We currently have a 3 month cruising permit for the Bahamas. It is possible to get another 90 day extension. Our plans are to visit the Exumas for the majority of our time here. This means it is time to pick up the hook and move on to the next destination. Weather, waves, and tides play a huge factor in deciding where and when we go. We have an opening to make the jump over to Great Harbour which will get us closer to the Exumas. This will require another overnight passage but at this stage of the game I feel like we are pro’s at it. We need to leave on Sunday so we can be anchored on Monday in time for a 12:00 call I need to be on. (Of course 3 hours before this call was to take place it got moved to later in the week)
Bubba had slept and rested up most of the day on Sunday while I was working on our blog. The first six hours the sea state was a little swelly. The dogs laid with me on the back of the boat while Bubba drove. I tried to sleep as much as I could those first couple of hours but it was hard due to the waves. There was alot of activity going on across the water. There were several cruise ships, tankers and other sail boats around us. We would take turns helm but he did most of the driving.
We left Bimini with a gorgeous sunset and had a full moon most of the night. When that moon disappeared it got really dark. Luckily the sun would be coming up soon and it of couse was a stunner.
As we made our way into the Great Harbour anchorage Bubba noticed that Ryan and Denise Potter from La Gra were in the anchorage. Bubba met Ryan at a dive shop in West Palm Beach while we were there over Thanksgiving. Ryan and Denise have a Leopard 45. Like us they have had numerouse issues with the construction quality of their boat. It’s hard to believe that all of these lemon of boats make it to market but they do, probably more than I want to know about.
Great Harbour/Great Stirrup Cay in the Berry Islands is best known as the private island for Norweign and Carnival cruise ships. Years ago we took my mom and Bubba’s mom on a cruise and we stopped here to visit their private island.
We anchor down close to the Potters. Joe and Becky from Knot Tied Down would show up a little later in the day. They would make much better time than us considering they are a power yacht.
Everyone met up for sundowners and Denise made some delicious Buffalo chicken dip for an appetizer. We exchanged boat stories, apps to use, weather and navigation tips. Ryan and Denise have boated in the Bahamas before so they had a lot of great advise to share.
The next day our friend Sarah and David from B4checkout would arrive from Bimini. They were behind us a few days because they were waiting for friend, David, to come in and a weather window. While we were in Bimini Bubba purchased some locally caught lobster from some of the local fisherman. Joe cooked up the lobster and some shrimp that I bought from a fisherman in Brunswick and we all had quite the feast with everyone. Unfortunately I neglected to get pictures of the food that everyone brought.
There wasn’t much to do at Great Harbour. We made a trip into town to pick up a few provisions before the next weather window opened and we left for Hoffmans Cay.
