Hiking Warderick 01/27/13

Yesterday dawned rainy and dreary.  The front we were expecting arrived and brought with it numerous rain squalls, something very unusual for the Bahamas in wintertime.  The rain was welcome and washed all of the built up salt off the decks.

We waited for the first rain to pass and took the chance to take a hike through the interior of the island.  The Bahamas are made of a craggy black rock and very little vegetation.  Through storms and environmental abuse, the trees that were here ages ago are now gone with the Exuma Park working hard to reinvigorate the landscape.  The park has signs throughout describing species of plants and animals and although the hiking is over rough terrain, it is enjoyable and interesting to partake. 

We left the park office with the intention of visiting BooBoo Hill and headed down the beach side trails, planning on doing a loop further south on the island.  The middle of the island floods twice a day, nourishing the mangroves fields throughout the interior and leaving a lot of slippery, “mucky” spots to walk if you wander off the trail.  We crossed the middle of the island near low tide and made our way to the rocky shore of the Exuma Sound side.  Once again, there was a series of shoreline trails to follow. 

We always carry trash bags with us when we hike so we can pick up trash washed ashore.  That’s a small way to make a difference with our presence and we managed to fill two bags to overflowing as well as carrying several large pieces of plastic along as well.  It’s really quite shocking how much trash comes in from the oceans here - mostly plastic – bottle caps and pieces of buckets and milk crates, soles of shoes and lots of pieces of rope of all colors and sizes.

We climbed BooBoo Hill to find a monument of momentos, all in driftwood left by cruisers past and present.  It was a wonderful vantage point to look over with the whole of the island and its shores.  The sun came out for a short time, teasing us into thinking that some snorkeling might be in order so we headed back to the boat – just in time for the next squall to arrive. 

We're doin' just fine.

We spent the afternoon aboard, catching up on business and such with the internet connection we paid for through the park.  Unfortunately, the connection died right as the park office closed so many of the anticipated phone calls never got made.  We resorted to cards and movies and whiled the night away anxious to reacquire our signal today and hear some familiar voices . . . we’re thinking about you out there!!!

Park Days 01/29/13

 After our fiasco with the internet, we realized we were in the middle of nowhere and really had few options.  We relaxed with it (we had no choice!) and tried to make the best of the time we had in this remote island paradise. 

The end of our time in Warderick was spent snorkeling and exploring.  We hiked up to BooBoo Hill again, leaving our own mark of a piece of driftwood we decorated on site.  We also spent the afternoon snorkeling, enjoying the amazing landscape of underwater treasures right off of our boat.

After our snorkeling adventure, shared with Matt aboard Patty D, I took the opportunity to learn the fine art of pie crust making with Matt’s wife, Patty.  First, Matt hauled Rob up the mast to take care of the latest repair needs and then Patty and I retired to the galley for my lesson.  I created my first ever homemade pie crust, filled with my ever popular derby pie filling, never a disappointment.

Saturday evenings are supposed to be “happy hour” gatherings on the beach.  With the storm the previous evening, it didn’t happen so “Polar Pacer” took up the torch and invited all boats in the park to an impromptu gathering on Sunday instead.  We enjoyed meeting lots of the other cruisers in the area and look forward to seeing many of them further “down the line”. 

That night I managed to drop my favorite sunglasses overboard as we were climbing into the boat!  Our son, Matt, and his girlfriend, Danyelle, had given them to me as a gift and they’re near and dear to me.  When they fell in, I immediately panicked but then remembered where we were and decided to “let it go” until the following morning when I would snorkel and find them in the surrounding crystal clear water.

The next morning dawned early and we prepared for our exit from Warderick Wells mooring field.  My first thought was retrieving my special glasses and I sported my snorkeling gear and headed off the side of the boat.  After about ½ hour of extensive searching, I saw them in a 12 foot “whole” not far from our position and dove down to retrieve them.  SUCCESS!!!! 

After my accomplishment, I felt ready to move on and we made our way easily, sailing down the 12 miles or so to the next anchorage off Bell Island, still in the Exuma Park. 

