Jan 28, 2007 -  Vero Breach, FL

We are currently in Vero Beach (aka Velcro Beach), Florida awaiting a weather window to cross. Looks like next weeekend may work but the cold fronts are moving through every two-three days. Gulfstream has 12-15 ft waves today due to the north wind. We will probably go to Lake Worth at the end of the week to stage for the crossing. Ideally, you want two days of south wind. One day for the seas to lay down and the second for the crossing.

Vero is very nice with free bus service from the municipal marina to downtown. Typical Florida town with strip malls and funky shops. The ocean is a short walk away. We are rafted on a mooring with our friends on I Dunno a Tatosh 42. We met them last year in the Bahamas and they are going again. Originally they planned on going to Trinidad but have some fuel tank problems and are not going. We still plan on it but will make the final decision in Georgetown.

We stayed in Vero for 16 days waiting for weather.  Vero is a great place to wait as shopping, the beach and not to forget the cruisers breakfast and sundowner parties.  We dinghied to the Riverview to watch the Super Bowl with several other cruisers. 

Feb 8, 2007 – Lake Worth, FL

We are leaving from Lake Worth tomorrow 2/9 headed for West End on Grand Bahama Island maybe going as far as Grear Stirrup in the Berrys if the weather holds. We will have email via Winlink

John kb1kyu@winlink.org

Genie kb1kyv@winlink.org

We will check these addresses daily. See you in June. Our plans are to go as far as Trinidad.

Feb 10, 2007 – Bahamas, Grand Bahama

Our crossing was uneventful.  We stayed at the Old Bahama Bay Marina for the night where the manager had a cocktail party.  We cruisers are always up for freebies. 

With Idunno we headed to Nassau for a 22 hour overnight sail.  The stars were magnificent.  There were cruise ships all night long to keep us company.  There are lit up like white lighted Christmas trees and it was difficult to find those little red or green running lights so we could tell which way they were traveling.

We stayed anchored in Nassau for three nights while we waited for a cold front to pass.  We did a little shopping and had a sundowner party on Seaduction who we had met in Annapolis. 

Wednesday, Feb 14

We left Nassau for Norman Cay in the Exumas.  We had a great sail all the way to Norman.  Even less of the airplane remains in the water to the east of the main part of the island.  We had a great Valentine dinner on Idunno.

Thursday, Feb 15

The next day we motor sailed to Cambridge Cay in the Exuma Land and Sea Park.  New park moorings were in place so we picked up a mooring.  We stayed at the Cambridge Cay for four days to sit our two fronts.  The latter of the two fronts had winds approaching 40 knots – I was glad we were on a mooring.  Between fronts we had sundowner parties and a party on the beach with the entire anchorage invited.  This area is absolutely beautiful, expanses of sand beaches between coral outcrops.  Massive sand bars.  We went snorkeling at the Sea Aquarium off O’Brien Cay.  This feature is touted as a miniature wall dive.  The fish are plentiful and very colorful.  The highlights of the trip were the two Queen Angel fish and a triggerfish.

Friday, Feb 16 - Southern Exumas

We sailed from Cambridge Cay over the banks to Big Majors near Staniel Cay.  The pigs are still at the beach waiting for handouts.  The day we arrived at Staniel the local school was holding a benefit bar-b-que.  We had a wonderful steak meal on the town beach for $12.  We spent the following afternoon in Staniel Cay Yacht Club using their free wifi. 

The next stop was Black Point where we did our laundry at the best launder mat in the Exumas.  Of course we went to Loraine’s for dinner.  I had conch and John had fish – wonderful as usual.   Before we left the next morning we got a loaf of Lorraine’s mother’s famous coconut bread.  Swirls of coconut are cooked into the bread.  We anchored the next night around the point from Black Point settlement to get some wind protection.   There was a beautiful white sand beach (deserted of course). 

Sunday Feb 25 - Georgetown

The following day we left for Georgetown at 0600.  We left the banks at Galliot Cut and sailed through Exuma Sound to Georgetown, about 40 miles.  The wind was on our left back quarter so we had a nice downwind run in about 15 knots of wind.