Just us and the Sea of Abaco; Motu Iti at anchor. The weather report was for light and variable wind, so we could have anchored anywhere, but we choose a spot not far away as it was almost sunset when we left. We enjoyed a beautifully quiet night.
We expected to spend the next day lazily enjoying our summer-like weather. But Mother Nature had other plans. We’d just finished a refreshing swim when we noticed rain clouds to windward. We watched as a wall of water approached (it looks like mist in the picture).
And then it was on top of us – an all-out downpour – huge drops.
First from the south. And just as it passed over, a wall of water came at us from the north. No wind except for one gust.
Meanwhile, our sunshade – still up – was filling with water, stretching to form two huge bowls – one on each side. We grabbed containers – free water! The rain came down so hard that I was getting a cupful on each side as fast as I could switch from one to the other. And I got soaked in the process.
(Above is a re-enactment – we weren’t in the harbor when we collected rain.) We probably got 60 cents worth! A couple of gallons – enough to fill our sun shower and Goldwin’s coffee pot. Soon the clouds parted.
And brought us a rainbow.
We took advantage of the dry sky to return to our mooring in the harbor.
It seemed so busy and crowded after a night on the hook – sort of like a big parking lot on water. But prettier. Wow! Another rainbow.
Strong north winds are predicted over the next several days, and cooler temps. With waves in the Gulf Stream up to 14 feet. We’re sooooo glad we’re here.
SAIL MOTU ITI 