Our final night out, anchored at Pelican Bay

It felt good to be settled in Pelican Bay our last night out with Dennis and Shirla (Aurora) and Cathy, Glen, Jan, and Mike (Chatty Cat). Aurora was the boat that was struck by lightening near Fort Lauderdale and didn't make the trip, but Dennis had her put back together and they came out to welcome us home and hang out for the evening.

Our friends aboard Chatty Cat had a VERY lucrative fishing trip coming back and cooked us up a fabulous dinner of grilled wahoo and mahi. We spent the rest of the evening aboard Chatty Cat, playing cards and enjoying the camaraderie.

Of course, it was only fitting that a doozy of a thunderstorm hit during dinner; I think we were all a bit more anxious about that than we would have been just six weeks earlier.

Having previously cruised mostly alone and being independent spirits, Wayne and I were a bit apprehensive about traveling with so many other people. It ended up working fine, with a perfect balance of solitude and togetherness. We'd be with another boat or two for a couple of days, then do our own thing for a couple of days before meeting up with someone else and hanging out with them. Our major focus was snorkeling, which didn't seem to interest many of the others to a great extent.

The Abacos have far more marinas, restaurants, and things to do ashore than do the Exumas, so that made it a different experience as well. We almost always anchored out when it was just the two of us, but because we were traveling with other people who preferred staying at marinas, we did the same. And that was fine - we had a great time.

Of course, as always, it's the people who make the difference and we sure lucked out there. We couldn't have asked for a nicer bunch of friends to travel with, so we conclude this adventure with fond memories of them and the times we shared.

That's all for this trip. Check in with us again in 2015 for our (probable) next one.

Wishing you fair winds and following seas,

Michele and Captain Wayne