of 15 to 18 knots but ended with 40+DDW and some pretty good sized swells. We worked our way down the south side of Puerto Rico over the next few days and ended up refueling at Puerto Real 3 miles north of Boqueron. We had stopped at a few towns along the way and found tbem all lovely. We were sorry to have to leave but we needed to get on down the road.

We had a great sail across the Mona Passage but just as we passed the tip of the Dominican Republic the auto pilot started to give us trouble. About 70 miles from Puerto Platta/Ocean World marina it quir on us completely. We had done an over nighter and the thought of hand steering for the last 70 miles was a real downer. 70 miles later and juat ahead of night fall we edged our way into the fuel dockat Ocean World marina. We spent the next week and a half trying to get a new ram for the auto pilot. Let it be enough for me to say that I will never use FedEx ever again. EVER again. It was like incompatence got in an arguement with apathy and it came out a draw. This wasn't on the Dominican end, this was on the US end. FedEx cost us days and hundreds of dollars. After a long battle we got the part which had to be modified to fit. We didour mobifications and were ready to go by 0200 hrs. We slrpt until 0600 and headed for the Turks and Cacos.

The wives flew into the T&C but arrived a day prior us. They took a "room" ar one of the resorts to punish us for being tardy. We hung out for a few days, rented a car and eat Conch.

Once again it was time to start moving again with our first stop at Mayaguana, one of the Out Islands of the Bahamas. We checked in with Customs and punched a hole in the dinghy. The "dock" was very shallow and we pulled the dinghy over a conch shell. Did I mention that we had to get out and drag the dinghy a 1/4 mile up to the doc?

We started to work our way through the islands with stops at Long Island, Crooked Island, Acklands, Conception, Highborn, Normans (the plane is still there), Compass and a bunch more working our way to Nassau. The girls flew out after a few days but it looked like we were going to get stuck due to weather.

We rechecked the weather reports as soon as the cab pulled away and decided that if we were going to get stuck it might as well be in Bemini rather then Nassau so we took off at around 1400 hrs for the N/W passage and skipped Chub Cay and arrived in Bemini around 0900 hrs. We made a good, clean motorboat ride over water so flat that I took a shower and didn't even loose my balance once! We spent two days at Bemini Bjg Game marina, drank some Klick and went to the smallest Junkanoo I've ever seen. It was small but packed with music and dance. They had a drum section of six 55 gallon drums! It gave an entire new meaning to "55 gallon drum"! Anyway, we got some good advice from John and Bly and took off for Fort Lauderdale befor the weather closed in. Here we sit with the wind really kicking up. I'm glad I'm here and not sitting in Big Game for a week. Thanks all.