The main reason we decided to stay in Fort Pierce was to ride out some serious weather that was forecast. That turned out to be a good decision as we had a lot of wind and rain on Friday evening. The winds were the strongest we have ever experienced on the boat. Word in the marina was that the winds were up to 60 mph. Thankfully the dock we are tied to had us facing bow into the wind, so it was better than it could have been. A lot of boaters in the marina lost sleep and spent the night checking their lines. I spoke with a few that slept through the entire event.

Saturday morning turned out beautiful and led to an eventful day. Fort Pierce has a Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings and turned out great for us. We were able to load up on produce and some baked goods to get us through the next week to 10 days. A latin band was the featured entertainment and we could hear them clearly from the boat. Fort Pierce seems to have a lot of live music entertainment. We have also enjoyed listening to the musicians performing at the marina restaurant from the boat and it looked like a band was setting up to perform in the park yesterday.

A manatee swam by the boat early in the day and a dolphin came by during dinner time. See if you can find the dolphin in the picture below. I hope they return today.

After dinner I got a notification on my watch that there was going to be a SpaceX launch. I went online to get more info and eventually found out that it was going to be delayed until 11pm due to weather. I went out at 11 and watched the launch from the cockpit of the boat. The path of the rocket was southeast, so we watched it for quite a while. I know that it is probably routine for the locals, but it was fun to watch.

We will spend one more day here and start moving north tomorrow. Fort Pierce is a very nice stopover. Many people stay here all season, but a couple of days is enough for me and I'm ready to move on.

This morning we woke up at the City Marina in Fort Pierce, Florida after a very nice crossing yesterday. It was a straight shot of about 112 miles from the Grand Bahama Yacht Club to here. Conditions were very good as we passed West End, got a little rolly with some large smooth swells in the Gulf Stream and then flattened out very nicely as we approached Florida. We passed a number of boats and ships during our crossing. I don't think we were ever out of sight of another vessel.

We are familiar with the City Marina here and knew that we could be here for a few days due to rain and wind. It was a little breezy last night and the rain started this morning. High winds are expected a little later and may last a couple of days.

We fueled up upon arriving and were helped by Kenny, the same guy that assisted us so many times during our 2021 trip. He also got us tied up at the dock during some breezy conditions. My bow thruster quit working while we were docking and caused a little bit of a stir. I don't know why it chose that moment to quit working, but I will look into it today.

After we dinner we took a stroll through town and enjoyed the performance of a big band on the main street. It looked like a bunch of retired guys, but they played very well. Fort Pierce is a nice little town and very convenient to the marina.

No need to rinse the salt off of the boat today since we are having a steady rain. Hopefully it clears out by tomorrow morning. We are looking forward to the Saturday Farmer's Market which should be set up at the end of our dock.

We are not sure how long we will be here. I have been struggling to find an authorized Volvo Service company that can do an oil change for me. They all seem to be very busy, but I will keep trying.

There are some nice things about being back on the mainland, cheaper fuel is at the top of the list, however I know that we will start missing the Bahamas soon. Martha is a little more positive about a return trip since our crossing yesterday was so nice.

Today is our last day at Grand Bahama Yacht Club and our last day in the Bahamas. Martha returned yesterday and we will spend the day preparing for departure. It has been almost six weeks since we made the rough crossing to West End. We will cross over to Fort Pierce tomorrow and the conditions look much better. We have a reservation for two nights, but may have to extend it due to wind and rain coming on Friday.

I had made arrangements to have the engine oil changed while in Ft. Pierce, but the provider is dealing with an employee illness and will not be able to get it done while we are there. I am now working to see if I can arrange something in Jacksonville next week. It's a real challenge to schedule these types of things when you are at the mercy of the weather as well as the schedule of the provider. We have a little flexibility, but not much as we do need to head north and don't really want to spend long spells in marinas.

This marina is relatively inexpensive compared to many others in the Bahamas and has provided me a nice place to hang out while Martha travelled home. A number of the boats will be heading out tomorrow as it is the only good weather window to cross back to Florida for the next week. The pool warmed up enough to swim a little and I was also able to wash and wax the boat. It has been nice to meet many of the boaters here. Some have been here for the entire season. I would definitely stay here again as it is very protected, comfortable and reasonably priced. The grounds are well kept, the docks are sturdy and the on-site restaurant has good pizza. The marina provides free car service to the grocery store every afternoon at 2pm and the on-demand water taxi will take you to the marketplace area where there are a number of restaurants. There is a small convenience store and liquor store just outside the property gate. You can't really ask too much more of a marina.

