December 21-30

We passed a Bahamian fellow the other day in a neighbouring resort setting up a table with souvenirs to sell and he says ‘Hey mon, how you doin?’

We replied, ‘Terrific. How are you doing?’

He said, ‘Great, it’s the Bahamas, mon!’

And it really has been a lot of fun. We have been walking the beach almost every day, doing some snorkeling and exploring, and generally beginning to find our way around. Our walks often take us to Port Lucaya for our three Kaliks, and the other day I introduced myself to my second most favorite pirate.

Christmas Eve was a bit of a sad time – we really missed being with family and friends. Christmas day was a beautiful day, though, and we were up pretty early for a long walk on the beach. Christmas dinner was a pot-luck around the pool, not 50 feet from our boat, with 45 to 50 people attending. After dinner we had a monstrous gift exchange. I had at least five different gifts pass through my hands and ended up with a rope puzzle that has no directions. I wonder how our family would feel about the possibility of stealing presents after they have been opened.

We always say that we meet so many interesting people cruising. Seated at our dinner table were Chas and Kat, a couple who travel around the world presenting seminars based on dolphin therapy, and Sara, a retired bobby, who is currently refurbishing a sailboat she bought on Ebay.

Buses seem always to be a source of stories. The other day we were returning from Port Lucaya after visiting friends who had just crossed from Florida. The buses quit running ‘about’ sunset, which it was, so we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to catch one back to Ocean Reef. We wandered over to the bus stop, where another group was also waiting. They were in conversation with Gynger, spelled with a ‘y’, who promptly came over to introduce himself. He was a Bahamian fellow who assured us that a bus would be along shortly, and if not, he would have to go and steal one. Two more groups gathered at the bus stop, and Gynger introduced himself to everyone once again, as if for the first time.

Just when everyone was wondering if there would be another bus, one pulled into the bus stop. Buses are vans, often Toyotas, and twelve of us were more than happy to squeeze into this van with Gynger. Just as we were all settled into our seats, Gynger burst into a raucous stream-of-consciousness Christmas carol for the entire, thankfully short, ride home.

As we neared our stop I said, ‘Gynger, I’ve heard a lot of Christmas carols this past week, and I can’t say that I remember anything like that.’ He replied, ‘Merry Christmas, mon, and began humming.’

Do you recognize this boat? Apparently the second and third sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean were made on Grand Bahama Island. Ghost is, we believe, one of the pirate ships in those movies. It is moored in one of the canals just a short distance from the marina where we stayed when clearing customs.

The Bahamas have two or three national dishes, but my advice is to skip the first two and hold out for a conch salad, and on a really good day, a side of conch fritters. Today was a really good day!

December 11-20

From Vero Beach it is two pretty full days to Lake Worth, our jumping-off spot for the Bahamas. The weather when we left was windy and squally, which means heavy rain showers with even gustier winds in the showers. We were feeling just a little adventurous for heading out in these conditions when we came across this sight. There were at least 50 Optis, a small dinghy designed specifically for youngsters, spread out over a one to two mile race course. The kids appeared to be having an absolute blast in the windy conditions.

Another two miles further along was another race event with more than 60 small boats, Lasers and 420s, screaming along. The young teens in these boats were very good sailors with more tricks up their sleeves than I will ever know.

Lake Worth has two large anchorages where boats congregate to wait for a ‘window’ to cross to the Bahamas. Waiting entails listening to the weather broadcast early each morning and then rehashing it all day long with other sailors. We passed on the first day of the window because it was still windy with larger seas. We passed on the second day as well, with 10 plus knot headwinds, because the third day (and likely final day for some time) was forecast to be the most benign day of all three.

Such shrewd planners we are! We woke up to pouring rain and fluky winds from the north. The very first admonition about crossing the Gulf Stream is ‘Never, ever, do this when the wind has a northerly component to it.'

After sitting in the cockpit all morning, feeling quite soggy, Corinne informed me that we would never get to the Bahamas before February, and another day in Lake Worth may just drive her crazy. Apparently someone was listening, because shortly after lunch there was a break in the clouds and the winds began to blow lightly from the east. Later in the afternoon, along with with another boat that we had been talking to over the radio, but not met otherwise, we poked our noses out into the ocean.

The seas were not overly lumpy and for the first couple of hours we had a lovely close-reached sail. Then the winds eased as they shifted to ahead of us and it was a fifteen hour motor-sail trip to Port Lucaya. It is just a little disconcerting as the sun sets and it becomes very dark, with only the stars and some cloud-to-cloud lightening in the distance shining through. This is a picture of navigation lights of Nimuë, our partner in crossing.

As we settled into our slip at Port Lucaya, with yellow quarantine flag flying in anticipation of a visit from the Customs and Immigration officials, we sat back to unwind and enjoy a wonderfully warm Bahamian morning. To make the picture perfect, we were being serenaded by that Carribbean classic from the town square – I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.

When we walked into the office of the Immigration officer later in the morning, he stood up to shake our hands and in a hearty voice said, ’Welcome to the Bahamas. We were wondering when you would get here.’

After completing the arrival formalities we wandered through the market square and got directions to the beach. We also made one purchase. You are able to buy three Kaliks – a Bahamian beer – for five dollars. They will open them for you and give you a paper bag so that you can drink them as you are walking along. The beer was freezing cold and couldn’t have tasted better on an absolutely gorgeous beach.

The next morning we were up early to move over to Ocean Reef Yacht Club. We are snuggled into a very comfortable slip where we have weathered the first winter 'norther'. There is a very friendly cruising community here and the resort offers access to all the amenities. We have a feeling we may just like it here! Now we are going to have to find out about ‘ting-em’.

November 6 - December 10

As we keep telling everyone, winter cruising is a pretty ‘good gig’ and so we are happy to be at it again.

We drove to Green Cove Springs, arriving November 10, and Gormã was moved into the work yard the next day. It always takes much longer than we remember to get her ready to launch, and this year was no exception. There is the waxing, polishing and painting for me, and the washing, washing and washing for Corinne. Florida summers are really hard on boats, and so the first week is sometimes a little discouraging.

In addition, we had a few boat repairs - nothing major - but always a learning curve. Our two week preparation was rather unexpectedly extended to three weeks due to a breakdown with the travel lift, that magical piece of machinery that carries the boat from land to water. While at first a little disappointing, we ended up having to scramble in order to have everything ready for the launch. Where does the time go?

Once in the water, we were a day to get all the last minute things done, and then on our way. One of our last purchases was fresh caught Mayport shrimp. We celebrated our first night cruising with a tasty dinner at Blount Island in the St. John's River.

The next day we travelled to St. Augustine, a favorite spot. As a sidebar, the previous week we had driven down to St. Augustine, a thirty minute jaunt from Green Cove Springs. By boat it has been two full days. Occasionally we have to remind ourselves that it is the journey, and not the destination.


We stayed over at St. Augustine for Saturday. Two years ago, we watched part of the Santa Claus parade and wondered if we had missed Santa Claus, or if he simply didn’t make it as far south as St. Augustine. We are happy to report that he actually does ‘do’ the parade in St. Augustine, and we have the pictures to prove it. This is also the weekend of the British reenactment of the night watch. It is most interesting to see everybody dressed in period dress walking through the streets of the very old Spanish part of town, ensuring that things are safe for the night.

Another four days of travelling down the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway), and we are now on a mooring ball in Vero Beach. This is another great spot to visit – easy shopping, nice access to the ocean beaches, and a place to begin thinking about possible crossings to the Bahamas. We are up early each morning listening to Chris Parker, the weather guru, hoping to find that perfect window for the next leg.