Way Back From the Bahamas

Sea was this calm throughout over return journey via the Gulf Stream

While heading south of the Bahamas, we were in a hurry to reach Georgetown on Great Exuma Island because our son was flying in to visit us, followed by our daughter’s family visiting the week after. So, we barely stopped on the way. Overnight journey to Chubb Cay and stay at West Bay, Highborne Cay, the next night, and then in Black Point Harbor for one night. So we spent no more than 4 nights (and 5 days) going from North Palm Beach to Georgetown.

We planned to spend more time meandering around on our way back. We planned to stop at Cambridge Cay and explore areas around O’Brien’s Cay, and to spend a few days in the Exumas Sea and Land Park, which is best explored from Warderick Wells Cay. As it turns out, we had to scratch that plan, too. While we were in Stanley Cay, we looked at weather projections every day, in fact twice a day, checked Windy's app and Chris Parker’s emails.

Ultimately, we decided that given that the winds were projected to be in the 30s and at times from the north, it was best to look for a weather window that would allow us to cross the Gulf Stream in reasonable comfort and get us back to Florida in time to attend to urgent tasks of having to move out furniture temporarily from our apartment that is being remodeled. We did enjoy the Bahamas. Gained quite a bit of experience and lost our fear of crossing the Gulf Stream.

As newbies, we had been quite worried about crossing the Gulf Stream. Having done that twice now, once eastbound and then westbound on our return, we are now more confident in our abilities. I find that the key is to have the flexibility to wait for a good weather window. The ideal is to have less than 10 knots of wind NOT coming from the north.