Black Point to Rudder Cut Cay

Friday May 31





This morning I figured I'd better move from the anchorage before barnacles started growing on my anchor chain. I've had a great week at Black Point, and there are still a couple more places to explore, but I'll save some of that for when Vicki and Dorothy come.





We headed south, running down the bank outside of Little Farmer's Cay, then east towards the south in of Farmer's Cay. It was a little strange that the wind was SE, and the waves were more southerly. Not that it made much difference, as they were less than a foot on the bank.







Then we turned south and worked our way past Cave Cay, and I decided that on my next time through, I'm going to take the Whaler over by some of those big caves for a closer look. I went in pretty close with the MERCY, but, I didn't want to anchor the MERCY to explore.





After I crossed Cave Cay Cut, I entered into an area I haven't been before on the inside. I went pretty close on the west side of beautiful Musha Cay, then curved around Jimmy Cay (yes, Mr. Callaway, one named for you!) and most of the way down Rudder Cut Cay.









We dropped anchor in a spot with a gorgeous view. From as I sit at the helm, typing with the wireless keyboard, I am looking at hills, rock faces, a cave/overhang big enough you can take an inflatable or jet ski inside, sandy beach, palm trees, islands to my right and left, and the open water of the bank behind me. (The tide is turning as I type, and right now I'm facing into an easterly wind from a passing squall.)







I took the Whaler to the south between the Darby's and decided that it was not a place I would take the MERCY. Not only was the water minimal going in at high tide, but, it didn't look like much when you got to the deeper harbour. There appeared to be a lot of current. The cut going through was worth the trip however. There are numerous old buildings, and rocky structures, an old wall, assorted old cement docks, a sunken boat barely sticking up at high tide, and a sign announcing Darby Research Center and a University of Miami logo.







We turned back towards the boat, and found "the Mermaid" that David Copperfield sank here. I hope to snorkel and look at it in the morning. We slowly worked our way close to the rocks, and into the coves, checking depths. I looked up and saw my sailboat friends, John and Barbara on the Full Deck, and Simpatico's crew, Scott and Heather, coming to anchor nearby. It is fun loosely traveling with friends.









John took me inside the caves with his inflatable, so I could get some photos of the hole in the top, a view I would have missed from the Whaler.







It is raining now, and I'm smiling because I don't need to get wet catching any water, my tanks are full! I've washed dive gear, clothes, shoes.... Life is good!





Anchored at N23 52.297' W076 14.405 MERCY moved 18.3 nautical miles today.

Great Guana Key Cave

Thursday, May 30





This morning I hold my friends on the S/V Full Deck, John and Barbara, that I was planning on heading south. When they expressed an interest in going to see the really cool cave mid-island from Oven Rock that I had mentioned I was stopping at, I changed my plans to remain on the hook one more day in the lovely Black Point anchorage. We convinced Scott and Heather on the S/V Simpatico to join us for the adventure, and we were all off in the Whaler, leaving the three bigger boats nestled in the great holding sand anchorage of Black Point.







We followed the coast close in, enjoying its rocky, craggy shoreline, with overhanging rocks, and interspersed with gorgeous sandy beaches. We ran in relatively protected water, in spite of the 20kt wind that was blowing out of the SE.










Not the cavern, just a recess along the coast


We anchored just to the north of Oven Rock. Sandy, or one of the storms in the past year has moved a lot of sand around. All the sand was gone from the beach inside Oven Rock, making it a little difficult for me to locate the trail up to the cave. With partners in adventure, however, we quickly located the trail, and walked up to the inland cavern whose slopes drop to a water filled lagoon.





It is hard to imagine that, in the middle of the island, in the side of this rocky hill, there would be a cavern with stalactites, stalagmites, and columns in a room that drops down to a cool, clear salt water grotto. John, Scott, and I snorkeled around the backside of the huge rocky area in the center of the cavern, and with our dive lights could look down into the depths of an underwater cave. It was spectacular. It is always fascinating to me to see cave decorations underwater, since they are formed by the sediment deposits from water dripping in a dry cave.





For boaters following the blog, and wishing to find the cave, go to Little Farmer's Cay town dock, and ask for Dino, and he can guide you to this fantastic cave.





