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March 31st, 2011

We have been doing a little island hopping - checking out new anchorages, beach-walking and sightseeing from Big Majors Spot to Pipe Cay to Warderick Wells. After bidding adieu to S/V Sapphire and S/V Fine Lion  who are heading toward Eleuthera and then the Abacos, we went to Sampson Cay.

We'd no sooner pulled anchor than we heard S/V Packet Inn hail us on the VHF radio.  We had a great reunion that night with boating buddies, Mary and Gary.    Sampson Cay is a lovely spot.  It's always fun to watch the nurse sharks who gather by the docks when fishing boats come in. Supposedly they are tame, but none of us felt like jumping in the water to see if it was true.      The next morning, we headed out in our dinghies at low tide to explore the sand flats in the Pipe Creek area. Here's Jim with one of the flats in the background.    We found all sorts of sand dollars and rollers (small empty conch shells that roll up on the beach), and we got some good exercise.

After a couple days at Sampson, we decided to check out the abandoned DECCA station at Pipe Cay.    The Decca Navigator System (developed for the British Royal Navy by the founder of DECCA Records) consisted of a number of land-based stations organized into chains.  Each master station transmitted a continuous wave signal that was usable from 60 to 120 nautical miles away by boats with receiving equipment. By 1990, the Royal Navy had abandoned all DECCA stations - primarily due to the advent of GPS. The former DECCA channel from Pipe Cay, Exumas to South Andros Island is still marked by dolphins (tripods that stick up out of the water), that are shown on charts and is used by Bahamas fishermen to cross the Tongue of the Ocean.     Along with S/V Packet Inn, we explored the ruins of the DECCA station, combed beaches and sand bars for shells and sand dollars, then drifted through the mangroves in our dinghies and found a little blue hole. While most blue holes are really deep this one was shallow and  green in color, not deep enough to achieve blue color.   We had a postcard pretty anchorage that we abandoned when the wind picked up from the south.  It got a little too rolly for comfort. 

While enjoying cocktails aboard Solitaire later that evening with Mary and Gary, we invited a young couple from the France to join us.  They'd taken a year off from their jobs in Paris to sail the Atlantic to the Caribbean and back. You meet some of the most interesting people when you are cruising. 

We're spending a couple of days at the Exuma Land and Sea Park while a cold front passes through before returning to the Staniel Cay area to pick up friends Danny and Marilyn Goss from Oklahoma who will sail with us back to Nassau.

 

 

March 24th, 2011

A little shift in the wind had us move to another anchorage that we had been to before, Little Bay, Great Guana Cay, on the south side of Black Point.  S/V Sapphire had moved there a couple of days earlier so we decided to meet on the beach for a hike.  Actually we never did meet them.  We got to the beach a little early and although we'd made some loose plans to meet up with them during our hikes, it never happened.  Nancy and I got to exploring different beaches and they did the same.  We must have just missed each other half a dozen times - with all the nooks and crannies to explore.  This is what our anchorage looked like.  Solitaire on the left, Sapphire on the right.     We did meet up with them when we got back to Little Bay and this is what we found.     Our dinghy high and dry.  We had come in at low tide and anchored well from shore knowing that the tide would go a little lower but not this low.  We forgot that we would have a full moon that night and the tides would be low, low.  In fact about 1 foot below normal.  That's all it took to put us high and dry. So the four hikers dragged their dinghies to water. 

Dinner that night was on S/V Solitaire.  We made a marinara sauce with ground beef and all sorts of fresh vegetables. Mike and Kathy contributed a tasty salad made from broccoli, cauliflower, and dried cherries. We are eating far too healthy for a guy who never used to like green vegetables much. The following evening, we met the S/V Sapphire crew on the beach for happy hour. 

There are three nice ocean beaches that are a fairly easy hike from our anchorage.  Mike joined us the next day and off we went.   We can usually find a couple pretty shells, some sea glass and a sea bean or two.  Due to the unusually low tides, we found a sea urchin nursery that would normally have been underwater -  tiny black and red spiny urchins clinging to the rocks everywhere you looked.    Looking out from one cliff, Mike spied two more remote beaches - untouched by any other beach combers.  In this picture you can see the ocean on the left and the sound on the right.  Sometimes these islands get a little narrow.  The two new beaches are just visible as a thin light line on the top left of the picture.      Mike was on a quest to get to them and enlisted us in the search party - but even after tromping every which way through very rough terrain, we never did find a pathway.  The beaches are still untouched.

Because of forecasted high winds, we were joined by other boats in the bay.  This is what the anchorage looked like at low tide.  Along with the wind, we had one of our only downpours of the season.  As soon as Nancy saw the dark clouds forming, she scrubbed down the decks and watched for the fresh water wash-down.

After three days of wind, we headed back to Big Majors Spot for a beach side wedding reception being given by our friends Kim and Steve on S/V Fine Lion.  Their son, Scott, was married a few days earlier to his girlfriend Amy at a Bonefish Lodge on Andros Island.  The newlyweds were flying in to be with them.

