The Final Leg

The long run from Little Palm Island to Naples was the most mixed potpourri of sea conditions and weather we have seen during our entire trip. With 15 knot winds coming from the SE and seas running 3-4 foot in the Hawk Channel, we stayed "outside" only a short distance before cutting through the Bahia Honda Channel. As we dodged the sea grasses and shallow waters (as little as 5 feet) the seas became eerily calm, almost like we weren't even moving. Then,as we broke out into the Gulf of Mexico, the water became increasingly choppy, to rough, to 3-5 foot head seas, with water crashing over the bow and pouring rain. About 50 miles offshore, the seas altered course and shifted to following seas with 4-6 foot swells lifting the back of the boat up and down into the next wave. By the time we reached the entrance to the Gordon River, things had calmed down again, the sun came out and the winds subsided. A very strange day on the water.

We enjoyed a great dinner at Barbatella, strolled around town and a had restful night at the Naples Yacht Club. The next morning we headed to Captiva Island and our last stop at the South Seas Yacht Harbor. Our dear friends, Bill & Kim were vacationing on nearby Sanibel Island, so we got together at their place for a quick visit and then back to South Seas for cocktails and dinner.

This morning, we left South Seas around 8 am and after cutting through Red Fish Pass into the Gulf started working our way toward our final designation in Sarasota. About an hour into the trip, the seas once again became pretty rough, so we cut through a small (and not particularly well marked inlet) at Lemon Bay. Following what I thought was the "channel", I mistakingly zigged when I should have zagged and ended up running aground in 3 feet of water! Fortunately, we were going pretty slow so I was able to back down off the shoal and reroute ourselves into the "proper" channel before continuing inside the ICW. We finally (and safely) reached Sarasota Yacht Club a few hours later.

Margaritas and Martinis to celebrate the end of our Bahama journey

We have had an amazing and fun-filled trip with incredible waters, sunsets, beaches, bars, diving, fishing and most importantly, good friends along the way. For me, this has been a dream come true and I am so thankful that the Admiral and I were able to share this time together. Just the same, it is good to be "home" and we are both looking forward to re-acclimating to our land lubbers life in Orlando.

Running The Keys

We really enjoyed our visit to Key Biscayne, but needed to move on so we left midday on Friday (the 13th!), and after cutting through the Biscayne Channel out into the ocean, we cruised a short 35 miles to Ocean Reef Yacht Club. We spent two days there relaxing by the pool, checking out the surrounding homes (wow!) and strolling the docks filled with mega-yachts. My little 44 foot Sabre looked like a dingy compared to most of the yachts there.

We have had a prevailing winds out of the southeast each day which has brought lots of isolated thunderstorms, some with strong wind and choppy seas. But they don't last long, and then the sun comes out for a few hours before turning stormy again. Typical south Florida summer weather in the Keys.

Yesterday morning we left Ocean Reef and headed further south (and west) to one of our very favorite spots anywhere -- Little Palm Island, about 30 miles east of Key West. Since the wind was still blowing pretty hard out of the SE we cut "inside" and ran most of the way with only moderate chop. However, we had to go back "outside" in order to reach Little Palm Island and those last 25 miles were really sloppy. We were BOTH glad to get out of that and ENCORE docked.

This small 11 acre private island is dotted with about two dozen grass thatched huts all done in south pacific style surrounded by palms trees. But best part is the restaurant here, with some amazing Caribbean, French and Asian dishes. You can dine on the beach (literally) overlooking the setting sun.

Tomorrow we will make the long open water run from Little Palm Island to the Naples Yacht Club, about 130 miles north.

Back in the USA

Even though the rain and wind let up Tuesday afternoon, the seas were still very rough and not likely to be much better until after sunset. So we stayed another night in West End enjoying one of our many dinner "rations" from the onboard provisions. Amazing how good simple foods can taste after enough gin and vodka!

So we left West End this morning at "first light" trying to get out ahead of another day of forecasted SE storms and winds over the Bahamas. As we pulled out of the yacht basin I couldn't believe my eyes -- the Atlantic Ocean was almost flat calm! Realizing that if these conditions continued we could not only make good time but take a more angled (and longer) route, I set a direct course for Ft. Lauderdale instead of West Palm Beach. Within 3 hours we were at the Port Everglades sea buoy just three miles offshore. SInce we still had a lot of time (and fuel), we turned south and headed to Miami entering Government Cut an hour later. Once inside the ICW, we continued a few miles south in Biscayne Bay to the Key Biscayne Yacht Club for the night.

