Nassau

Our original plan was to clear into the Bahamas in Bimini, rest there, and then continue on to Nassau for a brief stop before entering the Exuma chain. The weather windows to cross have been few and brief. Our window would only stay open for a couple of days, and knowing that if we did not continue on, we would be held up in Bimini, we decided to bypass Bimini and continue on to Nassau. We passed just north of Bimini, crossed the bank, and then entered the Northwest Channel and then on to Nassau. We arrived at Nassau just a few hours before the window closed again. This is our first time in Nassau, and we are glad we have the opportunity to see what it is all about. We are anchored in the middle of the harbor formed between Paradise Island and the city of Nassau on New Providence Island. We are at a position east of the cruise ship docks and south of Atlantis, and west of the bridges that connect to Paradise Island. Three or four cruise ships arrive daily, sometimes as many as five. They stay just one day. We ventured to the cruise ship dock at the end of town, but didn't find anything of interest to us. It was mostly luxury goods for the cruise ship crowd.

We spent an afternoon at Atlantis. We had permission to land our dinghy at a small dock in front of the Dockmaster's office. The marina caters to the very large luxury yachts. The aquarium is fascinating. We walked through the casino and past all the shops. We concluded with a walk on the beach, which was packed with vacationers.

The end of town east of the bridges is where most of the marinas are, and it is an area we like. It is where the locals shop. We needed just a couple of items at the grocery store and found the supermarket to be as well-stocked as is typical in the US.

We met a lot of cruisers at a weekly luncheon organized by BASRA (Bahamian Air Sea Rescue Association). It was at the Green Parrot, an extremely cruiser-friendly restaurant. They provide a dinghy dock and free WiFi. BASRA also runs a radio net in the mornings to provide a weather update and a chance for cruisers to connect.

Fantasy Island (Windchaser in foreground)

Aquarium

Brian and Jan

A Fast Run To Miami

Upon returning to Fernandina Beach after three weeks away, we found Ariel in good condition, meaning the birds had not made too big a mess. The very next day, we were on our way south again. Our buddy boat, Wind Chaser, had left the same marina a full week ahead of us, so we were determined to do our best to catch up or at least not have them wait too long in Miami for us.

Along the way, we visited with Barry and Susan on Swan while anchored in Cocoa Beach and with Iain and Jan on Jocks Lodge while anchored in North Palm Beach.

After leaving the Palm Beaches area, the waterway was all new to us since we did not go any further south last year. The stretch between the Palm Beaches and Port Everglades has 21 bridges that have to open to pass through. Almost all of them are on a fixed schedule, so timing is very important. We found the bridge tenders to be very pleasant, and the schedules worked out to be very accommodating. We would do this stretch again without hesitation. We went outside for the last leg, going out at Port Everglades and coming back in at Government Cut in Miami. There is one fixed bridge in this stretch that we cannot get under.

Miami is an exciting place. There is abundant room to anchor, and everything is easily accessible with the dinghy, with the extensive system of waterways and canals. It is just amazing to watch the cruise ships arrive and depart. They come in at around 4 am and depart the same day at around 5 to 6 pm. We spent an afternoon at South Beach, having found a canal that took us all the way there. This is a place we both wanted to visit.

Next stop - Bahamas

Miami Skyline

One of many cruise ships