Crossing to Eleuthera

 

The bird in the adjacent pic is a white tailed Tropicbird. Saturday we planned a after lunch departure as we wanted to explore another dinghy route in Shroud Cay.  This tiny river requires it be done at high tide or you may have to either walk or drag your dinghy back out. This route took us in crystal clear water with brilliant white sand thru low mangrove marsh. It ended at the ocean on the Exuma Sound. Simply breath taking.

We walked the area for a short while as the tide was ebbing and we did not want to be trapped two miles from deep water. When we got back to the boat we got the boat ready to depart to our next stop 21 miles north at Allen Cay. It was a beautiful calm day on the sound. We wiggled our way into an anchorage between two rocky cays and set the hook. While Sue was on the bow looking for coral heads a Bananaquit came and landed on her hand.

Not once but a couple of times. She put out a slice of orange and it came back and had a feast. The small cays here are crawling with Iguanas. They too have been habituated from people feeding them. When you land on shore they come running out looking for a handout. Later the crew from Unplugged showed up. Jean came over and said, “Hey lets go get dinner.”

So we got in the dinghy and headed to the back side of the rocky cay spear poles in hand. We were in 15-20 feet of water but the good news was there was good size fish. I still had not speared an edible size fish and I was determined to get that accomplished. By time we were done I had speared two Lion fish, a Nassau grouper and a Strawberry grouper. Feeling victorious we headed back to the boat. Cleaning the Lion fish takes a bit of precaution as they have venomous spines all over.

So you have to cut them off with kitchen scissors before you clean them. They are an invasive species wreaking havoc on the reef system due to their voracious appetite. So there is no bag limit on them and even better yet they are delicious. They also are very easy to spear as they have no natural predators so they just float around the reef. Actually they are one of the more stunning appearing fish on the reef. Sue and I gorged on a fish bounty for dinner that night. We capped off the night sitting on the sundeck roof staring at the heavens watching shooting stars streak across the night sky. 

Sunday April 23rd we made haste and pulled anchor at 8am and headed 50 miles to Current Settlement just south of Spanish Wells on Eluthera Island. Our track would take us across the top the the Exuma Bank which is pockmarked with coral heads. Good visual conditions are a must to avoid hitting the running gear destroying coral. We also put out a line to try to catch some dinner. We hooked a small baracuda shortly after we entered the Exuma Bank. Then about an hour we got a really big strike. I grabbed the pole and saw a 4’ Baracuda jump out of the water. He gave us quite a fight breaching a couple of times until he managed to break the line and swim off. We certainly are not set up for that size of fish but it was fun while it lasted. Once at anchor we went ashore and walked to the settlement of Current. Now you might ask what do they mean by settlement. Well generally it is a concentrated area of houses with little to no business development. Current Settlement did have a small convenience store and a tiny library. The houses and general grounds here are very neat and clean. We sat in front of the library and took advantage of the fast free Wifi so Sue could have a conversation with Jackie about all things Wedding. A local came up and kindly asked if we were in need of supplies as she quickly guessed we were cruisers. She offered to drive us to where we could resupply. We graciously declined as we were headed to a marina the next day. We had a nice quiet evening at anchor and were even able to watch some TV as the cell reception was pretty good here. 

This guy had no fear

                                    That is about 10’ of water

    If you zoom in you can see the bird sitting on Sue’s hand

                                                            Truly paradise

  Motoring down the dinghy route

Anchoring at Pirates Lair

 

After getting very clean at Rachel’s bubble bath the next morning we headed off to the east side of Warderick Wells Cay which was short 12 mile cruise to an anchorage called Pirates Lair. Lore has it there is hidden treasures in the rocky limestone. Getting into the Lair involved some real pucker time at the wheel to first navigate the inlet and then to wind and weave around a torturous narrow passage past numerous sandbars to finally enter the anchorage where we grabbed a mooring ball. When we entered our jaws just hung agape.

It by far was the most beautiful place we have ever anchored. Sue did a great job catching the ball and getting us secured. We explored the surrounding area by dinghy passing by a very exclusive looking hotel all done in a Bali theme complete with intricate thatched roofs. The Beach was prominently marked, “Private No Landing.”

