Crossing Over

*Since WiFi hotspots are few and far between, rather than getting a post from Brian, the next few updates will be from his sister, Christine, who just returned home after living aboard for the past month.

So much has happened since last updating, so it will take a few posts to get everyone caught up.  Rest assured, we made it to The Bahamas and have been cruising around happily, but let's rewind a bit...

The last few days motoring down the intracoastal were the same as ever. Long, droning hours with a motor and multimillion dollar waterfront homes.  Eventually, after one final push we made it to Lake Worth- a common jumping-off point for The Bahamas, and our last stop in the U.S.  We got in Monday night, February 3rd, which gave us a full two days to prepare the boat (and ourselves) to cross.  Tuesday was spent in town traipsing around Palm Beach trying to find everything we needed.  By mid-afternoon we were both worn out enough that salads from Publix, a quart of chocolate milk and a bench in the shade were an oasis of relief.  By nightfall we had a dinghy full of provisions, and Brian had to make multiple trips in some pretty choppy water to get everything back to the boat.  It's a good thing I trust him, because sitting in the bottom of that dinghy seemed [as Mr. Samuel Arrow would say] "definitely unsafe."

The next day we moved from the anchorage in the northern part of Lake Worth, to one a bit further south, and within spitting distance from our exit point.  That night we had a pleasant surprise.  Our Dad just happened to be flying in to Palm Beach that evening, and we watched the sky until he flashed the lights on the wings.  It was the best way anyone could have seen us off that night.  After that, we managed to get a few hours sleep, and then at midnight we set off across the ocean.  As per our parents request we were armed with life jackets and harnesses, though it was hardly necessary.  The water that night was as calm as ever.  It was more treacherous navigating through weekend speed boat traffic than crossing the ocean that night. 

After several hours in the dark, Brian and I noticed that splashing through the waves made the disrupted water glow- a phenomenon, I believe, called "bio-luminescence."  I didn't even know such things were possible.  It made me feel like all the little plankton in there were saying hello and wishing us well, and it made watching the dark water a bit less frightening. Also around that time we entered the Gulf Stream and noticed a subtle change in the air.  Instead of smelling like dirty water and city, it was warmer and sweeter, and every few hours we would notice it getting fresher and fresher. 

Sunrise the morning of the crossing

Twelve hours after leaving Lake Worth, Brian and I reached The Bahama Bank.  All of a sudden the ultramarine blue turned to aqua blue, and instead of being in hundreds of feet of water we were in twelve feet.  It's hard to describe the feeling when you witness something so amazing, somehow it puts into perspective the sheer vastness of the world.  Being in such a small boat and floating around on such a huge ocean...it made the momentous moment seem almost inconsequential (though perhaps if you asked Brian he would disagree).

 

 

Arrival on The Bahama Bank

 
 So, that takes us up to The Bahamas- February 5th.  There's obviously more to come, but hopefully this will appease any anxious followers.

Until next time,
Your guest blogger, Tine