So, this is the story of our 2nd (and last) week in the Bahamas. Most Americans and Canadians we meet here spend months there, but most of them don't get any further than this. They think it is a huge achievement when you tell them that you have come from Europe to sail here and look completely amazed when we tell them that we are also going to sail back this summer. The Bahamas is a very beautiful and varied sailing area that certainly deserves more than 2 weeks. Well, then we have another reason to come back. By the way, this is the first place of which I (Toine has this less) regret that we cannot stay there any longer. But we both fully support the choice to continue to the USA now. For several reasons ... 1) so we have enough time to sail from Florida to the Chesapeake at our leisure and that is very convenient considering the changeable weather in that area and 2) now we are in Cape Canaveral just in time to see the launch of the Discovery on Monday morning April 5th. And that seems like a huge experience to us as well. Tonight we leave Nassau for the crossing of just under 2 miles to Cape Canaveral, Florida. In the course of Saturday, April 3 we arrive.

Now first back to last week in the Bahamas. Last time we ended up at Staniel Cay's and there we pick up the thread again. The snorkeling in and around Thunderball Cave is an experience. Lots of fish so tame they eat bread out of your hand. Outside around the cave there is a lot of beautiful coral and also a lot of different fish. We haven't seen it that beautiful so far. But it is important to turn around here, otherwise it will flow much too fast. Also the cave is only accessible at low tide. In the afternoon, when we are still enjoying ourselves on the boat, suddenly a dinghy comes to our refuge and shouts very loud 'hello ... Dutch people'. It turns out to be the crew of the Sea Walk, Sergej and Issabelle with their children Alec (6 yrs) and Katie (4 yrs). They have been on the road for almost three years and will return to the Netherlands next summer. Sergej turns out to be a former CMG colleague of mine. What a small world. They come on board for a while and immediately we have all kinds of things to talk about and a lot of information to exchange. Unfortunately the meeting is of short duration, because the next day we continue to the north and they to the south. We were able to buy their maps and pilots of the Chesapeake and I got a great recipe for delicious French bread!

On Sunday morning we go for breakfast (then we have high tide and that's no superfluous luxury here) on our way to Warderick Wells. That is a national park where you can only lie on moorings. We signed up the day before (via VHF 9) and are assigned mooring number 20 in the north bay of the park. According to the Sea Walk (who have been there for a month) a very nice place. The moorings are located in a large bay in the middle of the reefs and sandbanks. There is only a very narrow canal that gives access to the moorings and we are doing it again just before low tide so that we see again a little above 2.0 meters on the counter. Pretty exciting, there is no room for navigational errors, but with combined forces it goes very well. What a beautiful place this is. Also here it flows quite well and you can only swim around the turning point. We make a short walk to the west side of the island and spend the rest of the afternoon snorkeling, reading, lazing and internet on the boat. Again beautiful coral, lots of fish ... and huge rays. They just swim in the bay between the boats. What a joekels, we've never seen them that big! It's beautiful!

The followinghe day, right after breakfast, we go out into the country for a long walk across most of the island. Very beautiful, but also very tiring. Over rocks and through dense palm forests, and back a bit through the loose sand. But what a beautiful nature! Once back on the boat we spend the rest of the afternoon snorkelling, reading and lazing around. This time Eline sees three big rays together, one full of dots. At night the expected cold front pulls over with lots of wind and some rain. Glad we are well protected by a mooring here. The next morning the wind is still strong. Every morning at 9 a.m. Darcey from the Exuma Park asks which boats leave so she can assign the moorings to new boats. Yesterday and also today no boat leaves, it is not after that. We too decide to stay another day longer. In the afternoon Eline and I go snorkelling again (at turnaround and low tide) and then we see lots of rays and a shark again! Brr .... but quickly back to the dinghy. In the evening we eat a delicious piece of Cobb meat, really feast! We have a good internet connection and therefore we can look up a lot of information about Florida. We also made a reservation for the marina in Cape Canaveral.

Our last stop in the Exuma's is Allens Cay .... again a beautiful place with the anchorage amidst small islands in clear blue/green water, lots of iguanas on the side that are curiously watching us and .... lots of conches on the bottom. As soon as we arrive in the afternoon we dive into the water and soon we come back with our dinner ... conchfritters with a hot sauce, rice and conch-salad. Accompanied by a beautiful setting sun; a better last evening in the Exuma's we can't wish for. After a quiet night we leave this morning for the 5 o'clock trip to Nassau. The last part over the shallow Great Bahama Bank, between two sandbanks (Middle Ground and Yellow Bank). A small part is full of shallow coral heads that can only be avoided by sight. But the sun shines nicely in the water and we see them very well, so that is not a problem. Today is the 1st of April and this morning I received an email from Jack that I have been working for Achmea/Interpolis for exactly 12.5 years. I had nicely forgotten that myself!

The stop is Nassau is a pure efficiency stop. We came to the Bahamas for the beautiful unspoiled nature and not for the city and its hustle and bustle. We will find that again in America. No, we stop because for the first time this trip we have run out of water. Unfortunately, our water maker broke down (it only gives salt water) and making our own water is not possible for a while. We already know the cause and a new part is sent by Rob Wink so Toine can replace it in Cape Canaveral. Also, our gas cylinders (on which we cook) are not suitable for filling in America and we heard from the Sea Walk that you can buy a good and cheap 'adapter' here in Nassau so that the American filling hose will fit. We are now anchored in the bay of Nassau, Toine is on his way to get the adapter and I have some time to publish this report. We have already been able to fill up with water at the tank jetty where we also bought a nice Spanish mackerel for dinner tonight. By leaving around 23:00 tonight, we will be able to do the last shallow part over another stretch of Great Bahama Bank exactly tomorrow in daylight and then we will arrive in Cape Canaveral in daylight on Saturday, April 3. All of you Happy Easter!!! Until next time ... from America!!!