Nassau, Bahamas

Not a bad stop to reprovision, and if you like crowds, probably good for a weeks vacation; but, not really our kind of place. We knew coming in though, and we were on a mission. Load the boat up with the necessities, and get out of here as soon as possible. That didn't stop us visiting the Atlantis resort, and chatting with the locals.

It looks like they are trying to break a Guiness record for the number of people on a catamaran. This is a charter we saw going through the harbor a couple of times a day. Wonder how may life jackets are on board.

The giant Atlantis, impressive really, but catering to so many people, it was like a big ass shopping mall at Xmas. And you could tell that the only thing they really wanted from you was your money.

This is walking over the bridge to Paradise Island. My Mom and Dad, Aunt Jan and Uncle Murray, stayed here last year on their vacation. A year too early! I wasn't exactly sure which hotel they stayed in, but I could finally put some pictures to the stories that they told of their trip. Too cool. And by the way Dad, we could have stayed in that marina for $160 per night, giving us access to all of Atlantis's facilities. Not really a bad price, but we're too cheap, maybe next year.

Atlantis casino. I'll bet that my parents spent a few hours in here during their visit. Serena spent $5 in one of the slots, but that was our big expenditure, and 3 minutes of our life we'll never get back.

 We had a plan. 

1. Wednesday we arrive and anchor in the harbor.

2. Thursday we dinghy to the nearest marina, and walk the town. Discover the cheapest places, who has the selection we want, and the best way to get to them all. The primary concerns are food, wine, beer, and rum. We save most of the purchasing until the next day.

3. Friday we check into a local marina for one day. The marina offered water for $6, laundry $6 per load, propane fill-up, diesel, gas station next door, the best liquor store across the street, and the biggest grocery store across the street. In a word, convenience. And convenience is going to make this reprovision happen quickly.

4. Saturday, finish what we started Friday, and leave the marina for the anchorage by lunch. Then lay down in our bunks and die.

5. Sunday, catch the favourable weather to sail to the Berry Islands.

Wednesday was no problem, we had a great 40 mile sail here, if a little lumpy, and anchored comfortably in the harbor. Most seem to want to warn us about anchoring in Nassau harbor, but we have found that if you stick to shallow water, drop the hook in a nice sandy spot, and make sure its set well, everything is good. It is a bit of a weird anchorage, and the conditions must change as the tide cycle and weather changes, because we had light current in one direction, on the ebb, and no current at all during the flood. It was quite comfortable; but we had been told there were strong currents here, who knows. Our friends on Anthyllide were here for three weeks, and their anchor got wrapped around the bow of a sunken powerboat. However, they were in 27 feet of water. We anchored in 6 feet, and there was no garbage, because we could see everything on the bottom from the bow.

Vita is about the middle, foreground.

Anyway, between Friday afternoon, and Saturday morning, we manage to go grocery shopping at two different stores, bought wine at one store, and made two trips to another liquor store for beer and rum. We got both propane tanks filled, gas can for the dinghy, diesel tank filled, and the on deck jerry can's. We filled all the water tanks and jugs 86 gallons, including filtering 8 gallons of drinking water. Our freezer is packed solid with 26 meals of meat, plus some luncheon meat and wieners for our next box of kraft dinner, yum. Our fridge is completely filled, mostly with cheeses, sour cream, and cream cheese. The dairy's take up the significant part of our fridge, as it seems to be with most cruisers we've talked to. We have 3 cases of coke, 3 cases of beer, 45 litres of wine, 17 bottles of rum, and 1 bottle of vodka. $480 for food, $422 for booze, and a bunch more for the rest. To the point that the budget is stretched very thin for this month. The problem is that very little is cheap here, and in hind sight, there are a few things we would have bought more of, before leaving the US. At least the rum was cheap. I got a 20% discount for buying a case, in other words, buy 10, get 2 for free. Now there is a deal I can live with.

This is how cruisers on small boats store their wine. It might not be fine wines, but wine in a box is way better than broken glass on the boat. Plus the above picture is 6 bags of wine, the equivalent of 40 bottles. The bags are a little lighter, and take up a lot less space.

The marina was awesome. We off loaded a ton of garbage, for free. The staff was great, and they had a pool. Oh, how I love a pool. After Friday's mad dash we sat around the patio drinking a couple of coolies, and finishing up our laundry. I went for a swim to cool down, and we just hung out on the lit patio, chatting with fellow cruisers, and people who were waiting for their dive charter vacations which started on Saturday. It was really nice to relax and just hang. In fact we enjoyed it so much that we had our morning coffee in the same spot while we tried to get the last load of laundry dried.