We decided to anchor instead of taking a mooring ball and ended up being completely alone off of a private island of someone with an obvious fortune.  Johnny Depp owns the island just north of there with his yacht anchored nearby flying the pirate flag with the red sparrow in the corner!  The beach was pristine and had all the amenities and several times a helicopter landed on the nearby helipad delivering visitors to and fro.  The Bahamas sure are a

The big treat for the day was to go snorkeling in an area called the Sea Aquarium there.  We had heard many stories about this little treasure and were determined to experience it for ourselves.  The following pictures tell the story . . . there were just SO many fish!  They were everywhere and seemed to think we were one of their kind – swimming right into our masks as though saying hello personally!  It was an amazing experience and well worth the sidetrip we made to see it!

Today we left that anchorage and had a nice, leisurely sail down to the Black Point Settlement.  We’ve heard a lot about this area and we’re not disappointed.  In this one afternoon I swear I’ve met most of the population of the island from each of the little store owners to the restaurantuers.  I’ve met the bread baker and ordered a loaf, the little grocery store owner and bought a head of cabbage and some celery, the laudromat owner and had a piece of her infamous $1 per slice carrot cake as well as numerous other characters.

We went to the local happy hour and had rum punch and popcorn and have returned to Moonshadow satiated and happy.  Ah – now THIS is what I’ve been waiting for!!!!

Exuma Land and Sea Park 1/26/13

After a couple of rocky nights off Shroud Cay, we woke up the day before yesterday ready to get moving.  Shroud Cay boasts a beautiful estuary through the mangroves so we headed out early to see what it was all about.  Unfortunately, with the weather being more a factor, the ride was fun but not nearly as peaceful nor the beach as enjoyable as promised but the trip was worth it nonetheless.

Rick was READY when we returned so we quickly shifted into “moving mode”.  Everything was put away, the dinghy raised and such and off we went.  We had a beautiful sail down the inside of the Exuma chain.  We had less than 20 miles to go and set our sails, seeing over 6.5 knots the whole way – sometimes topping 8!  (Yup, 8 miles an hour is SCREAMING!  Gotta love it!)

Warderick Wells is one of the places that everyone comes to the Exumas to experience.  It’s a land and sea park comprised of dozens of little islands all with some special claim to fame.   It’s a “no-take” zone meaning nothing is allowed to be removed – from fish to shells and the like – so there is a lot of sea life to be seen. 

We have a mooring in the middle of the northern field which has the most gorgeous palette of blue waters you can imagine.  If only cameras could do this justice.  We arrived to the waves of our good friends Ian and Lynn aboard Windward from the beach.   How great to see familiar faces!

Since then we’ve been busy exploring the island and the surrounding waters.  Warderick Wells Cay itself is quite large and is covered with a dozen hiking trails over the iron rock landscape looking something like what you might expect on the moon!  We have explored a few trails and spent a couple hours snorkeling yesterday that were the highlight of our Exuma experience to date.  The pictures, of course, cannot even begin to show how amazing the area is and I’m still learning the finer points of snorkeling so my underwater photography skills definitely have need for improvement but suffice it to say – this is some great stuff!

I saw a 10” parrot fish with all the colors of the rainbow, a hole with huge lobsters just piled on top of each other, countless colorful fish from the size of a fingernail to the size of my head and lots and lots of coral.  Never having been in a true snorkeling paradise before, every glance is a marvel!

Ian and Lynn are hosting Canadian friends, Rob and Laurel, and also knew our mooring neighbors Matt and Patty aboard Patty D so we have spent the past days sharing the sunset, coffee, muffins, dinner and friendship.  I finally feel like we’re having the “cruising experience” with friendly faces, great food and lots to do.

As another front threatens, Ian and Lynn and company headed out early this morning to safely return their guests to Nassau and we are settling in waiting for the anticipated 30+kt winds due to arrive some time today.  It’s comforting knowing we’re on a good mooring, next to several folks we know and can weather this storm without incident.  Who knows, I might even be able to get back in with the fish today!

Our Buddy Rick 1/23/13

We decided to anchor at Highbourne Cay as opposed to Allen’s, where the iguanas are, so as to meet up with our friend, Rick.  We sailed with Rick for quite some time already this year after meeting him in Melbourne during the SSCA gathering.

