February 21st- West Palm FL to West End/ Grand Bahama BS

We attempted to get some sleep before my wakeup alarm went off at 3:15am. Not much sleep was had due to our extremely elevated excitement level. Two years! This was the culmination of two years of planning and work. So yes, we were very excited! We have been sailing together for 20 years but today was going to provide us with some firsts. First time crossing the Gulf Stream. First time leaving a port at night. For me, it was also the first time leaving the US (I went to Montreal once but am not sure that counts). We have a lot of experience bashing our way through the bays and sounds around New England but not much time on blue water.

We started hauling up our ground tackle at 4am. While it was quiet when we first woke, around a dozen (or more) boats lit their running lights, hauled anchors, and headed toward the Lake Worth Inlet. There were many calls over the VHF radio, back and forth, from various boats. Shortly after piloting Evergreen into the channel, I realised one of our running lights was out. I grabbed a headlamp and screw driver, went up to the bow, and fixed the light while Lynne idled around the channel. With lights now working we were back on track.

Most of the boats headed out but there were two others waiting around (with us?). We had seen and heard about the huge dredging operation blocking much of the entrance to Lake Worth Inlet. Over the VHF, we had heard cruisers communicating with the barge. A lot of confusion over North and South, port and starboard, seemed to be a large part of the chatter. Apparently, one boat almost ran into a rock jetty and two other vessels almost collided. We approached the barge with our followers relying on my never ending well of expertise and experience (none). The main problem was that the lights on the dredge were blinding. I kept my north/ south, port/ starboard straight and we made it out without issue.

About half of the pack was still outside the harbor entrance. I think people might have been disoriented by the darkness as there was no moon tonight. It also seemed to me that the Gulf Stream was very strong near to Florida’s coast. Two things eventually occurred to us. We wanted to get some distance between us and these other boats. Second, we were fighting the current too much and needed more speed. I pointed away from the pack and let the current pull Evergreen North. Our speed went up and we got away from the other vessels. In all, I let the Gulf Stream push Evergreen about 5nm off course but knew we’d be able to make it up when we got further East.

That was it. Everything just calmed down. The sea was pretty flat. I rolled out the genoa for a little extra speed and to make us more visible. We could see mast lights off in the distance. Crazy Ivan (the auto pilot) did the steering and was very cooperative. Twilight came then the sunrise. Another beautiful day. Lynne made breakfast. I raised the mains’l for some additional speed. With full sail up and the diesel running we pushed on toward the Bahamas.

Sunrise on the Gulf Stream.

I have used the term “blue water” to describe the ocean. After watching the sun rise we learned something new. The deep sea in the Gulf Stream is Navy Blue. We couldn’t believe it! Really deep blue. Eventually the navy blue turned turned to turquoise and we were on the Bahama Bank. Our transit time was around 10 hours. I had figured 10 1/2 To 12+ hours for our passage so we made good time.

There were many boats checking in at West End. The Old Bahama Bay Resort and Marina controls the basin. We lingered around on the ocean for a while to tidy up our sails and get a good look at the entrance. We entered the marina and tied up to the diesel pier for fuel and to check in with customs. The actual docking was more of a controlled collision (to quote one of the cruisers that helped tie us up). I guess I was a little over enthusiastic about our arrival. We made It!

Entrance into West End, Bahamas.

First funny Bahamas problem- Since it was a new moon there was a really low tide which was around when we arrived at the marina. The deck of our boat was about 6 feet lower than the height of the pier. No ladders. After fueling up the woman told me to pay at the office and then I could head over to customs and immigration. She then walked off. It’s been a very long time since I’ve tried to climb a tree (or anything else). Somehow, I channeled some Spider-Man skills and made it onto the pier. Diesel was payed for, then onto customs. I had to fill out a few forms. Everyone was super nice. The Admiral did a great job emailing copies of all the paperwork. One of the customs agents had actually processed all the online paperwork and was familiar with our papers and boat. We were no longer under quarantine and could hoist our Bahamas courtesy flag. I jumped back on Evergreen and boosted Lynne and Ollie onto the pier so they could step foot on Bahamas soil.

For various reasons I opted to anchor off of West End and not stay at the marina. There is a very strong current running through the anchorage area. I would call it an advanced anchorage. Our big anchor grabbed the bottom and we were done for the day. The water was absolutely clear. We could see a large Barricuda swimming right under Evergreen (another 1st).

Second funny Bahamas problem- it’s an advanced anchorage and people are tired when they arrive. Just after watching a stunning sundown another sailboat came in. They lost control in the current and only through the heroic effort of the boat’s skipper did he manage not to slam into Evergreen. Using, not fenders, but his body to cushion the blow. They then almost drifted into a shallow grassy area with us yelling, “DON’T GO THATWAY!” They managed to get control and avoided further calamity. The next day we had a little less luck but I’ll save that for the next post.

That night was dream like and we were further deprived of sleep. The stars came out. It was mesmerizing. The sky is dark without city lights. We could see the Milky Way, Jupiter, Saturn, and a million other stars. Eventually we looked down. I have seen bioluminesence before but nothing like this. It ranged from flashes in the water to little sparkly things zooming by. I’m not sure how long we stared at the sky and water. We were lost in the beauty of it.

This place is amazing!

Old Bahama Bay Resort.

Sunset #1 from the Bahamas.