After clearing Customs & Immigration via the internet and cell phone (we were pre-registered with US Customs and Border Patrol), we are spending the afternoon relaxing by the pool and contemplating a genuine "fine dining" experience tonight for dinner! Almost anything not from a can or vacuum-pack will qualify!

Heading West -- sort of

On Sunday, after four great days in Hope Town enjoying good friends and good times, we headed off to Marsh Harbor just a few miles away for the night. A fairly quiet town (but bigger than most) we strolled the streets of shops, bars and restaurants. 

On Monday, after refueling ENCORE (don't even ask), we headed off the Spanish Cay on the northern stretch of islands in the Abacos. We were pleasantly surprised by the simplicity, beauty and size (really small) of the island. We rented a golf cart from the marina and headed about two miles to an fantastic little bar on the exposed reef called Wrecker's Bar. It was on an elevated platform right over the water and with the strong SE winds made for a very pleasant and relaxing afternoon just sitting on the deck.

Tuesday morning I reluctantly turned West as we made the 100 mile run from Spanish Cay to West End, Grand Bahama. While the Bahama Bank was not nearly as calm as our Easterly crossing, it was none the less without incident and we made good time. We arrived at Old Bahama Bay Resort and Marina at lunchtime, and after a cold Kalick and sandwich at the Tiki Bar, set out to explore this Ginn Development resort (which I think is now owned by the banks). Suffice it to say, Old Bahama Bay was a great idea that ran smack into the recession. Even the restaurant was closed so the only source of food was the Tiki bar at the pool -- and since I just don't know if I can eat any more fried conch, we opted for romantic dinner on the boat. Gourmet hot dogs, baked beans and Cape Cod chips. Come on, does it get any better than that?

Wednesday morning we awoke to troubled skies to our south with rain and thunderstorms pounding south Florida and the Bimini Islands. It was relatively clear in West End and it looked like we had a "weather window" of opportunity to go ahead and cross back to West Palm. So around 10am so we started out on what was hopefully going to be 2-3 hour run back to the USA. We got about 10 miles out and the radar was picking up some showers directly in front of us. Thinking we could simply "punch through" the isolated storm we continued on -- but not for long. The Atlantic Ocean had other ideas as the sea went from 2 foot to 6 foot in very short order with the bow pounding nose first into the waves. I quickly assessed that going on was a bad idea (ok, really stupid), so we turned around and headed back to West End.

Good Times in Hope Town

Early Wednesday morning I hiked up the hill at Man O War Cay and followed my nose to Lola's Bakery, a very small, in-home bakery that is known for her freshly made cinnamon buns and bread. With a hot cup of coffee in hand (and a cup of Chai for The Admiral), it was a perfect start to the 4th of July.

We then untied our lines and headed out to our next port of call just a few miles away to Hope Town on Elbow Cay. We were greeted by our friends who have a cottage right on the Abaco Sound. We then jumped in their 21' Contender and headed off to Marsh Harbor to pick up a few friends that flew in for the long weekend.


We have been having a great time together enjoying the beautiful water, snorkeling on the reefs, fishing, sand dollar hunting, and checking out some the fun little bars and cays like Pete's Pub on Little Harbor. With all the fresh fish we caught right from the sea we've been eating really well. Of course, along with an appropriate share of "fru fru" rum drinks and a some good red wine, everything seems better --- and it is!


Our plan is to leave Hope Town on Sunday morning and head across the Sound to Marsh Harbor for a couple of days.  At that point, I will need to consider what route we will take as we start to work our way back to the USA. We can either head north back on the Sea of Abaco and spend a night on Spanish Cay before moving on to West End (on Grand Bahama Island), or we can head south into the Atlantic Ocean and head for Chub Cay in the Berry Islands before venturing on to Bimini. Like any prudent Captain (especially one married to the Admiral), I will let the winds and seas make that decision for me!

Loving The Abacos

We spent two great days in Green Turtle Cay enjoying the natural beauty, kind Bahamian people and fresh seafood. The Admiral and I rented a golf cart and explored the island from one end to the other (it ain't all that big). The best part of the day was taking our ATGC ("all terrain golf cart") along the white sand beaches to a remote location where we enjoyed the amazingly clear tropical waters for the afternoon. Our last night in Green Turtle we had a lovely dinner with a good friend, "Capt Keith" who we traveled with crossing the Atlantic Gulf Stream in another yacht. All in all, a great start to our Bahama trip. 


