Jacksonville To The Northern Exumas

ICW Pelican

We are in The Exumas!

We left Jacksonville on Saturday March 4th, wearing the Sail Queen’s Harbour shirts we have been given as gifts, and made our way down through the Intra Coastal Waterway towards our jumping off location at Lake Worth. We stopped at Palm Coast on Saturday evening, Titusville Sunday evening, Vero Beach Monday evening and fetched up at Sailfish Marina in Lake Worth on Tuesday.

Leaving Queens Harbour
ICW Ospreys

It was very windy all of the way down, winds averaging mid-twenties with gusts over 30.

Pretty windy

We then watched for the weather to lay down for crossing the Gulf Stream to the Northern Bahamas. Wednesday brought strong winds so we waited for another day, using the time to hit Publix Supermarket one final time. Thursday the 9th gave us the window we were looking for and we crossed from Lake Worth Inlet to Lucaya, Grand Bahama. The crossing was uneventful and everything went to plan.  We entered Bahamian waters and hoisted a yellow quarantine flag, which indicates that we know that we have entered Bahamian waters but have not cleared immigration. We checked through immigration right at the Grand Bahama Yacht Club marina, swapped our yellow flag for the Bahamian courtesy flag on our starboard pole, then took the water taxi to the Lucaya Market for dinner.

Bahamian courtesy Flag

On Friday we headed south towards Nassau. We thought that we could make Nassau in the one day, but as we progressed realized that it would be dark before we got there. Going into a busy working harbor, right around the time the huge cruise ships leave, was not on our to-do list. So we stopped late afternoon and anchored on the inside of Cabbage Cay in the Berries.

Nassau cruise terminal
Passing Atlantis
Bahamian Air out of Nassau

We did make Nassau late morning Saturday, calling Harbour Control and asking permission to transit, and then following the cruise ship Majesty Of The Seas into the harbor. We transited the harbor, passing by Atlantis and the cruise ship terminal.

Majesty of the Seas to our port

We exited the east side of the harbor and headed across the Yellow Bank in flat calm conditions towards Northern Exumas. The water in the bank averaged 12 feet and was clear and calm the whole way to Allen’s Cay.

Crossing the bank from Nassau to Exumas

We anchored inside Allen’s Cay, well protected from the easterly breeze, and right off the beach with the iguanas. More on the iguanas and our first week in the Exumas in the next post!

Allen’s Cay (pronounced Key)

Dolphins playing in our wake on the ICW

Saturday, March 11th, and we have arrived in The Exumas!

8 thoughts on “Jacksonville To The Northern Exumas”

  1. Tally ho….may the seas not rise up to meet you!!!Just love following you along your journey!! God speed!!

  2. Enjoyed this so much! Thanks for details. We have not done this – hence your writing is gift. We’re in Orlando area with grandkids headed to find Manatees today at Blue Springs. Happy trip to you.

  3. Beautiful pictures! So glad to read your trip is going well! The grass in New Jersey is still covered in snow so I’m jealous looking at your warm gorgeous pictures.

    Enjoy your adventure!

  4. Dolphins are “good luck”! Take it from a Greek who knows!
    Reminds me of our cruise off the island of Delos many years ago. Thank you for the memories!

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