Day 44: We Made It!

No Name Harbor, FL to Brown’s Marina, Bimini, Bahamas (docked)

February 27, 2022

We left No Name at about 6:15 – there was enough light to make our way through the channel. The wind felt kinda great and we were moving well.

We expected the wind to shift from the east (the direction we were heading, so the wind was blowing against us) to the south (which would be in the direction of the Gulf Stream and push us along).  It did not happen.

We bounced around for most of the trip – hours of up and down with an occasional side roll.  We kept thinking the wind would change so we kept heading east.

After I got sick (ugh, it happened) I took a Dramamine and a nap in the cockpit.  I had such lovely dreams of living in a house!  I won’t make the mistake of napping on the sunny side again!

I woke up to deep blue Gulf Stream water.

In order to stay clear of a container ship in the distance, John turned Lailia.  Unfortunately that turn dislodged my kayak from where it had been strapped on the davit on the stern.  We tried several times to snag the kayak but ultimately we had to let it go.  It was upsidedown and there were no good holds for the boat hook to grab… Especially since we were bouncing around.

We’re not sure exactly what happened – whether the davit broke and loosened somehow cut through the kayak straps or if the movement of the kayak did something to the davit, but a bar from the davit came loose.  John and I had to  work to tie down that bar and to try to attach the dinghy to other parts of Lailia just in case we had a complete davit failure.

Gradually the waves started calming down and as we got closer to Bimini the water color began to change to let us know the water depth was a lot more shallow.

We are finally here in Bimini! We are sitting in the marina watching rays and tropical fish swim under our Lailia. John has checked us in with immigration and customs. Tomorrow we’ll explore Alice Town a bit and see if we can get some internet sim cards as well as some parts to repair the davit.