We made some friends in Bimini. While cooking dinner at the dock, a couple cats. Also, a couple humans, Patrick and Alaina. They had just bought a beautiful 30 foot Cape Dory and sailed from Tampa to Bimini. This was really their first sailing experince other than sailing classes. We were very impressed how quickly they learned. They had a hairy moment running aground in the beginning and studied the Chapman's pilot thoroughly afterwards. They really took it seriously and they should. It ain't no joke out here on the water. They are about 24 years old, coming from Denver, CO. For Alaina, it was the first time she saw the ocean. Their boat is a real tuff build. I like it a lot. They got a really good deal after the financial collapse. They were just as excited as we were. Young people are rare. We hung out for a day, but had to go to Freeport to pick up Marantha.







I'm pretty sure this wreck is the same wreck my friend from St. Augustine photographed a few years ago. His picture had this ship wrecked on a big sandy beach. I bet this is a sign of global warming. Now the sand is all eroded and left on the underlying rock that is so familiar in these islands. I spoke with a Bahamian in Port Lucaya that told me they are well aware of the effects of global warming. They see erosion more and more. We noticed that Honeymoon Harbor doesn't have the beach we snorkeled off of just two years ago. Tell that to your grandma.



We photographed this ray while chasing it down in the dingy.



These are the Bimini rocks we snorkel off of.





The water lanes of Chalk's Airlines are a thing of the past. They went out of business in 2007 because of their first deadly crash in over 90 years.

We left Bimini and headed across the Northwest Providence Channel. We left at sunrise knowing this trip would take every bit of daylight. It was perfect weather. Once we had Freeport in sight, we noticed many freighters waiting to enter the harbor. A big freighter at anchor is very confusing even in broad daylight. You find yourself trying to figure out which direction they are headed to no avail. This one in particular was named after our niece.



We picked up a slip at Port Lucaya Marina for $50 a night. We really didn't care to much for this resort marina full of powerboats and spring breakers, but we needed a place to meet Marantha. She came to visit us over her spring break. So as soon as she arrived we shoved off with very little time to make it to West End, Grand Bahama. We wanted to give her the real deal. If we had stayed she would have to watch a bunch of frat boys take their shirts of and acting like fools out on the outdoor dance floor. It goes on way into the early morning.





The trip started out fine. Marantha manned the tiller and learned sailing basics. Then the seas started growing. She felt a little queezy and went down below for a nap. The wind was a bit mightier than we like. But we were able to do about six knots under sail alone for the rest of the day. By the time we arrived at Settlement Point, we were concerned. The sun had about ten minutes left and we still hadn't rounded the point. The following seas were looking like 8 footers, but probably just six. It was a lot of work steering her straight and the motion was chaotic. We made it into the anchorage just after the sun disappeared and anchored at dusk. The bottom was like a concrete slab. The CQR didn't catch. So I dingied out the Danforth to make a "V". We had swells and a lot of wind from the same direction. The anchorage was tiny and there were about six boats already there. We were in very shallow water and the current was ripping onto the back a speed we couldn't swim against. We noticed our new friends from Bimini had beat us there. All the boats swinging on one hook swang into the two-hookers. We had been smart to anchor in very shallow water instead of trying to squeeze in with the others. When the tide changed at 4 am everyone was re-anchoring. Our friends helped out one of the boats since it was too close to them. They became friends during the process. Now, we are all just enjoying the day together.



We went snorkeling today.





























This day was awesome. I would even say it was just as good as my best day in Key West when
I lost my wallet and $750 bucks. (That day I meditated and got over it allowing myself to have a good day anyway. I made some of my best friends that night.) Just having Marantha here was exciting enough. There's nothing better than to be able to share good times with your friends and family doing something that makes you feel alive and not just living. I wish more of you had been able to visit. Not only are we hanging out with Marantha, we have met two other young couples that are on sailboats as well. That's just rare out here.

I could stay in this anchorage forever. We have super fast wifi, good reefs and gulf stream water. Today after snorkeling, I saw our neighbors messing with anchor lines. I love just hopping in the dingy and seeing what the problem is and joining in on the solving. Patrick was trying to put another anchor out to the east because the wind is supposed to become 15-20 from there overnight. He had dropped the bitter end into the water and was trying to fish it out with a boat hook. Since I had been snorkeling all day, I said,"Let's just dive on it". I got my gear and dropped the dingy anchor in the suspect area. They were surprised my little anchor was holding me. They said their dingy anchor had just been dragging the bottom. I plopped in the water. Patrick was right behind me. As soon as we got in the water, we saw a hawkbill turtle about two feet in diameter. It appeared to be next to a baby turtle on what looked like an underwater sand dune. We immediately started following the larger turtle in greenish water about twenty feet deep. That's why the dingy anchor wasn't holding. Their line barely reached the bottom. My line was about twice as long. We followed the turtle over these underwater dunes until it reached the sea grass of the Little Bahama Bank. This is why the water was greener here. The sea grass extend east for miles in 12-15 feet of water. The grass was about three feet tall and the water was so creepy. That's when I turned back. Patrick was a little braver until he realized I wasn't coming. Then we saw his plow perfectly set atop a dune. The dune was like an old coral head covered with sand and grass. The current had carried his line toward the ocean. The tide was going out off this bank. You could barely swim against it with fins. Without them, you could drift out to sea. So it was in my mind meant to be. We would have to meet them in Bimini and they'd have to lose the bitter end of the line and we'd have to get in the water then... and the turtle would have to show us where the anchor was and we would have to join up that night for cocktails on Swift Ranger. Of course that would have to be after Piper cooked some excellent Thai Curry.

The seven of us talked for hours. Patrick and Alaina were philosophy majors and Marantha's boyfriend is too. I played them a few songs. The couple from the boat Madelaine brought fresh shrimp. He knows how to shrimp and told us all about that. We all hit it off great and will probably all travel in a convoy across the bank on Wednesday.