Sailing PRISM

We have thoroughly enjoyed our first sailing experience to the Bahamas. It has been over amazing waters, and we have learned so much in the process. Probably the one outstanding feature of all the Bahamas that makes the trip worth it - if for no other reason - is the color of the water. Beyond anything we had imagined. Then, the incredible starry skies at night at sea are just breathtaking, revealing constellations we have probably never seen before. The Bahamian people were gracious and helpful at every turn. Many of them are more enterprising than we expected. Many communities are quite isolated, and while that presents a really pristine part of the world, access to things we are accustomed to is very limited. No worry. We rarely really missed conveniences. Exceptions might be long hot showers and easy access to ice and water. We quickly learned that all ice is not created equally! We often found it lasted only over night in the cooler.

Planning each leg of the trip included serious attention to daily weather resources, tides, sea swells, wind direction, squall predictions and locations - the details go on and on. All of it is important, and while we may have been more cautious than many on our "coastal cruiser", we have been safe, and happy over the seas, with no other issue than a damaged sail. Looking around the boat, we suspect we brought more clothes and provisions than we really needed. Keeping the inventory or our provisions (food items and alcohol) will help in planning for our next adventure, whether back to the Bahamas or elsewhere. Everything was a first for us, so a lot of our decisions were based on discussions, articles, advice, and sheer trial and error. We were consistent with installing the jack lines and wearing our life jackets and tethers when we were off shore. We used a lot of propane making the huge Coleman coffee pot (percolator) for quite a while and then (Todd) had the epiphany that we could save the propane and merely use the inverter to run an electric coffee pot even out at sea. Dah! So, we still have propane left, and yet always have a great pot of hot coffee every morning - or more.

Communication may easily have been the most challenging part of the trip, with no wifi or phone at anchorages, and often very weak wifi in some marinas. Throughout the Bahamas, there is really no one doing oversight out at sea. No Coast Guard. Huge luxury yachts come by rather close and fast, leaving incredibly huge wakes that knocked PRISM and us just terribly. That happened a lot! Tough on rigging and bashing the hull - not such a good thing over and over. Almost unavoidable. We will not miss that when we get back to the states.

So we loved the Bahamas, and will return and explore much more. We wanted to get across and join sailing friends earlier in the winter. It just did not happen for us, and we never caught up with any of them. On the flip side, we have made some great new friends who have kept in contact with us, and have learned a lot from many of them.

Over time at sea one begins to realize what is really important on board the boat, and what you can do without. Buddy boat for crossings when you can. Always keep the day cooler down below. Ice is always at a premium. Great anchor lighting is important. Add lighting at the deck level at night while at anchor. Do not skimp on night lighting! Lots of really long dock lines. Lots of extra fenders. Need a fishing net for scooping things from the water. Dinghy anchor will be helpful for snorkeling. Maximize refrigeration. We made a "fridge blanket" out of several sheets of bubble pack framed in duct tape. Oh - always have lots of duct tape on board. Bring more boat cards to exchange with other boaters. We have a boat card folder of all the cards from other sailors. We realized it is important to note on the card "where and when" we met. There were so many people! We kept an annotated inventory of food items, quantity and location on the boat. Then noted as we used them. We kept our itemized grocery receipt from the states in case we are boarded at customs/immigration to document that our remaining provisions are not foreign purchases. The list of "to do's" and "to not" goes on. We feel as though we have earned our blue water wings and now know what sea conditions work for our coastal cruiser. Every day was an adventure. The seas do not disappoint.

So the learning curve was somewhat steep, but PRISM and the two of us did fine, all on our own. We both want to come again and sail further south and explore more. Now, however, it is time to head PRISM toward the USA . We began the long trek today, April 15th at 8:30 am. We see the boat from our anchorage coming up behind us. It is the young couple who helped us get out of the sea after snorkeling the cave/grotto yesterday. Erin and Chris. They have a pretty trawler boat, and are probably the youngest people we have ever seen on a trawler! We exchanged emails and took photos of each others' boats today. We will exchange them when we have service/wifi. Fun!

We plan to anchor at Highbourne Cay, then sail on the next day to Nassau for a slip in a safe harbor while we evaluate weather that is predicted (we have heard that before!) and then when conditions are right for us, take the first long ocean crossing over the Great Bahama Bank to Bimini and a day or so there to fish the "shallows" for conch. Then, again, when seas and weather seem right, we will make our final big ocean crossing to Florida. We look forward to seeing family and friends.

We still need to pinch ourselves occasionally to be sure this trip and all of these incredible experiences are not just a dream!

Remember you can always check out where we are/have been with a visual track of our [entire] voyage at: share.delorme.com/toddrogers

Now a few words from the Captain:

Nina did a good job of covering our adventures. So not a whole lot for me to say. The boat has performed well with the exception of our head sail which now needs some major repair along the foot and the leech where the tightening lines pulled through the sail clothe. Not sure whether we'll be able to get this fixed here in a timely manner. It's going to put a cramp in our sailing until it is fixed. So it will be motor and mainsail for a while.

We are now back in Nassau. We never did find anyone to fix the head sail. We will either get it fixed in Stuart, FL or take it home with us to have repaired there. I am going to see if I can find some sail repair tape here in Nassau so we can do a temporary mend in case we really want to use it. We put it out in some light air yesterday between Highbourne Cay and Nassau in it worked ok until the wind really died. But the foot and the leech are pretty shredded.

So our adventure is nearly over for this year. The trip to Bimini from here is one that we need to make sure will be unadventurous. There's some weather developing off the SE coast of the US that may spawn some squally weather and we don't want to get caught in it with no place to hide. From Nassau to Chub Cay area is about 32 NM. But from there to Bimini is another 83 miles. It's tough for us to make that much distance in daylight. So we would like to get farther the first day and drop the hook on the Great Bahama Bank leaving us only about 65 or so miles for the second day. We'll keep our eye on the weather and make our decisions accordingly.

Our final run back to the states will take us from Bimini to Lake Worth, FL which is just south of Stuart where we have to pick up the St. Lucie river to Indiantown. It's a 75 mile crossing. But the Gulf Stream will give us an extra 2 to 3 knots going that direction. We just don't want to overshoot our arrival port. From there it's about a day motor up the river to Indiantown where we will haul the boat and put her to bed for the summer to await our return next fall.

