To Exuma and Beyond

So since the last blog we lost our crossing buddy boat to the Exumas. It was no big deal and we were fine going alone. We have navigated several long distance big bodies of water alone and done well. The night before our crossing to Eluthra and Royal Island anchorage we were moored outside of Pete’s Pub one of the southernmost anchorages and places to stop on the Abacos. Fortunately our good friends Scott and Karen were also there as well and we had a nice bon voyage dinner at Pete’s on the beach. The food was not good, the atmosphere and company were great. That’s pretty much been our dining experience in the Bahamas in a nutshell.

The next morning we woke up at 5:30 for our 7a.m. departure. The sea had died down a bit from the previous weeks blow and we were all set to go. As we left our mooring at Pete’s we saw several other boats heading out as well including two trawlers our same size. As we went along Jeff decided to call them on the radio and introduce ourselves. They too were heading to Eluthra to anchor for the night and were traveling around the same speed as us (8-9mph) so we all traveled together and kept a look out for one another. Safety in numbers right? The crossing was uneventful and 8 hours later were reached our beautiful anchorage at Royal Island. It was us and three other sailboats anchored. We were adequately spaced so as to not infringe on anybody space. We were very relieved and glad to be through this portion of the trip. We had some cocktails, watched the sunset, made dinner then went to bed early. We were pooped. 

The next day would be another long one. Royal Island was just a good stopping point our true destine was the Exuma Islands which was further south. We knew our buddies Gerald and Barb were there and would be at our next stop. We were really looking forward to seeing them and reconnecting again. At 7a.m. we up anchorage and set off for Highborne Cay our first stop on the Exuma Islands. We couldn’t have asked for a calmer more beautiful day. It was sunny, no wind and very calm seas. At one point it was so flat calm we could see to the bottom of the Little Bahama Bank. I felt like I was snorkeling from in the boat. We saw reefs, a shark, starfish and several other fish. When we arrived around 3:30pm we anchored near Hard Dock Cafe (Gerald and Barb’s boat) and we were so happy to finally be at Exuma Islands. That night we shared a few libations with our friends and caught up since last seeing them several weeks before. We were all very happy to be together again. 

March 12th and the next day was my birthday. What a place to celebrate your birthday. We set off in the morning around 11ish and went to Allen Cay by dingy with Gerald and Barb. Allen Cay is known for it’s Iguanas that roam around freely on the beach and something that must be seen. We dropped or anchors and the three of them lept off the boat to see and feed the Iguanas. Me on the other hand was a bit skeptical of these creatures getting so close to us. For most of the time I watched from the dinghy but then eventually got off for a bit to see them up close and personal. What a sight. Several other boats and dinghies were there as well and everyone was amazed.

After the Iguanas we headed in towards the marina on Highborne Cay where Gerald and Barb knew of a spot where sharks like to congregate. On one of the docks of the marina fisherman take their fresh catches to fillet and clean and discard of the bad parts. Well to sharks there are no bad parts and they are always there waiting to feast on whatever parts are thrown at them. It was quite the site to see safely from your dinghy. We were told they were nurse sharks, bull sharks and lemon sharks. Me being an animal lover couldn’t have planned a better way to spend my birthday.

After shark viewing we made a reservation at the restaurant on shore where the four of us would return to celebrate my birthday that evening. The rest of the afternoon all I wanted to do was to swim and lay on our two person raft and take in our new location. I even got to nap too. Gerald and Barb picked us up by dinghy to go to dinner and after several lousy Bahamian meals at what were supposed to be good Bahamian restaurants we were all pleasantly surprised at Xuma (restaurant at Highborne Cay Marina). We had nice cocktails, everyone enjoyed their food, we had wine and the waiters even sang to me and brought me dessert. What a birthday!!

The next day the winds were due to pick up for the next several days and the anchorage we were at in Highborne Cay was going to be too exposed to stay. The four of us came up with a plan to move to Nornam’s Cay a hurricane hole anchorage called Norman’s Pond. Hurricane holes are places where you can take your boat and have complete coverage from all wind directions and be enclosed by land. Now while this blow wasn’t going to be a hurricane we knew that our boats would be safe there. Getting into the anchorage would be quiet tricky. It was shallow, had strong current and several sandbanks surrounding it. We had to time it just perfectly and really pay attention to get into the anchorage. We arrived at high tide and let Hard Dock go in first since they draw less then us and to scope it out. We followed a bit behind and made it in with out a problem. When we arrived we were the only boats there and so happy. Up to this point this is my favorite anchorage. Very beautiful, serene, and lots of privacy from other boats and people. 

