Have not posted for a while as connections have been limited. Am trying to send this post from my I-pad but am not sure how we will go. Will post against in the next few days and will include the photos for the text below
We left Nassau on Thursday 10th Jan and sailed for the Exumas. The Exumas are an island chain which stretch near 100Nm through the Bahamas from the central to southern Bahamas and lying in a general NW/SE direction. They are made up of probably well over a hundred different islands and Cays (pronounced keys). On one side (the east) is Exuma Sound where the islands drop into the ocean. The depth changes from the shoreline to 100’s of metres in half a kilometer. On the other side is Exuma bank which is a shallow water area and which extends 30 or 40Nm. The water is anywhere from 1 m to 6 or 7m deep but usually no more and on average nearer 3 or 4 metres. It is also studded with coral heads which adds to the challenge.
To get to our first destination on the Exumas which was Highbourne Cay we had to cross the Exuma bank. Scott had been agonizing over the route for the last week and had spoken to a number of other yachts trying to find the best route for the 8ft draft of Dulcinea. We set off early in the morning to take advantage of the tide and skirted around two shallow banks called the Yellow and Middle Banks which are the shallowest areas and then headed straight for Highbourne Cay. Its an eerie feeling sailing out of sight of land and having only a couple of meters below your keel. The crossing was nerve wracking but in the end it was OK. We set our anchor in a peaceful bay in the lee of the island and breathed a sigh of relief just in time to catch Leroy, a local fisherman who happened to have some crayfish for sale.
The next day we were on the move to a place called Warderick Wells which is part of the Exuma land and sea park and which we had been told was spectacular. Great snokelling and walking on the islands. The wind was still up gusting to 27kts and we had an exhilarating sail managing over 9kts with just the Genoa flying. It was made even more exciting by the fact that at some points we had barely 2m under the keel. Warderick Wells is a spectacular anchorage. You navigate in toward a group of islands and a channel bordered by white sand winds into an inlet. Moorings have been laid along the channel and the yachts lie in formation. Due to our size we were right at the start of the line furthest out. The colour of the water has all the hues from dark blue to a turquoise colour and it is as clear as glass. We picked up our mooring and settled in for a few days.
While we were in Nassau we had met a few other people on yachts around the marina and since we are all headed in generally the same way we meet up with them at different anchorages. One yacht called Magic we had berthed beside in Charleston and ran into them again in Nassau. Its always a thrill to meet up with people you know.
Warderick Wells is a popular stop on the Exuma cruising itinerary and we caught up with a few people we had met along the way. The nature of cruising I guess is that since everyone is doing the same thing there is immediately a bond. Also as we have children there are other cruising families with kids continually looking for similar families to get the kids together. One family on a boat called Real Life came over to see us while we were on the mooring and we sat and chatted for a while commiserating over things like schooling and maintenance and then ended up on the beach in the late afternoon with a few other boat crews we had met having drinks with the kids all playing together on the beach. We also caught up with a couple called Tim and Diane from the yacht Magic who had first berthed beside us in Charleston back in November. Most of the people we meet are really nice and pretty interesting - everyone has a different story.
In Warderick Wells we got a bit of school done in the mornings and then generally took the kids either snorkeling on the reefs or walking on the island. The first morning we pulled up at the park office and parked the dingy and Calley noticed there was a nurse shark just lying on the seabed directly below the boat. It stayed there just motionless and was still there when we left. The snorkeling was great and it was the first time we had Calley snorkeling properly which she loved although is still a bit hesitant. It was a great spot to dive since it is part of a park and as such there is a “no take” policy. There were small dingy buoys set up near the coral fields which made access easy. We would have liked to hang around longer but there was one more spot we had to see before picking up Beth.
We left Nassau on Thursday 10th Jan and sailed for the Exumas. The Exumas are an island chain which stretch near 100Nm through the Bahamas from the central to southern Bahamas and lying in a general NW/SE direction. They are made up of probably well over a hundred different islands and Cays (pronounced keys). On one side (the east) is Exuma Sound where the islands drop into the ocean. The depth changes from the shoreline to 100’s of metres in half a kilometer. On the other side is Exuma bank which is a shallow water area and which extends 30 or 40Nm. The water is anywhere from 1 m to 6 or 7m deep but usually no more and on average nearer 3 or 4 metres. It is also studded with coral heads which adds to the challenge.