The area has many sand bars that surface at low tide painting the water with the many hues of blue to the bright white sand that has just a kiss of pink. Funny enough you really can’t walk on the sandbars because you sink in too deep. Almost like quicksand. If you stand and twist your feet you sink in about a foot. After a bit of exploring we went to the beach where the boat was and walked the trails thru the palm scrub.

When we returned to the boat Sue made that statement that always gives me that stress hormone shock, “What’s that noise?” I listened and heard a sound like something was running. When I went into the engine room I found the shafts were turning from the strong current passing under the boat. Phew! Quickly fixed by using a box wrench on bolt that came off the coupler which jammed against the hull to stop them from turning. For once a very easy fix. It was a moonless night giving way to an inky black sky dusted with millions of stars. The Milky Way providing a white stripe across the heavens. Off to the east in the distance was some low clouds that flashed with heat lightning. Who needs tv with that kind of show going on? 

On Friday April 21st we slipped off the mooring ball and headed 21 miles north to Shroud Cay. We went on the Exuma sound side hoping to hook a fish but once again we were shut out proving again why they call it fishing. Shroud Cay the last cay north in the Exuma Land and Sea Park. We pulled into the northern anchorage and set the hook.

After lunch we took the dinghy up this narrow track that extends deep into the cay. The gin clear water allowed us to see even the finest details of the many Green turtles we passed. We saw tiny ones to large ones. We ended up at a place called the Washing Machine where the narrow creek communicates with Exuma Sound. There is a deep pool right where the limestone rocks narrow before opening up to the sea.

On an Ebb tide you get into the pool and let the current drag you out to the sandbar where you stand up and repeat. We spent most of the afternoon there enjoying the beautiful surroundings. We had a nice calm night at anchor sleeping very soundly after a full day in the sun. 

Sunrise Pirates Lair

Island Hopping up the Exumas

 

On Wednesday April 19th we had a leisurely departure from the anchorage at Black Point bound for Compass Cay about 16 miles north. We were desperately short on provisions so on the way we pulled into Staniel Cay to resupply. In less than two hours we were back on our way to our next stop. We had a couple of points of interest we wanted to see there. The first was the rather tame nurse sharks at the Compass Cay Marina.

They feed them and as a result you can actually pet them. Not a real fan of such interference with animals but its what they do here. Nurse sharks do not have the typical shark teeth and are quite docile. Turns out they wanted $15 per person just to land on the private island so it made it easier to pass on that. Instead we wandered up a narrow creek that was loaded with turtles. Once a long time ago they fished turtles in the Bahamas.

In fact when we were last in Exuma we ate it at a restaurant. I must say it was quite good. A local Bahamian told us that the US government made them stop harvesting them. He said now there is an over abundance of turtles. I must say we saw at least 20 in this one location alone. 

Our next stop was at a another Grotto at Dundas Rocks. The grotto was not nearly as good as Thunderball but the coral in front of it was great.

We snorkeled around for a bit and then headed off to the big stop called Rachel’s Bubble Bath. At the northern tip of Compass Cay there is a small beach with a wash that comes out from the Exuma sound side of the cay. When you follow it up to the ocean there is a pool of sorts that when the tide comes in it pushes water into the pool thru a small cut in the rock.

In unsettled conditions and big waves it actually creates sea foam in the pool. We hung out there floating in the pool for a couple hours enjoying the refreshing gin clear water. 

Unplugged invited us back to their boat for a wonderful spaghetti dinner and great conversation.

They have their daughter and three year old grandson visiting them for the week. The three year old is quite the trooper taking all the activity in stride. As dark approached we hopped in the dinghy and got back onboard  before it got really dark. Out here when there is no moon it is dark as dark can be. 

Crazy shot

Outwash from Rachels Bubble bath

Green turtle

                    This 380’+ beauty is owned by none other than Jerry Jones also owner of the Dallas Cowboys. Pretty sure I passed him coming out of Staniel Cay Yacht club with his entourage. Funny he did not recognize me!