We are going to miss the warm temperatures, clean air, beautiful water and friendly people that we have found here in the Bahamas. I think we both would like to come back at some point in the future. The windy conditions created some challenges, but we have been told by the regulars and the locals that this was an abnormal season for both temperatures and wind. It would certainly be easier the second time around, but we will have to see.

The journey home begins tomorrow, and when we get there in a few weeks it will be boating season. Can't beat that!!

We did rent a golf cart and take a tour of Green Turtle Cay. The actual town was a few miles away from the marina, but it was Sunday and most everything was closed. We had some trouble with the golf cart and had to call for a backup. In all the confusion we forgot to take many pictures. There is still significant damage from Dorian, but repairs were underway, albeit slow.

The plan was to head to Allans Cay the next day and leave during high tide. We needed to get fuel, but just as we started up the engines, a sailboat docked at the fuel dock and needed to check in with Customs and get fuel. This delayed us about an hour, but we got out ok and had a good ride.  Allans Cay is a beautiful anchorage with a lot of protection and room for quite a few boats. There were only six boats there on this particular night. The Canadian sailboat that anchored next to us had been at Green Turtle the day before. Bill and I gave them some assistance at the fuel dock as the winds were very strong while they were getting on and off the dock.

Martha swam to shore for some exercise, Debbie gave the paddleboard a try and Bill and I took the dinghy to the beach after picking up Martha. There wasn't much to see other than various pieces of trash displayed artfully, so we decided to try another beach the next morning as there is supposed to be a trail to the Atlantic side. We had another beautiful sunset and enjoyed  a very clear night of stargazing.

We woke up to another colorful sunrise and after breakfast Bill and I scouted the beaches for a trail. After we found it, we went back to the boat to get Martha and Debbie for a trek through the mangroves. The trail was marked with various pieces of ocean trash and many discarded flip-flops. It was a pretty rough trail and we decided that the flip-flops had probably given out when other boaters were trying the trail.

The Atlantic side of the island had a very rough shoreline and unfortunately was strewn with trash. I decided to create a piece of "art" to leave along the trail. "Mr. Toothbrush Man" was created from a small wheel, a piece of styrofoam, some nylon line and a toothbrush all found along the beach. I found a prominent spot for him along the trail and hung him from a tree.

After the hike to the Atlantic and back, we hauled up the anchor to head for our last anchorage in the Bahamas, Great Sale Cay. This is another popular anchorage about 35 miles from Allans Cay. It was another day of beautiful conditions and we had a wonderful trip. There were only two boats in the anchorage when we got there. One was the Canadian sailboat from the previous night's anchorage. They left Allans Cay early and made excellent time getting to Great Sale. Bill and I took the dinghy for an exploration of the shoreline, but it was very rough all the way around and there was no place to land.

The evening activities were much like the night before, dinner on the grill, beautiful sunset and perfectly clear sky for stargazing. We enjoyed seeing the Milky Way again, and the memories of our childhood when it was usually visible due to less light pollution.

I was very glad that our last travel day included another glorious sunrise and smooth trip to our final destination in the Bahamas, Grand Bahama Yacht Club in Lucaya on Grand Bahama. It's a large marina with sturdy concrete docks and resort amenities including a pool, restaurant and bar. In addition, they offer free water taxi service to the shopping and restaurant area across the lagoon, and car service to the grocery store and the airport.

Martha flew out with Bill and Debbie this morning as she has a Music At Bunker Hill event on Sunday. She will return on Tuesday and then we will plan our crossing back to Florida. Right now, the weather forecast doesn't look too promising, but we have learned that the forecast can change in a few days and nothing is guaranteed. While she is away, I will be cleaning the boat top to bottom and bow to stern in preparation for our trip back to the Chesapeake Bay. I'll probably spend some time at the pool as well.