It's been a lot of fun even though we only got to spend about a month in the Bahamas. Next year, if we come back to the Bahamas, we'll hopefully get over here earlier and have buddy boats to share our experiences with.
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Map & Tracking

This might aptly be entitled "Beyond Coastal", since we have now sailed PRISM across the Great Bahama Banks, and further on to where the sea is almost 9,000 feet deep, through what is ominously known as the Tongue of the Ocean. Yikes...what is that! It actually is an incredible piece of the ocean, and for us - just deep beautiful blue and mostly calm seas to cross from Bimini to Nassau.

John Pereira commented that we had now earned our "Blue Water Merit Badge". Thanks John, we may just agree with that! We also look forward to next year and perhaps having you and Christine sail your beautiful "Belmira" out this way.

Sailing PRISM into Nassau Harbor was quite a rush. Nassau is where Nina's parents honeymooned years ago. Todd hailed Nassau Harbor Control for "permission" to enter the channel, as clearance in advance of arrival is required: Last hailing port? Size and beam/draft of your boat? Documentation Number? Boat Name? All clear - permission granted. A sweet lighthouse greets you as you enter the harbor on a little peninsula all its own. Interesting that we had to get the official "okay" to come in the harbor, as there otherwise seemed to be no rules on the water where several young jet skiers were just flying by, in and out of our path. The harbormaster guided us to our slip by radio and met us with a few others to be at the ready to assist as Todd backed PRISM in. Dock helpers commented how well Todd backed in our boat! We had arranged for a slip for several nights in the Nassau Harbor Club Marina, next to some fun Canadian sailors and their 4 dogs! The captain of their boat joined in at sunset for the conch blowing wars! How fun. We are getting better all the time, with the conch horn that is. Numerous boaters on the same dock have stopped by to ask about our travels and share theirs. We have had absolutely no internet nor WIFI here, which makes trips to the local Starbucks (just across the road) a frequent walk. The grocery in the same little shopping village looks exactly like Whole Foods, and I suspect we will make one more pass through it before departing for the Exumas in a few days. It is known as the best grocery store in the Bahamas. We see why! Though prices are rediculous. A small jar of almond butter was over $30. We passed.

We had heard about a fresh fish market on Potters Cay, just walking distance from our boat. Every stand vies for your business. The stands are known for their fresh Conch salad (we would call it ceviche). We chose the stand written up as the best in the Waterway Guide, "the magenta building just past the guys playing dominoes". The young chef took our order and then pulled the live conch from the water to make our very first conch salad. We watched the entire process, from taking the conch meat from the shell, finely chopping the conch, the onion, peppers and tomato, to the final addition of lime and presentation of the salad with fresh orange slices that smooth out the salad very well.. He told us it is critical to wait till the last moment to add the lime or else the conch becomes too soft and will quickly have a mushy consistency. It is apparently important to use a spoon and scoop down to the very bottom of the bowl for each bite. That will ensure that you have what the locals call the "gravy" in each bite. It does not get any more fresh that that! We were impressed with his care in food handling and culinary style (Katie and Joe, our nutritionist daughter and chef son-in-law, would have approved!). Yumm. Late breakfast. Todd enjoyed his half with a cold Kalik Bahamian beer.

Next day we strolled along Bay Street, passing other marinas, and had a very late but great lunch at The Poop Deck (seriously, is that any kind of a name for a great restaurant!) It is apparently frequented by the rich and famous, many of whom have signed a page from a menu, now all framed and hung proudly along one wall. We continue our quest for the best Conch Fritters in the Bahamas and theirs are now at the top of the list!

Passing our own marina we went on a trek in the other direction in search of the Nassau Yacht Club that was absolutely beautiful, and somewhat comparable to the San Diego Yacht Club in its architecture, style, grounds and views. The staff was cordial and very welcoming of us, even asking for a burgee to swap. Darn! We only brought one from our sailing club, and we are not about to give it up. No worries. Cocktails at their bar and great conversations with staff and other members made for a fun afternoon. They graciously opened their Ship Store - so Nina was able to do a wee bit of shopping for Todd's upcoming birthday - that falls on Easter this year!

With high winds and rough seas lingering from a massive blow, we decided to give things at least another day to calm down, and took the plunge to walk back even further in the other direction and venture into downtown Nassau. With only two cruise ships in port, not so bad, actually. It was a few miles of walking to reach the Straw Market in the heart of the city that was unbelievably huge. All indoor with welcoming shade and all locally made crafts in straw, wood, fabrics and everything of shell made into jewelry. All the women vendors call you "darling" or "honey" or "sweetie". Many of the vendors are young women who have crafted what they sell, and everyone seems willing to haggle on price. Our usual response to vendors was "just looking, thanks", but that did not deter them from coaxing and prodding to get us to enter their stall and actually "hold" any item we even glanced toward. Todd was very (did I say "very") patient. Time to move on. We heard someone playing a conch horn, and followed the sound until we found the musician just next to the sea wall, blowing a large and quite beautiful conch. We complimented him on both the "music" he was making and the conch itself. He generously talked us through the technique, describing the mouth position as the same as you would do to mimic the sound of someone "farting". His words, not ours. But he is a master at making wonderful sound from his conch shell. We will keep working on ours. Then, we were fortunate to run across Jeff Lewis, a known street artist and native of Nassau, who upon our request, painted the scene of our very first view of Nassau. While we waited and watched, he captured the lighthouse and entry channel in a lovely original oil painting for only $10. We decided to pay him a bit more A treasure for sure!

One last stop walking back to our marina was a late light lunch along the Bay with great seating upstairs away from, but with a great view of the hustle and bustle going on all along the shore. Behind our seating were two huge fish tanks. One filled with immense live lobsters and the other with (live) conch shells. Todd had his first Conch Chowder experience, which was served in a toggled jelly jar. I chose the lobster roll, that was delicious beyond words and served in a piece of pottery. Vendors selling huge conch shells line the sea wall of downtown Nassau to catch the eyes of the tourists on their last shopping fling as they make their return trek to the cruise ships. The streets began to calm down as the shoppers disappeared. We walked a bit then grabbed a bus back to the quiet ambiance of our boat.

