We arrived at West End on Great Bahama Island at 8am on a gloriously warm and sunny day. The crossing had been a little lumpy and the sails were more decorative than useful at times but the Skipper's navigation enabled us to get the boost from the Gulf Stream and we ended up having to slow down so as not to arrive before sunrise. We departed from Fort Pierce and were a little worried as we appeared to be the only boat making the crossing. Did the famous Chris Parker predict something we didn't know about but it was uneventful except for the cruise ships going past with the whiff of delicious cooking ablaze with lights. The biggest stress was arriving at Old Harbour Town Marina there were so many motor cruisers filled up with fuel that it seemed like rush hour. Eventually after an hour of circling we made it to the fuel dock and filled up with 8 gallons which cost $88 U.S. Dollars. Goodbye to cheap fuel then, mainly sailing for us from now on. The pleasant surprise was that the marina which we had been warned was likely to charge $3 a foot only charged $1.75 and $1.50 a second night. Even better is that they are attached to a resort and you get use their facilities, pool, gym, free Wi Fi and cocktails on the beach. A touch of luxury which was most unexpected. Can highly recommend checking in at West End, the immigration officers were friendly and helpful (an added bonus was that one of them looked just like Stringer Bell from 'The Wire').
The weather forecast for the next few days was for 15 to 20 knots southerlies and rain so we headed out to find a secluded and protected anchorage. Freya suggested Cave Cay as being a good option so we left Mangrove Cay and headed to the Little Abacos. We left behind 3 other yachts from the cay and had a magnificent sail across the banks at 6 to 7 knots. There was not another boat of any description in sight and some of the area is still unsurveyed, so Visual Piloting Rules are advised. The water is so clear it is quite disconcerting to see the bottom so clearly in 10ft of water but your eyes start to adjust to the changing colours.
Xmas Day dawned wet and windy. The Skipper happily broke out deck water collection system which worked really well and quickly filled the tanks again. It is certainly one of our more unusual places to have Xmas. It feels very strange not to be able contact our families for Xmas Day to say hello but there is absolutely no cell phone reception. It's more like travelling back in the day when communication was phone boxes and letters. Hard to believe how much has changed even in our lifetime. A happy Xmas to everyone.
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