Wild Horses has been on the move! In the last 3 weeks, we have been making our way south from St. Martin to St. Lucia, stopping at some islands and skipping others, all dependent on what our weather windows allow us to do.

Our biggest jump was from Marigot Bay, St. Martin all the way to Pigeon Island in the middle of Guadeloupe mainland, a 143 nautical mile passage that took us 27 hours. Why such a long passage when there were islands we could have stopped at to rest? We had the weather. This season has been full of strong trade winds which whip up the sea state to levels we generally do not find comfortable. On our last go-around to Grenada we were blessed with lots of days offering us 2 or 3 foot seas, maybe a few 4 foot seas. This season? We are grabbing a 4 foot sea when we can but there are many weeks that will go by when the sea state maxes out at 6, 7 and even 8 feet. Ummm, no thank you! That is fine for some saltier sailors but for Wild Horses, no way! Our guiding principal is that this sailing thing is supposed to be fun. We would rather arrive at our destination with smiles on our faces than to arrive worn out with a great story of what we endured.

So, we wait. And we wait. And we wait.

We have the luxury of waiting because we have no schedule. We aren’t rushing to be anywhere for anyone and we don’t have boat insurance that requires us to be out of the hurricane box by a certain date. Of course, we watch for hurricanes or other storm activity, but with none on the horizon, we can be picky about the conditions in which we move Wild Horses. The weather is choppy and uncomfortable? We stay put. The weather is great? We try to make lots of miles!
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What to see some of the conditions we have faced this season?

​When we are not checking weather or actually moving the boat, we are at anchor beside one of the many beautiful islands in the Eastern Caribbean and that gives us opportunity to explore. 

In St. Martin, we had our fair share of baguettes and cappuccino at the local bakery. We also headed over to the Dutch side of the island to check out Maho Beach (at the end of the St. Maarten airport runway) and to enjoy a few of their great bars, restaurants and marine stores.

In Dominica, we had a great time hanging out in the town of Portsmouth and taking a tour of the Indian River. We then moved to the southern part of the island to the town of Roseau.

On June 17 we arrived in Martinique, truly one of our favourite islands in the Eastern Caribbean. First, it was the lovely village of St. Pierre in the north eastern tip of the island. St. Pierre is small but there is no shortage of things to do. We went with our boat buddies to tour the Depaz rum distillery, about a 45 minute walk uphill from town. The distillery is on incredible terrain in front of Mount Pelee and is spread out over some beautiful acreage. The tour was fascinating and the rum tasting afterwards was excellent. We definitely didn’t go home empty handed!

​We also took the time to tour the ruins of the 1902 volcano eruption that devastated the town. That event claimed nearly 30,000 people, almost wiping out the entire town, in just a few devastating minutes.

After enjoying small town life in St. Pierre, we then moved further south to Fort de France, a big city offering lots of shopping, restaurants, museums and just so much more hustle and bustle. So much to enjoy!

​We have now arrived in St. Lucia and will be here for awhile as we get new documentation for Ocean to continue travelling south to Saint Vincent and then to Grenada. So far, we have met with the St. Lucia vet for an updated heartworm test and tomorrow we will take a taxi to the Agriculture department to get a St. Lucia government endorsed health certificate. With these documents in hand, we can apply for our pet permit to Saint Vincent. We are hoping to get the permit in the next week or so. Stay tuned!

We arrived in the USVI two weeks ago and it has been a solid two weeks of high winds. Yeesh! But, much to our utter happiness, it has also been a solid two weeks (almost three weeks!) of hanging out with our great friends, Dave and Lisa, on Indigo Lady. It really has been one of those “never a dull moment” experiences!
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After first reuniting with Indigo Lady in Brewers Bay, we moved along to the Charlotte Amelie anchorage, also in St. Thomas. We wanted to be there for a few days to stock up on a few things for the boat but, more importantly, to rent a car and drive Ocean to her veterinary appointment to get her international papers for all the islands in the Eastern Caribbean. We have found a great vet clinic near Cowpet Bay called “Canines, Cats & Critters” that we have now used three times for Ocean’s travelling papers. They are easy to use, friendly and affordable. Perfect!

Speaking of Ocean, we often wonder what she thinks about all the adventures she has while we are doing this sailing thing. She never knows what will happen from one day to the next, who she will meet, what she will see, where she will go or how she will get there. We certainly ask a lot of her. She must be brave and patient, and she has to navigate beach landings, high docks, restaurants, grocery stores, getting on and off other boats, stray dogs, feral cats, new countries, new people, hot days, very hot days and so much more.
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Actually, our last few weeks in the USVI (both in St. Thomas and in St. John) have lots of good examples of what she has to handle as part of the crew of Wild Horses. In these jam-packed few weeks, Ocean has hiked the USVI mountainous terrain for 6 miles, checked out ruins from an old sugar mill, rode in the back of a pick up truck, was squeezed under the bar at the local pub (well, maybe a few local pubs…), enjoyed some yummy pizza from Pizza VI (a floating pizza place), and had a vet appointment. 

