Stats for Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Origin: Angelfish Creek, Florida

Destination: Blue Water Marina, Bimini, Bahamas

Distance: 71 miles

Speed: 9 mph

Time on the Move: 7 hours and 53 minutes

We were up before first light to make preparations for our departure to Bimini. We were anxious and excited to get moving across the Gulf Stream to The Bahamas!!

We left out of Angelfish Creek, north of Key Largo, Florida. It is a popular jumping off spot to head to Bimini because it is an easy place to anchor and a fairly simple trip right out of the channel into the Atlantic.

The main factor in heading to the Bahamas is WEATHER, particularly concerning the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is a very deep (2000+ feet) area of strong current that flows south to north between Florida and the Bahamas. If the wind is coming out of the north, opposing the current, it creates huge waves that make travel very dangerous. So aside from choosing a good weather day, you also need to make sure the wind speeds are not too high in general, especially making sure the wind is not coming out of the north. We have been watching this weather window for a week or so and all sites say it is a great day to cross.

The Gulf Stream also pushes you north as you travel, and there is a whole equation you need to use to set your course to take advantage of the push from the stream (and so you don’t miss making landfall on these teeny tiny islands out in the middle of the ocean). Luckily for us, there is also a magenta line on our chart plotter that already considers this equation, and we can just follow all it all the way to Bimini.

An interesting thing about the Gulf Stream is that it is always changing. The width, speed, and location of the stream changes constantly. Our water was flat and calm for the first 15 miles or so before we got into the strong currents of the stream. At that point, the waves picked up significantly, coming right on our bow, and bounced us around for a good 2 hours or so in 3-4 foot chop. It wasn’t scary at all, but it was very bouncy. I felt like I was riding a bucking bronco for a bit. The helm of our buddy boat is much closer to the water, and they didn’t get the bouncing near as much as we did–I guess having that great view from the flybridge comes with a trade off.

In the heart of the stream we also encountered a lot of commercial shipping traffic. There were several tankers and cargo ships heading in a north/south direction and other pleasure boats heading east to the Bahamas. Again, another time that we LOVE having AIS, crossing the stream we were able to see what direction these ships were headed and what/when our closest point of approach would be. At one point, 2 ships were heading in our direction and the path for the second one was going to be within 300 feet of us which is way too close for comfort. When the ship was still 2+ miles away, the captain called Mike and told us he adjusted his path by a degree or two so that we wouldn’t come within 1 mile or more of each other. It is so comforting knowing those big boats can see us and our path just like we can see them.

About 4 or 5 hours through our trip, the waves suddenly smoothed out and the water was flat as can be. I have to say, that part of the trip was much more enjoyable than the bouncy hours. Taking the waves on the bow and having a friend boat nearby made the bounciness bearable, but smooth water is much more comfortable! Look at how blue that water is!! It was gorgeous!!

We actually saw quite a few flying fish crossing over to the Bahamas which was a first for us (I didn’t even know there was such a thing?!). It is almost like the boat startles these little fish (with wings?!) out of the water and they skim or skip across the surface, sometimes for quite a ways and sometimes in big groups. It is pretty amazing to see, but of course, very difficult to catch on video!!

The kids were up in the flybridge and in the sundeck for the early part of the trip through the wavy hours. After things settled down, they headed to Colin’s bed to play with legos and then watched Harry Potter. It is always nice having them around underway, but we also appreciate the peace and quiet when they are cooperating down stairs.

The closer we got to land, the water changed to different shades of blue. It kept getting lighter and lighter. It was beautiful!!

We got all settled into our marina and were anxious to go exploring, but first we had to clear customs. Technically only the captain is allowed off the boat until we’re cleared in, so we quick filled out the forms and had the kids each sign their own so Mike could make us legal!!

Thanks for reading and following along!! Lots more adventures to come in the Bahamas!!