While it has been an unexpected and most enjoyable few days here in Nassau, we are now ready for calm and quiet, and more remote islands that we anticipate finding from here forward as we continue our adventure further south in the Bahamas. We will not give up on our quest to spend some time with Scott and Patsy Williams, (long-time friends from Colorado who are on their sailboat "Rum Tot") who have already reached the Exumas. We are getting closer!

We head out from Nassau on a gorgeous morning going east and south, departing through the opposite end of Nassau channel than our entry, affording us a different view with luxury homes on beach front properties. It seems this is where the rich and famous reside. Just beautiful. We admire them as Nassau fades in the distance behind us. We are ready to say goodbye to the busy marina, though we both enjoyed experiencing a touch of the culture in Nassau.

Our first day back out to sea, we stopped at Highbourne Cay, a private island that does allow visitors but only to enter the marina for ship store to get ice and stop at the beach bar. After setting our anchor, we rode the dinghy in for ice, and passed on the bar. More fun back on our own boat. In the ship store all their logo items were labeled "Exumas, Bahamas". At that moment I realized - finally, yes - we had officially made it to the Exumas. Todd snorkeled under the boat to discover our zincs are both still in great shape. We have what is called a "zinc saver" that is apparently doing its thing. There were a few barnacles on the prop that he was able to clean away. We have a quiet night in the anchorage.

Now Easter morning, and Todd's birthday, we are on our way under full sail to Shroud Cay, continuing south in the Exumas. The birthday boy is a happy Captain, enjoying the helm with his "dew" rag on, and smiling ear to ear on a gorgeous morning with PRISM dancing along in 13 -15 knots of wind, sailing over stunning aqua seas. On our approach to Shroud Cay, through binoculars, we can see there are 6 mooring balls that we have read are managed by the Bahamian Dept of Land and Sea Parks. First come - first served for the moorings. We arrived about 10 am and got one, giving us some real safety and security, that is a good thing since heavy winds and some rough seas are forecast to be coming our way in the next day or so. We will sleep better at night than if we were out anchored.

On shore, there are sweet coves and "streams" of sea to meander through lined with mangroves so we take our kayaks. The water became very skinny and we did go aground a few times. Sand sharks swam by - somewhat small...but innocent? Todd got out of his kayak to pull the boat through. He began sinking up to his knees before realizing this is actually "quicksand". So, if you did not realize it, I suspect a person could keep sinking and just disappear. Stay in the kayak no matter what! Out beyond the mooring balls, a few incredible luxury motor yachts are in view, not just here, but everywhere we go. This time, however, we think we are seeing the most beautiful classic motor yacht yet. It is stunning, but just gigantic, so further out at sea on anchor. It seems to have the hull shape of a Herreshoff design, then decks of perfectly groomed teak, a smoke stack, and other details reminiscent of years gone by. Crew members are in bright red shirts with khaki shorts, busily cleaning the boat in the early morning, from stem to stern, and through the day, providing dinghy excursions to shore for either their guests or the owners, perhaps? It is beyond our comprehension what a yacht of this magnitude costs, not only from design/build, but to maintain. So, sometimes we entertain ourselves by making up our own scenario of the boat's "story". We will hope to dinghy out to it and investigate.

Birthday dinner on the boat is simple and yet the Authentic Bahamian Rum Cake we had saved from a bakery in Nassau made Todd smile. The perfect petite birthday cake. No candles - just rum. Gifts - yes, of course - and all from the Nassau Yacht Club. What a surprise! New koozies, new tee and new tervis. Happy Captain.

Monday of Easter weekend we are hanging on to our mooring ball as the winds are building big, and the storms seem close. We did see what looked like the beginnings of a water spout - ie. a tornado over water - so stay put! There is a wealth of entertainment from the other moored and some anchored boats. One young French group of eight all go in to shore together but barely all fit on their dinghy. Todd thinks it looks like eight people in a seated position, just floating along the water - the dinghy is almost totally submerged. Another recent arrival all donned neon pink life jackets and did the same. Todd calls them the "rub-a-dub-dubs". We still have some exploring left to do before we head further south, and will hope for tomorrow, to dinghy across cuts through the island.

The water has become even more breathtaking, though we were not sure it could get any prettier than what we have already seen. Native Bahamians in Nassau told us that the water in the Exumas is some of the most beautiful water on earth. We are beginning to believe that is true.

We left Shroud Cay hoping for a mooring ball in the confines of the same incredible Land and Sea Park system. Contact made - we have a reservation in the "north mooring field" that is described by all accounts as the most breathtaking spot perhaps in the entire park. We had about 17 miles to go in huge seas, from last night's mooring to this new destination of Warderick Wells, in really nasty wind that made for an uncomfortable and rather bashing trip. Amidst the crazy building seas and about 27 knots of wind, we gave up sailing and ended up just motoring the last few miles after the stitching come open on the bottom of our head sail. Can no longer use the head sail, and will hope for some way to repair it soon. All of a sudden we heard ourselves being hailed on channel 16. It was Kooky Dance, the sailboat of friends we met during our voyage from Galveston, who we spent time with both in Pensacola and later met up with again in Clearwater. Since then we have kept aware of each other's adventures under sail merely over Facebook and Delorme tracking until today's radio call. They (Tamera and Scott Buckley) preceded us to the Bahamas, and we have benefited from their experiences and their recommendations. Today we found out we were within a mile of each other on the sea! In fact, they told us by radio that they saw us as they traveled in the other direction. We were fighting with a blown out head sail, and missed seeing them. What a small world. They are heading back to the states. We will stay in touch.

