The cruise ships as we enter the Nassau harbor

Passing by Atlantis in Nassau.

Potter's Cay. A favorite stop for fresh conch salad, cracked conch, and ice cold beer.

Fresh conch anyone/

My first fish in the Islands this season, and dinner for all of us.

Our boats docked at the Berry Island Club.

The Berry Island Club.

What a great Bahamian dinner at the Berry Island Club. The rum punch was pretty good too!

It's Island time!

As I compose this blog, Stephanie is at the helm on the flybridge, listening to Island music, Cassie and Godiva are in their underway spots, and I am in the pilot house, enjoying the beautiful blue waters on a calm day as we head to our jumping off point at No Name Harbour near Miami. We (Steve and Kim MV "Maya" and Stephen and Pam "MV Tides In") will leave at first light tomorrow, Saturday, and put the pointy end East to Bimini, our first stop in the Islands and our check in port at Customs. We will leave there before first light on Sunday, because it's around eighty miles to the Berry Islands. Monday, we will head to Nassau, where we will rendezvous with Jay, Nancy, William, and Judy, (the two sailboats that will be with us) play a few days, then head to the beautiful Exumas.
We won't have cell service, and limited Internet, but I will be checking my e-mail, and blogging from time to time, so, welcome aboard and let's go on "Island time Mon".
Oh, and we will have the poles in. Zing....."Fish on, FISH ON"!

September Song (let's go to the Islands "Mon") out
Bob

We had a pizza party Wednesday night on the dock. Several boats were leaving Thursday, and, well, any excuse for a party.

A group of our cruising friends and dock mates, wishing us well, and saying goodbye, as we get ready to pull away from the dock. We will miss them, (except the ones that are going to the Islands) but we will all be together again next winter. What a blast we had. Hugs to all of you! Thanks for being our friends.

MV Maya, as we travel to our jump-off point.

MV Tides In  off our starboard.

Birthday/going away party

It was my love's Birthday, and I thought it would be a great time to get our cruising friends and dock mates together to help celebrate Stephanie's Birthday, and a last get together before everyone starts leaving the end of this week for the Islands (that be us and several others) and other cruising grounds. 

We started out at Dockside for happy hour, apps, and Stephanie's "turd-el cake, with twenty some of our cruising friends. what fun!

After happy hour(s), we all headed down the dock, where Adrienne, a musician friend, set up on the aft deck of Bill and Patty's boat, Conched Out Too, and played for us for three hours. She is sooo good! 

Great party with good friends.

Tammy - Yes we had Fireballs!

It's always sad to leave our friends here, but most of them will be back next winter.

We will be leaving here Thursday with four other boats, and head to our staging area, where we will leave from on Saturday, and put the pointy end East, and head to the Islands "Mon".

We have enjoyed our time here in the Keys, with great friends and fun times, but it's time to start a new adventure. We will be back next winter.

September Song (good bye Keys, hello Bahamas) out

Bob

Happy Birthday to the Admiral of our ship, my best friend, partner, lover, playmate, and wife, Stephanie. I am the luckiest guy in the whole world, to have married the love of my life.

I asked the lady at Publix to add a turtle to Stephanie's cake. I said turtle, not turd-el. It looked like something Cassie and Godiva leave and we pick up with a bag. We all got a great laugh out of it, and Stephanie promptly picked it up with a napkin.

Candy, serving up pudding shots. YUUMM!

What a great show Adrienne put on for us last night!

Adrienne's nieces joined her. What great talents they are at ages nine and twelve.

Two lovely ladies at the dock concert. This is the last time we will get to See Ron, Rena, and the family until next March. It's always so great to see, and play with them in the Keys. We will miss you guys!

Rhonda and Abby at the Dock Concert. Abby loved the music, and even recognized one of the songs.

 Hugs Abby! She's a good hugger!

Ron and Rena arrive in Marathon

My brother Ron and Sister-in-law Rena, arrived in Marathon from Moline, IL late afternoon on Friday, and some of the cruising gang came over to welcome them back. It is great to have them back, and LET THE PARTY BEGIN! Well, continue. Friday night (30 minutes after they arrived) it was off to the Keys Fisheries for happy hour, Rena's first oysters of the trip, stone crab claws, and a toast to their first sunset in the Keys. I didn't take a count, but there were about 20 of our cruising friends who came over to help get their stay started right. After we left the Fisheries, it was off to a dock party here at our Marina.
I'm going to do this in three blogs, (Friday Saturday and Sunday) because, well, it just needs to be.
Oh, did I mention, our best friends, Doug and Tammy drove down from Cocoa to be (play) with us for the next three days. Now you know it's going to be a wild ride.
(Don't forget to hit Older Posts to get the rest of the story)

September Song (hang on for the ride!)  not out yet.
Bob


Ron and Rena arriving at September Song. Time to put on the shorts guys.

Fun on the fly bridge and a cool drink after that long trip.

Steve and Kim just got back, and their beautiful daughter, Stephanie, and her boyfriend, John, (he's a keeper) came back with them to spend a few days. They won't be the same when they go back home!  

Rena's first oysters. HAPPY GIRL!

'Gotta try one of those bloody mary oyster shots".

A dock party is always a great way to end the night. 

Gotta do the Stuffed Pig for Breakfast.

"Here's to you all back at home"

Time to chill out on the front deck after the Pig. Yes, and we were piggy's.

Time to get ready for the St. Paddy's party at Dockside Bar. Ain't she cute!

St. Paddy's Day

In the true tradition, we all put on our green, ate corn beef and cabbage and mulligan stew, drank way too much, and became Irish. The six of us were joined by eighteen of our cruising friends and dock mates for one hell of a party.


Godiva had to try this on.

And we couldn't leave Cassie out. She was so cute. Is there such a thing as an Irish lab? I guess on St. Patty's Day there is.

A little pre-party get together on September Song.

 

Pam, (AKA our Jello Shot Queen) didn't let us down.

"Kiss me, I'm Irish" 

Everything went green. Why just the middle finger? Did you run out of polish?

Love your hat Katie

I don't know who this guy is, but had to take his picture.

Doug, you didn't like the stew? Oh, you just licking off the last of it.

What can I say about Nancy? I think she is camera shy.

 

Yep, camera shy.