4.14/Tuesday George Town

Winds howled between 15-20 knots last night. Steve slept on the settee knowing he would have to get up to check the anchor line and the foreword berth would be a rolly ride. I slept off and on…..like riding a horse lying down. The cold front is bringing high winds and producing bumpy nights until the end of the week. (At least, that is the prediction!)

A treat for Steve tonight was watching Cool Hand Luke.

4.15/Wednesday George Town

This morning we moved to Kidd’s Cove in order to make several trips in to George Town. The winds were blowing between 10-15 knots when we departed and the anchor was pretty hard to dislodge. After we made the short motor across Elizabeth Harbor, we wedged Little Wing in between two boats, in order to get a spot close to Lake Victoria, where the dinghy dock is located. Steve felt a little uncomfortable leaving the boat for any length of time, so I stayed on the boat while he made a run to get propane and water. Once back, he emptied the water into the holding tank and took me on the next trip. I had several errands; grocery shopping, visiting the straw market, purchasing a few items at the gift shop, visiting the ATM machine at the bank, checking out the two laundry facilities, and getting on the Internet. Steve gave me the handheld radio so I could reach him when I finished. (He forgot to tell me it was on “Off,” so he wasn’t able to reach me.)

I wanted to visit Mom’s Bakery today to purchase some of her special homemade coconut bread. Her daughter actually is the clerk while her Mom sits in a lawn chair and talks with everyone. It is wonderful how so many of the Bahamian’s create a cottage business from a skill they have in order to earn a living. There are not a lot of work opportunities on the island for the older generation, but for those who were taught the lost art of bread baking, and basket weaving always has customers to purchase these goods.

I am glad I was able to spend some time at the Internet Café today; it seems our daughters were about to call the Coast Guard! It has been a week since we spoke to anyone in the states. Steve showed up at the café; remember the radio is not on and this was the first place he knew to look for me. While I was logging our journal on the blog, Steve talked with an interesting couple from Scotland who are cruising on a 44 foot ferro-concrete sailboat, Swift Wing. Can you imagine sailing a boat from Scotland? They talked of 22 plus days at sea with 20 foot swells at times. Not for me! We enjoy meeting cruisers from across the world and have been enlightened by their travel stories. We always ask about sites to see in their country if we ever find ourselves visiting. Swift Wing hopes to get to Nova Scotia to visit family this year before returning to Scotland.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon in the laundry while Steve continued to fill the water tank. We moved back to Sand Dollar Beach before sunset, where it is less crowded and has less boat traffic.

4.16/Thursday George Town Fowl Cay

After the morning rituals, Sunseeker-George and Karen invited us to join them on an excursion a few miles south to Fowl Cay to snorkel. We met them in our dinghy, tied up to their sailboat, and rode with them to anchor a short distance from the island and the coral reefs.

I saw a large sea turtle, Steve saw two barracudas, and George said he saw a six foot shark while we snorkeled along the islands. If I had seen either the shark or barracudas, I would have “high tailed” it out of the water. The reefs were beautiful, especially the sea fans that sway in the current. All types and sizes of fish with beautiful colors would swim close to inspect you. Steve said it was the “best snorkel “adventure he has had so far. Karen and George said the same thing except forThunderball Grotto, which was fabulous. That is on our list of stops on our trip north in a few days. I spotted a beautiful Queen’s Helmet shell on the bottom of the ocean floor, motioned for Steve to come check it out, and convinced him to dive down to some seven feet to retrieve it. It is beautiful and in perfect condition.

We were both exhausted after the trip; it takes a lot of stamina to swim around for several hours in ocean current.

4.17/Friday George Town Sand Dollar Beach

S/V Sunseeker and S/V Night Star (Jerry and Diane from Michigan) anchored at Sand Dollar Beach late morning with plans to hike across the trail looking for the blowhole and caverns on the ocean side. Since Steve and I had made this hike earlier in the week, Steve was “the leader.” We first walked to the beach and searched for shells while the guys stood at one end of the beach talking. I am beginning to get the “Sanibel Stoop” from shell seeking. It is like an addiction; you can’t stop and you do not seem to have enough. I keep telling everyone I am getting them for Katie, Steve’s granddaughter, but I enjoy looking at them and wondering about their prior existence. Looks like I will be researching shells when I get home. I need to talk with my friend Steve, who studied marine biology in college, in hopes he can answer my questions about shells.
We hiked around the island for several hours making our way back to Sand Dollar Beach for George to search for sand dollars. Since it was almost high tide, we only found a few on the shore. Plans are to snorkel the area in the next few days.

Frank and Barb, S/V AnnaLeigh, came over for dinner tonight. Our menu was grilled pork tenderloin, Bahamian peas and rice, garden salad, French bread, and Barb brought a crumb cake for dessert. We enjoyed playing cards, telling stories and jokes after dinner.

4.18/Saturday George Town Volleyball Beach

I wanted to go back to the beach this morning to search for “more” shells. The winds blew 15-20 knots last night producing strong waves that would push more shells on the beach. When I spoke with Frank and Barb, they were planning to go to the cut where we snorkel, but changed their minds because it was very chilly this morning. The three of us rode the dinghy to the shore and walked the beach for several hours. The shell seeking wasn’t what I had thought it would be, but I still came home with a zip bag full.

After lunch we rode the dinghy over to St. Frances Resort, meeting Sunseeker and Night Star. We walked the beach, and then stopped at the resort restaurant for drinks and dinner. The winds blew 15-20 knots all day making the dinghy ride back to Little Wing bumpy and wet.

4.19/Sunday George Town

We didn’t get off the boat today. The winds blew 15-20 knots from the east all day, resulting in rolling waves that would drench you even at low speed. I finished another book, The Reader by Bernhard Schlink, searched for another book to read, worked on the blog, played spider solitaire on the computer and lounged in the cockpit.

There was a little excitement at Volleyball Beach this afternoon; a hit and run accident with an out-of-control speed boat ramming a sailboat. We kept up with the drama via the VHF radio as boaters were monitoring the speed boat, getting his identification numbers, calling the water police, and trying to detain the driver of the boat as he was pulling his boat out of the water. Hopefully, we can get the whole story tomorrow morning on the Cruiser’s Net.

I haven’t told you about the nudist on a sailboat anchored close to us. He did come out on the deck yesterday, casually walking around the deck. I am not sure if he had a project or if he just needed to get outside. His boat name is Gypsy Venus and his home port is Key West, Florida. Maybe that explains his dress code!

4.20/Monday George Town

I had hoped the weather forecast would be favorable for our departure tomorrow, but that isn’t going too happened. We still have 10-15 and 15-20 knot winds with 4-7 foot waves out front, which would result in a rough ride north. Who knows when we will be leaving! The good thing about staying is the opportunity to participate in the National Family Sailing Regatta festivities the latter part of the week. We have been told this is the largest regatta in the Bahamas and the activities occur both on the water and in George Town.

I spent the morning doing laundry the old fashion way; washing in a bucket, wringing out the water, and then hanging the clothes on the boat lifelines. Steve and I spent a lazy afternoon reading and watching boats come and go.

4.21/Tuesday George Town

The weather does not want to cooperate with our departure. It was a cloudy morning and the forecast predicts 4-7 foot seas and 15-20 knot winds. Maybe Thursday we can leave based on the predictions.

