In our previous trips to the Bahamas we bypassed Spanish Wells. The approach is very shallow, the entrance requires a great deal of attention and anchorages are minimal. This year we decided to brave all this and visit this very unique Bahamian community.

The last several miles into Spanish Wells is over a bottom that is mostly 7′ deep at best. We transited this area with no significant heartburn and visually made our way into the harbor. As we turned to starboard, towards the main docks and moorings, we were met head on by the high speed ferry leaving for Nassau. There was no extra room for us so we stopped and backed up until the ferry could turn out into the channel entrance. We love excitement!

A mooring had been reserved earlier but we really had no clue exactly where or what it looked like. We passed the entire downtown area and there on our starboard side were about half a dozen moorings. After choosing one, we maneuvered through very shallow water, dragging the rudder through the mud at one point, until we finally picked up the pennant. An hour later the mooring owner came by and declared I had to move. That mooring was unsafe. Glad he came by but it was a minor hassle to move and the other mooring was deeper. We joined our friends on Diana for dinner at the Anchor Diner that night.

The next morning was wonderfully calm but the adage, “red skies in morning, sailors take warning” came to mind. Weather was once again on its way. We would soon be sequestered to the boat due to heavy rain and high winds.

When we were finally able to go ashore we explored this very unique island. Spanish Wells is very developed as far as most land has been built on. There is very little large development, just homes, some new but mostly older.

Most are kept up nicely and are very attractive. Bougainvillea, gardenia, and “indoor” house plants like schefflera and sansevieria grow everywhere.

Commercial development is somewhat limited and is far removed from the waterfront making access by cruisers a little difficult.

We enjoyed our stay but as the weather cleared it was time to move on.

Our day crossing over to Abaco was okay but not great. Large swells moved westward against our beam as we moved north. The roll was very uncomfortable especially as some waves were much larger than the anticipated 3′ to 5′. Eventually we entered the inlet near Little Harbour and ventured to our anchorage in the lee of Lynyard Cay.

The next morning we moved down to Little Harbour and anchored outside of the small and crowded harbor. A quick dinghy ride took us to the beach in front of Pete’s Pub. Pete’s is a legendary watering hole with great food and atmosphere.

We roamed the area along the northern shore. The views were magnificent.

We wandered back to Pete’s for lunch. I had a trigger fish sandwich which was outstanding. Mary had grouper that was also very good.

The bay near Little Harbour is very large and shallow. As we headed back to our boat we could see that the tides had retreated and the flats were exposed. We love exploring so off we went to check out the small estuary and the adjoining flats. The estuaries are nurseries for many of the reef fish and as we entered we saw snappers and Nassau grouper. We beached the dink and started off to explore the flats. Goliath raced around and even went into the water! Sand flats are great places to find sand dollars and this area doesn’t get much traffic. We found 38 sand dollars and gave up looking since we couldn’t hold anymore. It was a wonderful afternoon and the high point of our brief stay in the Abacos.

Snake Cay has another estuary system that we wanted to explore, so we motored up the Sea of Abaco and anchored in the small bay. The wind was picking up and another major storm system was moving in. We were unable to move around the breakwater and enter the stream system. The wind driven waves were just too much for our small dinghy. Reluctantly we moved on the next day for Marsh Harbour to ride out the next storm.

This cruising season has been characterized by many unrealized adventures. Storms have been the norm and we have spent more time hiding out than enjoying the what the Bahamas have to offer. We were and still are very disappointed in this years season. As soon as possible we left Marsh Harbour and made tracks to return to the United States.

Reluctantly we weighed anchor and quietly slipped out of Bennett’s Harbor. Weather would ultimately turn and Cat Island is not the best place to weather a blow.

With calm air we motored towards Little San Salvador and then on to Eleuthera. We anticipated a great fishing day but once again we would be disappointed. Across the banks we caught several barracuda and jacks but returned them all to the sea. We wanted something large!

A bridge of “land” lays submerged under 40′ to 60′ of water, connecting Little San Salvador and the southern tip of Eleuthera. It separates the Atlantic Ocean from Exuma Sound; both significantly deep bodies of water. We trolled along the drop on the Sound side. Our only strike was so strong that with any pressure applied it broke off as what ever was on the other end headed for the depths. By the way it sounded it must have been a very large tuna. That afternoon we arrived at Cape Eleuthera Marina with no fish!

As expected another storm began to brew in the Gulf of Mexico. The waters have been unusually warm this year and many speculate that we will have quite a hurricane season and it all may be starting early.

The first wave of storms generating out of the Gulf dissipated over Andros but the next looked like it was going to slam us. Luckily it passed just to the north and east and spared us of most of the wind.

Cape Eleuthera Marina is nice but very remote. There is not much to see or do if you’re in a sailboat. It’s a shame that a resort that bills itself as “first class” doesn’t have a decent restaurant or bar. I guess if you’re in a mega yacht you bring it with you. We did enjoy the sharks at the fish cleaning station. It is amazing the number of sharks, big sharks, that show up when the fishing boats come in.

A mahi carcass was tossed into the frenzy of sharks. A very large bull shark streaked to the surface, sucked the carcass in and snapped its jaws shut. The sound was bone chilling and very hard to forget.

