Crossing from South Bimini to North BiminiConch shells everywhere!Human Resources and the Barber Shop along the Main Street in Alice TownShops all along the main streetBack on the ferry with a bottle of Bahamian rum

One of the biggest issues about being out of the states is the lack of WIFI and cell phone service, on both of which we have become very dependent. Our phone service is through Verizon and the plans that they offer are limited and expensive. They also vary with each country we will pass through. The general way to get WIFI in the Bahamas is through their BTC telephone company. To utilize this service we needed to buy an unlocked cell phone and, if we wanted to use the Internet, have an iPad that has a SIM card. We bought the phone before we left the states and had the iPad, so we started off Wednesday, March 16, on a walk to the ferry dock. The ferry takes people ½ mile across a channel to Alice Town on North Bimini Island. The scenery was spectacular, of course, as we climbed on a rather rustic boat for the $2 ride. Once in Alice Town we had to walk a mile through the “business district”. The shops were colorful and tiny and exactly what one might expect for the Bahamas. After purchasing a BTC SIM card and having it installed in the iPad, we walked back, stopping for lunch along the way in a nice modern looking restaurant. I got right into the island attitude and had a conch salad. Delicious!

Back on board AfterMath, we decided to leave the dock and make our way to Gun Cay (Cay is pronounced Key in the Caribbean), only an 8 mile run, but one that would make our 75 mile run the following day an hour or so shorter. Before we left John tried to check weather using our newly carded iPad, only to find that the one we had with SIM capabilities is too old to load the nice new apps to which we have become so accustomed. He can use it for the Internet, but not for the other weather and wind prediction apps that we have come to depend on for safe travels. So, now John uses a combination of the old iPad and my phone’s very expensive data from Verizon. As soon as we get somewhere that iPads are sold, we will have to buy a new one that has the capabilities we need.

We started out early again on Thursday and motored for ten hours to Chub Cay. There are 700 islands in the Bahamas, and we have decided to head toward the Exumas as they are beautiful and will send us on our way further south a little quicker. We have to be below Latitude 12 by Grenada or Trinidad, thereby out of the hurricane zones, by July 1^st for insurance purposes. As much as we would love to spend lots of time everywhere, we have to keep a little bit of a schedule. When we arrived in Chub Cay, the water again was crystal clear and pale blue. We set the anchor and looked around at the ocean floor to see that we were surrounded with beautiful, colorful sea stars. What a magical sight!

Originally we had planned to travel 40 miles each of the next two days, which would have had us stopping in Nassau before arriving at an island on the southwest side Allan’s Cay on Saturday, but, after having such a nice easy ride Friday and admitting that neither of us liked Nassau, we decided to just keep going and do the trip all at once. Therefore, we did a ten hour day and decided we would not travel anywhere at all on Saturday.

The draw to Allan’s Cay is that an endangered species of iguanas live there. The iguanas range in size from babies at about a foot long to full-grown adults that are three to four feet long. They have become accustomed to people who come to visit them offering bits of fruits and vegetables. I was anxious to get in the dinghy to get to shore, but, again, the winds stirred up and we did not make it in on Saturday. Our anchorage was about two miles from the iguanas, and it just didn’t seem wise to start the voyage. In fact, it became so rough that Kirby and Jake seemed scared and a bit uncomfortable. John spent some time investigating and found there was an anchorage right at Allan’s Cay so, although it was late in the afternoon, we pulled anchor and started our way into more protected waters.

Right away we knew we had made a good decision. The water was much calmer and the anchorage was very beautiful. Also, for good measure, right next to us we saw the beach where all of the iguanas love to hang out during the day. There was a father and his two children on the beach and the iguanas were everywhere hoping to get a hand out. It was getting late and it was very windy to put the dinghy in the water, so we decided to wait until the next morning to visit these amazing creatures.

