We were a bit skeptical about sailing to Nassau after hearing that 80% of the Bahamians live there and the crime rate is high. However, we were pleasantly surprised at how friendly all the local people we engaged in conversations were. The majority of the Bahamian people are very kind and friendly. It is, more importantly, an international airport hub from NY and the reason we decided to go there.
The day after Alex and Jenna left we bagged all the laundry and took the dinghy to Junkanoo beach. We hauled our 10 foot Porta-Bote way up beyond the high tide mark and locked it to a railing where local merchants hawk their wares later in the day. It’s also where the taxis hang out waiting to give tourists a tour. The mile long walk to a very large laundry facility was up a long gradual hill. Tom commented that this laundry was well thought out for its purpose. It had great ventilation, large aisles, and hundreds of machines, all in working order! We enjoyed a much easier walk back although the bags were still heavy. That afternoon we moved the boat a mile east to be closer to the big grocery store we walked to and from. Once again loaded down with too much to carry. We seriously need to find a cart with big wheels! We walked more than five miles today and carried a fair bit; our arms and necks are weary.
Has anyone heard of cruisers midnight? Many cruisers adopt the clock of the sun, like farmers we rise and rest early. Consequently, 9PM seems like midnight. By moving a mile east, we had escaped the throbbing musical entertainment at Junkanoo beach which ends at 1:30AM, half-way into our sleep cycle. Now we were anchored in front of Atlantis Park to the north. They had an easy listening live band that started playing in the early afternoon. Around cruisers midnight, that was drowned out by a dance club on the south side of the river and, you guessed it the noise blared until 1:30 AM. Who needs sleep?
The next morning we hoisted the anchor at 7AM and left Nassau. We sailed close to the wind for 11 hours; hand steering for the first 4 as we were too close to the wind for the electric auto pilot. We were so relieved to get out of the rocky seas by entering Alabaster Bay. Unfortunately, we were greeted by all too familiar loud Bahamian head banging music complete with a lot of foul language this time. Thankfully the entertainment ended at 9:30 PM. Ah, finally a good night sleep!
The next day Pegu Club sailed into the harbor from Rock Sound. We gathered on Lone Star for a fun game of cards and cruise planning as we are both heading north.
We enjoyed a two hour walk the next afternoon with Jeff and Kimberly. We wandered across the island and around the remains of a World War II military base and to this beautiful pink sand beach.
Then back to this view of our snug and beautiful harbor. 
We shared a slow-cooker beef stew and biscuit dinner followed by fresh brownies (thanks to K&J) and a good sailing spy movie: “Riddle of the Sands”, on Lone Star.
The next day we sailed in company with Pegu Club from Alabaster Bay to Royal Island Harbor at the north end of Eleuthera. It was real nice to get a first hand report about the conditions in Current Cut from Kimberly via VHF radio. It was much easier than we anticipated! She even took pictures of us right after we came through the cut.
We stayed aboard our boats, visiting each other occasionally, in the nearly enclosed private island harbor of Royal Island for four days. 
South winds above 20 knots were prevalent throughout this time. Luckily, only the last day had rain squalls. The south winds would have been great for continuing on to the Abacos except for the accompanying waves. The early morning when the wind was at its peak Anita got up several times to check our position. At 4AM we had 3 boats in front of us, at 5 we had only 2. One had dragged their anchor and ended up well behind us. No idea how it didn’t hit us, but very thankful! There was no one on board that boat or 2 others anchored nearby. We did meet the owner two days later, just as we were hauling our anchor to head to Spanish Wells for a few days. He asked us,”Who moved my boat?” We told him the wind and a dragging anchor. He and his family were staying with a friend on a nearby island for the storm. He was very lucky he sustained no damage.
Spanish Wells is a lovely, well decorated, colorful and clean town. On Easter Sunday we walked the beautiful north beach for miles.
A couple days later we spotted these dolphin as we entered the harbor.
How’s this for a front lawn?
