Ft. Lauderdale, FL -- 1/1/02 - 1/4/02
Here we hooked up with our friends, Mike & Jan from Significant Other.  They had access to a car, so they were kind enough to run us around for a couple hours so we could do some last minute errand running.  The rest of the time we spent getting projects done on the boat as well as exploring the different canals in the area.  So many gorgeous houses most of which had a big boat parked in front of the house.  We especially enjoyed seeing the houses at night because everyone lights up their house.  WOW!  Wonder what their electric bill is.  We did manage to find a dingy dock you can use that is within walking distance to West Marine, Village Marine (the water maker people) and a grocery store.  Friday Mike & Jan brought their boat over and joined us in the anchorage.

Facilities we found near the anchorage in Lake Sylvia:
* Dingy dock - at the Ft. Lauderdale Municipal Marina - but you'll need access code to get back in.
* Dingy dock - at west end of canal that parallels the 17th Street bridge - Citco gas station on corner.  Canal ends at the Southport Raw Bar.  They have a dingy dock you can use for $10 - but this fee goes towards lunch/drinks at their restaurant.  Within walking distance from the restaurant is a Winn Dixie, West Marine, Village Marine, Blue Water Books and much more.
* Stores:  Winn Dixie, Publix, West Marine, Village Marine, Blue Water Books and more
 

Ft. Lauderdale to Miami Beach, FL -- 1/5/02 thru - 1/11/02
We were planning on going to the art festival in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday but when we looked at the weather forecast the conditions were perfect for going outside to Miami Beach.  After getting out there, it turns out the wind direction was off by about 45 degrees - now right on our nose - so we couldn't sail, even though we had a nice 15-20 knot breeze. However, we did have a nice sunny day and only 2-3 foot seas so it was a nice passage. Coming into Government Cut south of Miami was very impressive indeed. We couldn't take the short route past all the cruise ships for security reasons, but seeing all the huge ships lined up in a row was pretty impressive.

We ended up in an anchorage just north of the Venetian Causeway off Bell Isle in Biscayne Bay. This is a large anchorage and has a canal near which you can dinghy up to go to the Publix Grocery store or further to get to the hot spots on Miami Beach.  The four of us  walked around the art deco district, enjoyed the shops and had lunch at one of the french bakeries. Lots to do here and a nice wide open anchorage with good holding. If we are going to have to wait a while for a weather window, this is not a bad spot.

The trip over to the Bahamas really isn't that far.  In fact it will only take a day to get there.  The reason you have to wait for the right weather conditions is because you have to cross the gulf stream in order to get over there.  The gulf stream runs in a northerly direction and carries around a 3 knot current.  So if you have winds opposing the current, the result is very large waves.  Right now the waves in the gulf stream are up to 12 feet..yuck!  So we're looking for winds to come from the south for a day or so before crossing.  Right now the prediction is for north winds thru Saturday.  So we'll just wait and see.......

Facilities we found near the anchorage in Miami Beach off the Venetian Causeway:
* Grocery, liquor and gasoline all less than a block from a dinghy dock - Publix on Purdy and Dale Boulevard
* Laundry about 4 blocks from a dinghy dock - on Alton Road
* Library near Miami Beach - corner of Collins & 21 St. Street
* Ice Cream - the Freeze - corner of Michigan & Lincoln.  yum,yum!
 

BAHAMAS Crossing - 1/11/02

Well the weather report finally came in. It looks like Thursday night or Friday will be good for the crossing. We decided to try and make it during the day. With the shallow waters around Bimini we needed to arrive with plenty of daylight to navigate the 'thin' water. With a 6 AM start we should make it around 3 or 4 PM. So we moved the boat to an anchorage off Fisher Island which is right next to Government Cut and the ocean. On the way we decided to go for the final fill up of diesel, gas and water. Since we were filling up our second diesel tank for the first time, 120 gallons worth, we wanted to make sure we got clean fuel. Of course it is almost impossible to tell what will come out of the pump but we figured going to one of the more upscale marina's with the large cruisers would be a safe bet so we went to Miami Beach Yacht Club. We paid a little more for the fuel but it sure made us feel better since we would be living off this fuel for most of the winter.  After adding over 1000 lbs. of fuel and water to our boat along with all our food and beverage supplies, we felt like we were ready to go.