She has walked along the trampolines of not one but two catamarans (thank you Indigo Lady and Bitty Rose for welcoming Ocean aboard your beautiful boats!), went to the beach, swam off the stern of Indigo Lady while Mike and I snorkelled, saw wild donkeys, sheep and goats, a few bearded dragon iguanas, lots of chickens, went “nose to tentacle” with a squid that landed on our boat deck during a passage and was rocked to sleep every night in many, many bumpy anchorages. ​

She even got to hang out in a treehouse! Cruising friends of Indigo Lady (Juan and Alison) have a home in the USVI, way up in the mountains of St. John. This gorgeous homestead is nestled on the side of the mountain with a wrap around porch and levels upon levels of wonderful treelined walkways. It truly feels like a treehouse, just a very elegant one. And, lucky for us, our little Ocean was more than welcome to join Dave, Lisa and us at Juan and Alison’s place in a wonderful evening of great food and laughter.

Oh, and Ocean crossed the Anegada Passage to St. Martin. That’s right! We are now in the Leeward Islands. We arrived in Marigot Bay, St. Martin on Saturday morning. It was a 96 nautical mile passage with the brightest (almost full) moon lighting up the ocean for us. Of course, with the windy season we have been having, it was a little bumpy getting here but that’s okay, we are here! And even nicer, Indigo Lady will be here with us for several days while they await good weather to travel to St. Kitts (note: They found that great weather window and have now moved on to St. Kitts for their scheduled haulout. We already miss them!)

​For Ocean, yes, she never knows what any given day will bring. Some days are less than fun but most are rewarding in so many ways. She often gets to do one or more of her favourite activities be it swimming, walking, meeting people, hiking, exploring, enjoying little “I can’t finish this can I give it to the dog” treats during restaurant meals or sundowner get-togethers, or vacuuming up crumbs (and chicken bones…so many chicken bones!!) that are inevitably lying beside walkways and boardwalks.
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And hanging out with us 24/7. The three of us wouldn’t have it any other way 😊.

It is really hard to believe that, one month ago, we were in Georgetown, Bahamas. Today, we are waking up in Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, USVI. No, we didn’t do this in one go. For a second time going south, we have done the Thorny Path.
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The Thorny Path is a whole bunch of going east into the trade winds, wind directly on the nose of the boat, with lots of big waves and swell bumping you around. If you don’t carefully plan your weather windows, it is a very uncomfortable series of passages. But, thankfully, with lots of weather planning and even more patience, it is mildly comfortable 😉. 

The first leg of our journey south took us to Luperon, Dominican Republic and we really thought we would be there for several weeks, waiting for a good weather window to brave the north coast of the Dominican Republic to the eastern town of Samana. We also thought we would do the same waiting in Samana, DR, before crossing the infamous Mona Passage that takes you from DR to Puerto Rico.
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Well, no. We waited just five days in Luperon before a perfect window to Samana presented itself. We had a forecast of light wind and only one-foot seas. Still, we wanted to be sure. We consulted with Chris Parker, a well-known and reliable weather router out of mainland US and a former cruiser himself. He echoed our feeling that these conditions were rare and we should go! So, along with three buddy boats, we left Luperon on Sunday April 26, and motor sailed for 25 hours, to the Marina Puerto Bahia in Samana, Dominican Republic. The passage was just as easy as forecasted. Nice!

​And then? Well, the right weather window to cross the Mona Passage popped up! We had just 48 hours to rest, fuel up, grab a few groceries, and share a wonderful dinner and lots of laughs with the crew of our buddy boats. On Wednesday April 29, there were six of us cruising boats in total, clearing out of the Dominican Republic. This was no small task in itself. The process took two hours and included a boat inspection by the Armada (Dominican Navy). 

​And then we were off! We started our crossing at 1100 hours on April 29 (late in the morning due to the delay from clearing out) and we had beautiful conditions. Our only concerns centred around the incredible amounts of floating debris caused by recent heavy rainfalls. Trash and branches littered the waterway. The worst was a full tree that one of our buddy boats sighted at dusk. Four of us boats were an hour or so behind him and due to arrive at the “tree” location in the dark. Yikes! Thankfully, our tree sighting buddy boat was able to give us the latitude and longitude of the tree, which we all pinned in our chart plotters. This is why we love buddy boating! The information sharing is incredible, plus it really increases the fun quotient 😊. All six boats chatted over WhatsApp through the night, keeping all of us entertained and informed. How did we do this with no cell service in the middle of the Mona Passage? We all have Starlink and turned on “Ocean Mode” to have uninterrupted access while offshore. Amazing!