Tom is enjoying the challenge of installing the used WindPilot self-steering. He disassembled and cleaned everything before installing. Rigging lines and tuning to ensure it will steer in any weather. Haven’t attached the wind or water blades yet.
We mentioned wanting a cart to Kimberly and she suggested the folding versatile Burley bicycle trailer/hand cart. Tom found one on eBay and we won the bid! It will be in CT waiting for us. We have decided to go back to SYC this summer. We plan to arrive in June. Anita’s current project is restocking the freezer with homemade meals for the upcoming passage.
Next up: heading north to the Abacos.
The next day after breakfast, we sailed down wind out of the harbor heading northwest for the Berry Islands, 35 miles away. The wind was lighter than expected so we motor-sailed occasionally.
As soon as the anchor was down near 
After dinner, Alex & Jenna went out on deck to watch the sunset.
Alex had asked her Dad for permission to marry her. Which is why he needed to propose before her call home.
Sunsets are a time to be outside:
On Sunday, we sailed a few miles to 
Tom and Alex just had to finish the project they started; installing the new Tank Tender gauge. Completed at 8:30 PM. Tom had earlier installed a pickup tube directly in the deepest part of the water tank. Now we can measure how many inches of water we have in the tank. Much nicer than running out!
The next day, we motored a mile or so to the south coast of Chub Cay and tried to anchor at the entrance to the mangroves, planning to dinghy into them to see the turtles. The anchor just skidded along the top of the hard bottom and it was a lee shore with 12 knots of wind that were increasing. Time for Plan B.
Lone Star at anchor, a beached Tug, and Tom for perspective.
Our full day on Andros Island was a mix of sun and clouds. We also started the day with light winds that turned gusty in the afternoon. We went ashore in the late morning to make 3 dinghy runs for water and walk around a bit. It was too hot and not much more to see. We went back aboard to hide from the sun. The next day was also supposed to be cloudy with occasional rain showers steady 10-15 knot winds with gusts in squalls around 25 knots. However, southwest winds would carry us downwind back to Nassau. The forecasters got only the cloudy part right. Winds were under 10 knots all day, we motor-sailed for 9.5 hours, rotating the watch every hour between the three of us.
No rain for us until after sunset. We were safely anchored at a little island just east of Nassau called 
It was a nice vacation for Alex and Jenna and we are so glad they could come for a visit and leave engaged to be married! Congratulations you two, we wish you a long and happy life traveling the world to your hearts content. We hope you visit us often as we sail about.
The next day we all took a walk ashore with specific plans to visit a blow hole on this windy day.
We enjoyed a lot of laughs here! We also got together in the evenings for cards and one night we watched the James Bond Thunderball movie as Pegu Club will be heading to “the cave” where it was filmed soon.
We took advantage of favorable winds to sail 45 miles from Great Guana to 
On Sunday, March 31st, we motored about five miles from Norman’s Cay to 
The shadow of our mast in the absolutely crystal clear water.
The Marina was inside a very snug cove beside the cell tower in the center of the above photo. After fueling up we motored around the corner to anchor in the lee of Highborne Cay for the night. The anchorage was busy with mega yachts and all their toys including inflatable slides hanging off the sides and jet skis tied to the back. Surprisingly it was a very quiet night. The next day we motored a couple of miles from Highborne to Leaf Cay to photograph the Iguanas on the beach; or as Tom refers to them, mini dinosaurs.
This is the anchored on the shallow sands between Leaf and Allen Cay.
Looks like another lovely, deserted beach, except for the many Iguanas 🦎 !
There are three in the above photo!
The sedate elder is cautious, but calm.
A closer look at the many tracks left by the critters on the beach.
Oh, the beautiful view. We appreciate this every day!
We sailed to Calabash Bay in the north end of Long Island to join Sea Ya for the next day’s motor-sail to Conception Island.