After enjoying the cavern, we continued on to the east side of the island, to look for sea beans on the exposed shoreline. Barbara found three heart beans, while John, Scott, Heather, and I pretended to play with Mercy-dog while we hunted unsuccessfully for beans. Mercy was ecstatic to romp the beach with friends who were keeping her entertained.





It is really amazing all the junk that washes ashore, and is littered along the beaches. I understand why international laws prohibit the dumping of plastics at sea. There are bottle caps, plastic containers, shoes, (yep, always!) line, toys, bags, and anything else made of plastic that you can imagine.





We trekked back across the island to the anchored Whaler, and decided, since we were so close, to go visit Little Farmer's Cay. Dino greeted us as we entered the basin of the gov't dock, helped us tie up, and was quickly showing us his latest huge shell collection. He said he'd make us some fresh conch salad, and we hired him for the task. We all wandered up to Ali's bar to say "hi" to my friends from last year and enjoy a cold drink. Then we returned to the dock, and watched Dino fix the conch salad from pulling it from the water, to ready to eat. (We took it back to the boat to eat it, however.)







Black Point, Exumas, Bahamas





The harbor there is full of rays and turtles that are fun to watch swimming. Dino showed us an octopus he had captured, and had penned.





We ran back to Black Point almost point to point, which made for a rougher ride than in the morning, but the seas were on our stern, so it wasn't too bad. We munched conch salad on the Simpatico.





I don't know how the guys had enough energy to go ashore to watch a Miami Heat game, but, I pretty much chilled for the evening.

Walking to the South in Black Point

Wednesday May 29





This morning, Chris Parker, the weather guru announced more of the same for days to come. Considering it was blowing 30 kts this morning at 0300, I'm sure glad to be in a nice anchorage.





First thing this morning, it rained hard. I was glad for the heavy rain, because that meant I was catching water as fast as I could siphon it into the tank. My tanks are now totally topped off, after I took a hot shower (you end up getting pretty wet doing the whole water transfer in the pouring rain thing) I even have an extra bucket of fresh water on the stern, waiting to get used.







When the torrential rain ceased, and we were back to sporadic light rain, I convinced John and Barbara from the S/V Full Deck that we ought to explore down the road.







We left the gov't dock, walked to the east to King's Highway, and along King's Highway to the south. Pretty soon the paved road turned to gravel, and we took the right hand fork, to keep us pointed towards White Point. It was cool and windy, a great day to walk. We found some nickerbean trees, and got some yellow nickerbean seabeans. We walked a beach surrounded by rock cliffs on the east side. We walked up on bluffs. We looked at where the "failed marina project" was started. It was really an interesting walk. Mercy-dog and I both have sore feet.







Tomorrow or Friday, I may take the Whaler around to the beach on the west, where we can walk up and meet the road, and see how much further it goes. I don't think much further.





Tonight I went into church, and no one was there. This church said they meet when it rains. I figured everyone was late (since they started an hour late on Sunday) I opened the windows and let some of the heat out. Turned on a fan, and eventually a light. I prayed for awhile, but it turned out to be my own private chapel. About a quarter of eight, I closed up the church and went home. Oh well. I wonder what happened to the special speaker from Nassau. I remember the woman telling me that they don't have church on the family islands when it rains. I wonder how long it has to quit for?







So, I returned to the boat, propped up my sore feet, and with Mercy fast asleep beneath me, turned the a/c on while the generator charges the house bank. The a/c is drying out some of the humidity. And I will have posted a blog on the same day. Except photos, will add them tomorrow! Can't do too much at a time....

Tuesday at Black Point

Tuesday, May 28





The east corner of this bay has a sand beach that is shallow for a long ways out. The local boats have moorings along the edge of where the tide goes out to. It is a great place for dogs and the young at heart to walk.





Mercy and I walked across the beach, crossed the paved road and worked our way to the east to see a blowhole that we had found before. After a lot of unsuccessful attempts to get a photo of it blowing when the waves slapped the rocky shoreline, I did find this little fireman, and I thought of Darrell, my cousin's husband, the fireman. I took this photo for you!









