Mar. 6 - West End, The Bahamas

Old Bahama Bay
    

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" ―Vincent van Gogh

We had a smooth crossing from Miami to the West End on Grand Bahama Island. We were rocking in our anchorage in Miami Beach, so we got up around midnight and got things ready to go. We were through Government Cut by 1:00. The port of Miami is much quieter in the middle of the night. The seas were flat, the moon was full and there was no wind..we couldn't have asked for anything better. The water in the Gulf Stream is very deep and very blue...the same color as the blue in the Texas flag. By the time we got to the West End the water was a beautiful clear blue and we could easily see the bottom 50' below.

We pulled into Old Bahama Bay around 10:30. We got registered and cleared customs without any problems and had the rest of the day to enjoy this pretty resort. We were tired so spending the rest of the day relaxing at the pool was perfect. 

We still have a couple of travel days to get to our actual destination. It's beautiful here, but not as pretty as the Cays (pronounced keys) in the Sea of Abaco. Hopefully tomorrow we'll be on our way to Great Sale Cay and then to Green Turtle Cay the next day. 

Sunrise over a flat sea. The clouds on the horizon disappeared once the sun was up.

The fish Stan caught...and then lost! Our neighbor on the dock gave us some fish, so we got the dinner without the work.

A great place to relax on the beach

Our first large starfish...so pretty and so big

A view of the tiki bar and part of the beach

A view of the pool and ocean. The tiki bar is to the right

Having fun in the pool

The captain resting after a long trip

Mar. 5 - Miami Beach, FL

Biscayne Bay - Anchorage

“If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it” –Tori Morrison

It was a windy day but we made our way into Miami, through the port and pulled into Miami Beach Marina to fill up with fuel and water. The marina is full of mega yachts...yachts that make hundred footers look small! There's definitely a lot of money in this area of Florida. We are anchored just north of Government Cut and plan to leave before dawn tomorrow to make our crossing to the West End.

We spent the afternoon rereading all our info on the Bahamas, checking weather reports and finishing last minute Internet activities in preparation for our trip to the Abacos. I guess we're as ready as we can be and if the weather holds out our next blog entry will be from the Bahamas. 

Approaching Miami

The Port of Miami

Miami Beach and Miami Beach Marina

The Miami Beach Marina is home to some VERY large yachts

Our evening view

Our path from Miami to the West End, Bahamas

Mar. 4 - Biscayne National Park

Elliot Key - Anchorage

“A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery while on a detour.” – Author Unknown

We spent most of today in Key Largo...not enjoying the sites but getting work done. The only thing we've really seen of Key Largo is the UPS store where we've been finalizing details on our new boat insurance. We had to print all the documents, sign them, fax them and then mail them in. Wow the hoops you have to go through to get the process done is crazy...especially when you live on a boat. After spending over an hour getting all the paperwork submitted properly, we spent another hour having a new tire and tube put on my bike...not every day in paradise is fun.

We did treat ourselves to a nice lunch at the Key Largo Conch House before returning to the boat. It looks like there might be a weather window to make our crossing on Friday, so we decided to move closer to Miami this afternoon. That way we have a shorter day on Thursday to get into position. Weather windows seem to change day to day...so who knows. If we're lucky we'll leave early Friday morning, if not it could be another week. Time will tell. 

Our typical view the last few days. I just love the color of the water.

A view of The Pearl from the dinghy dock in Key Largo

Key Largo has a very nice dinghy dock located off of Tarpon Bay. It's located in a nice little park behind the county offices building. About a 1/2 mile to Publix.

Key Largo Conch House restaurant 

These pictures of the moon are from the last few nights...almost full.