Playing Tourist with The Cruise Shippers

Nassau   

There are two big bonuses with the slip here at Nassau Harbour Club. The first is that for a flat rate, water is all you can use. Knowing that, Barry and I each took long showers this morning. It is the little things like this that start the day off right. This was our day to explore. Pete joined us and we walked up Bay Street, a very busy thoroughfare that parallels the harbor. The colorful mural on the Royal Bahamas Defence Force building was a bright contrast to buildings that appeared worn and neglected. Traffic was heavy. Horns blared. Exhaust hung heavy in the air. As we passed the cruise ship dock, we joined in with several thousand other tourists on the narrow sidewalks. High-end duty-free shops, American restaurant outlets, and souvenir stands became the norm.

Our destination was the British Colonial Hilton, just over two miles from the marina. Barry had visited this hotel way back in his Navy days and wanted to give it another look. We admired the grand lobby and staircase before enjoying a bottle of water in their lounge. In front of the hotel is a statue of Governor Woodes Rogers with an inscription that reads "Pirates Expelled, Commerce Restored."

Behind the Hilton, the Straw Market was in full operation. Spring break has begun so there was an interesting mix of families and groups of college students. I stopped in and said hello to Señor Frog. We had met his brother on an earlier trip to Cancun. The vendors were lined up along the street, in the shadow of the cruise ships, selling authentic Bahamian merchandise straight out of "made in China" boxes. Not our kind of scene, we sought out more peaceful surroundings and found a directional sign and some bougainvillea right across the street from Parliament Square. Although the sign says otherwise, we seemed closer to New York City than The Exumas.

The cruise ship crowd eventually thinned out just past The Bahamas Rum Cake Factory. We did not stop and partake. The Sidney Portier Bridge connects the New Providence mainland to Paradise Island and is named for the Academy Award winning actor who grew up in the Bahamas. Next of note was the MailBoat dock. These boats supply most all the necessities to the out islands. We stopped for lunch and sat on the deck watching boats come and go. Interesting that the slips had no finger piers and access was made by stepping on and off the bow. Not a place for Crossroads since our bow is eight feet off the water. A stiff breeze blew all day and it was chilly in the shade. The second best thing about this marina is that it is across the street from the grocery store. We made a late afternoon provisioning run for lettuce, milk, apples, etc. We plan to leave in the morning for Norman's Cay. After a day in the big city, the quiet of The Exumas is calling me.

A Stopover in Nassau

Great Harbour Cay to Nassau  |  9 Hours  |  68 Miles 

The marina was abuzz at 6:15 this morning. We pulled out just behind Valkyrie, a beautiful 75-foot Fleming, and followed them through the cut. Our parade of 10 boats had to first head north before turning south. As I cleaned up our docklines and fenders, morning broke in a dense cloud bank. A closer look better shows the spotlight-like beams of the sun's rays.

A recently sunken barge with crane caused for a little rubbernecking. Once we rounded Coco Cay (Carnival's private island), we benefitted from much better lighting. Symphony of the Seas glistened in the sunshine as did the Great Stirrup Cay Lighthouse. An interesting fact about this lighthouse is that it is solar powered.

From that light we set a waypoint to Nassau. We enjoyed an hour up on the flybridge before the clouds rolled back in, the wind picked up, and it got chilly. The ocean floor along the way dropped off to over 10,000 feet before shallowing the closer we got to Nassau. The decrease in depth accentuated a beam sea and we rocked and rolled our way into Nassau Harbour. The entrance is marked by the Nassau Harbour Lighthouse, but the most dominant features are the cruise ship dock to starboard and the Atlantis resort to port. With a strong wind we elected to dock bow-first at Nassau Harbour Club rather than trying to back Crossroads in as we normally do.

Immediately we knew we were in the city as sounds of fast moving traffic and sirens filled the air. We crossed the road and picked up some chicken for dinner back onboard. Tomorrow we will explore a little then go back to the store for a few items we know will be difficult/impossible to find further south in the Exumas.