Other than the terrible seas, the views were awesome, and no doubt PRISM was a happy boat to finally make landfall (as were we) and get in to the safe and protected mooring field of Warderick Wells, in the park, now deeper into the Exumas. I am not sure we are going to find anywhere on earth more beautiful and breathtaking as we found here in the "Wells", where it is a picture postcard at every turn and just gorgeous turquoise water at every point of the compass. Todd and I dinghy rode to shore to pay the park fee and hike along the shore where there is an amazing complete skeleton of a whale. As we are still within the Bahamian Land and Sea Parks' boundaries, there is absolutely no fishing, no catching conch, no shelling nor collecting of anything. There are very stiff fines if caught in violation of their many rules and violators may have their boat confiscated and will be given 48 hours to leave the Bahamas. They are serious about this. Take nothing and leave only footprints.

We have kayaked across to another little island where we found another Luci Light that had washed to shore who knows when. Works great, and is not part of the natural habitat, so okay to adopt it. We are finally enjoying swimming off the boat. An increasing number of sting rays have also been swimming around and under PRISM for several days. What a sight. We hiked up to the locally famous Boo Boo Hill and the blowholes, to see the 360 degree amazing views of the park and the seas. Visitors are invited to use the driftwood provided and leave a message at the top of the hill. We made a second trek back up the hill with a few permanent markers and added PRISM to the amazing and dynamic accumulation of notes and artwork that boaters from all over the world have left at the site. We also added another message, remembering s/v Kokopelli, the beautiful sailboat of our friends Joy and Tom. Sadly, Kokopelli was lost during a terrible accident in the Bahamas a few weeks ago.

We have been almost totally without communication while in the Bahamian Land and Sea Park system since Easter morning. Remote, quiet and stunning, though lower tech than we have experienced in years. It is probably a good exercise for both of us - no phone, no internet, no email, no Facebook. Though we regret that we cannot easily let family and friends know we are still out there. We hope to continue south in the next few days to a bit more civilization...not too much, but perhaps a tad!

We decided the winds and seas were reasonable enough for PRISM to make a safe trip out of the Exumas Land and Sea Parks and on to the anchorage in Big Majors, just around the point from Staniel Cay, again - further into these incredible Exuma waters. En route, we passed Halls Pond, but it seemed Johnny was not at home - Johnny Depp that is, the owner of Hall's Pond Island, so we did not stop. Just within four hours, we are anchored, with good holding and voila - kayaks in the water. Splash! Time to go take the shredded carrots and paddle to shore to visit and feed the famous "swimming pigs" on the beach! Too fun. They did not disappoint! After the pigs ate all the carrots we brought, including trying for Todd's beer can, we headed on to the ocean side of the island to explore for treasures. En route, to our disbelief, we passed three dinghies, and we knew all of the people on all three of them! Only in the Bahamas!

Our friends from cocktails last evening were one of the dinghys passing us. They, Trish and Dan, (on vessel "Oasis") stopped along side to convey the phone number of a sail repair person here in Staniel Cay who may be able to help us by stitching our damaged head sail. How thoughtful you two new friends to even take the time and think of getting that contact for us! Merci, merci! Todd and I continue on - dinghy thrashing through the waves and opposing current to reach a beach on the ocean side for shelling. Just stunning every direction, again - no surprise. We drag the dinghy up on the sand so I can pursue my ongoing quest for more king conch shells. Success - a little one, that has become my preference anyway. Trying to leave the beach in the breaking waves is the next challenge. We manage, though only after several attempts, as well as having to retrieve one of the oars. Geesh! Never a dull moment when Todd and Nina are together on a boat. After a few laughable attempts, we make it out past the surf. Sheer fun and no worries We just add this to the fun of the moment, and merely enjoy the process. We anticipate going in to the town of Staniel Cay tomorrow, perhaps getting wifi, lunch at the Yacht Club, and seeing some of the sites. Refueling will be on the agenda and then there is the Straw Market if we can find it (Nina's list of must do's) and a little re-provisioning. The other two dinghies we passed were couples we met during our first few days in the Bahamas in Bimini that were each next to us at that marina. They were masters at Conch fishing and now, we realize they are the two boats next to us here in this anchorage! It truly is fun to revisit new friends along the way. Exchanging stories and experiences just never gets old among boaters! We are invited for a sundowner tomorrow on one of their boats for 4 pm.

Sundowner with the two couples we had met in Bimini on their trawler. Lucky for us they had more conch and made fresh conch salad (ie. Ceviche) that we all enjoyed. We took salmon dip that was store-bought from the states, but they loved it.

We rented bicycles for the next day and toured the islands of Staniel Cay in search of the renouned shell beaches that we never found. Apparently it must be truly low tide to find anything. We did find an incredible purple sea fan that had been on the beach for a while. We decided it needs to stay in the Bahamas, so donated it to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club display that was greatly appreciated..

We usually take our little portable soft side cooler in to town on the dinghy with a few water jugs. Water is 40 cents a gallon plus what is called the VAT (value add tax). We think the native Bahamians do not have to pay the VAT. All water is R/O ie reverse osmosis that we learned was introduced to this area by a company called "Watermakers", who are also an air service that run a few flights back and forth between here and Nassau each day. They bring guests to the Cay. Several of their planes are sea planes. They have taken off and landed right near us as we dinghy around!

We have been at anchor for days now, loving the generally quiet area of Big Majors anchorage, just around the point from Staniel Cay. We have watched just breathtaking mega yachts come and go. We have seen some amazing sailboats as well. From the deck of PRISM we enjoy watching the swimming pigs who we have learned are really picky about what they want "served" by the newly arriving visitors who all seem to make their way to the Pig Beach as soon as they are anchored. They loved our carrots on [our] day one. We stopped another day en route to snorkel nearby, and make a short movie of them. There were no other people or boats coming so we were the only food source this particular morning. If you do not dinghy in, at least one pig will swim out to see what's on the menu. The mother lode pig began swimming out right away toward our dinghy. It took this guy a while to decide whether he was interested or not in our apple or the cabbage or the lettuce. I think it is a challenge for them to swim and eat at the same time. They do seem to manage. What was impressive was how far the pigs will actually swim out to get to a boat with possible goodies to share with them. They have a little island all their own, and disappear into the forested part of it, off the beaches, after dusk. Someone told us there are a LOT of pig roasts in Staniel Cay, so someone is concerned about the growing population of the piggies.

