STATESIDE

We left Bimini just after low tide at 7:45 and gingerly made our way through the channel and out to sea. Winds were 10knots from the east with 4’ swells and once into the gulf stream we were able to average 8-9k. The crossing was “rolly” but there were no “waves” to speak of. And with the sun shining and other boats visible on the horizon we felt very safe. Wind direction made sailing ineffective. But with the motor running, wind on our quarter and the gulf current, we were able to make the crossing in ten hours dropping the hook just after 4:00pm in Lake Worths lovely southern anchorage alongside “Aavyi” and “Allegoria”—two of the boats that made the passage with us.

How strange it was to be back “stateside”. The first thing we noticed was the constant hum and drone of the “engines” of civilization which are ever present in heavily populated areas. And as the sun set and skies began to darken we were amazed to find ourselves surrounded by thousands of lights from homes, roadways and various shoreside establishments. It was all so very different from being alone in a quiet star-studded anchorage off a deserted island with only the sounds of the surf lapping against the beach.

As night falls in the Bahamas, islanders traditionally signal the days end by blowing into a conch shell. The resulting “trumpet-like” sound can be heard for miles, sending a signal to other islanders who, in turn, blow into their shells. Anyone listening can hear theses “horns” sounding separately and simultaneously, near and far all along the island chain. It’s a very comforting custom that unites everyone together at sunset telling us that we are not alone out here as we respond to each others call.

This evening in Lake Worth, as the sun began to set amid the noise and lights of the civilized world, Vince climbed into the cockpit of Fortnight and picked up our conch. Blowing with all of his might into the shell, the blast of our horn could be heard echoing across the anchorage above the sounds of the city. As he lowered the conch from his lips we were surprised to hear another conch answer ours, followed by another and another—fainter and fainter all the way down the waterway. We will never know who they were, but it brought smiles to our faces and tears to our eyes to know that scattered throughout the mass of humanity that populate these shores—there were kindred spirits!