The iguanas of Allan’s Cay

Sunday morning came and I made sure I was prepared with a big bag of grapes, and my camera. I also packed some wooded skewers as I had read that the iguanas did not see very well and that a person’s finger was difficult for them to distinguish from a piece of food. We were just ready to leave AfterMath when we noticed a huge powerboat full of tourists come into the anchorage. They, of course, were coming to see the iguanas. While I realize that everyone wants to see them, it seemed sad to me to have a boat bring in such a large crowd of people to this little spot of paradise. I would estimate that 50 people got off that boat and waded to shore. After the tour boat left, however, it was obvious from the cockpit of AfterMath that the iguanas were not done looking for treats for the day. We hopped in the dinghy as did a couple of other families, and the fun began. The iguanas were adorable and happy for our treats. They really loved grapes! After returning to the boat, satisfied and happy, I took a nice swim in that incredibly beautiful water. It was a great day!

The winds are a constant factor in the Bahamas and the next few days didn’t seem to be favorable for moving, so we ended up in Allan’s Cay for a few more nights. Honestly it wasn’t particularly comfortable in our anchorage as there were swells that just wouldn’t stop. John got a few chores done over those days, but I mostly sat still and read books, barely even making any meals. We were very happy when we finally could leave and move on to our next destination, which was Shroud Cay.

Shroud CayFollowing others to the ocean sideFirst sight of the oceanKirby loving the water!

As always, the water was gorgeous in the anchorage at Shroud Cay, but the highlight of this area was a long dinghy ride that took us from the bay side straight out to the ocean. The path did not look easy, but just as we were about to enter a creek, two other dinghies appeared and we followed along. There were places where it was so shallow that everyone ran aground, but no harm was done and after riding past a mangrove forest, suddenly the ocean and a beautiful beach appeared. It was a breathtaking sight and we were so happy we didn’t miss it.

Our anchorage at Exuma ParkThe whale skeletonCruisers gather for happy hourThese friendly little guys are called hootias and they love to visit for happy hour treats

Thursday, March 24^th, we motored to Exumas Land and Sea Park. This park is a 22-mile long strip of cays that is simply spectacular. There is no fishing allowed in the park and no one is even allowed to pick up a shell, so the area remains in its perfectly natural state. Pulling into the mooring field there was indescribable. The crystal clear water was every shade of blue and aqua that can be imagined. Large spotted rays swam past and we even spotted a nurse shark near the office. The park has secluded beaches, snorkeling, hiking, and, of course, swimming. Also, there is a very nice beach where cruisers gather for happy hour next to a huge skeleton of a whale. It was great fun to meet other boaters and to hear of their plans and travels. It was hard to drop that mooring ball to move on, but Sunday, March 27^th, we moved to Staniel Cay,

The pigs of Staniel Cay

Staniel Cay Yacht Club

Note the sharks in the waterA trip to the beachHuge nurse sharks at Staniel CayInside the bar at the yacht club

The picnic ladyThe laundromat and liquor store combination

Staniel Cay is famous for its swimming pigs and I had been looking forward to this day ever since we decided to start our adventure. It was only a three and a half hour ride to our new anchorage and when we arrived we saw a lot of people on the beach with the pigs. No one is sure how these pigs arrived on this island, but they have thrived here, and they have certainly learned how to swim. At first the pigs were busy eating other visitors treats, but soon a couple of them found me with a loaf of bread and some vegetables in my hands. One in particular was very pushy and just followed me everywhere shoving his snout into my stomach and trying to snatch all the bread I had with me. I actually was surprised at how aggressive this pig was and I was anxious to have him move away from me when I was out of food. It was fun but not quite the calm and silly experience I had imagined!

