7.18.2022 - 12.31.2022 From Haulout to Bahamas

If you've been following along on our adventure, you can tell we got super behind keeping up with all our updates! So to close out 2022, we're going to share a massive summary of what the past 6 months have been :)

On 7.18.2022 we hauled out at Zimmerman Marine in Mathews, VA to get some upgrades and maintenance done. We were hoping to stay for 4-6 weeks and ended up being there 3 months. Throughout our stay, we got meet lots of new cruiser friends and made the best of "living on the hard" (what cruisers call when the boat is on land instead of in the water).

In the 3 months, we were able to accomplish the following projects:

• removed old generator and installed new generator

• replaced thru hulls (fitting designed to allow water to pass out of the boat when we run our generator, engines, watermaker, or air conditioning)

• scraped barnacles and got a bottom job (protective paint coating) on the hulls

• had props and rudders inspected

• replaced sail drive seals

• did fiberglass repair/reinforcement in the bulkheads (making the hulls more structurally sound)

• fixed/repaired mainsail stackpack

• installed an icemaker

While hauled out, we were able to rent a car and drive up to the Annapolis Boat Show on 10.21.2022. This is THE boat show of the year where all the cruisers go to socialize and get deals on boats and boat parts. While there, we got to meet up with our friends Brad and Jackie and Chuck and Jo!

On 11.17.2022, we celebrated our one year anniversary of moving/living aboard Saguaro!!! In our first year, we sailed about 2200NM :)

After Annapolis, we moved into a marina in Hampton, VA and were there for about 6 weeks. We were able to continue some more boat projects, including a fuel polisher, new desk on the owners side, and new anchor chain counter. From there, we were able to visit AZ for Thanksgiving! It was wonderful to see family and friends and catch up after about 1.5 years of being away.

Once we returned to Hampton, we started planning our passages back south to get to the Bahamas.

• 12.4.2022 - 12.5.2022 passage from Hampton, VA to Beaufort, NC (216NM over 32 hours)

• 12.8.2022 - 12.11.2022 passage from Beaufort, NC to West Palm Beach, FL (555NM over 69 hours)

Our passage to West Palm beach was extra special for a few reasons. The first was because we got to see a Space-X launch about 50NM off the coast of Cape Canaveral, FL.

The second was because we were returning to our last "mainland" spot in the RV before we moved aboard Saguaro, so it felt a bit like a homecoming. It was a really interesting experience to be back in the area but on the boat this time. We spent a couple weeks provisioning as much alcohol and non-perishable foods as we could (aiming for about a 3 month supply) to try to cut costs of goods in the Bahamas.

• 12.22.2022 - 12.23.2022 passage from West Palm Beach, FL to the Berry Islands, Bahamas (129NM over 18 hours). We cleared customs in Great Harbor Cay Marina and it took about 4 hours. Until we were cleared, we had to hang our courtesy yellow Q flag for quarantine (meaning we aren't allowed to go to land until cleared by customs). Part of checking in at customs is also purchasing our cruising permit, which enables us to be in the country and move about the islands.

• 12.26.2022 we moved over to the Blue Lagoon island just outside of the Nassau inlet. This was pretty cool because several years ago, we took a cruise to Nassau and did an excursion to Blue Lagoon!

• 12.28.2022 we moved into the Nassau inlet. We spent a couple days getting a sim card for the Bahamas and exploring Atlantis.

• 12.30.2022 we moved to one of the most northern islands of the Exumas in an area called Highborne Cay (35NM)

• 12.31.2022 - 1.1.2023 passage to George Town in the Exuma Islands (95NM over 18 hours).

George Town is one of the most popular cruisers areas in the Bahamas and this was our original destination for where we want to spend the most of our time exploring the islands. It was a great way to bring in the new year and we're super excited to see what 2023 will bring!