s over for some time. With our desire to get to the Bahamas, the decision to cross was easy and the 3AM wakeup was worth it as we were able sail nearly the entire 50 mile trip under clear skies and a good NW breeze. About dawn (7 am) we noticed another boat making the crossing just behind us and in talking with them on the radio, they gave us advice on choosing their favorite marina in Bimini as our first landfall in the Bahamas. We now have a much greater appreciation for the ocean depths as just off Miami, the depth drops to 2,000 feet where the ocean stays until a few hundred yards from Bimini where the bottom shallows to 20 feet or less and the water turns turquoise blue and crystal clear. We had arrived on the The Great Bahama Bank by noon and had our first dock party by sunset.
Highlights of our first week in the Bahamas:
Feb 5: Bimini - watching an 8 foot long bull shark swim right under the boat and sharing a meal with 6 sharks - they ate the head of a wahoo and we enjoyed the muscle from the same 42 pound fish 20 minutes later thanks to a friendly fisherman at our first dock party. Also, comparing notes with friendly boaters at the dock party about when and how to cross further east.
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| Arriving at North Bimini |
Feb 6-7: Crossing the Great Bahama Bank. Bimini is technically in the Bahamas but it is still about 110 miles from the Exumas that are still further east, across the Great Bahama Bank and the "tongue of the ocean" where depths go down to 3000 feet or more. It was incredible crossing the Great Bahama Bank (50 miles wide) just east of Bimini with depths ranging from 5-12 feet for the entire 50 miles. No land or person was in sight when we dropped our anchor in the middle of this expansive Bank in only 10 feet of water for our first swim in 75 degrees water.
Feb. 7: Highbourne Cay - 8:30 am yoga on the pristine beach, 9:45 breakfast on the boat, 10:15 am snorkeling off the stern. 12:30 Make a picnic lunch, 1:00 dinghy to the resort, bike to East Beach for a picnic lunch on a deserted beach 200 yards long, bike past goats en route to Horseshoe beach, see 2 other people on beach, kayak, bike back to marina and visit with new acquaintances on "Sandy Seas".
Feb 8: Sail 2.5 hrs to reach Shroud Cay (located in the Exuma Land and Sea Park - a Marine sanctuary) at high tide. Drop anchor and dinghy through mangroves across Cay. See sea turtles in mangroves and swim through "rapids" as mangrove creek empties into the ocean on the eastern side of the island. Sail 45 minutes to Hawksbill Cay (undeveloped) catch some zzz's on the western beach and hike 15 min to the eastern side of island (no one there but us on a beach that extends for 500 yards), swim, then hike back to western side of the island.
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| Shroud Cay at "The Rapids" after a dinghy trip up a mangrove creek |
Feb. 9: Wait out passing morning rain showers at Hawksbill (undeveloped) while enjoying pancakes and bacon, dinghy to shore to hike to the Russel Ruins (dating from 1785) and then to another eastern beach, collect plastic from the beach and pile plastic on beach (too much to carry back to the boat and the marine park warden advised us to do this as they come by once a month and collect plastic that has washed up -sadly, there is so much plastic on these gorgeous beaches with no one or no civilization in sight). Sail 3.5 hours to Warderick Wells Cay, pick up mooring in 6.5 feet of water (Juno draws 5.5), swim off boat and wash hair (last time was 5 days ago), join park rangers and other boaters for happy hour onshore.
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| A beach at Hawksbill Cay after a hike on the island |
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