After a few days in a marina near Georgetown, Exumas---we hired a car and went round much of the island—on 30 December we had a nice sail the 48 miles out to Conception Island. Good to get over marina fever. Conception Island is a small uninhabited island off the beaten track, designated a national park because of the reefs, corals and sea life around it. A beautiful anchorage in a large bay surrounded by beach—very beautiful!

Then on 2 January we set off on a 4 day passage of over 550 miles to Samana Bay in the Dominican Republic. Most times this would be an unpleasant passage into winds and seas, but we had a forecast of winds veering through 360 degrees over a couple of days which enabled us to make the whole passage, albeit by a long circuitous route, on close reaches. We arrived in Samana this morning. Very different from the Bahamas: instead of beaches there are mountains. The language, culture and and vibe are Spanish----and the prices are two-thirds lower!

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