Overnight To The Exumas

Bimini to Black Point  |  29.1 Hours  |  202 Miles  

We awoke on our first morning in The Bahamas to reports that it was snowing at home. Yes, it is better in The Bahamas. Barry left the boat at 9:00 to walk to the computer store to pick up his SIM card at 9:30 as advised the afternoon before. I stayed onboard to do my stretching and prepare for our departure upon his return. The minutes ticked by, then an hour and still no call from Barry. I knew this was not a good sign and, sure enough, he returned to report (not unexpectedly, however) that there was still no SIM card and that we could wait and see if one shows up or try to get one in Georgetown. It is easy to get stuck in Bimini for an extended period of time waiting for a weather window. Our previous three stays here have averaged a week. With that in mind, we untied and cast off from the dock and headed out the way we came in almost exactly 24 hours earlier. A Virgin cruise ship had assumed the day's residence at the cruise ship dock. The wind was light and the waves were again calm. The water remained the perfect shade of blue. 

We rounded North Rock and headed toward Mackie Shoal and the Northwest Passage. We were in 20 feet of crystal clear water and saw not a single thing for as far as we looked in every direction. There were no boats, fish, or birds. There was plenty of sunshine and I enjoyed reading on Fiberglass Beach. A nearly-full moon rose late in the afternoon. The sun set in a cloudless sky and I didn't even take a photo of it. We settled into our watch schedule and I took us toward the Northwest Channel Light. The full moon provided enough light to keep the horizon defined. A pleasant temperature and moderate humidity allowed us to keep the doors open -- and me from getting queasy. The wind picked up after dark and some clouds moved in. I guided us onto the Tongue of the Ocean and passed the helm off to Barry at 9:00 as the water depth plummeted from 15 feet to 4,500 feet in a distance of three miles. When I came back on watch at midnight, I found we had a cell signal off of Nicholstown, Andros. In Pavlovian fashion, I smiled at the sound the bell indicating the arrival of incoming messages. By the end of my watch at 3:00, New Providence had appeared to port. The light pollution glowing against the underside of the cloud cover gave the appearance that it was enveloped by a dome. Off to starboard the clouds were absent, allowing the stars to shine brightly against the darkness of deep space. By the start of my 6:00 watch, the sky was brightening, but only in odd shades of gray. It wasn't until the sun rose that sky took on an orange hue.   

Until Barry gets that SIM card, I have sworn off Facebook and Instagram as part of a data austerity plan. I must save the data for the blog posts. Without social media to occupy my time, I started cleaning out the photo album on my phone. Today I removed over 3,000 photos, but still have a long way to go. There are no radio stations so we cast the music stored on my phone through the boat's speakers to help pass the time and stay "tuned-in." On the horizon, a structure emerged. Again, we were just happy to see anything, but also knew it was the first of two DECCA towers that would lead us to our destination. I finished Book 4, Life Is Short, Don't Wait to Dance by Valorie Kondos Field.* With the sun high in the sky the water took on the anticipated translucent turquoise hue and revealed the sandy and rocky variations of the bottom, 15 to 20 feet below us. I tried to stay busy and polished some more stainless steel framing on our bimini before starting Book 5. Barry even went out for some time on Fiberglass Beach. By 2:00 we began to hear some chatter on the VHF radio. Soon other boats appeared on the horizon. We joined in a little parade and pulled into the Black Point anchorage. We found a good spot and I celebrated being able to see the anchor set and the chain lay out across the sea floor. Just over 29 hours after departing Bimini we are now in the heart of the Exumas. To experience this environment is why we have traveled for the last month. It sure beats the cold and snow back home.

We lowered the dinghy and took a quick spin around the anchorage as the sun and moon cycled through another day. Looking to the west, the sun was disappearing. Circling to the other side of Crossroads, the full moon was climbing high in the sky. We'll check the weather in the morning and determine if we will stay here or move further south. 

*Last year I came across Miss Val's TED Talk entitled, "Why Winning Doesn't Always Equal Success." I was intrigued by her path as a Hall of Fame gymnastics coach who never was a gymnast. Part memoir, motivational message, and insight into the world of gymnastics, the book touts the possibility of success even if you don't subscribe to the "normal" way of doing things.