Key Largo to Naples

 We've moved quite a bit over the last several days. Our time on Freedom this season is coming to an end and soon enough we'll put her on the hard and drive North. We don't want to but it's inevitable. Anyway the reason we are going all the way around the Florida peninsula is because the Okeechobee Waterway is very low. The locks are on a restricted schedule and only one of the routes across the lake is marginally passable for us. Under these circumstances hearing debris banging against the (expensive) running gear is more likely.
  But it's all good and we have enjoyed staying in various places along the way around. Key Largo was fun and the pool at the Anchorage was good and we had good company there. Several of us shared conversation about politics, economics and boating while enjoying our time in the pool. As an added source of entertainment there were a few boat loads of folks that were practicing their docking skills. Fortunately we were buried deep within the marina thus isolated from their maneuvers.
 The establishment is actually a time share but they rent out slips to defray other expenses. Across the waterway was a large tiki bar and if we did not intend to crank out the miles we probably would have stopped in.
 Moving on from here we went down to Marathon and the Banana Bay Resort and Marina. It's a well laid out facility with a terrific pool and a small poolside tiki bar. The restaurant is currently closed but everything else appeared to be up and running. The docks are only a couple of years old and work well for a boat our size. But then boats much larger really should not be taking the Southern route along the Keys. The water is that shallow.
 At first we started with depths around 10 feet up by Miami, and that gradually diminished here to about 6 or 7 feet. We were quite concerned initially but then we became accustomed to this amount of water under the keel. With the depth sounder set at 5 feet we lumbered along at our relatively slow pace clicking off the miles. About half way down, the depth reduced to about 5 feet and the sense of imminent grounding grew. So we set the depth sounder to 3 feet and continued albeit a bit slower and more attentive to the color of the water. Once in a while near passages to the East a pod of dolphins would ride along with us and their company was appreciated because it distracted us from the possibility of a grounding.
 But nothing happened and we had a great stay at Banana Bay for a couple of nights. We dined out at the Barracuda in Marathon where I sampled their HOT calamari and shrimp. They're not kidding. It's all of that HOT. The interior is simple but loaded with some really good Barracuda art and sculptures making it a fun place to have a meal.
 Once on our way to Everglades City the depths improved and again a family of dolphins swam alongside for several miles. Going up into Everglades City was another interesting passage that wound around mangroves and through some shallow spots. Up in the City we tied up at the Everglades Rod and Gun club which is an interesting place that only accepts cash and personal checks. The lobby has several antiques, stuffed animals, and plenty of old American sentiment. However all of the dock poles lean to the water and happen to be at a perfect height that gets under the teak hand rails along Freedom's perimeter. Not good. So I installed just about every fender we had between Freedom and the poles enabling the overnight survival we had. The area looks well kept as though this is a good community. While some of the waterfront docks are a bit worn from flooding etc. the houses were all well kept and the lawns were mowed. This is a refreshing scene compared to some we have witnessed while house hunting in Florida.
 Going back out towards Cape Romano we were greeted by the lone dolphin who passed under us even though the depth was only 8 feet. Then we heard the updated forecast provided by the coast guard.
 I have to admit they are busy down this way with recreational and migrant boaters. We heard several maydays, and a call about a raft loaded with migrants. Back on the forecast, they changed it to mention the wind was out of the South East, and look out for our favorites, dangerous water spouts.
 "Kewl".
 We saw a cell out in front of us that was directly in our path around the Cape Romano Shoals Light. By the time we were into the open water the waves picked up to a couple of feet plus. Of course there were the occasional swells blending into the water that made for some sudden rolls since all of this was directly on the beam and we had little choice given we had to clear the shoals. All of the reading we had done indicated one should clear all of the shoals by going around the Light. There are several passages through the shoals of 20 feet or more and after an hour of rocking we decided there was plenty of room to travel between the 2nd and 3rd banks. The added advantage of shortening the trip to Naples was that it turned off the rocking and left us in a following sea that was much easier to manage. I just had to watch the charts and depth to make sure we stayed in the path through the shoals. 
This path also took us away from the cell which subsequently gave up and dissipated. So we settled into a more comfortable ride and finished up in Naples with a Tcell on shore sending bolts to the ground on a regular basis. Fun to watch from a distance. On the way into the inlet we were greeted by all of the boaters returning from the Gulf of Mexico that wanted to beat the storm and there's always one Sea Ray in the bunch that rocks everyone at speed. He probably thinks a rain water wash down is a bad thing. If you're in the area, look out for Toot-Sea. She rocks.
 Deb found that there are something like over 500 restaurants in Naples. Fortunately we found a decent Sushi Shop named Thai Sushi Too and they delivered to the marina. With a little left over Saki it was all good after some long days on the water.
 And with a walk around town the legs are stretched out and we're now ready for our next stop Ft Myers. Once we're located there we'll get serious about cleaning up Freedom and getting her ready for storage over the Summer.  

