The Long and Winding Road Back Home

May- June, 2006

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From our visit in the Northern Leewards we headed west, stopping in St. Croix, US Virigin Islands for about a week or so. 

Click here to see our photos of stupid animal tricks in St. Croix.

Click here to see a few scenic shots of St. Croix.

We left Culebra, Spanish Virgin islands, Puerto Rico with the intent to sail straight home to the Florida Keys, either through the Old Bahama Channel or through the Bahama Islands.  We had a gorgeous three day sail from Culebra.  Nearing Luperon in the Dominican Republic, we realized we had a leak in the exhaust elbow that needed to be welded, work we could get done in Luperon.  We were also sorely tempted to stop and see friends there.  So we stopped and spent about a week or a little more in Luperon.

Leaving Luperon we decided to go through the Bahama Islands.  As we approached the Turks & Caicos we were having some squally weather that resulted in two very close calls with water spouts, which I didn't like one bit.  We ended up waiting for less squally weather for a few days in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos.  I knew it was going to be a fine journey back when a pod of about 20 dolphins surrounded us at sunset as we left Provo, and swam and played around the boat.  Their luck protected us all the way home.

After leaving Provo, we sailed straight through to the Exumas, where we had to stop to navigate the Banks to Nassau in daylight, and we also waited a day to let Tropical Storm Alberto pass by.  Then we blew through the Bahamas and didn't stop 'til we got to Marathon.

Below:  You know you've stayed too long when the birds start building a nest in your radar reflector.