November Pictures
Milo and Roger underway from Carolina Beach, N.C to Charleston, S.C.
Entering Charleston Harbor
Fort Sumner in the background
Sunset underway to Cumberland Island from Charleston.
Not too bad a day for the cat all in all
Arriving at Cumberland Island
Leaving Cumberland Island for Miami
The Florida coast skyline of endless high rises
Entering Miami's Government Cut...a little blustery
Miami bookends at the cut entrance
Nice Miami Vice colors
Looking up the channel to Miami downtown
Shango in Govt. Cut after her sail from Cumberland Island. Miss Amy doing her thing.
Milo very happy after the rocking and rolling had stopped.
The view back to Miami downtown from our anchorage at South Beach
Miami Beach's Lincoln Avenue Mall....all shops no cars with access to the Beach
Notice sailboat on reach heading south....that means wind would be in
our face heading across Gulf Stream to the Bahamas.
This was day 5 of waiting. So far we are holding for a sail and not a 50
mile motor.
Our last night in Miami at our Venetian Island anchorage. We'd come back to this spot again for final provisioning and weather window waiting..
Amy forced me to take this picture...she liked the tall palm tree....
this one too...she liked the yellow bungalow????.
Finally leaving Miami Thanksgiving Day at slack water 1:45 pm
Next stop the Bahamas....across the Gulf Stream to North Rock (northern tip of Bimini), across the banks to Nassau to clear in.
25 hours later, the abandoned light house guarding Nassau Harbor.
Not quite the feel you get arriving at islands further south. For the time being at least, this scope of tourism is found only in the Abacos, Grand Bahama, and here in Nassau.
A New Zealand 12 meter and a cruise ship at the dock in Nassau.
No matter how many times I see one of these guys I always feel compelled to take their picture. They are so big.
A close-up view of Paradise island across the harbor from Nassau, home of the Atlantis Resort
local fishing vessel
Our next task was to clear in. All went well except Milo's health certificate was too old. We obtained it the day before we left in September but the rule says within 48 hours of arrival in the Bahamas. A vet was supposed to come to our boat that night but never did. So Milo is the only illegal member of the crew.
Our first Bahamian sail heading to Highborne Cay from Nassau on a very tight beat for Shango, 38 degrees apparent...she's not a fine-tuned race horse but she'll get you there safely and comfortably.
More of the same. It was a wonderful 5 hour sail in 12-15 knots. We felt that we had finally arrived and could begin to enjoy ourselves after all the preparations and effort to get here.
Arriving at the north end of Highborne Cay.
Motoring down the beach to our first anchorage.
Our first anchorage.
Amy finalizing plans for the next day's Thanksgiving dinner, before we had our celebratory bubbly.
We made it!!
Our illegal crew member is also quite happy to be done with overnights and bumpy passages.
Our first of 6 months of Bahamian sunsets.
The beach at Highborne Cay
Shango at anchor at Highborne
Norman's Cay
The famous wrecked DC-3 in Norman's Pond. Remnant of drug ring who had a base of operations on Norman's in the 60's.
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Ruins of Norman Cay drug operation.
View from abandoned dock at ruins.
View south from the dock toward Shroud and Hawksbill Cays our next destinations.
The trawler Halagain anchored at Norman's Pond. A couple from Canada making their 23rd winter trip to the Bahamas!
Amy smiling in front of Norman's Cay Beach Resort despite the fact that the McDuff's bar did not open until 5:30pm..and it was only 3:30pm.
Our anchorage at Norman's.
Our not too taxing 8 mile trip to Shroud Cay
Shroud Cay Anchorage
Looking back across the banks to the east, miles and miles of 12 feet of water
Dinghying across the interior of Shroud to the sound side beach.
The opening out to the sound
The ocean side cut
Looking straight out across the sound to Eleuthera
Looking north up the beach. We were all alone on Shroud. Nice way to spend the afternoon.
Amy's favorite pastime....searching for Sea Beans and other flotsam treasures
The end of the line
Amy's harvest.....check out the breast pockets
Shango waiting for us upon our return from the sound side of the Cay.
The Harvest....12 heart beans and 1 of the more elusive hamburger beans
The end of our first day at Shroud Cay
The next day we visited the northern ocean side beach via another route through the mangrove interior of Shroud.
Another day another beach
Amy at it again...
The view from Camp Driftwood on Shroud
We encountered this guy on our walk up to Camp Driftwood..
If you look closely in the center of the picture you can see Shango at its anchorage across the mangrove interior on the banks side of the island
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The view southeast from the hill
It's amazing that anything green can grow in this hot, salty, windy, and arid environment.
Our ride back to the mother ship...