As soon as we saw an opportunity we departed for Rock Sound. A big festival was underway and we wanted to participate. We were to find out it ended the night before. The journey continued to Governor’s Harbour.

Governor’s Harbour is an attractive little settlement. At one time it was the capital of the Bahamas. The structures have a victorian flair and the flora is beautiful.

We were sad to find out that our favorite ice cream cafe was closed as was our favorite art gallery. It is so hard to succeed in the Bahamas.

The grocery store on the other hand was thriving. It was beautifully stocked and I couldn’t help but take a few pictures. Even after spending $7.15 for a half gallon of milk I considered it a privilege to have shopped there.

Since the weather was cooperating we slowly worked our way north along the Eleuthera coast. Eleuthera has a very different look as the limestone raises from the sea and forms dramatic cliffs dotted with extravagant homes. It appears to be a growing trend, especially in the northern reaches of the Bahamas, that more and more land is being developed as “vacation” or second homes. As we would find out a little later this is also limiting cruisers access to the islands.

We arrived at Glass Window mid afternoon. Most of the shoreline was rock or iron shore as it is called but one section was beautiful. A long stretch of sand dotted with palm trees greeted us as we anchored. Each palm was posted with a “no trespassing – private property” sign. Poor Goliath was bitterly disappointed but this is the trend we have found since moving north.

Glass Window was a natural bridge over an opening between the Atlantic and Exuma Sound. It collapsed many, many years ago and many road bridges have been constructed. Like the natural bridge they have been destroyed by huge rogue waves. The current bridge was moved 11′ to the west after being struck by a rogue in 1991. It was strange to see the bridge skewed to the west and the rebuilt road weaving to meet the new location. This link provides a fascinating story of this area.

On our trip back to the boat I noticed another beach with no signs. Goliath was ecstatic. Not quite as beautiful as the one near our boat but it was accessible. We explored and found a wrecked sailboat back in the causarinas. It was an O’Day 23 pop top just like our former boat. “White Rabbit” had seen better days, the stern lay 200′ from the bow, the boat having been ripped in half. The deck and cabin top were nowhere to be found. Evidently a victim of hurricane Irene that recently passed through the northern Bahamas.

As the pattern was, weather was changing so we headed towards Spanish Wells, a small developed island north of Eleuthera.

As we motored north from Fernandez Bay little did we know just how much we would enjoy our stay in Bennett’s Harbor.

Two years ago we stopped and explored Pigeon Creek but saw little else to do. Just another stop on our way back north. This year we would again enjoy the Pigeon Creek and Bennett’s Creek area.

These estuaries are the breeding ground for all sorts of marine life and once again life was abundant. The shifting water depths offer an unbelievable range of colors and this year puffy cumulus clouds and azure skies enhanced the experience.

The creeks were teeming with turtles. They would scoot this way and that trying to avoid us. They were very successful. We motored the dinghy deep into the creek system. Bonefish skittered away on the flats. Snappers hung deep under the mangroves and barracuda hung motionless waiting for a meal. A nurse shark tucked itself under a ledge and hugged the bottom.

The entrance to Bennett’s Creek is one of my favorite photo ops. Rock outcroppings, palms, agaves, sand bottoms and perfectly clear water are on display. Quite a spectacular site.

As we motored our way back to deep water we were escorted by three large sting rays swimming in formation. Mary commented about what a beautiful day this turned out to be.

After lunch on the boat we thought of where we should go next. Our plan was to head to Eleuthera via Little San Salvador. Mary received a note from a Facebook friend asking us to look up their old cruising friends, the Howard’s, who live in Bennett’s Harbor. What are the odds of finding them, we thought? Turns out it was pretty easy.

We drove the dinghy about a mile and arrived at the beach by the government dock. Like two years ago it looked vacant.

A lone Bahamian fisherman was spotted off loading his catch. We asked, after admiring his catch of huge lobsters and Nassau groupers, if he knew the Howard’s? “Ya sure, everyone know de Howard’s,” he replied. He gave us some vague instructions for finding their home and off we went.

Ancient structures litter the landscape. These abandoned homes, we would later find out, are left standing but uninhabited to provide a home for the spirits of the departed. The property cannot be sold since it is generational land so they sit as testaments of days gone by. Even cotton can be seen, relics from the old plantations.

It was hot and the dense vegetation blocked any breeze. We had no clue what we were looking for or how far away it was. At about the point of resignation we came across another savior. George Williams sat on his porch, next to the road, with most of his family. When asked the same question as posed to the fisherman, the reply was the same but this time it included a ride to the Howard’s doorstep. What wonderful people these Bahamians are.

Unsure of what to do next, we boldly went to the door and announced ourselves. Judy had received a heads up that we might show up but was still quite surprised. We were welcomed into her beautiful home on the beach and had a cold drink on the porch. The hospitality of the Bahamas is boundless. We wouldn’t leave for several more days.

