Set to go across

So the day came when we actually did leave Ladys Island Marina - on Sunday about 12 noon.  A few people came to see us off, partly because it was a big deal that Barry was leaving.  Anyone who'd been there a while had watched him diligently preparing his boat for this day and it finally came.

That's Becky, Ernie and Mark waiting patiently for us to go.

As we left, marina manager, Steve, and Captain Mike came back from a jaunt out to help another boat.

We finally got to go through Lady's Island bridge that we had walked across several times.

We arrived at the second bridge out about an hour later, just when the tide had gone out enough to let us under and to whoosh us through toward Port Royal inlet.   By sunset that night, we were out in the Atlantic and motoring south.

That first night, it was in the thirties.  I put three layers on top and bottom and wrapped a little quilt around my feet.  We each kept watch for several hours at a time.  Tom and I would take turns going down to our cabin to sleep.  Barry stayed topside.  When it wasn't his watch, he'd sleep in a quilted bedroll he'd made.

We followed that pattern for the three nights we were out.   Each night was less cool untll the last night was not cold at all.   We stayed out for 70 hours, using the foresail some to augment our speed and steady the ride.  

We are learning more facts about the boat.  It's a Catalina Morgan 504, built in 2002.  It is number 21 of those built and possibly the last one.  Its beam  is 15 feet so it is spacious.

Below is Barry's stateroom.

This is the galley

This is the salon.

This is our cabin and head (bath).

Tom and Barry look chipper at the beginning of our trip.

Fun to sit under the foresail, when it's out.

I'm supposed be out here, practicing drawing.  But there are distractions.

                

Finally, on Wednesday morning, we arrived at West Palm Beach, a good place to take off from when going to the Bahamas.        We spent Wednesday resting and Thursday shopping and walking around Peanut Island, a park located just inside the inlet to the ocean.                                                                                         

Now we're watching for a good time to go across to the Bahamas.  It looks like that might be Saturday when the winds will be from the south southeast and relatively slow at 8-10 mph.

Although it's only 50+ miles across, the wind and current will slow us.   We won't be setting anchor until about a day and half of sailing.

Once we leave, we won't have internet again for several days.   We will be checking into the Bahamas within the first three days of being there and should be able to buy internet/phone services then.   

Wish us good luck . . .