This little town is very charming.  We had 3 excellent days here.  The Marina is really nice but we are only ones here except a sailboat with 2 Swedish guys (Art Evidon, they have been to Mole and said “there is nothing there! LOL”.  We took a golf cart and cruised the island.  Golf Carts are the main mode of transportation. My idea of a good time, wind in your face.   We went to beaches down narrow, bumpy dirt roads and, again, we were all alone.  We stopped at a local beach bar/restaurant called The Sand Bar.  I had the best fish sandwich  AND french fries.  How I have missed this simple pleasure!  This was a good spot to have a beer,  lunch and watch the ocean.  It was pretty popular and boats came into the bay,  anchored and waded in the shallow water for lunch.

 

We returned to the boat to rest, so I thought.  What??? Mr. Aquaman rest??? Are you kidding me!!! It was a perfect opportunity to take a paddle.   We are in a channel with mangroves.  Andy inflated my kayak for the first time, which is a workout in itself.  Once the boards were ready we headed out and paddled thru the mangroves and up the channel.  As we were returning, Andy spotted a huge mama Manatee with a baby.  I paddled over and the baby was super curious about my bright blue kayak and swam over to me.  Mama came in for protection and swam right under my kayak.  I wondered if it was going to lift me out of the water on its back.  I lifted my paddle and held my breath as it passed under me super shallow and close.  Thank god these things aren’t man eaters.  The baby stayed close to mama but kept checking me out.  I cruised with them for a bit and then thanked them for the visit and for not tipping me over.   I got some pictures but I was so in the moment watching them that are not very good.  Sometimes its good to just watch, experience the majestic moment and not alway grab your phone and miss these brief encounters.  This was one of those.

 

We had the golf cart for 24 hours so we took advantage of having wheels and went to dinner at The Shipwreck. This place is right on a point looking out to the ocean and reefs.  We spotted a shark cruising the reef and some rays.  The restaurant is pretty gourmet for this Island and we had a fantastic dinner.  (I don’t do food pictures!)  Trust me when I say it was yummy.  I love eating at new places and its always a nice break from cooking.  Our supplies are limited.  I provisioned the boat well but we will eventually run out!  Hopefully not before we return to Florida.

Today was “get the dingy out of it’s time out, it was grounded for bad behavior” day.  We took it down and cruised thru super shallow water with sand bottom that turned to eel grass.  We did go around but managed to get free pretty easy.  We were trying to get to some rock islands that we hoped would have some good reefs.  I wasn’t impressed, But nothing stops Aquaman from jumping in and having a look.  We anchored the dingy and I sat watch.  He said it was a 6/10.  After he was satisfied we took a different route back hoping to avoid the shallow eel grass.  It worked and we found our way back safe and sound.  More importantly the dingy behaved.  We really should have sought out local knowledge for good snorkel spots.  These rocks seemed the perfect reef spot but they didn’t deliver.  Maybe the next place. Can’t always be great!

 

We lounged by the pool and took a dip to cool off.  If I lay on a lounge chair longer then an hour then you know I am sick.  A.   fter an hour I  did a bit of boat clean up.  If you know me you know the boats pretty clean always.  I am a bit of a freak,  but it needed a little attention and I am always satisfied with a rag and some simple green.  I did wash some windows and scrub the bathroom.  Exciting stuff!!  This is our home and needs the same attention a house needs.   It takes me just minutes to get it sparkle clean and smelling like lemon and citrus!  I love it when the boats clean!!!

I am totally missing Mexican food. Like seriously missing it!! I managed to find corn tortillas in Nassau and I bought 2 packs!  I was so excited.  I put together chicken enchiladas with shredded chicken I had frozen.  I also found some avocados!!!  It satisfied me a bit.  Not completely took away the desire for hot melty cheese and crisp shell tacos with rice, beans, salsa, chips and guacamole.  I will be dreaming of my meal at La Cocina or Cabo In Oxnard when I eventually return to California for a visit.  For now it had to due.

Andy and I have felt very alone a lot on this trip.  Some places have people and we make friends. But some places are disappointingly empty.  We have this expression lately, “Here we are, all alone again!”  It’s almost like we are ahead of the season and we have had meals in restaurants alone, lots of beaches with no people on them, anchorages with not a sole to be seen, and this marina is a ghost town, just another sail boat.  We decided to leave tomorrow to Harbor Island.  I think we have seen all there is to see.  It isn’t far but the advise from everyone is to take a local guide/captain because the waters are very difficult to navigate and the charts are not accurate.  It’s called the Devils Backbone and it a graveyard with sunken boats.  We are heeding the advise and have the #1 Pilot that was highly recommended escorting us.  He pulls a skiff behind the boat to return once we are thru the pass.  I know, I know!  Crazy.  But everyone we talk to says we have to see this town and the pink sand beaches.  It sounds too good to pass up,  and heck, we are all the way here.  It would be shame not to go.  So we are!   We are hoping the next marina is a bit more happening.  I will keep ya all posted! Wish us luck!