It looks rough eh? My chair is empty, cause, ahhh, I was taking the picture.

The worst part of Nassau, is that it isn't really safe. The Bahamas is a third world country, with the American dream. Unfortunately that breeds some bad eggs, and in the biggest city, there tends to be a larger contingent of them. The guides, and the marina staff, and the local workers, told us to stay off the streets at night, because it just wasn't safe. Truth be told, there were places where I felt uncomfortable during the daytime. We had a long chat with Sheena, the meat counter lady at the grocery store, and she told us where to shop, and that we had to be very leery of the taxi drivers, ensuring a price before the ride. She told us that if you find a driver you can trust, keep him. She even offered to take us shopping next time we are in town. It seems so weird to be in a place that has such friendly people, with such bad crime at the same time. The stores are mostly locked, even when they are open, and you have to push the buzzer to get let in. There were security guards everywhere, and I made a comment that this place must be bad, to a security guard in the drug store, and he said it was. Luckily we stuck with everyone's advice, and other than some begging, and being molested by street vendors, it was a perfectly safe visit.

Highlights of Nassau. Hangin' out by the pool in the evening, actually managing to finish the provisioning and not getting completely tired out, although we kind of felt like it most of today. And, best of all, learning a local phrase for: "don't let them screw you": - "don't let nobody break a shaft off in yah". I think our version is easier to say, but there's is far more colorful.

So tomorrow morning we head off to the Berry Islands for some chil-laxin. We've earned it. We are planning on a couple of weeks away from civilization, so I guess the next update will have to wait. Miss us......

On Our Way North

Wow, what a great week it has been. Nice and quiet, hanging out in the Bahamas, sunny skies, warm clear water, snorkeling, and just chil-laxin’.

We left Black Point on Monday the 10^th. After doing our laundry in the morning, and sending out messages to everyone that we were going off grid for a few days. We ended up motor sailing the 9 miles up to Staniel Cay. My back was really acting up, and there was no wind to speak of, so it wasn't really worth the effort to try and sail. We anchored just south of Big Majors Cay in 8 feet of water. We could see the town, but we were far enough away from it and all the other boats, that it was like being in our own little world.

The wind was dead the next day, and wasn't expected to pick up until Wed, so we took a play day. We snorkeled through Thunder-ball Grotto one more time and fed crackers to the fish. Afterwards we dinghied into the Yacht Club and sat out on the front porch sipping a couple of beers and watching the world go by. We finally made our way back to the boat, went for a little swim, sans suits, and had cockpit showers before settling in for a quiet afternoon, and a very relaxed evening. A more perfect day does not exist, I am sure of it.

Believe it or not, the fish in the above picture is a 6" long Barracuda, even these monsters of the sea start out cute.

The sharks at Staniel are fun to play with, just don't get in the water when they are feeding. Blood makes them a little stupid. Kind of like beer for a Canadian Polar Bear.

The next day the winds were to fill in from the south-east, which was perfect for a run up to Norman’s Cay, 36 nautical miles away. It was such an incredible sail, relatively flat seas, and a beautiful 15 knot wind. We made the trip, under sail alone, in 6 hours. That is an awesome timing for Vita. We dropped the hook in the channel near the sunken plane wreck to wait out the bad weather on its way, and for fair weather to make the trip to Nassau.

Being stuck in Norman’s for a few days, due to unfavorable winds, we took advantage of the time to enjoy kicking back. We snorkeled most days. Collecting conch for bait, and spearing our first lobster for Valentines dinner. We fed crackers to the fish at the plane wreck, and admired the underwater beauty of the ocean reefs around the island. We spent time relaxing, reading, playing guitar, making wonderful meals, baking, and really just enjoying time together. It really was wonderful, and we are hoping to get more time to do this kind of stuff after we provision in Nassau, and before we make the long journey home.

Serena took video of me spearing my first lobster. Above is a frame from the video, and below is the prize.

And the next picture shows what happens after grilling. Yummy.

We got a little spooked the second day here. We were swimming on a reef, beside the cut heading into Norman’s Cay, on the ocean side. A few hundred yards away the bottom dropped off to over a thousand meters. However, we couldn't see it because the water had gotten a little murky, and the surrounding area went from a gray haze into an eerie black beyond. We spied a nurse shark sitting on the bottom next to the coral, and between him and the heebie-jeebies, we decided to move to another spot. We ended up spending about 3 ½ hours in the water, but couldn't shake that uneasy feeling. Its probably all for good, spear fishing in murky water is probably not the best idea anyway, and we had heard that a large hammerhead shark had been hanging out around the island lately. The following day under similar conditions on the other side of the island, right after jumping into the water from the dinghy, I had a Barracuda come up to me. I imagine he was wondering what all the noise was all about, but he couldn't see that well either. Good thing I wasn't bleeding. Apparently I am too big and menacing to look like food.

