O'Brien's Cay: Sea Aquarium

Tuesday afternoon, March 21, 2017

We arrived at O'Brien's Cay around 2:00 in the afternoon, and anchored in a nice spot on the west side of the Cay just a short distance from the sea aquarium snorkel site.  By the time we got the boat settled, and had our traditional end-of-voyage drink, and put the engine down onto the dinghy,  it was 3:00 and high-slack tide.

So, we jumped in the dinghy with our snorkel gear for the second time today (see "Thunderball!" post), and went snorkeling.

The location lived up to all the hype we had heard about it.  There were large schools of all types of fish there.  Several dinghys and larger tenders were already there on the park-provided dinghy moorings, and one of tender captains was throwing handfulls of whole-kernel corn into the water, and the fish were going crazy over it!

If you swam over near him, he would throw a handful at you and the fish would surround you going after the corn!

School of Yellowtail Snappers hiding in the soft coral

Juvenile Stoplight Parrotfish

A couple of Reef Butterfly fish

Soft coral

Tube coral

Feeding frenzy

The Sea Aquarium was definitely the best snorkeling we've seen yet!  We were so glad we were able to catch this site on the way north because we missed it on the way south.

And speaking about the way north, we had still held out hope that we might have time to shoot over to Eluthera from the Exumas, and squeeze in a few stops there and in the Abacos before heading back to Florida.

But it is already almost the end of March (Spring has officially started!), and if we are to be back in the Chesapeake by June first, we will need 6 to 8 weeks for the ICW.  That means we need to be back in Florida in the next two weeks!  It may sound like a lot of time, but our experience this winter has been that we keep getting held in one spot for many days for a weather front to pass through.  As an example, another one is coming on this Thursday, with North winds up to 30 knots for days, so we will probably run up to Warderick Wells and shelter there for three or four days until it passes.

And so, with a little sadness, we decided that Eleuthera and the Abacos will have to wait for the next trip, and we revised our plans again.  After Warderick Wells, we will make a longish run up to Highbourne Cay, where we will get fuel and water, and then anchor out for the night. The next day, we will make another long run back to New Providence Island and reprovision. From there, we will anchor overnight at Chub Cay/Frasier's Hog Cay and again at Mackie shoals before getting back to Bimini. And at Bimini, we will have to wait for a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

As for tomorrow, the Park only takes mooring ball requests for the Warderick Wells location one day in advance, so we called them on the VHF and had them put us on the list for tomorrow.  We'll have to listen to the daily 9:00 am broadcast tomorrow to see if we get in.

Like all cruisers, our plans are written in the sand, on the beach, at low tide!

Things change, things happen, you adapt.

Life is good.

Thunderball!

Tuesday morning, March 21, 2017

We got up early today, intending to leave for the short trip to O'Brien's Cay in the southern part of the Exuma Land/Sea Park.  But it was bright and sunny and warm, and several boatloads of tourists showed up and jumped in the water and swam into the grotto.  We looked at each other and said "You know if we don't do this we'll regret it!"  So we quick changed into our swimsuits, got our snorkel gear and underwater camera, and jumped in.

We were a little past low slack tide by this point, so there wa a tiny bit of current, but it wasn't anything we couldn't cope with.

And it was worth it.  There were large numbers of fish everywhere, and the grotto itself was impressive.  Unfortunately, we afterwards discovered that the camera accidentally got set to macro mode at some point, so some of the pictures came out blurry. :(

Swimming under the rock entrance at low tide

Looking back out

The main dome

Another way out on the back side

Lots of fish

Seargent Majors

Queen Triggerfish

I noticed the current through the grotto was getting stronger, so I signaled Joanie that it was time to go.  The narrow entrance was funneling the current into the grotto, and it took some effort, and a bit of time,  to overcome it and get out, even with swim fins!

Once out, we had no trouble swimming back to Dolce Vita.