Key Largo

 We had a great ride down to Key Largo today, and for those that happened to watch the helm cam it was probably pretty dull. It was surprising to pass "Stiltsville" and see these houses out near the Atlantic that are built in shallow water. It makes you wonder about the die hard attitude that leads people to take on that sort of risk versus the weather.
 Today's hop was relatively short but helps us break up the trip to Ft. Myers enough and more importantly kill time while the wind blows. Hopefully by taking our time on the Atlantic side the Gulf side will calm down enough to let us anchor out where or when ever we feel like it. Since the weather patterns have changed the predominate wind direction is out of the East. Having this on our side as we move up the West coast of Florida has proven to provide benign wave heights good for motor boat traveling.
 And being back in Florida those loveable dolphins are at it again. I finally caught a short video of them diving under the bow of Freedom as we moved along at 7.5 knots. It always bothers me when they do this and I think they know it. They finish the dive under the bow by popping up for air in our stern wake where they ride along with us for miles.

Miami and wow is life different or, is it normal?

 When I last wrote, we were in Nassau at the Atlantis Marina. I may not have accurately described what that facility is like and words are probably inadequate anyway. With some time to burn I'll discuss a few aspects that perhaps lend insight. It's huge. I believe I spoke about how I thought the rest of the island suffers rolling outages to keep Atlantis "hot" and after being there a couple of nights without so much as a blip in the voltmeter I have convinced myself that many people on Nassau put up with power shortages for the sake of the Atlantis.
 But what a place. I have to admit having Freedom tied up there was probably cheaper than renting a room but consider the price of bringing her there. I'm sure the rational mind will agree if you are going there once, flying in is going to be cheaper than coming by boat. These days the fuel bill alone will set you back enough to justify the room. Freedom get's 1-2 nmpg ok? If it's almost 200nm to Nassau from Florida (let alone NY) so do the math. I am sure you will agree! In spite of the expense we enjoyed quite a bit of what the place has to offer. Heck we walked around 90% of the place. They have tunnels with portals into the aquariums, and many spots from which to gaze down into the pools of fish. The water parks are quite good and the adventurous will enjoy a number of the slides. Couples will also enjoy riding the double tube rides. On the plus side of our stay, the freezer on Freedom was still well stocked so we did not have to eat out. Let's face it, a 50 dollar entree is going to impose a penalty on many budgets.
 We had a great time regardless.
 On the way to Chub Cay we were pleasantly surprised to see a couple of our modern destroyers heading out towards the Atlantic via the North East Providence Channel. The good thing about this was the consideration they showed to all of the boaters out that day. With Summer approaching the Bahamas busy season gets going with a significant increase it boat traffic. Regardless of being in the big water, we were never out of sight of other pleasure boats. If anyone was within a couple of miles of the Navy the Navy hailed them identifying their pleasure boat style, size, speed and course. Everyone answered which I thought was wise. Considering what happened to the U.S.S. Cole my thoughts are that only an idiot would not have a watch going on VHF 16 and refuse to answer the hail. I sort of think the use of deadly force would be authorised if the wrong boat got to close. We were within 3 miles and happy enough with that distance. Clicking on the photo will provide a better image. I wanted to hail #95 and express our gratitude but they were busy. Next time I think I will make the effort to hail and thank them. It's gotta go over well.