Day 1 in Spanish Wells

We left Nassau this morning for Eleuthera.  Before we pulled out,  our new friend and fellow looper came over for a bon voyage and picture of them wearing their AQUAMAN T-shirts.  I mean, what’s the chance of meeting a fellow looper, in a Bayliner, who also has a vintage AQUAMAN t-shirt!!  Super cool!!!  Dale helped us untie lines and cast off.  I am sure our paths will cross again in the near future.  Meeting loopers is just awesome.  Andy and I were talking today that everyone in the Bahamas has been so friendly and nice.  From fellow boats, to dock hands, to marina staff and even store clerks.  This place has been very gracious and friendly.  Everyone waves and says Hi while passing in the street and greet us with a big smile as we pull into marinas.  It has made us feel safe and welcome.

We started our crossing from Nassau to Eleuthera and it was good.  The swell built a bit but it was manageable.  I stayed in my preferred spot facing to the back and not watching the swell.  I do better this way.  I still get a bit nervous when we pull away,  but I’m getting better and we don’t take chances with sketchy weather.  We wait and watch before we go.  The boat moved easily thru the swell  and we were comfortable.  Once we got behind the outer Islands and protected  waters it turned to glass.  We still can’t believe we travel in such shallow water were we can see the bottom.  We haven’t gotten used to that yet.

We arrived at  Spanish Wells Yacht Haven.  We had to come through a narrow and shallow channel.   Andy maneuvered the boat like he had done this 100 times.  The dock master met us and helped us tie up the boat.  There was not even 1knot of wind and we are in a mangrove channel that is totally protected from wind, waves and weather.  We tied up,  settled in and went up to the restaurant for lunch.  We again had that feeling of  “where the heck are we and how did we get here!”  We had an amazing lunch, a few drinks and decided to get the bikes down and cruise the island.  It was the perfect way to check out this cute little town.  I had the best bike ride and I enjoyed looking at the small bungalows and cottages.  We went by the fishing docks and watched the fishing boats come in.  Fishing seems to be the lifeblood of this place.  Some boats were pulling in and the wildlife came in to feast on the refuge thrown into the water.  Rays and sharks a plenty.  We rode a good distance and stopped at a wonderful spot for a drink.

 

This marina is in a narrow channel with mangroves on one side.  It is totally still and empty.  Most people anchor out.  We could, but we have both decided we love being in marinas.  We meet people and its nice not being  isolated.  Although this place is a ghost town right now,  just a few boats,  the restaurant had lots of people from the island eating.

I can’t wait to go kayak and paddleboard tomorrow.  We will  get the dingy down and go exploring and snorkel.  The dinghy  had a falling out last week after scaring the you know what out of me.  It promises to behave.  I’ll let you know how that goes.

I have said that I want to live in a small (but not too small) place that has no stop lights and I can drive around in a golf cart to the store and the beach.  This place is ALL golf carts.  They wizzed by us on our bikes and I kept saying, “this is what I have dreamed about!”

We cooked a yummy dinner.  A really nice guy in Nassau gave us a huge piece of Wahoo that he had caught.  We grilled it up and it was fabulous!!  Then we decided to go get some dessert at the bar.  We haven’t had a good dessert in a while.  I had a hot fudge lava cake with ice cream and a glass of red wine.  Now seriously, how can a day get any better then today????

We will explore this island tomorrow and see more of it.  We will rent a golf cart and go explore the beaches and reefs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are in Nassau again.  This is the view from the marina.  We are right in the channel dividing Paradice Island from the mainland of Nassau.  It’s a very busy channel with tons of boat traffic.  This time it is about getting provisions, boat stuff, dinners out and preparing  for leg two of our Bahamas experience.  It is  funny that when we headed to the Bahamas we never expected to spend so much time here in Nassau, or even come here at all.  This is the “Hub” for all the islands.  You can get everything you need here and lots of boaters stop in on their way as a stopping point before heading to the outer Islands.  We came here from the Berry Islands on our way to the Exumas.  We got stuck here for 10 days because of wind and waves.  The Palm Cay Marina was awesome and we did not suffer except a few days of boredom from rain and wind.  Being tied up to a dock and safe was great.  We decided when coming back here to provision, that staying closer to the main area was a better idea because we are here a short time, hopefully.   We are convenient  to stores and can walk.  This marina is not as  nice as Palm Cay.  It is under construction and noisy.  The channel is teaming with boat traffic and tour boats taking trips out to snorkel and dive.  The wakes are big and the boat rolls a lot.  Thankfully it calms down in the evenings so it hasn’t been bad to sleep. The dock master, Peter is really nice! His hospitality is a welcome and wonderful.  He has checked in with us everyday and had lots of conversations with Andy.  Very nice guy!  So I can overlook the noise and mess.

