MIDORI ADVENTURES

We left the mooring ball at Emerald Rock at 8:30 this morning and saw LIVING WELL putting up their sail just past the mooring field, but they are heading north and we are heading south........hopefully, we will catch up in Florida before they head home to Indiana.

It is cloudy this morning, but the sun is trying to peek through, with light winds out of the ESE. We have put the mainsail up at the mooring ball when we were pointing into the wind to save time. We have left ahead of FLEUR DE LYS, OVERDRAUGHT and CYNTHIA GALE in order to make better time.

There are many sailboats on the horizon - mostly heading north. Like LIVING WELL, they have departed the Cruisers Regatta in Georgetown and taking advantage of the favourable winds. About one hour into our trip, Brian recognizes SOULMATE and LUNA heading north. (We said goodbye to them in Bimini on February 19th and had hoped to catch up with them in the Staniel Cay area) He contacts Lori on the VHF, to learn that her 94 year old Dad has passed away and they are heading to Highborne and then Nassau where she will try and find a flight home (to Canada) while Randy stays with the boat and their dog. LUNA is heading to Nassau with them, and will likely have to make their way back to the States alone. We sign off and listen to FLEUR DE LYS offer their condolences and say goodbye. We can barely hear OVERDRAUGHT's conversation, but are able to make out that they have decided to accompany LUNA and SOULMATE. We do not have enough radio range to contact them and say goodbye.

We arrive at the anchorage adjacent to the Sampson Cay Marina at 11:00 a.m. having motor sailed 16.4 nautical miles at an average speed of 5.7 knots.

When FLEUR DE LYS and CYNTHIA GALE are safely anchored, we meet ashore at the marina dinghy dock and dispose of our garbage, buy Exuma WiFi, shower tokens, laundry tokens and gasoline. Then we go to the restaurant for a great lunch! It has been eight days since we left Nassau! We say hello to the resort managers Mike and Cathy, only to learn that they are departing for a week's vacation the following day. Rock, the dock master, will be in charge.

We love this area and will find lots to do! By the end of the week, we will probably have to start looking for a weather window to go back to Nassau and Florida.

Stay tuned,

Co-Captain Lynn