77. Exodus

I’ve been getting ready to leave Jamaica, and preparing the boat – I fixed the compass light and the salon light broken during the passage from Aruba, cleaned up the engine a bit, topped up the oil and tightened two very loose belts. I also re-furled my jib and cleaned the propeller. Now I’m just waiting for a weather window, and hoping I will be able to come back to Jamaica soon.

Independence Day fireworks in Mobay

I checked out of Montego Bay on Tuesday and sailed to Negril with Lanny and Ginger on S/Y Swiftsure, who are also going to the Cayman Islands. We anchored in Bloody Bay and had dinner.  We turned on Swifsure’s underwater lights and the water was so clear we could see hundreds of tiny transparent box jellyfish. The next day we went snorkeling and saw lots of beautiful purple fan corals, and squirrelfish.

S/Y Swiftsure anchored in Bloody Bay

We will leave on Thursday. The Cayman Islands are 200 miles away, so it’s a good overnight sail. I’ll head to Cayman Brac first, and then after a few days on to Little Cayman and Grand Cayman.

Long Bay, Negril

I borrowed a copy of John Lecher’s book Self-Steering for Sailing Craft from Jack and prepared everything I need for sheet to tiller self-steering.  From the tiller, on one side I have a line running through a block and across the cockpit to the main sheet, putting a bend in it so that when I sail tension in the main sheet will pull the tiller. On the other side of the tiller are lengths of bungee pulling the tiller back when there is less tension in the main sheet. I think it’ll work; the sail to Cayman will be a good test.

Rain clouds in Negril