 Moving on to Chub Cay we elected to stay off the beaten path at the Berry Island Club. Certainly at 2 bucks a foot the price was right and if you are patient the WIFI is free. They are working on the place and given the situation we are not the least bit sorry for staying there because we know it supported some folks that could use it. Yes, Chub Cay also needs support but wow did the folks developing that place have cash going in. We found the channel into the Berry Island Club well marked, the power was adequate, and the environment quiet except for some locals walking out to the end of the dock to fish. It's exposed to the East but with luck once can look at the weather and if the slip assignment works the boat won't be set on the dock all night.
 From here at the Berry Island Club we set out at 7 AM for Bimini. It's a long ride to Bimini at 9 knots, something like ten and a half hours. Listening to a pair of  6-71TIs drone on for that amount of time wears on you. But we broke up the trip with frequent bilge checks, lunch, snacks, and while one played electronic Yahtzee the other looked out for shallow water and debris. Occasionally much to our enjoyment a pod of dolphins would come out of nowhere and glide right at the bow of Freedom, dive under us and pop up in the wake only to move on without riding along for a while. Perhaps they knew we were not Bahamian because the dolphins in Florida almost always hook up for at least a mile or two. This time across the bank we had no hitchhikers in the form of lost birds so hopefully they all made it home that day.
 Arriving at Bimini, we were severely disappointed to find out our reservation at the Bimini Blue Water marina was lost. That left us without a spot for Freedom. We were very upset given how long we had traveled and that the reservation was made two days ago. Along with this a fishing tournament was underway at the Bimini Big Game Club so we were wondering where we would be at the end of this long day. Fortunately the prepaid BTC cell phone still had some minutes and we relieved to learn that the BBGC had a spot for us. It was not exactly the smoothest approach I made when I pulled in. The tidal current pulled us right up to one of the glossy sporties sitting on a T head. Everyone scrambled but I managed to hit all the levers and move Freedom around the bow and anchor of the boat without incident. Regardless of the long day I should have been more on my game.
 Since BBGC was expensive compared to the Bimini Blue Water we cut our time in the Bahamas short by a week. We were going to stay longer but the cost and facilities issues just didn't line up elsewhere. So various vendors missed out on our dollars. Oddly enough, passing by the Blue Water we saw the slip we stayed at last year was open. We chalked it up to being a "Bahamiam Ting" and moved on to the Gulf Stream the next day.
 But it all worked out well. That took us across the Gulf Stream towards Miami in good water since the forecast was promising. Initially the seas were confused but only 1-2 feet in height and Freedom handles that well. Once out into the stream proper, things settled down into a gentle roll out of the South East and we were making good time. We had a few occasions where we encountered commercial traffic and we had to dodge them, but otherwise the crossing was good. You might think that out running a tanker or bulk carrier is an easy task in Freedom but those large boats move quite well and looking at the distances and closure rates on the radar will put the fear into anyone.
 Back on the military theme, the Coast Guard was stopping many vessels that left Bimini and Cat Island and boarding them as part of our homeland security efforts. All vessels except one answered their hails and it was a go fast doing 43 knots. I'm thinking they radioed ahead instead of continuing the chase. It was interesting to hear others talk about flashing their badges to the CG folks in an effort to mitigate their boarding. All in all that act was no help and we were glad to see that the CG ignored the badges and proceded with their work.
 Now over here in Miami, we are surprised to realize that taxis, wifi, dockage, and many things other than fuel are cheaper in the Bahamas. Filling Freedom hurts but a 25% break in the cost is welcome.

 And that's the last time we come home to be here in time for the Rapture.

 The GPS data is current and there are new photos in the bucket.