Rick is quite an unusual character – a solo sailor on a boat identical to ours.  He does solo what Rob and I struggle to manage with the two of us.  From anchoring and docking to setting and dropping his sails, he’s got the science of his sailing technique honed to an art.  Along with that, Rick is a master of everything CSY (that being the type of boat we both sail). 

When we arrived at Highbourne, Rick was waiting and brought his dinghy immediately over.  We had parted ways in the Berry Islands where he went to Spanish Wells on Eleuthera and we headed to Nassau to meet up with family. 

Rob and I took our dinghy over to visit the iguanas on the neighboring island and chat with the many cruisers who had anchored there for the night.  It was fun to meet back up with numerous boats we have seen along the way.

I’d like to relate more about the Exumas at this point but, other than the aforementioned terrific snorkeling interlude after the iguana viewing, we’ve been a bit tied up.  I got up with the dawn yesterday, grabbed a couple of good photos of the sun rising and proceeded to tune into the area weather forecast on the SSB.  The front we had heard of was due that evening and the weather was already starting to threaten.

We decided to weigh anchor and head further south to the northern border of the Exuma Land and Sea Park at Shroud Key.  We had hoped to “score” on some decent afternoon weather to take in the acclaimed favorite activity there of riding a small creek through mangroves to an amazing beach on the other side of the island.

Unfortunately, along the journey south, we sprung a good sized diesel leak in the engine and had to do some quick maneuvering to get safely on our mooring and better assess the situation.  I won’t go into the details of how the starter didn’t want to cooperate during all of this! 

Anyway, the balance of the day didn’t offer favorable weather with the westerly winds kicking up big wave action and lots of rocking and rolling in the anchorage so it was a good time for Rob to do his magic and analyze and subsequently fix the problem (the glories of a 30+ year old engine and its parts!)

We had a nice evening playing cards and the new game, Dao, that Matt and Danyelle brought us and we hit the sack exhausted after another big day.  (ps – Jacob, if you’re reading this – your game was a HUGE hit in Nassau and we played it repeatedly!!!)

Overnight the wind did its scheduled shift to the N/NE and picked up to over 20 knots so this morning is a bit blustery but at least more comfortable with the anchorage having better northerly than westerly protection.  We still plan on taking our ride through the mangroves this afternoon but, in resolving one issue in the engine compartment, two others have sprung up so at least another temporary delay is at hand.

I’m keeping busy puttering around – organizing, cleaning, cooking and otherwise occupying myself.  Rick is making himself indispensible once again fabricating an essential part that was found to be “shot”.  This guy is a walking boatyard! 

We are due to catch a mooring in Warderick Wells tomorrow, the headquarters of the Exuma Park and, with our engine once again fully analyzed, hope to be 100% into the fun and exploration we’ve been waiting for!  Watch out – we’re more than ready!

Visitors from Afar (01/21/13)

Well, it’s a week later and we’re on our own again.  We had a great time with Rich and Lisa and stayed at their condo the entire duration of their stay.  They had a timeshare exchange on Paradise Island with all the bells and whistles so it was quite the change of pace from what we’ve been living the past couple months.

We spent our time mostly just enjoying the surroundings and each other.  We cooked and walked the beach and sat by the pool and played games.  One afternoon we took the boat out to Rose Island and had a nice afternoon sail and lunchtime anchorage.

Matthew and Danyelle arrived on Wednesday although not exactly as planned.  I was really excited about their arrival and had arranged for a cab to be at the airport with one of those signs with his name on it.  I always thought it would be neat to come off of a plane and have my name on one of those – but I digress!  Anyway, that was the plan until the cab driver didn’t make it to the airport on time!

After quite a bit of scrambling and numerous phone calls, the driver finally made it to the airport and intercepted the kids.  Matthew was pretty frustrated by the time he arrived, over an hour late – but the cabbie showed perfect Bahamian hospitality and proceeded immediately to the first liquor store in sight, bought a six pack of Kalik and proceeded to share them with his fares.  Needless to say, spirits were much better by the time they made it to us!

We had a great visit together seeing all there is to see of Nassau and Paradise Island.  We biked around the island and over the bridge into Nassau downtown, we played and swam at the beach and pool, we played games and wandered and ate (conch everything!) and had a great time.  