Bluff view from Rachel’s bubble bath

Life at anchor in the Bahamas

 We knew that going to the Bahamas we were likely under prepared. However I am happy to report we are doing ok. The one good move we made was adding a new solar array to the boat. Mind you it is only 400 watts BUT on a normal sunny day we run the generator for about an hour while we make coffee and by about 2 pm the batteries are full again. Now water is a different story. Here in the Bahamas water is a premium at $0.50 per gallon. Typically we go go about six days before we have to fill up our tanks. Conserving we can go almost two weeks. Thats less than 20 gallons per day. So water rationing is a must but surprisingly you really don’t need much water if you are careful. Turning on the faucet means cracking it so just a small stream comes out. Yes we get a very brief shower at the end of the day.  Many of the cruisers down here have water makers on board. Fortunately our boating buddy has a legit portable water maker that he lets us use. It makes about 35 gallons per hour.

We  have to run the generator but having fresh water is a good thing. So to date we have been at anchor for over two weeks without going to a marina. We are truly off grid.  Restaurants are around but to be quite honest none of them are very good. We are still looking for a good one but have not stumbled across one yet. They too are suffering from both supply and help issues. It’s sad but the Bahamian people seem to take it all in stride. 

So Sunday morning April 16th we began our journey north. Our first stop was Rudder Cay about 40 miles north. Rudder Cay is largely uninhabited. Musha Cay is just to the north and is owned by famed magician David Copperfield. Monday night they actually had fireworks that we watched from the boat which we learned are launched from David Copperfields’ rental property. In case you are interested you can  rent the island complete with full staff for up to 12 people for a mere $50K per night with a minimum of 5 nights.

Damn well better include fireworks. Who’s in? We spent the afternoon snorkeling around. That evening I worked on the dinghy which developed yet another leak. This one was from a failure of the large patch we had done in Annapolis. Now having a dinghy is critical in the Bahamas. Fortunately the leak is in the center tube so we can still get around. I tried to repair it once but it failed pretty quickly as the patch from the inside let go. I was fortunate enough to get some of the correct glue from another boater in Georgetown via the Cruisers Net. Now taking off recently applied glue that was put on too thick is no easy task. It was a couple of hours work over two days but I got it done. My strategy this time is to use 4200 on the inside patch and then use the contact cement on the outer patch. So far the 4200 is working such that we can partially inflate the tube. Tomorrow I will glue the outer patch and hope for the best. That dinghy is possessed. As soon as we get back to the states and I can get my hands on another one this baby is gone.

On Tuesday our plan was to cruise 26 miles to Black Point Settlement on Great Guana Cay but we delayed our departure until late in the day as we wanted to explore Darby Cay which has an old abandoned castle built back in 1938 by a plantation owner. He reportedly was a Nazi sympathizer and would signal German U boats by way of flashing lights at night. It was pretty neat and must have been quite the place back in the day.

It has a commanding view of both the sound and Atlantic Ocean. The history of it all makes your mind run wild. Truly one of those places, “if the walls could only talk.” To think that location is only about 300 miles to Miami. After we walked around the place I made another attempt to spear fish in a nearby reef but was unsuccessful. However snorkeling around reefs is never dull. When I got back to the boat we pulled the anchor and cruised on the outside in the ocean hoping to catch dinner trolling behind the boat but no luck.

When we got to Black Point we ran into the crew from Salt Wife and Inked Mermaid who had arrived earlier. We got their late in the afternoon so we just stayed onboard. Back to life at anchor once again the weatherman lied. Winds were supposed to be out of the south but instead they clocked to the south west. What does that mean you ask? In short, think about trying to sleep on a rollercoaster. The anchorage is exposed completely to the west so waves and swells come in and make for a rough ride while  at anchor.

So when we went to bed I dug up some old Ambien from a previous international trip we took. We popped one of those and lights out. I know many of my boating buddies are rolling their eyes. When we woke in the morning our bleary eyed friends came by and asked, “what did you think of that storm last night?” Sue and I looked at each other and laughed. We replied, “what storm?” Turns out a pop up storm came through about midnight with intense lightning and 45 knot winds. Better living through better chemistry! My only comment is, God looks over drunks and fools. Looks like we checked both boxes as our anchor held us securely and nobody else near us drug their anchor. In the morning we took our bikes to shore and pulled the dinghy up on the beach as I wanted to reglue the patch that had come lose. When I opened the tube of glue it was bad. Ughhhhh. We made the best of the day and rode our bikes around the island and stopped to look at a blow hole. This one made a eerie deep noise as the waves crashed on the shore. For dinner we went back ashore to Black Point Yacht Club for dinner. It was actually quite good for a change. We enjoyed sitting at the bar conversing with a couple of locals hearing about life in the Bahamas. It was another great day at anchor. 