First up was locating zincs for our shafts.  Andy noticed a few were missing while diving under the boat to check things out.  Zinc helps the metal underwater not rust or corrode.  Kind of important that our shafts don’t rust.  We had a service in California that replaced them every few months and we never had to worry about such things.  Andy found the size zincs we needed. Today he got his scuba gear out and dove under the boat and placed the zincs on the shafts.  I was aboard watching and handing him parts.  As he was doing the last one a HUGE bull shark swam by and my heart dropped.  I patiently waited for him to come up.  Then I asked if he was done. He said yes, so I requested he get out of the water quickly.  When he was safely sitting on the swim step I told him about the shark.  He didn’t see it! I was just glad it was done and he didn’t have to take the hammer to the local harbor shark.  Man, the bahamas are a sharkey place!!

We  needed groceries and Nassau has big American stores.  We spent lots of time going up and down the isles and buying our comforts.  Another issue we had was prescription medication.  We had a vacation override for a few months, but we left Florida Jan 6th and we are running to low for comfort.  If we get stuck in bad weather we might run out of the important ones.  We had to go to a local walk in clinic, see a Doctor and explain we are not sick and just need medication refills.  The whole thing is so lame.  I tried every angle to avoid this and nothing worked.  We walked to the clinic, payed our money ($77 each to see the Dr.) and took our prescriptions to the pharmacy and paid for the medication.  All so we can stay traveling the Bahamas.  Was it worth the hassle, you bet!!!!!  Now we don’t have to worry or make a bad decision to cross these oceans based on a timeframe.

We ate at The Poop Deck for lunch. I just love this Mermaid carving. I want one for my beach house in the future. I had the best Grouper, conch and shrimp! Yummy!!

After walking and running errands we decided to check out a local Chinese restaurant that said it delivered. We called and sure enough, they were happy to bring us Chinese food right to the boat.  Obviously a real luxury for us boaters!  I was in hog heaven and we ordered way too much food, because we can! OMG!!!  It was fantastic.

 

 

Andy took me to an amazing dinner last night to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  We heard this place was a top restaurant on the island and it was just across the street.  I had the best Shrimp and Grits ever!  Andy had a local Hog Snapper over risotto.  It was such a treat.  The LOVE I have for this man just keeps getting stronger and stronger.  We are really happy together and I feel so lucky to have him.  He wants me to be happy and he has been so very nurturing and kind to me, even on the days when I have had it with his daredevil expeditions.  Being on a boat, living in very close quarters can be difficult but we have navigated thru it smoothly.  Honestly, it really has been awesome. Happy Valentines my sweetheart! ❤️

I have caught up on my laundry and today it’s raining.  The laundry room is full of other boaters doing the same.  The women all talk and share stories.  I’m finding the laundry room is a great place to seek out company.  Who knew it would be such a popular meeting spot.  Someone told me before we started this trip (Kim O’Connel) when you see another women doing laundry give them a hug,  because we all need each other to talk to commiserate, to share experiences, to complain about of our husbands who are out of ear range and we come together in a sisterhood of kind.  We all need each other and it is SOOOO true!  I actually get a little giddy and find myself talking way to fast.  I have to rein myself in at times.  It’s a funny personal observation.  I know that I cannot be isolated too long.  You would have to lock me up in a funny house cuz I will go nuts.  I know why in society, the women would all gather together and the men all gather separate.  Girls are my tribe and I need them, stranger or not.  Everyone is the same and we all crave human connection.  I find this especially true being so far from my tribe back home.  Seeking out women, even in a laundry room, is therapeutic.

As you can tell from this post, not everyday is an adrenaline, heart pumping day.  The last 3 days have been pretty normal with errands, shopping and eating wonderful foods.  This life is not bad.  I’m settled right in and lovin’ it.  Even the simple days.  We meet greats people on the docks.  We noticed another Bayliner on the dock that pulled in while we were out running errands.  Pretty soon a guy walked over wearing a vintage AQUAMAN T-SHIRT!  IT WAS AWESOME!  He and his sweet wife are loopers, they own a Bayliner and he wears AQUAMAN T- shirts!  Instant friendship!!  We shared stories and chatted.  Hope we will cross paths again.  They are headed to the Exumas, where we have just come from.  We are headed to Eleuthera.  -Mary and Dale have done half the loop already and like us, are all in loopers.  Having sold everything and moved aboard.

I find myself giddy some days. That feeling that we are pulling  this off is still there. That hasn’t gone away.  Dream something and then watch the dream turn into reality.  We dreamt it, now we are living it.  I dare you to follow your dream, whatever it is! I will  leave you with this picture.  There was one shell I really want but I promised Andy only pictures, no more shells.  I have a real problem! LOL  Aren’t they pretty! Nature is amazing.

