From bahama arrival
Sunday morning...anchor up at 0650. We are headed to the Bahamas! If anyone remembers what our first crossing to the Bahamas was like, I will tell you that this one was quite similar. Not AS bad, but similar. We headed out the Lake Worth inlet, a well marked channel, lined on both sides with rock jetties. Our first time out this inlet, it was night time, the waves in the inlet were 10 feet tall, and steep, and we didn't know it until we were in them. I think that is the most scared I have ever been on our boat. Unable to turn around because if you got hit on the beam by those waves you would have rolled over and probably ended up on the jetty (at least that's what was going through my mind).This time, it was daylight (a huge difference, right there), the waves where only 6 feet tall, and steep, and we could see them coming. They were still breaking over the dodger as we fell off the top and buried the bow in the water. But it wasn't even scary in the daylight...until that cruise ship heading in the inlet called us on the radio. There he was, all 500 ft of him, headed right for us. He asked us to move to the left side of the channel (like driving a car, this is not the usual way to pass by each other). It was, thankfully, uneventful, but our boat was feeling very small as we passed closely by the Cruise ship Celebration.
The seas, which were forecasted to be 2 feet, settled down about 5 miles out to about 4 feet, which they remained the entire way across the stream. The forecasted southeast winds were actually blowing from the northeast, but only 10 knots or so. And the forecasted 'possibility of a morning squall or two', turned into squalls all day long. Luckily, they were just rain events and no big wind was associated with them. Friends Dennis and Suzi, that left with us traveled a more southern route by about 10 miles, and they had one squall, and sunshine the rest of the day. Go figure!
Anyway, we motorsailed all the way to Great Sale Cay, about 100 miles, and dropped the anchor for the night about 9:30. Not as easy as it sounds, because the anchor chain was all knotted up, and we could only get about 30 feet out. Alan screwed around with that for about 20 minutes and finally got enough untangled to safely anchor for the night. The next morning Al got down in the anchor locker and untangled the mess.

From bahama arrivalWe continued on to Green Turtle Cay Monday, where we could clear through customs. Arrived there about 3:30pm. We decided that we would spend a few days at Green Turtle before going around The Whale, a passage that leads to the lower Abacos. After we cleared Customs, we went to the Lizard Bar with Dennis and Suzi, and a few other boaters that we met there and in the Customs office. When we got back to the boat, we noticed that our freezer wasn't working...the temperature was up to 20 degrees. We keep it at about 5 degrees, so this wasn't a good sign. By the time we went to bed it was 25...and rising. First thing this morning, Tuesday, we left Green Turtle and headed to Marsh Harbour. This is the marjor 'city' where we would be able to make repairs or get parts if necessary. One of the marinas there told us we could put our food in their freezer until our freezer was working again. By the time we arrived at Marsh Harbour, the thermometer was reading 20 degrees and dropping. So, for the time being, our freezer is working again, we didn't have to unload all our food (the freezer is chuckfull), and Alan thinks he at least knows now what the problem was. So if it happens again, he thinks he can fix it.
So, now that we are out of 'emergency' mode, tomorrow we will go swimming and snorkeling and lobster hunting, and head to Treasure Cay and start 'living the dream'.