The following day our friends on Anthyllide anchored behind us in the cut, and we spent 6 hours on their boat hanging out, catching up, having a few drinks and a wonderful dinner. We were going to spend a day or two hunting on the nearby reefs, but they realized the next morning that they’re propane was getting very low. So they headed off south to Staniel Cay to try and get a fill up. We are headed north, they are headed south, but it’s a small world, and we’ll end up anchored in the same place again sometime.

So that made yesterday a quiet one. Serena defrosted the fridge, and last night we ate our last package of meat, steak. We made it 6 weeks with the meat in our freezer, not too shabby. The last time we bought meat was in Miami. A fill up in Nassau should get us through until we are back in the US, and headed home.

Today we made the 40 mile trip to Nassau. It was a rather spirited sail, averaging close to 6 knots again. We are now anchored in the busy Nassau harbor. The holding here is notoriously poor, and not recommended by the guide books, so I guess it will be a fitful sleep tonight worrying if the anchor will hold and being prepared to move the boat if it doesn't. At least there should be lots of light to help us. Tomorrow we'll discover whatever Nassau has to offer, and then we’ll put that into another blog entry.

And here are a couple of pics to show that we eat well on the boat. All Serena's doing. Lets face it, men would eat beans out of a can and wash it down with warm beer, but this is way better.

Breakfast. Okay, I don't get this every day, but any day is awesome. 

Serena's best homemade bread so far. There is a future for her. Gordon Ramsey, I got one for ya.

Freshly made coleslaw, and grilled cheese from freshly made bread. Okay, its making me hungry.

 Gotta go eat. Tomorrow or the next day we'll get the, "made it to Nassau" entry put up. Cheers for now.

Turning Around

Yep, just a quick note to let everyone know, we are turning around. We were going to wait until Georgetown in the Exumas, but we've figured out that if we turn around now, we can spend an extra week relaxing in the Abacos. And, to be honest, Georgetown doesn't really sound like our cup of tea, just too many people. We were going to use it as a provisioning stop before heading north, but we really are not in that desperate of need for anything. Next year, if we are going down through the Caribbean, we will see Georgetown anyway, so what's the rush.

The worst part of the whole deal is that all of our friends are still going south. We knew at some point we were going to be ditching them, and in some ways this last minute decision makes it easier, but they will be missed. The cruising world is so small, that we are sure to run into them again, some anchorage, somewhere. For all those that we didn't get a chance to say bye to, see ya around guys, it was a slice, and we hope to see you again real soon.

What this means to our blog followers, is that, we might not have internet for awhile. As usual, we'll update when we can, whenever that might be.

And, where exactly are we going. Well, we don't exactly know. We really haven't planned that far ahead. We may stop in Nassau to pick up some things, or we might travel on through to Marsh Harbor in the Abacos to load up. We will need propane and beer at some point. Then we want to take some time off, snorkel, dive, fish, beach comb, and rest our weary parts. We only have about 7 weeks left before we start heading home, so we want to make the most of them.

Stay tuned for new adventures and new friends of the crew of Vita......

The Exumas

We have some complaints about the Exumas. We were told to come down here first, enjoy the good weather, then go to the Abacos later in the season, because its too cold in the Abacos. Well, its too friggin' hot in the Exumas. Yes, that's only one complaint, but I am hot and sweaty, slightly irritable, and I am guessing that all our friends and family in snowy, cold, Canada, are feeling very little pity for us.

However, they should have a little pity for us, I am still broken. My back is turning me into "No-Fun Robby." I want to do everything, run around, have fun, go diving; but I can't, its all I can do to walk around a little bit. Recovery is always a pain, no pun intended, but here, with so many things to do, its just not fair. Mommy, why can't I go out an play with the other kids........

Anyway. I left off the last blog entry as we had just got to Black Point settlement. So far it is our favorite-est place to be. The anchorage is huge, the people friendly, the water free, the stores and restaurants, perfect. If there was a little better snorkeling and fishing near by, we would stay the whole time, right there.

With me being all busted up, we were not very active for the 6 days that we stayed. As previously forecasted, we did not partake in the superbowl parties, but it sounds like the game was a flop, and the food mediocre. We did manage to get 3 loads of laundry done, which included all of our bedding. You know your cruising in paradise when 3 1/2 weeks of laundry is only 3 loads. It is amazing how long you can wear the same shirt, or the same pair of shorts. We bought fresh fruits and vegetables, twice, as we were there for two mail boats. Ate at restaurants 3 or 4 times, and abused the free internet as much as my back could handle.

