The intense blue of the water is melting into inky black in the fading light as the longest day of 2008 slips into history. The depth sounder is unable to find the ocean floor nearly 2000 feet below our keel. Our course over ground shrinks relative to our heading as the Gulf Stream current sweeps us northward. Our hull speed holds a consistent 4.9 knots while our speed over the ground accelerates to over 6 knots. Thankfully the Straits of Florida are relatively calm. Neighboring cruise ships and large freighters once numerous to our east have disappeared from our horizon. Otto, the auto pilot is tending the helm smartly. Anne and I just finished dinner and a game of backgammon below decks. We now sit topsides watching a silent light show from thunderstorms pounding the FL coast from Miami northward to Ft. Pierce.
Anne takes the first three hour watch, 20:00 to 23:00. The time slips by uneventfully. Otto maintains our 90 degree heading as we motor sail in light SE winds under our mainsail. C'est la Vie and her crew pass the axis of the Gulf Stream.
My first watch 23:00 to 02:00 passes in a similar fashion. The thunderstorms from earlier in the evening pass across our bow and stars appear above. The final half hour of my watch is punctuated by a large tanker ship passing within 1NM of our stern. The white bow wave curling off the vessel is visible in the faint light of the nighttime.
A mere minutes into Anne's 02:00 to 05:00 watch a fresh wind, 15+ knots, arrives from the SSE. Otto struggles with the weather helm created by our unbalanced sail plan. Anne takes the helm and I go forward to raise the working jib. The white jib snaps to attention as it reaches skyward. One reef in the main decreases the heel and weather helm. Anne settles into hand steering and C'est la Vie surges forward. Fueled by the fresh breeze and the Gulf Stream current Anne keeps C'est la Vie close hauled at 7.5 to 8 knots.
I awake to take my 05:00 to 08:00 watch, lights along the shores of Cat Cay draw close. Unable to run through the reef strewn, unfamiliar waters in the predawn darkness we drop the mainsail, gibe, and begin a broad reach tack north to Bimini.
We struggle to decipher the approach to North Bimini Harbor. Only 2 of the 5 navigational buoys are currently in place and the rising sun shines directly into our eyes. After watching a few fishing boats run the channel we make our approach. Within 2NM of land the depth sounder revives. Depths shrink to 5 feet during our run into the harbor.
Once inside we choose to tie up at the Bimini Big Game Club. A successful and fantastic Gulf Stream crossing, our first, is now astern. So begins our time in the islands.