We tried to walk to the south a little ways to a beach I'd spotted the day before, but gave up when Mercy protested that she wasn't wearing shoes. I was wearing my good Keen sandals, and would have rather had my hiking boots. The rock is sharp and jagged, and it would be pretty easy to turn an ankle walking on it. Besides, there are easier beaches!





We returned to the paved road, and followed it until after it turned to gravel in the north, and then veered NE along a trail through the sand to a beach. I searched unsuccessfully for sea beans, but did find where someone had lined up a bunch of shoes.





How do people lose this many shoes? One of the amazing things to me, is that on the most remote beaches in the Bahamas, you don't have to walk far to find a washed up shoe. I guess I'm not the only one who is baggled by this, since many places I go, somebody has lined a bunch of shoes up for a photo.





The Lady Francis remained tied to the dock today. She is one of the mailboats that services this area, an old steel-hulled vessel that was taking on water the day before. A rust hole had opened under the waterline, and folks from several islands were scrambling to get big pumps to her yesterday. A diver put a temporary patch on her, and she was waiting on the tide to turn to get out Dotham Cut to go to San Salvador. The Bahamas gov't issued a special marine warning this afternoon for vessels to remain in port, and I'm glad the Lady Francis did. The folks on San Salvador may find their fresh cargo isn't fresh by the time she's able to make the crossing.







We made one more trip to the beach in the evening.





A lot of the men on this island work on neighboring keys, and commute to work by small boats towards Staniel, and some of the other cays. I was asked 3 different times this evening to give the captains on the skiffs rides in from their moorings, and complied. Typically, they all help each other, but, I think this evening, everyone was scrambling home, watching the coming rain.





We caught another 5 gallons of rain, as the rain mostly missed us today.

Monday at Black Point

Monday, May 27







The weather forecast looks pretty nasty this week, with 20-25kt winds expected all week, higher in thunderstorms, many of which are forecast. Black Point is a great place to weather out easterly component winds in good holding sand, and calm waters. With its available dock, store, restaurants, churches, fresh bread, and laundry...







Oh yeah, time to do laundry. I love being able to pull up to the Rockside Laundry's dinghy dock, and toss my dirty clothes without having to schlep them through town. This commercial laundry is clean and has free wifi. What more could a cruiser ask for? Tokens are $3.50 ea. for washer and drier. $7/load x 3 loads.







I gave 3 Canadians on a vessel anchored next to me a ride in/out, as their outboard was broken, and they bought me a loaf of Miss Corrine's wonderful coconut bread.





In the afternoon I caught 18 gal of rain water. Life is good!

Church and congregation at Black Point

Sunday May 26

I believe there are three churches in Black Point. I attended the church to the NE of the gov't dock, just up the hill, the Bible Mission church. I was glad I did. If you really want to get to experience a part of Bahamian culture and community, visit a church.







The congregation acted a little surprised to see a visitor from the harbour. It made me wonder how many folks from the boats ever attend church there. I attended morning and evening services, and by the evening, the folks had become friendly, with nearly everyone either talking to me before or after service. If you attend one service, and the folks seem reserved and unsure of you, go back. What a nice group of people. I was individually invited to every event they have coming up.



BTW, in the family islands, the churches frequently read announcements from the community, often in letters written to the pastor from community leaders. So, for example, in Eleuthera last year, that is how I learned about a fireworks celebration time and location for Independence Day. I learned yesterday about some public meetings coming up at the local school. It is an easy way to spread the word.


The church was still reeling from the unexpected death of their pastor two weeks earlier. He was 46. I believe he was also the town's police officer. In spite of the fact that he was air lifted to Nassau, he didn't recover from a sudden collapse. It was his widow's first service after her husband's death, and my heart went out to this beautiful lady. A couple of ladies, friends/family came back to Black Point with her from Nassau, and one of those ladies, a pastor in Nassau spoke Sunday night.

Sunday morning a young man who had been assisting the pastor for awhile taught the adult SS class, and spoke for the morning worship. After service he told me that his wife, Ida, who I'd met the year before, has the laundry.



