Another winter sailing adventure is over! After our stay in Marathon we sailed over to the Abaccos and spent six (windy) weeks showing the flag in Great Guana (did we ever take you to Nippers Beach BAR?), Hopetown, and Marsh Harbor.

For the trip over, we left Fort Laud at 3am with a forecast of 10-15 kn from the W and when we arrived at the stream we had 15-20 from the NW with "uncomfortable" seas. So, what else is new? At any rate, when we arrived at the banks off West End late that afternoon, the seas were breaking onto the banks making it too risky to run Indian Key channel onto Little Bahama Bank. Fortunately, we were able to get the last available slip at West End and unfortunately the wind didn't let up for five days at nearly $100/day.THEN, when it was time to come home, we sort of had the mirror image of the trip over. We motor-sailed from Hopetown to Great Sail with light easterly breeze. Next morning, the easterly breeze was blowing 20 kt and off we went to Mangrove Cay - we were the only boat there for the nite but had fair protection. The next morning the breeze was up to 25 kts from the east and the only place to go is West End, this time for a week, with winds at 25 knts from the east and seas in the stream reported as 10-15 ft. Anyway, we had a pretty good time while in the Abaccos, lots of windy days but did get some nice sailing, beaching etc. in Bakers Bay, Settlement Harbor and Hopetown.

Conquest is now in a slip on the waterway in Hollywood, across the street is a great beach, and we are getting the boat ready to be hauled for the summer to dry out the bottom and apply a new barrier coat.

We will be driving north within the next few days and I will spend a couple of weeks in RI before returning to Hollywood where I have rented an APT on the beach for the summer.