Navigating Northward

We are back in George Town and waiting for weather to allow us to begin our trip to the north.  During our absence, a number of boats have left and George Town seems to be moving at a less frantic pace.  We still spend our afternoons at volleyball and basket making instruction, with mornings for chores or wandering along the beautiful beaches.  There are still Happy Hours or dinners with friends leaving in different directions.  There is a distinct feeling that the southern Bahama cruising season is coming to an end. We do some last minute provisioning including a trip to the new Prime Meat Market a few miles north of town.  This is a surreal event with transportation provided by the market on most mornings. I arrive in town to join a hoard of other cruisers who pile in the back of a pick-up truck – a truly third world experience which rapidly becomes a first world experience once we arrive at the clean, well stocked butcher shop and deli. There is nothing quite like this in the Bahamas and we hope they have sufficient business to be around in coming years. The afternnoon before we leave, friends from Mansfield unexpectedly show up at Chat and Chill.  They are part owners of a condo on Exuma Island and have taken the water taxi over to enjoy an afternoon on Stocking Island.  Yes, it is a small world.

Finally, the northeasterly winds abate, and we leave George Town at first light.  The cut out of Elizabeth Harbor into Exuma Sound is easily negotiated, and we head off on a lively, 50 mile long tight reach. The boat is flying under reefed sails.  We sail past our first opportunity to take a cut on to the Exuma Banks as the strong wind and opposing tidal current will make it too challenging.  Late afternoon we arrive at Dotham Cut where we presume we will be able to enter with a slack current, but that is not to be. Timing tides in the Bahamas is an imprecise art at best as there are no good tide tables and the topography causes great discrepancies over small distances.  We will enter the cut with wind opposing current, and the standing waves are visible off in the distance. 

Dotham Cut just before we had engine problems

We fire up the engine, but leave the sails up. Just as we approach the interior of the cut, we smell burning rubber and notice the engine temperature is rapidly rising.  The engine is shut down immediately, and I am left at the helm to negotiate the remainder of the cut under sail, going dead down wind.  Meanwhile, Burt is below with his head in the engine room.  It is hard to tell what the problem could be, so we decide to sail the rest of the way into the anchorage at Blackpoint.  While we understand how to anchor under sail and have done so with smaller boats, this will be the first time we do it with Exuberant, so it goes without saying that there is a bit of tension in the air.

By dusk, we are anchored a ways off from the rest of the boats, and Burt begins seriously analyzing the situation.  It doesn’t take long to figure out that the impeller has self-destructed, but it does take a long time to get all the pieces out of the raw water system.  With the broken bits removed and accounted for, and new impeller installed, the engine happily purrs back to life.  What has us baffled is why the impeller failed, as it had been changed out six months ago. 

We had hoped to spend a relaxing afternoon and evening in Blackpoint, our favorite settlement in the Exumas, but it is late and we have a few things to accomplish.  The dinghy is commissioned, and we head into the village to drop off garbage and some supplies that we wish to donate to the local school.  On the way, we see our friends on Delicia.  They have just crossed over to the Bahamas, and we had assumed we would not see them this season.  We stop to say “hi”, and the next thing we know we are onboard for a little wine and decompression time.  They offer to take the garbage and school supplies in the next morning, and once again, we appreciate the friendliness and support that one finds in the cruising community.

The next morning we leave with lively reaching winds and the flat seas characteristic of the banks for Warderick Wells, the headquarters of the Exuma Land and Sea Park.  We are seeing sustained speeds of over 8 knots and having a delightful time until we make the turn into the cut towards the park.  All of a sudden our autopilot decides it want to steer a course of 175 degrees despite our desire to head 60 degrees.  “Auto” will have none of this, so he gets shut down, and we hand steer the rest of the trip while contemplating the ramification of being without an autopilot for the long trip back to the States.  We have friends who have had an autopilot failure, and they are currently just south of us, waiting for the past two weeks for the arrival of parts. Once we get tied to the mooring ball, Burt begins tracing down our problem.  Sometimes you just get very lucky.  During our last two bouncy sails, a number of our chart books and cruising guides have rearranged themselves in a locker.  Once has slid down and lodged its metal spiral binding next to the fluxgate compass for the autopilot. Once the offending metal is repositioned, the compass operates properly and “Auto” is again conforming to our desires.

