Bahamas Bound

We never planned to go the "Thorny Path" via the Bahamas to the Eastern Caribbean, but alas that's how we are poised to move as we wait for weather in Fort Lauderdale.

Morgan has left us. He's off to a school here where he will get training to work the mega-yacht circuit. We wish him the best of luck. He's been a big help this far and there's a bit of trepidation about losing Symby's third crew member.

A highlight of our stay here was the arrival of our friend Lou Stewart aboard his aptly named TBD. I've known Lou since my first days at Magothy Marina. He's a great guy -- a bit unpredictable, but he likes it that way. About a month after we left the Chesapeake, he set out from Norfolk and has eaten up the miles, both offshore and inshore (ICW) to catch up with us. He was having some trouble with his electric windlass when he came into our anchorage after dark last night, so he telephoned for help and Morgan and I rowed over in the dinghy to lend him a hand. A bit of drama, but it all worked out.

Currently, we are in a small anchorage in Middle River, where we hope to get our window starting Wednesday evening, for a Thursday morning arrival at West End, Grand Bahama Island. We should have southeast winds of less than 20 knots, which should be good for a Gulf Stream crossing.

I am feeling mostly nervous about preparations -- we have a number of small projects to do before we leave. We also have to top off fuel and water. I learned my lesson from the Charleston fiasco to take every opportunity to top off the tanks.

So, I will hopefully be posting next from the Bahamas!