It's been nearly two and a half months since Puffin first glided onto the pristine waters of the Bahamas bank and I'm still mesmerized by their azure translucence. Yesterday, in cruising from the Exumas to Spanish Wells at the northern end of Eleuthera, Puffin was off the bank for a couple of hours, cruising over the familiar, darker hues of the open ocean.

As we approached the islands that are Royal Island and Spanish Wells we cruised back onto the bank that rose only gradually at that point. Though a little dim, I could see rocks and coral heads on the bottom. I glanced over at a depth sounder that was reading fifty feet! To those of us who usually cruise the dark and more turbid waters of the North Atlantic and its tributaries, it remains a continuing marvel to witness water in which the bottom is clearly visible at fifty feet - and through a two to three foot wind-driven chop that roiled the surface water.

Of the many things that we've enjoyed in these Bahamian Islands, perhaps the most captivating are the rich cerulean hues lit by a brilliant sun reflecting off these amazingly pellucid waters. So simple, so beautiful.