We finally left Florida yesterday bound for West End, Grand Bahama Island.

The good news? We caught a Mahi Mahi, saw two whales and tons of flying fish crossing the Gulf Stream.

The bad news? Our temporary prop made the engine overheat at higher rpm's, so it took longer to cross the stream, and we came into the harbor at night. Luckily, we lit up the rock break wall we were sailing toward at the harbor opening with our spotlight and didn't hit it, despite coming soberingly close.

Like the US, weather here is unseasonably cold. Okay, so it was still 65 degrees, but chilly enough to make the pool off limits.

Mr. Mahi Mahi has provided us with some great eats, though, blackened, tacos and ceviche. Gale winds forecast for tomorrow means we'll be here another day. That will leave time to visit the conch guy nearby where we're docked at Old Bahama Bay Marina and enjoy still more fresh seafood.

If the wind Gods cooperate, we will leave here at 6 a.m. high tide on Tuesday.

The original plan of crossing directly from St. Augustine to the Bahamas thwarted by uncooperative conditions, we set a course for Fort Pierce, Florida.

That turned out not to be the easy sail we'd hoped. It was 170 miles beating into a Southeast wind on horribly confused seas. The entire crew was seasick, and one who shall not be named fed the fish of the lee side.

Hurry Up and Wait

Now Day one on board a blur, day two finds us all settling in and getting ready to leave the dock in three days. We're in a slip at the Marker 8 Hotel & Marina, at the base of the Bridge of Lions and across from the beautiful glow of the oldest city in the country.

Day two a marathon Costco run and four hours of Seal-O-Mealing $900 of a journey's-worth of protein. Sorting out the copious Amazon orders, Walmart and WinDixie runs, It's difficult to imagine that the boat is going to absorb the mounds and mounds of food and supplies we're stowing.

Met many great folks at the dock, as well as a beautiful orange Tabby cat dubbed "Fender" by all boaters. Spent Christmas day on the boat with the Capt's son and a dock neighbor playing cards and cooking turkey and all the trimmings.

Day 17. Still in St. Augustine. Went to leave over a week ago and realized not too far from the dock that the prop had an issue. At least, that's what we hope. First we waited for the marina to open up after a 2-week holiday shut down, now we wait for a winter storm of historic proportion to pass.

Bla, bla, bla -- fast forward to Day 19. Yes, 19. Despite the over-optimistic Facebook post of Day 5 or so, it's day 19, we haven't left the docks in St. Augustine, yet. After bent props, fixed props, and still more provisions, we leave tomorrow.

And so it begins....

This blog is about SV Kristine, her crew and their adventures.

She's never been at N Dock, but her Captain, Lord Admiral Nelson, and Buckles have. They met there -- and, over many summers, hundreds of races and three other boats, they became friends.

In their rum-drunken ramblings, they talked of a trip, somewhere far, but they needed a bigger boat. Admiral took a sabbatical from Chicago and sailed halfway around the world on a tall ship and wound up teaching ASA classes in LePaz. Meanwhile, Capt. and Buckles scoured the globe for a craft, from Annapolis to Dusseldorf, spent hours on YachtWorld, and finally found a 51 Passport .

The crew and ship all landed in St. Augustine, Florida will set sail on a 3-month voyage through the Caribbean.