Black Point has the easiest, boat accessible laundry, complete with dinghy dock!  They have a large, clean laundromat, with a dock you can tie your dinghy up, to eliminate carrying your bags of laundry through town. (Closed on Sundays, of course!)

Black Point

Saturday, May 25

The MERCY remained anchored at Black Point N24 06.127' W076 24.044'



The weather was gorgeous, the wind had settled, though I understand that will be changing. I took the Whaler through Dotham Cut, which was interesting with the full moon tidal current flowing out to the east, even meeting a less than 5 knot wind, created two foot short choppy swells, though only for a few hundred feet from the entrance. I worked my way south for a mile, eye-balling the cliffs along the coast, before turning north, and meandering to the north to the Sampson Cay entrance.




The limestone bluffs facing the prevailing winds are beautiful. I stopped and watched a dozen tropic birds flying around the cliffs on Bitter Guana for fifteen minutes.




I searched in vain for a spectacular dive site. It is really pathetic that my standards have gotten so high! There were so many boats trolling along the drop off that I didn't look deeper than 30ft.



I went into Sampson Cay for gas, which was rumored to be cheaper at Sampson Cay, and then returned meandering through the inside back to the boat by way of a sand beach or two, Pig Beach, Thunderball Grotto, and Bitter Guana.




Tonight I am in the company of one other trawler, and four sailboats, spaciously scattered throughout this huge anchorage, enjoying the majestic full moon.

Black Point and vicinity

Friday, May 24

By 0730, I was underway for another anchorage. I planned to tuck behind Bitter Guana, off the gorgeous sandy beach, and watch the iguanas. There was a southern swell coming in there that kept me pressing on to the Black Point anchorage.

Black Point is a great sandy bottom anchorage protected from all the easterlies from the north to the south. The easternmost portion, where you'll see small boats, and moorings is knee deep or less at low tide. The almost level flat sand makes a great place to enjoy floating or playing in the shallow water.

The people here are friendly and welcoming. There is a government dock, giving great dinghy access to the town. There is a trailer to put your garbage in just off the dock. Walking to the SW, there is a Baptist church, Adderly's (grocery store) and Lorraine's Restaurant, both on the right side of the road. Corrine, Lorraine's mom, cooks scrumptious bread; coconut, cinnamon, raisin, and probably regular, too, though I couldn't vouch for that one! (I'm eating as I write.)

There are always people in the shade along the road plaiting a wide-bladed grass that grows on Guana Cay into strips that they sell to vendors in Nassau to make various purses, baskets, etc. There is a small store on the left that has some of those woven items, and Adderly's sell some as well.

To the NE of the dock, there is a full gospel church, and continuing in that direction, if you watch for a path to the right, you can see a blowhole when the waves are surging in from the east. 

Black Point has the best laundry around, and it has its own dinghy dock, to the SE of the govt dock. They have a sign. There is also a marine store there.



I took the Whaler exploring, and went in the creek near the Dotham Cut. It looked like it would be an interesting place to anchor in the tidal creek, but, the bottom here is rock under less than an inch of sand in everywhere I poked a PVC pole. 

Dotham Cut is an easy entrance to the sound. When the wind is against the current, the seas can build, and are very short. I was drifting east about 3 knots before the swells got sharp, and I continued by journey back inside and to the north. I stopped at a Bitter Guana Cay beach, and then picked my way up to the Pigeon Cay anchorage to make sure I had water to get in there with MERCY (I do) before returning through the shallow draft route to Black Point. (3.9' was the least I saw at low water.)




Around 1430, I went in for coconut bread, mmm, which I waited on Corrine's steps and visited with some folks for fifteen minutes until it was fresh out of the oven. 

I took the Whaler to the south, down to White Point, along the shoreline. You can run the Whaler close in, just watch for fallen rocks. The area looks like great snorkeling. There are a couple of small cave openings in the rocks. This is the same island that has a bigger cave to the south, mentioned in last year's Oven Rock.

Pipe Cay, Big Majors Spot, Thunderball Cave

May 23

After running to Compass Cay marina to post the last blog, I took the Whaler and circumnavigated Pipe Cay. I took the cut south of Little Pipe Cay and ran west along the southern bank of Little Pipe Cay. This gorgeous little island has signs all over it requesting you to honor their privacy, which is a pretty common sign around here.