Just when we thought we couldn’t pack any more excitement into one day, we found a surprise waiting at the boat. I had left a fishing line out the night before baited with a big hunk of semi spoiled Oscar Mayer hard salami. Nothing had touched it until now. The line no longer hung limp from the rod. It stretched well forward of the boat but the rod was unbent. Curious as to what was at the other end, we clamored aboard. The noise spooked the fished and the rod almost doubled over backward. I set the hook (not necessary but a habit) and began to reel. It was like pulling in a large log. Slowly I retrieved line and soon we could see a tail and a fin; a shark! The shark walked be once completely around the boat but on the next trip he was getting close to the boat. He was very tired and while under the boat rolled on his back. Mary thought he was dead. I hauled him to the swim platform where I planned to cut him free but he saw me and with renewed energy cut himself free by passing the line close to the prop. It was very exciting and this time I have pictures to prove it.

Sunday was games day and that afternoon we went over and met the neighbors and other friends. We played Mexican Train dominoes and had a great time. It was a fun social event that they’ve been doing for over ten years. We were honored to be a part.

Paul had offered to take me fishing on Monday and I could hardly wait. I dropped the dinghy and Mary at the house. Paul and I hooked the boat to the SUV, picked up the neighbor, Bill, and off we went. We went around the north side of Cat Island out into the Atlantic. Other than a slight swell the ocean was like glass. Paul searched for just the right spot and then we dropped our squid on electric reels into 200′- 300′ of water. It didn’t take long before we started to bring up snappers; reds and blacks. In all we got one jack, ten snappers and one red hind, a grouper.

We thanked our hosts profusely and were preparing to say our goodbyes. “What, you’re not staying one more day for a beach walk on the Atlantic side?” “Okay, just one more day and then we have to go,” we stated. I’m thinking of never leaving.

The Atlantic side is very remote with little to no development. We drove about four miles on a very rough road but soon enough we were parked and ready to shop at the “mall”. They call it that because they find all sorts of things on the beach. Really nice shells but also, net floats, sea beans, wood, and all other types of useful junk can be found along the beach. After about four miles we called it quits and went back to the house for a cooling dip in the water. Then it was off for lunch. We had pizza at a resort above Orange Creek. The view was awesome.

Short on groceries and suffering from cabin fever, we set forth in search of food. Waves were crashing ashore but we were on a mission. The plan was to bow anchor the dinghy and wade to shore. The plan was working until the bitter end slipped through my fingers and the anchor and thirty feet of rode (line) was lost. I jumped in to retrieve the line but to no avail. Water was well over my waist and I was soaked. Mary and Goliath soon followed suit.

A Bahamian man casually witnessed the whole thing from his comfortable perch at a food shack at waters edge. As we waded ashore he scarcely said a word. I guess this happens all the time. After a brief explanation of what happened he shrugged and said, “it ain’t going anywhere, you’ll find it maybe tomorrow”. The perfect start to a new friendship.

We hitched a ride to the grocery and walked the mile and half back. The man casually played backgammon with the female proprietor of the establishment. Her daughter, (we would find out), served us cold beverages. “What’s for dinner,” I asked? The usual Bahamian fare of chicken and fish was offered. “What kind of fish”? “Grunts” she responded. Well, you gotta understand, there’s some real basic food in the Keys and the Bahamas that you don’t get everyday and grunts is one of them. Grits and grunts is as down home as you get. Mary and I love grunts and fish for them when we can. We ordered two helpings with a side of Bahamian mac and cheese. The grunts were served whole. Mary is not a fish head kind of gal but ate it anyway.

What she didn’t eat she shared with her new friends.

Bahamians are friendly and on Cat Island they are especially friendly. We asked questions and got lots of insight into local customs, history, food and politics. Our proprietor is Cordell Hunter who cooks with her daughter Cedell.

Cedell, Pompey and Cordell

We were to learn that the laid back man was Pompey or Bo-Hog to almost everyone on the island. It turns out he’s the leader of a “true rake n’ scrape” band, The Rooters. Cedell plays a traditional goombay, a drum with goat skin stretched over it, Pompey plays the accordion and sings while Crystal Smith plays the saw.

We ended up visiting everyday, having something different for supper each day. Her fried chicken was excellent and on Friday she made us “pea soup” which is unlike what you would imagine. It was spicy with pigeon peas, ham, tomatoes and dumplings; a very traditional Bahamian meal and oh so good.

On our last day Pompey offered to play some rake and scrape. The band just performed for the Today Show and have been invited to participate at the 16th Festival de L’Imaginaire (Festival of the Imagination) on June 1 and 2. We were privileged to have our own performance and it was wonderful.

How lucky are we?

As planned, we departed Elizabeth Harbor, (Georgetown) on Saturday the 24th. We joined an entourage of 35+ boats heading north towards Conch Cay Cut. All turned north for destinations in the Exumas while just three of us sailed east towards Cat Island, about forty miles away. The wind was blowing between 15 and 18 knots, 60º off the starboard bow. It was perfect! Sailing at about 6 1/2 to 7 knots all day is what we are supposed to do but rarely get the opportunity. By early afternoon Cat Island was in sight.

Anchoring close into the beach at New Bight, we settled in for the rest of the day. Weather was due in with winds from the southeast. We figured we would be fine, knowing that New Bight doesn’t give all that great of protection from anything south clocking through west to the northeast.