Yesterday, along with our new friends, Joe and Charlotte, we walked to a tiny cafe where we heard there was Internet service, planning to have brunch and do some computer work; however, the cafe was closed. Thankfully, we could still use Wi-Fi outside so I was able to get one entry posted before it stopped working. While we were there, though, a lady came with her family and set up a picnic lunch for sale. We paid $10 each and got huge plates of chicken, ribs, peas and rice, pasta and cheese and salad or corn. It was a treat to eat some authentic Bahamian food in such a casual atmosphere. We had dinner at the yacht club with Char and Joe as well; afterwards riding our dinghies back to our boats under beautiful star lit skies.

Today we moved a short eight miles to Black Point, the second largest settlement in the Exumas. Here we will do laundry, use the Internet, and then spend time talking to the native people and looking around their markets. Lately, every day I think how unbelievable it is that we are on this journey. I know that we are incredibly lucky to be living our dream – the trip of a lifetime.

Up before sunrise on Tuesday, March 15, John headed to the engine room to do a last systems check, and I scurried around clearing counters and shelves of anything that might go flying should we encounter rough seas. Although not much ever moves on AfterMath, we are past sailors and we know that having anything crash to the floor when waves hit is not a pleasant experience. We were ready to make our crossing to the Bahamas, and to do so we had to be prepared for the Gulf Stream.

The Gulf Stream flows north from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada and has a current of about two and a half knots. If winds come from the north they push against the stream so that huge waves kick up and make for a very unpleasant ride. People say that the waves look like a herd of elephants passing by. While we waited for weather with no prediction of northerly winds, we understood that weather is unpredictable on the ocean and anything could happen on the Gulf Stream.

Besides making sure every lamp, basket, bottle of soap, and whatever else was on the ground, put away, or otherwise contained, I put a medicated patch behind my ear to prevent seasickness. The dogs were put in their life jackets and we were ready to go.

Leaving Key Biscayne

I went to the stern to take a couple of pictures of us leaving the United States, knowing that while we will fly home to see family during the next couple of years, we would not be living in our home country for some time. It was more emotional for me than I thought it might be. Chris, my lifelong friend, put it best the day before we left. She said, “This is it. Now it’s a reality.” And it was.

One thing that made it easier, though, was that, while posting a picture of us leaving the states, I got a message on FaceBook from Bill Kirk, Craig’s father. He said he could see us leaving on the Port of Miami webcam. Although I don’t think of Bill as a tease, I wondered if he was just kidding around, but soon came the message that he could see we had passed the point of Key Biscayne, and that we were traveling into the ocean at 8 miles per hour. He was right! He tracked us all day through that site and it was fun knowing he was watching us.

Following the sun due east

Just as we left Key Biscayne, the sun began to rise. We were heading due east and the song lyrics “Tomorrow may rain so I’ll follow the sun” popped into my head. It was a beautiful sight. The water was calm, it was warm and breezy and I was settled with my coffee on the bow of the boat enjoying every minute.

The distance between Key Biscayne and South Bimini is only about 45 miles, a distance we commonly cover in a day and one that typically would take us seven or eight hours. After about six hours I went in to the pilothouse to ask John when we would enter the dreaded Gulf Stream. He told me we had been in it for a long time already. He could tell because the water temperature had increased significantly, a sure sign of the warm Gulf waters running northward. All of our waiting for good weather had paid off. I seriously never felt any difference in the waves and all was well.

The deep blue Gulf Stream

During our crossing we traveled over water that was 2500 feet deep. It is a gorgeous shade of cobalt blue there and all I could do was stare at the ocean. All of a sudden, while I was looking off the boat, a huge swordfish jumped and flew out of the water not more than 50 feet from us. What a beautiful sight and a thrill, but of course, not one I was prepared to catch with my camera. Also interesting were the countless flying fish that literally flew out of the water to be out of our path. These fish have wings and they fly quite a distance before landing back in the ocean. They are amazing creatures to watch.