Nancy made two rum cakes for the reception which was supposed to be like a normal Happy Hour beach party.  Well, to make the new couple happy she up the ante by also cooking a pork tenderloin and prepared a home-made mustard sauce for dipping the sliced pork.  Steve made a Bahamian Mac and Cheese, Kathy and Mike made Deviled eggs with capers, Barry and Susan from S/V Night Hawk brought pizza  and other folks brought veggies, dips etc.   Everyone pitched in the make the occasion special. Nancy brought the red flowers placed in her hand-woven vase.   Here is the Happy couple.      Amy is wearing a tiara woven by Kathy and holding white flowers in a woven vase also provided by Kathy.  The tiara features a heart bean woven within.  The heart bean comes from South America and floats in the ocean until found on the beach.  It is said that Columbus carried one in his pocket as he sailed to the Americas.

We plan to head out from Big Majors tomorrow and explore a few places in the North Central Exumas.  We may be out of touch for a couple weeks until we return to the Staniel Cay area awaiting the arrival of our guests, Danny and Marilyn, on April 7th.                                                                        

 

 

March 18th, 2011ek

We have  been to different anchorages for a change in scenery and for meeting friends.  At this particular anchorage, we had a wonderful day as the winds died and the sea became calm.    The bottom sand can be seen 10 to 12 feet below.    Looking straight down the scattered sea grass can be seen, along with hoards of tiny fish.  One day we went to find some treasures and dinghied to a shallow area at low tide.  Nancy and Linda (M/V Escapade) found a few small shells , some baby conch (which they left undisturbed) and lots of sand dollars.   We took a Sunday dinghy drive later that week and found a deserted beach that only exists a low tide.  Our treasure for the day was a beautiful King Helmet shell that had been abandoned by its original owner and left for us to discover. 

We talked to S/V Savage Son (Bob and Bev) as they passed our anchorage on their way back to the States.  It was good to talk to them.  I tried to call them later on the radio but no answer.  I just wanted to tell them how great the boat looked with all sails up and moving right along.

We moved to another anchorage to meet up with friends Mike and Kathy (S/V Sapphire), Steve and Kim (S/V Fine Lion) and Berry and Susan (S/V Night Hawk).  We all got together on Sapphire for a delicious dinner that Mike prepared.      Mike prepared fish tacos (freshly caught fish, lightly breaded and fried served on flour tortillas, and topped with coleslaw and hot sauce) - they were great.  Susan brought a wonderful macaroni salad  (so good that Jim gobbled up cauliflower and broccoli).  Steve contributed freshly baked French bread and homemade boursain cheese. Nancy brought brownies topped with cream cheese frosting and Oreo cookie crumbles that Steve said were the best he had ever tasted  (I think he is chocolate deprived). This is fine dining Island Style. 

Last night we went into Black Point Settlement to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  Who knew that so many locals were Irish - we saw shamrocks and green caps everywhere. We started out with happy hour at Scorpio's Bar (rum punches were 2 for the price of one and hot appetizers were free).  After that    we went to Deshamon's for dinner and had the Grand Pizza with everything on it.  A fun time was had by all.

So you ask,  What is Snap up to?  Playing, he loves his toy lobster that he got as a Christmas present from our condo neighbor Audrey.  That's all for now.

 

March 5th, 2011

We are back at Black Point  for about three days to wait out some winds.  This will also allow us to get on the internet and also we can go to the local store for fresh eggs, produce and bread.  M/V Escape is in the anchorage with us.    Ken and Linda have guests aboard and are giving the grand tour.  This is a view of the anchorage the last time we were here.    We are the far left sailboat, way over there.  Actually it is a spot where we can get wifi reception from our boat..  Not a strong signal, but we can get it.  Last week, we also had a fish fry lunch at Lorraine's Cafe. She seasons the red snappers and fries them whole until they are crispy outside and perfectly done inside. Look at Nancy chomp down on that fish head.    mmmmm.

Boat things.

 Its better to say what is working instead of what is not working.  Our sails work,  engine works, generator works, VHF and SSB communications work, frig and freezer work, rudder works, so all is not bad.  We can generate electricity, make water, keep our food fresh, and even watch a little TV - not much else we need.

After we left Black Point last time we followed a shallow vessel route to an anchorage on a nearby cay that is a protected Iguana habitat.  The first thing we saw were the White Cliffs of Dover.  Really, we didn't travel that far but we did have white cliffs.    We got in the family car (dinghy) and went ashore to meet our hosts.    Don't get too close, they bite.  The cliffs are just like the rest of the Bahamas, limestone.  I'm just waiting for one of these rocks to fall and hit me but Nancy said "stand still". 

We walked across the island to the ocean side and found another little bay.  Nancy just had to check out the water.    We continued walking north along the rocks and found a couple of more beaches.  Once we got to the north end of the island we looked back at a wonderful sight - all the lovely little beaches we'd been combing.     This island is off the beaten path and not many people visit the beaches so we had a great time looking for shells and sea beans.  We gathered a lot of each.  The beans that we find are hard wood beans that come from trees in South American.  They start their trip in the mountains and are washed down to streams and rivers finally to the ocean.  Once the ocean is reached they travel back and forth between Africa the Americas working their way north until they land on a ocean-side beach in the Bahamas.  We pick them up and sand them smooth using up to 1500 grit sandpaper to bring them to a jewelry ready shine.   The most common beans we find and like are left to right,  Heart Beans and Hamburger Beans.  The dark brown bean to the far right with the cross on it is a Mary bean and is quite rare.  This is the first one that I've found in four years of looking.

The mail boat just arrived so we'll have fresh veggies tonight.  Oh, to explain, the mail boat also brings all supplies to the out Islands.  Not much grows fresh on rocks.