New Bight has a wonderful beach and Sunday morning Goliath and I took the dinghy to shore. Pulling up to the beach was not a problem but getting off the beach in the surf was. Just as I was ready to jump in a wave would hit us and turn the boat back to the beach. With great difficulty and a thorough soaking we made it back. The rest of the day was spent on the boat.

Monday the wind had clocked to the northwest and it got real uncomfortable. I was determined to go to shore so I coerced Mary and Goliath into the dinghy and off we went. The beach landing wasn’t too bad, Mary only got sort of wet.

The grocery store was a mile and a half walk. Goliath got a little more attention than he could handle as we passed the primary school as it was let out. The kids don’t see too many little dogs and they were fascinated. He eagerly wanted to escape all the attention so we were on our way. It was hot and a longer walk than we bargained for. Luckily we picked up a ride from one of the kid’s father. We hopped in the back of the pickup and were dropped off right at the store.

The walk back wasn’t too bad but the ride back to the boat was something else. We all got pretty well soaked getting into the boat and if there were any dry spots they were gone when we got back to the boat. There were some unhappy campers aboard that night.

To make matters worse the winds started to subside that evening but not the swells from Exuma Sound. The boat was pointed north but the significant swell was from the west. Everyone was rolling severely. The boat would roll 15º one-way and then 15º the other. Eating dinner was interesting as plates and condiments would slide all over. Sleeping was impossible. I set a kedge anchor off the bow and ran the line to the starboard sheet winch. As the line was winched in the boat turned to point into the swells. Peace at last. The next morning there were many other boats wondering why we were pointed the way we were. You could hear foreheads being slapped as many captains thought, “why didn’t I think of that”.

We seized the opportunity to go ashore Tuesday and make the hike to the Hermitage, Father Jerome’s retirement home on the top of the highest hill in the Bahamas. At 206’ it was quite a climb!

Father Jerome was an accomplished architect and Anglican priest. He was responsible for many beautiful churches on Long Island and elsewhere.

The views are beautiful. Our boat is the closest anchored boat to shore.

Before heading back we stopped at Olive’s Bakery and picked up a loaf of cinnamon swirl with coconut and a loaf of wheat. Most of the coconut bread was gone before noon the next day. It is soooooo good!!!

After all that nasty weather it has finally turned beautiful. Friday we awoke to dead calm.

As I walked along the decks I could clearly see sand dollars lying on the bottom.

I snorkeled for about half an hour picking up about seven whole dollars, passing up many broken ones. The boat bottom was checked and looked very good with little to no barnacle growth. I cleaned fuzz off the prop shaft and from the thru hulls.

The anchor was nicely buried but the damage done to the seabed was considerable considering all the high seas and winds. From Sunday to Thursday we had clocked 360º around our anchor.

Now that the wind was settled we continued our explorations and adventures. Our beach combing was quite productive with Mary finding several very nice cowries. Shelling up to this point had been disappointing, probably as a result of Hurricane Irene.

We moved up the coast on the 29th and anchored for the night at Fernandez Bay. A beautiful resort setting but not our cup of tea. We would leave the next morning for Bennett’s Harbor.

Georgetown has become the harbor of rainbows. The weather has not been conducive to moving north or east and so we sit. The almost daily and sometimes hourly rain showers have produced some quite beautiful rainbows.

Our intention upon returning to Georgetown was to re-provision and then move on to Conception Island and then to Cat Island. Georgetown is not our favorite stop along the way. It is not why we come to the Bahamas. There are too many people here. Three hundred boats anchored in one harbor are too many. Not everyone is responsible or considerate and conflicts arise. We prefer a more solitary lifestyle.

On the morning of March 18, we set sail and headed towards the southern entrance to the harbor. A squall soon passed overhead and we circled waiting for our friend, Harv, on Camelot to join us. The wind never abated and we aborted our attempt to leave. We returned to our anchorage.

We’ve kept ourselves entertained by taking beach walks, playing Texas Hold’em and going into Georgetown for the occasional supplies. Otherwise, we have relaxation down to a science.

A “dinghy adventure” was organized for the Friday before we were to leave. We decided to join in. What an adventure it became. It had been very windy and heavy seas were still rolling into southern Elizabeth Harbor. Mary and I, in our dinghy, along with ten other dinghies left on full plane across the harbor and heading south. We ran in the lee of Crab Cay and visited areas we had not seen before. The group continued on heading to the southern end of Great Exuma Island. As we broke out the lee, it got rough, real rough. We were soon soaked. Several miles later we pulled up on the beach at Rolletown, the southern most settlement. Rolletown is generational property. This means, by instructions in the will of the “original” owner all land is passed down to natural heirs and land can not be sold outside of the family. This preserves ownership but can lead to very poor conditions. The land is beautiful but the homes and businesses are in disrepair.

The house on the right is an example of many of the homes built over one hundred years ago. Its low-pitched roof with no eaves on top of the solid masonry structure has endured many hurricanes.
The present day Rolles (which is almost everyone in town), the family name passed down from the original landowner, Squire Denys Rolle, are all descendants from the original slaves that worked the 710 acres. They were very friendly and eager to share their history with us.

