The EXUMAS

March 26

After a couple of nights at Highbourne Cay Marina and after finding (and releasing) a beautiful baby King Conch, (as opposed to the more familiar Queen Conch with a pink lined shell) and spending time with our underwater friends we fueled up and headed for Shroud Cay, a pleasant uninhabited island in the Exumas where there are many mangrove lined creeks to explore. 

We arrived at Shroud Cay around 2:30 and immediately set out in the dinghy to check things out. Glad we didn't step on this guy! These rays bury themselves underwater in the sand.  Beautiful when they're swimming, but you don't want to accidently spook them...

After spending an enjoyable evening on a mooring there, we headed out the next morning to Warderick Wells, part of the Exuma National Park. The wind was supposed to pick up and boy, did it ever! We were on an outside mooring in the north mooring field and we rocked and rolled all night. Andrew, the wonderful harbour master had told us we could take a mooring further in if we saw a boat leave the next morning and fortunately for us, a lone trawler opened up #17 for us - a much more protected mooring. This is a very popular spot and it is advised to make a request for a mooring a day or two in advance. Each morning Andrew will ask if any boats are departing and based on the departures will assign boats on the waiting list to a ball. Once you're on one, you can stay as long as you like. There is so much to explore in Warderick Wells that it's worth it to stay. There are many trails to hike on the island. On Saturday nights there is a gathering of all cruisers and park staff for cocktail party. We've heard lots of interesting stories from folks doing the same as we are.

The Sunshine Causeway on one of the trails

And looking back from the other side

View from the top of Boo Boo Hill. See the boats moored on the right?

Mementos left on the top of Boo Boo Hill from cruisers

The north mooring field

The next day we left Warderick Wells and set our sights on Cambridge Cay. The weather had turned and become quite cool. We actually had jeans and jackets on! Unusual for over here. We could have lowered the dinghy and snorkeled but it was too choppy to consider so we stayed onboard and decided to explore on our return trip. We had snorkeled here a couple of years ago and it was beautiful. We slept well that night in the cool weather.

Our next destination would be Big Majors Harbour at Staniel Cay, a 5 hour sail from Cambridge Cay. We're here a lot earlier than we were two years ago and have never seen so many boats anchored. There must have been 50, and many mega yachts further out which is a change from the typical sailboats and powerboats.

After making a run to the local general store for whatever they had (not much to choose from on these islands so you take what you can) we went back to the boat for dinner aboard. The next morning we took what we had saved for the pigs and dinghied to shore to offer them breakfast. They came running to the beach when they saw us coming. There were quite a few babies this year and they haven't quite learned how to swim yet but I'm sure they'll learn in no time. Big mama swims out to the dinghy, throws her head back and opens wide! 

Staniel Cay has a brand new laundromat and we were off after feeding the pigs to do our much needed laundry. Good machines are few and far between over here. This one just opened in November and included a liquor store.  She's bound to have many happy customers. I'm not sure which is better - finding a great laundromat or freshly baked Bahamian bread! Both are equally important here. So, after the laundry was done we walked to the bread lady in the yellow house and picked up our fresh out of the oven loaf that we had ordered prior to doing our laundry. We're happy!

We enjoyed lunch at Staniel Cay Yacht Club, a great little bar and restaurant. A local dog came in to cool off in the shade. It was a HOT day!

After lunch we hoisted the anchor and sailed to Sampson Cay, a short 1 hour away. Remember I told you about the mega yachts? Well, here we are anchored among a few of them. The one on the far right of the picture had a slide, a couple of jet skis, a huge tender and a crew that entertained the children on board in the evening at a campfire on the beach. Some of the crew dressed up as pirates and came ashore as they were probably telling Captain Hook stories... we heard a few screams. Aargh! Sampson Cay used to be the home of the Sampson Cay Marina with groceries, a restaurant and shops but it has now become a private island. It appeared that everything was closed so we'll have to wait to see what will become of it.

April 1st already! We left Sampson Cay around 10:00 and headed to Rocky Dundas to snorkel the cave we missed earlier due to the cold weather and glad we did. The inside of this underwater cave is beautiful. It was a little chilly still, so after we'd had our fill of snorkeling we headed back to the boat, had lunch and left for Compass Cay to take a slip at the marina where we had stayed two years ago. 

The cave from the outside

Looking out of the cave

Inside the cave

Looking up from the inside of the cave. Glad it's not raining!

More of the inside

Looking out from the cave - ready to head back to the dinghy

After we dinghied back to the boat and dried off, we raised the anchor and slowly motored around to Compass Cay. As always, the nurse sharks were hanging around waiting for food. These are docile creatures and in fact some of the guests swim with them, albeit very slowly. Our boat plaque was still there so we added another year to it. The owner has added another dock, big enough for a large yacht, which is reflected in the price of the slip and the $25 trash disposal fee PER BAG. Yikes!

