![]() ![]() We knew these offices existed but hoped the police staff could answer the questions about the capabilities for extending a visa on other islands that could have precluded having to go back to Fernandez Bay. The friendly police station staff directed us to the customs/immigration offices located both at the airport and Smith Bay Harbour – both within walking distance of Fernandez Bay. Dave was not confident this would be easily solved and felt like he had grounded on a Bahamian bureaucratic reef. Ideally, we hoped to get an immediate extension before departing Cat Island that would cover our expected total six month visit. We needed to know exactly where and by whom an extension could most easily be granted when our first 90 days expired (we expected to be at Mayaguana or Crooked/Acklins islands in that time frame). “No problem, mon.” Later, when researching our intended route through the islands, we discovered there were few immigration officers stationed on the out islands we intended to visit who could grant extensions. We had requested 6 month visas, but the immigration officer granted only the more typical 90-day stamp which could be extended when the time came by visiting with an immigration officer wherever we happened to be prior to its expiration. Clearing in to the Bahamas upon arrival at Spanish Wells, we secured a year-long cruising permit, but our visitor visas were limited to 90 days. We decided first to take care of business as we would pass through town on the way to The Hermitage. We exchanged waves of hello upon our arrival but otherwise had no contact with the other cruisers who were flying a French flag. ![]() Other than that, we wanted to stop by the local police station where we could ask some questions about extending our immigration visas with officials on the island.Īnchored off New Bight was a rare sight for us recently – another cruising boat. Alvernia, the highest point in the Bahamas, where we would find Father Jerome's final and perhaps most interesting architectural accomplishment, The Hermitage, where he lived out his life in solitude and which became his final resting place. One was to hike the short distance to the famed Mt. On Thursday, December 6 we motored the short distance from Old Bight to New Bight where we had two significant goals. View of St Francis of Assisi church interior Cat also has a higher percentage of beaches on its western shore than Eleuthera and also boasts the highest elevation in the Bahamas, 206 feet at Como Hill, renamed Mt. Cat's west side bank is shallower than Eleuthera's, but generally there is plenty of depth to permit carefree sailing and shallow obstacles are well charted. As seen from a boat, the shorelines of both islands are practically indistinguishable. At approximately 45 miles "long", it's shorter than Eleuthera's approximately 70 mile length. See Fernandez Bay at Google Earth N24*19' + W075*28'30".Ĭat Island is physically similar to Eleuthera – a long, skinny island situated NW to SE with the deep Atlantic on its east coast and a wide shallow bank on the west. We respected their privacy and did not go ashore so we have no idea what kind of welcome we would receive if we had. We were the only cruisers there at this time of the year. Two of our cruising guidebooks noted some poor relations in the past between the resort management and impolite cruisers. This was a nice calm anchorage with the east winds. Several of the nice homes situated on the beach appeared to have suffered some damage from Sandy. The resort facilities were low rise resident-style structures and blended right in with the real residences. We arrived at Fernandez Bay at 1350 and anchored off the resort located there. We unfurled the rest of the genoa as the wind had lessened some more. To make our planned destination at Fernandez Bay, we had to turn to port a bit, which put us on a close hauled course. Approaching the southern third of the island we exited the deep water onto the shallow bank west of Cat and reeled in our baits. A few hours into the trip the wind lessened a bit and veered more to the east, slowing us, so we unfurled about 1/3 of the genoa which brought our speed quickly up to 7 to 9 kts. This would make things much easier to manage if we got a fish. Once on course after rounding the ship, and into deep water with two baits set out already, we were moving comfortably at 5.5 to 6.5 kts and chose to not unfurl the genoa to increase our speed. ![]() Click to watch our brisk reach to Cat Island! ĭeparting Little San Salvador around 0830, we set the double reefed main, sailing direct downwind to clear the stern of the cruise ship before turning to port to our beam reach towards Cat. ![]()
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