We are now in the Bahamas! We left St. Thomas last week on April 14th around 2:00pm. We finished three charters back to back aboard Split Second on April 13th, and immediately picked up two of our best friends Brynne and Cooper and readied ourselves for the long delivery ahead. We went out to dinner with a few friends the night before departing BVI for the season. This was much needed after 3 weeks of charters! The following morning, Brynne and I provisioned for the trip, while the boys geared up for fishing while underway.
The delivery to the Bahamas was not as calm as we were hoping for. Before we departed, the forecast was looking very favorable, but after 24 hours at sea, that changed very quickly! We experienced 30-35 knots of wind for the remainder of the trip…which was 4 days straight! The seas were quite large, but thankfully it was not on the nose. The only real benefit, was that we could sail most of the way, therefore conserving fuel and also making VERY good time. Split Second hit it’s highest speed underway, clocking in at 15.9 knots!!! Jon was excited about this for about 30 seconds and then quickly made the decision to put another reef in the main sail… Split Second is not built to be a performance catamaran… it is more of a float house ;-).
Of course, we all made it to Nassau safe and sound and were very happy to be on land. Here are a few of the little things we take for granted that you miss while on a crossing:
– Being able to walk in a straight line
– Sleeping in a quiet environment (Boats can be quite noisy underway)
– Being able to cook without having to worry about a pan staying on the stove
– Seeing land (we didn’t see anything (not even another boat) for about 4 of the 5 days.
– Working out! (Brynne and I got a cardio workout in on the first day, which turned out to be the only calm day).
– Being able to shower without holding yourself up against a wall.
These are just a few simple luxuries that you miss while at sea for days. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some perks. The ocean is absolutely beautiful. We were able to catch three Mahi Mahi while underway (thanks to Cooper!) and we also saw a few dolphins and whales to brighten the mood! It was also very relaxing at times. We had no internet and therefore no communication with anyone for most of the trip. This was actually quite nice! Going off the grid for a while is refreshing!
As soon as we docked in Nassau, we immediately relaxed and let loose. I would be lying if I didn’t tell you we spent most of our free days at the most amazing water park I have ever been too! ATLANTIS! This place is an adult playground! I have never seen Jon so excited in my life J… he made sure he did every ride twice! I had to give him the 20-minute count down to when we were leaving…every time we went!
We are now on charter with our owner and his family. This is actually the first time all of us have been able to explore the Exumas, so we are getting the lay of the land. We drop the owner off on May 5th and will have some more free time to explore before picking up our next charter on May 12th.
So far, we have been to Shroud Cay, Highbourne Cay, Warderick Wells, and we are now in Staniel Cay. Today is the day we get to swim with the pigs! As you can imagine, I have been excited about this day since August! I’ll be sure to take some pictures and share!
Hope everyone is enjoying Spring!
Cheers,
Kait and Jon