We used our quiet time in Paradise to work on some boat projects, and catch-up on sleep and reading. I believe Tom was still working on the electric windless installation, which turned out to be quite the challenge, but oh so worth it!! I also made ice cream, muffins and bread, restocking the larder. We heard from nearby cruisers that the snorkeling was not that great during this visit. There were very few fish to see and conditions were a bit cloudy on the reefs as bad weather had passed recently stirring things up. The water was also still a bit chilly and a wetsuit would have made it better. Conception Island is now part of the Bahamas conservation park so the wildlife here is protected. No fishing allowed and there are LOTS of birds. Perhaps the birds are eating all the fish?
This time we were there on a Saturday and made it to the farmers market in time to get some delicious baked goods and fresh eggs and local produce.
We walked the path behind the church to the shrimp hole, but did not swim here as planned as a famous wildlife photographer was busy at work in the small cave.
We found the BEST beach in the Bahamas: Gordon’s Beach at the southern end of Long Island has super fine sand, like talcum powder. Aren’t the colors gorgeous?
Next stop was a Clarence Town church designed by Father Jerome well known for his designs throughout the Bahamas.
Unfortunately, it was locked so we couldn’t experience the 360 degree view. Though we took some pictures from the steps:
We toured the coast here and a nice Marina and then had lunch in a nearby restaurant.
Real nice excursion away from our winter home base. Life is good living the dream.
Boats anchored at Sand Dollar beach.
The east side of Stocking Island at Sand Dollar.
We anchored near Pegu Club and were all soon in the water snorkeling to the nearby reefs and beach.
Dad, the chemist, commented about the extra fine sand in the Bahamas. Tom’s answer: here soft limestone is pounded by the sea to make fine sand. In New England, hard granite is pulverized by the ocean waves to make gravel and courser sand.
The island is now deserted, but was home to a marine research center until 2015. We saw an abandoned air strip and a ghost town. A short trail led to a beautiful view of the beaches on the east side of the island.
We returned to Lone Star and discovered a nearby sail boat aground on the shallow sands. Tom motored over to lend a hand to this unknown cruiser by first attempting to heel the boat over with a halyard; that didn’t work. Then he relocated their anchor into deeper water. As the tide rose they were able to winch themselves free. We watched from the deck.
Swimming here was a definite challenge as there was a current to contend with. Streaming a life jacket on a rope behind the boat was a necessary precaution. Dad still enjoyed his daily swim.
Dad and Ilse enjoying a beautiful sunset!
On Friday, March 22, we waved farewell to our friends on Pegu Club as they continued sailing north and we returned to Georgetown. We timed the weather well. We enjoyed another easy downwind run, this one taking six hours to go the 35 miles. We anchored at Honeymoon beach for protection in the upcoming southeasterly blow. Seeing there was no possibility of card games with our friends on Pegu Club we turned to movie watching for evening entertainment. Watching Red October in stereo while the boat is rocking was a highlight. The last three nights we laughed watching Odd Couple first season episodes before bed time.
We couldn’t pry them away from the Barricade board this evening to see this pretty sunset, so I showed them the pictures.
Sunday was too windy for a dinghy ride and it threatened to rain all day, but held off until over night.
On Monday, we moved the boat to a reef near Honeymoon beach in hopes of spotting more fish on their last full day in the Bahamas. Guess we didn’t anchor close enough. There was a current running, making it a challenge to swim. Then it turned cloudy making it very hard to direct them to the reef. They gave up without finding it. They saw only sand!
We motored over to Kidd’s Cove that evening so we would be a short dinghy ride to shore the next morning for their taxi to the airport. We had a real nice visit and believe they had a nice vacation too!
Spring has begun and cruisers are beginning to head north now that weather patterns are settling a bit. Time for us to head north as well to see more of the Bahamas.
The upper deck is a great place to eat and to capture the view of our boat in the harbor.