Back to Nassau

 After a night out at Shroud we moved Freedom back up to Highbourne Cay where we were going to spend three nights. We had this tentative plan to take advantage of an approaching good weather window to cross from Highbourne back up to Nassau so as to enjoy a smooth ride. Being a bit more conservative with our planning after our experience with the ride from Spanish Wells over to Nassau we were hesitant to take a chance on the weather again. But Highbourne is expensive for what it offers and they were a bit inattentive there. Lets face it, 50 or 60 bucks a night for power is a bit on the cher side or reality even if they need to generate their own power.
 With our original reservation we were offered a couple of nights in a comfortable slip but after that we were going to have to move to an alternative to make room for a long term resident. We had no issue with this and were willing to play along. However, whenever I asked where we would be next we got a less than substantial commitment like "somewhere over there". Having refused a slip "over there" already we began to think about moving to Nassau earlier. On the second day I again asked where we would be and I received another less than definitive answer so we got serious about moving on knowing others had issues with their reservation "system". When Saturday rolled around we looked at the forecast and decided it was adequate and left for Nassau. In hind sight we made the right call since Sunday the bank was much more rough based on our observations from the shore of Nassau which we made during our drive around the island.
 The boat ride up to Nassau was uneventful and calm because the water turned out to be a foot or less of chop which was well within our threshold of discomfort. Upon arrival we tied up at the Nassau Harbour Club where we spent 3 nights. While the price was reasonable and the water unlimited the water was not potable. A test of the water with our hand held TDS meter indicated that it was at least double and almost triple the World Health Organization standards for dissolved solids. So I washed the boat with it. If it was just the water quality we would have been ok with a longer stay but the club is frequently rocked by boats in the harbour and, electricity is frequently off. We suspect that it is off due to rolling black outs that enable B.E.C. to keep Atlantis "hot". The lights are always on over there.
 As I forwshadowed on Sunday, having plenty of time with nothing to do we rented a car from Budget and drove around the island. If you think the U.S. has issues with immigration you have not seen anything yet. I won't go into it but suffice it to say there are serious issues developing in the Bahamas and there is no way anyone could encourage me to purchase property here. It would not matter if it was the outer islands, Nassau or Grand Bahama. Along the way around the island we passed by many upscale developments that have fallen into total disrepair. It's remaniscent of what we have seen all over Florida in our travels there.
 But in spite of the outward appearance we enjoyed the ride having stopped in at the Compass Point Inn for lunch. After another day at the Nassau Harbour Club we decided the weather would  soon look good enough for a crossing to the Berry Islands followed the next day by a crossing to Bimini. With the anticipation of only a couple of nights more in Nassau we moved Freedom to Atlantis.
 Given it's 4.50 a foot plus utilities to keep a boat in a slip here, there was no way we were going to stay here until the weather and water settled down. This is why we started at the Nassau Harbour Club. The notion was to time our stay with Atlantis with an approaching weather window and move on after a night or two.
 Hopefully the plan pans out and we wind up with a smooth crossing to the Berry Islands in the near future.
 I will say that Atlantis offers a means to ease back into life in the United States. The Abacos are wonderfully quiet during the Winter, offering one a distinct change from life in surburban NYS. At least here, while there are crowds waiting in line for water slides etc., there are no cars honking horns and syrens screeming. Neither of which are aspects of living in NYS that we look forward to.
  

Shroud Cay

 We stopped in at Shroud Cay after leaving Warderick Wells for a night in another spot with some natural attractions. The mooring field is totally exposed to the West as are most anchorages down in the Exumas but we paid close attention to the forecast allowing us to anticpate a restful night at a remote location.
 Since we filled up the dink at Staniel Cay we had plenty of fuel in it to carry us around and after launching it we left for the North end of Shroud Cay. The water was calm enough so we crossed over to Little Wax Cay (I have no idea how they dream up some of these names) landing Madonna for a walk on the beach.
 There is an obvious difference between the beachs of the Exumas versus those of the Abacos. They are much cleaner in the Exumas. Up in the Abacos plenty of plastic and other forms of debris land on the beaches making shelling a sometimes disturbing passtime. It's pretty shameful to see those beaches as cluttered as they get with bottles, cans, flip flops, and all sorts of rubish that floats in. Beach glass is fine, since it can be used to create something artistic like jewelry but the amount of plastic that washes in makes me look out into the ocean wondering what people are doing out there.

