We MADE it! (by CSM)

PETE MOUNTING THE BAHAMAS "COURTESY FLAG" (So the Bohemians will like us!)

Destination:  Bahamas.  Took us a long time, but we're finally HERE!  For nearly 10 months when (seems like) a billion people we've met would ask us where we're going, we'd always say "The Bahamas", with many stops along the way!

Mary and John

So yesterday afternoon (I think??), having thoroughly provisioned and prepared, our Buddy Boat Marylee (our new friends John and Mary from Wisconsin) and HD set sail exactly as planned when we first met them in Marathon.  Had favorable winds and a great sail up to 8 knots for the first four or five hours and then wind died and we motored through the Gulf Stream and on into Bimini.  It was really nice having Marylee ahead of us all the way...they've been doing this crossing since 2007, so they knew the best way, where to check in with customs, etc...  Here they are with Marylee

Marilee

OK, so I'm trying to get used to this new Mac and blogging with iPhoto all at once.  Just don't even ask about the underlining and the blue above!  I have no clue-tried to fix it, but I think it's because of moving pictures around trying to get them in the right spot.  I'll get there eventually! 

Back to the crossing...

Cruise ships on the horizon...probably 30 boats showing up on radar through the night-several HUGE ones made me a little nervous in all that darkness. Again, thank Goodness our buddy boat's captain, John, had a working AIS system so he could talk to the ships by name and ask for a pass by.  HD has AIS although we haven't really needed it until last night so it is on the list to get connected correctly and for the crew to learn how to use. AIS (automated identification system) uses the signal from ships VHF transmission to identify them by name and location so you can then call them to arrange passing in the night.

Believe it or not the photo above (taken with my iPhone from the helm about 1am) is the Oasis of the Seas -Royal Caribbean ship next to me (looks more like a bad ultrasound or some kind of UFO)  I tried iPhoto fixing, but...well you get the idea.  And below pics are just outside our boat here at the marina standing on the dock, watching all the sharks and fish and "whatever these are?"...O 'mon you can see all the way to the bottom in the most polluted part of the island!  Can't wait til the rain stops tomorrow and we can go out to in the dinghy to and see the "gin clear" waters , according to John.  Tomorrow Pete wants to dive and I'll snorkel "Atlantis" which is only 15 feet down, just off Bimini shores.  More about that later.

What is that??? It had a bright red tongue!

Looks like a prehistoric water bird!

These move around all over the rocks

We arrived to check in with customs at Alice Town, South Bimini and found our marina to be quite lovely, modern; needless to say, the water beautiful crystal clear blue.  Here's a shot from the pool looking toward the "activities center"-Bimini Sands Resort and Marina.

This is supposed to be up top under the flag, but honestly I don't want to even try to move it and have more "issues", so I'm just gonna POST!

PS...You'll notice I put my initials by the blog heading.  I've been hearing my high school english teacher (yes, I can still remember her!)  SCREAMING at our blog postings because of all the switching around from first person, to third person,
and getting the pronouns all mixed up within the same blog. So for those of you who have noticed (Tyler and Marj  I'm sure!)...we will be writing in the first person (best we can) from now on with the author's initials at the top!

We have sporadic internet here at the marina, where we'll probably be until Wednesday or Thursday, so I'll try to post again while we have it.  This one's taken me all day, the internet is so slow!! Good project for a rainy day anyway.