We left Florida out of the Bakers Haulover Inlet this year to really calm water. We thought we should "pinch" ourselves because the water was so calm. Unfortunately, it did get a little rough about half way across to Bimini. Once we reached Bimini and the Bahamas Banks, they shallower water calmed the ocean down and it was better the rest of the day.
We crossed with our friends on Pirate and No Agenda. We anchored out for the night near the Northwest Channel Light, and continued on the next morning and arrived in Nassau around 2 that afternoon. Our friends on Carliegh, Rita-Kay and Clay, met us at the dock. It was great to see them.
We spent a couple of days in Nassau, Rita-Kay and I went downtown and checked out the stores and having a "girl" day together. Bob went off looking for our rum provisions. We also shopped at the new grocery store by the docks that is as good as a Fresh Fields in the US. That was quite a surprise! We treated ourselves to a dinner of sushi at the restaurant across from the marina with Rita-Kay and Clay.
After a couple of days, we headed out to cross down to Norman's Cay and top of the Exuma chain of islands. We had a really rough crossing to Norman's, but once we reached the lee of the Exuma Islands, after and 3 hours, it calmed down. Bob had sped up to make that part go faster and that meant we could reach Staniel in one day. Since we wanted to be sure and make Staniel by Christmas, we pushed on.
In Staniel, we caught up with Pirate and No Agenda, and our friends on Windemere, and Exodus. Christmas Eve, there was a get-together on the Pirate Beach.
Christmas Day we had dinner on No Agenda with many of our cruising friends. Bob had purchased a Turkey in Nassau and Ray on No Agenda had a convection "no oil fryer" to cook it in. It turned out great.
After Christmas, the next event in Staniel Cay is the annual Pirate Pirate. Bob and I pulled out the costumes we made last year and had a great time!
We are sad to say that this year during a fun race of crusing sailboats and local Bahamian sloops there was a wreck at one of the marks. Glory Days, a beautiful sailing cat built by Laurie the owner was hit on a starboard tack by a Bahamian sloop Tida Wave. Although all the people on the pry of Tida Wave were knocked in the water, all were uninjured. Glory Days had a large gash in the port hull, but was able to limp in to pig beach.
Amazing Grace was able to patch the hole and has now towed it back to Florida. Laurie and Fran are "recovering" and we wish them well and hope to see them back in the Bahamas next year.
We needed to get laundry done, so we decided to cruise to Great Guana Cay, an island south of Staniel Cay and visit our friend Lorraine at Lorraine's Cafe and Ida at the Laundromat. We arrived to Lorraine's to find that it had a new paint job! Uriah, Lorraine's husband had done a great job painting the outside of the building. Lorraine asked if I knew of any cruiser that was an artist. She was looking to find someone to do a mural on one interior wall. I offered to do the mural. We settled on what would be included and a week later I arrived back with some paints I borrowed from my artist friend Sarah on Staniel and my paints to get started.
We watched the Redskins/Sea Hawks game on No Agenda. I painted Bob up with "war paint" for the game!
We will be in the Staniel Cay and Black Point area till after the Super Bowl and then will begin to head down to George Town.