I am getting a little stir crazy on the boat – I have got to get off and go somewhere! After lunch we rode the dinghy to the beach and hiked over the hill to the ocean. Wouldn’t you know it, the sea was calm! Gentle rolling waves not even a foot high. Why do we even listen to the weather forecast? This would have been a perfect day to head north. Steve was upset also. We didn’t say much to each other on the walk back to the dinghy, knowing how disappointed we both were that we had not checked the ocean earlier in the day. We probably would have departed this morning after looking at the waves.

We are watching movies at night while the generator runs. Frank and Barb had a library of DVD’s they loaned us for the duration of our stay. That has kept us entertained.

4.22/Wednesday George Town

Another cold front is moving in to the area bring with it strong winds and large waves. We pretty much have determined that we will not be able to leave until Sunday or Monday. We need to make a trip into George Town to purchase groceries, diesel fuel, and use the Internet to call home today. With the regatta starting today, I wanted to enjoy the festivities and take photos of the races.

Frank and Barb were going in early so I hitched a ride with them, planning to take care of calling home first, and then buy groceries. Steve needed to hang around the boat while the generator charged the batteries for the day, but once that was finished; he was going to dinghy into town to meet me. Every time we make this trip Steve brings the water jugs to refill. Do you know how much water you use in a day? We don’t want to run low, so Steve continues to replenish our tanks on board each time we get close to the shore and the “free” water supply.

I stopped by Mom’s Bakery, which is just a van parked on the side of the street, to purchase her whole wheat bread on my way to the Internet Cafe. Steve and I decided instead of bring my laptop into town and risking something happening to it, like getting wet, I would just use their phone and call Catherine and Jessica. Once I left a message with Catherine and talked with Jessica, I walked to the Tourist Office to get a regatta booklet and headed to the Exuma Market to purchase the groceries. I radioed Steve when I finished shopping so he could meet me at the dinghy dock to pick up the groceries. Again we filled the water jugs for his return trip.
While he was unloading the groceries on the boat, I walked around George Town. For several days, workers have been building “shacks” along the road leading to the point of Elizabeth Harbor. I imagined this area to resemble something like the streets in Birmingham during “City Stages,” but I found mostly bars and a few food stands. I think there is going to be a lot of alcohol consumed in the next few days!

George, Karen, and I watched the second race at noon sitting along a block wall in Regatta Park with other Bahamians. Look at my photos on the Picasa link. There are three classes of sloops racing based on certain standards. I surmise from my observations these standards revolve around size of boat, number of crew members allowed on the boat, and size of sails. This is a national event, with boats representing many of the islands that make up the chain of islands in the Bahamas. I suggest you Google, National Family Island Regatta, George Town, Exuma for more information.

I finally met up with Steve late in the afternoon. Because the water was beginning to get rough, he convinced me to head back to the boat. As we were getting ready to leave the docks, a lady asked to use our radio to call her husband. She had two very large boat bags full of groceries and could not reach her husband to come pick her up. She hailed him on our radio, but he still didn’t answer. Steve offered to drop her off on our way out the channel. Because the wind was blowing from the north, northeast, the waves had increased considerably. We were getting wet as we slowly headed to her sailboat, which was anchored in Kidd’s Cove a short distance away. As Steve approached their sailboat heading into the waves, we hit a large wave that swamped the dinghy, filled one of her grocery bags, and soaked her and me. After unloading her bags, we headed across the harbor continuing to get pounded by the waves and getting soaked. (Thank goodness I asked for a garbage bag from the lady we helped to cover my camera bag. My new camera would have gotten soaked had I not had it wrapped up.) There was not a dry thread on my body when we got to Little Wing.

Luckily, the race course is close to our anchorage, allowing us to watch the last race from the cockpit. The winds were blowing 20-25 knots with large waves in the harbor.

4.23-25/Thursday/Friday/Saturday George Town On the Sailboat

All I can say “GET ME HOME!” The wind is still howling between 15-25 knots, 27/7. We can’t move north, we can’t dinghy anywhere without getting soaked; we can’t snorkel because the water is so rough, and we just eat, sit, and sleep. And sleeping is not easy with the winds and waves!

We had a great seat for the races on Saturday.

4.26/Sunday George Town

The weather forecast is getting worse. Last night we had 20-25 knot winds all night. I even got up several times to make sure we were still attached to the anchor. Today we are supposed to have 25-30 knot winds and the seas are building. It doesn’t look like we will be able to travel north until the end of the week. When will this end!

Steve, Frank and Bar, and myself took a long walk on the beach today since we were all four going “stir crazy” sitting on the boats. The waves were gigantic; probably 5-8 feet high. We watched three young guys on wind surfers working the surf. I was amazed when the wind would pick the guys up as much as 30 feet in the air. They were pretty brave or stupid!

4.27-28/Monday and Tuesday George Town

I didn’t sleep at all last night. The anchor line bumped all night every 4-5 minutes and the 20-25 knot winds howled through the riggings. I spent the day trying to nap and catch up on my sleep.

We found more Helmet conch shells today snorkeling as well as a Milk Conch and Queen Conch shell. Steve found a Horse Conch and both of us found other shells that were too small to keep. I love snorkeling!

We ate dinner with Frank and Barb tonight. She served grouper that Frank had caught earlier in the month at George Town.

It was great to get off the boat.

4.29/Wednesday George Town

We motored over to Kidd’s Cove in the sailboat today to get water, fuel, groceries, and call the girls. Since we are still having trouble with the outboard motor, it was a challenge to get back and forth from the boat to the dinghy dock. We still had 10-15 knot winds and the water was very rough in the cove. While Steve took care of the water and fuel, I walked to the Internet Café and used the phone to call Alabama. I had to leave messages with Mom and Catherine but finally talked with Emily and Jennifer.

Steve and I are both ready to get home. We miss our families!

We motored back to Sand Dollar Beach and finished getting the boat ready to travel north tomorrow.

4.6/Monday George Town

The outboard motor is finally working again. The fresh tank of gas did the trick. Plans were made to move to Sand Dollar Beach after lunch with Sunseeker, anchor, go to the beach and look for Sand Dollars. Instead, we rode the dinghy to a cove/cut where Frank and Barb were snorkeling. By the time we reached the cut, tide was going out and we didn’t want to drag our dinghies through the sand. We decide to go back and walk along Sand Dollar beach and explore the area for trails to lead you over the hill to the ocean.

Both boats moved to Kidd Cove, just across Elizabeth Harbor, and anchored late in the afternoon. Sounds like a lot of trouble, but George and Karen assured us a short dinghy ride from Kidd Cove into town was dryer than a long ride from Sand Dollar Beach or Monument Bay when the water is choppy.. It was 4:00 pm before we finally arrived in George Town. Steve made a quick stop at the hardware store to look for a water can and Karen and I made a quick run through the Straw Market. I was looking for Andorisa baskets and other souvenirs and Steve found a t-shirt. George and Karen introduced us to the Internet café; Karen said it look like an old chicken coop to her. Look at my picture and see what you think? The young Bahamian couple was very pleasant, helpful, and I sat down to check emails and call Catherine, Emily, and Mom. Steve did the grocery shopping while I stayed at the Internet café, because the store was closing at 6:00 pm. Once he took the groceries back to the boat, he walked back to meet me so he could Skpye Jessica, Jennifer, and his parents.

