Harmonie is tied up at the Grand Bahama Yacht Club.  We are 100 miles away in distance, and a thousand miles in other ways.

We hoped on the ferry from Freeport to Fort Lauderdale (about 3 1/2 hours).   The ferry is interesting.  Run by a Spanish company, it is a fast wave piercing design that travels at about 25 knots.  The clientele were a mixture of Bahamians making a quick one day trip for shopping, others on longer term trips visiting families, and a large number of tourists. A significant fraction of the tourist traffic were Europeans.  I am guessing they are just more likely to consider non-airplane travel. Over all it was an experience we enjoyed, and was in a door to door travel time not much different than taking a flight, and a lot cheaper.  There is also ferry service to Miami.

Ferry Pros:

• Way more room than a plane. Walk around all you want. Outside if you like.
• Less boarding hassle.
• Cheaper.
• Better views.
• Dedicated customs clearance.  (Have you ever cleared into the USA at the Miami airport on a busy day?  Yuch!)

Ferry Cons:

• A bit slower at 3 1/2 hours for the crossing.
• Limited schedule.  One round trip a day, on most days.

We’ll be in Florida for 10 days or so.  For a few days we’ll be in Hollywood taking care of business, then a fun day or two at the huge Miami boat show, then down to Big Pine Key to visit friends.  All the while picking up boat parts and supplies.

Sunset over North Lake, Hollywood, Florida