​We arrived in Puerto Real, Puerto Rico at noon on April 30. Sigh, time to rest for a few days. Puerto Real is a small fishing village with an easy, safe anchorage and a great dinghy dock. The town had most of what we needed to refresh ourselves for our next leg across the southern coast of Puerto Rico. We dined with friends, had a great evening of drinks and laughs on our buddy boat Altair (Ian and Hannah), spent many mornings grabbing an inexpensive breakfast from the local bakery, walked the town streets to take in the local vibe, and even managed to get Ocean into the local dog groomers for a much-needed de-shedding treatment. She walked out of there looking like a rock star!

​Although we were comfortable in Puerto Real, the weather needed us to press on. On Thursday May 7, we were off to tackle the southern coast of Puerto Rico. This is another leg of true easting into the trade winds but with a higher level of difficulty due to the acres of sargassum that float along the coastal waters. This thick seaweed can rarely be avoided and annoyingly gets wrapped around our boat propeller, causing a significant drop in speed. How do we handle it? Every so often (maybe once an hour or two), we have to stop the boat and go into reverse. This chops up the weed and spits it off the prop. We then resume forward propulsion, but with the boat moving at our normal cruising speed once again. It is a frustrating exercise but it works!

Along the south coast of Puerto Rico, we made just two stops. The first was to Isla Baja de Muertos (Coffin Island) for one night and the second was to Salinas, a small marina town near the south eastern end of Puerto Rico, for several nights.

This past Thursday, we weighed anchor and headed out from Salinas. It was our roughest passage, with 5-foot seas growing to 8 feet but the entire crew (yes, Ocean too!) did a great job managing the ten-hour trip. We landed at Green Beach, Vieques in the Spanish Virgin Islands, had a quick rest and then up at dawn to arrive here, in Brewers Bay, USVI. We were exhausted but our friends on Indigo Lady (Dave and Lisa) were already here and waiting to greet us, making our arrival warm and fun. We had cruised with Indigo Lady extensively in 2023 and even visited them in their home in New Hampshire in the autumn months of 2024. They were a sight for sore eyes and Dave’s awesome pizza last night was a yummy delight for our bellies 😊. We will spend several days with them as we both await a weather window to head further south.
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Sigh, the last few weeks have been hectic and fun and stressful and exciting. Passages may be good or bad, but we find they are much more enjoyable when we have our cruising friends alongside, old and new, sharing stories and laughs. Add to that the comfort of a beautiful rainbow or sunset in a newfound anchorage, it is easy to remember why we keep doing this. Yup, that is cruising 😊.

Wow, what an incredible week we have had aboard Wild Horses. We have gone from Georgetown, Bahamas to Luperon, Dominican Republic in just four days, a 376 nautical mile journey. This was not our original sail plan so yet it is another example of how we must be ready and willing to adapt to the ever-changing weather and circumstances of this lifestyle.
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Planning to make the jump to Luperon started in full force about a week ago, when we could see a good weather window open up. For Wild Horses, travelling on average at 6 knots, we need at least seven days of good weather to make this passage. This allows us to complete daytime jumps as well as the one or two necessary overnight (24 hours or more) jumps. For the long overnight jumps, a day of rest is factored in. Our weather forecast was for a lovely ten-day window but with one very important and critical problem. Halfway through, the forecast was calling for strong winds (near gale at 30 knots) in the Bahamas. Our options were to not go at all (yuck) or, to go far enough (and to a fairly protected anchorage) to be safe and sound (yucky still, but less so).

What was the final plan? We decided to go. We would start on Friday and make about four day hops before finally landing in Mayaguana. This is one of the most southerly islands in the Bahamas and where we planned to wait out the strong winds before continuing south to the Dominican Republic. We imagined that we might be able to do this last jump from Mayaguana to Luperon, 190 nautical miles, only on the following Friday, at the earliest.

That was the plan. That isn’t what happened. Nope.

We did leave Friday, arriving later that same day in Calabash, our planned anchorage on the northwest corner of Long Island. That night was a wonderful happy hour get-together with our buddy boats plus a few other boats coming from other anchorages. We were eagerly chatting about our next steps, especially considering the strong weather that was coming early the next week. A few boats decided to stay at Calabash, while most others (including us) were planning a day sail to Clarencetown, at the western end of Long Island. One boat, however, was doing something a little different. Callisto was leaving first thing the next morning and going all the way from Calabash to Mayaguana, Bahamas. This is a 159 nautical mile stretch which would take about 28 hours. It seemed a bit crazy considering that you could do the same miles over three lovely day trips. To each their own!

​The next morning we were set to wake at 6am and prepare for a 7am departure from Calabash. At about 6:15am, Mike called a family meeting (well, it was really just the two of us being that Ocean was still snoozing the morning away). He put it out there that we should go with Callisto. It would be a slog to get to Mayaguana but we would arrive there early enough to maybe do our final leg directly for Luperon, all ahead of the heavy weather that would be consuming the Bahamas. It took me two seconds to agree. We let Callisto and the rest of our buddy boats know…and then we were off!

