One of the advantages of such a large gathering point for cruisers is just that, a bunch of cruisers gathered together. Many are here for the same reason we are, shelter from the latest crazy wind. But honestly, it’s been a pleasure to catch up with several couples that we met months ago back in the States at one spot or another. Lo and behold, they’re here! First and foremost, the very first couple we met after buying the SaltyMare, Chris and Allison aboard Purrfect, who kindly gave us newbies an onboard lesson in anchoring this big girl. (Great teachers! And we’ve got it now!) Even fellow Selene owners with whom we’ve been exchanging messages for months, reached out. Gosh, we were humbled to be approached by a couple who knew the prior owners of our boat (they recognized the dinghy with its “rollbar”) and another couple who bought a boat from dockmates we spent several months across from during our long stay in South Carolina, Paul and April on Parnassia. Paul and April, still in SC, saw their old boat on AIS and its proximity to the nearby SaltyMare and told the new owners, Scott and Abby from Orenda, to come over and say Hi!
We now understand the appeal of a stop like this. The comradery is undeniable.

But this many cruisers also means a bunch of potential customers, and that means stores, shops, and eateries. So, let’s go check it out! A dinghy ride across the harbor to the main island of Great Exuma. George Town has secured its dinghy dock in a small, natural “lake” that only has one way in and out. Please yield to incoming traffic!

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After scoping out both groceries, we bought some supplies, got fresh ‘maters and cabbage from a street vendor, and headed back to the boat for visits with friends new and old….

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It happened to be our anniversary, and we were gifted by another visit from a money bat (Ascalapha odorata)! Drawn by the lights in the open doorway as we bid farewell to Hal and Barbara, it fluttered its nearly 6″ wingspan right past us and into the saloon. Unlike the late-January harbingers of fortune in Rock Sound, however, this one settled down long enough for a brief photo opp before panicking in response to our comedic efforts to gently shoo him back out. Not to worry – another gentle catch with a soft towel, followed by a safe return to the wild.

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Social life notwithstanding, the wind has kept any water or walking activities to a bare minimum. Susie has been nursing some bad bruises and hurts she got a week or so ago. So, we actually have been laying pretty low. Two big events? The winds lessened and the toaster died. The town had a traffic jam, surely it has a toaster. Ask a few folks and we get directed to three places (two of which would’ve required a taxi), and at the first (an appliance store for goodness sake), we score a new toaster, after which we enjoyed lunch with Hal and Barbara! Again, all easily accessible by “shoe leather” express.

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Thank you, George Town, for a lovely day!

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Fish On! Take Four…Five?

What’s with “that spot?” Well, several cruisers we’ve met, when asked about catching Mahi, pointed to a spot on the chart off Solider Cay. Don’t worry Todd, EVERYBODY catches one there, it’s a sure thing. So….. sure enough, about 1½ miles north of that spot, zing!

Albeit beautiful, that’s a False Albacore or Little Tunny (we had to look it up on the fly; the telltale spots below the pectoral fin are the giveaway). Good fight for a little guy, but lousy eating. So, not sure how to score this one. Todd says he’s still an O-fer. Guess so, since the fish was released to swim on.

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As we came off the Sound past the Flat Cays and got behind the chain of barrier islands that make up the huge (7 miles long by 1+ mile wide), famed Elizabeth Harbour, we shared but one thought: Honey, there are A LOT of boats. In fact…

Even a quality camera seldom catches what our eyes see, and this is a prime example. We moseyed past hundreds of boats of all shapes and sizes and found a place way down on the southern end of the “pack” to settle in for the evening.
In areas with heavy concentrations of cruisers, there’s typically an organized program called a “Cruisers’ Net” held each morning on the VHF. All kinds of topics are covered, from where to get supplies, or get rid of trash and used oil, to Yoga on “this” Beach or Volleyball on “that” beach. Any question you have, someone will have an answer to and try to help. Arriving boats announce themselves and departing boats bid adieu. We had a friend compare it to being on a cruise ship. Another called it “Adult Day Care.” No doubt, there are a lot of cruisers that enjoy this kind of comradery. In fact more than 278 boats were counted by the morning volunteer and her 9-year-old assistant – thought to be a record for “this late in the season.” That’s A LOT of boats in one place.