One day while we were there we went for a walk with our friends from Serenada and Slow Waltz. We took a lunch and headed down the road looking for blow hole, and a road that was supposed to take us all the way to the end of the island. Well, the blow hole we found, but the end of the island eluded us as the road went from paved, to gravel, to sand, to a path, to where are we exactly!!!! It was a little rough going, and eventually we realized that it was time to lunch and turn around.

The girls heading out. A pretty good road so far.

The anchorage. We had over 100 boats there for a couple of days.

The ocean side of the island is gorgeous, if not wild.

Windy today. The waves were a little big.

Yeah, I don't see a road.

Hey girls, find that road yet.

Welcome to one of the Black Point Bakeries. This is Grandma's. The house behind the popular restaurant Loraine's. This is Loraine's mother baking bread in her kitchen. Serena had been making her own bread, but for $6, grandma will do all the work for us. We bought 2.

Full of water, full of food, and running late for the Farmers Cay Festival, we reluctantly left Black Point. Its only a 9 mile ride so not a real big trip, but the wind was right on the nose, as usual, so we tacked back and forth, being a motor sailor. I wasn't really up for working to hard, still very tender.

We arrived at Little Farmers Cay and dropped the hook just to the west of the runway and north of the other 40 boats in the anchorage. That unfortunately put us right on top of a shoal. But, luckily we draw less than 4 feet, and we have 4 feet of water at low tide. Mind you, you would have a hard time passing a peanut butter sandwich between the keel and the sand. We stayed on the boat because I was crippled up, and we knew today was going to be a little hectic with the festival going on.

We left the boat this morning meaning to check out the town and see what was going on. The mail boat had come in, so we ended up shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables again. Take it when you can get it, because tomorrow you may not get anything. Its a cute little town, and right now the population is about quadruple normal, with all the cruisers and Bahamians here from other islands for the festival.

And here is the grocery store. IGA it is not. The mail boat comes in about once a week depending on the needs of the settlement, the availability of the boat, etc... It brings all the goods required to keep the island viable, especially food. Once the fresh goods are off loaded into the store, it opens, and everyone rushes in to see what they can get. There is no use bringing a list, because you get what is there. Then there is the big lineup as the girls at the counter add everything up on a piece of paper and take your money. Many things come in bulk, and if you want a lb of cheese from the block, you'll have to come back later after its been cut.

Today we got strawberries, grapes, bread, and crackers. We went back later in the day for bologna, because it needed to be sliced off the block first. We hadn't intended to go back to the boat so early, but the groceries needed the fridge. Leaving the boat late, we knew that we wouldn't make it to the men's best buns and legs contest, so I didn't bother to wear my good shorts. We ended up making it anyway, but I am glad I didn't enter. Mr. silver speedo below was the sure fire winner. Its hard to tell, but the guy behind him in the picture is Bob, and the guy to the right in the picture is Al, both from our yacht club in Trenton, so at least CFBTrenton was well represented.

Afterwards was the women's wet T-shirt contest. They had a hard time talking the girls into it at first, but we ended up with 8 contestants, including Serena. Not in a million years would I have ever expected her to join in. She didn't win unfortunately, but got a free rum drink for her troubles, and a fresh water hosing, which was nice in the heat. The winner had a T-shirt that when folded from the bottom up, revealing a picture of a pair of breasts. It was really cute, but there was talk of a disqualification because she was apparently wearing a bra underneath. All in good fun.

Then we watched the plunger contest. A man and woman team were required, but I didn't think my back would tolerate the game. The woman tied a plunger around her waist, and tried to stick it into the toilet paper role that was being held between the mans legs. Then she had to run to the end of the lawn keeping the TP roll on the stick, drop it, and the man had to run over, pick it and run back to the starting line with the roll between his legs. No hands. Not as easy as it seems. Below is Bob and Monique of Last Waltz, from our yacht club at home.

Looking out over the runway to the boats anchored around Little Farmer's Cay.

The Bahamian Air Force? No, just a couple of 4 seater planes. The transportation of the small Bahamian islands.

Tomorrow is the sailboat races, and ironically, we are anchored right in the middle of the course. Front row seats. That means we'll probably spend the day on the boat unless something drags us away. I need the rest anyway, because it sounds like the following day might be a good day to make the big jump to Georgetown.

January 2014 Recap

Dates: Jan 1-31, 2014

Miami Beach, FL – Bimini, Bahamas – New Providence – Exumas, Allens Cay, Norman’s Cay, Cambridge Cay, and Staniel Cay.