Our passage to Mayaguana was uneventfully easy, and in the morning we arrived at the remote Bahamian island and carefully made our way through the narrow harbour entrance to the anchorage beside another boat buddy Mollie Sea. They had arrived at the anchorage just hours before us, having made the journey via another route. A few hours after us, Callisto arrived and anchored close to us.
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There we were, anchored, but just for a few hours. It was now Sunday and the weather was forecasted to start deteriorating on the Wednesday morning. Our next and final leg to the Dominican Republic was 190 nautical miles, about 34 hours. To beat the weather, we needed to leave Mayaguana before midnight so that we were safely moored in Luperon, Dominican Republic before dark on Tuesday.

Mollie Sea and Wild Horses weighed anchor at 11pm that same day, working our way through the coral head strewn anchorage and through the narrow harbour entrance, using only our track on our chartplotter as guidance. It was how we got into the harbour so it was going to be how we got out! I swear Mike didn’t breathe the whole time! Callisto’s plan was to follow us the next day. We would meet again in Luperon.

Although long, the 190 nautical miles was easy. The sea state was about as calm as the North Atlantic gets (3 to 4 foot swells) and there was just the right amount of wind to sail…if you were going another direction. No, the wind was right at our nose so our 34 hours was spent motor-sailing. And that was fine with us as it was all very comfortable.

We arrived at Luperon on Tuesday morning at 9:00am. The sea was calm, we were exhausted and Ocean really wanted to get to shore. I mean, it had been 34 hours! By 10am, we were safely moored on a mooring ball and all three of us were on shore for clearing into the Dominican Republic. We made it!
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This was our longest journey yet. We travelled 376 nautical miles in four days, with just a 12 hour pit stop for fuel and Ocean shore time. Wow.

​For now, we are in Luperon and enjoying our time here. We have run into old friends here and met new friends who are also headed to Grenada. Together we are weather watching and planning our next big jump from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico. This next leg is a daunting one and needs the perfect weather to make it easy and comfortable. As we wait for that weather, we are enjoying Luperon and riding the high of our last passage.

​Mike, Victoria, Ocean. Our crazy Wild Horses crew is ready for anything! 😊

Cruisers often joke that “cruising” is fixing the boat in exotic places. It is a funny catchphrase but it is also very, very true. Conversations with our fellow cruisers are often littered with comments about what is currently broken on their boat and how they plan to fix it. They will casually talk about what parts they need, how they are going to get those parts or that they are waiting for a part to arrive. We all nod in agreement. We offer help (if we can) or parts (if we have them). This is the stuff that builds the ties deep in this community. We are there for one another – always – because we know our turn to be the one in need is likely just around the corner.

Well, the turn for Wild Horses came up big recently. Our trusty outboard on our dinghy failed. Yes, that outboard. You know, the one that makes sure Ocean gets to shore several times a day. It is critical gear for Wild Horses. Yikes!

The problems started at Black Point Settlement, in the Exumas. Mike would start up the dinghy motor, let it idle and then it would stop. Huh? Why the problem idling? We suffered through this for a few days, all while checking on the usual suspects (gas level, fuel lines, fuel pump). We could get the outboard going again by quickly shifting it into gear, but the idling issue kept happening. And it kept getting worse.

After chatting about our issue with our boat buddies on Tekana (Dean and Jean), Dean suggested that the carburetor needed to be cleaned. Thankfully, he has done this kind of work before and dove in. He also adjusted the idle screw and the pilot screw (okay, what are these things?) to finely tune our idle. Thank you Dean!

But, oh, the issue reared its ugly head again the next day.

By the time we got to Georgetown, the outboard wouldn’t idle at all. We played around with the adjustments to the idle screw and the pilot screw again. No good. In fact, I think we made it worse 😊. Dean was hailed for help, along with another mechanic friend and cruiser, Joe (on Shamal). It was all hands-on deck. The result? No improvement. Argh!

Then we met Wayne, from the sailing catamaran Gwayne. Wayne is a trained mechanic, among many other things not limited to amazing cook, musician, paramedic and fireman. Needless to say, Wayne is a very handy guy to have around!
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Well, Wayne worked on our outboard for two days. The result? Some improvement. Our outboard would now idle like a kitten purring. Yay! But now it would shut down if we increased the throttle. Yes, that’s right. We now had the opposite problem. Argh 2.0!

Wayne really felt that the solution to our problem was a new carburetor. Did we happen to have a spare? Nope! We would have to order it in and, based on the experiences of other cruisers, we were looking at up to two weeks or more to get one delivered to Georgetown. Yikes! What about Ocean? How would we get her to shore?????

