We're in Bimini! Hello, Bahamas!

Alright, so we left Boot Key Tuesday morning.  We had a headwind the whole day, but the water wasn't too rough.  But we made slow progress and anchored at Fiesta Key.  Got up early yesterday and went outside because the wind was forecast to be favorable.  And do you know what we had?  Headwinds.  Yep, it's a theme.  But halfway through the day, the winds shifted, and we managed to sail.  And zoom we went!  As we were passing Rodriguez Key, we called a friend of ours on the VHF.  (Rodriguez is where most people jump off to the Bahamas.)  He was planning to sit on a mooring ball out on the reef, get some sleep, and then head out that night.  A mooring ball on the reef.  Why didn't we think of that?  Sitting out on the reef would give us a jump start on the trip.  We wouldn't have to weave through crab pots, or the reef for that matter.  Sounded like a winner of a plan.
So we tied up to a ball at Carysfort Reef last night.  When we got there, the seas were rolly, but the reef blocked quite a bit of it.  So we grabbed a ball in the lee of the reef and enjoyed smooth waters and a lovely sunset.  We could see all the way to the bottom, the water was so clear.  It was only 8 feet deep, but it was still impressive.  Gorgeous!  And we had a lighthouse to look at.  Sweet!  Unfortunately, by the time we went to bed, the wind and waves shifted.  They rolled us all night, causing the water in our tank to knock around and make horrible bowling-ball noises.  I didn't sleep very well. 
But we were up early this morning, ready to conquer the day!  As we left, it was a little rough.  But it wasn't horrible.  We thought maybe it would smooth out a little once we got into the Gulf Stream.  It was funny, I actually saw where the stream started.  The water was a little choppy (emphasis on little; it was kinda cute, actually) and there was a grass line.  And then we were booking it!  And yes, the water even smoothed out a little.  Win!  So we're hauling ass toward Bimini, when we realized the wind had shifted north.  A north wind goes opposite of the direction of the Gulf Stream, which kicks up some serious waves.  Well, it was just a little choppy, not bad.  We had rollers coming up from the south, and the north wind actually knocked them down a little.  Then the wind got a little stronger.  The forecast said it wouldn't get above 10 knots, so we thought it'd be alright.  I'm not sure if it made it above 10 knots or not, but it was pretty bumpy out there for a while.  We put up the main sail, which stabilized us a little and gave us another spurt of speed.  I saw 8.4 knots on the gps at one point.  Whoa!  Totally sweet! 
So the waves were uncomfortable, no doubt about that, but it never got dangerous.  Just up and down and side to side and rockin' and rollin'.  Not exactly the boring crossing we were looking forward to. 
Around 2:45, I thought I saw something that wasn't a boat.  I looked through the binoculars to make sure.  And "LAND HO!!!"  Yes indeedy, I saw the Bahamas for the first time!  I was psyched!  We were still 10 miles off Bimini, and the GPS said it was in a different direction, so we figured out we were looking at Cat Cay and Gun Cay.  We're planning to head down there next, so we're pretty happy they're so close (we can see them from Bimini). 
As we got close to Bimini, we finally saw the legendary colors of the water.  Now, we'd heard (and read) about how crazy beautiful the waters are.  Crystal clear and amazing shades of blue.  You know what the reality is?  They're indescribably gorgeous!!!  I couldn't believe how amazing it was!  Even in 80 feet of water, we could see the bottom.  And it lightened from dark blue to amazing shades I've never even thought about.  Absolutely beautiful!  And this is just the start.  We're only at the first island!
So it might have been an exhausting day, but now we're here and so excited!  Cleared customs without any problem. We have a 60-day cruising permit, though we have no idea how long we'll actually stay.
Next time we have internet, I'll post pictures.  But I left the camera on the boat. 
Yay!  Bahamas!