Sailing: 15 hrs

Motoring: 45 1/2 hrs (includes motor-sailing)

Mileage: 259 Nm (Nautical Miles)

Budget Amount:      $1590.00 US (All budgeting is in US funds)

Charts/Books:          $      0.00     

Boat Parts:               $     11.00     

Marinas:                   $  100.00

Diesel:                      $    88.00

Beer:                        $   156.00

Grocery:                   $  454.00

Entertainment:         $   147.00

Fees/Services:          $   167.00     (pump-outs, laundry, wifi, taxis, etc...)

Clothing/Shopping   $    53.00

Misc:                        $   117.00     (Propane, hobbies, etc...)

Total:                      $1293.00

Debit/Credit:           $  297.00

Yep that’s right, under budget. And, most of this was spent before we left Miami, in the way of provisioning. Then there was the $150 Bahamian entry fee, and the $79 for our Bahamian cell phone. However, as nice as it is to be under budget, there is no way this is going to make up for the overages on the way down. But at least it’s a positive. Mom always said, enjoy the small victories, they may be the only ones you get. Smart lady….

The Marina fees were for Bimini. The weather window for crossing the gulf-stream was really short, and there was a norther blowing in, so we stayed in the marina while it blew thru at 35+ knots. We knew when we left Miami that we were going to do it, but we had had enough of Miami Beach, and the next weather window wasn’t even in the forecast yet. What is the price of sanity?

Also, because we had so much food on the boat from the big provisioning in Miami, we didn’t need to spend much. We made it to the end of the month only purchasing some lettuce, carrots, and a case of beer. Since then we have loaded up on some fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, and cheese. But that didn’t happen until Feb.

So the purpose in January was to get to the Bahamas and start relaxing in the crystal clear water. Get away from the walmarts and superstores, the commercialism, and the dirty coastal waters. Of course we intended that for December, and it didn’t happen. We were a little more successful this time.

I think our biggest revelation this month, was that cruising is hell! Okay, more like a hell of a lot of work! As we talk to our fellow first time cruisers, we all come to the same conclusion, no one ever tells you how much work is involved with cruising. I remember all these stories from people out doing it, where upgrades and non-critical repairs take years, and I thought, holy crap these guys are lazy. In retrospect I realize that they never had the time to do any of them. One of the reasons I left the military was because I was tired of Band-Aid solutions. Running around putting out fires instead of preventing them. Guess what you do when your cruising. Or perhaps it’s more like our friend Scott says, whenever you do a project, you might miss something fun, and who wants to take that chance.

The social aspect of cruising is exhausting. There are so many great people, that there is not enough time to enjoy all their company. If you’re lucky you get to have a few that you keep close, but that leaves even less time for everyone else. I am pretty sure that I have mentioned it before, but it’s an issue that never seems to go away. One thing is for sure, it is devilishly hard to be lonely out here.

I know I have mentioned this before, but after spending three weeks in the Bahamas, the trip down “is” the purgatory that you have to get through to make it paradise. There are no beautiful old buildings, no groomed parks, or museums, but the natural beauty is enough to make all those inventions of man, seem like a waste of time. This point of view is obviously personal for each of us, but we know now that travelling down the eastern seaboard is only an end to a means, for us. Now that we have done it once, the next time will be easier, more expedient, and likely less of a pain in the arse. All we need to do now is learn how to get the most out of this island paradise.

That's it for this month. Next month I will try and do this again. The format may change a little as I go. If anyone reading the blog would like to see anything in particular, let me know, I may be able to squeeze it in, especially if it seems like good info to pass on.

Now back to your regular blogging........

Travelling in NoMan’s Land

It’s not hard to figure out why there aren't many people living in the little islands of the Bahamas. They are rough. Coral or rock islands, covered in a thin layer of sand, with little or no vegetation. But; the water is “gin clear”, the beaches are beautiful, and the underwater world is fascinating. So where it might be difficult place to eek out a living, it is an incredible place to experience some raw nature.

Have a seat and pull a six pack out of the fridge, because its going to take you a while to read this entry. We have been without internet for 2 ½ weeks, but there is so much stuff to talk about, that I just have to….

 We stayed an extra day in West Bay, New Providence. The winds were forecast out of the east, the exact direction we wanted to go. So we took the day off and snorkelled. And did we snorkel, 4 hrs in total, but it was just so amazing. We have some great underwater video, and one of these days soon I’ll put together a YouTube upload to tease the waterly afflicted, trapped by winters snows. Unfortunately, with the daily chores plus all the time in the water, Serena’s back was acting up again.