 

We woke up this morning after a night of howling wind on anchor in Staniel Cay and decided we were ready to make the turn around.  Last night as we gathered on the beach with cocktails in hand, everyone telling stories about places they had been and places there were headed;  we came back to the boat and had a talk.  Andy wants to see it all!  He has this “get it all in” mentality.  If we continued onto Georgetown, we needed a good weather day.  The Garmin charts takes us out to the eastern sea, away from the protection of the banks.  The waves and conditions SUCK!!!!  Like big time.  I have been on the ocean in California for the last 12 years, but here I have had a few rough times that send me straight into heart pumping adrenaline panic,  NOTHING compares to this ocean.  A simple 2-3 foot wave means we are rolling side to side with shit flying everywhere.  I HATE IT!!!!  We had to decide, stay here and let the weather pass.  It could be 3-4 more days, or go to Georgetown and wait out the weather, which could be a long while.  There is soooooo much to see and soooooo many places to anchor and explore.  I felt that if we kept going south, we were getting further and further away from the states, and it would take us so long to work our way back up.  We mutually called it!  Time to turn around.   We felt we could save Georgetown for a return trip.  If Andy wears me out now, then he will never be able to come back.  I want to see places in the Abacos.  Moving to Georgetown just takes us further away.  A LONG way.  We are not talking a few miles.  Today we would have had to travel 60 miles in a rough ocean to get there.  OK, GOOD DECISION.

We came up just 10 miles to Compass Cay Marina today.  We are the only ones here in this little marina at the moment,  beside 2 mega yahats. One is a 76 ft blue hulled Nordhavan who stay here for 4 months. WHY????  No idea.  It’s beautiful place but nothing going on here except tour boats that stop in the pet the nurse sharks. The tour boats come zipping in here, music blasting and full of foreigners. They let everyone off and the guides make conch (salad) ceviche. They then load up and go to feed the pigs on Pig Beach. (We had anchored right by that beach and watched the other half of this tour).  People are so stupid.  We watched boat after boat of tourist screaming and hollering like they were on an episode of shark week.  Ridiculous.  The guides throw fish in to water and they all screamed as the sharks thrashed around them. The guides egg them on by throwing pieces of fish into the water and then saying “watch your hands!” As the girls and kids scream.   I watched in total amusement.  These sharks have been tamed by their environment and being fed. It is better then watching them in an aquarium, at least they choose to be here and can swim away at their own free will.

 

After lunch Andy said “OK, we are going for a short dingy ride (5 miles) to a placed called the Aquarium.”  Well that sounds fun.  I put our gear in the dingy and put my wet suit on half way, because I knew we would be splashed.  What I didn’t expect, 5 miles in a dingy, bouncing thru big waves is NOT a picnic. I yelled back at Andy, “Why don’t we have our life jackets on???  We found the spot but I was ready to vomit.  My body had gotten pounded as we crashed our way thru big waves. My heart dropped into my feet with every wave. We tied up to a mooring ball a Andy jumped in the check it out.  I was on the boat bobbing like a cork, nausoues and ready to lose it.  He convinced me to get in, that it was worth it.  I could not forget about the tough crossing. I just kept thinking “how are going to get back? Then I decided to be in the moment and enjoy this place and worry about that later.”   It was wonderful.  The best reef we have seen.  Lots of fish and a wall with corals and fish.  Ok, here’s were it gets hairy.  We eventually had to get back.  All 5 miles.  Sounds short, right!   I knew that we had come through those open ocean passes but…It was easy to put on our life jackets for the ride back.  We put on our life jackets. We did not talk much and I prayed.

I will tell you we almost died.  The boat could have easily flipped in a few of these huge waves.  It was the closet I ever felt to near death.   When you are on a 10 ft dingy and the waves are at least 8 ft, you start praying that you will survive and not get tossed into the turbulent water.  I could have easily been catapulted right out of the inflated tubes as they crashed with each wave.  I hung on for dear life and crouched low in the boat and prayed the waves would not capsize our little boat.  It was like a few moment of pure panic.  But Captain ANDY motored our way thru each swell and we stayed upright, we got thru the channel and to the marina opening.  Then I said, “you son of a bitch!”  Once I was on the boat I went straight to the vodka bottle and took a shot.  After I showered I made a really strong cocktail that required ginger ale to settle my stomach, I relaxed.  The reality of the moment has stayed with me.  I know this all sounds very dramatic, but it was a serious situation, that by the grace of god we sailed right thru.  The dingy and I are now getting a divorce, or maybe a separation for a while.

 

I was busy calming my nerves with a strong drink while Andy hadn’t had enough adventure for the day.  He got his scooter out and jumped into the shark infested water.  I decided not to watch.  He had the whole marina to himself and he wondered all over it all alone.  The tourists were gone.  He came back happy as a clam.  The nurse sharks moved around him as he scootered up to them.   Poor sharks had to deal with screaming tourists and then some crazy man chasing them in a scooter.  It’s a tough life for them, but they get fed everyday.  It’s the price they have to pay.  He saw a bunch of fish and a huge spotted eagle ray.  I’m glad he seized his moment, but me, I just wanted a few moments of quiet.   As I was making dinner, I threw food into the water and I had my own private show.  The battery on the GoPro died at the end, darn it! At this point, I was a little drunk and in a much better mood.

