The area of the Bahamas we’re in is called the Abacos. Best I can tell, it’s sort of like the “Florida Keys” in that there are lots of islands with their own name (the largest being Great Abaco), but collectively are called the Abacos. All the islands surround the Sea of Abaco, which is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by many of the islands and the 4th largest barrier reef system in the world.

So far, the Bahamas have been everything we could’ve possibly hoped for. Several times Allison has said that she thinks we just ought to stay here…why leave!? Other times she finds sand in her bed and wants to fly home immediately. Highs and lows.

We had our first boat guest in last week, and had such a great time. We bounced around each day for an hour or so sail to a new anchorage and beach each day. It couldn’t have been better weather…it was a perfectly sunny 75 degrees with wind 10-15kts out of the east.

Our daily rhythm tends to go something like this…

Wake up in the 7’s and drink a cup of coffee. Put on our workout gear & dinghy into the nearest island for a jog or a beach workout featuring various forms of torture such as burpees, squats, situps, pushups, lunges, or the like. Immediately after the workout I crash like an injured whale into the water for a cool down swim.

By 9:30 we’ve had a freshwater rinse and I’m scrambling some eggs with coffee #2.

Once breakfast is over, any number of things might happen. The options range from boat work, computer work, beach time, or weighing anchor. If schedule or weather has dictated that it’s a moving day, we’ll chart our route on Garmin’s awesome ipad app, then transfer the data to our on board chartplotter. Allison will take the wheel while I raise the anchor, and we’re off to the next spot.

If the wind is right, I’ll set the autopilot to follow the chartplotter’s preloaded route and raise some sails. The Abacos have been great because there are so many wonderful anchorages and islands to explore, all within 5-15 miles away.

So after an hour or two, we’ll drop the anchor again in 8-12′ of clear greenish water. I’ll throw my mask and snorkel on to jump in and make sure the anchor is well set, then we’ll take the dinghy in to the nearest beach or twon to do a little exploring.

By 5 you’ll find us fixing sundowners to enjoy on our boat or a nearby friend’s boat. By 7 we’ve had a nice dinner of freshly caught fish/lobster, or more likely, a frozen Trader Joe’s meal. Then we’ll open up our books and try to stay awake until the 8’s when we finally allow ourselves to go to bed.

They say 9pm is “cruiser’s midnight” and it’s so true!