Rich and Lisa left Saturday noon and we all gathered on Moonshadow for a farewell brunch.  The rest of the day was spent experimenting with snorkels on the beach and preparing a fresh lobster dinner that was the perfect finale to our time together.

My only regret is that with Rich and Lisa being in town and staying at their lovely place with room enough for us all, as well as two days with weather not exactly considered ideal, that we never got the kids out on the boat to experience the “real deal” of our sailing life.  Guess that will have to wait until next time!

With the family back home, we tied up loose ends and got off the dock.   We headed back over to Rose Island for the night before our planned crossing of the Exuma bank today.  We now sit off of Highbourne Cay after an easy motor sail.  The water became clearer as we crossed and in the few hours we had before the sun set, we managed to visit a beach covered in iguanas and snorkel a reef with more fish than I’ve ever seen.  Surely, this is where the real adventure begins!

Nassau (1/14/13)

For the most part, cruisers avoid Nassau but to pass through to the Exumas and head further south.  It’s a big city with lots of crime and generally poor conditions for anchoring so getting a slip in a marina is par for the course.  We are in the Nassau Harbour Club and paying nearly hotel rates but glad to be where we can intercept family safely and soundly.  We're finding the people here to be friendly and kind in a city that just requires some basic safety precautions.

We waited in the Texaco Saturday night for Rob’s brother, Rich, and his wife Lisa to arrive and had a chance to skype with our mothers back home.   When we finally connected with Rich and Lisa Sunday morning, we headed right out to find where they were staying on neighboring Paradise Island.  It was a much longer walk than expected but we crossed the bridges over the Nassau Channel and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city.

Rich and Lisa are staying at the Paradise Island Beach Club and have a lovely view of the ocean as well as plenty of space for lounging, something we’ve grown unaccustomed to!  We enjoyed the day getting settled and walked back over the bridges to experience the seafood stalls for lunch. 

Twin Brothers has a reputation among cruisers as being “the best” so we headed directly there.  The shacks are lined up one after another under the base of the bridge with their boats tied up behind them.  They serve up LOTS of conch (Rob was cautious!) and various other fish dishes as well as a decent hamburger – all at reasonable prices.

Rich, Lisa and I had conch fritters and conch salad while Rob ate a cheeseburger and carrot cake!  Every conch salad along the shacks is made to order, with a conch being pulled from the water on a string, removed from the shell and cleaned and then chopped up with tomato, onion and green pepper before being doused in lime and orange juice.  Quite a feast!  The mandatory Kalik accompanied the feast. 

We spent the balance of the day finding the local grocery store (pictures just wouldn’t do this justice!) and grabbing a few supplies before heading back to the beach.  Rob and Rich watched some playoff football while Lisa and I walked the beach where Lisa found her first sea bean (something I’ve been looking for this whole trip and she just stumbled on!  HA!).

There’s plenty more of Nassau to see but our first day was a success and we’re anxiously awaiting to share our findings with our son, Matt and his girlfriend, Danyelle who arrive on Wednesday.  Surely, more to come . . . 

Movin' On (1/12/13)

We never left the boat after moving to the Bonds Cay anchorage.  The rain came and went and the sun set and we never braved the weather to get out.  Rob spent most of the day recovering from his food poisoning and I did anything I could put my mind to – from cleaning whatever to doing craft projects.  I, for one, was stir crazy by day’s end but the plan to head to Nassau was something to look forward to.

After Rob resurfaced, we had a light, healthy meal and lashed down the rest of whatever needed it for the 35 mile offshore across the Northwest Channel.  We popped popcorn and put on a movie and got to bed early.  PS – anyone not having seen Prometheus, our vote would be, don’t bother (sorry, Jacob!)!

By the end of the movie, I was completely spent.  After not having gotten a decent night’s sleep for three nights (especially LAST NIGHT), I was over tired to a limit.  Of course, the wind picked up about that time and the lines in the mast started smacking back and forth, the lashed down dinghy squeaked and creaked against the hull, the wind howled in the mast and lines and I fell apart!  My dear, hard working husband did the best he could to silence the rattling, banging and such and we finally got to bed.