We would spend the next several days swimming, laying on the raft, reading, sleeping and hanging out with Gerald and Barb. There is no town here and nothing to do per say. We enjoyed just lounging around and taking it easy. A couple days later the winds were still blowing pretty strongly but Hard Dock said they were moving on to Hawksbill Cay. We had no intention of moving from our beautiful protected spot in Norman’s pond but after consulting with Hard Dock and hearing it was easy to get out and not windy we followed along. Gerald had found a secluded spot to anchor that again took some maneuvering to get into through shallow spots and sandbars. Because we draw more then Hard Dock we weren’t able to get into the exact spot where they were but stayed anchored out a bit further. We lost our wind and current protection and I was very nervous. We had been so spoiled by our perfect anchorage in Norman’s Pond to now be nestled between rocks, in shallow water with wind and current. I was very on edge. Jeff was too. We chastised ourselves for leaving Norman’s when we knew better. We sat outside for most of the rest of the day watching the rocks and hoping our anchor would do it’s job as it has done so well. There was a small sailboat moored behind us who came over to chat and introduce themselves. They were from Canada which so many people in the Bahamas seem to be and told us yes there is a lot of current and wind here but they held find. Later in the evening right around sunset time a catamaran came in thinking they were going to get all the way in where Hard Dock was but they came at low tide and were stuck outside like us. They were dumbfounded as well. A friend had told them they would have no problem getting in. The anchored close to us which again added to my anxiety level but were fine. Fortunately the sunset that night was amazing that and several glasses of wine helped to ease my tension.

For sure we were leaving the next day and found a place called Warderick Wells which was in the Land and Sea National Park. Jeff had researched it and saw there was hiking and snorkeling and that we would be in a protected mooring field. Hard Dock was going a little further to Staniel Cay and we hoped we would meet up with them again. At 9am Jeff called the park via radio and requested a morning ball. They said they had a spot for us and we were on our way. We were very happy to be moving on from Hawksbill. That is not how we like to anchor. When we arrived at the Warderick we radioed the office to get our mooring ball assignment they said that the barge was in the mooring field unloading some supplies that we would have to wait on one of the outside mooring balls until it left. The three outside balls are fully exposed to the Pacific oceans and are very rolley. In the year that we have owned the boat this was going to be only our second time mooring. Pete’s Pub was the very first. We have a really high bow since the boat is an ocean going vessel and built to take big tall waves. This doesn’t make mooring very easy. So here I am standing on the bow which is 10 feet off of the water with my boat hook trying to grab a rope in the water that is attached to the mooring ball as the boat is pitching up and down due to the proximity to the Pacific Ocean. We had our radios on and I tried to describe to Jeff where the rope is because he can’t see it from inside the pilot house. After several failed attempts by me Jeff came out of the bow to assist. He started flying all over the place too due to the pitching. Finally he leaned over the rail and as he’s doing so I saw his radio detach from his belt and drop into the water just as he get the rope and attached it to the boat. It was like watching something bad happen in slow motion. I just kept saying, “ your radio, your radio.” As you can imagine we were both very frustrated and literally within 5 minutes of finally grabbing the mooring rope the park radioed us and told us our ball was ready. Really?! After that experience grabbing our rope at the mooring ball in the calm seas of the park was nothing. I say nothing but again Jeff had to come and help. After we were secured we both took a moment to sit quietly and chill after the traumatic experience. Fortunately the park was beautiful and only 15 or so boats could moor there so we felt like we were in a really special place. We would spend the next several days swimming, hiking,  and going on dinghy rides. A little trauma in the beginning was well worth it for all the beauty of the park.

After exhausting the park we decided to continue south to our final southern destination in the Bahamas- Staniel Cay. We would anchor at Big Major Spot where Hard Dock had already spent several days. The three and a half hour cruise was uneventful and we arrived to a packed anchorage at Big Major Spot. Gerald had told us to come in as close to them as possible to get some wind protection. It seems in the Bahamas at least this time of year boaters travel and plan according to the wind. If it’s coming from the North or North East you find an anchorage with protection and same with all directions. We learned that it’s not necessarily good to be alone at an anchorage. You either have bad information or are not in a protected spot. Another funny thing about these anchorages is that you see everything from tiny sailboats to mega 200 foot plus yachts. It’s a wild combo. Once we were all set up in our spot Gerald came over welcoming us back and invited us over later for happy hour and sunset cocktails. We were happy to see our friends again and wanted to tell them all about the park. We planned to settle in a bit at Staniel Cay because after this we would have to start making our way back north and head back over to Florida. Nothing either of us wanted to think about. At Staniel we dinghied into town and walked around a bit. Other then the marina, their bar/restaurant there wasn’t a whole lot else to see. There were a couple other restaurants and we got a few provisions at the blue store. Their grocery stores are the blue store (because the house is painted blue) and the pink store (painted pink). These are not what Americans would think of as grocery stores. They are one tiny room with random things- canned goods, bread, juice, chips, crackers, eggs and some random produce which differs from store to store. This one had potatoes, lettuce and lemons. That’s it. Fortunately I provisioned us before we left the states to be able to live off the boat for over 60 days. When we visit a store in the Bahamas it’s usually just to get junk or to check it out. It’s very fascinating how some of these places survive with such tiny markets that carry nothing. The next several days we hung with Gerald and Barb. We went to a beach on Sampson Cay that we had all to ourselves. It was so beautiful and I was amazed that we had it to ourselves. We packed a picnic and some beers and dinghied to the island. We snorkeled, drank, ate, swam and Jeff and Gerald threw the Frisbee around a bit. It was a great day! 

