We Made it to the Bahamas!

On Saturday, February 10 we made the crossing from Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm Beach to West End on Grand Bahama. We had mixed emotions as we like the marina there, but we really wanted to get to the Bahamas. The weather forecast was a bit vague about the sea and wind conditions, but we decided to try it anyway. We left the dock around 9:00am, got fuel and were on our way at 9:30. 

The most critical piece of crossing preparation is to consult various weather resources and determine whether the conditions will be favorable or not. They were generally pretty vague. They certainly did not indicate that it was a great crossing opportunity, but none of them indicated that it should be avoided,

The ICW down to Peanut Island was fine and inside the inlet was ok. Once we got into the inlet things became much rougher. We had to dodge a few fishermen in the middle of the channel and head for the open sea. A large super yacht was headed out as well as a pilot boat going out to meet an incoming container ship. We kept trying various speeds to see what was most comfortable and caught a few items that were bouncing around the boat. We had secured things pretty well and made sure all the cabinets were locked. Anything on a counter was placed on the floor. We were able to maintain a speed of 10 to 12 knots without shaking the boat apart. Anything faster resulted in some very unpleasant pounding.

​Halfway across the 55 mile route we were able to open up and began to make 16 or 17 knots. The seas weren’t flat, but the were calm enough to get up on plane and make a little time. We passed a few sailboats and catamarans along the way as well as a smaller SeaRay power boat. As we got closer to West End, the conditions worsened and we had to drop our speed back to have a little more comfortable ride.

We kept a very straight course into West End and found the narrow passage into the marina. You really can’t see it until you get pretty close to it. Martha drove the boat while I went up to the flybridge to put up our “quarantine flag.” It is a yellow flag that you must show until you are checked in. We waited in the turning basin until they called us on the radio and gave us our slip assignment. At 2:30pm we got tied up on the fixed dock and were relieved to have made it in without incident. Martha did get a little sick along the way, but recovered quickly. Due to the conditions we never ate lunch. It was really too hard to move around the cabin during the crossing and fixing lunch was not possible. Next time we will fix sandwiches in advance. We knew to do that, but forgot during all the departure activities.

I had filled out the Customs and Immigration paperwork online the night before, so getting checked in was pretty easy and quick. We went back to the boat, took down the quarantine flag and put up the Bahamas courtesy flag indicating that we were checked in and had our cruising permit.

About a dozen boats crossed that day, and we all had the same experience. They also had the same reaction to the weather forecasts and determined that it was ok to make the crossing. In the long run, most everyone was glad they did it despite the rougher than expected conditions.


The Old Bahama Bay Resort and Marina are isolated on the west end of Grand Bahama Island. There is no town nearby, just the resort with a restaurant, pool and beach. It is very picturesque and the water is so clear you can see the bottom. A little while after arriving a 6 foot nurse shark swam through the marina. That was quite a sight. We saw her the next day as well.

We met a few of our boat neighbors, walked the grounds a little and called it an early night. It had been a pretty exhausting day.

We have continued to meet other boaters in the marina. Everyone has been stuck here due to very high winds and unfavorable cruising conditions. The winds have been blowing strong for a couple of days, but should start slowing down tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon. We walked in the water on the beach, but it was too cold to swim. The pool is cold as well.

Many of us spent Sunday evening in the bar watching the Super Bowl and trading our boating stories. One boat has been here for two weeks due to various mechanical problems, another lost their anchor during the crossing and another had to be towed in for 10 hours from another anchorage due to a mechanical issue. These kinds of things happen to boaters and you try your best to avoid them, but sometimes it is completely unavoidable.

I walked to the beach on Monday morning to watch the sunrise and enjoy the quiet. The rest of the time has been spent cleaning the boat and socializing with the other boaters. We would like to be out cruising the islands, but when you look at the angry sea, you realize how good it is to be safely tied up at the dock. We think that Wednesday will be a good day to head out. 

I can already tell that WiFi and cell coverage is going to be spotty at best during this trip. We will do the best we can to keep the stories and pictures flowing.