The Sun Sets on This Stop Along the Way

Great Harbour Cay  

A cold front moved through overnight and gave us a bit of a bumpy ride with its associated squalls. Between raindrops dancing on the roof to our fenders squeaking against the dock and a little bounce from wind-driven waves, sleep was not deep. We awoke at 6:00 to help establish a departure time for tomorrow. At what point will we have enough light to exit the slip and make our way through the crowded anchorage? With so many boats on the hook, there is no longer a defined channel to attempt leaving in darkness. This morning, we even had a boat anchored just off the outer slips.

Today was all about preparing for departure. I vacuumed, cleaned the bathroom and refrigerator, worked on inventories and shopping lists, did a load of laundry, and made another trip into the commissary. Why is what I need always in the back? Pete came over and he and Barry reviewed our route and also possible future stops. With a gusty north wind and heavy cloud cover, it was chilly. Most folks donned sweatshirts or jackets. Even inside while reading in the pilothouse I had on a long-sleeved T-shirt and SOCKS. Oh, my! In between showers, we put the dinghy back on the roof and removed the sunshades for traveling.

Thursday is Pizza Night at the marina. We missed out on it last week, but put our name on Hector's list this morning. As everyone milled about awaiting the pizza delivery, the clouds broke just enough for a nice sunset. Pete joined us for supper, but we all called it an early evening. It will be early to bed for all tonight.

There will be a mad dash out of here in the morning. It seems every boat will be untying lines at daybreak. It has been a nice stay here. Everyone has been super-friendly and I've loved the walks on the beach. Tomorrow night we'll be in Nassau -- another stop closer to our destination.

Final Day Together

Great Harbour Cay  

It was another clear and sunny morning here in Great Harbour. The wind was a bit stronger and the chop a bit heavier as we went out for another dinghy ride around small islands and into shallow coves. We shut off the outboard and paddled along the mangroves in search of turtles.

The most interesting sights were above water including flags flying stiff and one most interesting tree. There was plenty of underwater grass to be seen, but no turtles. I practice with the GoPro knowing that we will encounter turtles and fish eventually. Today we were content to enjoy just being on the water.

After lunch we all gathered aboard Spartina and made plans for our final evening together. The dockmaster recommended Brown's and we phoned in our dinner choices for a 7:30 seating. Before catching a ride to the restaurant we got a final group photo. Brown's did not disappoint. It was a charming and cozy spot with friendly folks and delicious food. Barry's lobster special was the star of the evening. Everyone cleaned their dinner plate and all shared slices of guava cake for dessert.

Fernando and Judy leave for the airport at 6:30 tomorrow morning and have a long day of travel ahead of them through Nassau and Charlotte before arriving back in Richmond. Crossroads and Spartina will receive final preparations for an early Friday morning departure to Nassau.

Paddle Harder

Great Harbour Cay  

Included in our welcome packet when we arrived at Great Harbour Cay Marina six days ago was a Dinghy Adventures flyer. Having walked the equivalent of a marathon the past two days and collected my limit of specimens from Shelling Beach, a dinghy adventure would be a welcome change of pace. We timed our departure around the approaching high tide. Pete, Fernando, and Judy followed behind us in their dinghy. We exited through the narrow Bullock's Harbour Channel and turned south, heading to the entrance to Shark Creek. We advanced into the mangrove-lined creek for a bit of scouting as we awaited the arrival of the buddy boat. We had good depth at the mouth and great view of the grassy bottom through the clear water. Little mangroves stuck their heads above waterline.

The creek had plenty of water depth, but the width quickly narrowed. We shut off our outboard and paddled in deeper, drawn by the prospect of seeing turtles, sharks, and rays. Our buddy boat elected not to continue by manpower and retreated the way we entered. We never caught sight of our target animals, nor did we hear banjo music, but the current began to catch us. We quickly determined we had missed our tide window and needed to abort the mission for today. To Barry's chants of "paddle harder," I did just that. Unfortunately, while paddling there were no photos being taken. I'm sure they would have been instant classics. We made it back to wider water and then powered up for the trip back to the marina.

I spent the afternoon engaged in my latest book, moving from sun to shade, from flybridge to upper deck to Fiberglass Beach. The talk around the marina has been the weather. The forecast has changed yet again and it looks like our opportunity to leave will slip back at least another day. Guess we'll have to figure out something new over the next two days.

