First, let me start this one by saying, GTC is a very beautiful island. We spent three nights on a mooring ball there, and was ideal. The clear waters, the beautiful weather and landscape made it a great layover waiting on the channel called the Whale to allow for travel south to Marsh Town and points past.

Let me put an unbiased plugin for a great product here that we bought last year at the boat show. At the Cruisers Outpost tent there is a mooring pole that allows it to pass a rope thru the rings or loops of a mooring ball without struggle. Called the Hook & Moor. Worked the first time we tried it just like at the show. Buy it, i am serious. Our friends had trouble hooking and catching a mooring due to the winds and we grabbed the mooring like we had done it for 20 yrs.. Understand last time we tried catching a ball was 4 yrs ago and took 30 mins. Not with this puppy. Get online. Look it-up and buy it.

We rented a golf cart to explore the island, and went over paved roads and paths that didnt qualify for goat trails. Ate at a couple great restaurants, and had conch salad from one of the grocery stores here. Its not a large island and golf carts outnumbered cars 10-1. And yes, the island rum was perfect.

As the weather improved we decided it was time to make the whale jump.

Many stories are posted of how difficult and dangerous the currents around this are. The combined tides and wind affects the ability to navigate in and past this channel. Today, however that was not the case. We were one of over thirty sailboats we counted making it thru the Whale channel and heading south.

The passage had only 2-3ft swells and minimal current to contend with. This is why so many boats were moving thru over a 3 -4 hr period as we did.

We traveled south towards Marsh Harbor where we will pick up parts for our water maker, and wait out a front due in here by Friday. Our next blog will cover Marsh Harbor and our escapades anchoring around 75-100 boats in one tiny island harbor.