 Anyway, since taking anything out of the Exumas Land and Sea Park is in violation of their regulations we left any interesting shells we saw where they were as much as we didn't want to. After the walk we left for the return to Shroud Cay and located the entrance to Sanctuary Creek. Since the tide was coming in we made our way up the creek all the way to the Atlantic side.  This was the most interesting part of the stay at Shroud Cay that we found although with persistance someone could probably locate better snorkeling than what was charted as Neptunes Oasis.
 Speaking of snorkeling, Thunderball Groto back at Staniel Cay was the highlight of our swimming. If one waits for low slack tide, one can enter into the cave and exit the other side into an area of coral and fish that will surely please most. I cannot remember a snorkel that was packed with as much variety and color of fish, sponge and coral unless it was much farther South.
 After all of the riding around was done we packed up the gear and loaded the dink onto the davit at the transom of Freedom. We settled into the sunset hoping for the green flash but a cloud line on the horizon prevented the possibility of one appearing.
 Once dinner was done and we laid down for the evening the wind clocked around and the dink started squeeking against the davit with the wave action. If the CIA needs help I have something that will probably work as well as water boarding.

We Got to Represent

 There is a hill on Warderick Wells Cay known as Boo Boo Hill. The walk up to it isn't so bad, but if one is not cautious a serious injury could be the result. This would not be from a fall from height, but merely a fall to the ground with your foot stuck in a hole. Fortunately this didn't happen to either of us either time we walked up to the hill.
 The first time up to the hill we learned of the legend where people leave driftwood inscribed with their boat name piled up on the peak. The notion here is that by contributing to the heap of driftwood name boards we placate the ghosts inhabiting the island. The contribution is also considered to be an offering to the spirits of good weather for traveling boaters. So we had to find a piece of driftwood suitable for use as a name board.
 Given this first walk up the hill was the longer walk that took us around a good chunk of the cay and over some very rough terrain we kept our eyes open for driftwood. But this walk took us over all of the other hills and away from beaches and we came up empty handed. The next day we were out and about in Madonna the dink and after landing on a number of beaches in the area we finally found some driftwood.
 So I fashioned up a board and we took it up to the top of Boo Boo Hill and laid it down on the pile full filling our obligation to the ghosts and spirits of the seas. Our representation has been achieved.
 This makes another mark in the long term goals of cruising the Exumas. Without question Warderick Wells offers up an amazing panorama from atop Boo Boo Hill. While there isn't much here, what is here is spectacular. Our time on mooring ball #9 was enhanced by the fact that there is a sunken sailboat underneath us depending on which way the tide is moving. On incoming tide the wreck is directly under us, and outgoing we can see it a little ways off. At night with the transom lights on large yellow tails swim about and smaller ones dart in and out of the light. Small angle fish can be seen within the wreck very clearly. We also had two days of calm winds that kept the Atlantic side flat calm. So Deb got quite an eyeful with the look bucket even though it wasn't really needed. Even though I was standing up driving I could generally see most of what she could since the water was that clear.
 We also had quite a bit of company out here. Bananaquits would fly into the aft deck early in the morning and later in the afternoon looking for a hand out. Once they got to know you they would eat out of your hand after landing on a finger. Good company but they crap all over everything. Nothing like another high maintenance friendship.
 With that it's getting to be time to move on again. I'll upload some more photos in a day or two when we get better bandwidth. Right now, it's 10 bucks for 24 hours or 100 megabytes which ever happens first.

