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Oct. 16, 2004 CA to FL We’ve left Cupertino, CA and are heading cross-country to our boat in Bradenton, Florida. We’re driving through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and finally Florida.

Oct. 20, 2004 Bradenton We have arrived! We had new countertops installed, and the upon arrival, we were faced with a lot of dust on the boat. We’ll be spending the next month getting the boat ready – installing new solar panels, windmill, heads, refrigeration motors, batteries, electrical equipment, etc. etc. There’s a lot to do and our days will be more than full.

Dec. 5, 2004 Marathon We left Key West and spent the night in Newfound Harbour, on our way to Marathon. We met another couple, Jan and Phil on Excalibur (Hunter yacht), who are also on their way to the Bahamas. Upon arrival in Marathon, we also met up with Lyndia and Claude on Navy Blue (Island Packet yacht), who we previously met in Bradenton and they are heading for the Bahamas as well. Both couples have plan to travel down through the Caribbean to Venezuela. We've all gotten together several times in Marathon and have agreed to travel together across the Gulf stream. It's great to have the experience of Jan and Phil, who have traveled there 4 times. It is now Dec. 16, and we are in Key Biscayne, waiting for the winds to shift from the north, but there is a front coming from the North and it looks like we'll have to wait some more before venturing out. It's been a nice break to get some projects done on the boat and to provision again, but we are anxious to go so we won't be late picking up our kids in Nassau on the 28th.

Dec. 24, 2004 Key Biscayne to Nassau From Key Biscayne, we set out to Bimini, where we checked into the Bahamas with immigration. We stayed at a marina in Alice Town for three days due to weather. It was a nice place to hang out, near the beach so Scruffy had plenty of places to check out. We then headed out as the winds began to die down and anchored at the Northwest Light, and it was a rocky night. The next day, we went to Chub Cay for one night, and made the 35 mile trek into Nassau. It was exciting coming into the harbor, with two cruise ships in the channel. We are at the Nassau Harbour Club marina, awaiting the kids' arrival on the 28th. We plan to visit the Aquarium at the Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island on the 29th. So far, Nassau seems to have all the amenities of home, maybe too many from home....like Outback Steakhouse, Kentucky Fried Chicken, etc. But it is a great place for us to regroup and stock up on supplies before heading to the Exumas, where grocery stores will be few and far between.