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November, 2002 to January, 2003
As some (or most) of you may already know, we left Beaufort, North Carolina on Wednesday, November 13, 2002 with the Bahamas 500 Rally consisting of about 16 boats and our crew member, Jerry Van Winkle. Even though we had a "weather window", we managed to experience 40-50 knot winds and 15-20 foot seas before finally arriving at Marsh Harbour in Abaco, Bahamas on Monday, November 18, 2002. When we arrived, Jerry was ready to kiss the earth, and I was right next to him. He was a great crew member, and hopefully, will join us on future, less intensive adventures. Thanks Jerry!!!
Though Jerry didn't sustain any damage during the trip (YEAH!), the Heart of Texas wasn't so lucky. She had some damage like a shredded jib (foresail), trashed wind generator, TV antenna and rub rail. Thus, we began our efforts to make the necessary repairs. While we were waiting for parts, etc., we spent time relaxing and getting acquainted with the other cruisers from the Bahamas 500 Rally. We were also able to explore some of the islands in Abaco, Bahamas. During our delay, Rankin helped a fellow sailor take his boat back to Fort Lauderdale. While Rankin was away, I managed to go kayaking and snorkeling. In January, our friends Dave and Hannah were able to join us in Marsh Harbour for a couple of weeks. So, we traveled about the islands with Dave and Hannah exploring new places we hadn't been during our previous trip, and had a great time ... can't wait to go sailing with you guys again. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Abaco, Bahamas, and here are a few pictures from the various islands which we visited. More pictures to follow in the future. Since we had a three month vacation, we were very ready to start cruising again. So, we decided on a day and a half passage to San Salvador.
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