Itinerary

Proposed Itinerary

for the 2014 FOLLOWING COLUMBUS EXPEDITION

Day Activity
2 November Depart Caicos Shipyard, Providenciales to cross the Caicos Bank, the Columbus Passage, and navigate to a point some 7 miles east of Long, Pear, and Pinzón/East Cays southeast of Grand Turk. We will be looking for rising candle-like lightning displays to the south. If we spot same, Josiah offers the crew a bottle of vintage burgundy.
3 November
[12=25 October]Babueca
Guanahani
Amuana
At sea. At first light we should spot these three cays with Grand Turk lying toward their north. We sail north at a safe remove to windward of the reef, round Grand Turk’s northeast reef, follow the coast to the west and south and come to anchor opposite Pillory/Guanahani beach. This should take place around mid-afternoon, allowing time to greet the islanders, claim the island in the name of the Catholic sovereigns of Leon and Castile, distribute red caps, glass beads, and brass trinkets to the gathering crowd, which includes one naked young woman!
4 November
[14=27 October]Caciba
Explore the west coast down to the narrow entrance to Hawk’s Nest Anchorage. Explore the south arm of South Creek [Gun Hill] and endeavor to imagine where the Lucayans had their six houses. By mid to late afternoon return to Pillory/Guanahani anchorage and sail to the SW. Before or around sunset we change course to head to the largest island seen; then as night falls we remain hove-to until dawn, keeping an eye on how far to the NE we drift. [I’m beginning to be persuaded by Capt. Tim’s argument that the tidal effect of water flowing off the Caicos Bank between South and East Caicos is negligible].
5 November
[15=28 October]Quana/Gueni
Aniana/Boniana
Caicos
Yucanacan
We charge the sails to head north, round the breaking reef formerly called ‘the Comet’, and coast East and North Caicos. By around noon we should see the heights of Blue Hills on Providenciales and sail as vigorously as possible to round Provo’s northwest point and anchor in Malcolm Roads just south of it at sunset.
6 November
[16=29 October]
Anchored at Malcolm Roads. Explore the island until before ten AM. Scramble to return to the ship [because of the NW wind blowing toward shore]. See an island to the west [a cloud?] and navigate westward against the wind turning to calm. Here we study the current which by several accounts (including Josiah’s) runs to the NE. In the course of a maneuver, Columbus meets a Lucayan in a small dugout; he takes man and dugout aboard. Probably as Columbus followed the Lucayan’s directions we navigate northward to sight land and spend the night hove-to.
7 November
[17=30 October]Mayauana/
Mayaguana
Anchor in the clear near shore, not far from Mayaguana’s SE point. [There should be a well and a settlement marked on the admiralty chart here]. We go ashore to admire the shrubbery and trees and fetch water. Actually this will have to be a virtual fetching of water, because we’ll have to clear in to the Bahamas at Abraham’s Bay! We virtually weigh anchor and sail to the south opening to Abraham’s Bay, where we clear in and admire the shrubberies. Might even have lunch if they’ve good fish. Latish in the afternoon we follow the coast to the NNW until it runs E-W, at which point we stand off to sea and attempt to navigate to the SE point of Mayaguana, but in reality head SSExS toward the Hogsty Atoll.
We spend this night at sea.
8 November
[18=31 October]
We follow the wind [SSExS] and by sunset spot Hogsty Atoll and anchor off its SW Cay.
9 November
19 Oct= 1 Nov]Guanahani
Saometo/
Inagua/
Baoruco
Weigh anchor and navigate [with a north wind] to the SE until we spot Little and Great Inagua. Sail south to the lee of Great Inagua’s N point, then sail SSW toward The NW point, noting the Ocean Bight is too shallow for a 7.5 foot draft. We get several good photos of James Hill. Off the NW point we anchor over a sandy bottom, admire its beauty and spend the night.
10 November
[20 Oct=2 Nov]
Sail south to the SW point, and find the tradewinds contrary for exploring the island’s south shore, which we notice is shoal. We turn back and coast Inagua clockwise and find a good anchorage in Ocean Bight. [Here the caravels anchored, but not Columbus]
11 November
[21 Oct=3 Nov]
Sail to and anchor in the lee of Inagua’s N point. Here Columbus spent three days killing caymans, taking on water, and trafficking with the natives. We can look for Inagua’s celebrated freshwater turtles, or even explore King Christophe’s cove where a great treasure in gold was buried at the beginning of the 19th century, but which a lucky Englishman reportedly took up back in the ‘70s.
13-14 November
[23-24 Oct= 5-6 Nov]at midnight]Yabaque/ Haiti/Ity
Weigh anchor at midnight of the14th and sail to the SSW. Deal with the weather discribed in the Diario and see if we can sail up to the NW past Castle Rock off the southern tip of Acklins, close enough to note that it’s green. Spend the night hove-to.
15 November
[25 Oct= 7 Nov]Utiaquia/Hutia
Sail WSWxS until 9 AM, then WxS until mid-afternoon at which time we should spot the Raggeds seven or eight islands lying N-S at a distance of some 13 miles. We anchor about 13 miles on the shallows south of these.
16 NovemberGuaratia/Curateo Sail to George Town on Great Exuma [where Josiah has to be at the airport NLT 1 PM on the 17th ].
Respectfully submitted by Josias, Escribano de Razón

 

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