The first site of Bimini in the Bahamas

Entering the water surrounding Bimini is amazing; the water turns suddenly and distinctly from that gorgeous dark blue to a shocking and incredible turquoise. It is so clear that depth is deceptive. While we were in ten to twelve feet of water, it was hard to believe that we had more than a foot underneath us. I sat on a dock box on the bow watching for any obstacles that might be in our way, but, of course, none appeared and we safely made it to Bimini Sands Resort where we docked for the night.

We prefer to anchor, especially when the water is so beautiful, but after entering the Bahamas we needed to clear customs. The proper etiquette is that when you bring your boat into another country’s waters, you fly a yellow quarantine flag to show that you have not yet checked in to the customs office. The office in Bimini was a five-minute cab ride from the dock and only the captain of the boat is allowed on shore until the process is complete. John and I filled out immigration and customs papers, gathered documents for the dogs, and pulled out our passports and then John was on his way. Once he returned with everything approved, I went for a swim in the pool while John lowered the yellow flag and rose the Bahamas flag that we had purchased before we left the states.

The resort had WIFI so I was able to check email and go online to find that our kids also did a lot of following us throughout the day. Jeff had suggested that we buy a Delorme InReach device. This is a two-way satellite communication system that allows us to send unlimited texts to our friends and family without using precious overseas data and also tracks our path every ten minutes. To our surprise, not only had they watched us as we traveled along, but they had a satellite picture of AfterMath at the exact dock where we were tied up for the night. Technology truly is amazing.

Unfortunately, the WIFI at the marina was not strong enough to upload my pictures or to accommodate a blog entry, so we will have to wait until we find a better signal before this post can be made. In the meantime, we are excited to see what the Bahamas have to offer and we can’t wait to do some exploring!

Waiting for weather can be frustrating but it is a necessary evil for a trip that is safe and comfortable. Tomorrow, however, is the day we have been planning for a very long time. It is the day we actually start making our way down the Caribbean chain. It is the day we cross the Gulf Stream and head to Bimini, our first stop in the Bahamas.

Kirby, like Jake, has now discovered the dolphins that love to swim near our boat. Note Kirby, in the bottom right corner, wearing his life jacket.

As always, we enjoy the scenery along the way.  This little tug boat was adorable.A pretty home with it’s own white sand beachThe lighthouse in Jupiter, FLThe view from our cockpit table one evening at Old Port Cove Marina.

We left our anchorage south of Melbourne on March 3^rd and decided to head straight to a marina in North Palm Beach. It was windy and the predictions were no better for the next several days. AfterMath is tall and winds above 20 miles per hour make her a little hard to handle for docking and in currents. The predictions were for 20 – 30 mile per hour winds and we knew we would be happier and more comfortable if we waited it out. Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm Beach was a lovely marina where we found many other boats anxious to leave for the Bahamas, but waiting for the winds to calm. Finally, after spending a week there, it was time to leave. The predictions for tomorrow (Tuesday, March 15^th) looked good.

There really are boats of all sizes and types on the ICWA brightly colored pair of buildings!The Palm Beach Boat Show was being set up and there were all kids of boats pulling in as we passed.From this point on, the homes just kept getting bigger and more spectacular.Entering Fort Lauderdale through one of the many bridgesOur lovely anchorage for the night.

Pulling out, bright and early yesterday, we traveled down the Intracoastal Waterway, through countless bridges. Timing the travel to the bridges that we needed opened was important. Openings are scheduled, not on demand, in this part of the ICW and missing an opening means circling for a long time. We needed eighteen openings, and some parts of the waterway were very busy with boat traffic and other parts were no wake zones. Besides John calculating what speed we needed to travel, we also fell in behind a couple of other boats that were making their way south and needed openings. All in all, though, we motored for 9 hours but I thought the scenery was incredibly interesting. The farther south we traveled, the bigger the homes were, and many of them had huge boats on their docks. Cities began to grow too and soon we were in Fort Lauderdale. We spent the night at a beautiful anchorage with only a couple of other boats, but we were surrounded by gorgeous homes, landscape lit and shining on the water.