Enter the boat Happy Cat. This is a sailing catamaran that had joined our “trying to make it to Grenada” group at Georgetown. They are a family of six from Australia and truly the most lovely people of all time. They offered that they had a spare 6 HP outboard that we could borrow. The only difficulty with this plan was that they were starting their sail south to Grenada the next day. Their response? “No problem, mate!”. They would just pick up the outboard when we met again in Grenada. What???? This kind of kindness and generosity is off the charts! Although much slower than our 15HP outboard, that little 6HP got us to shore for Ocean, and to town for groceries, and maybe to the bar (once or twice) for a few beers 😉.

Then the best news. The carburetor I ordered on a Tuesday with one day shipping, arrived in time to make the weekly flight from Florida to Georgetown the next day. We had our new carburater in our hands on the Friday. And the wonderful Wayne installed it the following day.

The result? Our outboard is running perfectly! And it is only thanks to this community. We have so many people to thank – people who offered their advice and assistance, people that gave their time and skill, even people who gave us a spare outboard 😊. We are just so grateful. And we can’t wait to pay it back, pay it forward and pay it however so that we lighten the load for someone else.
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Love this cruising community!

​What’s next for us? Our outboard was fixed in time to make a possible window south to Luperon, Dominican Republic. We are hoping to be headed out of the Georgetown harbour, and further south, in just a few days 😊.

Wild Horses arrived in Georgetown, Bahamas on Tuesday March 24. Although we have been here twice before, the feeling upon arrival is still the same. We are washed over with a feeling of accomplishment and excitement.
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Georgetown is an iconic place where many cruisers gather. For some, it is the furthest south that they will travel. A turnaround point. For others, it is a jumping off point. Some cruisers will continue south to explore the outer Bahamian islands, like the Ragged Islands, Crooked Island, or Long Island. Or, like us, it is a place to pause and re-group before continuing the even longer journey to the Caribbean. Wherever your plans take you after Georgetown, being here is a relief and an inspiration.

In Georgetown we can get a few groceries, fuel and marine supplies. We can hike, swim, snorkel and, most importantly, hang out with our fellow cruisers. If the weather was good for continuing our journey south, Georgetown would just be a pit stop for us. We would quickly grab the supplies we need and then take off to our next stop south in the Bahamas. As it turns out, we have another strong weather system passing through the Bahamas that will keep us here in Georgetown until the end of the first week of April. This is definitely not a quick pit stop!
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These strong weather systems have been a pain in our butts this whole season. They have slowed us down as we try to seek decent shelter from the strong winds, keeping us in anchorages far longer than we would normally have stayed. But, wait, is that really a bad thing?  Slowing down?  Having ample time to explore and learn about a new place? Truth be told, the weather hasn’t stopped us from enjoying our time here. Looking back over our time in the Exumas, I would say that lingering in paradise has been a joy😊.

​In fact, our favourite times were when we could put down the charts and schedules and really play tourist. Or, when a guest arrives, we get to play tourist guide. This was the case when our boat buddies on Tekana (Jean and Dean) had Jean’s sister Sherry visit for the first few weeks of March. It was an amazing time that passed by far too quickly!

​We said good bye to Jean’s sister Sherry on March 17, seeing her off at the Staniel Cay airport. The next day, both Tekana and Wild Horses moved south to Black Point Settlement. The winds were forecasted to be quite strong for several days (surprise!) and the Black Point anchorage has great protection. A bonus during our visit here? The village of Black Point was having its annual regatta. We got to see some great sloop races between the local Black Point teams and the visiting Georgetown teams. It was incredible, especially since the winds were really strong. The talented sailors thrilled us with their skills to manage the heavy winds in small skiffs that featured a huge mainsail that went the whole length of the skiff. Each boat also had an outrigger, which is a long beam on the leeward side of the boat. At least 3 of the 6 crew would sit on the end of the outrigger to try to balance the boat against the wind. Most of the time, this worked beautifully but not all the time. We watched four boats get overwhelmed by wind and pushed right over. And then they sunk! We were shocked at first but quickly learned that this is quite normal for these sailors and the boats handle it all well. Once sunk, the sailors remove the lead from the keel and take the mast off the boat. With the lead weight gone, the boat floats to the surface and is towed to shore. The only damage is to the crew’s pride!

Both the strong wind and the festival ended last Sunday so Tekana and Wild Horses made a plan to head down to Georgetown. This part of the trip is always interesting as it involves taking the boat through a “cut” to the Exuma Sound. For us, the nail-biting part is timing the Cut.  Depending on which Cut you choose, you may have a narrow or a wide passage, and/or a deep or shallow passage. Regardless, all of these cuts are notorious for having strong currents, even more so if you go when there is wind against the current.  This go around we took Dotham Cut, which is just north of Black Point Settlement. Our passage through was easy and before we knew it we were out in the Exuma Sound and enjoying a fabulous sea state and motor sail.

