Greetings from the Bahamas!

Yes, we have finally made it.  The original plan was not to leave on April 1st but as we have said, our plans are usually make in soft sand and so be it.

Right now I'm writing this in the north mooring field in Wardrick Wells.  We sailed down here yesterday after a couple of nights in Lobster Cay.  But first a quick synopsis of the last few days.......

Outta Marathon, Fl last Wednesday and said our goodbyes to our friends.  Oh, it felt great to be going out the bridge and not have a plan to come back for a long time.  From there it was up the chain to Shell Key and then on to our anchorage near Snake Creek.  Then on 4/1/16 @ 0700 we went out the creek and into the "Stream".  The crossing took all day and we were 2nm from S Riding Rock at sunset.  The wind, which blew all day just quick 2 miles from our daytime destination so we went onto the Bahamas Bank in the dark.  No big deal but for a few miles we had to motor-sail.

The newest creature in Boot Key harbor.  A sea hare.

Our view 

Leaving our mooring of 3 months

OK, what the heck??!!

Good bye Marathon

At around 0100 the wind picked back up and oh man did it.  From 5 knots to 18-20kts!!  We ended up  putting two reefs in the main and two in the head sail.  Still, traveling  the traveler down all the way we blasted across the bank, in 15 feet of water, in pitch-black darkness at 8.5kts!

Sunset over the Gulf Stream

My newest weapon.  Score: 2 hits only

Daylight came early and we came off the bank at NW Channel light only to change our minds and not go to Chub Cay.  Instead we made our way to Morgan's Bluff.  It ended up being a cool desolate settlement but we got checked in, had our first Bahamian food in a year and toasted our 175nm trip with a, what else, a "rum"!

Look what we brought from the US!  Around our port prop

The next day we made an early departure as the run to Lobster Cay in the Eumas chain was 75nm and would take all day.  We got chased in by a rain squall just before we got there but we still made it by 30 minutes.......way too close.  The next day we were surprised to see sv Celeste sailing by on her way south so after a quick chat, they decided to turn and spend a night in Lobster.  Fun was had by all, even if they got soaked to the bone when they came over for dinner.

Here it comes.  Time to drop sail!

sv Celeste before the big blow

The three stooges

The time before the crew of Celeste came over was rather a long afternoon.  The rain they came over in was the remnants of a big squall that hit us from the SW.  Yep, pinned up on a lee shore for 2-3 hours with one cell blasting us with 40+ knot winds!  Good anchor!!  Good "Ace of Spades"!!!  When we finally finished our 360 degree circle our GPS position had not changed one foot!!!!!!

So, now we are in Wardrick Wells......loving the gin clear water.  Its raining and blowing here today but we don't care.  We are here!!!!!!!!!!