Eric, the dockhand at Conch Inn Marina, is very competent and really impressed Martha. After watching him lasso the pilings, she asked for some lessons. Eric came by later in the day to teach her the proper way to get a line around a piling. He was a good teacher and she accomplished the learning goal.

Debbie and Bill arrived in the early afternoon and then we all went over to marina restaurant Snappas for a late lunch. They decided to try the conch fritters, and they were a big hit. Just as we were heading out for a walk, it started to rain. It got heavier as the evening progressed and dumped a lot of water on us overnight. It was all cleared out when we woke up and we prepared for an early departure to Hopetown. I wanted to get through the narrow and shallow entrance a couple of hours before low tide. We had a beautiful trip over and made our way to the entrance without incident. As we got to the narrowest part of the entry passage, we met a number of dinghies, a smaller powerboat and the island ferry heading out. We had a bit of a traffic jam in some very skinny (shallow) water. It was an early arrival and we had to wait a few minutes for the marina to determine where they wanted us. We were assigned a slip in a narrow fairway with some large yachts on the opposite side, but fortunately the calm conditions allowed us to have a good docking without incident. We had a great view of the resort, the bar and pool, the mooring field with many vessels of various types, and the iconic lighthouse. Since Dorian, these marinas have redone their docks as well as the electric and water infrastructure, but they are fixed docks, so getting on and off the boat can be a challenge. The tide changes 3 to 4 feet and that changes the orientation of boat access points.


The early arrival meant we had almost the entire day to explore. We climbed the lighthouse for some great views and walked through the quaint town. The resort provided a free water taxi service to get us across the water. It was very convenient and meant that we could leave the dinghy onboard. We ate a Captain Jack’s, and the popular conch fritters were ordered once again. Hopetown is a great little boating mecca and you can see why so many people love to visit. I was glad we were at the marina, however there were mooring balls available when we came in and we could have stayed on one of them. The balls are very popular and are often hard to get.

We took advantage of the pool until some light rain came along and had a good night in Hopetown. The next morning, Fred, one of the friends we made at West End, stopped by and we shared some stories of the adventures since we were last together. His boat was on another dock and we didn’t recognize it from the stern, otherwise we would have gone over to see him earlier. We also ran into another couple from the Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club that we met when we were anchored at Lynyard Cay. It’s fun to run into friends along the way. 

We left Hopetown before the tide got too low and headed north. The destination was Crab Cay for a night out on anchor, but the plan was to make a lunch stop at Grabbers on Great Guana Cay. We arrived there around 11am and set the anchor before taking down the dinghy and making the run to shore. We had a good lunch at the iconic beach bar, and I think conch fritters may have been ordered once again. They also served a strong rum punch, but I stuck with club soda since I was the captain. I wait until we are anchored or tied up for the night before drinking any alcohol.

After lunch, we headed back to the boat, loaded up the dingy, raised the anchor and headed out to our anchorage for the night. The route took us through Whale Cay Passage, which can be treacherous in certain weather conditions. On this particular day, the passage was a non-event as we had large swells, but the interval between them was pretty long. It made for a smooth ride despite seeing some good-sized waves battering the shoreline.

We got to the anchorage and found that there were quite a few boats, but plenty of room allowing us to tuck in fairly close to the shore for better wind protection. After Bill and I made a short dinghy exploration, we prepared for our first big dinner on board. We had purchased some lobster tails in March Harbour (4 for $36) and cooked them on the grill. As the sun set, we sat down to lobster and champagne, celebrating another good day on the water.

On our previous exploration, Bill and I had found an “Art Trail” through the woods. Bill, Debbie and i took the dinghy to shore and walked along the trail. There were some unique and fun creations all along the trail. If we come back, maybe we will make something to add to the “exhibit.” After returning to the boat, it was time for some swimming and snorkeling. There wasn’t much in the water to see, but it was refreshing to spend time in the water. After cleaning up and storing the dinghy, we raised anchor and headed about 5 miles to Green Turtle Cay. This would be another marina stay for two nights as the winds were predicted to build up and gust to over 30 knots. Spending time on anchor in those conditions would not likely be too comfortable and we would feel secure in the marina. 