Oh my…our crew is certainly enjoying our time in the Bahamas. It has been everything the doctor ordered for our crew of three, who were a little lost from living on land for almost eighteen months, tending to Wild Horses as just one big on-going fix-it project.

When we left Green Cove Springs, Florida, last December, we were very tired and weary from too much boat maintenance.

Not now.

The last few weeks have been filled with so many things that brings us joy. Well, maybe not everything was joyful. I mean, it is a boat so something always needs fixing 😉 and this go-around it was our marine toilet. No, we were not “filled with joy” while giving it some tender loving care ☹. Even in paradise, it isn’t all cold mojitos in the cockpit!
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Travel-wise, we have gone 165 nautical miles since we left the Mackie Shoal (on the Bahama Bank) in the middle of February. While we have been to the Bahamas twice before, and on a similar route, this mileage took us to several new anchorages that really wowed us. The first was Morgan’s Bluff on Andros Island. Although the anchorage is small and the location is remote, it was a safe place to rest our heads on our way to the island of New Providence. Even more important to our caravan of boat buddies (Tekana, Ancora and ourselves) was a lovely seaside beach bar offering Bahamian beer, yummy eats and the chance to chat about our travels. 

​The next morning, all three boats weighed anchor and headed off to a private dock on the south side of the island of New Providence. Stronger weather was coming in and this dock gave us a chance to be sheltered from the wind while also having access to amenities like fuel, groceries and hardware/marine stores. In addition to shopping, the pause from travelling meant we could get caught up on our chores. That laundry wasn’t magically doing itself like I had hoped! Oh, and our visit to New Providence coincided with Dean’s birthday (our boat buddy on Tekana) so we were thrilled to hop in a rental car and head to Nassau for some delicious sushi to celebrate the day. Sushi in paradise? Yes, please!

​Leaving New Providence, we were excited to finally arrive in the Exumas island chain. We landed at Highborne Cay, one of the northern islands in the Exumas. Although this is a great anchorage for eastern winds, another strong cold front was making its way to the Bahamas within a few days so we needed to get to a better anchorage for the weather. Highborne has beautiful beaches but it is just a slice of low land separating the Exuma Sound from the Atlantic Ocean. Beautiful, yes. A shelter in strong weather? Not so much. This is the challenge in the Exumas. Cold fronts swing through the area regularly and cause the wind to clock around from east to south, west and north. Protection from the strong winds associated with these fronts is important but, even more critical is getting protection from the sea fetch which can hobby horse a sailboat. Best case is that you are a little uncomfortable. Worst case is that your anchor gets dislodged. Yikes! Many of the other islands and cays in the Exumas offer great east protection but very few give you shelter for clocking winds. As a group of three boats, we decided to make our way to Warderick Wells, which is part of the Bahamas Land and Sea Park. This anchorage checked most of our “good shelter” requirements, missing only the western wind protection which was forecasted to last just a few hours.

​Oh my. Warderick Wells. Not only were we well protected through the cold front, we were also treated to the beauty and adventure of this island. It has several snorkeling sites, soft white sand beaches and many trails to hike. The most iconic trail is the one to Boo Boo Hill, at the very top of the island. For decades, cruisers have hiked to the top of Boo Boo Hill and left their boat name for all to see – be it on driftwood, a bottle or other paraphernalia. Even more incredible to see is the 360-degree view from the top of the island, spanning a vista that includes the Atlantic Ocean, the Exuma Sound and the beauty of the island itself.

​Later that week, once the cold front passed through, we decided to move further south to O’Brien’s Cay. This is a pretty little anchorage that also sits in the Land and Sea Park so sandy beaches and great hikes are prevalent. Our sights, however, were set on snorkeling in the Sea Aquarium. This is a coral-rich spot in the anchorage where the sea life is abundant. Thousands of types of fish swim around you, getting so close that it isn’t odd to feel a bump or push as they move about. We also spied sea turtles and Southern Rays during our two visits to the Sea Aquarium. We truly couldn’t get enough of it!

As enticing as it was to stay in the Land and Sea Park and discover more cays and islands, we needed to get south to the village of Staniel Cay. We arrived here on Friday and found a great anchorage spot in front of the famous Thunderball Grotto (from the James Bond movie “Thunderball”). Here we have easy access to town by dinghy so we can load up on fuel, some fresh vegetables from the local markets and also dump off some of our trash (which we are forbidden to do in the Land and Sea Park).

Finally. Joyously. Amazingly. We are here! In the Bahamas!

But let’s back up a step.

While still anchored at Coconut Grove last weekend, we started to see a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream opening up the following week. And it wasn’t just any weather window. It was the perfect weather we had been waiting for – a calm sea state with just enough south wind to allow us to sail. Yay! Finally!
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We finished off some last-minute provisioning in the Coconut Grove area on Saturday and then fit in a fun Superbowl party aboard Wild Horses on the Sunday. It was a great evening of snacks, football, chatter and laughter. It was fabulous to have our friends from Mokacat, Tekana and Ancora aboard to watch the big game with us!