We spent the night at Kidd Cove because the winds were blowing from the south, southwest and this area would provide the best protection. We enjoyed visiting with George and Karen at sunset, trying to decide if we were going to go with them to Long Island.

Steve had a restless night due to the smoke which we think came from burning trash at the dump. The only other way to dispose of all the trash would be to haul it off the island and that would be rather expensive. He told me in the morning his throat felt like he had smoked cigarettes all night.

4.7/Tuesday George Town

We made another quick trip to the grocery market this morning to pick up a few items we realized we needed before we moved back to Sand Dollar Beach. The weather forecast predicted north, northwest winds 15-20 knots, clocking around to north, northeast on Wednesday. Because Kidd Cove was a crowded anchorage and there was a lot of traffic back and forth into George Town, Sand Dollar Beach offered a more quite anchorage.

Steve and I both did some laundry on the boat in the kitchen sink and our 5 gallon bucket. Back to the ways of our ancestors!

We visited on AnnaLeigh with Frank and Barb in the afternoon. Barb gave me some shells she had found and advised me about how to look for shells around the reefs and along the ocean floor. The wind had picked up and the waves were pretty choppy on the dinghy ride back to Little Wing, resulting in wet clothes.

I started a new book in the late afternoon,” A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith. While I was in the cockpit reading, a large yacht anchored next to us and began removing a small sailboat from the upper deck. Once the boat was rigged, one of the crew sailed off, maneuvering around the boats anchored in the cove. With 15 knots winds he was flying. Later an older man and a teenage boy got on the sailboat and took off. Were they practicing for the family regatta that will be held in a few weeks in Elizabeth Harbor or just out for a fun afternoon. I have some great pictures.

During the night, the wind continued to blow 15-20 knots. Steve checked the anchor holding several times during the night to make sure we were dragging.

4.8/Wednesday George Town

The cold front had arrived forcing us to dig out our long sleeve shirts and sweat pants. We did a little cleaning, vacuuming, and general boat tidying up while the generator was running.
After lunch, we took the dinghy over to the beach, where we picked up a trail that leads to the ocean. We hiked along the rocky cliffs and along the bluffs until we finally worked our way to the ocean water. As we walked along the jagged coral bank, we saw all kinds of critters; sea urchins and all types of shell fish were along the coral. As we continued along another trail, not knowing where it would lead, we came upon a Mockingbird that caught Steve’s’ attention. He stopped and began whistling a tune to the Mockingbird. The Mockingbird replied and this banter continued between the two. I took a picture of the bird, but I am not sure if you can see her/him in the thicket.

Continuing along the trail, we finally came out at a cut that we thought was the place Barb and Frank said was a great snorkeling area. We walked around looking for shells; Steve walked to the end of the beach to the point looking for a way back to the dinghy. Since it was low tide, it was easy to walk around in knee deep water. I found a number of shells I have never found before as well as a few sand dollars. I also was able to see a coral reef that was quite beautiful with pretty pink and dark purples sea fans. The water was so low I didn’t need my snorkel mask to see all the sea life in the area. When the temperature warms up later in the week, we plan to come back with snorkel gear to get a closer look.

Another trail materialized as we walked to the point, which we decided to explore, thinking it might lead us across the island and to our dinghy. Along the trail we came upon a unique fresh water bird bath that we refilled with water and also we saw a number of large crab holes were live crab were hiding. The trail did bring us out to the south end of Sand Dollar Beach and we continued looking for shells in the shallow water. We probably found over twenty sand dollars and a few interesting shells that we will have to look up their names. My hands were full as well as Steve’s by the time we reached the dinghy. It was a fun day and I enjoyed getting off the boat.

While Steve ran the generator, we watch an Indiana Jones movie that was silly. It was my first Indiana Jones movie to see; hopefully, the others were much better than this one.

3.9/Thursday George Town

I spent the morning soaking my shells in Clorox and putting them out in the sun to dry. I hope I get them home without breaking them; they are so delicate.

Late afternoon we took the dinghy to Volleyball beach to see what was going on and check out Chat and Chill Restaurant. This is one of the larger beach areas that vacationers come to relax and sit on the beach. Every day at 2:30 pm you can play volleyball, chess, dominoes, swap books and DVDs, meet other boaters, share information, and enjoy the cabanas and palm trees swaying in the breeze. We saw little kids as young as three, teenagers, young adults, middle age adults and old farts like us! It looked like everyone was relaxing. We enjoyed a Mahi-Mahi sandwich and French fries for dinner, before we headed back before sun down to the boat.

3.10/Friday George Town

Barb invited Steve and I to go snorkeling with them after lunch to a little area they found that had three cuts with water flowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. This is their second or third trip to George Town and they know all the good spots to find shells and explore the coral reefs.
It took me about thirty minutes to get accustomed to my snorkeling equipment. I guess it is like riding a bike; you never forget how to do it you just need to familiarize yourself with the techniques again. Steve found one Queens Helmet shell and I found two. I also found shells of sea urchins, sea biscuits, sand dollars, and these really pretty shells that look like butterflies. Barb, Fran, Phyllis, and Gerald had wet suits but Steve and I braved the chilly water. I tried to stay under water in the warm spots because the wind was chilly if you stood up. I can’t wait to go back.

3.11/Saturday George Town

After a little boat cleaning and lunch, we rode across Elizabeth Harbor to the dinghy dock. We needed to get a few supplies, if we decided to go with AnnaLeigh and Ally Cat to Long Island Cay on Tuesday. All the stores will be closed on Sunday and Monday in celebration of Easter. We also wanted to walk around George Town and explore several stores before we made our grocery run.

I looked around the Straw Market while Steve was in the hardware/fishing/anything else store down the street. The Bahamian ladies are very resourceful when it comes to repurposing items such as straw, shells, and jewelry. I found several baskets that had unique shapes and detail designs. I met one of the ladies, Arizona, who was in her eighties, who explained how they take straw and use it like thread to weave their designs. I was fascinated but I don’t think I have the technique down to make my own. I didn’t barter about the price of their baskets because I realize how many hours it takes to make one.

We also looked around another store that specialized in paintings, sculpture, and photographs. One item that caught my eye was a small bowl made from cutting a conch shell in half. One side of the half had a bowl effect that was large enough to put dip in to serve as an appetizer. They also carved a primitive looking spoon with the left over conch. I don’t know why I didn’t take a picture, but maybe we will go back there before we leave.

The Exuma Market (grocery store) is not even as large as our CVS stores in the states. The isles will barely allow for two buggies to pass and they usually have boxes of goods in the aisles waiting to be priced and put on the shelves. A cargo boat usually arrives two or three times a week with supplies, so many times customers help themselves to the items in the boxes that they need. Steve finally found a loaf of French bread that he had to get from a large box on the floor. Grocery shopping is always a challenge.

The water was calm, crystal clear, and beautiful late in the day. We enjoyed sitting in the cockpit watching the sun go down and enjoying a late dinner.