Green Turtle Cay is one of the popular stops in the Abacos and the marina is very nice. I wanted to top off the fuel tanks before docking, but a large island cargo ship was at the fuel dock waiting for high tide, so we will have to wait until we leave. We all took a walk to the Atlantic side of the island and then back to the boat for cocktails before dinner at the marina restaurant. The cargo ship tried to make an exit after the tide came up, but apparently the depth was still too low in the channel as he returned and anchored for a while before making another attempt which was successful.

It is now Sunday morning and we are adjusting to Daylight Savings Time. I don’t like having it dark so late in the morning, but I know that I am going to enjoy the extended daylight in the evening. We plan to rent a golf cart to today and explore the island.

Our plan is to leave for another anchorage in the morning, weather permitting.

We are waking up this morning at the Conch Inn Marina in Marsh Harbour. This is a very nice marina with all new docks and facilities thanks to hurricane Dorian. They have done a nice job fixing this place up and preparing it for the next big storm. The dockmaster Eric was very helpful getting us tied up and settled. He really knows his stuff and everyone here seems to have great respect for him. He is also very likable.

When we left Orchid Bay Marina, we went just a few miles across the Sea of Abaco to an anchorage off of Water Cay. Winds from the Southeast were expected and this seemed to be a protected spot. We were the only ones there until a catamaran showed up later in the day. We did not go ashore as the shoreline was very rocky. We spun around the anchor all night, but stayed securely in place. The weather has been quite a mix of sunshine, overcast conditions and some rain. The temperature has been pretty steady, only deviating a few degrees between day and night. Sometimes the nighttime temps are higher than the daytime.

The next day we headed over to Man O War Cay to find another protected anchorage. We had a great trip over and found a good spot to anchor. There was a nice little beach nearby and you could see the ocean on the other side of it. Turns out it was a narrow spot with a road between two larger parts of the same island. The road was pretty rough and I'm sure was a casualty of Dorian.

As lunch time rolled around, so did a massive rainstorm. It rained heavy for a couple of hours and was unexpected. A side benefit was the boat getting a good rinse, but we were stuck inside the boat for the duration of the storm.

The storm passed and the sun came out. We took the dinghy to the beach to check out the surroundings. We met a couple on the beach that are renting a house on the island. The husband likes to come out everyday and groom the beach some. His wife says that he enjoys having something to do and apparently the locals all appreciate his efforts.

It turns out that the weather forecast was not very accurate with regards to the winds overnight, and as a result we spun around and rocked until the early morning hours. When we woke up, the waters were like glass and the conditions were perfect. I pulled out the paddleboard to do a little paddling. The water was clear enough to see the bottom and I saw many starfish and sand dollars. I also checked out the anchor and chain. The anchor was very secure as far as I could tell. Martha got out on the board also. We both put on the snorkels and fins, and got in the water. It was cool, but we acclimated after a few minutes. I cleaned the bottom of the boat a little and did an inspection of the props and pods. All looked good.

We hated to leave, but we needed to get over to Marsh Harbour. We hauled up the anchor and made the short trip back across the Sea of Abaco. We took on fuel for the first time in over a week and waited at the fuel dock for our slip to become available.


After a trip to the grocery store to stock up, we relaxed with a glass of wine as the sun set on a great day.

We had a pleasant night of sleep in the marina with no worries about spinning around on anchor. We also met up with Robert and Mary, whom we had met at Old Port Cove before crossing over to the Bahamas and also ran into at Tahiti Beach. They are staying at this marina for a month and just two slips down from us. Today our friends, Debbie and Bill, fly in and join us for a week. It should be a lot of fun. Hope the weather cooperates and gives us some good days.

We left Lynyard Cay on Wednesday morning and found a quiet spot a few miles north along Tiloo Cay. It was a leisurely cruise, although we did have to pass the North Bar Channel, which was a little choppy and then take a long route around a shallow sand bank. We were the only boat at the anchorage until later in the day when a huge sailing catamaran anchored nearby. There was no place to go ashore as this island is a park and mostly deserted, but the water was beautiful. We had a quiet day and night on the boat and slept well.