On to the cave, where we arrived just before a number of other boats. Snorkel gear on, and hit the water and splash. Made our way over to the cave! Thunderball Cave is where scenes from the 007 movie of the same name was filmed. Rays of the sun, when timing and sun angles work, just come streaming down through the cave openings and illuminate the sea below. Fish and coral just take your breath away. Apparently, the fish down here in the cave are as silly as the pigs on the beach - they come right up to you for feeding. Some returning snorkelers brought fish food. So fun. First time snorkeling together for years! Todd managed a few great shots we will post. Then, back at the dinghy - getting back actually IN the dinghy presents it own challenges. Not my strong suit! Another dinghy of snorkelers had let us tie up to them since they had a little anchor. The guy was just so helpful in offering to pull each of us out - not so gracefully, but successfully, I might add.

Todd has struggled with the Batelco phone card, though a visit to the BTC office who blames Verizon. We give up. Cannot create a hotspot, but will work around it till we return to the states and can post more of our fun photos.

Honestly, it was so worth the wait for the perfect and sustained weather window to make our virgin voyage across the ocean to the Bahamas. Safe crossing.  Incredible water color.  Just too blue to even describe!  We had an easy and absolutely beautiful 2 days.  The Gulf Stream is like being on the people movers in the airport. You go 5 mph and it takes you to 8. We anchored after the first full day in Rodriguez Cay and then left anchoring just as the sun was about to break the horizon and sailed with motor on, arriving at Bimini and this amazingly beautiful marina before sunset.  We settled in to Bimini Sands Marina, with time to go to the beach (an easy walk from our dock) and capture the first Bahamian sunset of our adventure! We hoisted our Quarantine flag, awaiting Customs clearance. Early next morning, Todd looked awesome in his lime green dress shirt and left on a marina shuttle to Customs and Immigration.  Only the captain of foreign vessels may leave the boat, taking all our documentation to the immigration/customs offices nearby.  Hope it goes well. They could return with him, and decide to board the boat to inspect it.  We will see!

About an hour later: Todd came back a happy man, as we are all cleared, passports stamped, Cruising Permit and fishing license issued and we are good to go. Quarantine flag comes down and we begin flying the Bahamian Courtesy flag for as long as we are guests in the Bahamas. When all is done, we will walk the sand or take the dinghy and explore the incredible beach-lined shores of the Bimini islands for picnic and snorkeling. Tough life, I know - but we just have to do it!

With marina life on PRISM, boats and sailors all over, and everyone speaking English, it is easy to forget we are in a foreign country! Important to always keep that in mind, however, as the culture of the people here is different, and WE are their guests. Bahamian dollars and American dollars seem interchangeable, so it is common to receive both in change from a purchase. The natives remind us however, that we should be sure to get all dollars transposed back in to American dollars before departing for the USA.

Bimini Sands Marina is a rectangle, with a bevel of condos all around it, that add a layer of protection to the boats in the harbor. You can see the entrance from the sea. Nurse sharks and an occasional bull shark hang out all day by our dock, so no one checks their boat bottom while in the marina. Stay out of the water, everyone says! In the marina, there are small sting rays, huge red starfish and a variety of other fish just teasing Todd to catch them. The facilities here are charming.  They have everything, including a little Ship Store, laundry, showers, two swimming pools, a beach/palapa bar (never open this early in the season) and a short walk to the beaches. The floating docks are fabulous, and the little Petite Conch restaurant has been fun for an occasional meal out. We have befriended the best waitress there, Lashan, who we have invited to come with her young family to Colorado for a visit. Her husband is a Sushi Chef! Then – just an interesting tidbit - during a recent visit to the restaurant, behind us sat a Cuban guy having lunch with the producer of the recent Tom Cruise movie, “ Valkyrie”. He and his wife have a condo here in the marina. Rumor has it there are plans afoot for a movie with Bimini as the backdrop.

We are an easy, though quite hot walk from the marina to catch the water taxi between the two islands (North & South Bimini) that we have now done quite a few times! Every single person you pass (usually natives) on the road give a greeting, and some just start up a conversation as you pass them. There are more golf carts than cars, which seems best, considering how narrow the streets are, and how crazy many of the drivers are. Actually, there are only two streets we think, on the North island, and I think only one here on the south island that runs from end to tend.

We have had some great local cuisine, usually involving Mahi Mahi either with eggs, in a sandwich or salad and as the main dish for dinner. The north island has a few stores, though they look so abandoned, and some even boarded up on the outside - one would never guess there is a store inside what is often a rather musty old door. Most have only a few things and little inventory of what they do carry. Few have any designation outside, no name, no sign. You just have to know. Locals told us we could get a Bahamian SIM card at “Sue and Joy's” store. Well, how do you find that? We kept looking but never saw a sign. Well, there is no sign. Got the card and then on trip perhaps four or so – went to the Batelco phone store and got it actually working.

We have shopped the Straw Market on the North island, listened to some local reggae and had the chance to sneak in (invited, actually) to hear the local school choir perform for the Lt. Governor!  We managed to find fresh produce that same day, on what seemed to be the day fresh goods arrived on the islands, and in the ONLY little tiny market that had fruits and vegetables. We found Captain Bob's for great lunch and returned another time for breakfast (North Bimini) where the Mahi Mahi-anything is to die for!

A neighboring fishing boat's captain shared some of their catch one evening, so we were thrilled to have fresh yellow tail tuna and some mahi mahi right off their boat!

The beaches are breathtaking and the water is beyond ridiculously beautiful turquoise. We have walked most of the perimeter of our south island and a bit of the north island in search of beach treasures in the surf, and always try for low tide.

The lobsters await us out on the “flats”, that are the extremely shallow areas between the two islands of Bimini. We hope to get there by dinghy if the wind would  just calm down! I have found several king conch shells (small enough for a necklace) .  I was able to thread one onto a very thin strand of brown leather with a sterling clasp that I brought on the trip, ever hopeful to find a treasure from the sea to wear.  I fear we are beginning to look like natives - tans increasing, and now shell jewelry. 

The sea glass is just amazing here - Todd and I have hunted along the shores at low tide and found some wonderful aqua sea glass, and several pieces of cobalt blue, as well as a variety of tones of green.