So, after this unexpected and thoroughly delightful bonus, we decided we still had time to get to O'Brien's Cay, so we cleaned up, hauled up the anchor, and set our course north for the short  3 1/2 hour trip.

Life is good.

Staniel Cay

Sunday, March 19, 2017

After a leisurely, unhurried morning at Bitter Guana Cay, we got underway at 10:40 am and headed for Staniel Cay, a short distance of only about 8 miles.  This was another of the places we had been forced to skip on the way south (due to the weather), and were now catching on the way back north.

Our first stop was at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club fuel dock to get gasoline and water. We had not had an opportunity to get either since we left Georgetown some 9 days earlier.  The Staniel Cay Yacht Club docks are clearly designed for mega yachts.  The dock was a good 10 feet above us, and they had to pass down the hoses for fuel and water.  Conditions were rough, and we were pounding against the pilings the whole time despite the fenders we deployed. Most unpleasant. If this weren't the only fuel choice around, I wouldn't recommend coming here.

Our main tank was down to just under half, and we took on 16 gallons of gas.  Surprisingly, our water tank was down only 11 gallons, and between that and the drinking water jerry jugs, we  took on a total of 19 gallons of water.

Once done with the dock, we cast off and anchored out on sand bar just 300 feet East of Thunderball Grotto, of James Bond fame.  The location was well sheltered all around, but experienced some surge from the nearby cut.  Snorkeling in the grotto is supposed to be excellent, with lots of fish, but you need to wait for low slack tide for the entrance to be exposed and have no current to fight. Since the next low tide wasn't until after dark, we figured we'd get to it tomorrow, around 9:30 am.

Thunderball Grotto is hidden under this nondescript lump of rock

Instead, we dinghy'd into town, beaching the dinghy at Staniel Cay Yacht Club's excellent dinghy beach which has its own miniature curved breakwater walls to shelter it.  We tied up there, and made a dinner reservation at the YC for this evening, preordering again as is their custom.

Staniel Cay Yacht Club

We hiked all around town, taking in the beautiful beaches, colorful buildings, and unfamiliar vegetation.

Beautiful Beach

Walking South

Chamberlain Cottage Rentals

Mermaid

Welcome

The "Blue" Market

The "Pink" Market

Unknown Fruit on the Roadside

Cotton!

Another Strange Fruit

Once our legs gave out, we retired back to the YC bar, and enjoyed drinks and conversation with other cruisers until the rang the dinner bell (literally!) at 6:30 for the first seating.  Dinner out was a treat, with really good food and service in an elegant setting.

We dinghy'd back to Dolce Vita in the dark, thankful that I'd remembered to leave the anchor light on.  It is DARK out there!

Monday, March 20, 2017

We got up early, intending to snorkel Thunderball Grotto at the 9:30-10:00 am low tide, but the day dawned cold and gray, with occasional light rain-showers.  We both decided that we didn't want to see it THAT much, so we wimped out and stayed warm and dry aboard.  After all, we had already snorkeled in the two excellent grottos at Rocky Dundas, so it wasn't like we hadn't seen a grotto yet.  At least that's what we told ourselves.

Tomorrow, we would get up early and head for O'Brien Cay, just North of Cambridge Cay in the Exuma Land Sea Park, in order to snorkel at the "Sea Aquarium", another place we had missed on the way south.

Life is good.

Bitter Guana Cay: More Iguanas!

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Shortly after noon, we pulled anchor and headed just 4 miles north to anchor off the beach at Bitter Guana Cay.  This location is a protected iguana habitat.  We will just stay here overnight before moving on to Staniel Cay tomorrow.

There is a tall (for the Bahamas) cliff here with a mixture of old coral and exposed sandstone.  The wind and water have carved the soft sandstone into a dramatic scene with impressive overhangs on the 60 ft cliffs.