Pipe Cay, as I understand it, is not private. On its SE shore, there is a channel deep enough for MERCY close in to the edge of the Cay, very visible, that I followed to the west, and out to deeper charted water. I turned north, went up to the entrance to the old DECCA station, that has huge iron pilons marking the entrance. From the DECCA station, there is deep water across the banks all the way to Middle Bight, Andros.

There is a very high sea wall, and an old, wide launching ramp. Derelict buildings and pieces of equipment are scattered through the area. It was easy to imagine bringing in a supply boat here.

I continued my journey to the north, and Mercy-dog and I stopped at one of the multiple gorgeous beaches that are all up the western side of the island. There are limestone/ironstone rocks separating these beaches.

I had to jut back offshore a bit to clear the jagged rocky islands that stick out to the west, and then immediately cut back to the east on the south side of the sand bar, which is barely do-able with the outboard. Then, up next to the rocky shore, you drop into a deep channel, that appears to have some great snorkeling along the bank, and a deep, sandy, though somewhat narrow anchorage. From there I popped out by Compass Cay, and ran back to the MERCY for lunch.

I moved the MERCY at low tide from my beloved Thomas Cay anchorage to touristville, aka Big Majors Spot, to do the more typical, must do tourist things.

Going out, I hugged the shore of Thomas Cay, after clearing the bar I was anchored behind, and then ran along the south side of Wild Tamarind Cay (Rat Cay) to the west. The shallowest water was cutting to the SW, I saw one 4.9' spot, and we were at the low of a full moon.


I anchored at Big Majors Spot with 25 other boats, all but a handful for over 50ft. Big Majors Spot is famous for its swimming pigs. Tourists take their food scraps into "pig beach" on the SE end of the anchorage, and the resident hog population swims out to the boats to greet you. I have heard that they'll try to jump into smaller boats if you are too slow tossing the food overboard.

The cruisers have set up a site, further to the north, on a beautiful sandy beach, where they gather to sit, and eat, and drink, and make new friends.

I could have easily done this by Whaler, mind you, from my previous anchorage, but I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. The anchorage is a great holding sandy bottom, in a pretty sheltered place. Unfortunately, there is a LOT of boat traffic. Boats zoom in from all over to see the pigs, and then scurry away at full speed through the anchorage. There are jet skies from the yachties, and rental boats from Staniel. There were swells coming in out of the south all night, and I wondered why I'd moved down here.

I also went to Thunderball Cave. This is always on my "must do" list. If you have never been there before, the best time to go is a low, slack tide. After you know where it is, any slack tide is good, if you don't mind snorkeling underwater a couple of feet to get into the interior. Thunderball Cave or grotto, is a dome shaped, water-filled room, that is open in the top of the dome, allowing light to enter. Light also enters through the water openings through the entrance holes in the rock. When the tide is moving, there can be a lot of current, but generally not enough to be a problem for someone who is comfortable snorkeling, if you use the eddies to your advantage.



The grotto was used back during the filming of the James Bond movie. The light creates an interesting atmosphere, and the shade is a welcome from the heat of the sun. There are a lot of interesting tropical fish around the entrances.

If you like Thunderball, (and you will!) you should also make a point to visit the cave/grotto at Rocky Dundas. (West of the northern tip of Compass Cay.)

For my friends planning to meet me over here, I'm trying to whet your appetites.

Compass Cay

Thursday May 23

Yesterday I went into Compass Cay by Whaler, to see if they have internet. They did! ($10/100mb/24 hrs) I'm going to run close enough to post this in a few minutes, before my 24 hrs runs out, then will probably be out of the loop again for a couple of days.

Compass Cay charges a per person dinghy landing fee of $10. It was worth it to do once to see the nurse sharks and the bonefish. They have a pier built where the water covers it with the tide. There are a dozen or so nurse sharks that are very acclimated to people walking on the dock and petting them. As low tide, there are dozens of resident bonefish swimming within a foot of you, but they seem to disappear as the tide rises.




Tucker Rolle, originally from Black Point, is a friendly host. There is a place there for self-serve cold drinks, and I understand they cook burgers and dogs to order for lunch. One of the boaters told me that the boaters often potluck for supper.

If the MERCY had been at Compass Cay, it would have been one of the smaller vessels. The island seems well cared for, with paths and signs. There is a nice beach on the east side of the island, and sorry, I didn't take my camera. 

Mercy-dog and I met Natalie and Bear, her 7 month old black lab, and walked across the island with them. Bear was glad for a playmate, and Mercy enjoyed it for awhile, and then graciously tolerated him for a little longer. 




We spent much of the afternoon there, and will think about including it our future plans. 

The current rips through there, around the dock area, when the tide is high enough to clear the bar on the southern end, it increases.

Today I plan to go down to Big Majors Spot where there must have been 25 boats the other day.

Big Thomas Cay anchorage

Wednesday May 22

This morning I listened to the pre-dawn rumble of thunder, and watched lightning in the distance.  By the time all the squalls had passed, I eeked out catching  gtvless than eight gallons of water.  That was enough to pretty much scrub all the salt off the boat, but not enough to catch any good water to fill the tanks.  I am ready now, however, should it rain some more.

Yesterday was the first day that the solar panels didn't top off things all together, so today I ran the generator while simultaneously cooking brunch, watching a movie, and turning the water heater on.  I think the generator charging run was unnecessary, since this afternoon the sun is out in its glory, and the panels would have made up a lot of lost time.

Overyonder Cay is gorgeous.  Here is the view going into their harbour, showing one of their wind generators.

I'm going to Compass Cay to see if I can get internet.

Post 5067 5073
 

Exploring by WhalerThomas Cay to Staniel Cay

Tuesday, 21 May

This morning we took the Whaler to the south to Staniel Cay, to see if there was enough water to run the trawler through.  The lowest water I ever saw was 3.9' at a little below normal low, along the western side of North Sampson Cay.  If I were anchored near the yacht club, I would cut through to Big Majors Spot, but, from over here, I'll probably go around the Twin Cays with MERCY.

I made a circle, cruising through the marina at Sampson Cay, then continuing south of Dennis Cay, North of Fowl Cay, and between Little Majors Spot and Big Majors Spot.  We did the Staniel Cay Yacht Club drive by, visited Isles General Store, returned by way of the Thunderball Cave, and the pigs on the west side of Big Majors Spot.

Coming back, I cruised by Overyonder Cay, which is gorgeous.  Here is the view going into their harbour, showing one of their wind generators

5077 5084

Exploring the area around the Thomas Cay anchorage.

Monday, May 20th

From my present anchorage, I have protection from the wind in every direction. The current is flowing through pretty briskly, as would be expected on this phase of the moon, coming full.

For the most part, I am out of the wakes of the outboards heading to and from Compass Cay, at least they are negated some by the bar that lies between me and the channel they are running.



At low tide, Mercy-dog and I took the Whaler and went exploring. We ran slightly south to the cut between Thomas Cay and Overyonder Cay, and then along the northern coast of Rat Cay (Wild Tamarind Cay) We couldn't pass up the huge exposed sand flat to the east of Little Pipe Cay, and Mercy-dog and I walked and played on that for awhile. Then we continued through the deep channel immediately north of Little Pipe Cay, between that island and the little gazebo on the neighboring rock, and found the magnificent anchorage between Pipe Cay and Little Pipe Cay. If I wasn't in such a good spot already, to be anchored down for blowing rain squalls... I may move there in a couple of days. N24 14.086' W076 30.172'



There is a huge sand bar running north from the southeastern tip of Pipe Cay, separated by a channel 4.8' at a below normal low tide. There were a couple of 50' boats on moorings in that channel. I don't know who manages the moorings. The current was kicking in there, and the anchorage was very narrow. There were two small boats pulled up to the sand flat, with their occupants enjoying a walk on the exposed beach.  



We worked our way north, between Hattie and Little Hattie Cay, stopping on an exposed sand bar. I won't pass through there again. The channel was about twice as wide as the boat, and the current was ripping. 