Todd is anxious to use his Hawaiian Sling. That, with the aide of the glass bottom bucket (a gift from friends, Bonnie and Sid while we were in the Keys) should increase our chances of catching some lobstahhhh! Season ends for lobster at the end of March, so time is of the essence at this point! Go Todd!

We have had an amazing time while in Bimini, getting to know both islands quite well at this point. The two islands are really close, but water taxi required. Pretty primitive “taxi” but has always made the trip safely. 'Love the people and this has truly been a stunning introduction to the Bahamas for us. Yet now we are looking forward to our next part of the adventure, as we hope to sail south and east, across the Great Bahama Banks but need sweeter crossing weather than we have seen yet.  Perhaps Monday.  (we have said THAT before). Right now seas are building and horrific wind, rain, lightening and 10 foot seas. So, happy to be in a safe and well-protected marina for now. 

Now, a few words from the Captain:

We've been here for 12 days and just paid our bill (Ughh!) as we are leaving tomorrow to go across the Grand Bahama Bank and on to Nassau. A trip of about 135 nautical miles. We'll have to drop the hook on the bank for one night then move on to Nassau. We have mild weather for a couple of days. Could have gone today but a sailing catamaran that is going to buddy boat with us has an app that showed potential for 20 knot winds sometime today. I don't think it ever got close to that where we are. But we postponed one more day. So tomorrow at 7 am we cut loose from the slip and do what the boat is built to do. Looking forward to sailing/motoring across the banks as a new adventure and going into Nassau for the next blow which comes this weekend. We will, hopefully, be in another marina for that.

After the weather calms we will head to Allen Cay which is in the Exhumas (Yeh!). It's only 5 to 6 hours from Nassau. Then it's short hops down through the Exhumas until we catch up with Scott and Patsy near Georgetown. That will be the apex of our (by then) 2000 mile odyssey. We won't go south of G-town. Not sure how long we will be in the Exhumas. But we expect to be back to FL no later than mid-May. Wyatt's b-day party is June 6 and we will not miss that under any circumstances.

So hopefully we will have a relaxing time on the hook when we get to the Exhumas, fishing for all the wonderful things there are to catch in this island paradise.

Hanging out in the Florida Keys while awaiting a weather window to the Bahamas has been a sweet experience. Our boat has been at a side-tie dock in Marathon Marina for over a month now. We have met some incredible people; had fabulous fresh seafood including Todd's limitless oysters on the half-shell; sold the Walker Bay to someone who really needed a dinghy; we have connected with other sailors and and motor-yacht cruisers, and learned more and more about crossings to the Bahamas; we enjoyed the Miami Boat Show and a visit with dear friend, Lana Lohe, and on boat show day two, ordered a new AB Rib dinghy for all of our island exploits; we now have several sailing friends (from Colorado and elsewhere) who are already in the Bahamas, so one way or the other, we will hope to catch up with at least a few of them when we get there!

The daily weather is mostly blue sky and welcoming warm sunshine. It is the wind direction, however, that has been our nemesis. Sailing the Gulf Stream if there is a north wind is a recipe for dangerous waters. We need a solid sustained weather window of wind OTHER than out of the north to make our first crossing a safe one.

The Florida Keys is truly a nautical playground and while just sheer fun every day - it is expensive. There is nothing to do but play, fish, drink, kayak, hang out at the beautiful Sombrero Beach, visit on other friends' boats at sunset, enjoy Key Lime everything, watch the manatees, go in search of the green flash, and just become infused in the community of happy boaters and fishermen/women. It is such a tough life here, honestly! We mean - how much fun can a person endure, anyway!

The famous 7 Mile Bridge is within walking distance, and should be our daily exercise...at least we do it occasionally. Some of our favorite spots in Marathon include: Key Fisheries - for raw oysters and stone crab claws during happy hour and their famous Lobster Ruebens. They also treat everyone just before sunset, with a special cordial and make a daily ritual of leading everyone present in toasting to the sunset. Castaways for a killer Key Lime Martini! 7 Mile Cafe - for breakfast in an open-air setting. Dockside - the home of Eric Stone's band and the music of his amazing fiddle player and lead guitarist, both of whom also play with other musicians on different nights. We met Eric on our first visit to this restaurant, on a night his own band was performing. He and Todd chatted about a possible concert in Colorado we he has previously played. Lazy Days - the restaurant right here at our marina, for the best happy hour (actually 3 hours worth) including $2 plates of huge fresh shrimp or Conch Fritters or Wings or a few other items. Also, Lazy Days has an incredible view for Sunset. Then, there is the Sunset Grille, an easy walk from our marina, that has a sweet area to sit overlooking their pool and the 7-Mile Bridge at sunset (our favorite time of day!) Of course, we have made multiple trips to West Marine, Radio Shack, Home Depot, Post Office and Publix (grocery). We had a rental car for two different weeks that made all of those treks quite easy. We now are enjoying the foldable bike we found on the local Craig's List that will help us get through last errands before we leave the marina for a mooring ball (hopefully soon).

Happy hours in the Keys means about a minimum of a three hour period of time - sometimes all afternoon and always fresh seafoods. Truly, this community has an ongoing party atmosphere, regardless of where you go! What has made those times great for us has been meeting other boaters.