Bitter Guana Cay

And, oh yes, there were iguanas.   These were slightly different from the ones we saw at Allen's Cay, but just as hungry.  As I stepped out of the dinghy with the anchor in hand to place it up the beach, one of the iguanas assumed that whatever a human has in its hands is food, and it walked right up to me and started chewing on the anchor!

We hiked up and down the beach, shelling for a while, then set up our compact folding chairs at the water's edge and kicked back with our toes in the sand to relax and enjoy the view.

Joanie shelling while Dolce Vita sits at anchor in the crystal blue waters

Life is good

Black Point: Laundry and Loss

Thursday, March 16, 2017

After two extra days anchored off of Little Farmer's Cay due to a passing Westerly, we finally hauled up the anchor and and headed out the shallow North exit from the anchorage.  We waited until 10 am to catch the high tide in order to minimize the chances of running aground.

A scant 10 miles later, we were anchored off of the town dock of Black Point, which is on Great Guana Cay.  Black Point is the second largest settlement in the Exumas.  Only Georgetown is larger.

Black Point's harbor is shaped like a giant "V", with the wide part facing West.  As a result, it has no protection from the West, and the wind driven waves from that direction roll right in, undiminished.  That's why we had to wait in Little Farmer's until the Westerly passed.

Black point has several well-stocked markets, several restaurants, and boasts the best laundry in the entire Bahamas!  And they weren't kidding.  Rockside Laundromat really is nice, with lots of clean, functioning machines, and an attached store with supplies, food, free WiFi, and souvenirs. We both got T-shirts!

Adderley's Market, Golf Cart Rental, Room Rental, and Justice of the Peace!

Rockside Laundromat

We spent the entire first visit ashore doing multiple loads of laundry.  Fresh clean bedsheets, what a luxury!

The next day, we hiked around town and put in a reservation for a St. Patrick's Day buffet dinner at Loraine's Cafe, another well-known Black Point establishment.  We also purchased fresh-baked loaves of Coconut and Rasin Bread from Loraine's mother, Corrine.

Loraine's

Loraine's

Fresh baked bread.  Still warm!

Regatta Point Park

Regatta Beach

Joan getting instruction in palm weaving, called plaiting

After the excellent dinner at Loraine's on Friday night, we had to dinghy back in the dark.  It was a wet ride, and we had to hunt for our boat among all the others.  Joan calls it "exhilarating.".

Once back aboard, I had a minor disaster occur.  While retrieving our folding boarding ladder, I lost control of it, and it folded up on me and hit me in the bridge of the nose.  Hurt like hell.  I thought I was lucky I didn't break it.  I went below to check for any bleeding, and only then discovered that my glasses were gone!  The one time I forget to wear my croakeys on them and this happens!  We went back on deck with lights, hoping that they were lying on the deck, but no such luck.  Gone.

Saturday morning, we got a lookey bucket and searched the bottom around the boat from the dinghy, but again, no luck.  The boat moves in a large arc on its anchor line, and there's no telling exactly where we were the night before when I lost them.

And just to put the cherry on top, I couldn't find the spare pair I packed!  How can they get lost in a 32 ft boat??

So now, I'm without glasses for a while.  Reading, navigating, and blogging have all become exercises in squinting, often leading to a headache.   I have my lens prescriptions with me, and we've been in contact with an Optician in Nassau,  so when we get there in a week or so, I'll have to get new ones made.

Later today, we're going to move a few miles North to anchor off of Bitter Guana Cay  This is a protected iguana habitat, and we expect to see lots more iguanas. Well, at least Joanie will see them...

Despite setbacks, life is still good.

Little Farmers Cay

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Daylight savings time snuck up on us last night, and robbed us of an hour of sleep!  Fortunately, we didn't need to leave until 9:00 am in order to catch Adderly cut at high slack tide, so the loss of sleep didn't get us so bad as it would have if we were starting out at 6 am!

