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Spring 2001

Our intentions this year were to begin a cruise to South America and a portion of the Amazon River. However, a problem of a business nature cropped up making it necessary to change our plans. In fact, for a time, it was unclear if we would even be able to make it away from the dock. Finally, February 22 there was a surprise resolution to the problem and the need for us to remain in South Carolina vaporized more suddenly than it appeared. By then, however, with no expectations of beginning such a long trip, we were unprepared. So, we decided to run from the cold and spend the rest of the winter and spring in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas Islands. The Amazon has waited for us for eons and we too could have a little patience.

The now familiar trip down the waterway to the Keys was as enjoyable as ever. On each trip we refine the anchorage locations for improved comfort, security and spacing. On arrival at Marathon’s Boot Key Harbor, we met up with Mariam and Mark on Delphys. Last fall, they had the misfortune to have had a bad car accident and for a variety of reasons, their plans for the spring cruise were uncertain.

With the hope that Delphys would join us later, we left Marathon for the Bahamas on March 25th.
Weather kept us on the hook at Angelfish Creek near Key Largo until March 31st. Then, with 4 to 5 foot seas and a modest SE breeze we had a good crossing to the Bimini Islands.

We called Delphys on the satellite telephone and learned that they were soon to head our way, so we decided to wait for them. After all, we were in the Bahamas and even there, in the heavily trafficked Bimini Islands, the swimming, diving and beach combing are great.

Delphys arrived on the 11th of April and soon thereafter; we crossed the Banks to the NW passage, Tongue of the Ocean and arrived at Morgan’s Bluff, Andros Island.

Andros Island is about the size of Puerto Rico and has the third longest barrier reef in the world
But it gets very poor press in the cruising world and we were determined to find out why. Morgan’s Bluff was nothing to get excited about. It has a small harbor and settlement, but nothing of much interest and there is little protection from Northers.