One of the highlights of Staniel Cay is to snorkel in the grotto cave where they shot a James Bond movie. This was crazy. You put on your mask and snorkel then swim into this cave which is also opened from the top and you are surrounded by fish. Normally I don’t like being so close to fish but they didn’t seem to notice or mind us being there and none of them touched me so I was alright. Barb and Gerald were with us too and had been there before which was nice. They kinda showed us the ropes. It was such an incredible spot and we felt very fortunate to be able to be there. 

Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Gerald and Barb the next day to start making our way back north up the Exumas in order to get ready to make our crossing back to Florida. It was sad saying goodbye because we had been traveling with them on and off for the duration of our two months in the Bahamas. We said our goodbyes that night and the in the morning made our way for Shroud Cay. This anchorage too is in the Land and Sea Park but a different cay then we had previously been. When we arrived there were several other boats anchored (always a good sign in the Exumas) and we tucked in close to land between two sailboats. We launched the dinghy and started to explore. There are several long narrow waterways that weave between the island zig-zagging through to the ocean on the other side. These passages were amazing and were narrow channels surrounded by trees  and plants that grew right into the water. Jeff drove cautiously because they were shallow and we didn’t want the dingy to get stuck. We went for almost an hour exploring and enjoyed seeing the park this way. We had a nice swim back at the boat and had a quiet night alone on the boat. 

The winds were going to be picking up again and we knew we needed some protection so we headed back to Highborn Cay. This time instead of anchoring out we would splurge and stay in the protected marina. After 16 straight days at anchor or on a mooring ball being at a marina felt like a real luxury. Where anchoring is more like camping, being at a marina is like being at a nice resort. We were more then ready. The marina had great protection. We couldn’t even tell it was windy when were were tied up there. We passed the sharks again when we entered and got tied up easily and quickly. We all of a sudden were a little fish in a big pond. There were so many huge yachts in the marina we spent a lot of the time on the back deck just watching. Boats with 5-10 person crews washing the boats, severing guests drinks and food, preparing their tenders which were 30 feet plus to take the guests out for the day. It was a crazy rich world that we knew nothing about. One night while there we took a stroll around sunset time and several crew members were frying some fish on land for themselves and gave Jeff several pieces. He was in heaven. The crew members were very nice, down to earth people and we felt very comfortable around them. The next several days we went on bike rides and walks and spent everyday on the beach in nice cushy chairs and umbrellas provided by the marina. We were so appreciative after anchoring for so long.

