The Crossing – Our island trip consists of several days of traveling adventures before we can relax in the islands, those being our travel day to South Florida and crossing day to the Bahamas which is day one of our vacation. And when vacation is over, we then make the journey back from the Bahamas either by boat or flying depending on what weather events may come up while in the Bahamas.
To get to the Northern Bahamas Islands where we typically vacation each summer, we need to cross the Gulf Stream between South Florida and Grand Bahama Island. This is commonly known as “the crossing” to many in the South Florida boating community and island locals. This reference simply means to cross the deep water of the Guld Stream between South Florida and the Bahamian Islands. The crossing needs to be well planned and needs a good weather day. The waters between South Florida and the Bahamas can become too rough to cross when the winds are strong from the north causing rough seas to build.
Day ONE – For today, the weather looked to be okay. (Research accuracy of content) My younger daughter and I were excited to be heading over to the Bahamas today. Once the boat was loaded with the remaining perishable goods being brought over to the house, my youngest daughter, grandad, grandma and I got on board. At this point, the boat was lowered into the water. We typically load the boat when it is out of the water. Once we were in the water my wife and our other daughter helped push us away from the dock and we all waved goodbye. My wife and older daughter were flying over to the island later that morning. The plan was for them to meet us at the dock when we arrived to help unload the boat and bring everything to the house.
We pulled away with engines idling so we would not make any wake that could rock the other boats along the canal.
From the house it takes about an hour to get to the inlet and then the engines are throttled up, and we move quickly into the ocean waters. The New River had pretty calm water, but the intercoastal water were not calm and there was a hint in the wind that we might not be able to make the crossing. Hope was abundant, but reality might present itself differently. We were accustomed to this feeling of hope diminishing as we neared the inlet. We have experienced disappointment before.
Once we were about a mile and a half out from the inlet the waves began to build. This was not what the forecast called for. Around two miles out it was decided to head back to the dock. The seas were too rough to make the crossing, and grandma was not feeling well. I could tell my daughter was a bit disappointed, but she also looked a bit uncomfortable with the rocking of the boat.
This was a rough start to the vacation. By the time we made it back to the house, my wife and my older daughter were at the airport boarding their flight. They would be on the island at least for one day before we would try the crossing again. When you travel anywhere by boat, a thirty-foot boat to say, the weather and the waves will govern your plans.
Day TWO – Early morning arrived, and Grandad announced that we would not be making the crossing today. The sea was going to be rough and choppy. Okay, another delay. My youngest daughter was not very happy with this. She wanted to get to the island to start vacation and because mommy was already there with her sister. I got the impression she felt she was being cheated out of her island time. This is what happens when you travel by boat to the Bahamas from Florida unless you are on a big yacht; sixty feet or more in length.
We were now going to be in Florida for another day. What to do. It was suggested that my daughter and I could go to the movies in the afternoon. And we could get some swimming in the pool in. and that is what we did. We decided to see the movie “If” and then to get some swimming in.
When we returned to the house from our movie adventure Grandma said that she was starting to not feel well again. This was not a good sign. As the evening progressed grandma was getting sicker and announced that she would not be going to the island with us for vacation.
This vacation was not starting out the way it was planned.
With Grandma now sick, we were beginning to think that the only way we were getting to the Bahamas this year was by flying; however, that was not going to happen since the flights to Abaco were all full.
Day THREE – Good morning again. With Grandma sick and not going, she had to convince granddad to go without her. He finally agreed. She said she would go to the doctor after we were on our way. And she did get an appointment to be seen.
Once again, we loaded the boat with the perishables and lowered the boat into the water. The engines were started, and we idled down the canal to the New River and then onward towards downtown Fort Lauderdale. This is the route to the intercoastal waterway where we then head to the inlet and then into the Gulf Stream waters.
The weather and the seas were a bit better, but it was still a little rough, but much better than the day we were originally planning on doing the crossing. And the weather did improve during the crossing.
Once we made it to Grand Bahama Island we checked in with immigration and customs. There were many boats waiting to do this along with refueling before heading to their destinations. This was a busy day and was busy because most of the boats were delayed in making the crossing just like we were. After we checked in, we were cleared for the next part of our journey. We then fueled up after waiting about twenty minutes for a space to dock at where the fuel hose would reach. Once we were fueled, we headed out of the dock towards the entrance to the Grand Bahama Bank.
We could now fly the Bahamian Flag.
We passed through the entrance to the Grand Bahama Bank and began our run to Abaco. There were several storms building in front of us. At the rate they were building we would now have to maneuver around them. Even though the water is shallow, you don’t want to be caught in a storm. Unfortunately, the storms were building fast, and we did get caught in one. I was hopeful that my daughter would be okay and would not panic. The rain was cold and soaking. And the wind didn’t help with the steering of the boat. It was a very wavy, bumpy, and wet experience. After we made it through the storm, my daughter surprised me by saying that it was like riding a roller coaster at a theme park in the rain. WOW! I didn’t see that coming. She said that she actually had fun going through the storm.
After emerging from the storm, we continued our journey with calmer water and bright sunshine. We made it to Green Turtle Cay after about seven and half hours on the water. The stationary dock looked so good, but getting off the boat revealed how wobbly our legs were from the journey. After docking we began to unload the boat. My wife and other daughter were at the dock with the golf carts.
I remember that the first year we brought the boat over, Grandad was still learning all of the various controls. The boat was new and was fully loaded with instrumentation and controls. The boat was fully loaded and where we had stored my daughter’s duffel and all of the boxed sodas ended up being flooded with sea water. We learned that the two storage compartments in the stern were for live bait and caught fish. The soda boxes were destroyed by the water and all of my daughter’s belongings, including her books, were soaked too. We had to ditch the books when we could not get them to dry out. She wasn’t happy about that.
But we were in the islands now and it was vacation time.
For me, the amazing thing was that I was just six and a half months post event, and I am on the grandparents’ open center console boat with the granddad and my eleven-year-old daughter crossing the deep blue water of the Gulf Stream. This crossing was her third crossing. She was becoming an experienced deckhand, and she was no longer fearful about making the crossing. I am so proud of her and her achievement.
So, we have arrived. We are docking so we can unload the boat. But we were on the island without Grandma, and she would not be joining us on this vacation trip. She was too sick. I felt bad because she brings so much of the vacation fun with her, especially for the girls, when it is game time. And I knew that the girls would miss her when it was game time. Oh well, this year we would have to make do.
And I was feeling other stresses brewing…
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