Dollars and Sense

Great Harbour Cay  

There has been no movement in or out of the marina since we arrived five days ago. Everyone regardless of boat size has been waiting for a favorable weather window. Early this morning the megayachts began to depart. No smaller vessels were brave enough to follow their lead. It just doesn't make sense to bang our way further south. We had another day to explore the island. Our morning walk passed by a hibiscus bush full of palm-sized pink blooms. After lunch, Judy and I repeated yesterday's long walk to Shelling Beach. The beautiful surfside stroll north was directly into a strong headwind.

We had timed our walk to coincide with max low tide. The large sandbar was exposed with only a few tidal pools remaining. The shallow water glistened like diamonds. The bare sand was textured by ridges. Stranded sea creatures began to appear along the margins of the sandbar. Most of them were still alive as seen here with the sea urchin ...

... the sea biscuit, and the sea star. We hit the jackpot on this trip with the discovery of many sand dollars. The white ones are the remains of deceased animals. The brown ones are covered with cilia and are living animals. Judy and I each brought home a handful of perfect specimens. Slack tide seemed to last about five minutes and we headed back to higher ground as water flooded back onto the sandbar. We returned to the marina not long before sunset.

We'll be here a few more days before leaving. Seems the talk is that the whole marina will empty out on Thursday. Our goal is to stop in Nassau for two nights and reprovision during the next blow. That should get us in good shape as we finally make it to the Exumas.

Unbelievable Scenery

Great Harbour Cay  

I'm usually awake at first light and enjoy watching the sunrise from the pilothouse. At our slip in the marina, that means watching the reflection of the sun appear on the townhouses across the basin. Today broke bright and clear and I was excited to make my way to the beach. The boys all elected to stay at the marina and work on various projects. Judy and I headed out on what I told her would be a "long walk." We found the marina's beach access path and took it across the dune to reach the beach. Vibrant green succulents caught my eye as they were set against the brilliant blue water and light sand. We headed south as the tide went out and exposed expansive sandbars that beckoned exploration.

Here's a wider view of where we were standing. The photo does not do the scene justice and in no way captures the amazing beauty of this spot.

The sandbar at the tip of the island is called Shelling Beach. We discovered many great specimens including sea urchins, fan coral, sand dollars, sea biscuits, and shells. The star of the show, however, was the crystal-clear water that would have been practically invisible if not for the wind ripples on the surface.

As we made the turn to head home, we called the boys and asked if they wanted to meet us at The Beach Club for lunch. We soaked up the scenery as we retraced or steps, arrived within minutes of each other, and enjoyed another excellent meal.

All five of us walked back to the marina together, making one more stop at the ruins of the Great Harbour Cay Clubhouse. Now 40 years past its heyday, the extravagance of the structure can still be seen. We climbed the stairs to what is left of the second floor then walked the pool deck before getting back on our way. Back onboard, I polished some of our stainless steel in the late afternoon before finding a nice spot for reading on the flybridge. I had no takers for joining me on a walk to Top of the Rock to watch the sunset. They missed a great light show and the opportunity to meet Mark, the property owner. He gave me some history of the site -- previously a restaurant that was destroyed by fire -- and told me of his plans to rebuild. We shared photos from our phones of our favorite sunsets as tonight's turned out pretty well.

I was excited to see that I had walked over 12 miles today (but somewhat disappointed that I didn't hit the magical 13.1 mark). It felt really good to get in a nice, long walk.

Taking It Slow During The Blow

Great Harbour Cay  

We awoke to the sound of wind whipping through the marina. Barry took a morning tour of the docks while I restocked our cabinets with inventory stored in the settee and commissary. Almost on cue as I prepared to go for my walk, the clouds emptied. Several squalls passed through over the next few hours. I retreated to the pilothouse to read and watch the weather change. To our stern the marina's Bahamian flag flew stiffly from the flagpole in gusts around 25 knots. Barry helped a few boats with electronic issues and got us, Pete, Fernando, and Judy all talking together on the internet. Pete shared one of his photo's taken from yesterday's trip to the cave and I sent several back to them. It is always interesting to see how five different people with five different phones capture the same scene so differently. Once the rain stopped, Barry pumped out all the standing water from the dinghy.