3.13/Sunday George Town

Barb, Phyllis, Gerald and I rode the bus to Williams Town with a number of other cruisers to enjoy an afternoon of home cook food, walk around the Williams Town settlement, and support the local St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Episcopal Church. The Monday after Easter is a holiday in most Bahamian towns, with most all stores closed. An invitation was extend to cruisers to attend the celebration/fair at the community center, some twenty minutes south of George Town. We wanted to find out what some of the other communities on Great Exuma Island were like, so we signed up to go.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a member of the church and escorted to the small building where we could purchase our lunch, beverage, and dessert. The menu was BBQ Chicken, Ribs, Fried Grouper, Conch, Mutton and Steak with macaroni, peas and rice, salad, cold slaw, or tossed salad. I love the Bahamian peas and rice. It is made with pigeon peas and has a browning liquid added during the cooking that flavors the rice and makes it brown. One of the ladies in the kitchen was kind to give me her recipe and explain how she prepares it. Barb and I took our plates and walked across the road to the beach where we found a flat rock to sit on to eat our lunch.

After eating, we walked to ruins of an old plantation, saw the salt mines at a distance, wondered along a path to the ocean, and enjoyed the children playing games at the community center. I wanted to ask if they “hide Easter eggs” or is that a practice only in the US, but I didn’t.
Most of the people in this small community live in homes that need a lot of repair and the other homes vacant would be considered run-down shacks in the United States. You see remnants of hurricane damage on most all homes and many dilapidated homes that should be torn down are still standing.

I loved the stain glass windows in the church. On one side of the church, the windows depict stories in the Bible, and the other side depicts life on the island. They were quite stunning in the afternoon sun.

I hope the church made a lot of money today.

Steve stayed at the boat today, refilling the water tanks, defrosting the refrigerator and relaxing. He someway twisted his back yesterday and was getting around a little slowly. He was also charting our trip north sometime this week. We had a beautiful sunset this evening.

3.29/Sunday Warderick Wells
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Today we hiked to the Plantation Ruins; a two hour hike over extremely rocky terrain, at times so close to the bluff edge you felt a little nervous where you put your foot down. We walked along several beaches along the trail and through what I would call the “jungle” of local vegetation. (See the photos.) Several times I had to stop to catch my breath after climbing a high bluff. After two hours on the trail, we finally found the remains of the Davis Plantation, dating to1780. A snack bar was consumed while perched on some smooth stone. It was interesting to see how they composed a form of cement to face the stones to make a somewhat smooth wall for the inside of the structure. The largest dwelling was approximately 15x20 with the others being slightly smaller, 8x10. They were positioned on a very high hill with a beautiful view. After reading the book, “Winds For The Carolinas” by Robert Wilder, which is a story about a family leaving the United States and settling in the Exumas, I was interested in seeing these ruins.

I was not looking forward to the hike back! The temperature was in the low 80’s, the sun was beaming down, and the sweat was pouring. The first beach area we came to on the hike down the hill, I walked out into the surf to cool off. As we walked along the gorgeous turquoise water, we noticed the tide was out and the beach around the rocky cliffs was accessible to us. We wadded around the jagged coral ledge to another beach, which saved us over an hour of hiking the way we came. It was cool as well and saved us an hour hiking time. This was a workout but well worth the effort.


3.30/Monday Warderick Wells to Staniel Cay

We sailed by Compass Cay and Sampson Cay, places we will stop over on the return trip, when the outboard motor is repaired and we can maneuver off the boat to snorkel and visit the villages.

Because the wind is again coming at us “on the nose,” we motor sailed with just the main sail up until we arrived at the channel to Staniel Cay. There are several good anchorages around this area, but we decided to stay the night at Staniel Cay Yacht Club Marina so we could get off the boat and walk around on the island.

Staniel Cay is a very popular island, drawing many bonefish anglers to one of the largest fishing tournaments in the Exumas. At Thunderball Grotto, a dive site in a spectacular underwater cave, shafts of sunlight illuminate the fish inside the cavern, which was made famous in the James Bond movie, Thunderball. Steve promised that we would stop on the return trip so we could go snorkeling in the cavern.

After getting the boat secured on the dock, we went to the marina office to take care of the necessary paperwork/credit card stuff and find out about the accommodations. Unfortunately, we did not have a 30 amp plug close enough to hook our boat to, so we would not have access to the air conditioner; it was beginning to get very hot. The marina office, restaurant, gift shop, liquor store, Internet café, and concerige service were housed in the same facility; quite the lively spot for enjoying a meal or having a drink at the bar. The aroma of lunch was too much for us to pass up so we sat down and ate a delicious mahi-mahi sandwich with fries and Kalik beer.
We needed a few grocery items and I wanted to check out the local gift shop, so we headed out walking in the settlement to find these places. We did find both, but neither one had anything we needed to purchase. Look at the photo of the pink grocery store. It looks like a barn before they turned it into a grocery store. We found out there was another larger store close to the airport, but we were too hot to walk any further. I stopped at the “bread lady’s house” and purchase two fresh made loafs of wheat and white bread. Yummy! I walked right into her kitchen to make my purchase.

Steve got too hot on the walk and wasn’t feeling well, so he took a nap while I went back to the restaurant to spend some time on the Internet. I enjoyed observing the sailors and vacationers come and listening to Bahamian music. There was a large flat screen TV in view, but they had the channel set for ESPN and I wasn’t interested in Tiger Woods.

We had to open all the ports and hatches during the day and when we went to bed it was very warm. Steve made a check on the dock lines, as the tide change was some 3-4 feet drop since we first docked; he made sure the fenders were positioned correctly, and the lines were not too taut. While out on the deck, he noticed a huge catamaran had tied up in front of us almost touching our bow. All night long we heard their generator water outtake echo in the hollow opening in between the hulls. The noise kept us a wake most of the night, along with the rocking motion of the rough current in the channel. I was happy when morning arrived!

3.31/Tuesday Staniel Cay to Little Farmers Cay

The wind was blowing from the south all day forcing us to motor to our next destination. Once at Little Farmers Cay, Steve was quite the helmsman as we made our way through the narrow channel, around sharp cliffs and cuts in the coral to the mooring balls at Little Farmers Cay Yacht Club and Marina. Steve tried grabbing several mooring balls with the boat hook, but found they did not have a penchant or loop to attach a line. Finally, we found one that had a loop, but had a very flimsy line to the base. Steve grabbed it anyway and secured the boat.
Without our outboard motor, we couldn’t dinghy in to the marina to pay the mooring fee. Steve radioed the marina and they sent a nice, local young man out in his motorboat to pick up the payment.

The wind blew 20-25 knots all night and the current in the mooring area was turning us 270 degrees back and forth. Steve didn’t sleep much and I slept some. I turned on the tiny fan in the stateroom to drown out the creaking sounds the mooring line makes when it is pulled tight and the sounds of the wind howling thru the riggings. We were both ready for daylight!

4.1/Wednesday Little Farmers Cay

Today would not be the day we traveled out into the Atlantic Ocean to cross to George Town. Steve knew the seas would be rough based on the high winds during the night and the forecast all day was 20-25 knot winds from the south, southeast, the direction we would be traveling to George Town.

I was able to snag a WiFi link allowing me to get a weather forecast, check and send emails, and talk on the Skype. Since I couldn’t get off the boat, the Internet kept me entertained until I ran out of battery charge and had to wait until late evening when the generator would be running to charge the battery.

We also enjoy watching a sea plane come in for a landing almost next to Little Wing, then slowly motor across the water to the bank. Three individuals as well as the pilot got off and walked ashore. Several hours later, we saw the pilot get back on the plane and take-off. Little Farmers Cay has a small airstrip; we wondered who would be flying in and out since it is such a small island with very few residents. We assumed the two or three planes that flew in each day were delivering supplies and other items for the island.

