Kathryn’s Voyage Blog

Publish Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Location: Northeast Providence Channel, Bahamas
Coordinates: 25° 15.180′ N 77° 52.198′ W

We left Bimini with excitement about crossing the Great Bahama Bank and heading to Nassau. So far, none of us has experienced any type of sea sickness. On our open ocean crossings we have all take Bonine as a precautionary measure, and it appears to have worked.

The Great Bahama Bank is quite shallow, generally less than 20 feet deep. The winds have picked up and are blowing on average 15 -20 MPH from the East, with gusts up to 30. We predicted a bumpy ride, which it turned out to be, but no real problems.

I think the trouble started after we made our way across the bank and had to anchor out that night before crossing the Northeast Providence Channel, the next day. Winds were continuing to blow 15 to 25 mph, with no relief insight. There is no real protection on the bank, so we had a pretty rolly night at anchor. I awoke the next morning with a general sense of tiredness and a headache, which I racked up to a poor nights sleep.

We needed to cross the Providence Channel that day because weather conditions were going to deteriorate with an approaching front. The seas were predicted to be 2 to 3, with winds out of the east at 15 to 20 knots – should be fine. Which it was for Dave and Ayla, however I crumpled like a piece of paper. The Providence Channel is known for having turbulent seas as there is very deep water piling up at a relatively small entrance of the Great Bahama Bank. Ayla, sitting in the pilot house, was having a ball feeling like she was riding a roller coaster and repeating over and over, “sea, sky, sea sky etc…” Meaning at one moment we were looking straight up at the sky and the next we were surfing down a wave with water splashing over the bow.

Dave and I kept thinking this has got to get better. But it didn’t. For six hours we pounded our way across the Providence Channel. The seas were more like 4 to 6 and the wind was unrelenting. We all took seasickness medicine within the first hour recognizing it was going to be our roughest day yet. However, after about an hour and half of trying to stand and look out the pilothouse window at the horizon, I finally folded. I spent the next 4 1/2 hours curled up in the fetal position on the floor of our salon (least motion on the boat).

If it had to be someone, I’m glad it was me. I wouldn’t want Ayla to ever feel that bad, and I definitely wanted Dave at the helm. The boat handled beautifully. She is built to do just this type of thing. They always say the boat can take more than you can. Boy is that an understatement.