Made it back to Marathon in the Keys Thursday. Sat for 2 weeks at Morgans Bluff on the north end of Andros Island (Bahamas) waiting on a weather windows to cross back over the 200 miles from there to the Keys. 3 days of no land in sight except when you pass South Riding Rocks at the western edge of the Great Bahama Bank. We spent the first day getting to about 20 miles east of South Riding Rocks and anchored on the Banks for the night. Pretty bouncy the first half of the night.
Left about 8 in the morning the second day and went all day headed for Florida 100 miles across the Florida Straights and the Gulf Stream. Headed southwest until the stream started to slow the boat. Then started turning north one degree at a time to keep the boat speed about 4 1/2 to 5 knots. Got into the main part of the stream and it started taking us north as we stayed on a heading of about 260 degrees. Not as far north as I thought it would. Came out the other side of the stream around 4 in the morning and continued SW and went in at the Channel 5 bridge north of Marathon around 9 in the morning after going all night (25 hours). We were then able to turn the engine off and sail the last 20 miles to Marathon.
Lots of traffic in the shipping lanes crossing both ways.
It was nice to have AIS (all those targets are large ships) and ....
.... be able to see the tankers, cargo ships and cruise ships. Only had to talk to one and they then changed course a little and..
... went astern of us. Nice of them. I'd for sure recommend having the ability to at least receive AIS for anyone wanting to make the trip to the Bahamas. I had it on the Mac also and it helps in the shipping lanes a lot, especially at night. We were in the lanes for about 4 hours of the night going and coming and the AIS is really nice then.
We had a great time in the Bahamas and even waiting for the two weeks (longest I ever had to wait) was very enjoyable at Morgans Bluff.
Things there are spread out and the few places to get food or a meal are about 4-5 miles from the harbor. Just start walking that direction and someone will come along and offer you a ride. We would always offer something to help with the gas ($5.00+ a gallon there), but they would usually refuse to take it and the Bahamas is a third world country in many ways and the people don't have much. A lot of them lost their home a couple years ago in a hurricane. Great people!!
This will be our last trip there. When we get back to the yard in about a week the boat will go up for sale and this part of our life will come to an end. Still going to keep the Mac for trips on lakes in the west, but probably not back to Florida. It has been good to be able to make these trips, especially at my age, and Dottie and I are very grateful for that. Get out there and do what you want to before you find that time has slipped by you.
Will head for the Everglades tomorrow and Marco the day after. Take a day or two off and then 3-4 days north to the yard (Charlotte Harbor Boat Storage),
Sumner
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1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas