night. It was a bit more than mild -- 10 to 15 kts, producing a 2 to 3 foot chop -- not bad, but not exactly placid!

The “banks” are great shallow areas, with depths ranging from a few feet to 20 ft between the groups of Bahamian Islands, and the ocean abyss -- typically thousands of feet deep. The Gread Bahama Bank is surrounded by Bimini, the Berry Islands, Andros Island, an area of maybe 75 miles wide by 150 miles long. The Yellow and White banks lie south of Paradise Island (Nassau), and lead to the Exumas, stretching south for 150 miles. The banks are free from ocean swells, acting more like a shallow lake with wind driven chop.

  That bit of green - Joulters Cay - is the nearest land.  Each square is about 5 miles (that would be almost an hour for us....)  Depths are in meters. We crossed onto the dark blue abyss today, the Northwest Channel to New Providence.

It was a bumpy crossing today from the banks to West Bay, but a profitable one.  FISH!  Our first one of the Bahamas.  He was a nice size Skipjack Tuna (aka Oceanic Bonito).  He went after my big mahi rig, that 15" rascal! 

Referenced as "very dark and not to most tastes, but very nutritious".  He's sitting in a wine/lemon/paprika soak right now; Ken will grill him tomorrow for snacks on his & Heather's boat for the 3 "dark" fish eaters.  Not for me, thank you.
Weather is supposed to get really bad the next couple of days.  Don't know if we'll be off the boat or not.  But we should be able to be in touch!