To get to our first destination on the Exumas which was Highbourne Cay we had to cross the Exuma bank. Scott had been agonizing over the route for the last week and had spoken to a number of other yachts trying to find the best route for the 8ft draft of Dulcinea. We set off early in the morning to take advantage of the tide and skirted around two shallow banks called the Yellow and Middle Banks which are the shallowest areas and then headed straight for Highbourne Cay. Its an eerie feeling sailing out of sight of land and having only a couple of meters below your keel. The crossing was nerve wracking but in the end it was OK. We set our anchor in a peaceful bay in the lee of the island and breathed a sigh of relief just in time to catch Leroy, a local fisherman who happened to have some crayfish for sale.
The next day we were on the move to a place called Warderick Wells which is part of the Exuma land and sea park and which we had been told was spectacular. Great snokelling and walking on the islands. The wind was still up gusting to 27kts and we had an exhilarating sail managing over 9kts with just the Genoa flying. It was made even more exciting by the fact that at some points we had barely 2m under the keel. Warderick Wells is a spectacular anchorage. You navigate in toward a group of islands and a channel bordered by white sand winds into an inlet. Moorings have been laid along the channel and the yachts lie in formation. Due to our size we were right at the start of the line furthest out. The colour of the water has all the hues from dark blue to a turquoise colour and it is as clear as glass. We picked up our mooring and settled in for a few days.
While we were in Nassau we had met a few other people on yachts around the marina and since we are all headed in generally the same way we meet up with them at different anchorages. One yacht called Magic we had berthed beside in Charleston and ran into them again in Nassau. Its always a thrill to meet up with people you know.
Warderick Wells is a popular stop on the Exuma cruising itinerary and we caught up with a few people we had met along the way. The nature of cruising I guess is that since everyone is doing the same thing there is immediately a bond. Also as we have children there are other cruising families with kids continually looking for similar families to get the kids together. One family on a boat called Real Life came over to see us while we were on the mooring and we sat and chatted for a while commiserating over things like schooling and maintenance and then ended up on the beach in the late afternoon with a few other boat crews we had met having drinks with the kids all playing together on the beach. We also caught up with a couple called Tim and Diane from the yacht Magic who had first berthed beside us in Charleston back in November. Most of the people we meet are really nice and pretty interesting - everyone has a different story.
In Warderick Wells we got a bit of school done in the mornings and then generally took the kids either snorkeling on the reefs or walking on the island. The first morning we pulled up at the park office and parked the dingy and Calley noticed there was a nurse shark just lying on the seabed directly below the boat. It stayed there just motionless and was still there when we left. The snorkeling was great and it was the first time we had Calley snorkeling properly which she loved although is still a bit hesitant. It was a great spot to dive since it is part of a park and as such there is a “no take” policy. There were small dingy buoys set up near the coral fields which made access easy. We would have liked to hang around longer but there was one more spot we had to see before picking up Beth.
On Tuesday 15th we slipped the mooring at Warderick Wells and took Dulcinea out into the deeper
waters of Exuma Sound to sail about 20Nm south to the next destination - Staniel Cay. The sail
was brusque and the entrance to Staniel’s was through a cut into a bay. As you can imagine most
of the cuts between the islands have pretty fierce currents which can culminate in very rough
entrances where these currents meet open water conditions. This was no exception, however
conditions were relatively calm when we arrived just off slack water. We ran into a bay and
dropped the anchor.
Staniel Cay is famous for at least two things. First it is the home of the Thunderball Cave. This cave was used as a setting for one of the scenes in an old James Bond film called Thunderball. The second is a group of swimming pigs which live in one of the nearby islands.
