Roger...

Upon reflection, we needed less toilet paper and more rum! I don't know what calculus the gulls used to stock the boat with toilet paper but a remaining supply of 55 rolls seems a mite excessive!

With two years in planning/preparation and 90 days in execution, the cruise definitely tested the limits of the crew and the boat- both bent a little but nothing or nobody broke- so, I'm very proud of both.

Last Dance, designed as a coastal cruiser, performed beyond our expectations under adverse wind and sea conditions. She definitely demonstrated her metal in the New Pass grounding.

We saw some awesome sights, experienced new adventures, met some wonderful fellow boaters, and got a glimpse of the Bahamas "island community"- its life, people and environment.

But this experience did not diminish my view of the very special place where we live and play-Pensacola Bay, Grand Lagoon, Perdido Bay, Roberts Bayou, Pirates Cove....

More adventures are in the offing...but in a bigger boat!

Jean...

Our insignificance in the whole of God's creation became apparent to me on this trip. While in the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Stream, and further into the Atlantic, we would go for hours without spotting another vessel, even in the shipping lanes. I am beginning to understand why single-hand sailors consider going to sea to be a mystical experience.
In addition, I gained a greater appreciation for our home. Although we have seen unbelievably beautiful water, gorgeous islands, and fabulous waterfront homes, I would not trade our home on Perdido Bay for any of them. South Florida and Nassau have too many people and too much traffic, both on land and water. The other Bahamian islands have beautiful water and beaches, but are too expensive because of their isolation. We, in Lillian, have the best of both worlds: not too many people, a wonderful waterfront home, and a reasonable cost of living. As Dorothy said, "There's no place like home."

Sara...

I value this trip and the many experiences it afforded me more than words can express. It has not always been enjoyable, but it has always been memorable. Foremost in my mind are the incredibly interesting people we met, the beautiful, clear turquoise water in the Bahamas, the birds and sea life, the cracked conch lunches at Chub Cay, shelling on Sanibel, the sunsets and the brilliant stars at night. This has been a 3-month "play date" for me. It's been such fun having a "playmate" to play cards and games with at a minute's notice. What I cherish most of all, though, has been sharing this experience with Roger, who has dreamed of this for such a long time. It has been a very special sojourn for us.

Gerry...

The teamwork and camaraderie of the crew were the highlight of our 90 day deployment and made the close spaces and difficulties tolerable. That being said, 90 days is too long to be separated from home and hearth so future cruises should be limited to 60 days, in my opinion. To accomplish this we need a bigger, faster boat with at least twice the tank capacity and two heads, with the holding tank(s) rigged to pump to sea.

The time limit would require longer blue water transits but I believe this crew is up to the challenge. We have already agreed that a boat similar to a Packet Cat 35 would be ideal for our purposes, so the remaining challenge is to make it happen within our limited means and lifetimes.
Onward and Upward!

Bahamas Cruise Statistics

Departure date: January 12, 2008
Return date: April 10, 2008
Number of days: 90

Distance travelled: 1960 nm
Time underway (hr:min): 374:16
Overall average speed: 5.2 kts

Longest continuous sail: Chub Cay Marine, Berry Islands to Cannonsport Marina, Lake Worth, FL
Number of miles: 157.4 nm
Time underway (hr:min): 25:15
Average speed: 6.2 kts

Longest daylight sail: Pumpkin Key, Card Sound to Marathon Marina, Marathon, FL
Number of miles: 71.1
Time underway (hr:min): 11:07
Average speed: 6.4 kts

Fastest daylight sail: (Tie) As above and Fort Walton Beach Yacht Basin to Roberts Bayou (Homeport)- Stats for Latter Leg
Number of miles: 50.12
Time underway (hr:min): 7:46
Average speed: 6.4 kts

Number of days on anchor: 9
Number of different anchorages: 4
Number of days in marinas: 80
Number of different marinas: 27

Number of gallons of diesel fuel consumed: 194.43
Average fuel consumption (gal/hr): 0.7 at 2800 RPM
Average mileage (miles/gal): 10.1