We made it to the Bahamas, baby!

There is almost no need for words as we entered the sheltered channel of Bimini, Bahamas. Just look at the photos. The water went from 1,500ft deep and very dark, to under 20 ft within the space of a few hundred yards as we came off the edge of the continental shelf. The color of the water here is like none of us has ever experienced. We weren’t weary after the journey, just felt massive elation that we had done it and we had made it here. We hoisted our yellow quarantine flag and headed into the marina.

Our first few nights we stayed in BlueWater marina, really well placed, friendly dock master and easy to get to the Customs and Immigration office. Pete as the Captain of the boat was the only one allowed off to check us in but he was bag with passports stamped and a 3 month cruising permit for the boat within about 30 minutes. There was clear water under us but bull sharks roaming so we didn’t swim in the marina….!

And so we started to explore…. Oscar finally got to take out his cricket bat and play on the beach as was on his bucket list, we swam in the warm sea and met the locals. The Bahamians that we have met, even a week in, as we are are so friendly. The kids are learning to not be shy as is their natural go to, and to catch eye contact and smile at the kids and the grown ups here as everyone smiles back. They are wanting to be independent already and go off exploring the nature around them. We went into the local grocery stores to see what our provisioning might be like for the next few months (the kids like the fact that due to its history and strong British roots, they could also find British chocolate here! :) ). It simply feels a world away from the hell of Miami and the often unfriendly and unhelpful Keys residents 50 miles away, it it quite extraordinary.

Let the culture shock sink in and the proper experience of traveling somewhere slow and long begin.