It’s the one that gets away that hurts the most

 Tuesday April 11th at first light we got underway. We had a shallow area that we had to cross and it was only an hour past low tide. So Sue manned her position on the bow pulpit on coral head watch. So we tiptoed thru it no problem and entered a deeper channel. No sooner had she come up on to the bridge I said, “hey we are running out of water.” Fortunately I was at a crawl and went out of gear. Bump!

We slid onto a shallow. The good news was the tide was coming up and would pushed us off. So we both went onto the bow sprit and waited. About ten minutes later we slid off and we were back in action. Disaster averted.  We passed thru the cut into deep waters so I put out a line to see what we might catch. Well about an hour into the cruise Sue was fighting a Dolphin. It gave us quite a show coming out of the water a couple of times. They are likely one of the prettiest game fish you will ever see in the water. Well as I previously mentioned we were woefully under prepared meaning no gaff hook. So we tired the fish out really good. My mouth was salivating at the thought of fresh Mahi. So I carefully grabbed the leader and eased it out of the water and onto the swim deck. As I walked up the stairs it made one desperate attempt and back into the water it went. We were crushed but hey it was fun trying. On we went to our southernmost milestone Georgetown on Great Exuma Island. For us this was quite an accomplishment. We anchored up right near Chat and Chill on Stocking Island just across the harbor from Georgetown. There is a great boating community here that is very organized.

Each morning on VHF 72 they have a broadcast that covers everything from what is going on socially, requests for help, arrivals and departures, and even a swap and trade. Our buddy boat, Unplugged caught up with us later in the day. The harbor was packed with cruisers. The April count was 278 boats. Well we got right into the swing of things. 

Now on an aside Georgetown has a special place in our hearts as we have been there 25 years ago with none other than Steve Shirley and then soon to be fiancée Diane. We can tell you that things have grown tremendously since we were last here. We did manage to find the beach where my best buddy got down one his then one last good knee and proposed. The rest as they say is history. We have some crazy stories from that trip. 

We spent a total of five nights in Georgetown. Chat and Chill is a small ramshackle place dotted with coconut palms where you can get a drink and sometimes grab a bite to eat. It is where all the cruisers and their families hang out for the day. We were surprised how many full time cruising families we ran into. Of course Sue could not resist so she went to work organizing an obstacle course for the kids.

She announced it on the Cruisers Network and got over 16 kids to participate. They all had fun although I think Sue had the most fun. There is always a pick up volleyball game going on. If you walk by its almost guaranteed they will ask you to play. Friday night we went to a potluck on Sand Dollar beach where there is a makeshift shack, a couple of picnic tables and a fire pit. It was great to meet so many interesting people.

I was fascinated listening to their stories of how they separated from all the “stuff” on land and embraced the cruising lifestyle. Watching the fire while looking out at the harbor full of mast lights was magical. We did a number of hikes one of which was up Monument Hill where there is the obelisk that used to guide the salt ships into the harbor. It give a 360 degree view. Down below cruisers spell out their boat name with rocks. It is quite a sight. If you zoom in on the attached picture you can see what we are talking about. 

Georgetown really embraces the cruising community. They have a big dinghy dock with free potable water. A rarity in the Bahamas. Unfortunately it is within Victoria lake so the water has to be carried out in  jerry cans. The grocery store has about everything you could need however you need to get it when you see it. By the time the next supply boat is due in the shelves are picked bare. The town itself is pretty spartan.

There is really no decent place to eat a nice meal. Here it is all about the water and boating. The sand has a pink hue and is never hot to walk on as it is mostly small bits of ground up coral. Although it was difficult to find footsteps on most of the beaches 25 years ago,  Georgetown is still a unique place. We loved every minute of out time there and were sad to leave. 

                   Zoom in on the pic to see the boat names

Beach on the Atlantic

                                          View from Next Chapter

Hurricane Hole at sunset

            Friends from Unplugged on Monument Hill

Potluck at Ship Shack

    Art walk where boaters line a trail with all kinds of self created art. 

     More of the art on the trail

                                                                               It so hurt to see him go!