We have come to Warderick Wells to meet up with our friends on Amici.  We have spent time with them over the past year and a half and have encouraged them to come over to the Bahamas.  Reluctantly and with a bit concerned about navigating in such a foreign environment, they have just crossed over to the Exumas, but are now determined to head back to the States before seeing much of the area.  As trawler owners, the lack of amenities and weather concerns seem intimidating to them, and we hope our encouragement will help them to enjoy the time they do spend here. 

Besides Amici, we find the mooring field full of other boats we have met over the season, so once again, things get pretty social.  Saturday night we have a Happy Hour on the beach. 

Happy hour at Warderick Wells

Sunday is Easter, so one cruiser organizes a Sunrise Easter Service on Boo-boo Hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.   

Just after sunrise on Easter morning

It is a memorable way to welcome Easter, but it is also a bit sad.  Part of the service is a memorial to a lady we met in George Town and I instructed in basket making.  Pat was hiking with some good friends of ours in the park when she stumbled and fell.  Lapsing in and out of consciousness, she was eventually life flighted out of the park by the helicopter belonging to the Aga Khan and passed away upon arrival in Nassau. It was a minor accident with a fatal outcome. Our friends who are now back in the States and the park staff are still devastated, and we feel haunted by the specter of the events. Later in the day, spirits are rejuvenated with an invitation to all the cruisers from the park staff for dinner at the Warden’s residence.  They will provide the meat, while the cruisers bring all the sides.  Around sixty people dine on gourmet fare while enjoying the beautiful vistas from the outdoor deck.   

The beautiful site for a gourmet Easter dinner

Exuberant on a mooring at Warderick Wells - the warden's residence is the building on the right

We share a table with two German families who are on an extended cruise of the Atlantic coast. Once again, the folks we meet have such interesting stories to tell. 

Amici has decided to depart for Nassau as there will be a strong front approaching in a couple of days. Sadly, we are not able to convince them to explore any further. Meanwhile, we head a bit south to the mooring field at Cambridge Cay at the southern end of the park.  It will provide us with excellent protection during the frontal passage and there is much to do there to amuse us. We snorkel a reef named the Aquarium several times.  It is teeming with an array of colorful tropical fish and many beautiful corals and sponges.  There are several interesting trails for hiking.

We team up with Pike and Linda from s/vTioga to explore the area south of the park by dinghy.  We head about five miles south to Pipe Creek, an area of beautiful private homes, coral outcroppings, and miles of sand bores with the softest, powder sand you have ever seen.  

Burt shows off a star fish we found on one of the sand bores in Pipe Creek

 Pike and Linda know someone who was staying at Overyonder Cay and have an invitation to stop by. We pull into the harbor and ask staff if the friends are still in residence, but find out that they had departed a few days earlier.  Thus, we lose our opportunity to visit this multi-million dollar compound that is usually off limits to cruisers. We take our picnic lunch to Compass Cay Marina.  For $10 a person entrance fee, you get unlimited access to the island.  The focal point is large school of nurse sharks that surround the little dinghy dock. At high tide the sharks swim onto the now submerged dock, sunning themselves and docilely allowing us to pet them.   

You can even give a shark a hug - this little one posed with a number of people including a two year old little boy

We don masks and snorkels and swim with the sharks in the waters near the dock.  At one point, some visitors produce a package of hot dogs, resulting in a feeding frenzy.  The sharks crowd each other out as they beg, like dogs, for the hot dogs.  Bodies are vertical and mouths wide, revealing a small opening and tiny blunt teeth. You are sure you are hearing them say “Me, me, me – I want a hot dog too!”  It is hard to get too concerned about nurse sharks – they don’t bit their food, rather they inhale it like a vacuum.

These guys really seem to like hot dogs

After lunch, we head over to the ocean side of the island and a beautiful, crescent sand beach about a mile long. The waves are lapping on the shore and the water is so inviting that we dive in and serenely float in the translucent turquoise waters. Finally, we head to the north end of Compass Cay and a small mangrove creek that leads us to the ocean side Rachel’s Bubble Bath.  Here, at high tide, the ocean waves crash over a rocky barrier into a natural pool. There is foam (bubbles) and a rocking surge that make it an interesting place for a relaxing dip.  We are also joined by French Canadian friends we met in George Town. 

Playing in Rachel's Bubble Bath

Our friends on Gratitude that have the autopilot problem have come into the mooring field. Their parts have finally arrived and have been installed, but the system still doesn’t work.  Burt and Pike head over to the boat to see if they can help diagnose the issue.  From a distance I feel I can hear the gnashing of teeth.  Hours later, they return with the sad news that not much can be done – the “brain” is totally fried.  This is unfortunate news as it means they will have to return to the States hand steering the long passage – an exhausting conclusion to their season in the Bahamas.