 

Then we had full on Thanksgiving Dinner.  Roasted turkey with gravy, homemade mashed potatoes with sour cream, cream cheese and chives, canned green beans and cranberries.  It almost felt like a ceremonial dinner after the day I had. We finished off with carmel brownies. Now I am going to sleep because we are tied up to a dock.  The boat is quiet, not creaking  and rocking.  I am full and I am happy to be alive!!! Goodnight!  😴

I couldn’t wait to get to Staniel Cay to see the swimming pigs.  We had a nice crossing and arrived at Big Majors Anchorage.  We set the anchor and we are in a very popular spot with lots of boats.  Comfort in numbers.  Everyone comes here for protection of the weather and winds.   First up was getting the dingy down and going into town and lunch at the famous Staniel Cay Yacht club.  The marina is nothing special.  I expected much more.  I wanted to go to the marina verses anchoring out (as you can tell by now, I am not a fan) but when I saw it I realized it wasn’t worth the exorbitant costs.  We watched the nurse sharks get petted by the tourists and had a nice lunch.  We heard this was a spot to get groceries.  We started walking only to find a shack with some basic stuff, mayonnaise and can goods,  but no fresh foods, except a lime and a few potatoes.  Thankfully,  I really didn’t need much but I was looking forward to a real store.  No such luck.  I had also read that this little settlement was home to local artists and crafters.  I saw nothing!  No stores, no artists.  I saw an expensive shirt at the yacht club, and that was it!  I am a bit disappointed.  Maybe we hit it on an off day. There were plenty of boaters and customers.  Who knows.  I was looking forward to some cool art or something to remember this trip by.  I do have lots of pictures and that will have to do.

The pigs are fun but they are a real tourist attraction. Boats full of tourist crowd the beach and feed them and the pigs put on a show chasing after them.  If your not careful you will get bit.  We noticed a real hierarchy  amoungst them as well.  Several larger ones took command and the smaller ones waited until it was ok to approach.  Pig politics. There is a new litter and we saw little babies suckling and a very tired mama.  I can cross this off my bucket list for sure.

 

 

Next we went to Thunderbowl Grotto. The famous scene of the James Bond Movie. We went at low tide so it was easy to get into without diving under the rocks.  LOTS of tourists.  Lots of foreign language.  It was cool.  I am glad I went in.  As you enter the grotto you are greeted by a huge school of sergeant majors.  The cave had a lot of fish life considering all the people kicking around.  They didn’t seem to mind and actually swam up very close appearing to be checking you out.  Maybe they are used to people but they were very friendly.  The cave was cool and once inside the center, you look up and can see the narrow opening that some people jump thru.  There are stalagtites and the rock formation was formed by years of water.  Again, cross it off the list.

 

 

Later in the afternoon we found a couple Looper boats in this anchorage.  We found them gathered on the beach at cocktail hour.  We went over and introduced ourselves.  Everyone has stories.  We are all going in different directions.  Some staying longer then others.  Some going North, some South.  We all share the common thread of exploration.  I have to admit that meeting them and talking about their experience,  adds a little to my anxiety.  It makes me question our decisions about where to go, where to anchor, what the weather is doing, etc…..  It’s nice to have these discussions but, again, this is OUR trip and we are ultimately responsible for our choices.  It’s tough some days.  Do we move further North or have we gone far enough and is it time to turn around????  I’ll let you know in the next post.  Right now we are at anchor.  The boat is swinging but NOT rolling.  It is windy but our anchor is holding.  The wind is howling through my porthole.  The anchor alarm is set.  I am tucking into my cabin.  I hope the creeks and cracks of the boat rocking side to side and the lines rubbing as it moves does not keep us awake.  Just another day in paradice.  Where to next??

We left Highborne and went to see a famous plane wreck that crashed carrying cocaine supposedly by Pablo Escobar.  This was in shallow water and was a super fun snorkel.  We stopped here for lunch and them made our way to Shroud Cay.  We hooked up with a fellow looper boat at this location.  We have an app called NEBO that other boaters can track our routes and also stay in touch with each other.  A boat saw us on the app and messaged me.  We exchanged notes about anchorages and then they pulled in as we were getting ready to dive the plane.  They are traveling with little kids!  Wow, I was amazed.  I can barely handle the big kid I have onboard.  How brave of them.  It felt comforting to be anchored by them for the night.  They came over for a visit.  We actually got signal on our satellite to watch some of the super bowl.  BORING!!!!  Oh well, sorry Rams! We were rooting from the Bahamas. Below is Andys video.

The next morning we got up and set off to cruise the Mangrove river that cut its way thru Shroud Island to the other side.  We cruised super slow and saw rays sleeping on the bottom, turtles and fish.  The color of the water is crystal clear.  It’s like looking into a swimming pool.  You can see every contour of the bottom.  Absolutely beautiful.  The river ended onto a beautiful beach. The current was flowing out, as you will see in the video, so we didn’t stay long.  Also notice my old lady clothes, cuz the sun is BRUTAL!!!! My freckles are getting darker and my skin just turns red. Lovely!!