Everyone was anxious to leave the dry shelter of their boats and people congregated on the docks. Dogs needed to be "walked." A few kids cast their fishing lines into the water. Soon we heard cries of excitement as the kids had spotted a manatee swimming two slips down. It stayed only briefly before swimming back into Bullock's Harbour. The sky cleared, but the wrapped flag provided evidence of the day's stiff and swirling winds. We met Pete, Fernando, and Judy at 5:30 and headed to Sunset Rock for the evening show. I thought it was chilly and broke out the jeans and long sleeved shirt. All watched the sun drop behind a cloud bank as we took more photos. On the way back to the marina we walked down to a small sandy beach and did more of the same. Back onboard we prepared scallops for dinner then settled in to watch a movie.

We will be here one more day and try once again to get in a morning walk on the beach.

Exploring Great Harbour Cay

Great Harbour Cay  

With wind and rain on the way, the goal for today was to explore Great Harbour Cay. I went for a 45-minute early morning walk. Yesterday's long passage had left my knees and hips very stiff so adhering to the 25 mph speed limit was no problem. Getting used to life in the left lane is always challenging. I returned to the marina as our rental car arrived -- a new Toyota Prius Hybrid. Fernando was driving and Barry was the co-pilot. Judy, Pete, and I loaded into the back seat. Although the road was good by remote Bahamian island standards, there were plenty of potholes that required artful dodging. We followed the road until it narrowed to a point where we could proceed no further then retraced our path and marveled at the view of the ocean. At a small clearing we pulled over and made our way to the beach. We quickly realized that we had lucked out and excitedly made our way to the rocky surf.

The scenery and views were spectacular. I was the first one down and entered into a small cave, the sandy floor still dry just off of low tide. The center shot below is looking out of the cave. For its size, this place was one of the most gorgeous spots I've ever visited.

Excited by our cave experience, but warm and thirsty, we headed for beverages and lunch. The Beach Club was another great find. We grabbed a table with a view and all five of us enjoyed our food selections. The beach was calling our names the entire time and we headed down the boardwalk as soon as we cleared the check. What we found was clean, white, powdery sand and more shades of blue than can ever be captured by my phone. The water was chilly -- probably 10 degrees colder than that in Bimini.

We all got our photos taken in various combinations and then headed back to the marina for a few afternoon chores. Showers rolled through, but cleared out quickly. At 4:00 we loaded back into the Prius and made one final run around in the rental car. When it started to drizzle we stopped at Hammerheads for dinner and caught a rainbow from the deck. Rain fell much heavier and the temperature dropped significantly by the time we called it a night and headed back to the marina. Not long thereafter, the rain began to fall again.

Tomorrow will be windy (25+ knots), but hopefully dry. Not a good day to be on the water, but maybe a good day for another walk.

Friendly Faces In Far Away Places

Bimini to Great Harbour Cay  |  10.6 Hours  |  84 Miles 

We were up at 5:30 and away from the dock by 6:15. The first hints of dawn provided enough light to confidently exit the narrow marina channel. Then we met the mailboat, as it was making a u-turn in front of us on its way to North Bimini. We enjoyed a great sunrise as we headed north. Golden light bathed the clouds and ocean and contrasted nicely against the cobalt blue sky. At North Rock we turned east and set our waypoint to guide us across the Great Bahama Bank. We saw very few boats out today. SeaMorr, a 52-foot Nordhavn, snapped this picture of us as they passed by heading west. Love the bow wave.

Around noon, we passed through a band of showers. Crossroads got a needed bath while we closed up the windows, doors, and hatches. After 30 minutes, the sun was back out and we enjoyed a nice, easy day with low winds and small waves. As we approached the Berry Islands the first discernible items on the horizon were three large cruise ships. Norwegian Cruise Lines' Norwegian Sky was docked on the back side of Great Stirrup Cay, their private island. Royal Caribbean owns Little Stirrup Cay (aka Coco Cay) and its Allure of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas were docked side by side next to Daredevil's Tower, the tallest waterslide in North America. The passenger capacity of the three ships combined is in excess of 13,200.

