Rum Cay to Dominican Republic, Day 2

When we were waiting for our lunch at Kaye's on Rum Cay, we'd been talking to another cruiser. He told us a new adage to live by. It is a perfect mate for "Cruising is repairing your boat in exotic locations."

The new one is: "While you're sleeping...your boat is breaking."

WW had had the dawn watch. The sun had risen on a broken mainsail shackle on the boom and the complete failure of our starboard transmission. In addition, when we tried to lower the mainsail, we discovered the furler was jammed beyond redemption. With my help (I held onto him and braced him while he worked), WW lashed the end of the mainsail in place. He observed that we had plenty of gas, provided we could figure out how to get it from the starboard engine's tank to the port engine's tank. Even for that, he had a plan. Perforce, the mainsail stayed up.

We continued with a nice wind from the north and, at Mayaguana, we moved to a more southerly course which suited the wind and seas much better.

Mayaguana is the last Bahama island we would pass before the Turks and Caicos. It is surrounded by formidable reefs and a large wreck on the tip of the southern reef -- about three miles offshore -- was as sober reminder to take care and believe the charts. So many marine dangers are not visible until it's way too late.

We discussed heading into Provo (Providenciales, the prinicpal island of the Caicos), but decided to press on to the Dominican Republic (DR) where, we thought, we had a better chance of getting a mechanic and of being pulled out if need be.

Just after Mayaguana, WW pointed to the horizon. A huge whale breached. A short time later, she or he did it again. Samana Bay in the DR is where the humpback whales go each year, from about December to February, to calve and breed. Several thousand congregate both in the bay and in a marine reserve just offshore. The males posture and display, like males everywhere. They also sing. The females give birth and start teaching their thousand-pound wee 'uns basic survival. After calving comes breeding and the year-long pregnancy begins. It's likely, then, that our breaching friend was a humpback heading to the cooler waters of the north for the summer.

We passed the Turks and Caicos after dark, WW worrying and me playing games. We were well south along the Caicos Bank when the sun rose on Day 3.