Many years ago, after a passage up the coast from Norfolk, Virginia, I approached New York Harbor in a real pea-soup fog. As I neared the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, fog horns and the low-pitched throbbing of ship engines seemed to come at me from all sides. I looked off to port as a Plimsoll mark passed by, maybe 50 feet away. I couldn't see the ship it was attached to, just a slight darkening of the fog bank.

TODAY, IT'S BECOMING more and more difficult to find a little sliver of paradise, or a private cove to cast a hook for the evening. Boaters may find their favorite harbor overrun with weekend sun worshippers. If you're in the mood for a little travel, however, point your bow east and head for the Bahamas.Yes Paradise Island is nice, but there is much more to do in the Out Islands. It is a sportsman's paradise, full of activities for the boater, angler, diver, and beach bum.