The cold front is bearing down on us and our weather guru is saying this may be the most significant weather event of the season. In honor of the storm, we host a “Dark and Stormy” Happy Hour on a little sand spur beach near the mooring field.  Acquaintances and strangers alike are enthusiastic about the prospects, and most of the moored and anchored boats participate.  It is an interesting crowd with those attending hailing from the States, French and English Canada, German and Italian Switzerland, Scotland, Mexico, and Germany.  It bears witness to the varied and interesting people we meet while cruising. 

Our Dark and Stormy party at Cambridge Cay

The front comes through the next day, and we see a minimal increase in wind, a good rain which rinses off our salt accumulation, and lightning in the distance.  It certainly does not live up to our expectations as fortunately the front peters out just north of us.

The next day we continue our trek northward to Highbourne Cay.  We anchor next to Gratitude and invite them over for one last dinner before they begin the passage home.  Lauren and Van look tired and although they claim to not be terribly concerned about the trip, we see the strain on their faces.  The next morning Burt makes the final decision to replace our aging and slightly underpowered autopilot once we return to the States. 

We leave the Exumas via Ship Channel and a shallow water passage to the northern tip of Eleuthera. In the sunlight, we zig-zag between coral heads and gingerly transit water depths as little as 8 feet. With a 7 foot draft, that makes it a nail-bitter. We anchor in the lee of an island and leave the next morning for the ocean passage to the Abacos. The wind is a bit lighter than predicted so we motor sail most of the way, shutting off the engine the last two hours when the wind finally pipes up.  At one point we are joined by a pod of 8 – 12 pilot whales.  Pilot Whales look like dolphins that are twice as big and totally black, at least from my vantage point.  They come within 100 feet of the boat, checking things out, but do not frolic in our bow wave the way a dolphin would. With 8 foot ocean swells, it is a pretty rocky ride, and we are relieved to transit the cut into the Sea of Abaco, anchoring in the lee of Lynyard Cay.   

Lynyard Cay beach in the Abacos

We have arrived in the relatively tranquil and civilized Abacos. We spend a few nights anchored at Lynyard, decompressing, enjoying a lunch at Pete’s Pub, the only dining establishment in Little Harbor, and enjoying the relative solitude before heading off to Marsh Harbor, where after two weeks spent in isolated locations, we can dispose of garbage, do laundry, and replenish our produce supplies in a grocery that will rival anything found in the States. Marsh Harbor even has two stop lights – I don’t know how I will tolerate so many people and so much infrastructure.

Inching a Bit Further South

Regatta time in George Town is past history except for one last event.  Each year a sailing rally is organized to go to Long Island, the next island south of the Exuma chain.  With around thirty boats signed up, we leave George Town harbor, heading out the southeastern cut from protected Elizabeth Harbor.  After several days of massive northerly ocean swells, it is judged safe to depart.  It may be safe, but it still has an element of excitement.  We weave our way through reefs where the swells are crashing unnervingly close to our track. Below decks, the contents of our boat are being rearranged as we bounce through the surf. “Be careful opening the storage bins as the contents may have shifted during flight” seems to apply here.  Once we get into the deep ocean waters, the swells become barely perceptible. With virtually no wind, our supposed sailing race gets postponed, and the fleet motors down to Thompson Bay on Long Island. 

This huge influx of cruising boats to Long Island is seen as an economic boost to this otherwise quiet and often overlooked destination.  The tourist council has many activities planned for our stay.  Our group fills two school buses, and we take a tour of the southern portion of the island.  We did a similar tour last year, but decide to do it again as it provides an inexpensive way to see the many small settlements. Stops include the picturesque Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Clarence Town, built by the locally famous Father Jerome, 

Exterior and interior of the simple but exquisite church

The sign says it all

and Dean’s Blue Hole where the world free diving championships are held. 

Dean's Blue Hole with the pounding surf on the ocean side

When we stop by the Long Island Historical Museum, the local People to People organization holds a tea featuring traditional bush teas.  We sample the teas, learn about their medicinal applications, and meet friendly Long Island residents who chat about their island existence and culture. The tour concludes with a rum drink at the famous Max’s Conch Bar.

