We were on the customs dock in Old Bahama Bay, West End, Grand Bahama at 7:30 am and got everything in order. Chris went ashore to clear in with Customs once they opened, and I restored order to the inevitable disarray of an offshore passage. I was so excited, but I didn’t dare text anyone to say we’d arrived until I had our visas and cruising permit in hand. I lowered our quarantine flag and raised our Bahamian courtesy flag in a state of semi-disbelief.
We grabbed a slip for the night at Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbour, and once we were settled in, the enormity of it all washed over me. Over three months from departure and more than 1500 nautical miles from home, we did it. We ARRIVED.
We spent the day relaxing – we had amazing conch salad and a piña colada at the tiki bar, we walked the beach (and did a little beach clean-up), snorkeled, and lounged in the hammock. We met the crew of Ubiquitous (who we later realized that we’d seen in Charleston) and had a nice chat and got some good ideas on islands to visit. We also “met” the local resident bull sharks from a distance – there are three of them that live in the marina, and we saw them swim under the boat.
I must have commented on the color of the water a hundred times and taken a thousand photos, and I have a feeling I’ll never get used to the vibrance and variety of all those blues.
I can’t think of a more perfect way to celebrate my birthday, and I still can’t believe we’re here. I’m excited t to see what the next three months have in store!