Then we set sail with 3 other boats for Hog Cay to the southeast of Great Exuma. We made it through 
We had a very long day sailing to windward the next day, 9-5 if I recall correctly. Lots of tacking in light winds and calm seas. We had hoped to go to Long Island, but ran out of daylight. Anchored south of Hog Cay Cut again with only one other boat. The next morning we left early, following the PDQ 36′ catamaran, Allie May through the winding cut. I was surprised to see them utilizing the western passage which is shallower and the way through unmarked on our Explorer chart. Unfortunately, they need less water than we do. Although we thought we had timed our departure right before high tide, it was actually several hours before and our rudder and stern were soon aground. We waited about an hour, then were able to gently pull off using an anchor we had dropped via dinghy.
We raised the sails and enjoyed a quick downwind sail anchoring at Sand Dollar beach on Stocking Island.
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We took a walk on the beach that afternoon and discovered a band of cruisers playing cool jazz music on our way back.
We left Tom there while Sandy and Anita went back to the boat to use the facilities and get drinks. Then Anita picked Tom up with the dinghy at sunset. This appears to be a weekly event that we hope to catch again!
We walked to Shirley’s at Fish Fry for lunch on Sunday. On February 11th we all shared a taxi to the airport. Sad to say good bye to Sandy, and thankful she made the trip! We were able to clear our replacement wind vane through Bahamian Customs. No problem retrieving it once we provided their receipt, our receipt and a copy of our cruising permit. We were also lucky to share a taxi back to the boat!
There is a fast flowing current under the actual broken bridge.
Fun evening at the Peace & Plenty restaurant where we also met up with Chuck Wright another former SYC member. Great time reminiscing and planning future cruising locations.
Friday, Tom filled our water tanks. We also purchased some groceries and Anita was able to get her hair cut. Saturday, Tom purchased and siphoned 10 gallons of diesel from jerry cans into the main tank. Then we moved the boat to a different 
We are looking forward to having our first guest aboard. Sandy, a sailing friend from home will arrive tomorrow bringing our mail and a few essentials in her carry on luggage. It will be fun to sail, swim and play tourist along side her!
As the deck part was finished and bolted down, covering the holes in the deck; we decided we could sail on to the next island. We enjoyed the past thirty four days in the Georgetown area and look forward to exploring more of the Bahamas 🇧🇸; though we will probably return here as it is a great spot to get good free water and so much more! Water costs 30 cents a gallon in Long Island and 50 cents a gallon in the Abacos. We hope to add a water maker some day.
Yeah, time to post a watch, engage the auto pilot and make lunch! Our down wind sail in relatively calm seas all day was really nice. So pleasant, Tom was reluctant to turn on the engine to motor the last mile to the anchorage even though we were slowing down due to lighter winds when sunset was an hour away. 
Yes, we are living and working on our boat in exotic harbors! Our sonic wind instrument on top of the mast is no longer discoverable by the network. It is more challenging to sail without this instrument that provides wind direction and speed. However, we will add some ribbons to the shrouds and continue to sail the old fashioned way. Tom climbed the mast stairs and/or was winched up while in the bosuns chair. He was not able to remove the device as he couldn’t get high enough to get a two handed grip on it to unscrew it. We will need a different style of mast climber or a rigger’s help in the near future. Sadly, they no longer make this model. Although the manufacturer may be able to repair it. We’ve ordered the older style with the spinning cups and will wait for that to arrive before continuing with this repair project.
We need to add Bangor, Germany, China, and the U.K. to the list of where family is 😉.
Anita also made a pull apart party bread that came out a bit too dense, but was still tasty.
What a fun and talented group of musicians! Tom has started playing a recorder we have on board, and he is covetous of the plastic trumpet Ian on Local Lola has.
My favorite was this altered version of White Christmas:
to a beautiful, secure and shallow anchorage around 
We are sheltering from a cold front that is bringing 20-30 knot southerly winds ahead of the front. We also want to explore ashore here this afternoon and visit the NAPA store and pharmacy nearby.
We raised the storm jib, replaced a shackle and outfitted it with sheets (ropes to trim the sail):
Sailing on Lone Star 