We sit pinned to the dock at the Flying Fish Marina in Clarencetown, waiting for the wind to ease so that we can make our way North to Georgetown, Exumas for crew (Juli & Carolina) to arrive on Wednesday

Anxiety is my constant state of mind in the Bahamas as every approach to land involves water depths from thousands to less than fifteen feet in a space of maybe ten minutes. With a deep draft boat, NO ONE anywhere to offer assistance, and with not much of a Plan B, I depend on Steve's excellent reef piloting skills and the hope that he won't fall off the bow pulpit while navigating the reefs. As long as the sun is high in the sky, with no clouds, the water tells the story we need...dark blue, deep, dark turquoise, deep enough and sandy, light turquoise, watch out, and brownish green, REEF! Sounds simple enough, but errors are generally unforgiveable and unfortunately, many times, unforeseen. We plan to make none of them.

Six hundred fifty miles and a week ago, we left the Virgin Islands with a few overnight passages to South Caicos Island, Mayaguana Island, Lady Slipper Cay and finally here to Long Island. I cannot begin to describe the remote anchorages on these islands and the desolate sea between, desolate in the aloneness, as the winds were light and the water pristine as always.

We saw only a handful of boats on the whole route from the Virgins, a testament to the fact that for all the crowded places in the world, the ocean is still a refuge from the modern world and its' problems. Somewhat regrettably, our satellite radio worked really well, so we listened to CNN nonstop and kept up with the modern world!

The marine life en route and close in on these islands is remarkable considering the proximity to the U.S. and all its' population. As we ghosted by the Plana Cays, we saw spouting and splashing by a group of whales enjoying the beautiful Spring day, in total peace, away from civilization. We passed close to Samana Cay, purportedly Columbus's first stop in the New World. And our anchorage in Lady Slipper Cay was shared by two really big barracuda, who amusingly scared Steve back aboard from his afternoon swim. Turtles have been in every anchorage throughout the Caribbean and continue so here in the Bahamas, despite the news of habitat issues.

After we pick our crew this week, we will leisurely cruise north to Marsh Harbor in the Abacos, the jumping off point for the passage back to the Chesapeake. Another season will be over, another season remembered, another season enjoyed in Paradise.