The group gathered after our visit and away we went, heading back north through the rolling chop. We stopped at a blue hole for a snorkeling opportunity but the water was all churned up and visibility was poor. We headed back to the boat and planned for our departure to Cat Island.

(Sneak peak – we have escaped and are now in Eleuthera! Had a GREAT time in Cat Island. If the Internet cooperates will post more.)

Every morning at 0630 I sit patiently waiting for Chris Parker to begin his weather report on the single side band radio receiver. The weather pattern had held to generally mild easterlies; “the trade winds”. We were counting on these mild winds with occasional frontal passages to give us good conditions for continuing on to the Jumento and Ragged Islands farther south. Up until this morning we had no idea of what was to come. He came on with “boy, things sure have changed”. Massive high pressure over the eastern United States was causing all sorts of troubles. For the Bahamas he would state that, “this may be the most significant weather event of the winter”. A secondary low may form near western Cuba, about 90 miles south of our destination. This could develop into a tropical low capable of really nasty weather. The forecast was for gale force winds (above 35 knots) and possible squalls with higher winds. How long would this last? We would find out later that it could last indefinitely.

It had all been so beautiful. After an uneventful but beautiful sail from Georgetown on February 23rd, we rounded Indian Hole Point and headed to our anchorage. Camelot soon hailed us on the VHF. Harv and Anne are from Wisconsin and we’ve been friends since 2008. They had been here for several months. We had much to catch up on since we had not seen them since the spring of 2010.

Long Island is a favorite of ours and we were glad to be back. We lounged at the Long Island Breeze Resort, swam in their pool, walked the beach on the eastern side and generally had a great time talking with friends, new and old.

Marylee was anchored off shore from Long Island Breeze in about six feet of beautiful crystal clear water. We draw five feet but the bottom is nice white soft sand, so no worries. Tod and Ann from “Fiscal Stray” were soon anchored alongside. We had buddy boated with them in 2010 and had heard them occasionally on the radio as they headed south. They invited us to share a rental car so soon we were off to explore the island.

Deals Beach – North Long Island

Addersley Plantation

View of the Atlantic from Stella Maris Resort

Beach Bungalow

A new restaurant had been built south of Stella Maris on the north part of Long Island. Built right on a beautiful white sandy beach, Beachside Bungalow is what you might expect. Open air, thatched (although fake) roof, bright colors and great food. Their pizza was exceptional. The seafood pizza had white sauce and was covered with conch and lobster. YUM! After lunch we headed south to Dean’s Blue Hole. This hole is 663 feet deep and is totally protected from the surrounding ocean. We snorkeled along its edges and saw many fish. It was very cool.

The wind had been steadily increasing all week. The easterlies were blowing water out of the bay and we were now on the bottom or very close all the time. On March the third we decided to move to a more protected anchorage. By nightfall the wind was subsiding, the calm before the storm. We played cards on Camelot and when we left for our boat the waters were calm and there wasn’t a whisper of wind. Slowly, little by little the wind backed to the south, then the east and finally to the north. At 0400 the front hit us with a vengeance. Soon the wind was howling at 25 knots but since the island protected us we had little wave action. All day Monday the wind has maintained 20 with gusts to 25. Tomorrow and Wednesday were forecast with steady 30 knot winds and squalls to 40. The forecast was right on.

There is a water shortage on Long Island and the resort was not able to let us do laundry. It was almost three weeks since we had done laundry and Mary was running out of underway. John and Nancy on “Langoline” offered to share their rental car and off we went on a laundering adventure.

The closest laundromat is about twenty miles to the south in the Deadman’s Cay area. We were very surprised to find a nicely outfitted laundry and the price was $2 per load! Less than what we had paid in Marathon. The manager offered to put our wash in the driers so we could do some exploring. We were back in time to fold. What fun!

While we were out we had noticed Max’s Conch Shack along the road. We went back for lunch. The food was good, the beer ice cold, and the people exceptional. The locals on Long Island are the friendliest we have met on any of the islands.

We closed out our tour with a trip to the beach and a walk and view of another magnificent sunset. What a life we live. The cost for our day at the laundry:

Laundry $14.00
Rental car (our half) $50.00
Lunch at Max’s $46.00
Our share of gas ($6.09 per gallon) $16.00
Total $136.00

It’s not cheap living in paradise.

The winds were continuing to howl but the protection and holding in Thompson Bay is exceptional. Unfortunately services are limited and we needed water and more provisions. We called off our trip to the southern islands and took the first weather opportunity to head back to Georgetown. On the ninth of March we sailed back in beautiful conditions. The petroleum ship “Ocean Energy” passed along the way. You can hardly tell where water and sky meet!

Tuesday was Valentine’s Day and Lorraine’s Café in Blackpoint was offering a Valentine’s dinner. Mary and I decided we would take part. After refueling at Staniel Cay we motored the short distance to Great Guana Cay and Blackpoint Settlement. By 1100 we had settled into our anchorage on the northern side of the bay.

