One minute we’re deep in our Bahamas prep, catching up with old cruising friends (including dinner with the folks who bought our Maine Cat sailing catamaran 10 years ago!) – the next minute we’re leaving – with just 6 hours notice!

This is why we do this – motoring into a gorgeous sunrise on the calm Bahamas Banks.

Well, it indeed went that quickly. We knew we were missing a great crossing window on that Thursday, but we simply couldn’t be ready in time. Mail & packages were still arriving, we had a rental car & a paid-for slip thru the weekend, and, and, and … While we would be ready the following week, the weather for the next week or so was looking terrible & we didn’t want to wait 3 weeks for a crossing window like last year … so can we get ready in 6 hours!? Decision made at 9 AM, untying dock lines at 3 PM & out the Fort Pierce inlet at 5 PM.

An overnight passage – our least favorite thing – something we say we’ll never do again – here we go anyway! While sailors usually “take watches” while the other sleeps, we’ve never been very good at it – we mostly both stay up all night, then crash for 12 hours the next night. Fortunately, the roosters crowing & other Bahamian morning noises didn’t wake us until 8 AM. Ahhhh … all’s good now ‘mon!

That’s us on their web cam at a fairly empty Green Turtle Club in Abaco, Bahamas (early in the season). We raced the last 12 miles at 16 knots as when we called the marina, we found the Customs official might take the next ferry back to the mainland & wouldn’t return until Monday – that would leave us in a bit of legal limbo with Customs & Immigration, so we zoomed on in.

Bahamian lobster for our celebration lunch the next day, along with their house specialty “Tipsy Turtle Rum Punch”.

On our way to the Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean (half-way between Florida & the Bahamas) we were startled by a strange appearance on our chartplotter screen. A large ship seemed to disperse a dozen smaller ships, each with their own AIS transponding symbol. Our course was going to be clear of them but then saw dozens of flashing lights seemly coming from a slightly different area. We later learned they could have been “hi-flyers” – not boats, but fishing markers used by fisherman long-lining for swordfish or tuna & sometimes used by researchers. Other than these, just the usual cruise ships, freighters & tankers – easy & calm seas – we made the right decision!

Meanwhile back in Florida before our hasty departure …

Loading up yet another cart of necessities.

Our Bahamas prep is always intense & no, the bourbon is not optional!

One of my “fun” projects was to replace one of our depth transducers (detects the water depth & sends to our displays) – again. I had installed a new one 2 months ago while hauled out (easy), but turned out to be defective. They finally sent me a replacement, but replacing while in the water is a little more challenging as when you remove the transducer you basically open a 2″ diameter hole thru the bottom of the hull with its resulting 2′ high geyser! Work quickly or else!

Thanksgiving carving aboard a cruising boat (replaced cushion foam in our dinghy seats).

Once I was done with the carving knife, Lori created a fantastic real Thanksgiving dinner – with pumpkin pie for dessert!

And Lori sent out her 250th Etsy order just before we left – Congrats!!!

We have an easier, calmer Bahamas season planned this our 12th season. Rather than always at anchor, continually moving around to avoid windy weather, we have 2, month-long stays pre-planned. Our first will be mid-December – mid-January on a mooring in Hope Town, Abaco and then a month at a private dock in Spanish Wells, Eleuthera. Both great locations to use as a calm base, while cruising around exploring on the nice weather days.

The weather has continued to be darn nice this fall, so we’ve been able to travel pretty much at will.

Our travels thru Georgia went smoothly. We often stop at the Isle of Hope Marina in Georgia so we can catch up with cruising friends Gene & Carole. Nothing better than drinking & eating great seafood while scheming a plan to meet up again in the Bahamas this winter.

Once into Florida, it was time for Parlor Doughnuts, a newer, growing small chain down south with layered brioche-style doughnuts – Yummy!

We never fail to have lunch at The Floridian, our favorite restaurant in St. Augustine.

We shortened our week-long stay on a mooring in St. Augustine as the weather was a bit too hot & humid. We also got sick of being tossed about – even with a mooring field of over 50 boats, there is no “official” no-wake zone, so most boats tear by making big wakes, seemingly endlessly. Fortunately a call to Marineland Marina 14 miles further south had room for us with a (mostly) protected basin & a great weekly dockage rate.

A 10-minute walk from the marina is a great public beach with (vintage) food trucks offering exceptional food.

Have I changed at all?? That’s me (in the middle flanked by my brother Jack & sister Chris) around 1965 at Marineland of Florida. While the facility has been re-built (after hurricanes) & enlarged over the years, this could be the same sign. The facility was originally constructed as the world’s first “oceanarium” in order to film motion pictures (named “Marine Studios”). When later opened to the public in 1938, it quickly became Florida’s largest tourist attraction as over 25,000 tourists clogged the roads attempting to visit on just its first day!

Right next to Marineland Marina is The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience (part of the University of Florida), expanding with new buildings & laboratories for their growing, world-renowned research.

We are fairly certain that Marineland Marina’s basin was created to enable the equipment and large pools to be brought into Marineland by barge. The marina is entered from the protected ICW, with Marineland across the street facing the ocean. A RV park once existed next to the marina, along with motels & restaurants, but only Marineland & the marina remain.

We enjoyed a “cruiser experiences” chat with “Out of the Blue”, a PDQ 34. The name sounded familiar (Lori says this ALL the time) but turns out not only were they docked briefly at Isle of Hope when we were, but we’d talked with her owners a “few” years ago in St. Augustine.  We love cruiser connections.

This down time has given us the chance to intensify our Bahamas planning & prep. We will cross over to the Bahamas in about a month, so lots to do!