Swimming under our boat

15 feet under our boat and it's a beautiful aquarium

We had intended to sail across the Exuma sound to Cape Eleuthera on Saturday to catch up with our good friends John and Cherre on the Let It Go but saw a weather window on Thursday and decided not to wait. We left Compass Cay at 9:20 and had a fishing line out in hopes of catching dinner. Lo and behold, about midway across the sound our wish came true. Jeff reeled in a beautiful Mahi! 

A little rum in the gills and the fish is feeling no pain

We had a beautiful sail to Eleuthera arriving at 3:10. We had arranged to take the slip next to our friends and discovered that they had gone off for the day which gave us plenty of time to give the boat a much needed bath. Around dinner time John and Cherre came back from taking their daughter, son in law and grandchildren to the airport and were totally surprised to see us two days early. If they were to catch a little rest before their next guests arrived, it wasn't going to happen. Needless to say we had lots of catching up to do and after having drinks and dinner together in their rented villa, we stopped talking at a surprising 2am. Time flies when you're having fun! None of us had been up that late since college! The next day John and Jeff worked on boat projects. Their friends Kim and Mickey were to arrive that afternoon so we made plans to meet at the beachside pool for cocktails that evening. 

A fishing trip on Saturday aboard the Let It Go was quite successful! We froze a bunch and decided to have surf and turf for dinner. Mickey is a fantastic cook and with our combined fresh fish, flank steak and fresh veggie medley we had a feast!

Here comes the first catch of the day

Mickey reeling in with Jeff handling the gaff

John puts another one in the hold

And another. What colors!

The big one lost color momentarily and then it returned. Must have been shock?

On Sunday we took John, Cherre, Mickey and Kim out for a sail before we all headed to chill on an island beach later in the afternoon.

Our new friends Kim and Mickey Moore

Mickey getting a quick sailing lesson

Happy Mickey!

Cherre and Jeff

Captain John trying out the helm

Mickey enjoying cooling off

John and Mickey "chilling"

What a sandbar!

Kim and Mickey were leaving the next day so we bade farewell prior to dinner and slept soundly that night. The next morning we were planning on leaving for Rock Sound, not too far away, but it clouded over and we decided to stick around another day and wait for better weather. We said our goodbyes to Kim and Mickey over a cocktail with all, then headed back to the boat for a quiet dinner aboard. The next morning John and Cherre tossed docklines for us and we set out for Rock Sound.

Stay tuned for the next chapter aboard EXILE. We are pleased to hear that spring is coming in the states!

Fun with friends in the Abacos

March 7th

We left Hope Town and sailed to Marsh Harbour to meet Blaine and Sharon, our good friends from Maine, at the airport and welcome them to the beautiful Bahamas! They arrived on an afternoon flight so we decided to stay in Marsh Harbour at the Conch Inn Marina and have dinner at the Jib Room across the harbour - steak nights are always good there. Our friends Ben and Belinda Doliver (from Swans Island, Maine) had come to Marsh Harbour as well so it was a fun reunion for them. A great first night with live music and lots of dancing!

The next morning we began the "tour". First stop - Fishers Bay in Guana Cay to introduce Blaine and Sharon to Nippers and their "famous" Sunday Pig Roast. As usual, it didn't fail to entertain... If people watching is your sport, this is the place to do it, especially on Sunday!

Beach at Nippers

Nippers crowd

Sharon and Blaine

Spring Break?

The next morning we motor sailed to Little Harbour to make sure we arrived at the noon high tide. The channel can be challenging to maneuver with shallow depths and our 5'9" draft. We took one of Pete's moorings and set out in search of sea glass. Little Harbour is a great place to explore - walking the settlement and the beaches. After a long walk in the hot sun we made our way back to Pete's Pub for lunch and a cold one. The food is always great there and the atmosphere can't be beat. This is the place that claims the phrase "Where the elite eat in their bare feet" as the pubs floor is the beach.
We stayed the next morning and returned to Pete's for lunch since it was delicious the previous day and we again had to wait for high tide to leave. If you want to know more about Pete and the Johnston Art Foundry, CLICK HERE    Pete's mother and father settled in Little Harbour in 1952. Their story is quite fascinating. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading their story HERE

Sailing, sailing.....

The beach at Pete's Pub in Little Harbour

Oh, the things you find on the beach!

Any shelter is a good shelter

Walking around looking for conch and rays

After a walk on the beach, Sharon and Jeff are cleaning the sand out of their sandals

The steps to the beach from Pete's Pub

After leaving Little Harbour we sailed to Tilloo Sand Bank - one of our favorite stops we did some snorkeling and relaxing - a great way to spend an afternoon in the Bahamas.

This hammock was here two years ago and can hold a family of four!

