We had known since last year that Geoff's sister's wedding would be in August, and we wanted to fly back to Ottawa for the event. Since it was hurricane season, we needed to find a safe place to leave the boat (a hurricane hole) with access to an airport. There were two well-known hurricane holes near us - one right in George Town, Bahamas, and one in Luperon in the Dominican Republic.
As our required departure date back to Ottawa was getting closer, we started to think about which hurricane hole we wanted to leave Geru in. The trip from George Town to the Dominican Republic is on what is called the Thorny Path. Travelling from the central Bahamas through the Turks & Caicos, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands takes you in a south-easterly direction, which is against the direction of the prevailing winds. This means that you need to motor much of the time and you will be pushing against wind and waves, which can be very uncomfortable, and you will travel more slowly. All of this earned the route the name Thorny Path.
Looking at the dates and the weather, we decided that we could make it to the Dominican Republic if we left sooner rather than later. We also knew that we would need a few days to get things sorted out once we got there, such as booking flights and securing the boat for a storm or hurricane that might hit while we were away. If we waited much longer, we could not be certain we'd make it to the wedding.
So on Saturday, June 28, we left George Town headed for Cape Santa Maria on Long Island. The winds were forecast to be about 15 knots and waves 5 to 6 feet. As we left George Town harbour and headed out, the conditions at first were about what we expected. However, it became quite rough as we got farther out. We were motoring right into both the wind and waves. Geru was slamming down on the waves with lots of water on the deck - it was quite unpleasant! We turned to each other and asked if we wanted to do this for 5 days straight to get to the Dominican Republic, which we would have needed to do in order to get there in time. So, feeling very frustrated and defeated, we turned around - and we now truly appreciate why they call it the Thorny Path! We ended up having a great trip back to George Town (it's SOOO much better running WITH the wind and waves!).
The next day we sat down to figure out what to do - wait for better weather to try again and risk not making it back to Ottawa, or stay in George Town and fly back from there. Because we did not want to miss the wedding, we decided to stay in George Town and planned to travel to the Dominican Republic after the wedding. This would allow us to take our time for the trip. We also wouldn't have to skip any islands we wanted to see along the way, because we would not be in a hurry. It would also allow for unscheduled stops to wait out weather. The route to the Dominican Republic passes through less sheltered waters, with fewer islands or shallow banks to hide behind for protection. The islands along the way are mostly remote outposts, and most of the trip is over open ocean - with the next stop to the East being Africa!
We spent the next few weeks catching up on the ever-growing list of chores and preparing the boat for a possible hurricane. The Atlantic had already seen two tropical storms this season. We also booked our flights to be in Ottawa for the first two weeks of August.
Our trip to Ottawa was very nice, although being in a big city again after weeks of solitude in the islands was a bit of a culture shock! Our trip was a whirlwind tour - we were running the whole time in order to get everything done. The first week was spent rushing around to dentist, eye doctor, and physio appointments and picking up items we couldn't get down south. The second week was all about Geoff's sister's wedding. We made some time to visit with friends, too, which was great. The wedding went well and, other than a slightly rainy ceremony, it was wonderful. Geoff was one of the groomsmen, and it was quite a change to see him in a tux rather than his usual very casual boat clothes!
A small part of the Exumas from the plane
More of the Exumas
Bimini
The wedding ceremony (Geoff standing on the far right)
Jenny and Steve