The winds were forecast to blow from 10-14 knots during the night, but Steve clocked them in the high 20’s at one point during the early morning when he checked the mooring line and the wind speed. He began to doubt the integrity of the mooring line as we spun in circles, as the wind and current fought for control. It proved to be another long sleepless night, checking and rechecking the mooring line for chaff and watching the boat spin.

4.2/Thursday Little Farmers Cay

When daylight arrived, Steve turned on the electronics to check the wind speed and water depth, finding that we were sitting on top of a coral head with less than a foot of water between our keel and coral. It was probably a good thing that we didn’t know this or we would have moved to another spot during the night in the 20-25 knot winds. Moving in the dark in high winds is not smart!

Steve said a few bad words about the night and vowed to get another mooring ball or anchor in another spot today. He flagged down a couple in a dingy and found out they were anchored across the channel in a small cove at the cut. They were also kind to deliver our mooring fee to the marina office.

Around 2:00 pm we released the mooring line, I might add we are doing this in 20 knot winds, motored across the channel to find an anchorage in the cove. The couple we met earlier in the day, Nancy and Dick, on s/v Blue Bay was anchored there, as well as one other boat. We motored around, but determined it was too small for another boat, the current was too rough, and it was too close to the cut going out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Our last resort was a mooring field across from our previous spot which required a careful navigation along a narrow channel adjacent to a coral reef. The GPS wasn’t working for us; it had us on the bank, so we had to use our eyes as our navigation tool. Thankfully, the water was crystal clear and the sun was shining through the water, making it easier for us to stay in the ink blue channel and away from the reef.

There were several mooring balls to choose from in 14 foot of water with no coral heads or reefs. Steve managed to grab a rather large mooring ball but was forced to attach it to the port center cleat instead of the bow cleat. Once Steve got two lines attached to the bow to form a snubber for the mooring, we tried to remove the mooring loop from the cleat. There was a tremendous amount of pressure from the strong current and wind which made it difficult for us to get the look off the cleat. Steve backed up, and then backed forward, until finally the current allowed the boat to swing enough to take the pressure off so the line could be removed. The winds continued blowing all day 10-15 knots from the south, southeast, postponing our trip again to George Town.

I spent the afternoon reading “The Associate” by John Grisham and enjoying the tropical breeze. Steve was napping since he didn’t sleep last night. We flagged down a small fishing boat to ask if they would take in our mooring fee to the Ocean Cabin restaurant. They happily agreed and offered to come get us for happy hour at Ollie’s bar later in the day if we wanted to come in to shore. Ollie just happened to be one of the men in the boat and offered his business card to Steve. Not sure if we will take him up on his offer!

Around 10:00 pm the winds began to blow harder and we began spinning again, much like the past several nights. Steve did feel our mooring line was more secure, but still got up several times to check the mooring line.

4.3/Friday Little Farmers Cay

Another sleepless night….I fumbled for my flashlight at 3:30 am and my book to read, hoping I would become drowsy and go to sleep. At one point during the night, I wanted to shoot the mooring ball that kept bumping against the hull of the boat and keeping me awake. Thankfully, we can nap during the day and catch up on our lost sleep during the night.

I wanted to row across the channel to the beach today just to get off the boat, but the 15-20 knot wind and the strong current made it a little risky to row back to the boat. So, I spent the day reading and working on the blog.

The weather forecast is favorable for us to leave in the morning for George Town, even though we might have to motor sail the entire trip. We just want to get there!

4.4/Saturday Little Farmers Cay to Georgetown

Steve released the mooring ball at 8:30 am and we headed out the cut in 10-15 knot winds from the south, southeast. We were helped along by a strong outbound tide, as we motored at 6 knots in idle speed. As soon as we were through the cut, Steve put the main sail up and then the jib. We were able to motor sail, averaging 5-6 knots some 37 miles, reaching the entrance channel of Elizabeth Harbor around 3:00 pm.

The navigation through the channel is reported to be quite tricky, requiring close steerage from one way point to another, instead of visually watching for reefs. I called out each way point and Steve navigated. It did help that the channel was calm and we didn’t have to fight current and waves. As soon as we passed the last way point, we radioed AnnaLeigh, our friends Barb and Frank, to find out where they were anchored. They didn’t come back, but Sunseeker, George and Karen did. They were heading back from Kidd Cove after refilling their water tanks and getting groceries. We asked where they were anchored and they told us they were going to Monument Bay/Hamburger Beach. So we headed in that directions, found a good spot to anchor, and toasted our arrival. Steve especially felt gratified that he had accomplished a long awaited goal of his; to sail Little Wing to George Town. George and Karen came by for a sundowner and told us about their travels since we were together at Highborne Cay. We made plans to go to the beach the next morning with them since we still didn’t have our outboard motor running.

4.5/Sunday Georgetown

After breakfast, we got the dinghy and outboard motor off the boat. Steve worked with the engine for some time but still felt it wasn’t running up to par. We rode to Hamburger Beach with George and Karen and walked over the hill to the Atlantic Ocean to swim. The water was refreshing and it was wonderful to finally get our feet on land after staying on the boat for six straight days. We stopped off at Peace and Plenty restaurant, ate a hamburger, and enjoyed the cool breeze and shade of the cabana.

George and Karen were making plans to head to Long Island Cay on Tuesday with two other sailboats, but we decided to stay in George Town. Because a cold front was moving through on Tuesday, bring with it 20-25 knot winds, they felt Long Island Cay would be a protective spot to ride out the high winds. Steve was ready to relax and not have to think about our next passage and considered Elizabeth Harbor a secure spot for the front.

We both rested during the night, getting up only a couple of times.

3.23/Monday Highborne Cay Marina

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Steve spent the morning on Gigi’s Island with Vic and Dan; I guess talking about sailing. Julie/Nike and Glenn came by to use the Internet again. I worked a little on the Blog after Julie and Glenn left and tried to straighten the inside of the boat. After lunch, Steve and I rode the bikes as far north on the island as the paved road would take us expecting to find a path leading us to the upmost end of the Atlantic beach. We came upon a cul-de-sac at the end of the road, with nothing but mangroves and palms and no path leading to the beach. We both noticed a clearing a few yards away from the cul-de-sac made by surveying the property which lead to a body of water; we decided to see is it would take us to the beach. Unfortunately, it was only a coral ledge, but we did enjoy the view.

We enjoyed our last Mahi-Mahi fillets for dinner and I called/Skype Jacob and Catherine. I can’t believe how much he has changed in just a few weeks. For our evening entertainment being hooked to shore power, we watched the movie “Outboard.”

3.24/Tuesday Highborne Cay Marina to an anchorage at Highborne Cay

I forgot to mention one rather funny experience while in the marina these last few days. We have a really nice shower area in the head that most sailboats are lacking and I use it frequently, except when we are in a marina, I shower in their facilities. Why do I load up all my shower stuff and haul it to the public shower? Because we now have to purchase our water for the boat and our tank has to last as long as we can stretch it. At Highborne Cay Marina, you purchase a token for $4; you’re given a code number to open the secured door, and you are allowed 4 minutes of running water in the shower. Darnell, the lady I bought the token from, told me to make sure I had everything ready to go for my shower before I inserted my token. So I was prepared and ready to take a $4 shower in 4 minutes. I might add, you didn’t have to pay for the running water in the sink and I did briefly ponder washing my hair in the sink. I took the fastest shower on record, only to find that the water was still running when I finished. I stood there and stood there and stood there……….I probably had 3 minutes remaining. I decided the next shower I took, I would bring along the kitchen timer so I could enjoy the $4 shower. Sunday, it worked and I enjoyed the experience to its fullest. Life on a sailboat!!!!! What can I say!