Jeff borrowed one of the discarded chairs on the beach and propped up his feet

Sharon found a baby conch!

We were back in Hope Town on our mooring that evening at dusk.
Jeff had arranged a fishing trip for the next morning with Truman on Lucky Strike. Promptly at 8:30 he pulled his fishing boat alongside, Blaine and Jeff boarded and we wished them well on their expedition. They returned at 11:00 with one Mahi and one Black Fin Tuna.

Later that day we climbed the lighthouse and explored the settlement. We enjoyed a casual dinner at the Hope Town Inn and Marina's outdoor restaurant and returned to the boat early for the last night of Blaine and Sharon's Bahamas adventure. Tomorrow morning they would be off to Marsh Harbour on the Hope Town Ferry at 8:30 to catch their flight to Florida. We sure enjoyed their stay with us and hope to see more of them next year!

View from the lighthouse

The next two days were dedicated to some consulting work for Jeff, laundry and general "housekeeping". On Sunday we were back in business and joined friends at the Hope Town Inn and Marina for Brown Tip's Rake & Scrape music and dancing from 1-4pm. Always a great time! We meet the most interesting folks from all over, other boaters like ourselves looking for new adventures. I bought a handmade craft bag for our granddaughter from one new friend. It's really cute and I can't wait to see her again when we return to FL in May.  We learned that friends we had met over here years ago (John and Kathi) were anchored just outside the Hope Town Harbour so we hopped in the dinghy to say hello. The next day we went snorkeling together and speared a few fish and a lobster! Needless to say, it was fresh lobster rolls for lunch!

Jeff caught dinner!

We were planning to leave the Abacos in a few days, so decided to race one more time before we go. Todd joined us once again, so we were ready to repeat our last win.... Unfortunately the wind didn't cooperate, and only 3 boats out of 16 finished before the time deadline. We did however, get to chat with the neighboring boaters who were drifting along with us! Small world, per Jeff, the Bristol 41.1 drifting beside us was skippered by Morgan Densel, who spent a summer as sternman for "Low Profit Moffit" on the Matt & Pat!

On March 19th (Happy 28th Birthday Brian!) we headed once again to Marsh Harbour to re-provision for our trip south: fuel, groceries, etc. and a new dive mask for me (mine was leaking). We were set to leave when the windlass decided to have a mind of its own - running when it wasn't supposed to. So, after a couple of hours taking care of that, it was too late to go and we spent the night at anchor in Marsh Harbour. The next morning we headed toward Lynyard Cay, anchored near Sandy Cay for lunch and then to snorkel on the reef there. This is always a favorite reef to visit but it didn't happen this time. It began to rain hard, so we'll have to catch it another time. We pulled anchor and at 2:30 we were anchored in Lynyard Cay with 24 other boats. The last to arrive was a boat we had seen before and in fact had motored down the ICW with in North Carolina trying to make the last bridge opening! Douglass dinghied over and we chatted for a while. They had been in the Exumas and were heading north to the Abacos. They'd never been there, so we shared some info and suggested a few great places for them to visit.

Our next destination would be Royal Island, four miles off North Eleuthera - one step closer to the Exumas. There were no residences on this island but plans had been in the works years ago. We discovered Lot markers on various points of the island and found that there had been a plan for a major resort years ago. HERE'S THE STORY  We enjoyed a quiet evening aboard after exploring the island, swimming and showering up.

The water is so crystal clear you can see everything on the bottom

The next morning we had a 6 hour motor in light winds to Ship Channel Cay and then a short hop the next day to a beautiful anchorage between Allan's Cay and Leaf Cay where we would enjoy snorkeling and visiting with the local iguanas - quite the attraction. People from other boats had decided to swim to shore to see them and snorkel for some conch, only to discover that a swift current had kicked up before they could return to their boats. We actually pulled a few swimmers into our dinghy and returned them to their boats, for which they were very grateful.

What a beautiful entry this made at one time

Our sailboat anchored in the foreground

We were off again at 11:00 (leisurely morning!) for our short trip to Highbourne Cay where we have planned to stay for a couple of days to catch up on email, etc. Yesterday we dragged our laundry up to the office where it was whisked away to housekeeping (what a treat!). We lowered the dinghy and putted around the island to see what we could find. Lots to see!

Tomorrows dinner?

Nurse sharks waiting on the bottom (approx 12 feet) for fish scraps at the cleaning station.
These shots were taken from the dinghy above the water for those who think I'm nuts enough to dive below with them!

Last night we enjoyed a wonderful meal at the restaurant here after riding around the island in the dinghy scoping out the scenes.  It rained this morning so we took advantage of the internet here and did some work and I was able to update the blog. We may go look for some conch and lobster in a while. Maybe we'll get lucky! Tomorrow we're off to parts further south. Until then...........