 Wednesday morning it was time to leave. It would have been better if we could have stayed put, as the seas were outrageously large, and we were down to a one man crew. But, unfortunately, the anchorage we were in was going to be far too uncomfortable with winds coming out of the south. So off we went into 8 foot seas with a short period. It was all we could do just to get out of the bay, and then between the engine at max, and the yankee flying from the forestay, we were just able to make our way out into the tongue of the ocean. For 8 hours we pounded into short choppy seas, motor sailing about 6 of it, before the seas started to lay down for the last 2 hours of the trip to Allens Cay. The guide book says that it fills up quickly with first time cruisers, and does it. The first night was okay, but the second night we had 16 boats, and the third night 18. The anchorage doesn’t fit that many, and it was tight. Ironically, the only real problems that surfaced were on the first night when two boats dragged. However, other than the iguanas and the bikini clad tourists arriving on the high speed tour boats, there is not much to see at Allens. That plus the fact that there is little protection from weather and current in there, is probably why the experienced cruisers pass it by.

We stayed put in Allens, even though it was rough, because Serena was broken. Her back was worse than usual because of the rough 10 hour trip to get there, so she played broken sick person, and I played den mother. You may laugh, but you have no idea how hard it is to keep a pig-headed sick-O from injuring herself even further. It was a full time job. I did let her out to go to the beach Thursday afternoon, for a quick trip to play with the iguanas, and to go to movie night on Serenada, but otherwise, it was bed ridden.

Islands made of coral create these mini caves along the shores, washed out by waves over the years.

The great iguana caper.

By Friday Serena was starting to feel a bit better. I was still playing the domestic, but after getting permission I was allowed to go play with my friend Gil. We thought we would try to find some conch for dinner. Try being the operative word, because the great conch hunt was yet stumped. Then I snorkelled around the anchorage, checking anchors, and discovering the truly weird bottom. It was like a series of ravines, valleys, and mountains of sand. If it wasn’t covered in water, I would have thought it was the desert. Finally I took some video of our own anchor, and the 3 foot ramora that was stuck to the bottom of our boat. Ramoras are a scavenger fish. They have a large suction cup on the top of their head, and they attach themselves to large fish, such as sharks, and ride around for free. When the shark eats, the remora will dart out taking morsels that fly free, and then go back and attach itself to the fish again. Apparently boat hulls are sharky’ enough, because they’re were a few of them around.

Friends Diana and Gil.

They're everywhere.

Friday night was great. The seas and the wind layed down, and it got nice and quiet. We had happy hour and dinner over at Serenada’s, with our friends from Cs’ta Time. But shortly after midnight the wind and seas started back up again. We were intending to leave Saturday, but the anchorage was so uncomfortable that we were having a hard time getting the boat ready to leave, and we were starting to think we wouldn’t be able to leave at all. There are some things about cruising that really suck, and rolling violently from side to side in a swell, is one of them. We did eventually manage to put all to bed, raise the hook and head out to sea.

The water was rough, but doable. We stopped into Highbourne Cay and fuelled up. The diesel was a pretty good price, but the $10 we paid for a small bag of romaine hearts was a bit much. $5 for garbage, $4 for ice cream, etc… Leaving there we made our way to Normans, and nestled in. The wave action was much better than in Allens Cay. Finally, quiet. We were greeted by friends, and went for a walk with them on the island before rushing back to Vita to prepare a dinner for our buddy Fred. We had a great evening sitting in the cockpit telling lies, and swapping stories. We saw Fred off, had showers and stayed up to 1:00 in the morning watching The Hobbit. People ask, what do you do with your days when you’re out cruising. The problem is not what to do, but what can’t you get to in a day.

These birds greeted us at the dock in Highbourne Cay. They were very friendly.

We ended up staying at Norman’s Cay for 7 days. They go by so quick, you never even notice they’re gone until you realize that you’re the tour director for your anchorage, and all your friends that were there, or came after you have left. It was our first real taste of the Bahamas, and it tasted good.

The water was so clear you could see the anchor running along the bottom, and the dinghy looked like it was in a swimming pool. The water was 16 feet deep, believe it of not. So far our record is 65 feet. We actually saw the bottom in 65 feet of water. Wow....

We snorkelled like mad. I can’t even imagine how many hours were spent, spear fishing, hunting for conch, diving on coral reefs, or videoing the plane wreck in the middle of our anchorage. Then there were sundowners, baking, cleaning, etc… Life was full, and it was fun, right up until the last two days where I laid on my back in bed, reading. It was my turn to be the sick-O. I had been ignoring a nagging back ache that started bothering me when we were in West Bay, and all the activity finally caught up with me, but damn was it worth it.

