Bee-ing Amazed

We made it to Florida! The 422 nautical mile jump to Florida from Isla Mujeres took us 5 days and four nights. The longest crossing we have ever done. We were aiming for Marathon, Florida in the keys, but the prevailing winds and the Yucatan currents had other plans for us.

The sun setting on our first night out

We left the small Mexican island with 4 other boats, but when the wind shifted and the others started to motor into the wind and waves we turned our bow North and were aiming for any US city along Florida's West coast. At one point the current was pushing us so North that we thought we'd be eating bennets on the streets of New Orleans, but luckily we made our way out of the current, a day later, and landed in Naples, Florida. Only 150 miles North of where we wanted to be. Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

Two birds decided to hitch a ride the second night. It's amazing how far from land they were!

The crossing was amazing, and in the truest sense of the word. I'm really not trying to sound like a pretentious traveler so I hope everyone takes this as it's intended which is just raw respect for the ocean. Landing in Naples, I felt like I had just completed my biggest accomplishment in life. Spencer and I navigated our boat from one country to another using the wind, waves and current. We sailed the entire thing and at one point we were 160 miles from any coast line. It was both terrifying and exhilarating. When the weather report was 25 knots of wind one night, there was no land to hide behind, we just had to reef the main and handle it. 

I brought in a Mahi Mahi on the 3rd day! So delicious!

The other boats and ourselves set up a time and hailing channel on the SSB to keep track of everyone, but unfortunately when everyone landed in the Keys they seemed to forget about little ole' Cambio out there. So we were on our own, which turned out to be a good thing, despite my initial cursing and bad mouthing of "the floatilla." It gave me a whole new sense of self reliance and reliance on my partner-in-crime, Spencer, because really there isn't much they could have done anyway. It was more a false sense of security. When that safety blanket was gone it forced us to take it all in and really grasp the immensity of our little floating home on the big blue ocean. It was just us and the sea and we can't wait to return to her! 

Seeing land after 5 days at sea!

Safely at anchor, after the long crossing, in Naples, Florida.