Joy Ride

Approaching the WPB Inlet.  Welcome back to the Unites States!!
If we had broken down, GS was prepared to swim the rest of the way in...

Just inside the West Palm Beach inlet is a huge anchorage area, Lake Worth.  It is bustling with freighters, cruise ships, barges pushed by tugs, tour boats, sail & motor boats and pleasure craft of all persuasions.  Marinas line its shores; posh ones for the superyachts, facilities for racing boats, marinas for regular folk and heaps of yards.  Everyone who has a waterside home along the ICW seems to have a dock and some kind of watercraft too.  Boating is big business in the US.  

Looking south from our anchorage in Lake Worth

Lake Worth is also busy with hundreds of sailboats and motor cruisers either waiting for a crossing window to the Bahamas/Caribbean or just sitting out winter in Florida’s sunshine.  Luckily, we found a decent space not too deep into the waterway, set the anchor in waters unaffected by ocean swell and celebrated our arrival watching the sun set.  A Margaritaville Cruise (a 3 day, booze, food and casino getaway) headed offshore and trains arced up those compulsory, loud, lonesome, night whistles that can be heard all along the ICW.  

Water Tank near our lunch stop

Our plan was to visit Immigration & Customs at the Port in the morning, settle our cruising permit, then have a long lunch sitting in the sunshine by the dock at the Tiki Bar, renown for it's Mexican food and giant cocktails.  We looked forward to easier motoring/sailing conditions heading north along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).  A quiet Vero Beach Marina mooring, 2 days away, was in our sights for a week of repairs, rest and recovery.  Well, that was the plan… 

Panacea for the Soul

These guys, a dive boat, wanted fuel too.  Oh oh!  We were squeezed off the dock.
They had better wait in line or we might miss out

After a few days rest, it was back to chores, including refuelling for our next leg to the Bahamas, so opted to refill at South Bank Marina.  To buy fuel, you must check in & out of the country.  Fortunately, this process can be done at the Marina by very friendly officials.  Unfortunately, by the time we were processed, the Fuel Dock hands had finished work for the night.  So, we stayed tied to the dock and had a night at the marina before refuelling and heading back to Sapodilla Bay to re-anchor.  

Then the Cap'n thought of a way to distract them...

Having sworn off overnighters after our previous adventure, we realised that an overnighter would get us to George Town in the Bahamas in two days, rather than taking 5 day sails.  So, let’s get this over with!  Out the Sandbore Channel and over the precipitous east bank, we were on our own again, except for a huge cruise ship, not easy to miss, lit up like an over-decorated Christmas tree.  This year’s weather has certainly put many early season arrivals off. 

Sailing at night by the light of a full moon.  The owl & the Pussycat...

And really calm waters off Long Island & Gun Cay, Bahamas

We rounded Cape Santa Maria, Long Island, in the late afternoon, day 2.  Named after one of Columbus’s ships, there is a monument to Columbus atop this rugged cliff.  It is said the local Lucayan Taino lasted only 15 years after their encounter with the Spaniards.  Others say that there is no evidence of Taino in the Bahamas at all.  So, rather like the differing opinions over Columbus’s actual voyage through the Bahamas, facts are few and stories many.  Still, it gave us something to muse on as we anticipated a night meander through the challenging, reef-lined East cut into George Town.  At least we had the light of a full moon and calm seas to help guide us in.  And the anchor lights of at least 150 other cruising boats

Just a few at anchor off Stocking Island, George Town.

The next morning, it was time to check in, pay for a $300 cruising permit, then after a round of the supermarket with not a lot in it and a lugging a few jerrycans of fuel (no fuel dock in this busy, busy harbour), we headed out for Galliot’s Cut to get onto the Exuma Bank.  Luck was with us and we had an ingoing tide and no wind, so made a dash for Black Point Settlement to see if we could buy engine oil there.  We bought out their supply, then moved on to Shroud Cay.  Sadly, there was no time to do another motor through this extensive mangrove system to look for rays, sharks and turtles.  Early next morning, we crossed the bank to anchor for a very choppy night off Nassau at West Bay, hoping for a weather window to allow us to get to Bullocks Harbour and then Lucaya.  Here we planned a short stay at the Great Bahama Yacht Club.  Here we could shop for groceries, wash clothes and otherwise be presentable on arrival in the US.  Before we could leave however, we had to pay a $75 departure tax. 

Sunset over the Exuma Bank and another night arrival!

Mail Boats (blue hull) bring much needed supplies across the Bahamas. 
Black Point Settlement in the Exumas, now in need of more engine oil...

Tied up in a cosy slip late in the afternoon at Grand Bahama Yacht Club

So, it was with some anticipation, we headed off to cross the Gulf Stream for West Palm Beach.  It was a smooth ride, with both wind and current assisting our passage to, unusually for us, make a daytime entry. 

Not before having a spectacular sunset farewell from GBYC

(For those wondering, travelling rapidly has meant many of our photos are taken at the start or end of the day.  In some places, we haven't even had time to get off the boat, and it's now too cool to swim.  Day photos are mostly open ocean, so totally boring.  We hope to do much better along the ICW.)