We Made It. 🇧🇸⚓️
There are moments in boating when you hold your breath without realizing it.
And then there are moments when you finally exhale.
Reaching the Bahamas was both.
We pulled anchor at 4:30 PM, hearts pounding in that quiet, electric way that only comes when you’re stepping into something you’ve dreamed about for ten years.
Out of the busy West Palm channel, we went—boats darting, radios crackling, lights blinking. It felt like leaving the last layer of the familiar behind.
Then we cleared the inlet…
and the Atlantic opened up in front of us.
It was happening.
Our first ocean crossing aboard our girl.
We were so excited that neither of us could sleep before departure.
Later? We were fighting to keep our eyes open.
The Gulf Stream gave us “sporty but manageable” seas—just enough motion to remind us this was no river cruise. Plot Twist handled it like the steady, stubborn trawler she is. Heavy. Confident. Unbothered.
We felt small out there. But capable.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a true adventure without something deciding to test us.
Before we were even 10 nautical miles offshore, our AIS went out.
Not ideal, but doable. So we went old-school—radar, watchful eyes, horizon scanning. All was well, until I turned to see a tanker sneek past our stern without a blip on the radar!
It was different navigating without leaning entirely on screens. It forces you to pay attention. To feel the rhythm of the sea. To trust your training—and each other.
The night crossing felt surreal. The sky stretched endlessly. The water shifted between deep indigo and steel gray under moonlight.
There’s something about running offshore at night that strips everything down. No distractions. No land. Just direction and faith.
Plot Twist kept her steady pace. The engine hummed like a heartbeat beneath our feet. And somewhere out there in the dark, the realization settled in: We’re really doing this.
By morning, the water began to change from deep Atlantic blue to that impossible Bahamian turquoise that looks edited—even when it isn’t.
We reached Freeport before customs opened, so we bobbed around on the Bahama Bank, sunlight climbing higher, both of us grinning like kids who had just gotten away with something.
Because crossing over feels like crossing into a different world.
Clearer water.
Softer light.
Slower pace.
The kind of place that reminds you why you put up with bridge delays, anchor drama, haul-outs, and boat projects in the first place.
After days of preparation, nerves, weather windows, and “are we sure we’re ready?”…
We were here.
Not because it was easy.
Not because nothing went wrong.
But because we kept going anyway.
Plot Twist floated gently beneath us.
The Bahamas stretched out ahead.
And just like that, the dream wasn’t something we were planning.
It was something we were living.
Ciara Knight is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author who writes heart-tugging, faith-filled romance with a dash of hope and a whole lot of love. When she's not wrangling swoon-worthy cowboys or crafting small-town drama, she's navigating life as a proud mom of three spirited (and now grown!) boys.
In a major plot twist no one saw coming, Ciara and her tech-savvy husband recently traded in their empty nest for open waters—purchasing a boat to live aboard full-time. Together, they’re setting sail on the greatest adventure yet: the next chapter of life, love, and a few waves of inspiration. Anchors aweigh!
Ciara Knight on the web:
They weren’t looking for love…
until a four-legged friend came along.
After a devastating injury derails his military career, Logan Brock agrees to help his best friend run a dog rescue farm. When vet tech Virginia Chapman brings her defiant son, Tyler, on her rounds, things initially don’t go well. But the single mom appreciates Logan’s patience toward her child and recognizes an opportunity. Logan soon becomes the mentor Tyler needs as they all begin to bond over the care of a troubled stray dog. But will rehabbing and training Bravo be enough to help them overcome old wounds…and consider a new future together as a family?
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Congratulations on the release of this new book! Welcome to Exotic Destinations, Ciara!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning captures. Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️
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