We spent the day and evening docked at Nassau. When we woke up, a cruise liner was parked next to us, making the Legacy look small. Then the giant Disney Liner pulled in, dwarfing the other cruiser. And then Carnival came in later in the afternoon. It was immense!

We spent the morning touring the town on foot. Danny and Nicole went one way, and Kathy, Kelly, Claire, and I went another. As we parted, I gave Danny a special mission to look for a good deal on a few Cuban cigars.

We visited a number of shops and sites in town. Had to buy 4 double A batteries for $8! (Ouch.) The six of us got back together for lunch on the Legacy. We changed into bathing suits and caught a cab over the bridge to Paradise Island, spending the afternoon at Cabbage Beach. We had a lot of locals for company because it was a national holiday. Mostly teenage boys. The water was crystal clear. Kelly and I did some snorkeling. I spotted three little squid swimming in unison.

We took a cab (mini-van) back in time for the conk shell salad demonstration, swizzle time, and Action Jackson’s amazing performance. Both Claire and Danny earned shirts by playing support roles in AJ’s show. (See photos.) We had a restful sunset dinner and evening that included two of Danny’s Cubans dipped in cognac. We set sail late in the evening heading for Egg Island.

Photos from Day 4: mac.fiveforks.com/windjammer2005/day4

Things did not go as planned for Day 3, but we ended up having a lot of fun. Over night we had sailed from the west side, across the north, and then to the east side of the Bahamas. A strong wind coming from the unusual direction of the east was cooking up some big waves. The Legacy is a very stable ship, so we did not really notice the waves until the launches were put in the water. The crew on board bobbed up and down on the 10 foot waves. There was no way for them to tie up to the side and allow us to safely board for a day on Hoffman’s Cay.

The Captain then ordered a series of elaborate steps involving both a fore and aft anchor to try to position the ship broadside against the wind in an attempt to create a “calm side” for the launches. It took about an hour to get the ship and launches in place. It helped, but the waves still tore at the launches, and some of us were afraid the cleats would be ripped off. The Captain said it was a “no go.” Watching the crew hoist up the launches with the rocking waves was an impressive display. They had to wear special safety gear and take a series of very carefully planned steps to get the ropes and pulleys attached.

That meant a day of sailing on to Nassau, where we would have arrived late that night. It was disappointing not to get to go to Hoffman’s Cay, but in hindsight, it was nice to have a day of sailing that was otherwise not on the schedule.

I declared it a double-dabloon day for the Stonegate Cashin’s. (Our normal ration was one dabloon per.) Translate: More money for the bar. We relaxed on board. Some read. Danny napped. The girls became gymnasts and hair stylists. Kathy and I attended a very interesting photography class. We pulled into Nassau as sunset approached. The crab races and Carnival celebration were just as fun docked in Nassau as they would have been under sail (as originally intended.)

When the Captain and Strokey showed up in their Carnival garb, we had another one of those “well this is different” moments. One of many on this trip.

Photos: mac.fiveforks.com/windjammer2005/day3/

We woke up early with what appeared to be open waters outside of our porthole. I went up top deck for some coffee and saw land ahead. Kathy and I got coffee and breakfast as we approached Bimini. We suddenly took a hard right and kept sailing. Later at the Captain’s Story Time we learned the ships purser had taken the Zodiac to Alice Town on the main island of Bimini with all passports to officially check us in to the Bahamas. We were now headed to a small island called Gun Cay. (See map.)

The two arial photos below show Gun Cay. The small lighthouse is at the southern tip, and Stingray Lagoon where we would all swim, snorkel, and kayak was on the north end. The girls’ purchased snorkel equipment, and our rented adult snorkel equipment was well worth the investment if only for the day at Gun Cay. At times I felt like I had stuck my head into an aquarium in a pet store. Kathy and Nicole spotted many colorful fish on the west reef. Kelly, Claire, and I found starfish and a live conk on the northeast point. I don’t think the cay was any bigger than Stonegate Way.

I enjoyed one long swim following a stingray out into the middle of the lagoon. He would swim along the bottom, and when he would “smell” something, he would suddenly turn around and start digging, puffing sand up through his gills. Little colorful fish would follow him around looking for tidbits in the spouted sand.

We would all sit in the waters edge and wait for stingray to come swimming by. We could reach out and touch them. Wet velvet. At one point about six stingray came all from different directions and converged on Danny. They all met at his feet. I was able to get a photo a few seconds later as they dispersed. (See Day 2 photos.)

The evening was a lot of fun with snacks, swizzle time, dinner, and then the battle of the sexes. The women won, but we men decided it was because women had made up the game. A brief shower cooled us off during the battle, spraying our backsides.

Day 2 Photos: mac.fiveforks.com/windjammer2005/day2/

Dad drove us to the airport Thursday evening (thanks Dad!) in what began a 24 hour process to get to sea. Mary Claire got to enjoy an amazingly beautiful sunset flight to Miami. It was her first flight. She was less nervous than Kathy. We saw a vertical rainbow, orange and pink clouds, and towards the end of flight, lightening inside of clouds.

We took a free shuttle to our hotel where we checked in about 10 pm. Walked to dinner to a nearby Burger King. Our first vacation meal of many (better) to come. Woke up for the free buffet. Shuttled back to the airport to pick up two cabs to the Port of Miami. Dropped off our luggage and spent the afternoon at an open-air mall where we had Cuban sandwiches for lunch.

Took a bus back to the port (a small island) where we were processed and climbed aboard. The lady handing out drinks said, “I do not know how old he is” pointing to Danny. “He’s 18,” I said. She handed him a Rum Swizzle. Nicole, Kathy, and I also got swizzles. The little girls got OJ.

Day 1 Photos: mac.fiveforks.com/windjammer2005/day1/