Crims, Cudas & Ugly Dudes

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.

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!

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…

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!

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)

Oh James, is that really you?

Stage 3 Bahamas – Southern Exuma Cays: 2 - 6 Jul 09

Feeding hungry little fishies at Thunderball Grotto

The Exuma Cays extend 160km and over 365 cays in a long slow arc along the eastern edge of the Great Bahama Bank.  We chose to enter over Galliot Cut.  All reef cuts are notorious and if you time it badly, that is wind against tide/swell, you can be treated to sailing over treacherous currents and standing tsunami-like waves.  The locals call this a “rage”.  Going off the Banks can be worse than getting on!  Still, we held our breath, crossed our fingers & toes and timed the tide for slack water….almost.  WE WERE ON!  The Great Bahama Bank stretches for mile and miles.  Imagine horizon to horizon of 8 to 12 ft clear, turquoise waters over a sandy bottom.  Is that a moving rock or is it a stingray?

Big Galliot Cut - Atlantic Side.  Are we nervous - yes!

Our first anchorage was off Big Galliot Cay in a strong surge that stopped even us from swimming.  We took the opportunity to wash the strongly smelling fishing net out.  Yes, GS had caught yet another barracuda – and it smelt dreadful!  Our next stop was Black Point Settlement; not much to report although the Cap’n managed to deplete their stock of hose clips!  In one large purchase, he bought two. 

 

GPS Pig descendents?

Staniel Cay is where my favourite James Bond, Sean Connery, filmed “Thunderball”.  Of course we had to snorkel in the underwater grotto where he once swam.  Now, it’s full of greedy little fish and noisy little kids on holidays…  Still, it is a spectacular swim in a hefty current with plenty of reef life.  The well lit cavern was an amazing site (now, where is that underwater camera??).  Nearby Big Majors Cay supports a colony of GPS pigs.  No doubt descendants from Barbadian cousins who worked sailing ships (& were rather less well fed!), these happy porkers swam for a crust too…  The nearby marina had a regular Sunday night fish & pork bbq dinner.  Gross – hope the kiddies didn’t make the connection???

Catching up on the goss

WJ3 was parked in an excellent anchorage and we made full use of nearby Staniel Cay Yacht Club; a home away from home for big powerboats and their owners.  Golf and tennis was telecast live in the Marina bar, lunch was served for chatty wives and newly-weds, whilst reclusive internet junkies (us) kept to the shadows.  The Motleys did take a leisurely walk around town (that took 5 mins); found the one grocery store (no Cuban cigars left in stock); and snorkelled a sunken plane.  We also helped celebrate 4^th July; Cap’n makin' music on his trusty air-horn, following a stunning display of fireworks.  Other than that, we watched friendly reef sharks nose around the marina shallows waiting for their share of fish & pork leftovers…as you do!

From: George Town, Exumas  Lat/Long: 23 31N  74 45  Date/Time: 2/7/09: 0955

To: Staniel Cay, Exumas  Lat/Long: 24 11N  76 27W  Date/Time: 4/7/09: 1215
Time Taken: 54nm (12.5hrs)  Distance (this year): 1376nm (308.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 2325nm  (476.5hrs)   Fastest Speed: Not noted**
Weather: Winds SE 10-12kts; Seas 1-2ft; Swell generally SE
(**Motoring & sailing; Banks waters have a clearly visible bottom with an average 12ft depth – making for nerve-wracking motoring or sailing)

With Lightning Speed

Technology in a bottle

For those of you who are keen to look at pictures rather than read our posts, please be patient.  Internet, if we can find it....and then, if it works (sigh)... is also subject to intermittent power outages.  Its just like India again!!  However, our helpful friends at Staniel Cay Yacht Club have provided the following advice to assist us improve our internet blues:

The secret to happy surfing on a slow network?
1. Click on the link
2. Take a drink of your Kalik (that's Bahamian beer but any local rum is ok too)
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 above until network appears to have blazing speed.

We've tried it & it works....even better if you don't have a computer.  Isn't technology  just amazing?  

PS....meanwhile it's a very long wait for photos to upload

Islands of Perpetual June

Bahamas: Islands of Perpetual June

Monument Beach Anchorage Bahamas

Looking beyond the obvious American influence, the Bahamas, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations (once British) and generally peopled by descendants of African slaves brought in to work cotton/sugar plantations.  It isn’t exactly obvious how these original settlers even began to think they could make viable fertile farming land out of desolate sand cays, even with lots of “free” labour.  Nothing much seems to survive other than sparse native vegetation, including a few very ancient-looking palms. 

Conch shell- a rather sad and neglected one at that...

Columbus arrived in the Bahamas in 1492 and he too, lost no time in shipping out any original inhabitants as slave fodder.  Later any remaining locals were subject to the charming ways of pirates and cut-throats as the neighbourhood became the sailing ground for many a fearsome adventurer.  Nassau in 1666 was a lawless city of brothels, taverns and enterprises of dubious character.  Runaway slaves, vagabonds, beggars and pirates roamed the streets.  Blackbeard (Edward Teach) a former resident is said to have kept his adversaries off guard with a technique of decorating his matted beard and hair with flaming fuses.  During the American Revolution this same city, now a mecca for the pristine Caribbean “white ship” cruise industry was the once the centre of illegal rum running.  My, how things change!

