Friday 1st April
It’s a day to move on and make a big hop over to the north of the Berry islands. Since leaving Spanish Wells at night would be tricky and there’s a closer jump-off point, we fuel and watered up and headed for Royal Island.
Royal Island is under private development but it was still possible to go ashore with Buddy one last time before getting some sleep.
Saturday 2nd April
Neither of our alarms functioned but fortunately we had left the radio on and Bilbo hailed us at quarter to two in the morning and it was soon up anchor and off through the narrow rocky exit (in the pitch dark - intimidating).
Not enough wind to sail – as per usual. After 15 hours and 74 miles we drop anchor off the western side of Great Harbour Cay.
Sunday 3rd April
Took a dinghy ride into Great Harbour and the marina. Friendly place, they gave us the Internet key and offered us a discount on docking.
Monday 4th April
The waves are building from the south and we have no protection so we decide to head into the marina.
Inside the incredibly well protected harbor there’s quite a setup with dockominiums (condominiums with their own dock) lining one side and the marina and facilities on the other.
We met more Italian circumnavigators: Marco and Deborah and had a happy hour aboard their boat, Kiribati, after taking dinghy ride and walk to the stores. Not a whole lot available on Great Harbour Cay.
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Tuesday 5th April
We’re glad we’re in the marina.
The wind is quite strong and in the totally wrong direction for anchoring out.
Just as we head over to Kiribati again for an Italian supper, a thunderstorm rolls through with torrential rain.
We had great supper with lots of food and much wine.
As you can’t really see our hosts in the picture above here they are:
Wednesday 6th April
We’re all still in the marina and surprise, they have manatees in the Bahamas too.
They came up to the dock (there were three of them) looking for water.
Once they get that water hose they don’t quit.
Unfortunately these big gentle creatures should stay well away from humans. It’s rare to see an older one that isn’t damaged by a boat propeller.
One of our fellow boaters went for a swim with them.
It’s happy hour aboard Bilbo this time.
Thursday 7th April
Time to move out of the marina ready to make another long night-time hop. We had an early supper and tried to get some sleep.
10:30 pm and we’re up and by 11 we’re heading out.
Friday 8th April
As usual, the sails are up but the engine on and it took twelve and half hours of rocking and rolling to get to Lucaya, Grand Bahama and a quiet little anchorage inside the Bell Channel.
After a couple of hours sleep we are ready to go again and we go for the fish fry at a nearby marina – very good and we get to see Kiribati again.
Saturday 9th April
Lucaya has a real supermarket so we took a walk there and a bus ride back to re-provision.
It’s Rejeanne’s birthday so we all go out for supper at an Irish Pub (?) and have fish and chips – Lucaya really caters to tourists.
Sunday 10th April
On the way to the supermarket the day before, we had met Patricia from Nova Scotia and we got invited to drop by her and her husband’s (Mark) boat, Morning Tide, for a chat. This we did and left with a promise to visit them when we are in the Maritimes later this year.
Monday 11th April
Went down to the beach near the tourist area which is right opposite the apartment block we stayed in five years ago.
I had a swim in the lovely cool sea but black clouds were rolling in so we returned to boat.
Tuesday 12th April
The day before John and Rejeanne had made arrangements to go to a time-share spiel and we’d agreed to join them.
We were a little apprehensive about the whole thing as we know what high pressure tactics they use to persuade you to buy.
Turns out we were Christy’s very first customers and she was way more nervous than we were. She was a really nice person and we enjoyed talking to her.
We got a free breakfast first were we just talked about ourselves and our lifestyle which I’m sure isn’t that typical. Then we took a look at the apartments and the facilities – really, really nice.
They have their own beach, 
Then their sales stuff began but we deflected the pitch by saying we really wouldn’t use a timeshare right now in our lives.
However, we thought (and John and Rejeanne agreed with us) that it’s actually not that bad a deal, the advantage being that you can ‘buy’ time in resorts all over the world at a very reasonable rate.
So we picked up our free T-shirts and $50 restaurant meal coupon and headed back to the boat.
That night we headed off with John and Rejeanne and our coupons for our Spanish Fusion meal at the Agave Restaurant and it was very good.
Wednesday 13th April
Lucaya has a famous Wednesday night fish-fry which takes place a walk along the beach from where we are anchored. And when they deep fry fish for these things it’s the whole fish, head, tail and all.
We had fun with all the other tourists (and locals).
Thursday 14th April
A day just hanging on the boat.
Friday 15th April
Another trip to the City Market and then over to Bilbo for a weather pow-wow about leaving.
Saturday 16trh April
Our private anchorage is no more; three more boats arrive. One from Quebec and two from France.
We thought we may have seriously insulted one of the boats. He anchored too close and Carol yelled “Vous ete trop proche!” Turns out proche sound a lot like poche which means something else entirely.
Sunday 17th April
We had breaksfast in Lucaya to look at the weather on the Internet and discuss departure. We all decide early tomorrow is it. So we head back to the boat and prepare for departure, eat early and go to bed a 7.
Monday 18th April
By 3 am we’re heading out into the ocean and towards the Gulf Stream. It’s a full moon and almost like daylight. Sails are up but the engines are running.
It was rolly, but not too bad. However, we’ve had enough of these long crossings. They’re so deadly boring. The engine makes conversation difficult and the boat motion makes reading or anything like that not an option plus one has to be paying attention all the time for passing cruise and cargo ships.
However, even unpleasant things come to an end and we’re heading towards the Lake Worth inlet with thunderstorms on either side of us but magically it hardly even rains on us while we anchor.
After a celebratory drink and munchies aboard Incognita, we all hit the sack early.
Tues 19th April
First item on our agenda back in the US is to clear customs and immigration and renew our cruising permits.
It’s a dinghy ride to Riviera Beach Marina and then a short walk and an hour so later we’re done and having brunch at the marina restaurant. Blackened mahi-mahi – yum!
Back to the boats and then up to North Lake Worth where there’s a Publix!!!
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