Back in USSA

We back in the US now....120 mile day!

Not a bad crossing but we's tired!

more news at 11

Crossing Back Over

Now comes the watching of the weather window....those days where the wind and waves are favorable to cross the Gulf Stream.....generally south winds and less that 2 foot waves...and a day or two of calm to let the previous waves and swells die down.

We will stage in the northern Bahamas around West End, maybe Mangrove or Great Sale Cay tomorrow night....that's a day's run of 60 miles to Great Sale, and another 28 miles to Mangrove. And then no more iternet!...but weather should be good as low winds are predicted the next few days...we target Tuesday and still wonder whether to make a short crossing to Lake Worth, or push north to Fort Pierce. We have been warned off Port St Lucie due to shoaling dangers.

So? Options?

Go from....

Mangrove to Lake Worth...~88 miles via WE or Memory Rocks .

West End to Lake Worth ~63 Miles

West End to Ft Pierce ~95 Miles

Great Sale to FP just seems too long at 131 miles!

The Gulf Stream averages 3 to 4 knots so that gives us a northern bump and saves about an hour's time if going north. It's about 25 miles wide! A pretty graphic:

http://www.passageweather.com/index.htmhttp%3A//www.passageweather.com/maps/florida/mappage2.htm

NOAA Forecast:

 SUNDAY  EAST SOUTHEAST WINDS 7 TO 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET.  DOMINANT PERIOD 10 SECONDS. INTRACOASTAL WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.   SUNDAY NIGHT  SOUTHEAST WINDS 7 TO 10 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTH. SEAS  2 TO 3 FEET. INTRACOASTAL WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.   MONDAY  SOUTH SOUTHWEST WINDS 7 TO 10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET.  INTRACOASTAL WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.   MONDAY NIGHT  SOUTHEAST WINDS 6 TO 9 KNOTS BECOMING EAST 5 TO  8 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET. INTRACOASTAL WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.   TUESDAY  NORTHEAST WINDS 6 TO 9 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET. INTRACOASTAL  WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.   TUESDAY NIGHT  EAST WINDS 8 TO 11 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET. INTRACOASTAL  WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.   WEDNESDAY  SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 8 KNOTS. SEAS 2 FEET. INTRACOASTAL  WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.

Sun rise over Little Harbour

End of the Abacos tour....

With a beautiful sunrise on a calm morning in Little Harbor, we now contemplate our return to the "Big Shopping Mall to the West" (a local reference heard on the daily Cruisers Net, CH68)

We have worked our way down to the end of the Abacos Island chain. May sound like a long way, but you could probably do the whole chain in a day! Our daily travels involve an hour or so, a long day has been like yesterday, 2 hours!

We are now studying the weather and resultant waves on the Gulf Stream to consider our crossing back to Florida. It's looking like a docile week as far as the winds go so that bodes for a good crossing probably Monday or Tuesday. The concept is to allow the Gulf Stream waves to calm down after any northerly wind component which tends to create havoc with the northbound Gulf Stream. Calm southerlies are good.

This has been an eye-opening trip in some respects. A different slice of life is found here in the Abacos and the many other Island chains to the south now beckon....maybe we'll be back next winter?? If not, probably sooner than later, we hope.