By the Light of the Moon

By Sunday morning we had all the assurances we needed that wind and seas would settle down to provide a great crossing opportunity to reach not only, Nassau, but be able to continue on to the top of the Exuma chain.

Monday morning, loaded to maximum with every nature of possible provisions, Independence, our 42 foot Grand Banks trawler that is home for six months, headed out Government Cut at Fort Lauderdale heading east.  Almost immediately we encountered a sinister shark circling just off shore.  We left the shark, and a beautiful rainbow behind and set our course direct to North Rock buoy at Bimini Island.

Ft. Lauderdale to Bimini, across banks to New Providence I. (Nassau)

The initial bumpiness of the seas, residue from a week of intense wind and squalls, gradually subsided throughout the day, so that the dreaded crossing of that great river, The Gulf Stream, was benign.

We passed our first waypoint at Bimini at 4pm, having seen not a single other vessel heading our way—quite unusual.  Early sunset means longer cruising at night.  This night was blessed, however, with a spectacular rising, full, orange moon an hour after sunset.  Soon the bright orb was shinning our way through the night waters, and led us to our midnight anchor stop on the banks.

Morning Moon

 

Sunrise on glass water

Sunrise, anchors aweigh, for the third leg of the journey.  We abruptly leave the banks we had traversed all night, and entered into the phenomena, which is the Tongue of the Ocean.  Viewed on a chart, this body of water stretches like a tongue from the turquoise shallows into dark depths- too deep to measure.  Again, luck and weather was with us, and this normally rough body of water was glassy calm, with a light swell.

Arrived Nassau (or in Bahamian, we done reach) at around 3pm.  Tired but ready for tomorrow to Highborn Cay in the northern Exumas!