We finally get the appropriate weather and make sail even further east to the northern Exumas. It is a combination sail and motor, and after half a day we arrive at Allen’s Cay. We attempt to anchor in the inside harbor, but crowding and swift currents push us lightly aground, and we beat a hasty exit once free. The attraction of Allen’s Cay is the adjacent cay that is home to a group of friendly iguanas. While maneuvering through the interior anchorage, we see several dozen iguanas greeting a dinghy full of visitors. They swarm the people, hoping for handouts, and have even been known to bite a few toes if they don’t get what they want. Our alternative anchorage is one cay down at Highbourne, and we enjoy a peaceful sunset without those nasty tidal currents or man-eating iguanas.
The next two days are spent one island further south at Norman’s Cay. Again we anchor on the leeward side with a few other boats. It’s a short dinghy ride to shore giving us an opportunity to finally wiggle our toes in the beautiful, powdery Exuma sand.
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| Our commuter vehicle on the beach at Norman's Cay |
We feel we have finally arrived. There are a few roads on Norman’s Cay and even fewer people. Norman’s was once the home of notorious drug lord, Carlos Lehder. For a while in the 70’s he ran a drug ring out of Norman’s, with the Bahamian government turning a blind eye, and is said to have had ties with the Medellin Cartel. That didn’t seem to sit well with the US DEA, and after some raids and extradition from Columbia in 1988, Lehder got the pleasure of spending the rest of his life in a US federal prison. All that remains of his venture is a potholed, paved airstrip, some ruins of buildings, and a sunken plane just off the runway. We spend our time walking through the island and enjoying the vistas over the amazingly colored water.
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| A windy day overlooking the lagoon at Norman's Cay |
We continue south to an anchorage off Warderwick Wells, the headquarters of the Exuma Land and Sea Park, the Bahama’s largest National Park. We only spend one afternoon dinghying about and walking through a small section of the park grounds. We are checking out the arrangements here for anchoring a deep draft boat and plan to be back for a more extended visit. What strikes us most, though, is how beautifully maintained we find the area. The park rules are very stringent and well enforced, and visitors are the beneficiaries.
Our final destination for a while is the Staniel Cay area, in what is considered the central Exumas. We want to arrive before Christmas, and it is here that our son, Bryan and his girlfriend will fly in at the end of the month. We’ve been on the move for a long time so an extended stay is most welcome. We anchor just north of the Staniel Cay settlement at Big Majors Spot, a large anchorage protected from the predominate easterlies.
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| Squall and rainbow over the Big Majors Spot anchorage |
There are around 25 other boats anchored here, and we see many that we have met along the way.
It doesn’t take long until the dinghy is launched, and we head to shore on Big Majors to do some investigating. The southerly most beach overlooking the anchorage is known as Pig Beach. Why? Because it is home to a small herd of pigs that are fairly friendly, probably because the cruisers bring them snacks. When you head in to the landing, they swim out to check out what you have brought them. We discover they like fresh apples supplied by the mega yachts over our dried up orange rinds. And we suspect the beach may be short one pig when the Yacht Club hosts their annual pig roast during the Christmas holidays.
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| Another friendly begger |
The next beach down is Pirate’s Beach, so named by the group of cruisers who spend most of their season here. Several just spent two days cleaning up the storm damage left from a direct hit by Hurricane Irene this fall. A few donated beach chairs reside under a tree, a fire pit has been built where the last of the storm debris is burning, and benches and a small table have been built for impromptu gatherings, the first of which will be that evening. We dinghy over with 20 – 30 other people to enjoy drinks and snacks, and a spectacular view of the setting sun. It’s well after dark before we wind our way through the maze of anchored boats back to Exuberant.