We were happy to continue on to Great Harbour Cay and enter through a narrow channel into Bullock's Harbour. This tight, rocky passage reminded us of many miles spent on Canada's Trent-Severn Waterway last year. With a big blow predicted for this weekend, it was no surprise to find a full anchorage. We made our way back to the marina and pulled in just as the "catch" from today's fishing tournament was being weighed behind our slip. While Barry was checking in, I met up with Pete, Fernando, and Judy who are here aboard Spartina. It was great to see the smiling faces of long-time friends from our home marina. Goombay banners were lined up in the grass, and had me going to Carolina In My Mind. Rebekah loves the Bahamian soda so I just had to send her a picture. A few reports came in that it was snowing in Clemmons. There was a dock party and dinner as part of the fishing tournament, but we had dinner onboard, got some chores done, and called it an early night.

We will meet up with Pete, Fernando, and Judy tomorrow morning and tour the island by rental car. I'm hoping to get in a good walk to the beach as well before the weather turns windy and rainy.

Trash to Treasure

Bimini 

Today was our final day in Bimini for this season. The morning was spent giving Crossroads a good dusting and vacuuming. We gathered trash, cleaned some leftovers out of the refrigerator, and stowed all kinds of "stuff" that works its way out when at dock for a week. The afternoon was quite warm. A cloudless blue sky and no breeze intensified the heat of the sun. We joined Scott and Mary (Salt Wife) at the Thirsty Turtle for some afternoon drinks in the air conditioning. This little restaurant has stepped it up a notch from last year. It is under new ownership and has a diverse and reasonably priced menu. It also has a pretty cool logo. At 5:00 I took my final beach stroll and, again, had the mile-long stretch of sand to myself. My thoughts today turned to "How long does it take trash to become a treasure?." I've seen a lot of trash on the beach this week. I've also picked up a lot of treasures that were once considered trash. How many tide cycles are required to transform a broken beer bottle into collectible sea glass? How many times must a piece be rejected by beachcombers as too transparent and too edgy before it is deemed to be acceptably opaque and smooth.

The same goes for conch shells. For some reason, they were washing up at my feet today. All had once been a substantial home to a little critter folks love to eat. A hunter retrieves the shell from the ocean floor, inserts a blade through the face of the shell to free the conch, and then discards the shell. What makes one shell worth picking up? For me if it was otherwise intact with a full and thick lip and a shiny bright pink inner surface, it was worthy of taking home to my garden. I ended my final walk as the sun dropped below the horizon with three medium-size conch shells. This summer I will turn to them in hopes of hearing the ocean call to me once more. A dozen or so folks gathered for the sunset, including Scott, Mary, Dieter and his wife Mary (Ocean Drive). We appreciate Scott catching this last photo of us with my three conch shells.

We plan to leave around 6:00 tomorrow morning for Great Harbor in The Berry Islands. It will be a long day, but we should be in before sunset. We have enjoyed Bimini, but it will be good to get moving again. Another step closer to our ultimate destination.

Footprints

Bimini 

We headed back to North Bimini by dinghy late this morning with three things in mind. First we walked north to pick up some fresh-baked coconut bread from Nate's. There is nothing like Bahamian bread and I have been looking forward to upgrading my spinach wraps and rice cakes for a couple of meals. We then began to circle back south, passing many places we remembered well from last year. It was refreshing to see several buildings along the beach under construction. An older local gentleman stopped us to express his concern about "money" coming in at the detriment of the natives. We chatted a while and learned his sister went to Virginia Union in Richmond. Small world. The area known as Radio Beach is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It is easy to see why investors have chosen this area. The blues of the water resemble a softly, blended watercolor painting.

We continued south and revisited the wreck of the Gallant Lady, resting against the rocks. This small freighter out of Belize crashed on the shore during Hurricane Mitch back in 1997. The mass of its rusty skeleton has shrunk considerably from what we observed last year. The remaining steel heaves and relaxes in time with the surf. The surrounding rock has taken on a rusty stain as the metal is eaten away by the saltwater. Our biggest disappointment of the day was discovering that the Bimini Craft Market was closed. Workers were out in force giving the brightly colored buildings and benches a fresh coat of paint in preparation for their upcoming spring break visitors. We found no paradise there today. Back to our dinghy at the Bimini Big Game Club, we stopped in for lunch. We appreciate being able to tie up there and the least we can do is grab a bite or beverage. We each had thick mahi filets, prepared differently, but both delicious. As we were eating on the deck, clouds rolled in and the wind picked up. We scooted back to the marina through increasing chop, but stayed mostly dry. I tried to read a bit outside, but got chased in several times by quick little showers that eventually cleared out in time for my late afternoon along the beach. Today there were many tracks of footprints (and paw prints) up high in the sand. I prefer a path ankle-deep right at the edge of the water where I'm able to feel the warm water and the gentle undertow of each retreating wave.