On Sunday, the 1st of July, we headed further south to Great Guana Cay through the Whale Cay passage. This open ocean route is known for being a nasty few miles as the seas can "rage" and make it impassable even for the most seaworthy vessels. Fortunately, we had light winds out of the SSE and the ocean was as calm as the Sea of Abacos. Upon arriving in Great Guana, we headed directly to Nippers, a well known (OK, infamous) bar / restaurant / pool / beach / party place overlooking the ocean. They do a pig roast each Sunday that draws quite a crowd. Crazy place, crazy people, crazy good time!

This morning we untied our lines in Great Guana and ran few miles over to Treasure Cay. We had heard so much about the beach there, which is ranked by Travel & Leisure Magazine to be one of the Top 10 beaches in the world. It IS an absolutely gorgeous 3 mile stretch of pure white powder sand, contrasted by shades of turquoise and azure blue water. After a long walk and swim, we headed back to the boat to read and relax for the afternoon. With a full moon near, the tidal swings are unusually large here (5-6 feet), having to climb up a ladder to get off the boat at low tide yet having to step up and over to board the boat at high tide.

Tomorrow we cruise over to Man-O-War Cay for the day before heading to Hope Town on Elbow Cay for the rest of the week and weekend.

Get "er Done!

Sometimes Mother Nature deals you a bad hand and you simply have to amend your plans when on the water. And other times, Mother Nature deals you a GREAT hand and you take advantage of the opportunity and just "get 'er done". Today was one of those days!

Even though we had already amended our float plan to leave on Saturday afternoon and run to West End, Grand Bahama and the next day go the rest of the distance to Green Turtle Cay, we had a "weather window" that suggested calm seas and light winds for today. So, at the encouragement of a fellow boater friend (and a Professional Captain) who said today was a great chance to make the entire run in one day, we set out at 6 am this morning (don't even ask me what it was like to get the Admiral up that early), and made "the crossing" over the Atlantic Gulf Stream all the way to Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos.

While the first part of the journey was a bit "dicey" with 6-8 foot "rollers" (in other words, big ass waves), things settled down after the first 25 miles away from the US coastline. Then the seas got calmer, and calmer, until we crossed the Bahamas Bank where it was flat as a lake, in beautiful CLEAR turquoise waters.

The remainder of the run to the Sea of Abaco was delightful and we reached our destination at Green Turtle Cay Club some 180 miles and 8 hours after starting out early this morning. Once we were tied up at the dock, "clearing In" through customs was supposed to be a relatively simple and straight forward process. THAT, however, is a story for another day.

We are going to stay here few days here before moving further down the islands the first of the week. Now, where did I put my Goombay Punch?!?

Bahama's Bound …. Maybe!

Among all the things I keep on our boat ENCORE, the one thing I try NOT to bring aboard is an "agenda". With Mother Nature an ever present and powerful influence, keeping a "flexible schedule" is always a smarter choice.

The planned start to our trip to the Bahamas is a good example.

Despite weeks (perhaps months) of planning on my part to leave West Palm Beach on Friday the 29th, tropical storm Debby had other ideas. As she slowly dragged herself along and across Florida for almost a week, she managed to churn up the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Stream into a very dangerous and confused state. My normal tolerance for dealing with waves is to not venture out in anything more than 2-3 foot seas. While the boat is capable of handling it, trying to navigate 4+ foot seas makes for a VERY unpleasant ride.... and a rather grumpy Admiral.

Forecasts for Friday now call for NE winds around 15-20 knots and seas 3-5 feet with occasional 6 footers in the Gulf Stream. Not pretty.

So..... our new plan is to have a really nice dinner in West Palm on Friday night and simply wait until the winds and waves subside. Right now we hope to get underway Saturday afternoon or even Sunday morning crossing from West Palm to West End, Grand Bahama. 

That of course is subject to change ... 

We Have Arrived

After a great dinner in Miami on Sunday night, the First Mate and I prepared for another early morning departure Monday morning as we made the final leg of our journey to West Palm Beach. We were treated to another fabulous sunset over the Miami skyline (attached).

