Goodbye Bimini, Bahamas...Hello Exumas, Bahamas... by Cindy

After 9 days in Bimini waiting for the right weather window to move across the banks to the Exumas (a 2 day trip), everyone was getting a little antsy-even our buddy boat, John and Mary, were ready to roll.  While Pete took the afternoon off to relax and read, I took the ferry boat over to Alice Town for one final trip to see if there was anything I'd missed.  There wasn't.  I did get a few more shots of the "broken dreams", houses abandoned half-built, half burned down, just left standing right on main street, closed up shops, homes half destroyed by hurricanes.  Then as you get off the ferry back on the S. Bimini, where our resort/marina is, you see "Ali's Conch Stand", one of the nicer buildings around, but "nobody's home" ever.

Then you reach the ever popular "Booze and Screws" store, S. Bimini's only general store.

A short walk down the dirt road to our resort, you see a whole different scene, modern facilities, beautiful pool, tiki-hut style bar, etc., but again, almost completely vacant, a few boats in the slips and even less tourists in the condos. They say their season starts in May and continues til October.  Odd.  Guess when school's out the Floridian's flock here to escape the heat.

So as the sunset on S. Bimini, on Tuesday evening, we said our Goodbyes to our first Bahama stop (finally!) and left early Wednesday morning with Marylee, heading across the banks towards West Bay, New Providence.

The Grand Bahama bank is quite an amazing body of water-only 6-30 ft. deep, clear and aqua blue for miles!

It is so wide that you can't cross in one day, so everyone anchors on the banks, since you dare not transit them at night to arrive at your destination harbor in the dark.  Bahama Rule #1-never enter any harbor except during daylight, so you can use VPR (visual piloting rules).

The next day, we rose early to head out into the "tongue of the ocean", which in total contrast to the banks, has depths of 5,000-8,000 ft!  I tried not to think about that!  We had a great sail that day, on a far reach, averaging over 7 kts!  Saw some dolphins playing in our wake. (See movie above-if it works?)

Stay tuned for Pete...