We returned to Treasure Cay on Saturday, April 20. We cut the connecting flight to Marsh Harbor a bit close, and as a result we made the flight but our bags did not. So the next day was spent both shopping and running down our bags. We had to rent a car--some kind of 70's style Buick with about a gazillion miles on it--"cash only and don't worry about drivers licences or insurance". So, yadda-yadda, bags found, boat provisioned, tanks full, ready to go!
Not so fast, because now came the weather and plane issues for our two arriving crew, Josh and Peter, stuck in Ft. Lauderdale. Fortunately their 6 hour delay did not turn into a cancellation, and they made it just in time for a delicious take out "everything-on-it" pizza and Bahamian beers.
So on Tuesday, April 23 we said goodbye to the Bahamas, headed north for Loggerhead Channel and out into the Atlantic for our run north to Norfolk.
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| Bennett acquaints Peter with the helm while motoring out of Treasure Cay. |
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| Josh at the foredeck--Pratique passes final inspection! |
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| Susan at the helm to start her first bluewater passage! |
Our weather forecasts dictated that we either shoot out northeast or northwest, to avoid as best as possible north winds on our nose and a nasty Gulf stream crossing ahead of us. The other wild card factor was that the Gulf Stream from the Carolinas to just north of Hatteras, which usually provides a boost of 2-3 knots when going north, was all broken up and in several areas would be against us. So much for the favorable Gulf Stream effect. I decided the northwest routing would give us more options later on, especially if things got potentially nasty for crossing the stream above Hatteras.
However, except for a few bouncy nights, we had a pretty good run north!
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| Heading North! |
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| Shorts and T-Shirts! |
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| Peter at the helm |
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| Bennett and First Safety Officer Susan |
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| Landing the Big Mahi! |
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| OK, Well not that big . . . . |
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| This Mahi gets a second chance, getting slid off the swim platform! |
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Approaching Beaufort NC, passing part of Cape Lookout
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We decided to run the last 24 hours in the ICW from Beaufort to Norfolk:
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| On the ICW |
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| Definitely need to stay in the channel! |
We made it to Norfolk VA by nightfall, just in time for the next crew to deliver a late nite dinner from Captain Groovy's followed by a good nite's sleep for all 7 of us! Then the next morning we completed the crew swap: Susan, Josh and Peter for Hank, Rick, and Chuck.
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| Hank, Rick, Chuck |
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| Pratique in her new slip in Warwick, R.I. |
So ends our first year aboard Pratique. Now comes figuring out how to spend even more time cruising. Ideas, anyone???
Bennett and Susan Kashdan
