Our circumnavigation of (without landing at) Cuba, has begun! Over the last several days we have been doing maintenance on Swingin' on a Star (my buddy Cliff helped a bunch!) and cleaning and getting scuba stuff ready and cleaning and shopping and cleaning. Swingin' on a Star is in great cruising trim now!

We left home in Summerland Key yesterday and made way for South Riding Rocks at the southern end of the Bimini chain. Our original plan was to day sail to Cay Sal island but the wind was coming from there and the weather at the end of the week is going to be nasty. The southern area up to the Raggeds is pretty exposed and it did not seem like a good time to explore Andros (that is still on the list!).

So we overnighted with a sunrise arrival at the Riding Rocks, cut onto the Great Bahama Bank and headed for the northwest passage out into the Tongue of the Ocean. Chub is 15 nm ish from the NW Passage and since none of us has been there we decided to clear in there.

We've been motor sailing from the get go because the wind has never been more than 30 degrees off the bow (usually 10). Running 6-9 knts depending we've made good time. Yanmars are purring nicely after the fuel polishing last Winter.

The main reason we decided to go north was so that we could make more easting during the blow, behind the protection of the Exumas and Long Island. When things settle we'll pop out to the south of Long Island and head down to Acklins and Great Inagua, where we'll wait for a window to shoot the windward passage around Cuba to Jamaica.

Has been lovely motor sailing in 14 feet of crystal clear water.