The highlights including diving on our first coral heads. I speared my first fish, but he wriggled off the spear and swam away. Its unfortunate that I turned him into fish food, but lets face it, he was destined for it anyway. It’s not like these little reef fish die from old age very often. We spent hours upon hours hunting conch, a mile or more offshore in 15 to 20 feet of water. I managed to find two, only to discover that there were dozens right in our anchorage, in 2 feet of water. We were dinghying over to give our catch to our friends, and they had just stumbled across them. So we cleaned our 6 conch limit on the beach, and prepared them back on board Vita. Turns out, we don’t really like conch all that much. It wasn’t that it was bad, it just wasn’t our cup of tea. Pork chops are still way better. I guess those thousands of conch we may have eaten…. Will have to be eaten by someone else!!

The great conch hunt prevails. Its messy.

We dove on our first plane wreck. There were tons of fish swimming around us, and a couple of big manta rays resting in the sand. We got some great video, and if we ever get some time to sit around and do nothing, I’ll edit the video and put it up on YouTube. Probably when we get home.

Still somewhat broken, we departed anyway. Our plan was not to spend 2 months in Normans Cay, there were other places we wanted to see. Our friend Fred had told us about a little place in the Exuma park called the “aquarium”. The fish are protected, and plentiful, and we just had to see it. So off we moved down the Exuma chain to Cambridge Cay. About a mile and a half south of the aquarium in a very protected anchorage. Some of our friends were here, and we spent a wonderful 3 days, snorkelling, goofing around, sailing our dinghy, hanging out, and recuperating from all the fun.

Friends Gwen and Guillaume of Slow Waltz, and Dave and Jane from Romano, on Vita for sundowners. It was a tight fit in our little cockpit. But, good friends, good food, good times.

At sundowners the first night, our friend Guillaume was talking about sailing for the sake of sailing; as we cruisers tend to sail in order to move our homes, but we have forgotten about enjoying a good sail, just because we have a boat and nature provides us with a fair wind. So I brought up that we had a sailing kit for our dinghy. Still in its original package, begging to be used. Well, you know what happens when two men get together to enjoy a new toy. Yep, that’s right, a crap load of fun. We had a blast. All the thoughts I had about getting a rigid inflatable go fast dinghy, have now gone bye-bye. I couldn’t imagine giving up the ability to go sailing, whenever I want, without preparing Vita for sea.

Guillaume and I testing out the dink.

We also hit several dive sites over 2 days. The aquarium was incredible, and we made two trips. We took some awesome underwater video, swam with our first shark, and a ray the size of a barn door. We ate lunch on a beach and made friends with a little gecko that enjoyed Serena’s tuna macaroni salad. We drift snorkelled with the incoming tide and spotted our first sea turtle. Dove on yet another crashed airplane, and played the stare game with a couple of rather large Barracudas. Its funny, barracudas are not particularly dangerous fish, unless your bleeding, but they are very curious, and will watch divers, even following them when they move away. It’s just eerie how these, up to 6 foot fish can just sit there and stare at you with those big ass teeth. And the first one that followed me scared the livin’ crap out of me. In contrast, 3 days later I chased one with my go-pro camera through thunderball cave. It’s a learning/comfort curve.

We snorkelled into our first caves. It was awesome. I can’t possibly explain the anxiety, the wonder, and the sense of accomplishment of snorkelling in your first cave. The coral

was amazing, the fish exotic, and wave action in the caves, too cool. And; the CPS guys are going to use this as a example of what not to do:

After a long day of snorkelling, our friends Guillaume and Gwen, Dave and Jane, and our selves were floating through the anchorage in their dinghies, tied together. We were enjoying some very cold beers, telling each other lies, and baking under a hot sun. When we noticed a nurse shark in 4 feet of water. We had taken so much video with the go-pro that the battery was dead, but we were hoping to get just a short video of the shark. So we untied the two dinghies and started chasing the 6 foot long shark through the anchorage. I suited up, mask, snorkel, fins, and go-pro video camera ready to jump out of the fast moving dinghy at the right moment to take the precious video. We eventually got really close to the shark, that was trying to avoid us at that point, and made a sharp turn to the left. And that’s when we realised that this gentle nurse shark was in fact a not so gentle reef shark. There was no mistaking the sharp pointed tail. On reflection; a slightly intoxicated Robby, sitting on the edge of a fast moving dinghy, ready to jump into the water with a pissed off reef shark, was probably not the wisest thing I’ve done in the last little while. Mind you, to some people, taking a 29’ boat out into the Atlantic ocean, might not be that wise either. You only live once!!!