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The anchorage? All day, the big boats moved out and new ones moved in. Including the Royal Bahamas Defence Force! Apparently, the entrance requirements were reduced slightly, because we had (clockwise from the top left): No Comment -154 feet, Never Enough – 140 feet, Home – 163 feet, and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force P303 (100 feet or so? Who cares? They’re the good guys!)

After spending the night safely protected by the military of the Bahamas, we left our peaceful anchorage among the big boats to set ourselves up for the weekend, when the wind is predicted to clock around and be more of a challenge from the north.

So, after weeks of travel, we find ourselves tucked back in Little Bay near the castle. Serious déjà vu. This time, however, there are only five other boats here and no kite boarders. We should actually be able to leave the boat and check out the pretty beach. Although…, Todd’s already mentioned an oil change on the main engine and Susie’s talking about defrosting the fridge…

The wind was going to be pretty stiff out of the south for a couple of days. You’ve seen the map of The Exumas in that they line up pretty much north/south and in between the water flows strongly in and out. So, finding a spot that has some southern protection is a challenge. If you remember Highbourne and its checkmark shape, that crook was a good spot. Problem? It’s quite a ways north. First plan was to head to “good ol'” Black Point Harbour. We bid farewell to the Land and Sea Park Wednesday and headed south, and boy howdy, it was a busy day in the popular Exumas. We must have passed 15 boats headed north and 10 boats headed south. At one point, our radar was tracking 14 “targets” within 2 miles of us. Folks were moving around, all probably seeking the same southern protection.
Our route allowed us, with the aid of Susie’s “super nocs” to peer into a lot of the anchorages along the way, and sure enough the smaller ones were packed. And to press home the “popularity” of The Exumas, we couldn’t help but snap pictures of the big girls moving around.

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Water was nice and smooth; we thought we were soooo smart. It was just us and Carpe Diem, all 191 feet of her!

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Before end of day, other boats must have noticed, because we got company, and apparently admission required that you be greater than 160 feet! Pardon me, is Harvey there? No? Well, then, Sir, might you have any Grey Poupon?

Wind was blowing, but the water was much calmer than it could have been. We thought it might be a good night for it, so Susie tried to capture the green flash at sunset by video. Almost, but not quite. Still beautiful.

The anchorage at night with these big boats is fun because most of them leave a lot of lights on. We tried to capture Carpe Diem, but it’s hard to take a low light shot of a bobbling object from a moving platform.

After Monday’s difficulty getting settled, we were totally ready for our walk in the Park Tuesday, but first we had to find the park HQ to check in. Not necessarily easy when you’ve never been there – where are the signs?

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We’d been told not to miss the hike to Boo Boo Hill. Not only is it fun to say, but there is, of course, a legend to go with it. Some say it is haunted by souls that went missing in the surrounding reefs and on moonlit nights you can hear the spirits singing in the howling wind.

Cruisers traditionally leave something behind as an offering to Neptune for good sailing and safe passage – a piece of driftwood or a salvaged buoy with the name of their vessel, a special trinket gathered on the way up the hill, etc. On top of the hill, there’s a pile of driftwood from past offerings left by others. Todd left a small rock he found on the beach.

Unbeknownst to us, the trail to Boo Boo Hill (marked by the arrow in the photo below) crosses Banshee Creek.

And here it is, the heap of stuff, I mean, the summit.

Beyond Boo Boo Hill, the trail continues to the Pentek Monument:

In memory of Gregory and Teresa Pentek
Remembering and celebrating their great love
of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
“Memories of Happy Times and Bright and Sunny Days”

From the top, we looked back out over Banshee Creek, to see SaltyMare waiting on a mooring ball.

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The winds were forecasted to kick up even more, and we were planning to leave in the morning, so we brought the dinghy up top when we returned to the boat. As soon as the dinghy left the water, this guy lazily joined us for a photo op.

He’s probably admiring the shiny stainless. 😉 Stop bragging, Susie, he’s just circling, waiting, ensuring Todd has no fish to catch…

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Speaking of Dave and Peggy, they remained in Shroud Cay when we implemented Plan Bravo to seek less-bouncy harbor at Warderick Wells Cay. Both cays are in the large Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, which has no cell service and almost no data service, so we didn’t have the chance to properly bid farewell. Until we meet again, the Olsens wish you Fair Winds and Following Seas, dear friends. Stay upright and safe! 😉