When we arrived at the anchorage in Fisher Island we found very clear water and a sandy bottom -- pretty much what we expected to see in the Bahamas and we really started to get excited. We both went for swim! This does not sound like a big deal for most, but it was for us. Sailing/boating in fresh water all our lives we came to expect swimming and boating to be synonymous. However, this first year on the boat Debbie had been in the water once and Fred only when he had to do something on the bottom of the boat. Either there were jelly fish (Chesapeake), the water was too cold (Maine) or the water was too dirty. So swimming in clear warm water was very exciting indeed.  Anchored with us was Mike & Jan from Significant Other , Don & Mary from Dark & Stormy, and Bob from Island Time.

As planned, Significant Other and Early Out left the anchorage at 6 AM while it was still dark out. Miami harbor is very busy in the morning. So along with Dark & Stormy we navigated the dark harbor playing dodgem with a cruise ship, tanker, tug pushing a barge and a ferry. But it wasn't long til we were out of the inlet and soon we were enjoying a beautiful sunrise.   We set the GPS for Bimini and we were on our way.

The conditions were as predicted, light winds out of the east but just a little bit from the north. It didn't take long for us to hit the gulf stream. We knew two way, the temperature of the water went from low 70's to 80 deg. F. and our course over ground (COG) kept moving more north even though we were still pointing the same direction. Now the cruising guide we have say to ignore the GPS while making the crossing and calculate what head to take that will compensate for moving sideways 3 knots for most of the trip. You end up steering a big 'S' in theory heading too far south at the beginning and end to make up the sideways movement of the stream. However, since the stream is so close to Miami and Bimini it still turned out to be almost a straight line.  Soon the Miami skyline disappeared and we were anxiously waiting the first sighting of land - Bimini.

The crossing went very well,  with the exception of not catching any fish (nobody we crossed with did either). We arrived at our waypoint just off Bimini around 2 PM. This was pretty close to low tide and the entrance to the North Bimini Harbor was very shallow. One boat was anchored outside waiting for the tide to come up but we decide to go ahead and try. There is no marked channel, just a description in the cruising guide of where and when to turn. First to one waypoint, then line up two poles on the beach, then turn left and go along the beach no more than 25 yards from shore until you hit the jetty (entrance to a marina) and then turn hard right (even closer to the shore) until you get to the first house then go off at a 45 deg. angle and your in! Piece of cake. Well our friends on Significant Other went first since that have a shallower draft than we do. Well just before we got to the jetty they came to an abrupt stop, they ran aground. While we were trying to keep from hitting them we noticed some guy on shore waving his arms at us. He was telling us to come closer to shore. He looked like he knew what he was doing so we decided to give it a try. We did find deep water closer to shore but the shore was getting rocky and getting this close was uncomfortable even though the bottom was sandy. After we passed the jetty he told us to come in further. As we move down the beach he moved with us usually saying closer to the shore. Just past the our first mild thump, we hit the bottom. Looking down we could see deeper water closer to shore just like he was telling us so we plowed forward and broke free. Now we were about a boat length from shore and moving slowly when we felt the second thud, aground again. This time we said enough and decided to get out of here and either try again later or not at all. We back off, thanks to our Max prop that gives us just as much power in reverse as it does in forward, we got off. While still backing up we hit again. We could see it was only a small ridge so we powered backwards and plowed through it leaving a nice red streak in the sand from our bottom paint.

We carefully worked our way back out to deeper water to regroup. We could anchor out for a few hours and wait for the tide to come in or we could anchor north or south of Bimini tonight and try to go in some other place, we opted for the later. The thought of trying to get in again even with more water didn't appeal to any of us. So we headed for the south anchorage which was more on the way to Nassau where we were planning on heading next. Fortunately it was still light when we arrived at the anchorage. It was exposed to the south and east and the weather prediction was for light winds and seas for the night so we decide to try and drop the hook. Well the bottom looked sandy so it should be a piece of cake, wrong! It was a dusting of sand over a rock bottom. we tried twice with the CQR, our primary anchor, and it just skated across the bottom when we backed down on it. So we decide to try the bruce anchor which looks more like a claw. After scatting across the bottom for a while it finally found something to grab and Debbie backed down on it almost full throttle and it held. We both breath a heavy sigh of relief and said welcome to the Bahamas. Just to make sure the anchor really dug in Fred went for a swim with mask and fins to check it out. As it turns out, our claw had grabbed on little corner of something on the rock bottom but was just laying there. Not very comforting.