For over an hour, I had the beach all to myself. As I looked back from whence I had come, there was no trail of footprints. Does that imply that I was never there or had no impact? Why do I prefer to walk in stealth mode? Way too much thinking led me to contemplate Footprints in the Sand, leave only footprints, footprints/paw prints on your heart, carbon footprint, and following in footprints/footsteps ... all as the sun slowly sank into the horizon. When I made my way back to the marina, I met up with Dieter who was bobbing in the surf while his wife, dog, and another couple (who just happened to be Gold Loopers) were seated on the sand watching the sunset. A great conversation ensued as we compared notes and experiences on boating and travel. He is from Heidelberg and lives in Garmisch, two of my favorite spots in Germany. From our shared experiences, I was reminded that I have been very fortunate to leave my footprints in many places, if only for a fleeting moment.

Exploring By Dinghy

Bimini 

It was another beautiful and calm morning in Bimini. Shortly after breakfast we loaded into the dinghy and I led us out of the marina and south along the shore. This was the first time I had "captained" the new dinghy and was pleasantly surprised at how much smoother the ride was compared to last year. The crystal-clear water was mesmerizing. Our destination, the S.S. Sapona, was four miles south, just off Bennett's Harbor in 15 feet of water. The Sapona was one of a fleet of US concrete ships commissioned to serve as troop transport during WWI. It was completed after the war ended, and sold off. It was used as a casino, for oil storage, and as liquor warehouse during Prohibition. It ran aground in a 1926 hurricane and was later used as a bombing target by US fighter planes in WWII. It is now a popular dive site.

On our way back to the marina we passed the liveaboard dive yacht Dolphin Dream anchored off to the west. Following a quick lunch we headed out again, this time to North Bimini. With a high sun, the water was even more captivating. At the mouth of the entrance, we slowed to look at another shipwreck. This one was much more recent and the result of a late night joyride ending up on the reef. I was surprised to see that the radar, ball fender, and deck cleats were still present and not yet picked clean by scavengers. As we proceeded down along the row of marinas we passed a sailboat and recognized the name -- Elsie Mae. John and Valerie were our dock neighbors several years ago at Regent Point. They had just crossed and were flying their Q flag. We chatted for a quick moment and then both continued on our way.

We continued to the Bimini Big Game Club where we tied up to their dock and went ashore. Following a little walk, we settled on their deck and watched the boat parade while enjoying a beverage. We then hopped back aboard and returned to the mothership in time for a late afternoon beach stroll and the sun setting on another day.

Some Rain Must Fall

Bimini 

Our morning walk took us south of the marina to the Bimini Nature Trail. We were greeted by a few cheery yellow flowers and followed excellent signage around the one mile loop. First up was the Pirates Well, a tribute to the many similar fresh water wells dug here during prime pirate activity in the 18th Century. "Do Not Touch" signage hung from many Poison Wood trees. The tree is related to Poison Sumac and Poison Oak and has sap that can cause severe skin irritations. We deemed it much safer to examine the many palms.

At the back of the trail loop and overlooking Shell Beach and the Atlantic Ocean stood the ruins of Percy Cavill's Conch House. Cavill was an Australian Olympic gold-medal swimmer who lived on the island in the 1930s. Another tree of note was the Gum Elemi, or Tourist Tree. It was so named because someone once believed its peeling bark resembled the skin of someone who had been out in the sun too long. A huge termite nest caught our eye before we spotted the sign touting their importance to the ecology for digesting dead and decaying plants. Morning glories were full and bright in the shade of the understory. We circled back to the entrance by passing through stands of Austrailian Pines, Mangroves, and Coconut Palms. Barry found a nice coconut on the ground and carried it back to Crossroads.

