The Island Hopping Digital Guide To The Southern Bahamas - Part II - The Jumentos: Including Ragged Island

By Stephen J Pavlidis

This edition is Part II of The Island Hopping Digital Guide to the Southern Bahamas and covers the Jumentos and Ragged Island.

The Island Hopping Digital Guides are the digital versions of the world-famous cruising guides written by Stephen J. Pavlidis.  Over the past 20 years, Stephen J. Pavlidis has written more than 10 excellent

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seaworthy Publications, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781892399502

Stephen J Pavlidis

Stephen J. Pavlidis has been cruising and living aboard since 1989. First aboard his 40' cutter-rigged sloop, IV Play, and today he is cruising aboard his 31' Chris Craft, Swan Song. Starting in the Exuma Cays, over 20 years ago, Steve began his writing career with guides to the many fascinating destinations he visited. Many of his books stand alone to this day as the quintessential guides to the areas he covers. His books are different than most other cruising guides in some very significant ways. All of the charts in Steve's books were created using data personally collected while visiting each area using a computerized system that interfaces GPS and depth soundings.

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The Basics

Anchoring

Just as important as getting your vessel moving and keeping her heading along your chosen courseline quickly and efficiently is the fine art of keeping your vessel from moving. Many of the anchorages in this book are swept by swift tidal currents, sometimes up to 3 knots, and to avoid bumping into your neighbor in the middle of the night or putting your vessel on the rocks or beach, two anchors, such as in a Bahamian Moor, are required.

Anchor choice is basically a personal preference. Some skippers prefer CQRs, while others swear by a Bruce, a Rocna or a Danforth. Of the lot, you will find that a Danforth holds as well or better than a CQR or Bruce in sandy bottoms while the CQR or Bruce is preferred when anchoring in rocky bottoms. Whatever your choice of anchor, you must deploy your anchor correctly and with sufficient scope to hold you when the tide changes, if a front approaches, or if a squall should blow through at 2:00 a.m. (which seems to be the time they choose to blow through). Your anchor should have a length of chain (at least 15’) shackled to your anchor to keep your rode from chafing against coral or rocks and to create a catenary curve that helps absorb shock loads while lowering the angle of pull on your anchor. Too high an angle may cause your anchor to pull up and out of the bottom. Some cruisers prefer all chain rodes with a nylon snubber to absorb the shock loads. This is an excellent arrangement but a windlass may be needed unless you prefer the workout involved with hauling in the chain and anchor every time you move.

In many of the leeward anchorages in The Bahamas you will find that you can lie quite comfortably to only one anchor. When setting your anchor do not just drop it and let your rode run out, piling itself on top of your anchor. Lower your anchor to the bottom and deploy the rode as you fall back with the current or wind until you have at least a 5:1 scope out, 7:1 is preferable but not always possible. When calculating the amount of scope required, be sure to allow for high tide as well as the height of your anchor roller or fairlead above the water. Without being precise, you can figure on a 2½’-3’ tidal rise in The Bahamas although occasionally you may find a 4½’ rise, and in general a little more rise during a full moon and a little less with no moon (remember that the soundings in this guide are at MLW, Mean Low Water, this means that it is possible to have a lower tide with less depth that what is shown). When you have secured your rode, back down with the engine at about ½ throttle to set the anchor. If you have not succeeded in securing your anchor, try again. To check the set, it is best to dive on your anchors or at the very least, look at their set through a glass bottom bucket from your dinghy. You may find that you will have to set them by hand, especially in rocky areas.

If there are other boats in the anchorage when you arrive and they are riding to two anchors, or if you are in an area beset by tidal currents, it is best to set two anchors in a Bahamian Moor. Although one anchor may be fine if you have the swinging room, when the tide changes it may pull out and fail to reset. These anchorages are often very crowded and while you may swing wide on your one anchor and not find yourself endangered by the rocks or beach, you and your neighbor may go bump in the night because his two anchors have kept him in one spot. If unsure the best thing to do is follow the lead of those boats that are there before you. Conversely, if you arrive at an anchorage and everyone is on one anchor and you choose to set two, do so outside the swing radius of the other boats. If you are riding on one anchor and find that you are lying to the wind but that the swell is rolling you, position another anchor at an angle off the stern so as to align your bow into the swell making for a more comfortable night. Another option is to rig a bridle which allows your vessel to lie to the swells and not the wind.

To set a Bahamian Moor, you must first decide where you wish for your vessel to settle. You will lay out two anchors, one up-current and one down-current of that spot which will keep you swinging in a small circle. Head into the current to where you will drop your first anchor and set it properly. Let out as much scope as you can, setting your anchor on the way by snubbing it, until you are at the spot where you are to drop your down-current anchor. If the wind has pushed you to one side or the other of the tidal stream, you will have to power up to the position where you will set your second anchor. Lower your second anchor and pull your vessel back up current on your first rode, paying out the rode for the second anchor and snubbing it as you maneuver back up current to your chosen spot. You may want to dive on your anchors to check their set. Keeping your rodes tight will keep you swinging in a tighter circle. Check your anchor rodes daily as they will twist together and make it extremely difficult to undo them in an emergency.

In some tight anchorages you will be unable to set your anchors 180º apart. An alternative is to set them 90º apart in a Y configuration perpendicular to the wind. A skipper with a large swing radius in very tight quarters is apt to find out what his neighbors think of his anchoring technique as soon as the wind shifts. Responsible anchoring cannot be over-stressed.

Always set an anchor light. Some cruisers feel this is unimportant in some of the more isolated anchorages. What they probably do not understand is that many locals run these islands at all hours of the night, even on moonless nights, and an anchor light protects your vessel as well as theirs. There are no designated anchorages in The Bahamas.

It is important to note that the lee-side anchorages, especially those in the outer islands (Inagua, Plana, etc.), can get rolly at times (yes, you will learn a new dance, The Out Island Roll). The Atlantic Ocean surge seeks out any way it can to round the tips of these islands to cause you seemingly no end of discomfort and here is not much you can do about it except possibly use a second anchor or bridle arrangement to keep your bow or stern into the swell. If using a bridle, set up your line on the opposite side that you wish to turn your vessel. For instance, if you need to turn your bow to port to face the incoming swells and make for a calmer ride, run your bridle line from a winch to a block on your starboard quarter and then forward outside your shrouds to your anchor line. Either tie it to your rode or, if you use all chain, attach it to the shackle where your nylon snubber (be sure to use a long one, at least 10’-20’ if you are setting up for a bridle arrangement) hooks to your chain. After your anchor is set, simply crank in your bridle line bringing your bow to port and off the wind.

Anchorages on the eastern shores of the Bahamian out-islands are all daytime anchorages only, due to the prevailing winds and should be used only in settled or westerly weather.

Never anchor in coral, even