“The world is burning, and yet the firelight illuminates the way out. The times are dire, even catastrophic. Nonetheless, we can sense a grand awakening, a growing realization all around the globe that “people have the power, to dream, to rule, to wrestle the world from fools” in the prophetic words of Patti Smith.”
~ Brian Klaas, The Despot’s Apprentice: Donald Trump’s Attack on Democracy.
On February 13th, we watched the sun dip into the water in the cloudless sky west of the French Leave Marina. While we would love to continue our Bahamas cruise, the arrival of Valentine’s Day made us realize that we must cover 650 nautical miles to return to Charleston, South Carolina, by mid-March. The wind forecast predicts northerly winds during the week of February 16th, culminating in high winds from the north over several days. Wind over wave will produce treacherous conditions that make crossing the Gulf steam safely back to the States impossible during this week. As a result, we decided to abandon our plan to visit Spanish Wells and instead take advantage of the window to cross back to the West End of Grand Bahama. Since West End is only 60 miles off the coast of Florida, getting to West End will provide us with more options for passage-making to Charleston. We washed clothes, filled the fuel and water tanks, and secured everything that could become a projectile to prepare Kailoa for the 190 NM passage. We selected waypoints based on the course suggested by our Predict Wind Routing software.
We left French Leave at 0730 on Valentine’s Day. Crossing the Bight of Eleuthera under 15-knot winds and clear skies was breathtaking. We reached Fleeming Channel by noon and successfully navigated the shallows before crossing to the Northeast Providence Channel. It was hard to process the water depth change from 15 feet to over 10,000 feet in less than a few miles. The wind speed picked up; we set the code zero, jib, and main sail (one reef) as Kailoa flew across the sea at an average of 8 to 9 knots, entirely under wind power. While taking in the views, wind, and waves, we listened to the Apple Music Valentine’s Day Playlist: Can’t Help Falling In Love With You, Elvis Presley; When a Man Loves a Woman, Percy Sledge….
The hours and miles ticked away as evening approached. With 20 knot wind forecasted later that night, we took down the code zero, staysail, added a second reef in the main and raised the jib. Kailoa continued to surge forward at a steady 8 knots. We enjoyed the sunset and a pre-made meal in the cockpit together while waiting for the Snow Moon to rise. Without a cloud in the sky, the moon illuminated the ocean. We counted our blessings; what an unforgettable Valentine’s Day.
The real fun began as we traveled through the Northwest Providence Channel along the Berry Island chain. Scott had always heard that this was a busy area for ship traffic, but now, we have experienced this fact firsthand. That night, we encountered cruise ships, tanker vessels, and cargo ships in rapid succession, which required our attention at the helm and prevented us from sleeping. Shortly after 3 AM, the ship traffic increased as we rounded the Berry Islands for Freeport.
Several course adjustments were necessary to avoid ship traffic moving at speeds of up to 12 knots. The AIS system was essential; however, due to Kailoa’s pitching in the 5 foot seas, the instrument’s reading, closest point of approach (CPA), for a given vessel varied from 500 feet to a mile at times, which felt too close for comfort. Scott hailed the bridges of two cruise ships (Disney and Carnival) on Channel 16 to ensure they saw us and would maintain their course. They both confirmed that they saw Kailoa on the AIS.
What made the passage particularly challenging was the presence of large 1,000 passenger vessels and 900-foot tankers crossing the channel from different directions and at varying speeds. Additionally, poorly lit 50- to 100-foot cargo vessels could easily have gone unnoticed without AIS. While under sail, we had limited options for maneuvering. At one point during the passage, we found ourselves surrounded by as many as ten ships, some approaching head-on from behind while others approached our beam. As the sun rose, ship traffic diminished, allowing us to cross to Freeport with the waves off our stern. We safely entered West End Harbor by 9:30 AM that morning. We departed West End for the first time on January 5th and returned on February 15 th, feeling like different people.
For the past three months, we’ve been at the mercy of wind and weather; our decisions to depart port or stay have been influenced by a myriad of combined variables – the sun’s energy, ocean currents, wind patterns, landform geometry, and the earth’s orbit. During this time, we’ve visited 20 ports of call. Every person we met, every meal we shared, and every lesson we learned resulted from a seemingly chaotic set of conditions that made for safe passage at any given moment. The beauty of these unexpected experiences, the serendipity of each landfall, made our journey over the last few months genuinely extraordinary.
We have learned firsthand that accepting that not everything can be planned or controlled has made us more adaptable. Learning from our experiences has enhanced our resilience and problem-solving skills. Heavy winds and seas tested our endurance and decision-making during the 190 NM night passage from Eleuthera to Grand Bahama on February 14. Without this practiced ability to read the instruments, wind, and sea, we would not have been able to work together to navigate the dozens of large ships encountered during the night through the Providence Channel.
Our journey has shown us the value of being present amid forces beyond our control. This mindfulness has deepened our appreciation for everyday experiences and led to a more fulfilling lifestyle. If we hadn’t embraced the unknown currents in Warderick Wells, we would never have encountered three majestic, enormous Eagle Rays swimming in their natural environment while snorkeling. We would also never have had a conversation with Bunker at the Black Point Yacht Club, learned more about Bahamian culture, or visited the Tropic of Cancer Beach.
Giving up the need for strict control made us more open to spontaneous opportunities. This has led to discovering new places, mastering new skills, meeting diverse people, and engaging in activities we might have otherwise overlooked. We confidently made landfall for the second time at West End, Grand Bahama, which now feels like home.
Moving forward, we recognize that no moment in our lives is a throwaway; no single moment doesn’t matter because every moment produces a ripple effect. To quote Brian Klass, “We control nothing, “But we influence everything.” This mantra will shape our future.
Kailoa Signing Off!
End Note: Dr. Brian Klaas is an American political scientist, an associate professor in Global Politics at University College London, an affiliate researcher at the University of Oxford, and a contributing author for The Atlantic. Prospect Magazine recently named him one of the 25 “Top Thinkers” globally. You can listen to a recent interview on Hidden Brain, hosted by Shankar Vedantum, entitled The Art of the Unknown: https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/wellness-2-0-the-art-of-the-unknown/
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