When we got up at 6, we touched base with Long Gone to find out that they had decided to stay in the Berrys to wait for another cruising buddy to arrive so we’d be traveling solo.  We said our goodbyes and planned to meet again somewhere “down the line”. 

The wind had died down and the seas were quite calm and we weighed anchor and headed out the channel.   With the light winds, Moonshadow needed the engine for the first hour or so but then things started to pick up and we cut the engine and sailed along at 6+ knots on a straight course for Nassau.

Nothing unusual to report and no amazing sunrises or sunsets to show, but we had a good passage, found our way into our slip at the Nassau Harbor Club and have found internet in various and sundry places.  First Starbucks to get the emails handled and now we’re sitting in a Texaco gas station watching the Bronco game and blogging . . . REALLY!  Who would have guessed?!  Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore!

Not So "Berry" (1/10/13)

Last night we had our final dinner with Rick at Flo’s Conch Bar.  We had our Kalik’s and a rum punch or two along with expertly prepared broiled grouper, Bahamian peas and rice and homemade cole slaw.  We started it out with delicious conch fritters – our first on this journey.

The entertainment came from three hands of Mexican Train dominos which Rob cleaned up on.  Chester and Lovely the cooks/hosts were the only other people in the place and were friendly and attentive (and great cooks!). Lots of pictures were taken and plans made to meet up with Rick again further on down the Exuma chain. 

It was a great night and we all headed back to our boats around 10.  That’s when all the fun began.  This anchorage has been rough to say the least.  After Nautilus and Long Gone running aground on our entry, both boats had had to re-anchor over our stay, ending up in less than favorable positions.  We had a good set on our anchor but our place in the little cove we were in managed to “grab” the current and send up flying around any time the tide was rising.  It didn’t look like anyone was going to get much sleep!

With that in mind, it appeared that Rick/Nautilus decided not to bother with his worrisome anchorage and he set sail last night to cross the NW Channel for Spanish Wells.  And we watched Long Gone’s mast kicking around and knew they weren’t having a good time of it either.

Rob and I were just about to head to bed when “the tides turned” in a different way.  Apparently what we thought was a RAW conch allergy that Rob had was, in fact, a CONCH allergy as a whole.  With symptoms of food poisoning, he was completely incapacitated for almost 4 hours – and this is particularly harrowing on a boat without plumbing as well all know it!  I’ll save you the details.

Add to that that the tide happened to be at an unusual low last night and just as  Rob started to settle down, Moonshadow “settled” down too - right on the bottom!  The current continued to rock side to side and forward and back as the keel bumped along the bottom of the anchorage.  I’d love to give you some idea of how this played out but suffice it to say, it wasn’t exactly prime conditions for comfort or sleep!

Needless to say, the night couldn’t pass quickly enough for me!  With all the “excitement” and an already precarious anchorage, the rest of the night was spent jumping up and down checking for a dragging anchor and overall conditions. 

I finally gave up at 6am and pulled out the SSB to see what kind of forecast was in order the next couple days.  I had been trying to learn this process for a while and finally was successful this morning.  I put final details in place for our own crossing tomorrow to Nassau with Long Gone and when we saw them surface, we made plans to immediately leave the anchorage and try something a few miles down the island chain with hopefully less uncomfortable conditions.

We now sit in our new anchorage with slightly better albeit more exposed conditions and the skies have clouded up and the rain’s begun to fall.  Finally the boat is getting a washdown after our last salty offshore leg – just in time for tomorrow’s!  The beach ¼ mile off our starboard rail looks inviting, but not in the rain.  It may be a popcorn and movie kind of day.

So goes life in the remote Berry Islands.  And I’m thinkin’ points south are looking pretty good right about now!

This Is Cruising . . . (1/9/13)

Our group of three companion boats left The Berry Islands Club at 8:30 yesterday morning.  The winds were ESE to SSE gusting over 20 knots and we were essentially heading north after making our initial turn from the west.  We put sails up before even leaving our moorings and everyone headed down the inlet under sail and with high spirits.  Then we turned . . . into the wind . . . and the waves . . . and the current.