That evening Long Island Breeze Resort, a small cruiser-friendly restaurant and bar overlooking the anchorage, sponsors a sunset Happy Hour.  Music is provided by several cruisers including our favorite keyboard artist who we originally met in Marathon. 

Music on the deck of Long Island Breeze

A number of non-cruisers, including winter residents and Long Island natives, join the crowd. The ambiance is magical, and everyone lingers way past sunset.

Sunset at the Breeze, overlooking the anchorage

Since there was no wind for our scheduled race to Long Island, a make up race is planned for Saturday morning.  Rally racing is supposed to be fun and not overly competitive, so instead of a standard start with all the boats on the starting line at the same time, the committee just takes our starting time when we get around to crossing the line.  Twenty boats participate, sailing on a reach for four miles out from the harbor and then returning to the starting (now finish) line. The wind is blowing close to 20 knots and the seas are flat making it a perfect sail – we are flying, averaging speeds close to 8 knots!  Even better, we come in second in our fleet.  If we had only remembered to feather our prop before the race was almost half over, we might have done even better.  But this is a fun race and lapses by the crew are a foregone conclusion.

That evening, we have a group dinner at the Breeze, a trophy presentation, and a dance DJ’ed by fellow cruisers “Rocking Ron and Kool Karen”. Prior to the official event, local artisans set up a display their creations – straw work and baskets, jewelry made from shells and beach glass, paintings, sculptures in shells, and some very tasty jams – all of which are reasonably priced and of a high quality. In the midst of all the activity, one of the guides from yesterday’s bus tour shows up with his Junkanoo band for a rush out. To the accompaniment of horns, whistles, cow bells, and a variety of drums, the group descends on the Breeze.  The pounding rhythms and energetic dancing get everyone bouncing along. Junkanoo has its root in African culture and has become a staple in Bahamian communities.  The primary rush outs occur around New Years, but the locals are happy to have other opportunities to play and dance, and we enjoy another sampling of traditional Bahamian culture. 

Our tour guide, Omar, in the traditional crepe paper pants, leads his cru

The next morning most of the cruisers leave Thompson Bay for other destinations.  We decide to head to the north end of Long Island where we anchor in picturesque Calabash Bay.  The several mile long bay is anchored by the upscale Cape Santa Maria Resort and a number of ex-patriots’ large vacation homes. We take a lengthy walk along the powdery sand beach, gazing out on the turquoise water and many sand bores. 

Calabash Bay with the resort in the distance

That evening we dinghy over to the resort for dinner in their lovely two story screened in dining pavilion. Other anchored boats do the same, and in the bar, before dinner, we are introduced to Dave Calvert who lives about twenty miles further north on Cat Island. The name may mean nothing to most people, but Dave is an internationally known multihull racer and is the sailmaker who designed and built the sails we had on our previous boat.  It truly is a small world.

From Long Island, we head east to remote Conception Island.  The wind has picked up, and we find ourselves on a 30 mile beat to windward.  It is a bumpy but exhilarating ride, and once again, the contents of our cupboards below deck are being rearranged.  Conception is a small, uninhabited island that is in the national park system.  It rises from the ocean depths very dramatically with the sapphire colored ocean waters suddenly changing into a variety of turquoise hues. 

The beach at Conception near the anchorage

It is a place to visit only during settled weather as the anchorage has very little protection from any winds other than the trades.  Our arrival at Conception coincides with Burt’s birthday.  Friends circulate that information and plan a birthday celebration for the beach that evening. It is a birthday Burt will never forget, spent on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world in the company of new and old friends. Music, including the birthday song, is provided by Valerie and Ray from a large yacht in the anchorage.  They are professional recording artists that we originally met this winter in Marathon.

Burt celebrates his birthday at a very special location

The weather window allows us to stay an additional day, and we enjoy hiking to the windward side of the island with its equally spectacular sand beach. 

A calm day on the windward side of conception Island

Overhead, the migratory tropic birds with their flowing, long white tails are circling, indicating the spring is arriving in the southern Bahamas. When we tire of hiking, we return to the boat to spend the rest of the day soaking in the beauty of this special place.  The following day west winds are forecast, so we debate our next destination.  Do we head north to Cat Island with it exposed anchorages or return to George Town and the safety of Elizabeth Harbor? Our weather forecasting service indicates that the stormy weather being experienced on the US east coast will trickle down our way with the possibility of two more weeks of unsettled weather.  We wake up that morning to dark clouds and squalls on the horizon and quickly head out to sea as we don’t want to be caught in the anchorage with a squall. Thus, we begin the trek back to George Town.  With unusually strong cold fronts forecast to pass through the northern and central Bahamas in the coming weeks, we will opt to stay south where conditions will be relatively milder.

