Dec 12
After weeks of "fixing to leave"--which means for Burger, fixing lots of things on the boat, and for me, lots of provisioning and stowage--we were finally ready to leave. It was a perfect weather window for the crossing, even a full moon. We left our dock at Tarpon Bay Yacht Club and motored down the St. Lucie River at low tide, so as to easily pass under two 65-foot highway bridges with our 63+-foot mast. We then anchored in a sheltered spot for the night, just in time for Burger to climb the mast and install the toplight and windvane before dark. Experience has taught us to take down the mast-top instruments for the many fixed highway bridges along the East Coast.

Dec 13
Early next morning the moon was setting behind us with the sun coming up on our bow, as we motored out the St. Lucie Inlet into the Atlantic. Pelicans and dolphins seemed to bid us farewell; later in the day, schools of flying fish skittered away from the hull. We soon reached the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, which tried hard to pull us northward as we counter-steered our way across to the turquoise waters of the Little Bahama Bank.

"Halekai, Halekai, this is the sailing vessel Royal Serf. Do you copy?" Thus began our acquaintance with Fred and Cindy, who had left Lake Worth at West Palm Beach that same morning. Fred could see Halekai on his AIS screen. He could also see that our courses would converge by late in the day. We met as predicted and sailed side by side in the moonlight till almost midnight, when we simultaneously reached Great Sale Cay, an uninhabited islet conveniently along our route that provided shelter for a good night's sleep. It was comforting to know we weren't all alone.

Dec 14
Next morning we both continued on across the 25 foot banks. Other boats appeared seemingly out of nowhere and we all proceeded toward the Abacos, reaching White Sound in Green Turtle Cay by late afternoon. After replenishing the diesel tank at the GTC Marina fuel dock, we anchored nearby in the cove. Fred and Cindy took a slip in the marina, but we prefer to drop the hook. It's easier to anchor than dealing with docking lines and fenders, more private, cooler, less buggy, and best of all, it's free!

Going offline cold turkey is quite the adjustment, being accustomed as we are to the instant gratification of the internet. We weren't completely shut off from the world though: we can email via shortwave radio modem and listen to NPR on satellite radio, and there's phone and data service wherever there's a cell tower. Nevertheless, imagine our delight upon finding a strong wifi signal that evening. GTC Marina is wise to leave their wifi open to those at anchor, since there are plenty of reasons for boaters to spend money there: fuel, restaurant, laundromat, gift shop, etc. It's quite lovely there, with shady benches overlooking the harbor, flowers everywhere, a pretty white sand beach, and a cozy lounge and bar. The bar was cheerfully decorated with dollar bills and yacht club burgees.

Dec 15
Next morning we gathered our passports and boat papers and dinghied ashore to clear in. Our new friends Fred and Cindy had already rented a golf cart and kindly gave us a ride to the Customs & Immigration office. Oops! We forgot about the $300 cruising permit fee and only had $200 between us. No credit cards accepted. The Customs lady was only there in the morning and was about to close the office for the day. Fred came to the rescue, with a brand new $100 bill. The generosity of strangers! It was a typical example of how cruisers are quick to help each other out. Pay it forward is the motto, and that we will.

Next we stopped at the BaTelCo office to buy a chip for our phone. What luck! The office is only open on Thursdays, and it was Thursday. While we waited on line, we chatted with a retired woman, a former sailboat cruiser from Colorado who, along with her husband, has made Green Turtle her full-time home. They live in one of the charming little cottages on the island and belong to a tight knit expat community and love it there.

Alas, the BaTelCo office was also cash-only, so Fred kindly opened his wallet for us again. Next we drove through the village of New Plymouth, first settled in 1786 by British Loyalists who fled the former colonies after the Revolutionary War. We treated Fred and Cindy to lunch at McIntosh's, where they thankfully did accept plastic. Scrumptious cracked conch and lobster wraps were washed down with Kalik, the local brew. We repaid our debt as soon as we returned to the marina.

Dec 16
Keeping the boat maintained keeps Burger on his toes--and sometimes upside down in the bilge. Despite having checked all systems before we left, he discovered an engine hose leaking oil (not any old hose, mind you, but a reinforced hose specific to our brand of engine), as well as a suddenly malfunctioning part for one of our two toilets. Neither problem was an emergency, but we didn't want to wait till our return home in April to fix them. So I put out a request on a FaceBook cruiser group that we belong to, how best to ship in the parts, which we know to be an expensive hassle with Customs. Ha! Within a few hours, a generous cruising couple in Florida responded, offering to bring us the parts if we could get them to them before they departed for the Bahamas in a few days. So we ordered the parts online and had them shipped to them pronto. How neat is that?!

Dec 17
The weather was unfavorable to leave, since our course led us out the notorious Whale Cay Cut just south of Green Turtle Cay. When strong wind opposes the fast flowing current, it kicks up a nasty "rage" condition which the cruising guide warns is suicidal to attempt. Not a problem, we're in no hurry. We stretched our legs hiking around the island, and splurged on prime ribs for dinner, the Saturday night special at the marina.

Dec 18
Our 47th anniversary! We awoke early to the sound of distant drums and Christmas carol practice. It was a quiet day of reminiscing while enjoying special treats and champagne, and a hike to the beach to check on the ocean surf (still high). We took advantage of the marina's laundromat--not a very anniversary- or Sunday-like activity, but we may be leaving tomorrow--while enjoying conch chowder for lunch. I put the final polish on our annual holiday letter and emailed it off to family and friends, the last chance to do so before we left.