Then, there is Key West - and by its own tag line, is "far from normal - close to perfect". That certainly does seem to fit. You take your drink about town, into other shops, and no one cares. Roosters are meandering all over in the streets, and somehow avoiding disaster even with so much traffic. Walking within just a block, one hears an array of languages being spoken, and attire is everything from glitzy and formal to beach-ee. Fabrics are always bright and colorful. Everyone seems happy and relaxed. It is just a hoot to be part of this uplifting culture. Todd and I visited Key West twice on this voyage. The architecture in the residential areas is charming and quaint, with porches and shutters painted in tropical colors White picket fences abound on tree-lined quiet paths that we took in search of the Hemingway house. The Key West Lighthouse is just massive, and well maintained by a local foundation. We spoke briefly with the lighthouse keeper who shared some of its history. A total re-facing is happening soon. Todd loves re-visiting Captain Tony's Bar, the oldest bar in Key West, and where Jimmy Buffett was discovered (?). The words to his successful hit "Last Mango in Paris" are written on the men's room wall. I do not think anyone has changed a thing in the bar - it has an old and musty look and remains a favorite local haunt. We caught up with Jackie & John, and Barbara & Tom who met us at The Agave Bar on Front Street that is owned by a guy in Fort Colliins Colorado (who we met last year over a tequila discussion in Pringles in Colorado). Above the bar he also runs a wonderful dining spot called The Rooftop Cafe. Lunch there was exquisitely presented and just wonderful flavors, with a great view of the street below. Gazing out to the water, there are views of breathtaking yachts, both sail and power, all on the absolutely stunning aqua/teal colored waters of Key West. We were surprised to learn that a month of a mooring ball is really not that expensive. A possible plan for a while next winter for us on PRISM!

We have been on a wait list for a mooring ball at Boot Key Harbor since our arrival. Because of the limited "favorable" weather windows, the number of boats here in the keys has grown considerably. Thus, more boats keep arriving and few depart. Marathon seems to be the jumping off point rather than a long-term destination for most. There have been about two "favorable" windows that a number of boats took advantage of - for us it was not in the stars, as we were otherwise ready, but were awaiting the delivery of our AB dinghy. Sigh! We are now well-equipped for the rest of our voyage, and plan to leave at the next solid good weather/wind opportunity.

We have attended Monday meetings of the local boaters, who gather weekly to share knowledge and plans for crossings - mostly going to the Bahamas. We have begun going to Chris Parker's weather link to hear his truly detailed account of what to expect on the seas in most locales off shore day-by-day. We have re-provisioned to the point that we could survive for a few months easily, without another thing - though we both look forward to searching out local produce and Todd's fishing expertise to catch local fish and seafood.

Overall, we have had a wonderful two months aboard PRISM and reaffirm that this is where we want to be for winter months. We hope to cross to the Bahamas soon enough to enjoy a couple of months sailing and discovering the islands, as well as to join our friends. We have re-organized and downsized as best we can on the boat, already sending home two boxes of things we are not using or wearing. The aft cabin has shrunk somewhat even with those efforts, as we now have some of the provisioning packed in as well as the bicycle! There is still room for a small guest or two - though quarters are a tad tighter, and any visitors must come with as little baggage as possible. We will still hope to share our experiences and these incredible waters with friends and family, over time. The Florida Keys are truly beautiful, with lots to enjoy and everything to do associated with water and the coast. We can hardly wait to see what the Bahamas will be like!

Now, a few words from the Captain:

Our weather window, which was for Monday and/or Tuesday has closed. Sounds like the seas going north would be pretty ugly according to Chris Parker, who provides weather information for cruisers. He charges for custom forecasts for your voyage provided by SSB marine radio, email or telephone. But I sent him a question on his website today and he responded by SSB radio and over the web that Monday/Tuesday is NOT a good day to head out from Marathon. Thursday/Friday time frame looks much better. We will check in again with him on Wednesday to make sure that is still holding.

Meanwhile, we have rolled up to number 3 on the Boot Key Harbor waiting list. We will sign up for a week and if we leave early so be it. It's only $85 a week and that includes a free weekly pump out! A much better deal than the marina we are in. We have to leave this marina tomorrow (3/1). So if we don't hear from Boot Key Harbor tomorrow, we will go over and drop the hook in the anchorage until we do hear from them.

All of our buddies, save one, are over in the Bahamas already. So we want to get going as soon as it is safely feasible. This Thursday looks to be the first opportunity. Hopefully it will stay that way.

As I write this we just had another yacht show up across the fairway from us. I WAS going to just spin the boat around to my left. But now there's a 40 foot boat there. So we have to decide how we're going to do this tomorrow. Should be interesting.

Our return to PRISM in January could not have felt more welcoming at Regatta Pointe Marina, not far from Sarasota, FL, where we had left our boat before the holidays. Friends, Sher & Steven Norman, planned another gathering to celebrate our return - this time featuring local seafood, that Sher prepared for everyone. Sher is the quicentennial galley queen, who just went crazy with fabulous treats for the dock gathering as well as providing PRISM with a generous supply of gourmet goodies for the trip to the Keys. Linda and Jeff Gruver flew down from Colorado to crew with us for our first week, and with hopes of our making the Keys while they were still on board.

As often happens, the weather had other plans, so a straight trip to the Keys was probably just not happening and the week was otherwise filled with a bit of everything. Jeff helped Todd with some boat projects and prep before we set sail, and Linda was always lending a hand down below. Several of

Linda's dearest friends came for a visit on board - that turned into a girls' afternoon on the boat and plans for a shopping day together in Sarasota.

We enjoyed a farewell dinner with Sher and Steven, and in the morning, we caste off our dock lines and took the ICWW from Regatta Pointe to Venice, FL; grabbed a mooring ball for the first night, and then stopped at anchor for the next night. We were able to sail almost the entire next day, heading to Ft. Myers where we would stay for the remainder of the Gruvers' time on PRISM.

For the first time since we left Galveston Bay (last October 4th), we actually took a day off to play this first week, while in port in Ft. Myers, and sail out on the Gulf - just for the sheer joy of it, with no destination. Todd and I had almost forgotten what it is like to just hang out with friends on board, and enjoy a day of sailing. (Since last October we have been ruled by a regimen of destinations, weather, and Active Captain's advice always dictating the schedule.)

Traveling by boat presents its own challenges, as we are on foot for exploring the area - so we manage to get a reasonable amount of walking exercise and it is always interesting. Passersby often have great dining and shopping advice, and it seems a great way to meet the locals. We found great seafood while on a walk-a-bout for breakfast and a quest for propane for the boat.

We had some great seafood, enjoyed the local sights, toured the Coast Guard facility and found quite a few reasons to pop the cork on our share of bottles of champagne over the course of the week. Jeff even made a kayak paddle to the local store for beverage reinforcements.

We always have a fun time hanging out with Linda and Jeff, and this was no exception! It was a truly relaxed, crazy-fun and enjoyable week of "Intoxination V" on PRISM with these two great friends. The time went all too quickly! We miss you both - a lot!