Life in the Big City

Compared to all the other towns in the Exumas, George Town is the big city. No, there are no stop lights and a one lane dusty road encircles the town, but we can find most of what one might need here, and there is even an international airport nearby. To access town one enters through a narrow cut into Lake Victoria and ties up at the dinghy dock provided by Exuma Market.  Multiple stops to the BTC office and J&K Productions (Julius and Krystal – a computer store in a shack with a dusty concrete floor and no glass in the windows where they really do know how to fix computers and phones - better than anyone in Nassau) get us a Zoom air card and finally some access to the internet on our computer. We can reprovision at the Exuma Market, a crowded grocery with narrow aisles, the only true grocery store on the entire 60 mile long island. There’s a bank with an ATM machine, one of only two in the entire Exumas. Lee who runs the Corner Laundry welcomes us back; she has an incredible memory for names and faces. The facility has seen better days but it gets the job done, and we leave with bags full of clean laundry.  Also along the road you will find a hair salon that also sells fresh fish and lobster, an upscale gift/art shop, several liquor stores, a gas station, and several restaurants that run the gambit from casual Bahamian carry out to high end dining.  It is certainly a study in contrasts and you know you are no longer in Kansas, Dorothy.

Life in George Town and the surrounding harbor is anything but boring.   

Our anchorage just off the Chat and Chill beach

Rainbow viewed from the anchorage

 

With so many cruisers here, 280 boats at latest count, there is no shortage of available activities.  The morning cruisers’ net on the VHF radio broadcasts the daily options that are available. Burt plays volleyball at the nearby beach bar almost everyday. 

Volleyball on the Chat and Chill beach - it is amazing no one gets hurt!

I go to Yoga on the beach under the trees some mornings and do water walking along the sandy shore with a group several afternoons a week. We take the dinghy to some of the beach access points on Stocking Island and hike along the well maintained trails to the spectacular shoreline along the Atlantic coast. 

Not a bad view for a hike

As the not very official basketweaving instructor, I occupy a picnic table near the volleyball courts most afternoons, giving instruction to beginners while also working on my own projects.   

Burt helps harvest some Silver Palm fronds that we use in basketmaking

On Sunday mornings we attend beach church under the whispering pines and Sunday evenings we go to Trivia Night at the St. Francis Resort, where one night we actually win, our team consisting of ourselves and the Babsons who hail from our area of Lake Erie. Many nights there are bonefires on some of the nearby beaches, Rake and Scrape dances in town, and happy hours with friends on boats. One night we attend a jam session at nearby beach bar where we hear a very talented keyboardist who we originally met in Marathon.  And, sometimes you just need a break from all the activity.

But if you are longing for peace and quiet, Regatta time in George Town is NOT the place to be.  For ten packed days, the cruisers put on a slew of activities ranging from big and small boat racing, a Bahamians vs. cruisers softball game, volleyball tournaments, dances, and a variety of sillier events.  We limit our participation to a manageable amount of activities.  Burt is helping on the race committee for the big boat races and is on a team in the Fun Volleyball Tournament. 

Some of the racers cut it pretty close to our boat

We join in on the Poker Run which is basically an afternoon spent visiting five beach bars and resorts by dinghy where we sample their food and drink and pick up the cards for a poker hand. It a fun and sociable way to pass an afternoon, and no one seems to care which of the 52 dinghies actually wins when the poker hands are revealed. And finally, there are the evening events – Opening Night with a Cruisers’ Talent(?) Show and dancing under the stars on the sandy beach and Closing Night with door prizes and more dancing.

The Conch Band at the Talent Show really sounded more like a herd of dying elephants

  

One day we rent a car with another couple and drive the entire length of Great Exuma Island and Little Exuma Island, a distance of over 60 miles.  We see a mix of native small communities and resort properties. We stop along the way to see loyalist plantation ruins, several century old tombs, and a monument to the leader behind a slave revolt. 

Ruins of a loyalist plantation

Beautiful beaches abound, and one even features a cave where an ex-pat lived the life of a hermit for several years. At the farthest southeast point on Little Exuma Island, we stop for lunch at Santana’s Grill, a very simple roadside, outdoor restaurant. Burt claims it is the best traditional Bahamian meal he has ever eaten, and the view isn’t too bad either. 

