Paperbird

and actually catching!!

Weather forecasts can be so deceiving! All the weather sources (we usually look at 3 or 4 different ones every day) all forecast 12-15 kt winds from the SE, perfect weather to sail up to Eleuthera from the Exumas. Imagine our surprise (not) when they were all wrong and we ended up with 20-25 kt winds out of the NNE, making for a wet and wild 55 mile ride. But we also managed to switch from fishing to catching when we stopped contributing lures and managed to catch a good-sized mahi mahi. All those lessons from Phil and Kathy are starting to pay off!

 

 

He quieted the sea with his power

The book, Wind from the Carolinas, describes how the British Loyalists tried to recreate their South Carolina plantation life in the Exumas. Needless to say, they failed. Occasionally there are some vague reminders of their attempts, though. Hawksbill Cay has a number of ruins of some plantation era dwellings that highlight just how hard it must have been. Between the lack of soil on the small islands and the challenging weather conditions, it took some very hardy people to even try it. But try they did – for several generations. The book is a fascinating glimpse into what it must have been like. We definitely recommend it to anyone heading this way. It’s especially fun to read about the history while here exploring where it all happened.

 

He quieted the seas with his power

Shroud Cay is the site of Camp Driftwood, an old hermit’s camp built out of, what else, driftwood. The camp is long gone, but the site is sure beautiful. There is a winding salt water creek that leads to the hill where the camp was located. The wind was calm the day we were there and the water in the creek was crystal clear. What a cool ride!

 

He quieted the sea with his power

One of the challenges in the Exumas is that there are very few anchorages with protection from Westerly winds, which is the case whenever a cold front passes through the islands. Bell Island is one of those places. The guidebook describes a narrow cut, about 50’ wide, with a rock on one side and a 1’ deep sandbar on the other, “that should pose no difficulty for the experienced mariner.” I guess there are a lot of mariners with a lot more experience! It was a bit snug for our taste – especially since you have to go back out the same way and experience it twice! But there was good protection, plenty of room and some fantastic snorkeling. Of course, the reefs are inside the Exuma Park so no fishing allowed. But we were able to find a couple hidden beaches to just relax and soak up the scenery.

 

Bell Island, like too many of the Exumas, is now privately owned. Rumor has it an Iranian religious group of some sort bought it and has built a retreat center. For neighbors, they have Johny Depp a couple islands up, David Copperfield a little ways to the south and a few others scattered around. Seems like the islands are mortgaging their future in return for some short-lived cash. Doesn’t seem like a very good deal!

 

He quieted the sea with his power

Well, who wouldn’t want to “swim with the pigs? The Pig Beach at Big Majors is certainly a unique spot. The pigs roam free, but aren’t really wild. Mostly they are conditioned to be fed by crazy tourists and cruisers. Of course, the pigs aren’t the only attraction. Staniel Cay, the next island south, is home to some of the classic Bahamas racing sailboats. Tall masts and very, very long booms make for a lot of sail area!

 

Between Big Majors and Staniel is the famous Thunderball Grotto, filming site for James Bond’s Thunderball, Splash and probably others. The lighting inside is unique; and the Grotto is home to lots of fish.

 

We’ve learned that cruising is a curious mix of sailing/navigating, seeing the sites, and meeting people. From island to island, the mix varies a bit in percentage, but the three parts are always present. That’s just part of the allure of cruising!

Pig Beach!

Thunderball Grotto

 

He quieted the sea with His power

 

 

 

 

Black Point is the largest settlement in the Exumas other than Georgetown. Large is a bit relative, however. Three restaurants, 1 laundramat, a couple of very, very small grocery stores, and one very important ice-cream house (not a store, but a house where Christine sells $2 ice cream cones!). But some very friendly and fantastic Bahamians that made it a great visit.

Like all the islands, they are dependent on the mailboat, usually once a week, to bring any and all supplies including food. The arrival of the mailboat is an all-island event that closes up the stores and brings everyone down to the government dock to pick up their newly arrived supplies. Then all the stores open back up with fresh produce and a few more things on the shelves. It’s hard not to get excited just watching all the excitement!

Our time in Black Point seemed both hectic and relaxed at the same time. We met up with some cruising friends from last year, made new cruising friends, met some wonderful Bahamians, and created a whole new set of memories that will last for years to come.

 

He quieted the seas with his power

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Georgetown is an amazing place! We met people who stay there all season every year and we talked to someone who stayed a week and said it was 6 days too long. Neither held true for us. We loved seeing all the other cruisers and having access to stores, but we missed all the beautiful scenery and meeting Bahamians on the small islands and in the settlements.