I’m not sure why you need a golden headless angel on your porch, but maybe I’m missing something.Water taxis are everywhere in this area.Passing the cruise shipsThis lifeboat reminds me of that crazy Las Vegas ride that shoots people off the roof.A research vessel

I have no idea what this building is, but it looks like a mountain.This is one house!  The homes were spectacular.Miami in the distance!

Passing MiamiNo Name Harbor on Key Biscayne

This morning we made our way further down the ICW. Passing through Hollywood, Florida, going past huge cruise ships, traveling through more bridges that needed opening, again being in awe of the homes, and finally traveling by water past Miami. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing and it was a beautiful day. Once past Miami I felt as though we were heading off shore, but that won’t happen until tomorrow. To the east was Key Biscayne and in it there is a lovely park called No Name Harbor. It is here that boats congregate before heading to Key West or the Bahamas. The water is emerald green, it is well protected, and everyone is friendly. It is also very crowded, as, because of the winds over the past couple of weeks, many people have had their trips postponed. But tomorrow still looks like a great day.

We plan to leave at first light and to arrive mid-afternoon in South Bimini. We will be staying in a marina there for just one night to make our customs check in easier.

It has been 1100 miles now since we started the ICW in Virginia, and we both have really loved it. The scenery has been beautiful, the facilities are easy to find, and it has been an experience to be remembered. Now, we leave the United States again. Somehow Canada did not seem as out of the country as the rest of our trip. We still are planning to make it to Trinidad by summer to satisfy our insurance company, but we have so much to see along the way.

I hope to do a quick entry tomorrow to let everyone know we made the crossing safely. After that our Internet time will be very limited, but we find ways to post as often as possible so we can keep everyone updated about life on AfterMath.

Here is where we are today.

We were all ready to leave early Friday the 19^th. The boat was ready Thursday; I went up to Kelly and Craig’s house to say a tearful goodbye to Craig and the kids and then went to the vet clinic to say another tough goodbye to Kelly, who was working. John purposely did not want to witness the scenes and planned to call and give a quick, “see you soon”. It was all very sad. But back at the boat, I mentioned to John that the little ones, Carter in particular, really wanted to take another boat ride but he and Michaela had school on Friday and Craig was working all night Thursday. John immediately picked up the phone and called Kelly to tell her that we would put the departure off one more day. This way we could leave Saturday and everyone could go along for the ride. Needless to say, the people at Lambs were quite surprised to still see AfterMath at the dock when then arrived, but they understood and were happy to let us stay one more day.

Actually leaving Lambs Yacht Center!!

Some views of the fun!

Miss Madison told Bop, “I’ll drive first, got it?”

Past the Jacksonville Landings again.

The Maxwell House Coffee plant.A brand new stealth Navy destroyer.

Saturday turned out to be a gorgeous day. There wasn’t a ripple on the water and it was warm and sunny. Everyone boarded the boat bright and early and we headed north on the St. John’s River, through the city, under bridges, past the zoo, and through scenery that was very familiar to the kids from land. We arrived at Sister’s Creek, a city owned free dock in a lovely natural setting, where Kelly and Craig had left a car early that morning. Michaela and Carter stayed with us as they wanted to play at the playground at the park, and Kelly and Craig drove back to Lambs to pick up the other car. Craig brought a sleeping Madison home while Kelly came back to get the other two. All in all, it felt so much better to say goodbye after a wonderful day that was enjoyed by everyone. It was still sad, but at least it felt complete.

St. Augustine Inlet from the AtlanticThe fort in St. AugustineDowntown in St. Augustine.  

The lighthouse at St. Augustine

Passing through the Bridge of Lions.  The friendly bridgetender from up on his tower

The pirate ship I went on with Kelly and the kids a year or so ago.

Fueling up.