Open air kitchen at Santana's

Joined by friends Al and Arlene, we look like we're having a good time at this scenic restaurant

Next door is Mom’s Bakery.  Mom is a legend in the Exumas as daily she baked up to a hundred loaves of bread and trucked them 30 miles to George Town. These days, her health has dramatically cut into her business, but we find her slogan “A hug with every loaf of bread” is still in practice as we patronize her shop.

Mom shows off her wares - just another of the delightful Bahamians we have encountered

Nearby we stop to see the large stone pillar that acted as a navigation mark for ships approaching the salt flats that were actively “mined” by the British as early as the 1670’s. 

The Doric column used as an aid to navigation during the salt trade

And just down the street we find the beautiful and secluded Tropic of Cancer Beach. 

The secluded Tropic of Cancer beach - note the lack of people

Yes, we have crossed into the Tropic of Cancer, a milestone for cruisers that spent the summer in Maine.   

Back in George Town the cruising season is beginning to draw to a close. All of a sudden, gulls and song birds appear and locals tell us that is a sign of Spring. People are talking of plans to head further south to the Caribbean or north towards homes or other cruising grounds. Seminars are given on Caribbean cruising areas and passage routes, outboard repair, and other topics that allow cruisers to become self-sufficient in remote areas.  A local man comes on Sunday afternoons and gives talks on Exuma history and culture under the pines at Chat and Chill.  To celebrate the beginning of daylight savings, Chat and Chill supplements its weekly pig roast with a local band playing native music well into the evening.  The melodies float through the anchorage.  A large group gathers at one of the beaches for a going away party for a couple who have wintered in George Town for the last 26 years. They are remembered for all they have done for the community including developing the extensive network of hiking trails on Stocking Island and beginning Beach Church.  After returning to the States, they will sell their boat and move into a new home.  Thus, the circle of cruising life goes on.

The gathering on the beach at Monument Hill honoring Skip and Cheryl

While we may be preparing to leave, Mother Nature has other ideas. For the past month, strong lows along the US Atlantic coast and their resultant cold fronts have played havoc with our weather.  Now gales off the Carolinas are sending record ocean swells our way.  The wind may not be that strong, but the crashing waves along the Atlantic exposures make exiting cuts into the open water nothing short of treacherous. 

Crashing waves along the Atlantic side of Stocking Island

More waves crashing into the ocean shore iron rock

The waves form a waterfall through the rock into what we call our hot tub

Everyone’s plans are put on hold until the seas subside and winds begin to blow in an advantageous direction.

Bahamas Bound – Year 2

We are waiting patiently for appropriate weather to head to the Bahamas, but the weather gods have other ideas sending us strong persistent easterly winds- a bad idea if you are trying to head east in a sail boat.  Thus, the activities at Marathon continue to occupy our time.  We enjoy more seminars, meals out, and evenings of music.  One afternoon I take a class in jewelry making.  Someone on the morning net remembers having Wednesday evening “meet and greets” in previous years, so Burt and I agree to host the first one of the season.  Name tags seem like a good idea, but finding them in Marathon proves to be a challenge. Ten miles of biking later, we return with the name tags, and the evening proves to be a success.

Just befor sunset under the Tiki Hut

We take a cab with friends to the Dolphin Research Center about ten miles away.  Upon entering, it becomes immediately apparent that we are not at Sea World.  This is a much smaller venue with an emphasis on research and husbanding healthy pods of captive dolphins.  We are able to get close to the pens and watch the trainers and caretakers at their daily tasks. Yes, there is an entertainment aspect as this is what funds the center, but its purpose extends much further.  The trainers take time to talk personally with us, explaining what they and others are doing.  We watch their veterinarian take ultrasounds of the dolphins, something that is done on a monthly basis, and while we are there, they discover two of the females are pregnant.  And speaking of pregnancy, since there is concern about maintaining a strong gene pool among captive dolphins, we watch a sperm collection that will be used for artificial insemination. Obviously, nothing is done behind the scenes! We get close to some of the dolphins who especially enjoy human contact, talking and making gestures to them – they seem to respond back to us in kind.  There is a quasi show with some of the larger dolphins showing off their jumping skills, 

One of the big boys struts his stuff

but we also see less structured play time with water showers, balls, toss toys, and chasing trainers along the perimeter of the pool. Dolphins need the relaxation and creative stimulus of play.  

