Bouncing Back
Our first week in the Bahamas was slightly underwhelming.
“We’re always looking for ways to make our lives easier. But in our relentless pursuit of comfort and convenience, we’ve lost sight of just how valuable discomfort can be. The easiest way is rarely the most fulfilling.”— Michael Easter, The Comfort Crisis
The wind, rain and a few restless sleeps had us feeling down. It was a very busy weekend getting ready, a Gulf Stream crossing and then very few anchorage options to hide from the wind. It’s not always white sand beaches and perfect sunsets.
We also felt paralyzed by the choices of where to go next. Should we stop at the Berry Islands? Head straight for Exuma? Do we hit Andros or Nassau on the way? The options and combinations are truly endless.
I can feel you rolling your eyes at these “awful problems” we have.
It may seem like simply choosing between island paradises, but we also factor in the wind, weather, protection and holding at the anchorage, and access to land. A bad choice can not only be uncomfortable, but it can be unsafe.
Regardless of the reasons, we were in a funk and determined to break out of it.
On Saturday, we moved to the northwest corner of Andros Island for a night. The 63 NM trip was wet. We started with rain and wind gusting over 30 kts. It was a rough day beating into the wind, which once again didn’t change direction as forecast.
We raced the sunset into the anchorage and got settled in the dark. It was our first visible sunset since arriving in the Bahamas and very much worth the wait. Everyone was exhausted so we cleaned up, ate dinner and went to bed.
What a difference a day makes. On Sunday, we sailed off anchor, through the Northwest Channel toward the tongue of the ocean. It’s crazy because you come off the banks that are 10-15 feet deep to over 5,000 feet of water. We had very high hopes of catching dinner trolling along the drop off but got skunked once again.
We pulled into Morgan’s Bluff, about 43 NM from our last stop, and anchored before sunset. Sunday night sourdough pizza has become a staple onboard. On this day, it was a welcome consolation prize without fresh fish.
Side note: Please send all of your favorite sourdough recipes. We are learning as we go but loving the process so far.
The plan is to hang out here for a few days, give the boat a much-needed cleaning, take care of some chores and explore the bluff.
Even when the days or weeks feel daunting, it’s nice to gain perspective. How lucky we are when the weather is perfect and the waters are calm. It’s easy to take for granted.
If it was easy, everyone would be out here doing this. It’s hard. The ocean tests you. You become stronger and smarter. The universe rewards perseverance.
Nothing beats the feeling of facing your fears and coming out the other side. Comfort kills more dreams than failure ever will.
Check out all the trip details with the SeaPeople links below:
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