The next morning we left early and headed to St. Augustine. We stayed at an old marina outside of the city because our main mission there was to fill the boat with enough fuel to get us all the way to Trinidad. The prices for diesel were very inexpensive at a fuel dock there, and the dockhands were friendly and helpful, but in order to get filled, we had to tie up to a shrimp boat and have the hose stretched over its docks to reach us. It was an interesting experience!

Monday, February 23^rd, we moved further south to Marineland, Fl. Marineland has a lovely marina that is directly across the street from Marineland Dolphin Adventures. Originally named Marine Studios, the dolphin-loving park was the host for several movies, including “Benji Takes a Dive”. It is now operated as a subsidiary of the Georgia Aquarium and is used for educational programs. The University of Florida has facilities there to use for research as well. Marineland, the town has a permanent population of somewhere between 5 and 16 people, and is one of the tiniest towns in Florida. It was incorporated in the 1930’s to put the name of the studios on the map so anyone in the world could find it.

It’s a flying dolphin!  No trick photography, just a high jump!The six month old baby boy.

Dolphins are just too cute!The beautiful tanks for the dolphins with the beach in the distance.The beautiful beach in Marineland, FL

A little of the plant life on the way back from the beach.

We had a great stay at Marineland. We knew some heavy winds were coming in so we planned to remain in place for a few nights, and before we knew it, six nights had passed. The marina gave us free passes to the Dolphin Adventure park and we spent a few hours there enjoying a tour and watching people participate in programs in which they fed dolphins or swam with them in the very large tanks. Also across from the marina, which was immediately off of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), was a beautiful beach on the Atlantic Ocean. Dogs were allowed on the beach, so Kirby and Jake had a great time frolicking in the waves and digging in the sand. To add to the appeal, there was a gorgeous preserve with trails at the marina where Kirby and I took a long walk one afternoon.

Daytona Beach

Finally, on Sunday, we left Marineland and headed to Daytona Beach. The city marina there was huge compared to the tiny one we had just left, but we were excited to be going to Daytona as Jason and Lisa were coming to see us on Monday. They arrived in time for us to have a nice lunch on the beach before heading to a marine surplus store and West Marine. Jason and Lisa just bought a boat so they had as much fun shopping as we did and everyone found something to buy between the two stores. After a sightseeing ride around the area we came back to the boat and Lisa gave me a much-needed haircut before they had to leave and make their way back to New Port Richey. It was a short visit, and I even forgot to get their picture, but we really loved having them come across the state to see us.

After Daytona Beach we were ready to head to Titusville where we picked up a mooring last night, and then today we made our way down the ICW to Serenity Island, just south of Melbourne, where we are anchored for the night. Our plans now are to head to Miami before making the crossing to Bimini. In the meantime, we are busy making sure we have all the forms needed for us and for the dogs as we enter the Bahamas. We have all the vet forms and tests, thanks to Kelly, who took very good care of Kirby and Jake at her clinic. We also discovered that we need to have a U. S. Customs Permit for our boat, which we applied for just a day or two ago. There are immigration forms for the Bahamas for us as well. Recently we found that we need a permit to take the dogs into the Turks and Caicos as well as an international health form that we will have to get when we are in the Bahamas! Over the next few days I am going to be adding a page to the blog that summarizes all of the steps we are taking for permits as we go into each country. I haven’t found one site yet that has given me all the information, so perhaps it will be useful for others who are making this trip.

As we travel along the ICW we love to look at the scenery. It is varied and often a study in contrasts. There are natural islands across the river from huge hotel and condo complexes, brand new huge homes, old trailer and RV parks, and everything in between. It is fascinating viewing! Here are a few pictures of what we have seen over the past several days.

Ahhh, the days of sailing when we would send the kids up the mast because they didn’t mind!!There were so many dolphins around yesterday.  I didn’t even realize I had caught one on camera!Wish I could see more of what this says – note that it says there is a video on youtube!

In the meantime, this is where we are today!