So we setup an anchor alarm using our radar. Since we had boats all around us, if any of them dragged towards us or we dragged toward them it would trigger the alarm on the radar. This let us sleep in short spurts but Debbie was the most vigilant setting her watch to go off every half hour to check things out. We made it through the night with out incident, but we were sure tired when morning came.
 

Crossing the Great Bahama Bank enroute to Nassau 1/12-13/02

We decided with Significant Other that we would go on Nassau on first light and check in through customs and immigration there. It was about 120 miles away which is two long days of sailing. The first day was the Great Bahama Bank. When we looked at the charts it was kind of scary. According to the charts we would be in 8 to 12 feet of water all day long. It was hard to picture a body of water with a bottom that flat and nothing to hit. Amazingly enough that is exactly what we got. After and hour or two of looking through the crystal clear water at the sandy bottom, we finally got comfortable and relaxed a little while the diesel (unfortunately no wind) and the autopilot did the work.

It was incredible how clear the water was. As we motored along we could clearly see starfish, blades of grass and other life on the bottom and it seemed like we could just reach down and grab them.  After a beautiful, but long day of motoring we decided to drop the hook for the night.  We got off the line between the two GPS points most people use about a half mile or so and dropped anchor. No land in sight.  Felt like we were anchored in the middle of the ocean.  There was a group of three boats a couple miles to the west of us and two or three more to the east but that was all we could see. The anchor dug in well and we relaxed with a couple glasses of wine and watched the most spectacular sunset either of us have ever seen. At first we thought the light clouds would obstruct the sunset, but then as it went down they only enhanced it reflecting vibrant reds, yellows and blues.  The colors and sky was changing every minute and to make it twice as beautiful, the water was calm so the sun was reflecting off it as well. Awesome!!!
 
 

Water so clear you can see the anchor chain - 15 ft. down

Sunset on the Great Bahama Banks!

The next day started out very promising with 15 knots of wind from the south west which made it a beam to close reach all the way to Nassau. It was wonderful sailing along and moving through water faster than we could motor and nothing but the sound of the warm wind and waves of tropical water. It was starting to sink in, we have arrived. Sailing up and down the east coast of the US was a lot of fun and we learned a lot, but sailing in tropical waters is what it was really all about for us. We just sat on the high side together smiling and giggling like little kids in a toy store. After all the preparation, planning and challenges we were finally here!

After an hour of sailing on the banks we came to the Tongue of the Ocean. This is a stretch of water 3000 feet deep between the Great Bahama Bank and Nassau. From one extreme to the other. This notoriously rough patch of water was very flat, only two foot seas for 15+ knots of wind. So the beautiful sail continued with Significant Other right behind us all the way.

After a while Fred noticed some spouts, could this be whales in the Bahamas? Sure enough it was.  Unfortunately they were going in the opposite direction we were, but we had fun watching their water spouts.

Nassau 1/13-15/02

The entrance into Nassau Harbor was different because it is quite a busy harbor. Cruise ships and tankers coming in and out so we had to call the Nassau Harbor Control to get a clearance to enter the harbor. I felt more like I was landing a plane than coming into a protected piece of water. After permission was granted Jan called and got us a slip at the Nassau Yacht Haven Marina for the night. Fred was concerned that there wouldn't be a slip available for us late in the day so he tried calling them all day long to make a reservation but they never responded even though we could here them talking to other boats. So when Jan got through on the first try Fred promised to never again try to make arrangements for a Marina.

Once we docked in this tight marina, we could clear customs and immigration (2 separate steps/people). Our feet hadn't touched ground since the fuel dock in Miami, so we were all anxious to get off the boats and and exploring.  Both the customs and immigrations officers came aboard the boat and were very pleasant and efficient. The customs guy said he had been doing this for 40 years, wow. Once all that was taken care of we had a little celebration party with Mike and Jan in our cockpit and both reminisced about our journey so far and where we were going from here.

