TO THE BAHAMAS AND BACK
NOVELLA | O’DAY 25
THE BAHAMAS +
NOVEMBER 28, 2024 – JUNE 2, 2025
We took 9 days off from boating after finishing the Loop. We visited family and performed some routine maintenance on the outboard. We then found ourselves once again trying to outrun the cold as we headed south down the river systems.
We stopped in Panama City, Florida, for a month to prep Novella for a safe passage to the Bahamas, while also loading up on food and supplies. We then headed to the Keys to wait for our weather window.
Once in the Bahamas, we tried to slow down and embrace island life. However, our desire to see as much of the islands as we could had us on the move. We made it as far south as Georgetown in the Exumas. We enjoyed swimming and snorkeling, hiking, and hitch-hiking. We met some lovely people and ate some tasty food!
We learned a lot during this trip! Mostly, that we had outgrown our little sailboat…
THE ROUTE
HIGHLIGHTS
INCREDIBLE WATER CLARITY
SWIMMING & SNORKELING
ADVENTURES IN THE DINGHY
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH SEA LIFE
TENNESSEE
NOVEMBER 28, 2024
It didn’t take us long to make our way out of the state!
STORIES The Sailing Adventure Continues
MISSISSIPPI
NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 1, 2024
Below freezing temps and a Thanksgiving meal for two.
STORIES The Sailing Adventure Continues
ALABAMA
DECEMBER 1 - 14, 2024
We froze the entire way down to Mobile. We tied up at a marina while we waited to step the mast for the last time.
STORIES A Return to Saltwater
FLORIDA
DECEMBER 14, 2024 - MARCH 8, 2025
We revisited many of our favorite stops from the year before and caught up with some Canadian loopers. Enjoyed an extended stay in Panama City, spending the holidays with friends. Suffered through five days of snow! Loaded up on food and supplies. Crossed the Gulf. Made our way to the Keys, where we finished our provisioning and said ‘goodbye’ to our one and only buddy boat.
THE BERRY ISLANDS
MARCH 9 - 23, 2025
Our Bahamas crossing took 25 hours and an entire bag of ginger chews. We took a week to settle in at the Great Harbour Cay Marina. While there, we attended a cookout and went for many walks in the warm sun. We swam in the blue hole at Hoffman’s Cay and harvested our own conch off Frazier’s Hog Cay.
STORIES Bahamas Crossing The Bahamas 2025
PARADISE ISLAND
MARCH 23 - 25, 2025
The one night we stayed anchored off Nassau was more than enough. The watercraft traffic was dangerous and uncomfortable. We spent a morning exploring the town, but found most of what we wanted to see was closed. We did find a nice grocery store and purchased some produce before heading over to Rose Island instead.
STORIES The Bahamas 2025
ELEUTHERA
MARCH 25 - APRIL 27, 2025
We did slow down a bit once we arrived at Eleuthera. We had been to the island before by plane and were looking forward to visiting from the comfort of our own home. We walked around the villages, ate at local restaurants, and got to know some of the friendly residents. While anchored in Governor’s Harbour, we became accustomed to daily swims right off the boat. We arrived at Rock Sound just in time for their Homecoming and enjoyed the week of festivities on shore.
STORIES The Bahamas 2025
THE EXUMA ISLANDS
APRIL 27 - MAY 18, 2025
The Exumas were wild and wonderful. The wildlife was abundant. If the water wasn’t crystal clear, it was a brilliant shade of blue. We enjoyed lots of swimming, snorkeling, and hiking. We took the dinghy out on adventurous excursions. We visited bubble baths and beaches. We decided that Georgetown was about as far south as we should venture this time around.
STORIES The Bahamas 2025
ELEUTHERA
MAY 18 - 22, 2025
Since we had already spent a lot of time on Eleuthera, we were focused on making some miles during this section. We went up to Spanish Wells, which was a new stop for us as cruisers. We noticed a change in seasons as the temperatures started to climb and the chance of thunderstorms increased.
STORIES The Bahamas 2025
THE ABACOS
MAY 22 - 28, 2025
We were nearing the end of our visas by the time we reached the Abacos. There were several 12-hour travel days in order to make some miles. We arrived in Hope Town in time for the captain’s birthday. To celebrate, we bought a new boat. Actually, that was just a coincidence. We spent our remaining days attempting to cool off at the pool and our evenings at the conch bar.
STORIES The Bahamas 2025
GRAND BAHAMA
MAY 28 - 29, 2025
We stopped at West End for fuel and spent our final Bahamian night anchored offshore. We tuned up the motor, mentally prepped for our crossing, and took a final dip in the sea.
STORIES The Bahamas 2025
FLORIDA
MAY 29 - JUNE 2, 2025
We had a decent crossing back to the States. Everyone was happy to go to the grocery store and pick out their favorite foods. We made it up to Titusville, Florida, where we docked Novella while we worked on bringing the new boat to the coast.
