Jake and I have a theory: every good marriage begins with a near-death experience – okay, maybe not every good marriage but at least ours did! It happened just hours after we said “I do” and we will never forget it.
We were married at 6:00pm at a candlelit ceremony in my home church. Young and in love, we couldn’t wait to set out on our honeymoon, just excited to be together and done with wedding details. We made the brilliant decision to leave on a 7am flight the day after our wedding. In our defense, we were headed to a small island chain off the coast of the Bahamas called the Abacos. They didn’t have too many flights coming in and out, so we had to fly out early enough to catch the last flight to the islands.
The Abacos are a small crescent-shaped chain to the east of the Bahamas that serve as barrier islands between Grand Bahama and the Atlantic. We had a secluded beach house all to ourselves for 8 days and we couldn’t wait! The islands were so small that you rented a boat instead of a car and used it to travel around, docking at restaurants, shops, and the like. The little islands themselves were small enough to walk directly across in minutes. We were instructed to head straight to the boat rental from the airport because you wouldn’t want to be navigating your way to your house in the dark-especially if this was your first time in the Abacos. Are you imagining the outcome of this??? Oh…it gets good.
We made it to the boat rental just in time. We rented a small, 17ft. privateer boat. Let me re-emphasize SMALL BOAT. The little Bahamian man tells Jake, “ Jus’ head straight for dis heading on your compass…your island is on de left. Go ‘round de tip if de island and your house is third on de left.” You can picture it. Sending two kids…out to sea…in a small boat…with my beautifully packed trousseau! – for you men out there, that’s a bride’s honeymoon wardrobe 
This was never going to be a good idea. But, alas, we set out to sea. Nothing but a small boat and our love between us and the Atlantic. We turn our boat and follow our compass. We drive. And we drive. We pass island, after island. I keep asking my new husband, “Should it be taking this long?!? It’s almost dark? The sun is going down. And, are those rain clouds?!?”
Our 20 minute ride from the main land turns into a 40 minute ride and the weather isn’t looking great.
Finally! We see it! An island just like he described. We head straight for it, Jake driving the boat and me sitting up front, clinging to my luggage. This is when it gets good…
We reach the small island’s edge and things get interesting. The waves pick up and our little boat is rocking! We begin to go around the edge of the little island the waves are so high they are coming over the side of our boat. This can’t be right! I look and see that, what was supposed to be our secluded, romantic beach villa is a jagged shoreline full of cliffs and jetties. The boat is rocking so badly that I can hardly hold on to our bags. Jake is trying desperately to hold the boat steady and steer it into the waves. I’m hysterical. Jake is barely holding it together. I just know we are going to capsize. And not only are we about to die…BUT, my perfect honeymoon is clearly ruined!! How are we going to have the most romantic week of our lives if we are at the bottom of the ocean!
Just then the unthinkable happens…it begins to storm. Thunder booms, rain is soaking us and our things. Jake and I are yelling at each other. Finally, in a moment of sheer desperation, I scream out, “ LORD, YOU PARTED THE RED SEA…I KNOW YOU CAN GET US OUT OF HERE!!” Ha! Classic. So, classic. Just in the nick of time, and only because he is a seasoned surfer, Jake turns the boat around. We head back towards to tip of the island. The waves are still out of control. As we come around the edge, Jake actually positions to boat to ride a wave because at the point the boat is so small the the waves are so big it was our only chance of not tipping over.
We make it back inside the islands and see a man standing at the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. He’s waving us down. We head our boat in his direction, heart-broken and exhausted. Our honeymoon is over. We’ve barely survived the first hour. He yells at us to come dock at his home. When we make our way there, he says, “ What are you kids doing?!? That’s the Atlantic Ocean! I thought I was going to have to call the Coast Guard!” He explains to us that we have TOTALLY missed our island and were in unprotected waters in a VERY little boat. Never a good idea.
We found our little beach house just as the sun set, with not a minute to spare. Our honeymoon was amazing, after we slept off our terror for about 18 hours.
Moral of the story…even just one degree off course, means much more down the line.
Hope you got a good laugh out of that one.
We’ll never forget it!
That’s our story, what’s yours…
Jake and Hannah
Hannah, I had to laugh at this story. I thought the house looked familiar to me (like houses in the Abacos). My in-laws had a house on Lubbers Quarters Cay in the Abacos (between Hopetown and Marsh Harbor – directly across from Tiloo Cut) for about twelve years and we went there twice a year on vacation. Small world! I can picture you guys in that little boat and yes that is small I’m sure it was an experience. Where was the house at? I hope you enjoyed the rest of your stay in the Abacos it is a beautiful little place that is secluded from the whole world. I think I need a vacation! LOL
Dana!!! Our house was on Lubbers Quarters too! crazy! The house is called Green Bananas. I hope we get to go back again one day…now that we know our way around!! ha!