Atlantis (on Paradise Island) - what a place!

For enough money you can dine with the fish - we chose to just look  :-)
 

Allen's Cay, Exumas 1/15-18/02
Since leaving Miami we really have been on the move to get to Nassau.  Today we sailed, or should I say motor sailed, to Allen's Cay from Nassau.  Here we really got into the island life.  Anchored between Allen's & Leaf Cay, there is no civilization on the islands.  Only beautiful beaches, brush, volcanic rock and the famous iguanas.  We spent several days here and managed to slow things down.  Enjoyed lazy mornings, great snorkeling and evening cocktails w/Mike & Jan.   The guys tried their hand at spear fishing.  So far I'm glad I stocked the freezer before leaving.  :-)

This is where I did my first laundry - by hand.  Using a couple big buckets and a plunger (yes a clean one) as an agitator, you can get your clothes quite clean.  Getting the soap suds out without using too much water has been a challenge though - one of which I'm still working on.&nbbsp; The life lines make a great solar dryer.  I might add that it does take the better part of the day to do a couple shirts, towels, etc. but what the heck.  We're on island time now!

The curious iguanas that inhabit the island
 

Highbourne Cay, Exumas 1/19/02
Mike and I decided that we weren't going to go anywhere unless we could sail there.  Enough with the engines!  So today was the day. We had good winds from the SE which made for a great upwind sail to Highbourne Cay.  We arrived shortly after noon so the light was good which helped us navigate the coral heads leading to the anchorage.   It took us several times to try to set the anchor, but after moving a bit to a more grassy area, we got the hook to set..whew.  But little did we know we were in the "surge" area.  The current kept our boat spinning in circles.  Not the most comforting situation.  So we decided to pull up the anchor AGAIN and reset closer to shore.  Success, finally.  The anchor set and we were out of the "surge" area.   Not much ashore here.   Most of the island is private. Jan and I checked out the marina, fueled up the dingy and that's about all.  One thing  we are learning is that there isn't much civilization on the Exuma chain of islands.  Infact the Batelco tower on Highborne has been down since hurricane Michelle, so there are no phones working in the northern Exumas.  But as the island folks say - no problem mon - they'll be working again in 6 mos. or so.
 

Norman's Cay, Exumas 1/20-21/02
After a terrific sail, we arrived in Normans.   Anchored and we were off to explore the island.  Lots of beautiful beaches and several signs of its past of being a place to smuggle in drugs.  There's one restraunt/bar on the island - McDuff's.  Its a very quaint shack - not much bigger than someone's family room - but decorated with nautical items, etc.  We didn't eat there, but we're told they have the best burgers in the Bahamas.  The day we stopped by, the cook was taking the night off.  Maybe we'll try one next time we pass thru.   Just outside the main anchorage there's a plane wreck.  It was great snorkeling around it.   Later we met Scott & Kathy from Argo.  The six of us spent a day snorkeling and fishing.  The snorkeling was great - unfortunately had no luck fishing.
 

Warderick Wells - Exuma Park 1/22-23/02
Enjoyed another terrific sail from Normans to Warderick Wells.  Picked up a mooring at Exuma Park for $15/night - not too bad.  Park office had boooks for sale and exchange as well as tee shirts, etc.  The park had trails set up to assist in exploring the island.  One trail took us to a place called Boo Boo Hill.  Its a place where cruisers leave something with their boat name on it.  Below is what Jan and I left.  Another trail lead to a blow hole - pretty neat.   While Jan & I explored on foot, Mike & Fred explored the reefs.  Its a no take area, so they couldn't fish.  So you might know they saw lobsters and all kinds of great eating fish!  But fun was had by all.

Exploring the many trails in the park area
 

Mooring field....beautiful water colors!

