We had a slightly rolly, very rainy (at least on my watch) but otherwise uneventful crossing, and I had to slow down to keep us off the coast until sunrise. We anchored to set out fenders and raise the quarantine flag. It sounds silly, but I’m always excited to raise the Q flag – it means we’ve pretty much made it. The customs dock was completely full, so we went back out on anchor and I dinghied in to get us cleared in. I’d never checked in before and was nervous about it, but it was super easy (we already did Click2Clear). Within a half hour, we had a cruising permit and visas, and I replaced the Q flag with our slightly worn Bahamian courtesy flag.
We got a slip at Old Bahama Bay and came in during lunch since it was a work day. Of course we had a small celebratory sip of our good Zacappa rum as soon as we were settled, but then it was back to work. We were both pretty wiped, so we had an early dinner at the restaurant here and knocked out by 7:30.
I am SO excited to see those amazing Bahama blues again! Walking around Old Bahama Bay this morning, I realized that this season already feels different. Seeing those beautiful blues was a homecoming, every bit as much as seeing the NYC skyline gives us the feeling of arriving home in the north. Today, we grabbed conch salad for lunch at the tiki bar and ended up chatting with Harold, one of the managers here. He talked to us like we were old friends and reminded me that while the crystal blue waters are beautiful, it’s the people that make the Bahamas so special – almost everyone is warm and welcoming. I’ve come to love these islands and their amazing people so much in the last two years, and I almost have to pinch myself that I get to spend another season here.
