Back in the Bahamas

We woke up and were on our way out the Lake Worth inlet by 3:30 am. Last year when we crossed to the Bahamas, the sea was smooth as glass and we motored the whole way in record time. We weren't so lucky this year. Winds were out of the southeast at 15 knots with gusts up to 20. We got pounded by the waves, which weren't very big but it's still annoying to bash straight into them. As the sun rose both wind and waves picked up even further. Poor Boris, who was hiding in the forward port bathroom, must've gone airborne several times when we hit some big ones. And our lamp, the only freestanding piece of furniture that we own (everything else is bolted to the boat - now it's clear why) fell over one time too many and the bulb shattered. We have all kinds of spare lightbulbs on the boat for running lights, anchor lights, steaming lights, etc, but not a spare for a "normal" light. We still have plenty of lights but they are all "car dome light strength" -- dim enough so that you can just make out writing on a page. Our real lamp somehow made it feel more civilized. Only one day out and already something is broken -- guess we'll add "lightbulb" to our latest "boat fix" list. Supposedly these were ideal conditions in which to cross, but then again most people cross from further south in Florida and would've had the wind behind them instead of slamming into it headfirst, so we only have ourselves to blame. All in all it was a pretty relentless day, I guess we were spoiled last time.

We arrived at Port Lucaya around 4pm and got checked in with customs and immigration no problem. We left the dock, motored around a bit, and found a decent spot to anchor. As soon as we were settled we dinghied back over to the Lucaya Marketplace to -- you guessed it -- RumRunners for some coconut drinks. Ah...it feels like home.

Where we are:
Location=Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama
Lat=26 30.877
Lon=78 38.504