Boo Boo Hill - Early Out is on a conch shell
 

Staniel Cay - Big Majors anchorage, Exumas 1/24-28/02
Well it had been close to two weeks without a phone/email and we all thought we'd better check-in.  We heard Staniel had a working phone, so we made that our next stop.  Great anchorage off Big Majors.  Saw lots of boats we've seen since anchoring in Allens....pretty neat.  The day we arrived, another cruiser, Kevin & Kristen from K2 were organizing a cocktail party on the beach.  It was great fun and we got a chance to see lots of folks  - some of which we had met back in Annapolis and haven't seen since.  We ended up snorkeling Thunderball Cave with Kotchka & Renaissance.  Later Jay from Kotchka offered to take Fred & I fishing.  We learned so much from him.  Actually came back with a lobster and several conch.  It was a great day!  We sure owe him.  Later we enjoyed cocktails with them.

The other fun thing one must take care of is hair cuts.  So Fred & I headed off to pig beach to give him a well needed cut.  As we got closer to the beach, we found out why they call it pig beach.  Two pigs came scurrying out of the brush right for us.  We were still in our dingy so we felt safe, but before we knew it, the pigs were in the water swimming towards us.  Wow, never saw this before.  We decided that pig beach was not the place for a hair cut.  Went a little further to another beach - no pigs.  whew... and shortly after, Fred felt better once again.

Couple days later we hooked up with our friends from Argo and along with Significant Other snorkeled Thunderball Cave again and then off to catch some fish.  Fred was pumped after his outing with Jay.   Checked out several reefs and it was the last one where all had luck.  We found more conch and Fred actually speared his first fish - a Grouper!!!  Later the guys found a lobster.  After trying for several minutes to flush him out, there he was and Fred got him as well.   What a day.  Gave the lobster to Jan & Mike and we enjoyed a terrific Grouper on the grill.  Conch salad is on the agenda for tomorrow night.  Gotta like this living off the sea!
 

Black Point - Exumas 1/29/02 -2/1/02
Just a short 9-mile hop from Staniel and we were in Black Point.  Another great anchorage...with more beautiful water and beaches.  This is really getting hard to take.  :-)    Got the anchor set and Jan & I were off to explore.  We've been in search of fresh produce for a while now.  The few stores we've come across have maybe had an onion or potato left, but that's about it.  Apparently the 'produce' boat comes to the island on Wednesday so we're hoping to have better luck then.  Guess one needs to get in line though because things go fast....especially with all these hungry cruisers around.  The other item we've been in need of is gas for the dingy.  They had gas in Staniel, but the pumps weren't working and here in Black Point there is no fuel.  Soon we might have to resort to rowing!  Such problems, huh.  But we have managed to find some great fresh bread along the way.  Best so far is the coconut bread here at Lorraines.   Jan and I had the pleasure of meeting Lorraine's mom who makes the bread.  In addition to Lorraines making great bread, their a restaurant and her mom will also do laundry for $5/load.   I gave my plunger the day off - splurged and had sheets washed...what a treat!   We later enjoyed happy hour at Lorraines with other cruisers....very fun and so casual.  You walk in, sign your name with how many beers you have, go get the beers yourself, then find Lorraine and pay before leaving.  Can't find that in the states.

Had a day of hiking with folks from Argo & Significant Other.  It was a day filled with following dirt and sand trails, blazing paths thru the mangroves, climbing volcanic terrain, etc.  Great views everywhere.  Bought our first fresh fruit/veggies today - very exciting.  The boat was a day late, but when it arrived, there were bananas, tomatoes and a few grapefruit to be had.  yum, yum.   Expensive, but good.  A small bunch of bananas and two tomatoes will run you around $5.
 

The gang after hiking - stopped by Lorraines Cafe for a beer -- Lorraine in the middle

We hear Lorraine's is having a buffet for superbowl...lots of conch fritters, grouper, chicken, salads, desserts, etc.  We haven't eaten out yet, so we're all planning on attending.  Apparently she had about a 100 people attend each year - should be fun!

Above is the Garden of Eden. In addition to making sculptures out of conch shells and drift wood, they grow fresh veggies and fruit out of spaces in the volcanic rock.  Unfortunately for us, nothing was in season expect a few radishes.  We received a tour of the garden by their daughter - Kenya, pictured below.  She was only 13 yrs. old, but knew every plant in the garden in addition to uses for it.  She has a small garden of her own and hopes to take over the Garden of Eden someday.

Kenya giving us a tour of the garden -- Almond tree behind her