Staniel Cay

 Back on Wednesday the 4th we traveled from Compass Cay down to Staniel Cay. The ride down was calm and without issue or so we thought. Arriving here at the Staniel Cay Yacht club we found the water to be just as clear as that of Compass Cay however the view off the aft deck was a relatively unobstructed panorama of the Bahama Bank and it's turquoise water.
 It wasn't long before things got interesting here. Fishermen returning to the marina gathered at the fish cleaning station and held up some awesome looking Mahi (Dolphin). When they started to throw the scraps into the water, nurse sharks showed up. You'll also note that Ray is not above looking for some Mahi snacks. After a couple of days it became obvious that they know about the fish cleaning station because they lay on the bottom waiting for scraps on a regular basis.
 Staniel Cay itself is composed of a relatively small community without much going on except for the Yacht Club we are staying at. Small pathways in town lead to the grocery stores and upon arrival the owner will turn on the lights for you. Everyone is saving money however they can these days. We attempted to get to the beaches on the East side of the Cay but we were unable to locate a safe path down from the bluff we found ourselves on. Perhaps with the addition of a golf cart tomorrow we will be able to locate a good path to one of the beaches.
 However in the mean time we were able to get out in the dink and check out some of the nearby Cays. In particular we went to Big Majors Spot, and Bitter Guana. Both of these cays have interesting inhabitants that run out to greet approaching boats. In fact, some are so happy to see you they will swim into the deeper water where the boats anchor for the evening. But that only happens at Big Majors Spot.
 The locals on Bitter Guana are members of the endangered Exuma Islands Iguana club. http://www.iucn-isg.org/actionplan/ch2/exumaisland.php
 These reptiles actually hear approaching boats and run down to the beach to see if anyone has interesting bits of food to eat. We had some Belgian Endive with us and it seems they have good taste in their selection of veggies. They readily accepted the Endive, and also enjoyed some Romain lettuce. There were many of them in attendance and I'd say the total topped out at about 20 of them on the beach at one time. They regularly threatened each other and would chase one another away if their space was invaded. It wasn't long before we learned just how fast these critters can run. Given they have some nasty looking claws we kept our distance staying close to the water since they seemed as though they wanted no part of it.
 But over on Big Majors Spot the pigs swim on out to check out your offerings. If they don't line up with their palate, they swim away towards another boat. The above greens didn't work well for them and they left it floating in the water or on the sand of the beach. We elected to stay in the dink since we had heard they can be aggressive. We also kept the dink in a few feet of water so they had nothing to use as a base to jump into the dink with. Another couple came in with their dink and all of the pigs went over to see what they had. They actually got out of their dink and went to feed them by hand on the beach. I don't participate in feeding wild animals out of my hand ever since I saw someone teasing a large black bear in Yellowstone park. While he got away with it, the impression it left on me is permanent. Anyway I guess the pigs were a bit upset because we had nothing interesting and they spent extra energy swimming around and sure enough the lady was nipped while feeding the big ol' sow that pushed her way to the front of the pack. After she screamed it wasn't long before they were back in the dink as well.
 So don't feed wild pigs. They may look pleasant with spots and such but they have teeth and use them.
 With all of the traveling this year I've had to create another link for the GPS tracks, they file size got too large for the Google Earth conversion program. But all of the tracks are there. I've also uploaded additional photos into the bucket -> http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh40/danno53/Boating%202010-2011/

 By the way the reason for the remark about an uneventful trip, is that the people that installed our new shaft seals did not polish the shafts and the seals have worn enough to start leaking already. Insert explitives.

 


 