Chuck and Stuart aboard Long Gone have been cruising for 5 seasons and sailing for much longer.  Rick aboard Nautilus is single-handing and has sailed and lived aboard for years and years.  These guys are comfortable out there.  Rob and I are in our 2^nd season, our first outside of US waters, and can count our significant passages on two hands. 

Okay, so this wasn’t a “significant” passage, but it was blowing over 20 knots with seas 4 - 6 feet and, as Chuck says, “You just aren’t going to see worse conditions than those unless you go looking for them.”  Anyway, I’m making a short story very long (again), but it comes down to one thing – I don’t think I’m a natural born sailor.  I usually get about an hour into something like this and start expressing my utter dislike for sailing.  Poor Rob.

After hearing the other two boats report that, after the first easterly leg, they had great sail configurations and had shut off their engines and were blissfully making reasonable progress, Rob and I looked at each other (rather stupefied) and wondered why we couldn’t top 2-3 knots under sail and were getting thrown from hell to breakfast on every wave.  In a last ditch effort about an hour before our arrival, we changed our sail configuration completely, putting up much more sail than even the other two boats and ended up rocking ahead at over 7 knots, blasting us to our destination in fine fashion.

Arriving, we found our chosen anchorage to be much tighter and shallower than expected.  Both of our companions ran aground several times before we all got settled.  (note – surprisingly, we managed to escape that gyration – GO Moonshadow!)   And then, as the tides shifted, our boats started doing some kind of crazy dance over our anchors leaving Rick having to reset his anchor and all of us with no option other than taking shifts through the night to watch each others’ boats. 

The Berrys are known for being remote and they’re mightily living up to that reputation.  We did a quick survey of the rocky beach and the nearby strip of sand right off of the anchorage and had a beer at Flo’s Conch Bar, the one and only thing in sight, making the required advanced notice for having dinner there tonight..   Flo’s is quite something to behold­­­, with our hostess, Lovely, serving up a cold Kalik after our adventure.  So here we are, removed from all civilization in the Berry Islands with nothing to do but play until we head offshore again.  And that’s what’s called cruisin’!

Gettin' Real

There really was nothing new to report from Bimini the last day we were there.  We continued to enjoy the beach, shelling and the like and made preparations to leave for the Great Bahama Bank the next morning.  We did all take an hour that afternoon to have a lesson by Rick on line spicing and all managed to successfully create an eye in a three braid line!  Oh, such thrills to be had!

We rose before the sun on Sunday to leave the marina and head for "the banks".   Docking is well known as being the hardest part of sailing.  That's why we are so happy to not stay on a dock if we can help it!  But in Bimini, that's the way it is so we had the "pleasure" of an exciting morning!  Nautilus was the first to exit and taught us all that we'd need all of our wits about us to avoid catastrophe.  We were next and struggled as well but without any damage to speak of.  As we were off the dock already, we don't know the details for Long Gone but we were all glad to be on our way and headed out the cut.

Crossing the banks is quite an unusual experience.  It looks exactly like the ocean - water in every direction - but nowhere is it over 20' deep!  We spent the day whiling away the hours while the miles passed under the hull.  The winds weren't favorable for a complete sail but we were able to at least keep some sails flying through most of the day, helping to keep the ride smoother.

The winds picked up at the end of the day kicking up the waves a bit but with the shallow water, it didn't get too uncomfortable.  We set just as the sun set.  This is quite an experience, dropping an anchor in what looks like the middle of the ocean . . . and THEN trusting that you'll still be in the same place when you wake up!  We enjoyed the sunset, made a little dinner and actually watched a movie before hitting the sack.

Once again, we rose before the sun and got ready to get on the move again.  The sunrise was spectacular and welcomed us to the final leg of this short journey.  We had another beautiful motor sail and made our way to our chosen anchorage before 1 yesterday afternoon.  We tried hailing the marina we were to moor at to no avail and finally got a return call saying they had heard that the owner of the facility had died last week and the place was shut down!

Not having any other options, we continued to the mooring field and attached ourselves to our moorings.  We went ashore to find a cute facility with noone in site so we set off on foot to see what we could find.  Well - outside of pretty water, a blue hole, an air strip and the resort of Chub Cay (5 miles later) - there was NOTHING!  Eve

n Chub Cay Club didn't open until 5 so we turned around and headed back hoping to make it back to our deserted anchorage before the sun set.