The marina came into view and it began to drizzle. We crossed through the gate and it began to rain. We made it to the floating dock and it began to pour. Stuck onboard for three hours, I retreated to the pilothouse to finish up another book while Barry tackled the coconut and harvested both the milk and meat. The rain eventually stopped and the clouds moved out in time for a nice afternoon beach walk. I made it a point to locate the Conch House just above the dunes.

Interesting finds today were the claw of a blue crab. Maybe from the Chesapeake Bay? Not sure, but I was thinking of crabcakes. Several new conch shells had also washed up during the day. All have been harvested of their tasty animal and discarded back into the water. It was another beautiful walk and I had the beach all to myself.

A final trip to the beach gave us a front row viewing of a colorful sunset.

Beach Combing

Bimini 

An early morning walk on the beach was a great way to start the day in Bimini. Heavy cloud cover filtered the low sunlight and cast a golden glow along the shore. A rising tide covered many of the rocks that line the area in front of the marina. A closer look between the boulders revealed thousands of small shells and sea glass deposited overnight in tidal pools.

I walked south, staying close to the large dune that towered up to six feet high in spots. At its base was an additional wrack line of shells. The only footprints were avian. To me they looked like those of Virginia Tech Hokies. A short distance past the dune, the sand flattened out into a gorgeous pristine beach. Each breaking wave would clear my freshly made footprints. Clouds darkened as I returned to Crossroads for lunch, some afternoon reading on Fiberglass Beach, a long chat with Aunt B, and a load of laundry.

Late afternoon called for another beach walk. It is amazing how quickly the same 1.5 mile stretch of beach can change and how new objects grab the eye. There were plenty of well-worn shells buried in the sand, a lone crab carrying his house to higher ground, and way too much trash including this wayward toothbrush tangled in the grassy wrack. My main focus, however, was on the horizon as more threatening clouds approached. I left the beach with a few more pieces of sea glass for my jar and managed to stay dry as the rain moved south of us.

We walked up to the street and enjoyed pizza dinner at the Thirsty Turtle. Nice place, friendly folks, and enough leftovers to cover tomorrow's lunch.  

It Does The Heart Good

Key Biscayne to Bimini, Bahamas  |  7 Hours  |  48 Miles 

The alarm sounded at 3:00 and by 3:30 we were underway. Although it was the middle of the night there was just enough light to guide us. An overcast sky dispersed the glow from Miami and Key Biscayne. The slightly-less-than-full moon, the Cape Florida Lighthouse, and lighted channel markers also helped. Once in the ocean there were many lights on the horizon. Half a dozen cruise ships were in a row making their way back to Port Everglades. With reports of yet another norovirus outbreak on a cruise ship, we were glad our floating petri-dish city only had the two of us aboard. I was on watch as the sun rose. It was a smooth crossing and the time passed quickly. As we started seeing the flying fish and the water changing colors, we raised our Q flag in preparation for entry into South Bimini. I prepared the docklines and fenders while being captivated by the "blues." We entered the harbor on a slack tide and easily positioned ourselves in the doublewide slip.

Next was filling out our customs and immigration paperwork. Barry got a ride to the airport (and all the latest news from Rooster, the driver) while I was left to stay onboard until we were cleared. No problem, Fiberglass Beach was open. Barry returned with the news that we were legal so our new Bahamian courtesy flag was raised. Next on the list was taking the ferry to North Bimini and getting the SIM cards for our phones. We passed by the spot where we left our sticker last year, and smiled as it was still there. On to the BTC office where we got back on the internet. We stopped in for a some quick refreshment before reaching the ferry dock. The Sands brewery was destroyed by Dorian, so none of my favorite light and refreshing grapefruit beverage this year. We did a taste-test of two new possibilities while sitting beside some happy flowers.

Back onboard and time for another change of clothes and an afternoon walk on the beach. Two hours later, I had filled my pockets with little treasures. Highlights for sure were a rare piece of red glass and a heart-shaped stone. Happy Valentine's Day. As sunset approached, I made one more trip to the beach where there was not much color and too many bugs. The cute curly-tail was soaking up the last bit of sunshine for the day.

It was a long day, but everything got done and we're all set to enjoy a few more days here in Bimini. Just being here does the heart good. The pillow is calling ...