We were planning on crossing to the Bahamas next week, but after almost 2 weeks of light winds, we knew the end was near!  All our weather sources indicated we could cross this week, or wait 1 – 2 – 3 weeks …?  We have a record to uphold after all – we have never had a bad crossing in our 10 years!  Crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas can never be taken likely – boats have been damaged (even cruise ships), people have given up after multiple attempts, marriages dissolved & worse!

A big change of plans included a car rental to alter, propane tanks to fill, more groceries, along with a bunch of other stops. We needed nourishment – our first breakfast out in months!

Bahamas requires COVID testing with tight deadlines. We almost fell asleep in our comfy recliners waiting for the doctor. Mmmm … people say bad things about Florida.

It’s not always JUST donuts! Even with our tight schedule, we still traveled almost 2 hours round-trip just to stock up on basil garlic sausages at our favorite Melbourne Beach Market – the best!! (By accident, just maybe, Love Bug Bakery was down the street…)

Looks like our planning worked out – THIS is the mighty Atlantic Ocean off the Fort Pierce Inlet. Foggy, but flat.

Continued pleasantness … we are in the mighty Gulf Stream which CAN have 12’+ breaking waves.

We made it across the Atlantic to the Bahamas Banks welcomed by the Chamber of Commerce! One soared completely out of the water – better to enjoy than attempt to photograph.

Still underway to our anchorage at sunset. Our yellow “Q” (quarantine) flag indicates we haven’t yet cleared in to the country.

Still calm with next morning. A rare breakfast underway before sunrise – just breathtaking!

By late afternoon, we arrived at the Green Turtle Cay Club Marina in Abaco, Bahamas.  Hopefully the Customs agent will take the ferry over in the morning to Green Turtle & clear us in.  Our vessel paperwork & COVID testing documentation should be in order – we’ll be finding out shortly!

While in Vero Beach for only a week, we’ve rented a car, made several trips to our storage unit, attended dentist & doctor appointments, gotten together with some cruiser friends, changed the oil in our engines, performed various maintenance chores, replacing the foam in our flybridge cushions & made over a dozen grocery, liquor & parts runs.  Now with our rental returned, we can relax – not really – going to the Bahamas next month!

A cool looking lunar halo as seen from our boat last night.  More colorful than most we’ve seen.  They are caused by the light of the moon passing through a very thin layer of cirruform (ice-crystal) clouds in the upper atmosphere.  The ice crystals refract the light of the moon, similar to the way water droplets in the lower atmosphere can refract sunlight to produce a rainbow.  And just like a rainbow, it disappeared several minutes later.

This was just bulldozed dirt last year – there are now new houses under construction for nearly 1/2 mile along the waterway x 4 rows deep!  This is only one example of many near Myrtle Beach, SC.

The biggest shock this trip traveling through (especially) South Carolina & Florida is that it seems nearly everyone is moving down here!  While the south has always been a major retirement destination, this sudden acceleration is astonishing, especially when it’s now all ages for all sorts of reasons.  Slowly growing waterside housing developments we’ve been cruising past for years are suddenly full or nearly full.  Construction is everywhere.  Nearly a third of the vehicles on the road here in Florida are construction/service/work trucks.  New schools & parks are going up. We’ve driven by nearby large developments just beginning construction, already with a “Sold Out” sign.  New & expanding aerospace companies are begging for engineers at $80,000 – $170,000/year.  It can take more than a month to get a medical appointment.  Established residents are complaining of the ever worsening traffic & long waits at their favorite restaurants.  Here in Vero Beach, the local real estate prices are rising nearly 2% a month, houses often sold before you can even take a look.  Of course, this may all change with a likely upcoming recession …

While we ponder COVID conditions, testing procedures & regulations in the Bahamas for our crossing next month, Florida’s COVID rates have been nearly the lowest in the U.S. for several weeks now.  It’s certainly nice to finally get together with others & no longer hold our breath walking past people!  What the winter holds for Florida or the Bahamas – much less the U.S. or world – who knows?