I also forgot to mention my shopping trip to the small grocery/gift store adjacent to the marina office. Julie/Nike served wheat corn chips with salsa the night we ate on their catamaran, which I really thought tasted great. I asked her where she had purchased them and she said in the grocery store at Highborne Marina. So, before we departed I found the medium bag –it was $8. I plan to enjoy each individual chip to the max!

Even though we were anxious to move south, the high pressure front with prevailing easterly winds at 20-25 knots, was lingering, forcing us to stay another day in the Highborne Cay area. We moved to same place we anchored on Friday of last week , to spend the day and night. Our friends on Nike were there also, but were planning to leave later in the day for Allens Cay.
The wind howled all night 20-28 knots, but we were in the lee of the island and were able to get a pretty good night’s sleep.

3.25/Wednesday Highborne Cay to Shroud Cay

The high pressure continues to lingering with 20-25 knot winds out of the east. We had 12 miles to travel to Shroud Cay, sailing until we changed course motoring into the anchorage. Our motor sail to Shroud Cay was short, arriving at an anchorage around 11:30 am. We had been told about a creek that you could motor through, taking you to the Atlantic Ocean and to a beautiful beach. After lunch we hoisted the dinghy off the bow of the boat and attach the outboard motor so we could go exploring. Before we took off, Steve said the motor was not operating as usual and wanted make a “test drive” before we started off exploring. The motor quit on Steve about 200 yards from the boat and he rowed back. For most of the afternoon, he tinkered with the motor trying to diagnose the problem. After pouring some of the gasoline into a coffee can, he found water somehow had gotten into the gasoline tank.

With strong currents and 10-15 knot winds in the afternoon, we decided to just stay on the boat and try to row into shore tomorrow. I finished reading my book and Steve reviewed charts.

3.26/Thursday Shroud Cay

I was cloudy today with 10-15 knot winds. Steve messed with the motor and the gas for several hours, until he finally felt like we would need to get some fresh gas in order for it to run properly. We hoisted the motor back onto the boat, but kept the dinghy in the water for Steve to row us into shore for the afternoon. We were both disappointed to not be able to motor out to the beach area or explore some of the snorkeling areas, but agreed we would stop over on our return trip.

Of course, the winds were beginning to shift southeast, which was our course direction for the next week. Why is the wind always “on the nose?” We watched the sunset and made plans to leave in the morning for Warderick Wells.

3.27/Friday Shroud Cay to Warderick Wells

Again, the high pressure was still lingering producing 15-20 knot winds with 2-4 foot waves in the Exuma Sound. Steve said it would probably be a rough travel day, with the waves pounding the bow. I closed all the ports and hatches and made sure everything was secure for the uncomfortable motor some 12 miles south. We departed at 10:00 am, facing strong winds and high waves. At times the waves would slow the boat down a few knots as it hit the bow and many of the waves would splash over the bow and into the cockpit, leaving Steve and I wet.
In order to secure a mooring ball at Warderick Wells, you call the Exuma Cays Park radio at 9:00 pm. They put you on a list with your boat name, length of the boat, and draft of your boat (how much water you need before you run aground). Once they feel everyone who wants a mooring has signed in, they assign mooring ball numbers based on your size boat. The north mooring field is a much more secure spot for most all wind direction, as it is mostly surrounded by hills on all sides. We were given a mooring ball number, told to let them know when we arrived, and they would give us directions into the mooring field.

Even though the trip was uncomfortable, the colors of the water were magnificent, especially when the sun would shine down to the bottom, causing the water to look more beautiful. We arrived at the mooring area, but could not find our mooring ball number. When we spoke with the Exuma Park office, we found we were at the south mooring field, not the north. We had to motor back out the channel and around a huge sand bar which took us another 45 minutes. The mooring field resembles a donut shape with a deep channel on the outside rim of the area and a sandbar in the middle. The channel is just wide enough for two boats to pass each other and is about 14 feet deep at high tide.

Warderick Wells is the headquarters of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. The park, a no take zone by land and sea, (meaning look but don’t take plants, shells, fish, etc.) was established in 1958 to preserve and maintain the delicate ecological balance of marine life in the Bahamas. The park stretches from Wax Cay Cut in the north to Conch Cay in the south, some 22 miles long. It includes 15 large islands and many more tiny ones. Throughout the park there are lovely reefs and underwater life for snorkelers and looky-bucketers. (looking through a glass/plexiglass bottom bucket)

After eating a late lunch, (check out the pictures of the birds trying to eat lunch with us) Steve rowed us a short distance to a beach area by the park office to pay our mooring fee and pick up information about the park. We were met on the beach by a 52 foot skeleton of a Sperm whale who died from eating plastic in the ocean. Since we were limping without a motor on the dinghy and couldn’t come and go easily, we decided to hike to Boo Boo Hill and to the BlowHole while we were on the island.

Boo Boo Hill, the highest point on the island, is a shrine for boaters/visitors who would like to leave a memento of their visit on the hill in various forms. Check out the picture “ TharSheBlows;” it will tell the story of the hill. As we walked along the sea cliffs overlooking the Exuma Sound, we could hear a sound much like “Boo, Boo.” I found myself walking around the area looking for the blow holes, only to be surprised when air suddenly burst out of two holes below me, blowing my cap completely off my head. At another blowhole, you could actually see water spray forced out of the blowhole. The sounds were errie. I was sorry I had not brought along my video recorder, but made a mental note to plan a trip back with the camera before we departed.

3.28/Saturday Warderick Wells

We hiked to Boo Boo Hill and Blowholes again but the waves had subsided and you couldn’t hear or see anything coming out of the blowholes. Earlier in the day, I snagged a small piece of wood on the island, probably from a boat. I put it in my pocket to use as my memento of our visit to Boo Boo Hill. See the picture of my creation. So if you ever get to Warderick Wells, I little “War Eagle” magic was left on the hill. Hope it brings us luck this year!

3.20/Friday Fresh Creek to Highborne Cay

Check out the Picasa Album for Highborne Cay photos.

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A strong cold front was approaching the area with 30-35 knot winds predicted late Saturday and Sunday. Larry suggested sailing to Highborne Cay, anchoring there for the night in a protected area, and moving Saturday to Big Majors, which had an anchorage that would be protected from the 30-35 knot easterly winds.

By 7:30 am we were headed out the channel bouncing over huge waves caused by coral reefs. Some of the waves were 6 footers that would almost stop the boat, even though we were motoring at 2200 RPMs. Our course was 90 degrees NE with winds 10-15 knot winds.
We motor sailed all day with the winds dying down to 5-10 knots. Again we were in the ink blue Tongue of the Ocean with water depths over 2000 feet. Along the way, Steve and I had several conversations about where to ride out the approaching high winds. I finally told Steve I wanted to go into the marina at Highborne Cay so I would be assured that we would be safe. I remember Green Turtle Cay last year and the horrible night we spent in 30-35 knot winds. I did not want that experience again. Steve concurred and we radioed Highborne Cay Marina to reserve a slip. Once we knew we had a slip, Steve radioed the two other boats to let them know our plans. Because marinas fill up during these weather situations, we wanted to give them time to decide if they wanted to go into the marina also.