The dolphins play just like a small child would

How do dolphins sleep? Since they are conscious breathers (they need to think about breathing), only one side of their brain and body can sleep at a time.  Close up we observe a dolphin with one eye open and one eye closed, rolling side to side to keep an eye on what is happening above and below him  - that’s how dolphins sleep. We are told that during hurricanes, the dolphins are released to the open, deeper waters as this is their natural preference.  When the storms pass, they return to their pens by choice as they seem to realize they really do not have the learned skills to survive in the wild over long periods of time. And finally, we see a very interesting research project where several dolphins are displaying their ability to discern less from more.  Two panels are presented with an array of different sizes and quantities of dots.  The dolphins study the panels and then pick the one with the fewer dots. No one knows exactly how they accomplish this, but it implies that they have some level of number sense – fascinating. I could have spent hours watching these beautiful and interesting creatures, but sadly, closing time comes all too soon.

Finally we get the weather forecast that we want for the long trip east. Super Bowl Sunday is our last day in Marathon, and we are invited to friends’ trawler for dinner and the game. Life on a trawler is much more civilized than a sailboat.  We sit in actual living room furniture and watch the game on an actual TV with a satellite feed. We are in the lap of luxury and appreciate this fun farewell from these good friends we met over a year ago.

Early Monday morning we raise the dinghy onto the foredeck and deploy our jacklines.  Although the forecast is for calm motoring the entire 220 nautical miles to Nassau, we prepare the boat as if we might see some serious weather.  The motor east in Hawk Channel is uneventful, but lovely with the multihued turquoise water. Uneventful except that early on, we run over a crab pot float, something that ordinarily would cause the line to wrap around the prop and kill the engine. But, it is our lucky day as all we see in our wake is some shredded styrofoam.  Forty miles east of Marathon, we cross over the barrier reef and head towards the Gulf Stream.  Chris Parker, our weather forecasting guru, says that three hours after winds drop and change direction at the Fowley Rocks weather buoy, the Gulf Stream would lay down.  It is now five hours after that change, and we find Chris’s typically accurate predictions aren’t spot on this time.  We have no wind but the short period waves are coming from all directions.  It is really unpleasant, and Burt and I take seasickness meds for the first time in our memory.  Somehow we get through the night and enter the Great Bahama Banks at dawn.  Only then does the motoring become comfortable.  We have a sixty mile transit across this plateau of water, no deeper than 15 feet, that rises from ocean waters thousands of meters deep.  We see no land and no other vessels. At sunset we enter the Tongue of the Ocean, a trench of extremely deep water on the east side of the banks.  We drop anchor at the southeast corner of the Berry Islands, on the north side of the Tongue, to catch a little sleep.  The stars are amazing, packing every square inch of the dark night sky – there is no ambient light in this area of the world.  The next morning we make the final hop to Nassau with sails unfurled as there is enough wind to finally do some motor sailing. 

Entering Nassau is a bit intimidating - you must get permission from Harbor Control and then encounter some preeeety big ships

Nassau is not a very appealing destination; it is a place where you arrive, take care of necessary business, and leave as soon as possible.  Crime is rampant, so most of the city is off limits, and no one goes out of the guarded marina at night.  After none months away from the Bahamas, we realize we have lost our ability to decipher the Bahamian dialect and are constantly saying “Pardon me” when talking with the locals, making us feel and perhaps look a bit foolish. We clear into customs, asking for a 120 day permit and receive a 150 day permit – go figure as usually you get less than the number of days requested.  We do a few quick errands and visit BTC (Bahamas Telephone Company) several times to get our phone and data plan changed over. It is a frustrating process, and we still do not have it totally operational. Since we crossed to the Bahamas in an unusually good window, we are joined at the marina by many other boats that crossed in the same time frame. The boaters organize a happy hour along side the pool, and we see all the faces that correspond with the voices we have been hearing over the radio the past days.

The good weather holds, and we head further east to Highbourne Cay and the north end of the Exuma chain.  There is no tarrying, though, as a front is forecasted to come through. The next day we have a great sail down to Warderick Wells and the headquarters of the Exuma Land and Sea Park, a Bahamian National Park.  The mooring ball field there is well protected and a great place to ride out a blow.  We are just in time for the weekly happy hour organized by the park.  Gathering under the beach front tiki hut, we visit with old and new friends while gazing over the spectacular scenery. 