Today, we had a different problem.  The distance from Adderly Cut, where we were leaving, to Farmers Cut, where we were going, is only about 15 miles.  At our usual rate, this would only be about a 3 hour trip.  But that would put us at Farmer's cut right at the peak of the ebb tide, flowing against the wind! This would produce rage conditions in the cut, something we wanted to avoid. We needed to travel REAL slow in order to make this trip take 6 hours  so we would arrive at low slack tide.

So, once through Adderly, and out on the Exuma Sound,  we set just the jib and shut off the engine.  And we were doing 3 1/2 knots, which is STILL too fast!  We decided to let it be, and take a look at the conditions at Farmers Cut when we got there.

Once again, Joan trailed a fishing line.  This time, she got one nibble but that was it. No fish for dinner tonight!

As we approached Farmer;s Cut, we were about an hour and a half away from low tide, and the water was still quite churned up.  Whitecaps went out for several miles into the Sound.  So, we turned East, and sailed out several miles and back, killing time!  When we finally returned, the transformation was amazing, with no whitecaps or chop.  We motored on through, followed the twisting shallow channel in, and anchored in a beautiful patch of sand between Little Farmer's Cay and Great Guana Cay, just across from the Farmer's Cay Yacht Club. 

Farmer's Cay Yacht Club

"Yacht Clubs" here are quite unpretentious, and the restaurant and bar are open to all.  This one is run by a charming gentleman named Roosevelt Nixon.

Joan Chatting with Roosevelt Nixon

The history of Little Farmer's Cay is interesting. It was settled by a freed slave woman from Great Exuma named Chrisanna. She moved to little Farmer's Cay with her two sons and daughter.  The sons later bought the island from the British Crown, and willed it to their descendants as "generation property".  This means that it can only be owned by their direct descendants or their descendants spouses.  Today, most of the 70 or so people who live here are related.

Little Farmer's is known for the "5Fs" festival: Farmer's First Friday in February Festival.   Food & fun, including Bahamian sailboat races, where the boats start out at anchor, and at the start the have to raise sails and sail off the anchor!  Unfortunately we were about a month too late for this.

Monday, March 13, 2017

Hiked around the island today, from one end to the other, starting at Farmer's Cay Yacht Club on the North end.  While we were there, we put in a reservation for dinner, pre-ordering our meals as seems to be common down here.

Once off the  YC grounds, its about a 15 minute walk South, past the curving beach known as "Big Harbor",  to get to the center of "town".  On the way, we passed the island's cemetery, with its handmade headstones dating back to the 1800's.

Bridge leaving the YC

"Are we there yet?"

Handmade Headstones

The center of most of the businesses is clustered around the government dock in a small cove known as "Little Harbor".  Its a landing point for many of the charter tour boats that come in from other islands. 

Government dock on Little Harbor

 On the dock, you can purchase a conch salad, watching as its harvested and prepared.  Doesn't get any fresher than that.  The conch guy has been throwing the scraps in the water for so long that all the rays, sea turtles, and sharks constantly come by for the free food.  He's even got them conditioned.  He bangs on one of the pilings with a hammer before throwing the scraps, so when he wants to "call" them for the tourists he just bangs!

Who rang the dinner bell?

Hey! Who invited this guy?

Is it time for my close-up?

So, then the conch guy asks Joan if she wants to feed the turtles.  Of course, she says "Yes!", and the next thing you know, they're both in the water hand feeding a turtle!

Up the hill from the dock is the Ocean Cabin Restaurant. The proprietor there is the originator of the 5F's festival, and is quite a character.  The "hours open" sign gives you some idea.

If you can't read it, it says:

OUR HOURS

Most days, about 9 or 10

Occasionally as early as 7

 But some days as late as 12 or 1

We close about 5 or 6 but maybe 4 or 5

Some days or afternoons we aren't here at all

And lately we've been here all the time,

Except when we're someplace else...

But we might be here then too

We originally planned to stay here only two days, but our next planned stop, Black Point, has no shelter  from West winds, and another westerly is coming, so we'll stay put here for another two days before continuing north.

Life is good