 

After our short cruise, we pulled the dingy up and back on the boat, and took off to The Exumas Land and Sea Park.  This is the first Marine Protection Area ever, established in 1958.  It wasn’t far from Shroud Cay.  We hooked up to our mooring ball before noon and Andy was in the water as soon as we were set up.  This place is a dream.  I cannot even use enough adjectives to describe the beauty.  We enjoyed every moment.  I think this might be my favorite spot on this voyage so far.  My next post will have all the pictures and details.  I am a little behind because we had no service and I’m actually put my devices away.  Being without service is a good thing to stop and be present, But I’m back at it today with lots to write and video to edit.  Hope your enjoying. Sorry my California friends who are having terrible rain and even snow.  The Bahamas is warm but also experiencing weird weather.  Days of major winds which causes big waves. This strands us in marinas for longer then planned.  We are rolling with it.  This is our year to live large and not worry, so we are all good! Life without a schedule. What a concept! 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♂️

 

Andy has died and gone to heaven.  Well, he’s still here on planet earth, but he is one happy guy.  He dreamed of this and NEVER thought he could be here, in the blue water, with me, and doing what he loves everyday.  AQUAMAN is in his element!

 

We pulled anchor and headed to the Exuma Land and Sea Park today.  It’s hearquarters is in Warderick Wells Cay.  We called and got a morning ball for two nights.  Andy had to navigate into a cut were the mooring balls are.  Both sides of this cut are super shallow sand banks.  It is my first mooring ball, so I had the pole in hand and I was able to grab it easily and hook up the boat.  Yeah me!  Actually, Yeah Captain Andy for getting the boat exactly were we needed so I could grab the hook!  Once we were tied up we took in the scenery.  Andy again said “I think I Am in Nirvana. This place is a wonder!  We were here just a few minutes when I hear a splash and there he went.  Into the water.  Right under our boat he saw a sunken boat. WHAT!!!!  We are directly over a reef, what was once a boat!  Strange!  But it is teaming with life.  And we are in only 10 ft of water.

 

We took the dingy down and explored this place.  We went to the park headquarters and paid for a two nights and looked at the famous Sperm Whale skeleton on the beach.  This is a state park so no seashell collecting for me! BOO!  From the boat we have spotted turtles, a whole gang of spotted eagle rays and last night our neighbors turned on their underwater lights (we need these!) and watched sharks come in to feed on the countless fish attracted by the lights.  It was super cool to watch.  The rays even got in on the action.  By the end of the day all the moorings were full and we were so happy we decided to come here.  We slept great knowing we are tied to a mooring, even though the wind kicked up again and the boat is swinging.  At least don’t have to worry about our anchor dragging.  Everyone zips around in their dinghies and waves to each other.  The boating community is a very friendly one.

 

Today we woke up to more wind.  We loaded up the dingy with our snorkel gear and headed to a reef that we could tie up to.  The swell was coming one way while the current was headed the other.  Andy got in to check the current and it was flowing pretty strong.  Nothing AQUAMAN can’t handle.  It was too much current for me.  He enjoyed himself while I kept watch of him.   Next on the list today was to hike up to BooBoo hill.   On top is a pile of scrap wood and people leave hand painted or carved pieces of wood with the name of their boats, on top the pile as an offering to the sea.  I wish I had thought to make a sign to leave here.  But who knew!  This place is special for sure.  By the end of day I was exhausted.  My husband, AQUAMAN, does not know how to chill.  He cannot read a book and hang out when there is an ocean to see, fish to see, reefs to explore, and trails to hike.  So I was trying to relax when a fellow boater came by and BRAGGED about their snorkel.  The next thing I knew I was the support crew for a drift snorkel thru a pass with strong current. He rode his underwater scooter back and forth through third narrow pass with ripping current.   Me, avoiding grounding the boat in the sand banks while watching that AQUAMAN isn’t eaten by a shark. Sounds fun, RIGHT!!!!  Oh, but that’s not the end.  The tide was low and there was a sand bar people were walking on. I wanted to explore that.  We pulled close to it and I jumped off the dingy.  The sand was like quick sand and my feet dug in at least a foot deep.  We got the dingy secure and, again, AQUAMAN went in to swim around another rocky point, while I nervously watch him and the rising tide.  He eventually returned and we set off back to the boat.  EXCEPT a giant spotted eagle ray was right in our path.  Of course, Andy jumped in with his mask while I chased them in the dingy.  NOW you can have a drink!  Wow!  I’m exhausted just typing this.  We still needed to clean up, make dinner and get ready for tomorrow.  We leave for Staniel Cay.  This is where I wanted to go and I cannot wait.  NOW who needs a bottle off wine after reading this!!! ME!!!! I love this man but he just might wear me out!!!