Anyway, after all the fun, my back pain was getting the better of me. So the next day when our friends left, we stayed for a day of recuperation. We did move Vita a mile north to O’Brien’s Cay so that we could visit with our friends on Serenada. Gil was having some back issues too, and we figured they might be in the mood to have a little company, after I was done laying on my back for the day.

When we anchored a 4 foot barracuda came over to check us out, and he never left. Six hours later when we dinghied over to Serenada’s for sundowners, the fish followed us. As it was dark when we left to go home, we’re not sure what happened to him. But in the morning his big brother had taken up the position at our swim ladder, only he was 4 ½ or 5 feet long. By far the biggest barracuda we had seen yet. We had no time to play though, as we were making our way down to Big Majors Cay, which is conveniently located just north of Staniel Cay. Staniel Cay is home to a typical Bahamian town, with grocieries, restaurants, and roads to walk on, ….. It is also the site of the famous Thunderball Grotto from the James Bond movie, “Thunderball”.

The little 4 foot barracuda.

We dinghied the mile and a half into town just to walk around and check things out. We had a beer at the Yacht Club, and then walked the town, checking out the grocery stores, the local flora and fauna. Finally ending up back at the Yacht Club to watch the local fisherman cleaning there catch of conch, lobster, and fish. But more interestingly, to watch the 20 nurse sharks that gathered in the shallows to pick up on the free meal as the fisherman cast the garbage parts into the water.

A word about the typical Bahamian grocery store. They are small. The size of your living room probably, and not likely much bigger. Decisions are made all the more easier because there is only one choice, buy or don’t buy. There is no choice between types, or brand names, or sizes. You get what you get, and you pay through the nose for it. Although, we did find the prices in the town stores much better than the prices in Yacht Club stores. Three romaine hearts was only $7 vice $10. In reality, it makes shopping so much easier.

Serena let me sail by myself. Woohoo. Too bad it took me like 4 tries to sail back to the boat. I have good excuses though.

Those sharks don't look too menacing!

Here little piggy. This big sow chased Serena right into the water, but they swim, so there was no refuge. She finally threw a bunch of apple slices and the pig left her alone for a few seconds. Too funny.

Yep, wild and ferocious.

Above, a frame from some video I took of the huge Barracuda. 

Feeding the fish.

Day two we sailed Life Line, our dinghy, around the anchorage for most of the morning. With Serena and I both in the dinghy, it handled well, with just me in it, weight distribution was very important. By the time I got back to Vita there was probably 60 gallons of water in the boat from waves coming over the side during poorly executed manoeuvres. Going into shore we fed the wild pigs, that aren’t really all that wild. Then gathered up our snorkel gear and headed for Thunderball Grotto for slack-low water. It was incredible. I did take some amazing video, and there are a few pictures here that I clipped out of it, but they do not do this place justice. We snorkelled thru the cave with our friends from Slow Waltz and Romano, then circled around the outside to enjoy the amazing coral, and even more fish, before feeding them crackers. If you hold a cracker out, they will attack, hundreds of them. It was a great experience.

Serena's turn. This was so much fun. Thanks to Gwen for thinking to bring the crackers.

In the water with the sharks to get some close up video. Here is a couple frames. They really aren't as scary as people think. A guy got bit the day before we were in there, but he only needed 12 stitches. A scratch.

The coral at thunderball cave was incredible.

Serena inside thunderball grotto. Too cool.

Definitely worth the visit.

Afterwards we all dinghied into the yacht club for snacks and beer, and wait for the fisherman to show up and bring the sharks in. Later we find out that if you knock the plastic bucket on the fish cutting table, they come swimming. So we knocked on the table and waded into the water to take pictures and video of the sharks up close. Serena didn’t get to pet one like she would have liked, but I took some video about 12” away from the snout of the biggest one. Too cool….

The next day we left Staniel Cay, as the anchorage was starting to get a little rolly, and we were getting a little low on water. The next stop, Black Point, they have free water, wifi, and better stores than Staniel. I was talking to a gentleman this morning at the water tap, and he said there were 90 boats in here last night. Its busy, but apparently it has more to do with Superbowl weekend. We’ll be skipping the parties, as we are not big partiers or football fans. We may even leave tomorrow for somewhere a little quieter. It would be nice to get a couple of days by ourselves before we hit Georgetown in a week or so.

I hope I didn’t bore you too much with this long entry. I left out so much stuff, that I would have liked to add, but it is time to do our end month entry as well, and I need to save a little bit for it. Hope everyone is having an awesome winter.