There's always chores to do

Unfortunately, drug trafficking problems remain, as do corruption charges but these issues don’t seem to affect the hundreds of cruisers, both sail and power that ply these waterways each year.  Even if our cruising permit did cost us $300!!  Today, all across the Bahamas, areas of intense tourism contrasts with perfectly natural idylls.  All on coral cays of pure white sand and glistening turquoise waters.  Is it any wonder Juan Ponce de Leon visited the area in 1513 in his quest to find The Fountain of Youth?

*Islands of Perpetual June. So said, George Washington.

Meeting Friends at Abrahams

Stage 3 Bahamas 

Providenciales to George Town, Great Exuma Island: 25 - 29 Jun 09

Alone at Abrahams Bay

Happily, this was not a direct sail but a cruise within a cruise; hopefully, the start of many, as the Motleys gunkholed their way north.  Happy to be jus’ cruzin’ the Bahamas Banks! 

Our first port of call after crossing the Caicos Passage was the remote island of Mayaguana, which has a lucky population of about 400.  We anchored in a coral strewn Abrahams Bay, 2nm from any settlement.  It didn’t matter however, as the local fish had an adopt-a-boat program well in hand.  Our constant companions were Bazza Couda and Steve Ray. (Apologies to family, friends and any famous personages!)  Steve, with at least a 6 foot wing span, happily snuffled around WJ3.  Bazza’s toothy grin did nothing to inspire our confidence – perhaps it was the 5 foot of fish behind the grin!  We were also not keen on his up close & personal inspection as we snorkeled around the boat!  The sheltered reef system supported quite a lively, shallow aquarium (5-8 ft depth) inside the large bay with lots to see, including the famous conch (said conk).  Cap’n Snorkel found a cut in the reef, and on exploration, declared it better than his expensive wall dive! 

Steve & Bazza looking a bit wonky.
THEY were in the water.  WE were not!

Conch is a large shellfish, which now, thanks to overfishing, is indeed rather rare.  There is also quite an art to “cracking” the shell to release the animal before a messy cleaning job.  The white flesh is quiet chewy (like abalone), unless it is beaten thinly, almost translucent, before cooking.  Locals like to dry the flesh and call it “Bahamian ham” – a staple in those times when the little local freighters with supplies can’t make it into port.  Conch shells are beautiful but seemed to have the dubious honour of being made into rather kitsch tourist decorations.  We left the conchs we found safe within the confines of their Abrahams nursery….

Conch long conked out...

Keeping our yellow flag up, we moved on to the next anchorage of West Plana Cays, tiny uninhabited coral atolls in the middle of nowhere.  Again we were on our own (no coast guard copters buzzin’ us here!).  We negotiated our way into a small anchorage with the bluest of blue water and incredible visibility – at least 120 ft.  How do we know?  We could see our anchor underwater clearly from the back of WJ3.  Large bommies protruded up high from a white sandy bottom in 25-30 ft of water and we happily fossicked around fantastic purple fans and lime green corals.  All the while with our escort, Bazza’s smaller cousin, Boris.  Boris had a retinue of camp followers…a gang of teeny remoras, swimming rather too close to his big, charming grin!

Rain over West Plana Cay

Our next stop, with the best of intentions, was to be Atwood Harbour on Acklins Island.  Described as a tricky entrance – the cut was only 200m wide, we gingerly followed way points in.  Whoops!  Hit bottom, giving our keel a bit of a scraping and Cap’n a bit of a fright!  So it was we withdrew (rather quickly), changing plans and heading directly for Rum Cay.  Our timings would be out for Clarence Town, Long Island (and its fresh food!) now and the thought of heaving-to in these dark, reef scatted waters waiting for daylight did not appeal to us.  We slowed down to ensure an early morning arrival at Rum Cay.  The only excitement was seeing something big off the port bow in the late afternoon.  Was it a smallish whale?  Perhaps like the ancient mariner (Samuel Taylor Coleridge) we were starting to have hallucinations….

Conception Island Lagoon

We waited briefly in Rum Cay for cloud cover and threatening rain squalls to pass over us.  Rum Cay is said to be the hub for yachts transiting from the Bahamas to the Caribbean and back.  We were one of two yachts at anchor – very quiet, and the swell was not conducive to snorkeling so we moved on.  Next beckoning stop was another pristine anchorage, Conception Island; a mere 14nm from Rum Cay.  Here, in this lovely marine park we were able to find a sunny protected anchorage safe from blustery south westerlies. 

Conception offered very safe snorkelling

And inspiring mangroves (no mud necessary)

Conception is a ring of an island around a pristine mangrove lagoon.  Forget the mangroves you’ve seen at home, these are crystal clear waters, not an ounce of black mud anywhere!  Our first expedition (What ho, Mr Livingston!) was dingying into these backwaters, taking Bruce for a bit of a spin up shallow creeks and down into wild-life infested lagoons.  Our first sighting was a large (6-7 ft) reef (or lemon) shark, keen to find a tasty turtle snack no doubt!

From: Wheeland Cut, TCI   Lat/Long: 21 51N  72 18  Date/Time: 25/6/09: 0715

To: George Town, Exumas  Lat/Long: 23 31N  74 45W  Date/Time: 29/6/09: 1450
Time Taken: 256nm (52hrs)  Distance (this year): 1322nm (296hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 2271nm  (464hrs)   Fastest Speed: Not noted**
Weather: Winds SE to SW 5-15kts; Seas 2-4ft; Swell SE to SW
(**Monument Beach anchorage off Stocking Island in Elizabeth Harbour)