Before leaving on Thursday morning and while things were calm, Martha gave me my first haircut on the boat. It went surprisingly well and thankfully we had nice calm conditions. We left Tiloo Cay and headed to a very popular spot, Tahiti Beach. This location is known for its large sandbar that dries at low tide. We took a long route to get there so that we could see the east side of Marsh Harbour before heading over to Tahiti Beach. There were quite a few boats in the large anchorage area, so we took some time looking for a good spot. The bottom is a mix of sand and grass, so the anchor did not set well on the first try. The water was only 6 or 7 feet deep so you could see the bottom easily. While out on the dinghy we noticed the anchor sitting on top of the sand and grass, so we went back to the boat and reset it.

On our way to the beach, we passed the other boats at anchor and recognized one as our slip neighbor back at Old Port Cove in North Palm Beach. They came to the beach a little later and we enjoyed sharing stories of our crossings from Palm Beach to the Bahamas. As usual, we also shared stories of boat problems. They are staying at a marina that we will visit in a couple of days.

We enjoyed walking on the sandbar and Martha took some time to sit in the water. There was floating bar serving drinks and food, but we didn't take advantage of it.

We got back to the boat, had dinner and watched a DVD before going to bed. This boat did not come with DVD player so we brought the Blue Ray from home. We have used it more on the boat than at the house and are glad we have it as there is little entertainment when we are on anchor. As expected, the winds picked up during the night making it difficult to sleep. Fortunately, the anchor held us in place and we are glad we reset it earlier.

Knowing the weather conditions were going to deteriorate, I had made a reservation at Orchid Bay Marina on Great Guana Cay. As we made our way there, about 13 nautical miles away, the winds got stronger and the waves got bigger. The waves were behind us making it easier on us. We got to the marina around 11:15 and battled the wind a little to get tied up to the fixed docks. Thankfully the dockhand was very helpful and got us tied securely. The winds and waves continued to build and quite a few boats came in seeking shelter. We will stay here at least one more night and see how the winds are tomorrow.

Great Guana Cay has a good reputation among the cruisers and is well-known for the beach bar Nippers. The bar is about a 10 minute walk from the marina and has a beautiful view overlooking the Atlantic. We stopped in for rum punch in the afternoon and went back for dinner. The quaint little harbor here is fairly quiet, but local ferry boats come and go every hour or so transporting workers from other islands.

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Boats continued to arrive during the afternoon, and has become typical on this trip, we cross paths with boaters we have met in other places or come from either the Chesapeake or Philadelphia area. A large sportfish boat docked behind us has a Lansdale, PA hailing port, another sailboat down the dock is from Annapolis, and yet another sailboat two slips down was at Chub Cay while we were there. There are quite few boats, but the community is relatively small. You may have noticed that West Chester, PA is listed on the signboard in one of the pictures above.

I think we will tend to some boat chores today and perhaps explore the island a little more. It's up the to winds as to what happens next.

We went for a long walk around Spanish Wells on Saturday. We walked along the waterfront, out to the Atlantic side of the island, visited a few stores and Martha particularly enjoyed the gardens.

We left Spanish Wells Yacht Harbour on Sunday about 11:30am and went about 2 miles out to anchor near the Power Plant Fuel Dock. The plan was to get fuel first thing in the morning and then head over 60+ nautical miles to the Abacos. It was a gorgeous day and we found a good spot to anchor. There were some beautiful homes on the cliffs overlooking the water and you could hear the power plant running in the background. We enjoyed the great weather, calm conditions and another sunset dinner. We've seen a lot of great sunsets and this was one of the best.

On Monday morning we prepared the boat for the 60+ nautical mile crossing over deep water to the Abacos. We headed over to the fuel dock when they opened and backed into a high dock near the rocks. It looked intimidating, but the dock hand assured us there was plenty of water. He manhandled the very large fuel lines out to the dock and helped us take on 128 gallons of fuel. Once done, we headed out of the Spanish Wells area and headed to the Abacos. The conditions were perfect with low swells separated by a period of 9 or 10 seconds. This made for an easy passage. We spotted a few boats and cargo ships along the way. 

The entrance to Little Harbor was easy to transit despite the waves crashing on either side of the entrance. The anchorage we had chosen was loaded with other boats. When we went to the beach, we found out the large group was from the Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club. They were on a group outing and collecting firewood for an evening bonfire. After visiting the beach, we headed over to Little Harbor to visit an iconic beach bar, Pete's Pub. It was complete with sand floors and t-shirts hanging from the ceiling. We enjoyed their rum punch and delicious humus with pita.

