Three, two, one... GO!!!

Wow.....to quote an 80s song......"same as it ever was".........or to paraphrase Steven Colbert, we're out to prove we're the same sailors we never weren't.

We left Miami Beach Marina on schedule with our Italian friends at mid day on Thursday. Alternator not working, autopilot mis-aligned - in other words, small boat problems. We bypassed Bimini, and headed right for Chub Cay Marina.......about 120 miles.

First half of the trip was great sailing; then the wind died and we motored the last half.........still not bad given it's November and every mile east is a small victory (we need 1,000 more such victories).

Day two and we sailed to the west side of New Providence Island. We are anchored here with our Amel friends Alessandro, Lucetta, Blu, and Eric (their crew).

It's hard to describe the change we've undergone in the past 3 days. As jarring as Dec 5, 2012 was (when we ended our 13 months at sea)........this has been a wonderful reversal of that moment. Since we have lived on a boat throughout the past 4 years, the evenings are the same (except for anchor watch), but the joy we experience sailing in blue water with nobody for miles is amazing.

It's nice to see your wife crying tears of joy as it sinks in that this is our new life.......I think I was crying on the inside but preoccupied with boat problems on the outside. Anyway, we begin again. To all of our Latvian and Estonian fans who have missed our blog for almost two years, we'll try to be entertaining.

Biggest concern now is a technical one.......my physicist brother told us that alcohol can evaporate through the plastic bladder in box wine.........AHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!! If any of our followers can confirm or refute this, please chime in. It's a big deal !!!!