Arrival in Alice Town, Bimini

Clearing customs, exchanging the Q-flag for the Bahamian flag

Walt caught an albacore tuna crossing the Bahama bank enroute to Chub Cay

Nassau, New Providence.  Atlantis resort in background

Iguanas at Allan's /Leaf Cays, Exumas

Moonrise at Warderick Wells, Dec. 28, 2012

Going ashore at high tide to hike Boo Boo Hill, Warderick Wells, Exuma State park

Oops...low tide left us high & dry

Walt asking the gecko for directions on the trail at Warderick Wells

Sand dollar decoration with "Windspell 2012" painted on it

Boaters add their boat's name to driftwood/natural item and leave it atop Boo Boo Hill, Warderick Wells

It has been 11 days since we left Miami and had a picture-perfect crossing to Bimini Island, Bahamas.  The transition to the "out islands" was very obvious as we raised the Q-flag (quarantine) and cleared into a new country.  The water was clear and turquoise, the pelicans and sharks were fighting for scraps of fish offered  at the fish cleaning station and locals were singing Christmas revival spirituals in the street.
As we crossed the Bahama Bank the next morning in light winds and with a Canadian single-hander following us since Miami, the fishing reel sang a high note and we landed an Albacore tuna.  Our Canadian friend caught 2 inedible barracudas.  We anchored in 15 feet of water that night in the middle of nowhere in calm, but surging seas.  The BBQ tuna that night was tasty!
We entered Chub Cay by early afternoon, took on fuel and went for our first snorkel. A large catamaran from the US hosted the entire anchorage and entertained us with guitar and fiddle music, with some mandolin thrown in as well.
We left early the next morning for Rose Island, but had to divert because of a storm which wasn't supposed to catch up with us until the next day.  As a result, we "experienced" Nassau and Paradise Island's City of Atlantis Resort/Casino.  Our Canadian single-hander friend suffered some damage and was lucky to make it in to Nassau.  He will be making repairs to his 27' boat.  A few days later Windspell had a great sail across to the Exuma's  to Allan's Cay where we really got into the snorkeling and had to share a beach with a group of iguanas-always waiting for the next tourists from Nassau to feed them grapes on a stick.  With us, they had to settle for goldfish crackers-probably a nice change for them!
Now we are slowly making our way down the Exuma islands (cays), stopping on various islands to hike ashore, snorkel the reefs (morning and afternoon slack tides), plan our next sail, read books, paint, and make mental lists of marine wildlife encountered so far.  Currently we are in the first Land and Sea park in the world, established by the Bahamas in 1958.  We have seen spiny lobster, reef and nurse sharks, spotted mantas, sting rays, turtles, large groupers, and a multitude of coloured reef fish with a background of hard and soft corals.  The list goes on....We wish everyone a Happy New Year and all of the best for 2013!