It was another beautiful night on anchor with calm conditions and comfortable temperatures that only vary by 5 or 6 degrees between day and night. The sun is strong however, and the days can seem much warmer. We had another sunset dinner out in the cockpit and enjoyed the surroundings. I took the dinghy over to the island and walked to Atlantic side, about 40 yards (we could hear and see the waves crashing from the boat). The Atlantic side is rough and craggy, a result of eons of wave action and many storms. Unfortunately, the evidence of humans is clearly present with much plastic trash strewn across the landscape. There is truly a major plastic problem in the world.

I inflated the paddleboard for the first time this trip and paddled around the anchorage. The water was so clear I could see the chain and follow it all the way to the anchor in 13 feet of water. ​

We spent a while on the beach in the afternoon and in the evening we were invited for cocktail hour with some of the Yacht Club members, on the Commodore's beautiful Fleming trawler. We had a good time socializing and of course they were encouraging us to join the club.

It is now Wednesday morning and we are planning to cruise a little north to another more settled anchorage. The southeast wind is making it a little lumpy here plus we need to see some other areas since our time here is limited.

I want to give some basic details about how we handle chores on the boat. We provisioned in Jacksonville, but needed to restock. First I have taken some photos of the best ship's store ever, located at Chub Cay Marina. Next time I see a marginal ship's store, I will have these photos to share.

Do we cook on board? Yes, way more than we eat out. Here is my big chili project, made one morning while we had time. All those cans and ground beef came in handy to make a complete chili that will last for three meals. Generally, one person cooks and the other washes dishes. Bob is  great and resourceful cook.

What about breakfast? Standard fare is pan-fried toast and an egg, plus fruit if available. Cast iron is our preferred breakfast pan, but we do have a larger non-stick skillet and an old Dutch Oven for dinner prep.

Laundry is an on-board project with our little all-in-one washer/dryer hidden under the stairs. We launder sheets weekly, cramming them in for a wash cycle, then resetting for a 90 minute high heat dry. This is a real luxury that is easily done when we are hooked up to shore power and water at a marina. Clothes are done in smaller loads than at home.
Laundry day overlaps to two days because the line-dry items need some time to dry, hung in bathrooms and everywhere. Towels are the easiest load because they get mostly dry in 90 minutes on cotton setting.

We are getting pretty good at living "small." Compared to our tent camping days, boating is a breeze especially since we have all the appliances, pantry staples, cleaning and grooming supplies,  and clothes on board.

Yesterday we moved the boat from the anchorage just off Russell Island to the Spanish Wells Yacht Haven. It was a short trip of a few miles. We planned to get fuel at the Power Plant fuel dock, but apparently they had a power outage yesterday and did not open the fuel dock. We should be able to get some on Monday morning when we leave to cross over to the Abacos. Spanish Wells on St. Georges Cay is a very popular area at the northern end of Eleuthera 

Fortunately we did a little food shopping yesterday for produce and bread as it is raining right now. The rain is strong and steady enough to wash most of the salt off the boat. Rough weather conditions cause the boat to be covered in salt, so everything you touch leaves salt on your hands. I did a thorough cleaning while at Chub Cay, but one good splash from a wave gets salt on everything.

This is a nice little marina with a variety of boats, including some good sized yachts. There is also a fishing fleet just down the waterway from us. Leroy is the dockmaster and well-known by the regulars. He was very helpful getting us tied up and secure. There is a popular restaurant on site that we may try for lunch or dinner today.............after the rain stops.

It was another beautiful sunrise in the Bahamas..........the best way to enjoy my morning coffee. The plan is to walk around the island this afternoon and do a little exploring. Tomorrow we will go back out to the anchorages and choose a spot that is protected from any wind. 

We continue to meet many nice cruisers enjoying their Bahamas adventure and quite a few "Loopers." These are cruisers that are working to complete "America's Great Loop." Not all "Loopers" come over to the Bahamas, but we have crossed paths with quite a few. We have met a lot of Canadians that have made their way here trying to escape the cold and snow. Our slip neighbors here are from Ottawa. We've met others from Quebec, Montreal and Toronto.