We returned to Spanish Wells, a small island north of Eluthera, where we have close friends and fond memories. As soon as we pull into the marina we feel like we have never left and one day easily blends into another. We arrive just in time for New Years Eve and go over to a friends house for a party, where we barbeque lobster and shish-kabobs, eat dips and casseroles, and drink many libations. We enjoy catching up with our friends who we haven’t seen since last May and watch the fireworks, which are ignited from a barge just off the [View Full Entry]

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We left Great Harbor on Boxing Day and had a wonderful sail over to Devils-Hoffman, our favorite anchorage in the Bahamas. There was a light breeze and the seas had calmed down considerably since the last time we were out (thank goodness!) And as we pulled into the anchorage we were thrilled to be the only boat there. Devils-Hoffman is a perfectly protected, calm anchorage surrounded by many little islands with beautiful white sand beaches. The water is shallow on the Bank to the west creating crystal clear waters that vary in color from the lightest of turquoise to deep cobalt [View Full Entry]

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After we got ourselves and the boat back in order, it was time to enjoy being back in the Bahamas. The Berry Islands have always been one of our favorite places in the islands to visit. The people are friendly, the anchorages and beaches secluded, and the natural beauty and fishing abounds. Great Harbor is the biggest settlement in the Berries and has quite a friendly and tight-knit community. We spent our first couple of days there just relaxing and taking it all in. We walked across the golf-course to the beach on the other side of the island. It is [View Full Entry]

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We left Florida to set sail for the Bahamas; the boat was ready, we were fully provisioned, and the weather looked good (at least according to NOAA). But weather predictions are just that, predictions. It was supposed to be 10-15 knots from the west in the afternoon, dying down to 5-10 by the evening, with only 2-4 foot seas. So the wind and waves would be on our back quarter and turn light and variable by the time we would be crossing the Gulf Stream. Perfect- right? Wrong! When we left Ft. Pierce just before noon it was already blowing 20 [View Full Entry]

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We said a tearful goodbye to our friends in Charleston and set sail on November 12th for Florida. It was time to go south, my friend, go south. For the fall weather was chilly and rainy and the winter cold fronts were fast approaching. The new Rum Runner was all decked out for our next adventure and handled great offshore, we cruised down the East Coast at a whopping 8.5 knot average (hitting 12 knots at times- holy cow!) Over the last 2 weeks we have visited some of our favorite anchorages along the way, including Fernandina Beach and St. Augustine. [View Full Entry]

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As always we have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Charleston, South Carolina. It has become our hometown filled with friends, fun, and tons of great cultural and culinary delights (gotta love that southern cooking). Besides enjoying all this city has to offer we have also been busy preparing for the next adventure. Our plan is to sail to the Caribbean for the next 2-3 years; thru the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, the Windward and Leeward Islands, and the Grenadines. We are super excited and of course a little nervous too. In preparation for this big adventure we have made some substantial [View Full Entry]

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Thunderstorms every day, with fierce wind and bone chilling lightening strikes all around. That was when we realized it was time to take the Rum Runner back to the States and north to Charleston for hurricane season. So we set sail, dodged most of the storms in our path, and made landfall in Florida 30 hours later. That’s when we found ourselves back in the good ol’ USA again. Of course we experienced a little culture shock after returning to the mainland, but all in all it was good to be back. We re-united with our friends on the Verna Breeze [View Full Entry]

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Our last stop in the islands while working our way back thru the Bahamas towards the States was Green Turtle Cay. It is positioned in the Northern Abacos and is far enough west that we were able to stage here for crossing back to the USA. But we certainly took advantage of our time here while we waited for the perfect weather window to cross the Banks, the Gulf Stream, and make landfall in America- the 30 hour trip back to Florida. We ended up spending a week in Green Turtle waiting for good weather and had a blast exploring this [View Full Entry]

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We returned to the Abacos in May, the northernmost group of islands in the Bahamas, and stayed there for over a month. We had a great time revisiting this area, re-uniting with old friends (and their dogs) while cruising around to our favorite anchorages and beach bars. Of course we took the opportunity to explore some new islands and watering holes as well. We had family fly in and visit us there- which was great to share the cruising life with them. And we filled our days with kayaking, snorkeling, and taking Kona to the beach. All in all our time [View Full Entry]

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After leaving the Exumas we spent just a couple days in Nassau before heading out again to Spanish Wells. We were so excited to go back to this amazing island off the northern tip of Eluthera, where we had many good friends and wonderful memories from our previous visit. Our anticipation grew as we sailed past Royal Island and Meek’s Patch and the town of Spanish Wells came into view. Of course the first thing we spotted were all the fishing boats, which the local fishermen use to get crawfish. Then all the colorful houses and manicured lawns came into view [View Full Entry]

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