While this portion of the trip is only about 70 miles, there are an endless number of low bridges that have to be raised (and always at odd times on restricted openings) and lots and lots of "No Wake Zones" (thanks to the Manatees). So what would have been about a 3 hour run on the outside (but due to high winds and seas was not an option) took us 8 hours on the ICW!

We refueled ENCORE, worked our way into the slip, and celebrated our week on the water with a great dinner in downtown West Palm. This morning, we picked up the rental car and I dropped Tom off at the airport to fly home to Maryland. He has been an able and enjoyable "First Mate" and I greatly appreciate his help. The time together was very special as we had a chance to catch up on just about everything, solving all the world problems between margaritas and sunsets.

At this point, ENCORE will remain in West Palm until the "Admiral" and I return next week to start our long awaited trip to the Bahamas.

What a Day!

After a relatively easy open water run from Naples to Key West on Friday, the First Mate and I enjoyed a couple of relaxing and always "interesting" days in Key West. There is just no other place like in the world. From the Mel Fisher museum of treasures lost in the Atocha, to Duvall Street and its' 300 bars (really), to the mimes, musicians and carnival acts of Mallory Square, to the simply amazing sunsets, Key West lived up to its reputation.

But then it was time to move on toward to Key Biscayne, our next destination some 150 miles to the east. Only problem was, the winds had picked up considerably out of the ENE which meant we would (6:30am) this morning.

It was a VERY rough ride today. The first 35 miles offshore from Key West provided us with 2-4 seas, which increased over time. Then even going inside at Mosher Channel, it was still pretty bad with a 2-3 confused chop the remaining 120 miles. Meanwhile "outside" in the Hawk Channel were reports of 5-7 foot seas -- sure glad we didn't go that way! Just the same, Biscayne Bay was the worst I have ever seen it with windy seas splashing over the bow. With conditions already bad, we decided to just push through and go all the way to Miami so as to not face more of the same tomorrow.

After a thourough washing of ENCORE from stem to stern, a hot shower, and a cold drink, it is good to be tied up for the night in South Beach. Tomorrow we hope to make our final (interim) run to West Palm Beach.

The First Day

This morning at 8am, the "First Mate" and I dropped the dock lines and left Sarasota headed south across the Gulf of Mexico toward Naples. 

As we exited Big Pass, the winds were coming from the NW at about 10-12 knots but consistent enough to create a strong quartering sea with 2-3 foot waves. Not a bad ride, but certainly a little more "bumpy" than I had planned (and was forecast). 105 miles and 4 1/2 hours later we reached the Naples Yacht Club a few miles up the Gordon River.

Safely docked for the night, boat music playing in the background, and an adult beverage in hand, the journey has begun! Tomorrow will bring a "first light" departure to get ahead of the winds, seas and forecast afternoon thunderstorms as we make a 110 miles run to Key West.

A good first day.....

Bucket List

Ever since we first started boating (some 35 years ago), we have dreamt about cruising the beautiful tropical waters of the Bahama's in our own boat, on our own time in our own way. It has just been one of those things on the proverbial "bucket list".

This summer, we are finally going to make that dream come true!

The first part of the trip is to get ENCORE from its home port in Sarasota on the Gulf coast around the state to West Palm Beach on the Atlantic side. While this would normally be a relatively "short" trip through the Okeechoobee Waterway, a few of the locks are closed most of the summer for repairs. So, we are going to take the long (but fun) way around through the Florida Keys.

On the first part of the journey, my younger brother (a.k.a. the "First Mate") will join me to assist in handling all the normal duties of the Admiral, who has opted to do a little visiting with the "the kids" up north. While I will miss her companionship and competence, the First Mate is an able soul with good boating skills and a strong liver -- an essential attribute when spending time in the Keys! Our route will take us from Sarasota to Marco Island to Key West to Key Biscayne to West Palm in about a week's time. 

Once ENCORE is docked in West Palm we will take a short one week break, re-provision the boat and switch crews (the First Mate off, the Admiral on). We will then depart the end of June on our planned month long cruise to the Bahamas including five different islands in the Abacos, Grand Bahama Island, then south to Bimini, and finally back across the Atlantic Gulf Stream. We will once again circumnavigate the Florida Keys (with a few favorite stops along the way) before returning to Sarasota.

While we will be at the mercy of the weather, seas and winds (not to mention tropical depressions or hurricanes this time of year),  if all goes according to my totally flexible "float plan", we should get back to Sarasota by the end of July. 

Here is where our 1400 mile journey will take us!