Miami, FL to Fresh Creek, Andros, Bahamas

On Sunday, 12/12/11 we dinghied to Miami Marina to get some engine parts, and saw a mama and baby manatee right from the marina dock. Stayed at our South Beach anchorage on Tuesday and Wednesday, then moved to Marine Stadium anchorage on Thursday. The Marine Stadium was built in the early sixties, and big name concerts would play there- Jimmy Buffet and the Grateful Dead, etc. You could sail your boat in and listen to the show right from your boat at the anchorage. It closed in the eighties, and now skateboarders use the roof to skateboard. We finally got a forecast of settled weather and left for the Bahamas on Friday, 12/16/11 at sunset- motored into the wind and across the gulf stream. We passed the north side of Bimini at sunrise. We continued to motor SE across the bank toward Andros, anchoring on the bank on Saturday night. Motor-sailed to Andros the next day and went through customs at Morgan's Bluff. We took a long land excursion on Monday to check out Nicholls Town. On Tuesday morning we went to see Uncle Charlie's Blue Hole. Andros island is full  of blue holes, which are vertical caves filled with water, hundreds of feet deep. That evening, Leiby received a call from Pop with the tragic news of his older brother Steve's sudden death. The next two days were spent trying to make arrangements to get back for the funeral. Besides the weather being against us to get to Nassau for a flight, we discovered all the marinas in Nassau were booked solid through the holidays- we literally could not find a place to leave the boat. We regret that it is not possible to get back in time for the funeral tomorrow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time. Yesterday, we motor-sailed on a port tack south through the Tongue of the Ocean to Fresh Creek, Andros. Pictured: the manatee and her baby; the Marine Stadium; Trilogy anchored in Miami; sunrise entering the Bahamas with Bimini on the right; Captain Hard-ass, who helped us secure our boat to go through customs; Conch salad; Uncle Charlie's Blue Hole.

St. Augustine,FL to Miami, FL

On Tuesday, 11/29/11 we departed Rivers Edge Marina in St. Augustine, FL- fueled up and got an 11:00 AM opening of the Bridge of Lions. Headed out St. Augustine inlet and travelled south on a beam reach, 15K wind with a double-reefed main and the cutter sail- a wet ride- sailed through the night. We continued under sail on Wednesday on a starboard tack until the wind swung to the north and then died at around 5:00 PM. Motor-sailed until around 1:00 AM Thursday when the wind picked up again- NW 10-15K, starboard tack with just the jib, until we reached the gulf stream current close to shore- had to motor-sail again to maintain 5K of speed. We entered Lake Worth inlet (Palm Beach area) around 8:00 AM. Took a bus ride to West Palm Beach and a long walk around. On Friday 12/2/11 Leiby rented a car and drove Glen back to our car in St. Augustine. We almost had a head-on collision on Saturday in the rental car when a car being driven with the hood up and chased by the police came straight toward us, the wrong way in traffic. It certainly is scarier on land than at sea! On Saturday night we saw an elaborate, lighted Christmas boat parade. We stayed in Palm Beach, waiting for the weather to settle until Tuesday 12/6/11. We took a couple of walks around the perimeter of Peanut Island- a nice park walkway. We left Tuesday night around 5:00 PM and sailed on a port tack until the wind died and then motor-sailed through the night. On Wednesday, 12/7/11 we anchored next to the Venetian Causeway in Miami around 11:30AM. We have been enjoying our time in Miami- getting repairs to our dinghy engine, doing other boat maintenance, provisioning and having a package delivered from home. We are waiting for a weather window to cross the gulf stream to go to the Bahamas. Pictured: Glen and Leiby offshore; approach to Palm Beach; approach to Miami and me in front of the hotel Jer and I stayed at 2 years ago in South Beach.