We returned to the MERCY and one of us napped, and one of us vacuumed. Mercy-dog did wake up long enough to give me a kiss for cleaning up.

Anchored N24 14.245' W076 25.425' 14' in sand 0nm today

Norman's Cay to Thomas Cay

Sunday , May 19 

Due to the forecast 20-25+ kt SE winds for the next couple of days, I started figuring out a good anchorage area for several days. I decided to look for a good spot between Compass Cay and Sampson Cay.

I ran down the western side of Compass Cay and anchored about .3nm below the NE tip of Pipe Cay, temporarily, while looking for a better spot with the Whaler.

The Pipe Cay anchorage would probably be an ok spot, if I couldn't find any better. The current screams through there, and the wind was 20-ish. The sand bar to the east provides protection from the wakes of the dozens of outboards that seem to be cruising through there from Staniel to Compass. Where I dropped the hook, slightly up on the bank, in 11' of water, the sand was great holding. I just didn't like the spot. N24 15.281' W076 30.795




I took the Whaler, working to the south, following, more or less, Garmin's recommended route, until I found the PERFECT spot! I am currently anchored off the western side of Thomas Cay, about half way down.

I have good electronics on the Whaler and on the MERCY. Unfortunately, I have no way to communicate the tracks I have made with the Garmin on the Whaler to the Raymarine on the MERCY. The easiest fix? I carry an iPad! I scouted out several different paths across the final bar coming in here, picked the one I wanted, and recorded my "final" track back to the boat on Garmin's Blue Chart on the iPad. I pretty much followed that track to my present anchorage with the MERCY.




It is funny how dependent we become on electronics. In the early 90's, I followed this same shallow water route down with my old boat, which drew considerably less, without the benefit of GPS or cartography. I think I had a copy of the Yachtsman's Guide to the Bahamas, and created my own sketch charts. Unfortunately, most of my old sketches succumbed to mildew and were destroyed. It is amazing all the advances that have been made with computers and electronics in my lifetime.

Anchored N24 14.245' W076 25.425' 14' in sand 35nm today

Allen's Cay, Highbourne Cay, Norman's Cay.

Saturday May 18, 2013

When I began this trip, I was hustling to get down to Crooked Islands and to the Acklins. This morning, after listening to the long term forecast for this next week, I decided that time constraints were not going to allow that in time to return north of the Tropic of Cancer by June 1. (insurance stuff)

So now I have switched into explore mode.

I took the Whaler from Highbourne to Allens Cay to see the iguanas. I remember the first time I was there, in the 90's, how impressed I was with the ugly, prehistoric looking creatures, that would charge the skiff when you came near the shore, looking for hand-outs. Since exotic iguanas have inundated the Florida Keys, much of my iguana watching has been through the scope of a pellet rifle, and I am not nearly so enamored by their looks.

When I arrived at the cays, there was a group of college-age looking kids with a few snares, wandering about the island. The iguanas were all hidden. I went to the northernmost key, and saw a couple of iguanas.  I also saw this osprey.

I moved the MERCY down to anchor on the western side of Norman's Cay, and ran the Whaler to the north, along the beach, into the gorgeous anchorage on the SW side of Saddle Cay. That anchorage would be accessible by the east, or the north, watching for the shoals on the north. Mercy-dog and I enjoyed the sand spit that was here at low tide.

This little island, just off Norman's Cay, has got to be one of the most "postcard" looking islands I've ever seen.  It is truly beautiful!

Then we went by Whaler to the south, into the anchorage inside Norman's, and cruised over to look at the plane, still visible and awash, famous from the drug days of Carlos Lehder.

We went into Norman's Cay Pond, carefully marking our route to return for a hurricane hole, if we need one in this area. Some nice homes have been built in here since I was here last.

There was one 5.8' spot on, if Norman's follows Nassau by 30 minutes, about a 1.8' tide. This vessel was up in the far corner.

I scrubbed on the waterline, de-grassing the MERCY until my arms were tired, while the current was slack. Then I cooked a great dinner and enjoyed another beautiful evening in the Exumas.

N24 36.660' W076 49.223 in sand 8'