Sanderling has passed through the Whale Cay Cut in the Abacos. The only reason that you head west through "The Whale" is to head to Great Sail Cay and eventually to cross the Gulf Stream on your way back to the States. It's time to leave the Bahamas. We are not only saying goodbye to one of the most spectacular cruising grounds in the world, we are saying goodbye to some of the most hospitable and fun loving people we will ever meet. The sad part is that we're not really sure when we will return - but we will return.

We've been pretty lucky this year. We had spectacular weather all winter. While our Stateside friends were enduring one of the toughest winters in a long while, we enjoyed consecutive weeks with moderate trade winds from the east without any cold fronts. We had wonderful visits from family and friends. We were fortunate to explore some of the Bahamian outer islands that we hadn't visited before - Long Island, Cat Island and Eleuthera. We met incredibly nice cruising friends who we were able to stay with for a few days - part company and go our separate ways - and then meet up again. Our fellow cruisers have been such a highlight for us that it's tough to think about not cruising next year. Finally, we've met and made great friends with some of the native Bahamians. We all have so much to learn from the Bahamians about the essence of happiness. While they might not have unbounded material possessions, we've never met a Bahamian who didn't have a smile on his/her face, a nice comment, a wave from a passing car - you get the picture.

If all goes well we arrive in Port Canaveral either on Sunday or Monday morning. From there it will be overnight hops to Brunswick, GA and from there to Charleston, SC. We'll be cruising with all the creature comforts - showers, plenty of water and fuel, grocery stores with lots of fresh veggies, but we won't have deep blue water and coral reefs that provide spectacular snorkeling and we certainly won't have the company of the wonderful Bahamian people.