Crossing over to The Bahamas.

On Christmas Day, 1991, I decided to test my navigational skills and make the crossing to the Bahamas from West Palm Beach.

With a couple of freinds on board, I awoke at 2:45 am ready to go.

I checked and double checked my course and set off and by 4 am was out into the Gulf Stream.

It's odd sailing at night... you see nothing, except for one Cruise Ship, which looked like a lit-up city roaming the oceans at night. As the sun began to rise, I felt better.

During the last couple of hours, I doubted my navigation as I had expected to arrive at 1300 but was right on target.

At 1445, I sighted three towers on Grand Bahama Island and set course for the Xanadu Resort and Marina and checked into the Bahamas.

After a day or two of relaxing in the marina, I set off for the west end of the island and the Jack Tar Village Marina and arrived after an exhilarting sail along the coast of the island, with dolphins follwing us along the way. The photo above is Blue Grace docked at the marina and me beginning to do some varnishing on my deck boards.