We eventually head over to Staniel Cay Yacht Club. The Yacht Club is actually a marina with some resort villas and a restaurant. Christmas through New Years is the high point of their season with events planned for most days – it is a bee hive of activity. We check out the settlement, particularly focusing on the small grocery stores and the home of the lady who makes bread. It is all pretty minimal. Restocking will be very expensive with limited options, and the bread lady is going to Nassau for the holidays. We come back the next day with bicycles, our vehicle of choice for taking over a week’s worth of garbage to the dump and exploring the remainder of the island. Views from the heights over the surrounding cays and channels are spectacular, reflecting the varied hues of blues and aquas the Bahamas are known for. We hike down to a few beaches along the Exuma Sound coast to see the crashing waves and off shore reefs.
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| Looking west along Staniel Cay shoreline |
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| The north east corner of Staniel Cay |
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| More at the NE corner of Staniel |
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| Exuma Sound (east) side of Staniel |
And we utilize the dinghy to visit some of the nearby cays, honing our visual navigation skills. Many are uninhabited and surrounded by broad sand bores that invite exploring at low tide.
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| Sand bore off Sandy Cay |
We find beautiful shells and even a live sand dollar.
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| Beautiful shell under crystal clear water |
We take one tight cut just as the tidal currents are flowing full force and have our first experience taking a dinghy uphill. Yes, the tides are a force to be reckoned with. The dinghy is also our vehicle for snorkeling trips. One of the high points of this area is the Thunderball Grotto, a small cay riddled with underwater caves. It was here that a portion of the James Bond movie Thunderball was filmed. Low tide slack is the optimum time to arrive, and we join a herd of other snorkelers to explore the interior. The cay has an opening at the top that allows a beam of light to illuminate the structures and fish within. To the east the cave opens onto the surrounding water, glowing a phosphorescent aqua in contrast to the dark interior.
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| The grotto at Thunderball Cay |
We take multiple passes through the cave and around the one side that is home to a beautiful coral garden. And finally, we feed the resident large school of sergeant majors some bread crumbs, finding ourselves in the midst of a feeding frenzy. They nibble at your toes and fingers and bump into your mask for an eye to eye demand for more.
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| Do these fish look hungry? |
There are a few other protected areas for snorkeling near our anchorage, and we do a little exploring there, also. I find a venomous Lionfish in one crevasse, the first I have ever seen. They are an invasive species here, and those who spear fish are encourage to kill them. And, finally, there are the sharks. They are everywhere, especially as you are just going into or getting out of the water as they take shelter from the mid-day sun under your boat hull. We only see nurse sharks, and they are considered quite harmless. There must be at least a dozen of them residing under the yacht club docks. Nevertheless, it takes a little getting used to.
Christmas is here and without family, we decide to treat ourselves to a nice dinner out. We are joined by another cruising couple anchored next to us, and we dinghy over to nearby Sampson Cay Yacht Club. I am quite a sight trying to exit a dinghy to a high dock with a long skirt and the ever present nurse sharks circling below! This is a lovely facility consisting of docks and several stone villas overlooking sand bores and adjacent cays. The landscaping is lush and meticulously maintained, a surprise since it, too, took a direct hit from Irene. We enjoy a multi-course dinner with a Bahamian flare; the food is a bit spicy and the table linens are made from local handmade batik. But, it’s a little bizarre to hear Michael Jackson Christmas carols in the background.
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| Merry Christmas from Sampson Cay Yacht Club |
So, shortly the kids arrive on a scheduled flight through Flamingo Air on a six to twelve seat puddle-jumper. We will pick them up at the air strip with the dinghy – dinghy parking is a couple of hundred feet from the terminal which is actually just a small gazebo. We will stay one night with them here at Staniel as the yacht club is hosting their annual Pirates Party, and we will have to scout that out. Rumors have it that Johnny Deep made an appearance last year (he owns an island nearby), and that perhaps Jimmy Buffet might show up as he is making a tour of his top ten Caribbean beaches, one of which is at Staniel Cay. Each day, mega-yachts in the 150 – 250 foot range come and go, participating in the various events, their crews and large tenders whizzing through the anchorage. Plans after that are quite flexible, a good thing if you are living the cruising life.
