January 20, 2024
From our log:
“Crew: Captain Mike, First Mate Erin, Second Mate Matthew, King and Sidney
16th wedding anniversary and splash day! We launched at 0700 and made our way down the ICW to St Augustine. It was an uneventful motor- other than being so cold. (I don’t remember that it was cold, truth be told- just that we were on our way.) We used the vent that Mike rigged from the engine room and that made it tolerable. in the enclosure.
Sea Rat and Seadacious splashed Thursday. Sea Rat is hunkered down at Fernandina as they don’t have an enclosure. SeaDacious is here in St Augustine for a few days. We are waiting for a new Starlink Cable and a few other items- most important being coffee. Looks like moving on Thurs the 25th- again on the inside.”
This was the start of our trip to the Bahamas. We made it to Vero Beach on the 27th where we waited for a replacement Starlink. It ended up being sent to SD and we had a heck of a time getting it sent to us. Our dear son-in-law Jon sent it to our oldest son’s friend Brady in Palm Coast, and he ended up delivering it to us. What a mess. But- we have realized we are safer and better able to do all the things with it, so we delayed our crossing.
On the 12th we moved to Ft Pierce then Jensen Beach the 13th. In Jensen Beach we had a delightful German meal and that’s where Brady delivered the Starlink.
The 15th we were FINALLY on our way across the Gulf Stream. We headed south then across from West Palm Beach inlet. It was roughly 22 hours of miserable conditions. There was nothing unsafe, but we rank it in our top 5 uncomfortable passages. Little did we know it wouldn’t get better for quite a while. Most of our passages and anchorages would remain rolly and nauseating for the next few weeks. Notable thoughts from the log; “M and Mike stood watch from 1900-0400……. I was grateful to be in bed as we were all seasick…… M did is first tack on his own and learned a lesson about over steering…… Dogs did well.”
We had finally made it, after a few setbacks. Next up: how we spent our first weeks back *home* in The Bahamas!
Stay tuned!
Slainte’
SV Voyager/The Preys Project 