Stage 3 Bahamas – Northern Exuma Cays: 7 - 10 Jul 09
The Motleys noticed that with increasing North in our sails, the less there was of us cruzin’ folks. These shallow waters belonged to mini-ships and their tow-along run-abouts. We listened to VHF16 each day to hear pearlers: “This is Bahamas Cowboy, Ahh need fuel" . “Sure, mon! Ha big is ya boat.” “It’s ma dinghy - just a little 36ft runabout”. Of course it is! Welcome to the Bahamas.
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| View from the Marine Park HQ |
We moved on from one mini paradise to the next. Warderick Wells is 453sq km of sea and land park; the world’s first & only marine replenishment nursery. “Take nothing but photographs; leave nothing but bubbles” is the catchphrase of busy park rangers. On check-in, we were presented with a big list of things to do. Forget walks, we’d seen enough coral cays to know better (& it was hot)! We did snorkel however in the coral gardens but it was a racy drift through a strong current. Fortunately, we didn’t get to meet Bubba (yes, another ‘cuda) and his lemon shark mates who live around the moorings. We did find a hutia, the only mammal native to the Bahamas, but it was stuffed and in the Park HQ office. Well – they're nocturnal & very small… Lastly, we tried to listen out for ghosts singing hymns on moon-lit nights. Sadly we couldn’t hear them above Cap’n Ron’s rowdy crowd on the “party cat” next door - singing hymns of a different nature!
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| On Macduff's Trail |
Normans Cay is one of many private islands through-out the Bahamas. Cruisers are welcome to stop-over for a pint or two, and a hamburger, at MacDuff’s Bar & Grill. This pint-sized (sorry, couldn’t resist!) “resort” of 2 or 3 houses and airstrip, is certainly only for those that can cope with real seclusion. We were too early for MacDuff’s, so we chose to walk to the end of a surprisingly well made airstrip; a legacy of earlier days, when Normans Cay was a base for Colombian drug lord, Carlos Lehder. There are other remnants too of this notorious crim, including a small plane ditched in a nearby lagoon. Fortunately, now the only vicious occupants are mozzies, hiding in surrounding scrub waiting for tender young morsels like us…
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| Airstrip Norman's Cay |
Before our next departure, Cap’n Reliable fixed a broken fan belt, the cause of WJ3’s engine to overheat the previous day. Now we must keep WJ3’s engine happy! There has been altogether a far too-weighty inclination towards motoring over these calm Banks cruising grounds. Next stop was Highborne Cay; we needed ice and something to supplement our seemingly never-ending supply of tinned stew or corned beef… Highborne Plantation is another small private resort but it has a marina and small store open to the likes of us & our power-boat buddies. The marina was popular, with a waiting list anchored outside for either a berth or fuel. We were forgetting that it’s July, US summer school holidays!
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| You handsome devil you... |
Our last Exuma stop was to be Allens Cay, famous for its reserve of iguanas. Allens Cay is a collection of very small rocky outcrops with at least two inhabited by these famous and very rare uglies. As a cruising location, it offers some attractive anchorages, all peace & quiet – except when nearby powerboats run their generators (for air conditioning) day and night long! For the first time in ages though, we did not have to go into mozzie lockdown at night! It was here also that the snorkelling Cap'n came face to nose with a generous sized gray nurse. Needless to say, it didn't quite see the tasty dish we always thought the Cap'n was.... No more swimming on that side of the reef again!
Ahhh, but enough of remote beautiful anchorages, we needed to move on….yet again!
From: Staniel Cay,
Exumas Lat/Long: 24 11N 76 27
Date/Time: 6/7/09: 1130
To: Allens Cay, Exumas Lat/Long:
24 44N 76 50W Date/Time:
9/7/09: 1215
Time Taken: 64nm (13.5hrs) Distance
(this year): 1440nm (322hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 2389nm (490hrs)
Fastest Speed: 4-5kts**
Weather: Winds SE 10-12kts;
Seas 1-2ft; Swell generally SE
(**Motoring a bit; sailing a bit over the shallow banks
watching for coral)
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