Burntside Adventures: In the Bahamas

Lots has happened over the past 3-4 days, since the last post. We made our way to Fort Pierce and en route fueled up at Vero Beach. Then a couple of hours later anchored at Fort Pierce, a nice quiet anchorage in a busy part of the ICW at Faber Cove. The next day was favorable and went outside to the Lake Worth inlet. The plan was to stay outside as much as possible to avoid the multiple Florida bridges that are low and we can't get under. Most of them open on a schedule, so you have to wait for the opening. After we anchored at Lake Worth, I was doing chores in the engine in anticipation of crossing to the Bahamas in the next week or so when I got a phone call. Jeff Janecek was on the phone. He came into our anchorage and recognized the boat. He is the guy we chartered from in the Apostle Islands 15 years ago. We had emailed back and forth over the years and ran into him last fall coming down the east coast for a few days. It turns out he and his wife were going to cross to the Bahamas the next day, crossing to Grand Bahama Island. Our plan had been to go further south and then cross to Bimini with a good push from the gulf stream. Long story short, he asked if we wanted to buddy boat across with him leaving early and we decided to go for it. We were fueled up, watered up and provisioned up, so at 0430 yesterday morning we left in the dark out the Lake Worth inlet for Freeport. It was an 11 hour transit in 3 foot waves but the boat did fine and stabilizers made it reasonable the whole way despite beam seas. The wrist bands I got Cindy for motion sickness worked great and she did great. We called and got a slip at the Grand Bahama Yacht Club last night to clear in. They have customs and immigration onsite. Got that accomplished and this morning got a good hike in, biked to the BTC Bahamian Telecom Company, got the chip installed in my phone so now we have internet. Our Bahamas cell number is 242-439-9102. The wind is picking up over the next few days from the southeast, which is the direction we want to go, so will sit tight here until it lays down. We left the marina mid day and moved a quarter mile down the waterway inside the barrier beach and are at a pretty nice quiet anchorae to wait out weather. Jeff Janecek is tide up at some shirt tail relative's dock a mile furhter down and will probably get together with them tomorrow for happy hour or dinner or something. It was nice coming across with another boat, giving an additional layer of security. Last year we crossed alone both ways. When the weather allows, will head southeast to the Berry islands.