After near 10 miles of continuous walking, we couldn't have been more thrilled to find that the owner of the marina had NOT, in fact, died - he was alive and well and had other things to do!  Chuck and Stuart from Long Gone were on bikes and had found this out quite a bit earlier than we made it back and were sitting happily with their cold beers when we finally arrived!

After all of the excitement, we were happy to settle in last night and recover, getting ready to enjoy our surroundings today.  The morning was spent finding and fixing the numerous places that sea water had found its way INTO our boat during our passage (NOT the kind of thing that's supposed to happen!) as well as cleaning and organizing, my constant occupation!  But after our industrious morning, we met up with our buddy boaters and dinghied around the island to an estuary teaming with turtles and rays of  every shape and size!  We meandered the area and beached ourselves after a while to look for shells and whatnot.

Needless to say, our journey continues to provide constant stimulation.  We've met some amazing people even here, in our deserted little enclave - like Howard (the guy who DIDN'T die), and local resident Dan (with great stories to tell) and another couple sailors.  We've seen things we've never seen, done things we've never done and continue to be amazed at how unique each day has been.

Tomorrow we three boats head out again for another of the Berry Islands, Little Harbor Cay with Flo's Conch House.  Who knows what's in store for us there?!

Bimini

I had no idea what to expect.  I sit here with the noises of my first Junkanoo in the background and can't help but grin.  We arrived on Wednesday and quickly settled in.  Our three boats seem to do exceptionally well with each other and we've kept each other company doing one thing or another over the past two days.

We've been to the Batelco office and acquired our new Bahamian phone numbers then walked the streets of Alice Town.  I just love being in simple places.  No frills, no fuss, just simple living.  The people are friendly, drive crazy and take everything else slow.  The public school is tiny and all ages, the average business is held in a small shack.  Restaurants usually seat only a couple people, if that, and  everyone serves conch.

We walked by a local bakery and met Nate, the Bimini Bread man and bought a delicious loaf of coconut rolls - something worth coming to Bimini for in itself!  Little mini loaves pressed together into one large loaf with local coconut, sugar and nuts baked inside like cinnamon bread.  This stuff is yummy!  And Nate doesn't just say hello when you walk in the door - it's arms held wide and a smile and a hug!  (Rob did get a handshake . . . !)

On our way back to the boat, we walked up a hill and along the oceanfront which was so enticing I couldn't stay away.  I found my way down an embankment and immediately found softly rounded pieces of sea glass in every shape and color.  I wasn't dressed for beaching it so we headed back to the boat to make that small adjustment.

Stuart and I headed straight back to the beach and spent several hours combing the sand for little treasures and swimming in the crystal clear water before Chuck showed up to join us.  We stopped by for another Kalik before heading home, enjoying the cold beer on the back deck of small shack right on the beach.  Man - can this get any better?!

Well, YES!  Today we did more adventuring, going on on the dinghies and seeing other areas of the island and then grabbed our snorkeling gear and headed back to the beach.  Rob and I have done snorkeling before but this was our best experience yet and it was just on a batch of rocks off the beach!  We saw hundreds of colorful fish and several curious barracudas and enjoyed every minute of the fun.  Stuart and I swam further down the beach and found even more to see before we headed back to clean up for the evening.

When we got back to the marina, a local boat had pulled in filled with conch and lobster and Rick bought the main course for tonight's get together - 12 lobster tails (and get this . . . for $30)!  With that in mind, we all busily prepared side dishes and gathered again for another amazing feast!  This group sure knows how to do it right!

To top off two amazing days, tonight happened to treat us to our first Junkanoo.  This is an island "thing" usually seen on the day after Christmas and New Years.  It appears that that's not enough for the folks here in Alice Town, however, and they apparently add the first Friday of each month to the mix (lucky for us!).  So after dinner we waited to hear the drums and headed out to the street to experience the local fun.  Junkanoo entails about 1/2 block parade of dancing, drums, whistles and horns - noise and smiles and fun!  Loved it!!!

So we've got another day here before heading out across the Great Bahama Bank to the Berry Islands on Sunday.  I can't help but feel there's no disappointments ahead . . .