Sunset on the beach in the Exuma Land and Sea National Park

We have been away from the Bahamas almost nine months and have forgotten how beautiful the water and beaches can be.  Come dusk, we are joined on the beach by some of the resident hutias, a rare nocturnal rodent similar to guinea pigs.  They seem oblivious to the humans and focus in on the snacks that have found their way to the ground. 

The nocturnal guests at Happy Hour

Due to the weather, we will be in Warderick Wells for several days, and we spend our time enjoying this special setting.  

The protected mooring field at Warderick Wells

 Hiking trails take us along ridges overlooking the crashing waves of Exuma Sound and across beaches where the sand is powdery soft.  

Spectacular hiking along the Exuma Sound coast at Warderick Wells

 Everywhere we come across the plentiful curly tailed lizards that peek out at us with curiosity. 

Tame Curly Tailed Lizards are on all the hiking trails

We snorkel off the back of our boat as we are moored right next to one of the most popular snorkeling sites.  Amongst the corals are tropical fish of all varieties. We see a large spotted eagle ray gracefully swim by. And, when we return to the boat, we find a three foot sharksucker attached to our keel.  Apparently, we are growing some very tasty algae down there.

Moderating winds entice us to head further south.  We have a fantastic beat to windward down to the small settlement of Staniel Cay and its anchorage at Big Majors Spot.  We spent quite a bit of time here last year, so we skip some of the common attractions such as the swimming pigs, and instead spent the rest of our afternoon snorkeling the grotto where the James Bond film Thunderball was partially filmed.  We feed bread crumbs to the school of sergeant majors and find ourselves in the midst of a huge feeding frenzy with the fish bumping into our masks.  The corals here are spectacular; many are virtually neon colored in tones of green, yellow, red, and lavender. We spend the next morning taking the dinghy to the rocky shore of Exuma Sound and hiking the jagged cliffs. 

Rocky shoreline of Staniel Cay

Crashing waves of Exuma sound

View from the cliffs

And, in the distance we see the approaching island freighter, the Captain C. 

Unloading the precious cargo from Capt. C, a typical inter-island freighteer

 That means only one thing – in a couple of hours Isles General Store will have fresh vegetables and fruit.  We plan the remainder of the day around replenishing our supplies as fresh food is so hard to come by in the Out Islands.

Our latest email forecast from Chris Parker gets our attention.  When Chris puts phrases in all caps, we take things pretty seriously.  A strong cold front, a result of the severe weather being experienced in the States, will pass through the Bahamas with potentially gale force winds from several directions, requiring an anchorage with all around protection. Due to our deep draft of almost seven feet, our possibilities are limited.  We make the decision to head to Georgetown at the southern end of the Exuma chain.  We are skipping many enjoyable destinations in our rush to get protection, but we hope to head back this way when the long term weather patterns seem more settled.

We have a beautiful motor / motorsail / sail for 60 miles down the Exuma chain in sapphire colored waters. Coming into Georgetown is a bit like coming home.  We know many of the boats that spend the entire winter here and are amazed at how many new boats also occupy the harbor.  With over 250 boats anchored along a several mile stretch of Stocking Island, this shouldn’t be a surprise.  We arrive late afternoon on Valentine’s Day and have just enough time to get showers, eat a quick dinner, and head over to Chat and Chill, the local beach bar, for the Valentines dance.  The place is hopping and the dance floor is packed with “Rocking Ron” and “Kool Karen”, friends from Vero Beach, playing disc jockey. The next day we head into Georgetown proper to do laundry, consult about our internet problems, and visit Exuma Market, a fairly adequate grocery store.  With the coming heavy weather, we will be unable to get to town for a number of days. That evening we attend our first meeting of ARGggg (Alcohol Research Group), otherwise known as Happy Hour at Hamburger Beach. Powdery soft sand rimming turquoise water and a beautiful sunset make this an ideal setting.

The foul weather is due to arrive the next afternoon.  Boats reposition, anchors are checked, deck gear is tied down, already wind shredded flags lowered, and we wait.  One boat goes aground off the beach during a pre-frontal gust, but several dinghies manage to push it off the soft sand so it can reset further out. At sunset the winds pick up to the mid-20’s accompanied by some higher gusts from a direction where we will have about five miles of open fetch.  It’s a bit bouncy, but the fresh breeze and bobbing of the boat make for some pretty good sleeping conditions.  Having a huge anchor and lots of heavy chain also makes sleeping a bit easier. Once the wind swings more easterly, dinghy access to the beach and all it’s activities will be much easier, and then, life in Georgetown will get back to normal.