As we approached Highborne Cay, the water began to change to a beautiful turquoise and lighter shades of blue depending on the water depths. Steve looked at me and said, “we are now in the Exuma Cays.” We found anchorages close to the shoreline in the lee of the island. There were many other sailboats and several 100 foot plus yachts anchorage in the area. Check out “Battered Bull.” We watched two of the passengers as they worked out on a tread mill, lifted free weights, and did other exercises on the bow of the yacht. Wonder who they were! At night the yacht looked like a small city with all the lights on.

The other two boats, Cygnus and Sunseeker, decided to move further south in the morning to Big Majors. The weather forecast had moved up the arrival of the high winds to late Saturday afternoon, so they decided to depart at 5:30 am in order to make Big Majors. Steve was glad that we did not have to out run the weather and glad that we were staying in Highborne Cay. We had heard from Larry and Carol/Cygnus the marina was pricey and the people were unfriendly continue, but I was willing to spend a little extra money for a sense of security from the high winds. The night was very “rolly” from side to side due to the current flowing in the area and the winds. I felt like a scrambled egg in a frying pan most of the night. You could hear the wind howling through the shrouds all night; I kept thinking how glad I would be in the morning when we could move into a slip.

3.21/Saturday Highborne Cay

We heard Larry calling George at 5:15 am because Steve had forgotten to turn off the radio. I was so glad I could turn over and “try” to sleep instead of get up and head south. They departed at 5: 30 am for the fifty mile trip to Big Majors. We waited until 10:30 am, and then motored into the marina, stopping first at the fuel dock for a top off, and then moving into our slip. We checked in at the marine office and I checked out the marine gift shop and grocery store. We walked around the beach area and talked about what we wanted to do during the day.
Another way to arrive at Highborne Cay Marina.

Highborne Cay is 35 miles southeast of Nassau and is the most northerly inhabited island in the Exuma Chain. It is a private island with limited privileges extended to boaters who say in the marina. The island is 3 miles long with only nine residences, three of which can be rented. Presently, several hill side homes are under construction. Eight beaches surround the island with the east beach regarded as one of the most beautiful and pristine beach in the Bahamas. After lunch we made plans to walk over the hill to see for ourselves.

We met our neighbors in the marina; sailing vessel, Gigi’s Island, owner Giget and friend Vic, who were a wealth of information about the Exumas. We also met Joel, who owns Cool Runners Catering Service, dockside as he was going from boat to boat inviting everyone for a Saturday night all-you-can-eat dinner. ($35 a person) We decided to attend. Showers delayed the dinner and forced some twenty-five of us under a tiny cabana for a short time. We enjoyed meeting boaters from Annapolis, Texas, North Carolina and sharing our experiences.

Tomahawk/Annapolis-Tommy, Diane, and Cameron

When I laid my head down and listened to the wind howl through the riggings on the boat, I was grateful to be in a secure slip, protected by the island. We made a good decision to spend some time on this island even though it was very expensive.

3.22/Sunday Highborne Cay

With Nassau such a short distance from Highborne Cay, mega yachts have found this marina to be very convenient and accommodating. One in particular we faced, sitting in the cockpit of Little Wing. It was over 100 feet and had at least five deck hands. We found out it was Rick Hendricks’s yacht, with his mother and other members of his family vacationing on it. The name of the yacht is, Wheels, and the name of his fishing boat is, Reel Wheels.

Steve unloaded the bikes and we took off on a trip exploring the island after lunch. The exercise was great and the beaches and scenery was spectacular. Check out my photos. We found a great beach that had tons of small conchs that had been harvested, which meant we could keep them.

Our lunch guest in the cockpit of the boat.

We meet a cute couple on the docks yesterday when Julie asked me to take a picture of them. I then asked if she would take our picture. We stood around talking and found out they had the small catamaran anchored close to the marina. They would dinghy in so their three and a half year old son, Glenn, and Gabe their labadore retriever could play on the beach. We walked to Little Wing where Steve and Dan looked over the charts and Julie used the Skype to get in touch with her family. They invited us to dinghy over to their boat later that evening for dinner, hitching a ride with Giget and Vic/Gigi’s Island since they had their dinghy in the water. Dan and Julie have been spending the month of March in the Bahamas each year and had a wealth of information to share with us.

We hope to stay in touch with

them and hope they will visit us in Gulf Shores.

Three-and-a half year old climbing on the mask in 10 knot winds. He has been sailing on the catamaran since he was 10 months old.

Nurse shark over 6 feet long waiting for dinner.