We regrouped on the first day and managed a bit of school and then shifted around to a mooring closer to the settlement and cave the next day. At slack water we were all ready and everyone piled into the dingy and we drove across to a mooring buoy which has been placed near the cave entrance. We were happy to see that we were the only ones at the cave . The cave itself is on a small island off Staniel Cay. The mooring is in about 2m of water and as you pull up it is difficult to see where to get in. Then you notice this small ledge with about 2ft of clearance under it. Once in the water the entrance is apparent under the ledge. You swim in and the narrow entrance opens up into this beautiful cave. The roof of the cave would be 10m above you and it is studded with holes so sunlight stabs through into the water providing plenty of natural light. The cave itself is covered with coral and there are fish everywhere. Very, very spectacular. It really is like swimming in an aquarium. Once inside there are a couple of other entrances which show as a light blue against the darker cave walls. Sam had taken some crackers with him to feed the fish and he was absolutely inundated by the fish. At one point it was hard to see him through the fish. He loved it. Calley was hesitant at first but she also came in the cave for a look. It is wonderful to be able to show the kids these sights.
That night we went into the local settlement, ran into some friends we had met in Nassau off a catamaran and then had dinner at the yacht club.
The next day we were visiting our catamaran friends in the morning. We had been invited around for breakfast. Then afterwards we headed to Big Major island to see the swimming pigs. There are a group of pigs who live on the island and have made a habit of swimming out to anchored vessels to get fed. We could not anchor Dulcinea close so we used the tender to drive around and into the bay. You arrive into this tranquil bay and motor towards the shore. As you drive in the pigs here the noise of the engine and see you and walk down the beach into the water and start swimming out to the boat. Nic was very excited about seeing the pigs but then once they started swimming out to the boat and she started to get worried when she saw how big they were. They came swimming over to the boat and we tried to feed them carrot bits but it was quite hard. Nic was worried they were going to try and get in the boat! After a few minutes of swimming near the boat grunting and wheezing, and having not been that successful in catching the proffered carrots they headed back to the beach for a rest. The kids thought the whole episode was hilarious.
We left Staniels the next morning early (0100). It was flat calm and we motored about 45Nm south to a place just North of George Town where we are picking up Beth.
Staniel Cay is famous for at least two things. First it is the home of the Thunderball Cave. This cave was used as a setting for one of the scenes in an old James Bond film called Thunderball. The second is a group of swimming pigs which live in one of the nearby islands.
We regrouped on the first day and managed a bit of school and then shifted around to a mooring closer to the settlement and cave the next day. At slack water we were all ready and everyone piled into the dingy and we drove across to a mooring buoy which has been placed near the cave entrance. We were happy to see that we were the only ones at the cave . The cave itself is on a small island off Staniel Cay. The mooring is in about 2m of water and as you pull up it is difficult to see where to get in. Then you notice this small ledge with about 2ft of clearance under it. Once in the water the entrance is apparent under the ledge. You swim in and the narrow entrance opens up into this beautiful cave. The roof of the cave would be 10m above you and it is studded with holes so sunlight stabs through into the water providing plenty of natural light. The cave itself is covered with coral and there are fish everywhere. Very, very spectacular. It really is like swimming in an aquarium. Once inside there are a couple of other entrances which show as a light blue against the darker cave walls. Sam had taken some crackers with him to feed the fish and he was absolutely inundated by the fish. At one point it was hard to see him through the fish. He loved it. Calley was hesitant at first but she also came in the cave for a look. It is wonderful to be able to show the kids these sights.
That night we went into the local settlement, ran into some friends we had met in Nassau off a catamaran and then had dinner at the yacht club.
The next day we were visiting our catamaran friends in the morning. We had been invited around for breakfast. Then afterwards we headed to Big Major island to see the swimming pigs. There are a group of pigs who live on the island and have made a habit of swimming out to anchored vessels to get fed. We could not anchor Dulcinea close so we used the tender to drive around and into the bay. You arrive into this tranquil bay and motor towards the shore. As you drive in the pigs here the noise of the engine and see you and walk down the beach into the water and start swimming out to the boat. Nic was very excited about seeing the pigs but then once they started swimming out to the boat and she started to get worried when she saw how big they were. They came swimming over to the boat and we tried to feed them carrot bits but it was quite hard. Nic was worried they were going to try and get in the boat! After a few minutes of swimming near the boat grunting and wheezing, and having not been that successful in catching the proffered carrots they headed back to the beach for a rest. The kids thought the whole episode was hilarious.
We left Staniels the next morning early (0100). It was flat calm and we motored about 45Nm south to a place just North of George Town where we are picking up Beth.
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