Exuma, Eleuthera and Harbour Island

On March 1st we left our beautiful anchorage south of Black Point in the Exumas, stopped at Staniel Cay to replenish our supplies and continued on to Bell Island near the Exuma National Park. They had just that day begun charging an anchoring fee of $0.50 per foot of boat length within the park boundaries. There are rental mooring balls provided by the park which are often occupied. The beauty of the park (land and sea) attracts many. It only made sense that sooner or later there would be a charge to anchor. Money well spent in support of this one of a kind park! On that beautiful first night of March, we were graced by a gorgeous moon.

The next day we sailed the short distance to Compass Cay, which we have fittingly dubbed the natural aquarium marina. The water is crystal clear and it really is as though we are floating atop an aquarium loaded with fish, turtles, and yes, some nurse shark. We had arrived early, so we made lunch then hopped in the dinghy to explore some beaches. On one we saw a plane. On another Jeff found a Chinese buoy and decided to bring it back to the marina where he would hang it on one of the tree lined paths with all the other boat signs. We searched for more treasures and admired all of the beauty nature offers in and out of the water.

Crystal clear water

The deeper blue water is the channel between the light turquoise shoals 

On this particular beach Jeff collected conch shells and set them up on the hillside in the sun
where their gorgeous color would become a sort of beacon

The photo above and below were taken from EXILE'S bow while docked in the marina. The water is approximately 15 feet deep.

Compass Cay has "resident" nurse sharks who love to be fed. People come from various islands on tours
to see these guys and to swim with them. 

Jeff's sign

One of the many turtles who live in the Compass Cay waters

White herons fly away as we pass by while taking the dinghy for a spin around the creek

Looking back toward the marina through the window of what once was a home

We walked to the Low Tide Airport and found some interesting terrain, various shells and assorted creatures and plants. A small plane can land on this stretch of packed sandy terrain only at low tide, hence it's name. There is a "runway" bordered on each side by the small rocks that have been cleared aside.

Orchid growing in the crook of a tree 

This, I was told by a local, is a very rare type of sea biscuit. Rare, he said,
because they usually break before landing up on the beach due to their extreme fragility.
After checking online, this may also be known as a heart urchin or sea potato

The seas were going to be high for the next couple of days so we stayed put in Compass Cay and hiked to the ocean side of the island to have a peek. Sure enough the high winds brought some interesting finds to the beach... most of which Jeff threw over his shoulder and brought back to the marina. Turns out one of the buoys he found belonged to a fisherman in Maine. It was identified by posting a photo on the Maine Commercial Fishing Gear Facebook page.

Still amazed by the color of the water!

Buoy ID: Steve Lawrence, Kittery, Maine lobster fisherman

What a collection

When the seas calmed we headed out for Norman's Cay where we have found lots of sand dollars in years past. I think we were there a little earlier than before and weren't able to find quite as many small ones. We did find a good number of larger ones although we had to look harder. Most were buried in sand which makes perfect sense since that's where they like to live.

It was time to move on from the Exumas, so we crossed the Exuma Sound to the southwestern tip of Eleuthera. The next few days we spent at the Cape Eleuthera marina waiting out wind once again. The fronts, accompanied by high winds have been almost weekly this year, which is not the norm. I can't complain however, because it is generally warm with not much rain. We rented a car from "Friendly Bob" and toured the southern part of the island to areas we hadn't been before. Naturally we made it a point to hit the Rock Sound grocery store (which actually stocks some fresh produce) since they are few and far between in the Exumas and Eleuthera.

A map of South Eleuthera

The boat was stocked and the winds were favorable so we made a dash to North Eleuthera, a 57 nautical mile run in 8.5 hours. We opted to anchor behind Meeks Patch, an unoccupied island not far from Spanish Wells, our next destination. I have recently heard however, that there are now swimming pig and duck occupants and that some locals are taking visitors to see them for a fee. What has happened to the quiet solitude once there? Now there are at least three islands with swimming pigs to attract tourists. The next day we hired "Bandit", a local pilot whom we've used before to assist with traversing the Devil's Backbone, a minefield of coral heads. We have done it in years past alone, but why bother when you can have a stress free trip and great local entertainment! More about the Devil's Backbone here. We arrived in Harbour Island mid afternoon and took an inside slip at Romora Bay. Our friends Robin and Bob Hunter would be flying to North Eleuthera two days later, then hop on a water taxi to Harbour Island, a 10 minute ride. We had two golf carts to visit various beaches, restaurants and shops during their stay. Several visits to the beautiful pink sand beach and other nearby beaches for shell and sea glass hunting filled our days.

Getting closer to Harbour Island 

Sunset at Romora Bay

Great music on Sundays

We thought it would be a fun idea for Robin & Bob to visit another island while they were here so we all hopped aboard the water taxi to Eleuthera and hailed a cab for the ride across the island. Once in the car Jeff suggested a detour to see the Glass Window Bridge. We have seen this from the sailboat and it's like looking through a window from the calm Exuma sound to the Atlantic Ocean. The local cab driver told us he could remember as a child, walking across what was just a footbridge and how the waves could be incredibly strong. He said the bridge had actually been pushed more than a foot from the force of the waves, generated from "The Perfect Storm". Unfortunately, people have been washed off the rocks near the bridge, sadly one man a few weeks ago.  A story by Marvin Hunt

Beach fun

First day's haul

Second days haul. It's an amazing place!

Great beach for swimming and snorkeling

Robin and Bob

Dinner at the marina on the eve of their departure

And they're off, riding a local water taxi to catch their flight on Eleuthera

We walked another beach and found more living starfish than ever before. Here are a few.

Another beautiful sunset

Tomorrow we will be leaving Harbour Island and work our way to Nassau, spend a day or two there, then continue on to the Berry Islands where we will continue our adventures.