The next morning was Monday and it was clear that our great weather window would be on Wednesday. Very exciting! We moved Wild Horses back to No Name Harbor to stage for our crossing. Our friends on Tekana also moved their boat back to No Name Harbor, but not before doing a little shakedown sail of their “new-to-them” roller furling jib. They had purchased it used for a song and completed the refit themselves, including resizing the rigging and sail. Their test sail on Monday went spectacularly well and they were pleased as punch. These two are incredible!

At No Name Harbor, we prepped the boats for our crossing and did even more last-minute provisioning (and a last beer at the Winn Dixie produce bar 😉). On Tuesday evening our friends on Ancora moved their boat to No Name Harbor and all the crew from the three boats gathered on Ancora to discuss our upcoming journey. The plan was for Wild Horses and Ancora to leave at first light (0630 hrs) on Wednesday morning and head to Bimini to clear into the Bahamas. The following morning, on Thursday, we would head to the Mackie Shoal to spend a night on the Bahama Bank. Tekana, a slower boat, would leave No Name Harbor on Wednesday afternoon and sail overnight directly to the Mackie Shoal, arriving on Thursday at noon. We had our plan! Now, let’s go!
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Our departure on Wednesday was easy…and crowded! No less than ten boats headed off to Bimini from No Name Harbor that morning. It was fun to be part of a huge pod!

​Our crossing was smooth with just a touch of wind and we were able to motor-sail the whole way. We were docked at Bimini Bluewater Marina and cleared into the Bahamas by 3pm. Easy! We even had time to replace our ratty old Gorilla-taped bow roller with a very sturdy one made of Delrin, purchased while we were still in Miami. It works amazingly well and looks far prettier than Gorilla tape!

The next morning, Wild Horses and Ancora left the docks at Bimini and headed for the Mackie Shoal, a shallow area in the middle of the Bahama Bank, about halfway between Bimini and Nassau. But the cool part is that it is just that – a shallow area. There is no land. There are no markers. There is no cell service. You are in the middle of nowhere. On the ocean. Perfect.
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Although our target was the Mackie Shoal, we actually decided to overshoot it by about 20 nautical miles in order to make our next day’s travel to Andros a little easier. How did we communicate the change to our buddy boats when there is no cell service? With Ancora, it was just like any other day. They were in VHF range plus they have Starlink so we could communicate via text too. Communication with Tekana was also easy, even though they do not have Starlink. Once we were out of cell phone and VHF range, we just seamlessly switched to our Garmin InReach which allows for satellite texting.  This device has been the go-to for our boat tracking too. I highly recommend it for boating or hiking!

​This morning, we woke to flat calm seas and no wind. A blissful morning on the ocean! We have a 30 nautical mile trip to Morgans Bluff, at the top of Andros Island. I think the whole crew of Wild Horses will be happy to be back on land again, especially the four-legged one 😉!

We have now been in the Miami area for three weeks waiting for our weather window to cross to the Bahamas. Although it has been a long wait (and is continuing!), it has not been boring.  We are here with our great friends on Tekana and every day is a wonderful menu of fun things to do. Oh and, yes, we throw in a few necessary chores every day too, like making water or doing laundry. Adding to our days is constant weather watching. Not only are we looking for our weather window to cross, but we have also had to dodge and endure a few systems coming across our region.

​Mostly, the days have been hot and sunny, making it easy to get things done. We have managed to get Ocean’s international papers and all our last-minute stocking up provisions for a few months in the Bahamas. We have done a few fix-it things on the boat but we have really used these days to relax and enjoy the Biscayne area. Immediately adjacent to our anchorage is the Cape Florida State Park which houses miles and miles of nature walking trails, a scenic waterfront seawall trail, the historic Cape Florida lighthouse and a few restaurants. This park is a real destination for tourists and locals alike so it is often busy with people walking, biking and running on the trails, and fishermen camped out along the sea wall. Weekends here are especially a flurry of activity with boaters packing into the inner lagoon area. The outdoor restaurant near the lagoon plays live music and ends up packed every night with people trying to catch the incredible sunset over Biscayne Bay.

​For us, we have enjoyed easy access to shore via dinghy so we get to take advantage of all the park offers, plus we have an easy 20 minute walk into town to the hardware store or for groceries. Oh, and even better, the grocery store here hosts an actual bar inside with a never-ending happy hour. Patrons grab an inexpensive beer or glass of wine and do their shopping. Weirdly enough, it seems the bar is usually full of men enjoying the beer while the grocery aisles are full of women actually doing the shopping. I guess they found a way to make everyone happy! Another lovely bonus is that dogs are allowed in the grocery store. It is a fun time going through the aisles with Ocean!

