East from Bimini (and Florida)

After a bumpy crossing from Miami to South Bimini, we were happy to tie up at Bimini Sands Marina to wash off the salt and relax a bit with fellow Manta owners, Scott and Tina Ligon aboard Sangaris.

Looking back into the Gulf Stream from our slip at Bimini Sands Marina

The cruising community is close knit, but add another point or two of mutual interests (e.g., sailors, catamarans, owners of Manta catamarans, rum, etc.) and finding each other in the same area is like a family reunion! Case in point, Scott was at the dock to help us get settled and Tina made us a beautiful dinner to welcome us to the Bahamas! It’s great to have friends in every port!!

The Bimini Islands are behind us in the distance.

Sangaris under power just in front of us as we head through the pass to get on to the “Bay.”

After two nights to recover from the crossing and time to get a few chores done, we were ready to move on, so with our new friends, Scott and Tina buddy boating with us, we’re headed across the Bahamas Bank which is a huge bay that is rarely more than 15 feet deep. We’re headed past Nassau and in to the Exumas, which is about 125 miles as a crow flies, but crows aren’t ships, so we’ll take a slightly curved route to get us by Andros and between the Berry Islands and New Providence and then finally another 45-50 miles will put us at Shroud Cay (pronounced “KEY”, BTW). We can do this in 24 hours or so if we sail straight through, but why put ourselves through that — we’re on vacation, after all. We’ll probably stop tonight and anchor in the middle of the bay at an area known as the Mackie Shoals, then move on to an anchorage near New Providence (Nassau) tomorrow, then finally make a last run for Shroud Cay at the north end of the Exumas the day after that.

We do it all by electronic charts these days. I THINK I remember where my paper charts are, but hope I don’t need them!

It’s a long way to paradise, but worth the effort. Take my word for it! Until next time…