 

 

As I reflect on my life,  I realize how lucky I am.  I also realize that I am amongst a group of also lucky people who live life taking risks.  People spend their whole lives wishing to do this kind of trip, but that means getting uncomfortable.  Not knowing where you will be based on weather.  Not knowing if you have what it takes when things, weather, conditions get rough.  Not knowing if you prepared enough for any situation.  Not sure you can do this.  Not sure what each place will offer you.  Leaving behind everyone you love.  Leaving behind the security of your home and all your stuff. I have wondered, A LOT,  if I can survive this, missing my friends and family.   I have moments of terrible anxiety.  I have moments of pure awe.  I’m finding my groove.  I brought way too much stuff.  I need so little.  When we get back to Florida I will do another purge of the boat before we leave for the loop.  So many people had advise for us, which made me more anxious.  “Provision, there isn’t any food.  Bring tons of drinking water, you cant find water.  Don’t go here cuz….. Be careful cuz you can run aground, The marinas are too expensive, anchor out, don’t anchor anchor, go to marinas. Etc……”.   It’s crazy.  I think some research is good, but you have to trust your gut.  I ask everyone questions and I get totally different answers from everyone.  It’s all your personal comfort and what you can handle.  The biggest thing here is weather.  You have to be vigilant or you can get caught in the shit and stuck.  So we are trying to stay informed.  Andy has all the weather apps and watched constantly.  Doesn’t mean we have all good days.  We got stuck in Nassau for 10 days waiting for winds to die.  We stayed in Highborne while it poured rain.  I hope as we continue the weather improves.  We were told it lays down in spring.   So I think we are just a bit early in the season.  We have a lot still to see.  Maybe we won’t get to everyplace.  I have to remind Andy,  because he’s the type to stop at every spot and “see it all”,  that  I have a limit.  Then I will need to get back to the states.  We meet people who are just endlessly traveling on sailboats.  It all seems idealic,  but I’m not ready for that.  This trip is great and is totally challenging.  I hope in my next blogs you will hear a change of tone.  I am ok,  but I am also getting pushed beyond my comfort zone.  I am dealing with daily anxiety and I hope that over time,  and trust,  I will continue to find my groove.  Andy loves this and I am along for the ride and I only hope I have what it takes.

 

 

 

Day 2: We started a little slower.  It’s really nice not to have a schedule.  In the afternoon we rented a golf cart and cruised the Island.  We went to every single beach. The west side beaches were totally rough.  It’s incredable the difference in the ocean from one side to the other.  The winds typically come from the west causing big waves. The marina, where we are tucked in safe and sound, is on the east side.

We cruised every road we could find, dirt or paved.  We saw every inch!  Not much going on here.  The beaches are pretty empty.  You can see boats ancored out and sometimes a small group will pull up in a dingy.  As I said before,  I am missing people and conversation.  This is probably the hardest thing for me.  I am a social butterfly.  People are coming and going and some are with their own groups.  So anyway, blah blah blah! 😂 no one wants to hear me whine!  I am doing ok!

Below are just some picture of more white sand beaches, some cool views, some funny stops, my cute husband, and the coolest seashell ever!  I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a creature living inside it. Yay!  There are not a lot of seashells to be found, so this was a score.  Andy spotted it.  I’ve trained him well!

Day 3: We were supposed to leave. We woke to pouring rain and wind.  NOT going to happen.  I layed around all day and read a book, watched a little TV.  Then we spotted a fisherman with a catch.  So we walked to the pier to watch him clean the fish and feed the sharks.  That was cool and the most exciting thing today.  Tomorrow we head to Shroud Cay as planned, just delayed a day.

 

 

 

 

We had such a nice day in Allen’s Cay.  Then darkness happened and the wind shifted and it went to hell.  We felt so safe on our anchorage.  Andy dove the anchor and it was all set.   As we were exploring, sailboats and catamarans started filling up the anchorage.  We felt encouraged that we had picked a good spot.  We wondered if they were a bit close,  but we were all swinging in the same direction in the currant.  So we watched and felt safe.  We made dinner and we were happy.  Then the boat started rolling,  and then ROLLING.  Then the sun set.  It got really dark.  Then it got really uncomfortable as we rolled side to side rocking like crazy.  Needless to say I took a Xanax and snored for a few drug induced hours.  Andy watched us all night swing closer and closer to our neighbors.  It sucked.  Our neighbors became a nuisance instead of a comfort.  We were rock solid on our anchor as Andy was monitoring it on our new electronics.  We hadn’t moved at all!!  Sooooooo……… As soon as the sun came up we lifted our anchor and went to a spot we thought would be good outside Highborne Cay Marina.  It wasn’t!!  We spent the next hour rolling and then called the marina.  It sounded like, “Highborne Marina, we are just outside the entrance in the swell and wondered if we could come into the Marina and tie up?”   What it really sounded like in my head was, “ Highborne Marina, If you don’t have a slip for us tonight I might freak out!”  I hope you are laughing now because you all know I am a drama queen.  Honestly, when we tied up we were BOTH relieved and happy.  We were settled,  we checked in and we walked around a little, saw the beach and the famous nurse sharks that hang out at the end of the pier where the fisherman clean their daily catch.  Then lunch at the restaurant and a BIG nap!!  We cooked a yummy dinner and watched the sunset and turned on a movie.  This Bahama boating is full of upsets and then moments of splendor.

