Photo is of dolphins that put on a 15 minute show for us about 20 miles from the States. They stayed next to the bow for 5 minutes before they saw me taking pictures and then took off....quite a welcoming committee! There are more pictures of them in the photo gallery under Piper Adventures 4.

Got underway at 7 am after checking on the weather one more time. Flat calm with some gentle 4' rollers. Power sailing with a full main and jib doing 6.5 knots. Took down the Bahamas courtesy flag and put up the yellow Quarantine.

One last look back at Settlement Point with lots of memories. The very small rock jetty entrance was the most traumatic. About five weeks ago, seven boats crossed from the States. Meteorologist Chris Parker warned in his am broadcast on SSB to get off the Atlantic early in the afternoon as a front was approaching from the SW and would last a couple of days. Six boats made it in well before dark, but one arrived in the dark. They hit the rocks and stepped off the boat onto the rocks without even getting wet. Someone was watching out for them! It could have been very disastrous or even fatal for the couple on board. By the next morning the keel and mast were gone with all their belongings washing out of the boat along with a wedding dress. I talked to one of the boats in Marsh Harbour that crossed with them and I guess they were inexperienced and waited too long to take the sails down and came surfing in and went out of control. Someone else said one of the lights on the jetty was out. The entrance is only about 200' wide and is why I waited 3 hours for the sun to come up before entering, but it sounds like they had no choice, but to enter. Shows you how fast the weather can change in the gulf stream.

Some of my favorable memories are the crazy roosters that are on island time and crow alll day long. The professional and amateur conch callers who sound off at sunset and of course the beautiful sunsets. I will not miss the salt on the boat, engine, air and on your skin...always dry, the ridiculous prices...milk - $12 a gallon, case of Coors - $75. Slip fee at Green Turtle only $32, but 3 loads of laundry were $36. There is a $15 water fee at West End even if you don't take any on and I never used a drop both ways. The electric charge was $22 at West End and $6 at Ft. Pierce, FL.

I went there not knowing anyone and now have a hundred boat cards with email addresses to stay in touch with...lots of new friends.

We never saw another sail boat going either way. There was one mega yacht and I believe it was Irish Eyes from Pittsburgh who came off the Little Bahama Bank and headed NW. About half way we started to pick up the NOAA weather forecast on the VHF...I just played it over and over again...so good to hear it after having nothing for 2.5 months. We started to see lots of small water bottles floating which was quite disturbing after being in pristine waters.

About 15 miles from the States, the winds abruptly went from SW to North around 20 for a close reach and reduced sail. This broke up the gentle rollers and big waves developed that were not too bad, but I would not have wanted it for 55 miles. Crabbing into the gulf stream most of the way to shore. Guess we beat the front! Waves were quite confused as expected when going through the Lake Worth Inlet at 5 pm. Headed South down the ICW looking for Gemini who is suppose to be anchored there, but I could not raise him on the VHF or cell. Could not find him and the tide was holding the boats against the wind....quite nasty and decided to headed North 5 miles to the protected end of the Lake...which is not really a lake. I went through the trouble and paid $27 and FEDEX fee for the local boaters decal to clear Customs and Immigration on the phone. This also meant a interview prior to departure with them. I called in and was cleared in about 10 minutes and instructed to take down the Quarantine flag. Unfortunately Donna has to report to Customs and Immigration within 24 hours and was initially told to go to Miami...got to be some place closer...yes...Palm Beach.