Goliath loves his beach runs and he seems to know where he is. Blackpoint is a favorite and he was ready. He stood proudly on the bow of the dinghy and surveyed the beach ahead. The beach is a shallow sandy slope and if you anchor too far in at high tide, the dinghy will be high and dry when you return. It was mid tide and falling and I didn’t want to take chances and as I slowed to anchor Goliath decided we were close enough. He jumped off and into the water and swam to shore. He seemed very proud of himself.

Exuma Sound was very rough and the surf pounded the shoreline. The limestone that makes up the Bahamas is very rugged and eroded. Caverns pock the shoreline and in places holes break through to the surface. The whooshing sound we could hear led us to a large blowhole spewing mist and seawater skyward. Occasionally chunks of sargassum and debris would accompany the water.

I was fascinated but Goliath was leery. He wandered off looking for the beach and I was forced to follow. After a nice adventure we returned to the dinghy and motored back to the boat.

At 1700 we went ashore for happy hour along with a couple dozen other cruisers. Dinner was at 1900 and Lorraine wasn’t letting anyone in early. After a couple of hours at Scorpios we headed for dinner. I don’t think she anticipated the turnout and was overwhelmed. We had preordered but chaos ruled. We ate as others watched. Some were not served until two hours later. We’re on island time and everyone seemed to accept the chaos and had a relatively good time.

Laundry is a necessary evil and needs to be done when opportunity presents itself. Hillside Laundry in Blackpoint is one of the finest in the Bahamas and we had to partake. She provides free Internet, which is very convenient while doing laundry. We decided to move the boat to the southern edge of the bay to use the net while onboard. That evening the weather had finally calmed enough to provide one of those beautiful star lit evenings we always enjoy. Soon the smoke drifted in. I guess it’s also a great evening to burn the community trash. It was nauseating. They burn everything! You would think in communities that burn their trash they would limit their output of plastic trash. You can’t find a paper plate in the markets. Only Styrofoam. All of Lorraine’s meals had been served on plastic. No water is necessary to wash plastic plates, just toss them into the trash and while John is lounging in paradise, poison him with the smoke. Good Grief!

Bitter Guana Cay lies just to the north and is home to the protected Bahamian iguanas. It would be a shame to miss this beautiful island so we packed up the dinghy and motored north. It was also a chance to cleanse my lungs.

Iguanas scurried out from their shade to greet Goliath. He wasn’t entirely sure of what these things were. A short walk on the beach took us to a narrow cut in the cay. It was beautiful (I can’t say that enough). The colors of blue cannot be captured on film. What a life we lead.

A window in the weather presented itself and we were off for Georgetown, the mecca for many cruisers. This year it would be a provision stop on our way to Long Island.

Galliot Cut south of Farmers Cay is where you make the transition from the Exuma Banks to Exuma Sound. We chose to stop and anchor and leave the next morning for Georgetown. We’ve been through this cut before but had never stopped. It was beautiful.

Mary snorkeled the tidal pools as I motored around looking for sharks (not really). The coral was small but was loaded with small fish. Goliath couldn’t quite figure out why mom was floating out in that stuff. After finally getting Mary out of the water we motored down to the beach on the south end of Big Farmers Cay. We had a half-mile long stretch of white sand beach that contained no footprints.

As night fell the wind clocked to the southwest and ran counter the incredible current in the cut. The boat began to sail at anchor countering the wind. This causes waves to slap at awkward angles making sleep fitful. Dawn couldn’t come soon enough and soon we were up and heading out the cut on the ebbing tide. We rode the considerable current at 10.5 knots while we bashed through waves created by the water ebbing from the banks that rushed into the sound. Very exciting but short lived as we steered out of the current and headed to Georgetown.

Mid afternoon and we were in Conch Cay Cut and making our way into Elizabeth Harbor. There were about 300 boats anchored in various anchorages.

We found a spot off Goliath’s favorite beach and stayed for several days as we got cash, groceries, rum, water and one night of Texas Hold’em Poker.

At 0830 we departed and said our goodbyes. The weather was great but huge seas still rumbled into the south cut. The breaking waves were too much and we turned around and headed back. The southern half of Elizabeth Harbor is riddled with small but beautiful reefs.

We nestled between two and dropped anchor far from the crazy crowd to the north. We snorkeled over from the boat and couldn’t believe our eyes. The coral wasn’t all that spectacular but the fish were all over. Nassau grouper, huge lane snapper, sergeant majors, grunts, and wrasses of all sorts, damselfish, squirrelfish and many others I can’t identify. We had never seen a reef with so much life on it. It was fascinating. As we rested in the cockpit another dinghy came by to snorkel. Two boys and dad jumped in with their spears. There’s no spearing allowed in Elizabeth Harbor as it’s a marine sanctuary and I was surprised to see the spears. Dad killed some small fish and soon one of the boys joined him in triumph. The other son hunted in earnest, standing in frustration on top of the coral! Soon he too had killed his small fish. I stood by helplessly as I could not communicate by feelings. The hunters were French and obviously knew and cared little for the paradise offered them. I was disgusted.

The next morning we tried again, this time successfully exiting the cut and headed to Salt Pond, Long Island. The first third of the trip was rough but as we turned east we were able to sail our way to Long Island.

