Exumas

Highborne Cay

     Fri March 21st-Headed out under sunny skies and a north wind of 12 to 15 kts to make the open ocean crossing of 36 n miles.  Our original heading was to the cut at Wardrick Wells but this had us heading directly downwind making for a course that the autopilot couldn’t handle. We decided to turn west and make for the cut at Highborne. This was a much faster and easier course to steer but it meant entering a cut that I swore 4 years ago never to attempt again with seas running against the tide. We made great time and entered the cut by 3 pm on the exiting tide  rocking and rolling like crazy.  The entrance would have been smoother if I had kept some sail up but you make 2 sharp turns around the reefs and we didn’t want to deal with sail handling at the same time.  Quiet night at anchor after a great sail.

 Wardrick Wells
     Sat-Sunny and warm with much calmer seas. Decided to head outside to fish the deep water as we make our way to Exuma Park at Wardrick Wells. Motor sailed to keep our speed up and hooked a huge bull dolfin(Mahi) that exhausted me in his fight to stay free. After a half hour and numerous leaps finally had him alongside only to loose him just as Chris was ready with the gaff. Later in the day hooked another Mahi but it only stayed on for one leap then was gone. An exciting day of fishing that was closed out with the Sat evening boaters cocktail party on the beach that was attended by at least 30 boaters.

    Sun thru Tuesday
Two days of warm sunshine and calm winds allowed us to spend our days snorkeling on the fantastic coral gardens that surround this anchorage. All flora and fauna in the park are protected making for the best snorkeling around. Swimming among schools of colorful fish, rays, sand sharks and lobster among the colorful plantlife and coral brings us back to this favorite spot each trip.
Monday night the anticipated cold front arrived  bringing high winds and storms that lasted thru Tues but we were snug on our mooring.

Pipe Cay

Wed thru Fri
     The north winds are still blowing at around 20kts but we decided to run south ending up at the abandoned US base at Pipe Cay. This is a great spot that we discovered last year and we were the only boat there for 3 days. Being tied to the seawall gave us a secure feeling as the wind howled for 3 days. We spent our time exploring the many creeks and bays hiking the sand flats during low tide. Collected conch for two dinners during these excursions.

Cambridge Cay

Sat and Sunday
     With another cold front expected to bring strong west winds we move back to the Park to pick up a mooring at Cambridge Cay. Our normally serene harbor at  Pipe Cay is exposed only to the west and wouldn’t be a fun place to be as the wind switches. Sat evening joined a group of boaters on the beach for an impromptu party and jam session they called the ARG meeting (alcohol research group). Most of these boaters had spent the winter together at Georgetown where these meetings are a regularly scheduled event.  The expected weather was a non event but with the west winds we were able to snorkel at Rocky Dundas Cave, a spot we have always wanted to try but was always exposed to the surf.  Our next stop was at the coral garden that has huge growths of elkhorn coral.  Timing swimming at both these spots for slack tide is important as the current flows swift with the tide as it does in most of the Exumas.

Bell Rock, oceanside Cambridge Cay

Salt pond with anchorage in background, Cambridge Cay

Oceanside beach, Cambridge Cay

Black Point

Mon and Tues
     With the winds back out of the northeast at 18 kts we run south with just the big genoa making record time to Black point anchorage. We haven’t had internet since leaving Eleuthra as there are no cell towers in the remote parts of Exuma where we have been traveling.  Our airtime had expired for our internet connection and we had planned to purchase another month at the phone co office here.Shouldn't have been   surprised to find that the office is only open on Wed. but we are able to get wifi at the local bar. Picked up a few perishables at the grocery and Chris spent a morning at the laundry as we are about out of clean sheets and towels. Clean clothes aren’t much of a problem as most of our time is spent in bathing suits.Three nights a week the local bar hosts a happy hour catering to the boaters. With nearly 40 boats in the anchorage we joined a good crowd and spent the evening with friends Ron and Karla off the boat Island Breeze whom we met early this trip.

Staniel Cay

     Wed- After spending the morning dealing with batelco getting our data card (internet) topped up (nothing is ever simple here) we decided to make the short run north to Big Majors Spot and Piggy Beach. In the morning we were off at 8 to snorkle at the Thunderball Grotto. This is where the James Bond movie Thunderball filming took place. Unfortunately we were to late for slack tide and decided the current was to swift for our abilities so we went into town in search of fresh veggies. You probably have noticed a recurring theme here.  The problem getting produce on most of the small islands is that the markets only get a delivery when the mailboat arrives and sell out very quickly. The mailboat schedule seems very arbitrary as does everything here. As we sat at anchor in Black Point we watched the mailboat Captian C run aground during an extremely low tide as the radio was filled with chatter of people from Staniel sat waiting for their deliveries. Hard to blame the ships pilot as the harbor was crowded with cruising boats blocking his path and I'm sure us cruisers weren't his favorite people that night.

Black Point school field trip to see the swimming pigs

swimming pigs of Big Majors Spot

Hawksbill Cay

    Thurs-Moving north with a brisk east wind we anchored back in the park at Hawksbill Cay. Spent the afternoon hiking the oceanside beach. Our original plan was to head directly north to Current Island then on to Royal Island but once again a change of plans due to the weather prediction. Decided to instead head across to southern Eleuthra and work our way north to be in Hatchet Bay for some extreme weather expected Tuesday of next week.

oceanside beach- Hawksbill Cay

Wardrick Wells

    Fri, April 4th- Motor south to Exuma Park HQ where we picked up a mooring and will have an easy shot out the cut to the ocean. Snorkle and hike in the afternoon. Then prep the boat for the mornings ocean passage. This is to be the first day since our fishing trip on March 22nd that the ocean has been calm enough to venture out.