Another sweet event for us was a visit from Smoky and Connie, (little bro and sister-in-law) who live in Pennsylvania, but had just helped a friend by driving/delivering a car to Tampa. Timing just seemed to work for us to get them on PRISM for a visit, along with my cousins, Judy and Bill Ruth, who live in Bonita Springs, FL, and were hosting my little bro for a few days. Eventful - because this marked the first time anyone from our two families had been on PRISM. A short whirlwind visit for sure, though we all enjoyed every minute!

When all the visitors had left, Todd and I moved out to a mooring for a few more (less spendy) nights while in Ft. Myers to wait out weather and yet still have some visiting time with Kathy and Russ Stamets, who we have known for years, from Colorado. They are liveaboards on "Beluga", and have a mooring here in Ft. Myers while awaiting the right time for their own sail to Marathon in the Keys.

Todd and I then departed for Marco Island for two nights in a sweet marina, re-provisioned and then headed back out on the Gulf to the Florida Everglades. We knew there would only be a few opportunities for anchoring - but enough to give us two safe stops over the two-three day sail on the Gulf to the Keys.

We had a wildlife count of one bald eagle, one manatee, lots of dolphins, and of course, huge seabirds everywhere. The anchorages in the Everglade National Park, though few, are quite beautiful and really remote. We were glad to have the mosquito netting that saved us from a deluge of thirsty bugs as sunset approached.

Gulf conditions were wonderful with low chop and wind directions on both days that worked well for sailing a good part of the time. We had been warned about the crab pots that were to become like a gauntlet and continue all the way from the Everglades to the Keys. We were still not prepared for how many and how erratic they would be all over the water - with no escaping them It was a constant battle to miss them and weave our way left and right between them for hours on end! If we had snagged one on our prop it could have been disastrous. We were lucky! We were also really vigilant about keeping eyes on the water ahead of us. It made for a mental-visual game that was really exhausting. By the time the pots decreased in frequency - we could just about see the 7 Mile Bridge, and knew we had made it to The Keys!

The color of the water is so aqua/teal that it seems artificial at first glance. It was a stunning sight and we were tired but happy sailors to have finally made it - having begun back on October 4th from Galveston, Texas. About 1,398 statute miles in all. We were fortunate to land a slip in a marina in Marathon, where space is tight all winter, as boat after boat arrives and then needs a place to be awaiting their right time to cross to the Bahamas. We hope to relax, do some fun exploring of the Keys, kayak and perhaps sail out and about over the next week or so. It is just nice to be here, and not have to chart an immediate course anywhere else - just yet.

And now, a few words from the Captain:

It truly is a fun place to be, here in Marathon. We decided to rent a car for a week since we have some running around to do and I need to look into replacing the sea water pump on Prism. As we came in a couple of guys helped us stick a 36 foot boat into a "36.01 foot side tie slip". Well it's really bigger than that. But it was an interesting exercise. One of them, Mike, owns a Catalina 380. He and his wife Robin have befriended us. He asked me if I knew what the rattling was at idle in low RPM. He said he had the same thing and it turned out to be motor mounts out of whack which wore out the cutlass bearing. That's the bearing that holds the prop shaft at the rear strut. I just had it replaced last January by the South Texas yard. Apparently they didn't bother to align the shaft properly when they put the new shaft in. So now I need to get someone to align this thing correctly so I don't wear out another cutlass bearing. That and the need to replace the sea water pump which is starting to weep, will probably keep us here a bit.

Because of that we may well miss our rendezvous with Scott and Patsy Williams to sail over to the Bahamas. But if we have to stay here in the Keys, that's still better than shoveling snow off the deck at home! We are on the wait list for Boot Key Harbor mooring field which is less than one third of what this marina charges per month. Once we have the needed repairs complete we will decide what is next on our continuing adventure.

Looking back over the past almost two months, of living within 36 feet of each other on PRISM, we realize how far we have come - and how much we have learned. Not just about sailing at sea, but about each other, what PRISM can handle, and the beginnings of seeing what lies out beyond the shore. We have sailed close to 1000 miles from Clear Lake, just above Galveston Bay, Texas to Bradenton, Florida. There were a few weather delays, an occasional hunt for diesel fuel in the ICWW, but overall, we have sailed and motored our way east without any real major incident, and thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

Being out at sea is like nothing we have ever done. What a joy to be doing it on our own sailboat, on our own time, with no real agenda - trying to always make time to take in the sights and enjoy the communities and people we met along the way.

There is quite an extensive community of sailors, who are either doing as we are, or are liveaboards. They have taught us a lot and shared much about their experiences. We now know there is nothing like a sunset at sea or greeting a new day with nothing but water every direction as far as you can see. Learning to cook underway and what works in big seas will continue to be an ongoing process for the galley slave. Though my "Egg McPRISMs" were quite a hit with the crew for breakfast after an all-night sail!

Extra parts, safety equipment and multiple methods of gathering weather and sea conditions - are all critical out there. We used Delorme for family and friends to always know where we were. Active Captain and the Doser Waterway Guide, often in combination, helped us decide when and where to plan stops, find marinas, re-fuel, select anchorages, find provisions, and help calculate distances.

We have met some incredible people, tasted amazing seafood, and experienced what the term "southern hospitality" really means. We were often surrounded by dolphins, an array of colorful seabirds, and extraordinary nights with breathtaking starry skies. Local events along the shores of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida helped introduce us to the local cultures and people.

Experiencing the ICWW for some of our journey was at times the best choice, especially when the Gulf was a tad too lively for our "coastal cruiser". We do not have a full keel. There are times the open sea and a fin keel are not the best mix. Knowing when and where one can tuck in from the Gulf when weather changes can be life-saving, and the ICWW can be a welcome safety valve.

We are so thankful for family and friends who have followed our travels, and have shared the enthusiasm we have for the sea and understand how important our sailing adventure is to us.

We hope you will check back after the New Year, and stay with us as we set sail again, and take PRISM around the Florida Keys and on to the Bahamas.

TODD & NINA