After four windy days holed up in Highborn it was time to move on. We headed to the big city - Nassau. I was really excited because since leaving Miami on February 1st we haven’t seen anything remotely like a city. Everywhere we have been in the Bahamas both in the Abacos and the Exumas were nothing but a few homes, maybe a shop or two and some restaurants. We were looking forward to some action. We stayed at the Bay Street Marina which was a recommendation from some new Canadian friends we met at Guana Cay in the Abacos. Again we were a tiny boat among huge yachts full of crew members. This marina is nice in that it’s all enclosed. The gate/fence surrounding it has a pool, gym,  and three restaurants. You would never have to leave if you didn’t want to. We of course wanted to explore. The first day we took a long walk to a rum distillery. Bahamians (and us too now) love their rum. We got to take a free tour of this working distillery and see the workers bottling the final product. After the tour we went to the tasting room where were got a free sample of a pina colada which was great. They even gave us their recipe. I will be making these very soon. In addition to the free sample we both each got a flight of rum. Think wine tasting flight but with rum. They varied by years aged in the barrel. The first one was very lighter fluid like. It was only aged I want to say a year and was very harsh going down. The second rum, an amber was really nice. We both enjoyed this one. And the final rum was something nuts like 170 proof. Very very harsh. It took me awhile to get mine all down. Thank god they too gave us water. After our flights we had a cocktail and took in the place. There were live chicken walking  around the porch which provided the entertainment. On our walk back I noticed a Christmas tree made of wine bottles in one of the buildings so we walked in to check it out. We had no idea that the Christmas tree was only a small part of this amazing old restaurant called Grey Cliff. It was an old home that had a beautiful great room with a fireplace and piano and gorgeous restaurant in several of the other rooms. Jeff was fascinated by all of the high end liquors on display and wondered how they had so many expensive, vintage bottles. We took our time slowly walking through the restaurant and both decided we had to eat here. We found a hostess and made a reservation for 8. We were both so excited. Jeff was required to wear pants and a button down shirt. I think it’s the first time he’s been in long pants since starting the loop 9 months ago. When we arrived back at Grey Cliff we were offered a seat in the great room to have a pre-dinner drink while listening to the piano player play. It was magical. I had the house campaign cocktail and Jeff had a sazerac. After our drinks were were escorted into the dinging room where we had a table for two in the corner. My favorite. We were waited on by three separate gentleman who took turns stopping by. When we asked for the wine list we had no idea what we were getting into. They have over 250,000 different bottles and we even saw one priced for 34,000 dollars. Who buys this? We found one of there lowest priced wines which was still pricey for us. Dinner was great I had risotto and Jeff had lobster. We shared a coconut souffle for dessert. We were so full and tired we couldn’t wait to get back to the boat and lay. Thank god for that Christmas trees drawing me in or we would have never found such a great restaurant.

The next day we did some more touristy things. We walked to the Queen’s stairs, an old fort and water tower. They were interesting but more for Jeff then me. To say thanks for a nice dinner I took Jeff to a nice lunch at a place called The Poop Deck. For us this place was already special because it was the name of our old boat which we loved dearly. To have a place named after it we had to go. Several people including the bartender in Highborne who is from Nassau recommended we go. The place was adorable and most of the tables were filled. Jeff had a Bahama Mama and I had a nice Rose as we overlooked the Nassau waterway. The food was really good. Jeff hand selected his snapper from the freshly caught fish tub and I had a salad. We went to the fresh market after for some produce then walked back to the boat for a swim and to prepare for the morning departure.

From Nassau we only had two more stops before we would make the jump back across the gulf stream to Florida. Chub Cay was next. Chub was a five and a half hour cruise west of Nassau. It is a good midway point before going to Bimini our final stop before Florida. Because of the latest hurricane - Hurricane Matthew, Chub Cay marina and the entire “town” which consists of a store and some houses have not been fully rebuilt and reopened. We anchored in front of Chub Cay where a barge was doing work carving out the channel and restoring the side which was lost during the hurricane. I use an app called Active Captain which talks about different marinas, anchorages and marina service areas. Every comment on Active Captain either mentioned that the marina was still close or didn’t mention the anchorage in over a year. I nonetheless was nervous. As it turned out the anchorage was fine, little current and right before sunset two other boats joined us there. That made me feel better. Another quiet day and night on the boat except for the barge which ran all night long. 

The next day (which was yesterday as I type) would be our biggest one since crossing the gulf on the west coast of Florida. We went 98 miles in 11 hours yesterday. It was a long day. We up anchored at 6:30a.m. and arrived at our marina in Bimini at 5:49pm. The cruise itself was uneventful. We left just as it was getting light, calm seas 2 foot or less and 10-15mph winds. We did a lot of laying around and changing shifts driving. I was pretty excited to get to Bimini. I had just finished reading Hemingway’s, Island In The Stream which was all about Bimini and then The Old Man And The Sea so I was anxious to see what he was talking about. The entrance to the channel has a lot of current and arrival and departure need to be planned during slack tied and with no west winds or your boat will get taken into the land out of your control. Fortunately we arrived at low slack tied and had no problem navigating the channel. The marina itself is very minimal. We are at Brown’s Marina which not only does Hemingway mention in The Island In The Stream but he also kept his famous boat The Pilar here. The bar and restaurant is still closed from the hurricane. The facilities themselves seems a bit run down but we are secure and won’t be here long. When we walked into town after our long cruise over we were a little surprised by the filth, rundown, dilapidated street of Bimini. I wasn’t expecting the lap of luxury but this place looks like it’s been in despair long before the hurricane. Today we are going to go to the market for a couple of things and walk the town again then hopefully either today or tomorrow cross the gulf stream back to Fort Lauderdale where we started before coming to the Bahamas two months ago.