Compass Cay

 I open by saying that without question this facility is one of, if not the most interesting and enjoyable stops we have made with Freedom or any of the other boats we have owned. It rivals all of our travels except, perhaps, French Polynesia.
 The ride down from Highbourne was uneventful except for one Grand Alaskan style 80 footer that blew by us at 20+ knots leaving a wake about 7 feet high when it caught us.
 Otherwise we were mowing down the wind generated 2-3 footers that were coming straight at us. It was lumpy but nothing like the offensive rolling we absorbed after passing through Fleeming Channel on the way to Nassau. But it was enough to deposit copious amounts of salt all over Freedom yet again. Fortunately our water maker is working well this year so I can get after the salt once in a while at  a reasonable cost.
 Upon arriving at the entrance channel to Compass Cay one is greeted with shallow water. They have channel markers that sort of match up with the cartography we have so in spite of what was a imposing appearance we moved on slowly. This makes the entrance to Cocles Harbor on Shelter Island look like a cake walk. Heading up into the Navesink in New Jersey was a breeze in comparison. Propeller scour marks in the bottom were a frequent observation.  I was constantly bumping Freedom in and out of gear even though we only require a bit less than 4 feet of water to prevent damage to the running gear. By the way, there is no place South of Spanish Wells that can haul our boat let alone some of the large yachts down here. We made our turn in and we were immediately greeted by Tucker the owner of Compass Cay.
 They really make you feel at home here, and he congratulated me for being a first timer that did not run aground. The hindsight based on that remark was somewhat sobering.
 When a new boat pulls in all sorts of fish show up to see what scraps you might have to throw in for them. Many nurse sharks, snapper, grouper, and triggers, cloud the water looking for a hand out. With water that is crystal clear to 20 feet it makes us feel as though we are floating in an aquarium. Part of an acrylic bauble.
 While all of these nurse sharks are docile, something like big salt water cat fish, there are others lurking about. For example once in a while a large barracuda will pass through. This shot was taken at the marina shark feeding station. The dock at the right of the photo is actually submerged during high tide and the sharks swim up onto it and wait to be fed. Reaching down and petting them discloses just how rough their skin is. It feels something like 80 grit sand paper. Certainly different from a Hudson River catfish. No slime.
  Today we went out in the dink and made it over to Sampson Cay for a burger. It was actually reasonably priced and quite good. The conch salad was fresh and we are certain of that since they were cleaning it when we pulled up to the dock and the chef left the kitchen to go get some.
 The ride over was interesting in that we had to cross a few ocean openings when the tide and wind were in opposition and the ocean is rough. Although we were well inside, some serious rollers and breaking waves were coming at us. It was challenging to get through it all while standing up in the dink. Deb was sitting but when cruising around in shallow water if you don't want to run aground it's advisable to stand for a better perspective.
 Regardless of the challenge, we were both taken aback by just how scenic it is down here.

 The GPS data is uploaded and these photos will have to suffice until we get some more bandwidth.

Nassau and Paradise Island

 We were both relieved to be in Nassau. We'd had a rough ride into town and we both wanted some rest after it. So we walked over to a local Chinese restaurant and had a dinner that was actually quite good. It wasn't long before we were out cold snoring away.
 In the morning we decided to get over to Paradise Island and check out Atlantis.  The forecast was improving so we walked along the shoreline of the harbour towards the bridges. The East side of the Harbour has a number of marinas and quite honestly some of them have been beaten down by years of use and storms. The view of the Harbour on this side is full of derilict boats sinking, floating, and sort of floating. It gives one pause to reflect on how a government would tolerate this situation when it is so dependent on tourism.
 And then there is the other extreme. The Atlantis marina is loaded with Megayachts. Including the one that ran its generator all night long in Spanish Wells because he was too cheap to pay for power. I would have thought the generator in a 110 foot Lazzara would have been more quiet than that one was. By the way it's not in this photo. 
 The hotel itself is massive and loaded with attractions that look tempting enough. We walked through quite a bit of it. But it's loaded with people and after the quiet life in the Abacos this past Winter it's not something we are the least bit acclimated to. We much prefer the walks on beaches that are less traveled and actually have some shells to collect.
 With that we made our way back to the boat and checked in on the weather. As it turned out Saturday was a good day to travel so we booked reservations at Highbourne Cay and Compass Cay. Right after I get off the phone, Deb discovers her Strep throat has turned into scarlet fever. So we walked out to another walk in center and fortunately the good doctor there prescribed some more medication to clear up the residual indications of Strep.

 So off we went for Highbourne on Saturday. As it turns out the dockmaster here is terrific. She remains cheerful in spite of our making and canceling reservations. That and all of the larger yachts are demanding special treatments and attention. For example, it could take one 45 minutes to get into the marina on Highbourne and if you can do it in 5, they wonder what your problem is if you scoot in front of them when they are going about a 1/2 a knot 2 miles away from the place.
 But the water here is very clear and today we move on to Compass for a bit of a stay and some relaxation. I might even get to launch the dink!

 The GPS data is current and I'll load up some more photos shortly. No dissing on the lack of photo comments please.