​The latest weather system that came through the region this past weekend threatened strong west winds and a very unsettled sea state to our anchorage in No Name Harbor (Key Biscayne) so we moved 5 nautical miles west to Coconut Grove, where we could anchor close to the western shore of the bay alongside Miami. Even better was that our friend Dale on Mokacat and his pup Josie were already anchored here. We haven’t seen these two for almost two years so it was a great reunion for us, and also for Ocean who just adores Josie.

This latest weather system, although strong, was short lived at just 12 hours. Our anchor held well at our Coconut Grove anchorage, as did the anchors and moorings of all the hundreds of boats here. And, being close to land, the sea state was a gentle roll. It was definitely more comfortable than if we had stayed in No Name Harbor. While we received sustained winds of 17 with gusts to 29 and waves/swell of 1 foot overnight, No Name Harbor was far more impacted with sustained winds of 20 with gusts to 32 and waves/swell of 3 feet. That higher sea state is the kicker. The extra 2 feet means lots of rolling, bucking and fishtailing in a sailboat. Very uncomfortable to say the least!
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Post-winds, this system dropped the temperatures around here to near freezing. It is currently a very cold 2 degrees here which is shockingly cold for the Miami area. No worries though – the temperature is forecasted to return to normal tomorrow. We also have a possible crossing window this week. In just a few days we will not only be warm, we may be in the Bahamas!! 

Weather windows are the funniest things. Sometimes they arrive at the perfect time like some sort of magic. Most times, though, they only seem to materialize at the wrong time, when you can’t take advantage of them. You just watch them go by like clouds in the sky, hoping your timing with the next window will be better.
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What are weather windows? Well, they are precious treasures of whatever weather you need to get somewhere specific. It may be 15 knots of wind from the east or west, when you are travelling north or south on a lake. Or no wind when you are traversing a difficult waterway like the Mona Passage (between Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico), or it may just be the right wind strength and direction and comfortable sea state (waves or ocean swell) that make whatever sailing travel on the ocean safe and cozy for you and your crew.

Weather windows certainly come and go. Sometimes, they arrive just when you need them to arrive, which was the case when we first went south to the Bahamas in 2022. Back then, we saw a perfect weather window opening for the first week of January 2023 when we were in Vero Beach and we were able to make it work for us. We arrived in Fort Lauderdale on December 31, took a great weather window to Miami (No Name Harbor) and had the necessary few days to get Ocean’s international travel documents stamped by the USDA and to do our final stock up of provisions before the perfect weather window to cross the Gulf Stream for the Bahamas also materialized. It was perfection.

This year? Not so much.

Of course, there have been perfect weather windows this year but they came around when we were otherwise occupied. There was gorgeous weather in early December…but we were back in Green Cove Springs, still readying the boat. Then another lovely weather window over the holidays…but we were still making our way down the ICW in southern Florida.

Yesterday, after many days of watching weather, we actually had one of those perfect weather windows fall in our laps, allowing us to make our move on the ocean from Fort Lauderdale to Miami. Yes! It was a short 30 nautical mile trip along the coast and it was delightful. Well, except for the mayhem of the ultra busy Port of Miami harbour on a beautiful sunny Sunday. We survived but…wow!!!

Here at Key Biscayne in Miami, we will stage for our crossing to the Bahamas. We have a few tasks to get done while we still have easy access to spare parts and easy shopping. We will rent a car in the next few days to get Ocean to the veterinarian for her international papers and also to get our final load of provisions. Oh, and some replacement parts. 
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An odd event on our trip down here was that our new anchor bow roller decided to disintegrate. It was brand new this fall but managed to break down after just a few weeks of travel. It was obviously a dud! Not having a bow roller means lots of heavy lifting of the anchor and chain. For me. Yikes! Thankfully, our boat buddy Jean came up with a great suggestion just in the nick of time. Before the bow roller fully broke off, we wrapped it in Gorilla tape to keep all its parts together and to keep it rolling. It worked! That tape is like flexible steel. Nothing is breaking it down! Oh, and we are also lucky that the closest West Marine to us here in Miami had one Wild Horses-sized bow roller left on the shelves. We pick it up tomorrow!

​The other thing we need while we are here is lots of rest. We are exhausted from day after day of travel through West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. We motored every day after leaving the Vero Beach area, going through about 27 bridges (most of which we had to call to have opened and time for our arrival) and completing 140 nautical miles of the ICW. We fought many 4 knot currents, boat traffic craziness, busy anchorages, lots of shallow bits, and even going aground passing by one particularly dicey ocean inlet (Don’t worry – Wild Horses is fine. It was just a sandbar and the rising tide allowed us to float free just 10 minutes later. Yes, we were shaken and stirred but, otherwise, no worse for the experience). 

​Oh, and that magical next window we need to allow us to cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas? Well, it hasn’t made any appearances yet but that is okay with us. It will arrive when it arrives and, this time, we will be ready. Bahamas hang on! We are coming for you!