3.18/Wednesday Morgans Bluff to Fresh Creek
We departed again at 7:20 am, motoring out the channel headed south with large waves hitting us at the bow. Once on our course, we had southeast winds 10-15 knots, motor sailing around 6-6.5 knots. It is so strange to look on one side of the boat and see 36 foot of water and on the other it drops off to over 2,000 feet. It is a magnificent place to fish, but we didn’t have any luck today.
Not too long after we had gotten the sails up and trimmed, we noticed a dark cloud in the south east which looked like it might have rain in it. Steve checked the radar and saw a squall ahead. He got on the radio to tell Cygnus and Sunseeker, while I went below to retrieve out fowl weather gear. There was no lighting, but the winds were almost 30 knots and there was a heavy rain, which was a good thing because it washed the salt water off the boat and the sails. Within 30 minutes we had sailed through it to see another smaller squall a few miles ahead.
Fresh creek has a reputation of having strong currents and a shallow channel which put us on our guard while entering. George had radioed ahead to secure slips for the three of us and asked for a dock-hand to be waiting to help us tie up.
We found it to be a little tricky getting into our slip with the oncoming current, but once in the slip Steve said it was too narrow for our boat so we had to back out and move to the end of the finger piers and tie up. By 3:00 pm, I was in the Lighthouse Marina office checking on a Internet connection and asking questions about laundry facilities, and grocery shopping. Sunseeker/George and Karen from Jacksonville, Florida, invited Cygnus and us for dinner on their boat. Because it was very windy outside, we enjoyed another dinner of mahi-mahi prepared anther way than we had last night. I made a Key Lime pie which was a hit for dessert.
The winds howled all night and we rocked up and down. Because of the 3 foot tide change, Steve was up several times during the night checking the fenders and retying the lines.
3.19/Thursday Fresh Creek
Carol, Karen, and I walked a short distance from the marina to the Androsia Batik Outlet/Shop (not a discount store) this morning in order purchase the beautiful batik designs found in the small town on Andros Island. Androsia is strictly a Bahamian product, made in the Bahamas by Bahamians. The company was started as a cottage industry in 1973. Since then, they have been manufacturing wearable art that captures the beauty of the islands.
Batik is an ancient art of waxing a design and stamping it on fabric in various patterns; hand-dyeing, then boiling the fabric to remove the wax. I remember having to make a batik fabric in one of my college textiles classes. We had original thought that we would design our own fabric in a class they teach, but you need two days to finish the product, which we didn’t have.
We spent at least an hour looking at all the fabric designs, clothing styles, and trying on different items to purchase. They also make tote bags, napkins, tablecloths, oven mitts, aprons, children’s clothing, stuffed animals and fish, and I am sure I forgot other items. We “made their day” with our purchases.
We walked a short distance to the factory for a self guided tour to watch the Bahamian women at work. We only saw seven people working today; six women and one man who looked like he was ordering supplies. One room was the stamping room, the next the dying room, and the third the cutting and sewing area. I was mesmerized by the gorgeous colors of large thread spools organized on shelves on one side of the sewing room. I don’t think my camera fully captures the essence of this display. If you are interested in purchasing items you can go to; http://www.androsia.com/. I understand they also custom design for corporations, groups, and other organizations and can ship all over the world.
After lunch, the group minus Steve walked into the small town to find a grocery store. After asking a local lady for directions, we located Gator’s, one three stores we went into searching for groceries. One of the hardest items to find is sliced bread. On most islands you can find fresh made bread but today no one was making any or had any to sell. I am astounded by the high prices of the products found in these stores not because we have to pay them but because this is the price for the local people as well. An orange or apple was $1; lettuce $4, eggs $5. No wonder so many of the locals eat rice, pasta and very little produce. We did see small freezers with frozen chicken, beef, pork and other frozen products but again they were very expensive. This is a low income area and I don’t know how they survive paying these high prices. We are lucky to have Wal-Mart and other discount stores available which offer competitive prices and a large selection. I might add also, all the local people we met and talked to were very friendly and helpful
While we were on our shopping trip, Steve was doing the laundry and preparing dinner for everyone on Little Wing. Since we had eaten mahi-mahi two nights in a row, Steve thought red beans and rice would be a switch for an entrée. The meal was delicious and enjoyed by all.
I spent some time walking around the Lighthouse Marina trying out my new camera. I am forcing myself to take less sunset and sunrise pictures and shots of foliage. Even though this lighthouse is not one of the more attractive lighthouses we have visited, I think it has character.
Early morning, Steve was awakened by a crash outside the boat. Winds were clocked at 30 knots and we were really bouncing up and down in the slip. While checking the lines and fenders, he heard the sound again, to find that Sunseeker next to us, was bouncing up against the dock. The outboard motor was banging so hard it had broken off a piece above the prop. Steve alerted George and he came outside to retie his lines and check for damage. It seems there is a 3 foot fluctuation in the tide at Fresh Creek, which constitutes adjusting your lines as the tide changes.

3.16/Monday Bimini to Northwest Channel

Steve paid the marine bill while I closed all the hatches, ports and made sure everything was secure. All of a sudden, Steve realized Cygnus was pulling out of his slip and we had not even detached the electrical cord or started the engine. We scrambled around trying to get lines off the dock cleats and depart, because Steve wanted to follow them through the new dredged channel that would save us at least 30 minutes. The wind was 20 knots but only predicted to be 6-7. We need to quit listening to the weather man; he is never correct!

All three sailboats had no interest in going to Nassau so a course was charted for the Bahama Bank and anchor in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean at Northwest Channel. The Bank is a huge area of shallow water 8-15 feet deep. The area we were in was about 80 miles across, but extends to the south end of the Bahamian Islands.

We dropped anchor in 12 foot of water with nothing in site but ocean. This area is

highly traveled by freighters and other large container ships, but we felt safe with three anchor lights shining in the night.

Neither one of us slept very much during the night. I was in the aft birth and felt like I was in a washing machine; Steve lay on the settee in the Saloon trying to stay on the cushions and said he felt like he had been at Six Flags all night. I was glad when daylight arrived!

3.17/Tuesday Northwest Channel to Morgans Bluff

Larry/Cygnus had us up early ready to head on a course to Morgans Bluff. We passed the Northwest Channel marker with a couple of miles left in the Bahama Bank before sailing into the Tongue of the Ocean with depths of over 4000 feet. If you Google, Tongue of the Ocean, look for a satellite view; you will be amazed at this phenonan. As we began to leave the bank, Larry suggested we should put our fishing lines out, as this is where the big fish hang out. Steve attached his newly purchased lure, specifically designed for attracting mahi-mahi. He put out the line, but within a few minutes he thought he heard a strike; he checked but found it had been cut clean off, probably by a barracuda! Bye, Bye “costly lure.”

Larry called on the radio to announce his first catch, a 40 inch mahi-mahi, and to let us know he would slow down while he got it aboard, filleted, and ready for dinner tonight. Steve put another line out in hopes to better his odds for catching a fish. Sometime later, George/Sunseeker, called to say he had a mahi-mahi. Larry radioed again that he caught another one, but it got away. George caught two more so you can imagine how Steve was feeling. He hadn’t even gotten a bite. At least an hour later, we heard the drag of the big rod zing out and Steve started reeling it in. Sure enough, he had landed his first mahi-mahi.
We realized at this point that we were not prepared to land the fish. I had already gotten the dip net out, but the mahi-mahi was too large to fit into it. By this time, Steve had moved to the swim platform on the back of the boat and I had throttled back the speed of the boat. (We are still motor sailing.) I was afraid Steve would fall off the boat trying to get the mahi-mahi- on board. Finally, Steve pulled it onto the swim platform and the fish proceeded to coat the back of the boat in blood as he was trashing around trying to get away. Our friends had told us if you pour Vodka down their gills it will kill them. Our last resort was to get my Ketel One Vodka and give it a try. It worked! Steve then put a lasso around his tail to hold him. We had a picture taking session and he cleaned and filleted the meat for dinner.

We approximate the mahi-mahi to be about 30 inches long. There were six really nice pieces of meat from this one fish.

We arrived at Morgans Bluff, which is on the northern edge of Andros Island, around 1:30 pm. Once we knew the anchor was secure, we both jumped into the beautiful, clear water for a swim. Steve didn’t even take the time to put his swimsuit on; he just emptied his pants pockets, took off his t-shirt and dove in. The water was about 10 feet deep and you could see clear to the bottom. We found our masks and snorkels and enjoyed checking out the floor of the harbor.

Cygnus/Carol and Larry ( they live in Michigan) invited all of us to their boat for a mahi-mahi dinner and a celebration of a wonderful and successful day of fishing. We each brought a side dish and drinks and enjoyed a wonderful evening.

Chris Parker, the great weather forecaster in the Bahamas, was predicting a front with high winds, possibly as strong as 30 knots, for later in the week. With this information, the guys felt we needed to find a marina to ride out the high winds. Because Carol wanted to go to Fresh Creek to take a Batik class, it was decided to hold up there for a few days. Plans were to leave at 7:30 am the next morning.

One of the downfalls to spending so much time around the water is the moisture that accumulates in the cabin of the boat. I do not particularly like sleeping on soggy sheets but sometimes you don’t have a choice. The night was much more comfortable that the night before, until around 2:00 am, we were awakened by howling winds and rain. Steve checked the anchor line and found them to be holding. We were also awakened before daylight by a large tanker ship filling up with water at the Government Wharf.

The island of Andros, is the largest of The Bahamas group and has a strange, worldly charm all its own; the island of the Chickcharnie, the bonefishing capital of the world, the land of the mystic blueholes, and the western hemisphere’s second largest reef. Most of the island is water and supplies all the fresh water to the Bahamas.