Continuing adventures in the Exumas/Bahamas - 26 April to 01 May'13

WHAT DO PIGS, JAMES BOND, AND JOHNNY DEPP HAVE IN COMMON? EXUMAS!!!!

Dotham Cut, on a really good day

We left Georgetown with beautiful weather, and steady wind. Out went the fishing lines, this time only 2 lines, out of the 5 I normally chuck out. Reason being we never normally catch anything. 

We were heading for Dotham Cut. Which, according to our sailing guide was the best one to enter. 

Just a note on the 'cuts'. They are small channels all the way up the Exumas that allow entry to the sea from the shallow banks and visa versa. They are usually shallow, narrow, navigable channels with coral heads on either side. One has to choose wisely the time to enter as there is usually a strong current running in or out of them depending on the time of the high or low tide. Also, if there is wind blowing against the direction of the current, you will encounter rough, uncomfortable waves, called 'Rages'. 

We planned our entry time to co-incide with slack water, when the tide is at it's weakest. This depended on the wind staying steady, otherwise we would have to motor to make the cut in time. 

As luck or "Murphy" would have it, the reel ratchet started to hum. Mark had to slow the boat down so I could bring in this huge Dorado, it was massive, the biggest so far! 

It took forever to bring it in, my arms felt like jelly. Eventually we got it closer and Mark, with gloves on, started to lift the leviathan onto the sugar scoop. 

I had already decided to let it go as our deep freeze was full, not to mention the fact I was too exhausted to clean it! 

Just as Mark was about to remove the hook it came out and the fish fell overboard and swam away, HOORAY! It turned out that the barb on the hook was bent, releasing the fish.

The one that got away!

Bent hook

All this action and fishing takes time. We were now late for transiting the cut, and it cannot be done in the dark! 

We decided to put up the Assymetrical(our big pink downwind sail) and gun it! Fortunately the wind was steady and we made it just on time, through Dotham Cut. 

We even managed to catch a much smaller Dorado with the bungee line.

STANIEL CAYand the Swimming Pigs

These feral, but tame pigs live on Big Major's Cay, they have the whole beautiful island to themselves. They love swimming out to the dingies, in anticipation of food. What's nice is that you are allowed to go ashore and interact with the animals at your own risk and nobody is asking for a fee....yet!

I persuaded Mark to get some of our water for them, which they loved.

STANIEL CAY YACHT CLUB AND THUNDERBALL GROTTO

Just a dingy ride around the corner from the pigs is Staniel Cay Yacht Club and Thunderball Grotto. All cruisers travelling through the Bahamas stop off at this place, for the snorkelling and cold beer!!

THUNDERBALL GROTTO

We dived the cave after lunch, just before the turn of the tide, as there are fewer tourists inside the cave.

The fish life inside the cave is really spectacular and there are many.  We were lucky enough to dive the cave before all the sand was disturbed. Unfortunately we needed a fish-eye type lens for better pictures.

 

The ceiling where 007 is lifted out of the cave with a coast guard helicopter

 MEETING NEW FRIENDS AND SAILING TO COMPASS CAY AND CAMBRIDGE CAY

After making some friends at the Yacht Club, we decided to meet the next day at Compass Cay. This is the place where they feed Lemon Sharks from the jetty and you can swim with them. 

Getting to Compass Cay is a mission in itself, another shallow, winding channel to get there. Here is where we encountered the tidal currents at their strongest. One can't just simply anchor in the channel, as the wind may be blowing in one direction, but the current is flowing in the opposite direction. Then you end up rubbing the chain on the hulls and say goodbye to your expensive antifouling. 

Compass Cay Marina, $10 landing fee.

So, we had to anchor in the super shallow area next to the channel. Very uncomfortable. Following a dingy ride up the mangrove swamp, we made for the jetty to swim with the sharks, and read the following: "$10 to land dingy" Needless to say we about turned and decided to move to a better anchorage before low tide.

in the mangroves

Anchored on the shallow sand

CAMBRIDGE CAY AND THE START OF THE EXUMA NATIONAL PARK

Dorado Mornay and Quinoa

Fresh baked cheese and onion bread

Once you leave Georgetown, there aren't many shops around, so we often bake bread when we run out

We took a mooring ball at Cambridge Cay and decided to dive on Tom's Elkhorn Reef. It was beautiful, lots of elkhorn coral and huge parrotfish, moray eels and a lobster or two.

Our friends arrived later and we heard that they had visited Bell Island, which Johnny Depp reportedly owns.

WADERICK WELLS CAY

The next day we were off to Waderick Wells Cay and visited the Exuma National Park 'outpost'.

this photo is taken from the 'office' and was the only place we didn't have cell phone reception

 As per the photo, all the mooring balls are in the channel. Included in the cost is free wifi, and free use of the kayaks. There is a lot of nature research going on, and the Americans have done much to make this happen, by sponsoring, donating and taking part.

a whale that washed up, death by plastic, found in it's stomach

A must do for cruisers, is walk up BooBoo hill. So called, because of some shipwrecked sailors still haunt this place. It's also the only place to get cell reception!











Traditionally for boaties, you take a piece of drift wood or any junk wood, paint your boat's name on it and add it to the pile

Adding our plaque to the pile