Atlantic Passage - "Just Swell"

 Even though we'd only progressed half way along the Berry Islands chain we felt we'd seen enough.  We decided to move north to the Abacos. 

The weather on Thursday, March 17th was good for a passage on the Atlantic heading northeast. 

At sunset we lifted anchor at Devil's Cay and set sail for Little Harbour, Great Abaco Island ...26.19.30', 76.58.80'

A full moon lighted the way for us.

We viewed many cruise ships, freighters and flying fish in the 70 mile passage and arrived in the early afternoon on March 18th ..... 16 hours after departure. 

Our arrival was a moment we'll not soon forget.  We came in through a narrow channel with extensive breakers on both sides riding a 8-10 foot swell ..... by way of a course taken from a waypoint that we reached 1.19 miles from the entrance..... eyes WIDE open!!

We literally surfed in!  Our concern was that the wave may toss us into the breakers.  We had no control other than to hope we were positioned well.  Thrilling to say the least.

This photo, taken at our first Abacos anchorage (Lynyard Cay) shows the surf (swell) crashing in on the ocean side and the calm waters of the anchorage area on the other.  The channel we "surfed" through is behind me.  The swell out of the east was with us for most of the passage.  The photo shows just how narrow the barrier islands are.  My Dermatologist would approve of the outfit :)