Chat & Chill on volleyball beach is the hub for all activities. We enjoyed a great lunch there, attended a cruisers seminar on battery management (always a big topic when all the electricity you have is stored in and supplied by 12v batteries), and went to Beach Church on Sunday. Volleyball beach is actually located about 2 miles across the harbor from town. So dinghy rides back and forth were common. The stores, water, and gas are all on the town side. And all the activities are on the beach side.

Of course, we were also boat-bound one day when strong winds blew through the anchorage. That seems to be par for the course this year!

On the way back up the Exumas after a week in Georgetown, we stopped at Rudder Cut Cay, next to David Copperfields private island. He commissioned a piano sculpture and had it placed on the bottom for people to see when snorkeling. Fascinating!

And of course, a great game of Mexican Train dominoes, a favorite cruisers game! This one on board SunDog I, a Canadian catamaran we met at Thanksgiving in St Mary’s, GA.

He quieted the seas with his power

Sunset at Black Point in the Exumas!!

 

He quieted the sea with his power

 

Wow – lots to catch up on.  We ended up staying in Bimini 2 weeks waiting for favorable weather to leave. While weathered in, we passed the time exploring the island (from end to end), learning Mexican Train dominoes, playing cribbage and reading. When the weather settled down enough to leave, we sailed overnight and arrived at Nassau in the morning, bought fuel and continued east across the Yellow Bank (we think the name comes from the color of the sand reflecting the sunlight) to the Northern Exumas.  We sailed along with JoLinDy, who we met in Beaufort SC and Unicorn, our friends from Annapolis.  Old friends and new ones – both a major part of cruising!

Since in the Exumas, we’ve been snorkeling several places including a wrecked DC-3 from the drug smuggling days on Norman’s Cay and several patches of reef in the Exuma Land and Sea Park.  No fishing or taking of anything allowed in the park, which probably explains the huge lobster in plain sight on the reefs – they know they are safe!

The Exuma Park mooring field is an amazing natural channel with postcard blue water and white sand.  While in the park, we hiked several trails to explore some Loyalist ruins and to the top of Boo Boo Hill to add our bit of driftwood with our boat name to the huge pile and to get a cell signal to catch up on email.  The things we do to stay connected!

We are now anchored in Georgetown with probably 300 other cruising boats.  It’s an amazing place with all the activities you can imagine from yoga, to water aerobics to beach volleyball and softball teams.  The morning radio net takes about 30 minutes just to announce all the activities for each day.  While it’s fun to meet other cruisers, we aren’t planning to stay long, although the weather may have different ideas.

We are learning more and more everyday about our weather dependency.  Each morning we get a weather update that covers the next several days. Then there are several conversations throughout the day between ourselves and with other boaters about places to go with favorable winds, places not to go due to the wind, places to hide from west winds, or clocking winds or squalls.   Actually, that’s how we ended up in Georgetown. The forecast was for 2 days of northwest winds about 15-20 kts in strength. Perfect for a run down Exuma Sound (the deep side) and into Georgetown Harbor.  Now we’re waiting for squalls and a clocking front (winds starting northeast, shifting southeast, then southwest, and so on back to the northeast over a 24 hour window) sometime in the next few days.  After that, we’ll see what the weather allows.  Perhaps a trip farther east to Long Island and Conception Island, maybe a run back north to other not-to-be-missed spots in the Exumas.  Hard to go wrong in these beautiful islands!

 

He quieted the sea with His power

 

Bimini is home to quite a variety of marine life – most friendly, some not so much.  It turns out that both Lemon sharks and hammerhead sharks call Bimini home!  There is a Shark Lab here that was established in 1990 doing some very interesting research into both types of sharks.  We went on a tour of the Lab and learned about the various research projects they have underway.  Most of them involve tagging sharks to determine things like their range (no one is sure yet) and why they like Bimini (the mangroves).

 

 

Don’t try this trick at home!  Lemon sharks are actually quite flexible and can bite right next to their rear dorsal fin. Notice how carefully he places his hand.  That shark is between 1 and 2 years old.

 

After a rough day in the shark tank, it was time for a relaxing lunch on the beach overlooking the ocean and the gulf stream. We found a little shack favored by the locals that serves great conch fritters!

 

Blessed to spend a day in Gods creation learning about his wild creatures and how they live.

 

He quieted the sea with His power