Arriving in the Bahamas - At Last!

There are countless rumours circulating amongst the cruising community that Customs in the Bahamas have been very stingy with visas, granting some for as little as two weeks. Blair has asked Ruth Beck to research this for us and to clarify - and she reports back that we should have no problem. There have been some reports that oftentimes at Port Lucaya, the Customs Officer and the Immigration Officer are not in the office at the same time - many times there is a lengthy delay at check-in time. We are almost too tired to care as we are just happy to finally be in the Bahamas, and tied up safely to a dock. We are given a pile of paperwork to complete for our check-in. Once that is done, Blair and Gary make their way over to the Customs Office. Initially, on our arrival, we are told that the Immigration Officer will be delayed. Ruth Beck hears of this and immediately calls the Customs Office. By the time that Blair and Gary arrive, the Officer is being severely reprimanded by Ruyth for the misinformation they provided to her the previous day. Blair and Gary are a little sheepish when they realize they are the subjects of Ruth's conversation with the Bahamian Customs Official. As it turns out,this works in our favour (thank goodness) as we are granted a cruising permit for 180 days - YAY!
Blair has a short nap on the boat as we wait for the tide to flood in order to exit the Port Lucaya area for the entrance to Ocean Reef Resort. Taffy, on Sea Swan, and a few other people we met last year hunt us down on the dock to say hello and to offer help in tying up when we arrive at Ocean Reef.
As we start up the engine and throw off our lines, we head out for the last leg of our trip to Ocean Reef. We are met by Randy Beck in his dinghy, guiding us through the narrow channel. We hold our breath, managing to make it around the "S" shaped sand piles - WHEW! There is a big group of familiar faces at the dock as we throw lines all over the place, relying on the expertise of all the experienced cruisers and sailors offering their help. We tie up on a great dock - with wide access - so comfortable - right in front of the swimming pool! We are glad to be here and look forward to a restful and peaceful night.

Some Interesting facts about Freeport and Port Lucaya:
Freeport and Port Lucaya are located on the south coast of Grand Bahama Island. Grand Bahama is the fourth largest island in the Bahamas, ranking behind Andros, Eleuthra and Great Abaco. The Island runs east to west and is almost 70 miles long, seven miles wide and stretches `16 miles at its widest point.The southern coast of Grand Bahama is a vast, narrow track of scrub-covered, almost flat territory.