02/12
You’d think we were in Wisconsin! The wind is howling outside the cabin and the chill in the air is uncommon for this time of the year. No snow is predicted, however. We are safely anchored at Big Majors Spot near Staniel Cay. The water is brilliant blue reflecting an otherwise beautiful day. Mary, Goliath and I are well rested after our first really good nights sleep since leaving Bimini on the eighth of February.

We left Bimini Sands at 0800 followed by Pete and Cindy on Happy Destiny. Two boats had departed Alice Town before us and we followed them out the channel. One boat turned north while the other turned south. We decided to follow the southbound boat and take that route around Triangle Rocks and then on towards the Northwest Channel. I hailed the other boat, Rite of Passage. I could have turned north but I felt pulled to follow that other boat south. It turned out it was our friends from Marinette, Wisconsin. They had sold their old boat, Journey, and had just bought this Irwin 43. We pulled alongside for a long chat as we motored along the cam banks. We had last seen them three years ago in Bimini and again in Georgetown where Ned had crewed on our boat in the Cruiser’s Regatta. They joined our entourage and we all sailed east.

One of the distasteful subjects of the cruising lifestyle is heads and waste. In the states it is mandated that we pump out at designated stations and overboard discharge is prohibited. In the Bahamas there may be three stations if any. Pumping waste overboard is commonplace. You try to do it underway so as to not foul your anchorage. We did not want to foul the basin at Bimini Sands so we were full. As we motored along I began to manually pump us out. Something wasn’t right. It wasn’t supposed to smell inside the boat! I flipped up the mattress (yes, we sleep on top of our holding tank) and looked inside the bilge. The manual pump diaphragm was spraying waste into the bilge. Nothing I could do about it underway but luckily I have a spare pump. I cleaned up everything and hauled out to the cockpit the only two casualties, two mesh bags filled with shoes. There they were sprayed off, bleached, and set out to dry. We proceeded on.

The day had been still and hot until squalls began to form. We managed to stay out of their way but the winds picked up. As darkness fell we anchored south and west of Northwest Channel light. No one got much sleep. Surge came from all directions mixed in with the wind driven chop. Uncomfortable just doesn’t describe it.

At dawn we all set off for points east. Rite of Passage headed for Frazier’s Hog while Happy Destiny and Marylee headed for West Bay, New Providence Island. The wind was brisk at 15 knots but steady. On a close reach we chose to motor sail with the headsail while Happy Destiny had a great days sail under full sail. We were in the Tongue of the Ocean and were fishing. It’s easier to control the boat when a fish is on with some motor assist.

Several hours of trolling passed. Mary and I were discussing the lure placement; I had just let the starboard line out an additional fifty feet or so. As we were looking at the lines we saw two mahi jump clear of the water as they raced towards the lures. Bang, they both hit! We raced to our reels to set the hooks. Mary swears that hers was a monster and wasn’t able to raise the rod properly to get a good set. It broke off, taking one of my new lures with it. I hauled in mine and soon we were processing our catch. Once again the cockpit looked like a bloody mess. There’s no way around it. On a sail boat you got to make do and there is no elegant way to handle these big fish.

At 1700 we entered West Bay and anchored close to shore on the north side. Although sheltered, there was a lot of surge and it was hard to sleep. By 0800 the next morning we were again underway.

Today we would part company with Happy Destiny. They would head for Highbourne Cay while we would head further south to Shroud Cay. Weather was forecast to turn ugly and we wanted to be as far south as possible when it hit. Wind was clocking towards the south and would eventually be south to southwest by midnight. We tucked into the lee of Elbow Cay, a very small elongated island near Shroud. It was pleasant enough until just before sunrise when we were no longer in the lee of the island. Winds were now southwest at 15 to 20 knots. Seas were building. Thirty nautical miles to our south was Big Majors with no protection from the west but good protection from the north and east. We would endure one night of westerlies.

Our departure from Elbow Cay took us head into the waves. Luckily once around the western end of the island we would be heading southeast and could hoist the sails. The seas were four to six feet and spaced very close together. We rolled wildly. I unfurled the headsail partially. The heel was not too unpleasant so it was unfurled fully. We raced along at 7 to 8 knots swaying from 15 to 30 degrees of heel. Then the big wave came. I could see it coming. It had a cleaner face and formed sharply to our beam. It knocked us to a 45-degree angle. Stuff down below went flying off the shelves. What a mess. Luckily it was the only wave like that we would encounter that day. By 1230 we were anchored at Big Majors and started to clean up the mess.

Squalls moved through the anchorage by 1400 and washed the salt off the boat. Winds blew at 30 knots then subsided to 20 or so. We settled in and had a great dinner of fish tacos. Winds continued to clock to the northwest and it settled down some. Sleep came easy and we slept in until 0830 the next morning.

We have shared our anchorage at Big Majors with the mega yacht “Wheels” owned by NASCAR team owner Rick Hendricks. We first encountered the yacht at Shroud and it’s quite impressive. Joining “Wheels” is their sportfish “Reel Wheels” and their large tender; a center console with 4 outboards, at least 250 hp each! You can never have too much power.