The next day… AMAZING!!!!  We got the dingy down and went exploring.  The winds are from the east, like they are supposed to be.  So the ancorages outside the marina is totally calm and full of sailboats.  Oh well, we are tied up and happy!!  We are not moving now!  I am starting to realize that a power boat ancored out is a rare sight among  the sailboats and catamarans.  I hope we start seeing more powerboats along the way.  Today we explored reefs and beaches.  Aquaman took his scooter out and checked out a few reefs.  They weren’t worthy of me getting wet.  I walked the beach instead.  We took the dingy out to a rock point and he jumped in while a followed him along in the dingy.  There was a big swell so we didn’t like the idea of anchoring it.  I was fine watching him swim with his fishy friends and follow him.  We cruised to Long Cay, the next island down from Highborne, and found a deserted beach.  I got a little float time.  We had the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bbq potato chips ever.  It was like when I was growing up going to Zuma beach with my mom on summer days.  This place is just amazing with clear water that changes in so many different shades of blue.  I haven’t been able to capture all the colors.  We are, however, getting good at reading what the colors mean in terms of depth, coral heads, sand bars, deep water and current.  There is a steep learning curve here.  Totally uncharted territory.

We are in the harbor all alone with the exception of a few crewed super yahats.  Ever watch the show Below Decks?  Well, it is just like that.  The crew is cooking, moving the toys around, taking them fishing or snorkeling, and all wearing uniforms.  It is truly a sight to be seen.  Here we sit on our boat and watching the rich and famous.  Later today a few boats pulled in and we now have neighbors.  I don’t know why this makes me happy,  but it does.  People to talk to. Another woman!! The men talk weather and anchorages and boats!  It’s just nice to have conversation. I miss people.  Even though there are around now, I feel lonely and miss conversation.  We are going to the overpriced and only restaurant on this Island tonight.  They have a captive audience.  But I hear it is nice and I could use a break from cooking. Coincidently, he couple who just pulled in next to us, Andy had met in our marina in Nassau and they are going to join us for dinner! Yippee!!!

The sunsets are incredible every night!

The water is so blue you can see the bottom.  People have made wooden planks with their boat names and hung in this gazebo. I will have to figure out how to add Aquaman. The island has these little yellow finches. They fly into the boat and look for scraps. This morning one tried sharing my coffee.  He moved to fast to get a good picture.  They are super cute.  Xuma is the name of the restaurant we ate dinner and the view is breathtaking.

The end of the pier is home to these nurse sharks.  They just hang out there and sleep until the fisherman start filleting fish. They are huge and very well fed.  The occasional bull shark shows up but its mostly nurse sharks.

An adventure in the dingy with Aquaman means be prepared for anything.  Snorkel gear, wet suits, scooter, lunch, water,  hats, sunscreen.  This deserted beach was all ours and we enjoyed it!

There is a book that Andy and I read years ago about life on a island.  It’s written specifically about Highborn Cay and this woman’s experience running and developing it.  Cheap Charlies is the original Marina office.  It now just for storage and a huge ice maker  and this parret named Lou. Ice is civilization and sharing our ice with a sailboater will make an instant friend.  The book is called “Life on a Rock”  by  K.A. Albury.  She moved here in the late 90’s and her story is pretty interesting.  She now lives in Nassau. This place has now turned into a pretty upscale location for mega yachts.  It’s a good read about Highborn Cay in its early days.

We left Palm Cay Marina in Nassau this morning after 10 days.  Winds, rain and rough water keep us stranded.  It was a really nice marina and we had a good time exploring Nassau.   I was really ready to move on today.  We had a nice crossing in shallow water.  This will take some getting used to.  For most of the way I could see the bottom and lots of sea life.  Rays, fish, a huge triggerfish and a huge tiger shark right as we got out of the marina channel.  That was cool.  A few hours in we had some rain.  It was ok because the water stayed flat. THANK GOD!!!  We had a destination in mind for our anchorage but Andy and I both said if no one was there we would change our mind. We spotted a bunch of sailboat masts in Allen’s Cay.  This was a place we had on the charts as a possible anchorage, so we headed there. We are between 2 small Islands and it was calm and wonderful today.  Andy snorkel the anchor and it looks good and set.  Then we took the dingy down and explored this area.  The beach on Allen’s Cay is loaded with Iguanas.  They were friendly because I am sure people feed them even though it is against the law.  We did not.  I just took  pictures!  They are ugly creatures!  I am excited to finally be in the Exumas.  It was the goal.  We will be hopscotching our way down this chain of islands, snorkeling and exploring.  I am not a huge fan of anchoring so I hope I get used to it.  There are at least 10 boats in this anchorage now.  Feels like

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