The last of our mahi is gone! We shared the last six steaks with Jim and Laurie (sv Kismet). They brought chocolate cake so we figured it was a fair trade. We met them in 2008 in Annapolis and we try to keep up with their exploits. We haven’t been able to cross paths until now. It was great seeing them and catching up on old times.

Tomorrow we head for Blackpoint.

The Dilemma
01/30/2012 – Here we sit in paradise and I’m trying to make you feel sorry for us. We love Bimini but we also like to move when we feel like. Unfortunately the weather usually has something to say about it. Weather has us socked in for at least a week. A day ago, it looked like we could leave Thursday but that chance evaporated. We’ll make plans for the Super Bowl.

02/01/2012 – Weather opening up. Looks like a good chance to leave Sunday maybe get to Norman’s Cay. Benign weather with light winds means good fishing; can’t wait.

02/02/2012 – Forget all that from yesterday; unsure of what to expect.

02/03/2012 – Now it looks like a Sunday is good again.

02/04/2012 – Lots of squalls predicted; maybe Thursday or Friday of next week will be better. Looks like we’ll see the Super Bowl after all.

02/05/2012 – Super Bowl Sunday, we’re staying and I’m not looking at weather.

02/06/2012 – Getting ready to move on. Missed high tide (entrance channel is shallow). Supposed to rain but didn’t. Turned hot and clear.

02/07/2012 – Squalls moving in so decided maybe tomorrow. This is getting old.

The Solution
What to do in such circumstances? There are always boat projects! Our port side primary sheet winch failed on the way to Bimini. Winches are important, they make things easier. Since we were on a starboard tack, handling the headsail required our port winch. Luckily we have secondary winches which we used. Upon disassembly I found the pawl case had started to corrode (imagine, corrosion on a boat) and the pawls which keep the winch from turning in the wrong direction didn’t work.

The winch was disassembled, cleaned, lubed and reassembled without losing or having any spare parts. It works too!

Since we are in South Bimini we took the water taxi over to Alice Town, North Bimini. We’ve always liked Bimini. The people are nice, the town is “quaint” and the beach is great. It is very sad to see the slow decline of Alice Town. There are a lot of lost dreams. Closed businesses and a great lack of visitors. It is the off season but there just was no one around. We stopped at the straw market and bought a few things. I got a Kalik tee shirt. The saleslady was so happy I got a hug as a bonus.

A massive development was built on the north end of the island. Bimini Bay caters to the rich. A high end retail area is surrounded by expensive homes and mega yachts. Restaurants and shops have drained the economy of Alice Town. Bimini Bay looks like it could be in Ft. Lauderdale or Miami. We can’t understand the appeal; what a shame.

A stop at the Dolphin House was in order. Ashley Saunders, a native Biminite, has artistically crafted this amazing structure from scraps of recycled materials. We met him three years ago while he was just starting his work on the staircases and railings. They are now finished and lead to rental apartments on the second floor.

The beach beckoned and we strolled north toward the “Gallant Lady,” a ship wreck of undetermined age. This large fishing boat from Belize City, Belize was swept onto the rocky shore near the entrance to North Bimini. We have walked to the wreck each of the three years we have visited Bimini. The “Gallant Lady” is rusting away at a rapid rate. Much of the cabin is now gone as well as the decks.

We are docked with several other sailboats and a few power boats. Bimini Sands Marina is accessible by a shallow narrow channel. Our draft allows us access mid-tide and above. Many other boats are docked in Alice Town but with all the dredging that’s going on we are glad we came to Bimini Sands. We have met quite a few of the residents here and Goliath has been having a great time running with the local dogs. Everyone is very friendly which makes it even harder to leave.

A small power boat docked next to us for a few days. Two fifteen year old boys were aboard and their fishing exploits were a source of much interest. They went free diving north of Bimini and had quite a day. The large fish in the picture below is an Amberjack. This one measured 52″ and weighed 46 pounds. The other larger fish is an Almaco Jack (which they gave to us; it was delicious) and the other is a 5 pound hog snapper.

The story goes that they had shot the AJ (amberjack) once and the spear had bounced off. The AJ kind of turned as to say, “Excuse me?” when they shot again and got it but didn’t kill it. Now there’s blood all over in the water and the curly head kid is trying to fight it (underwater) and drag it to the boat. The other kid swims over, sticks his arm into the AJ’s mouth and out the gill opening. He manages to wrestle it to the boat and dad helps to get it aboard. Pretty exciting story but generally what they did was very dangerous and somewhat stupid. The day ended well and they came back with quite a catch.

On Sunday we took the bus down to The Square Grouper for the Super Bowl. We ran into some of our resident friends there and shared in the pig roast.

Our dinner consisted of two big slabs of pig roast, four chicken wings, corn on the cob, a roll and a decadent chocolate duff for desert; and of course, plenty of Kaliks.

Our congenial wait staff was very friendly and efficient.

The crowd this year was not as large as in 2009 but everyone had fun regardless. We watched inside for most of the first half and then went outside to the “big screen” for half time.

Mary has always wanted a golf cart, which is the primary transportation here. I can see us living here but we may have to win the lottery first.

We leave tomorrow, we promise!