March 28-30 Warderick Wells

We weigh anchor 0930 Saturday morning for an early start to Warderick Wells, the first anchorage in the Exuma Park. Ours is up, but then we hear SNAP!

S/V Lorian's anchor chain breaks. A $500 anchor sitting in 10 feet of water deserves a search. A serious search. Between Craig on scuba gear and Lori/Ian searching with the dinghy and a look bucket (a 5 gallon bucket with a clear acrylic bottom), the anchor is rescued from the depths and we are on our way.

You are here.

The anchorage is actually a mooring field, unique with a deep, horse-shoe shaped channel around shallow flats.

This is a banana quit.









This is Angela having a heart attack.

This is a sugar feeding frenzy. They are licking granulated sugar from my hand.

This island has much to offer in the way of snorkeling and hiking. We take off on a hiking adventure.

First stop, BooBoo Hill, which got its name from the sounds of the ghosts of those who have died in hurricanes and ship wrecks.

The mooring field from the top of BooBoo Hill, and standing on the edge of the blow holes.

Cruisers leave driftwood artifacts at the top of BooBoo Hill for good luck.

We will stay here an extra day and will spend tomorrow exploring by dinghy and snorkel. Then we will proceed southward through the park islands, slowly making our way to Georgetown, where we will pick up Skip and cruise over to the Dominican Republic.

March 27 Normans Cay

On Friday we head over to Normans Cay, a remote island that was once owned by noted drug smuggler Carlos Leder and used as a hidey-hole and trafficking spot. Today it remains a private island with a very small resort, restaurant and air strip.

A new feature created by the Captain to show our whereabouts and the anchorage here.

For a late lunch we head over to MacDuff's, which like many restaurants down this way, claim the "best burger" in the Caribbean. My verdict?

No one beats Craig Yakel on a grill. No one.

Even so, the walk up art work is fun.







As is the outdoor facility.

It is a bit disconcerting to hear "things" skittering about whilst one is indisposed....

Airport welcome sign, and how about those air plane choks??!!

We travel down the road and begin to notice the deserted and bomb-out remnants of the island's former occupants.....could this have been the home of Carlos or his workers????

This is the view from inside the white house. What a fixer-upper it was, and that view!

Cruisers write with chalk on the walls inside the house.

The signs to the restaurant warn to watch for airplanes. The Captain looks both ways before crossing the street!

March 24-26 Rose Isalnd, Allens Cay

We pull out of the marina to discover that the Nassau anchorage is too crowded for our tastes. The Captain quickly consults the charts and we head off to Rose Island, about 6 miles from Nassau Harbour and a good staging area for the Exumas. We pick our way through a coral patch to get into the anchorage...Craig at the helm and me on the bow, spotting the coral heads which like to feed on fiberglass and keel. They are denied a taste of Hakuna Matata. The anchorage is rugged and essentially deserted, only 2 other boats. Once the hook is set, it is time for a quick lobster check. The season ends in a few days and this looks a good spot. I can see some fine starfish which turn out to be the only residents. No luck, for the 5 minutes I was able to stay in the water. 0.5mm suit and the water is like ice.

AM in Rose Island.

We head out in the morning for Allens Cay. It is 40 miles across the bank. It starts off calm and even looks as if we might sail a bit. Before you know it, the winds are howling at 25knots, seas building to 6 feet and once again we are heading right into it. It was a screaming ride...

Note water over the toe rail!!

Wow...all worth it once we arrive to Allens Cay, perhaps the most beautiful spot yet. We spend an extra day here. In the AM, we snorkeled and searched for lobster. The end of season and a popular anchorage, we do not see ONE lobster. Sometimes you want a lobster for dinner, but what you get is baked chicken. The snorkeling was good, with surprising corals, fish and conch (huge!) for such a shallow spot. A French Canadian on the beach shows us how to get the conch out...Craig is still having chicken. ($11.50 for a 2pound pack of split breasts, might as well be filet mignon)

The beach and the anchorage.

A fine sea biscuit specimen.

Are those lizards???

The attraction here is the iguanas on the beach. This is the only place in the Bahamas that they live. We were told that they will go for red toenail polish. So that I can run this story to ground, I touch up before going to the beach...

Well, it's true, and I can not stand still long enough for the good camera shot for fear that a toe will be bitten off. Alcohol was involved.

Rescue at sea...

We were dinghy riding and got flagged down by these folks, who were quite a ways out when we spotted them. He could not get the dinghy in gear...turns out all he had to do was turn down the throttle. Captain Craig gives a lesson and saves the day...

A little beach spot by the main anchorage, only room for one boat but a bit shallow for our draft.

Nassau 3/22-24

On Sunday, we tour Nassau a bit by foot to see what there is to see about town and also to check out the cruise ship area to see what it is that they do in Nassau. Our path takes us through a predominantly business district.

Bougainvilla comes in every imaginable color down here....sometimes all in the same plant.

We travel through a small historic district and park.








And learn about politicians.








The cruise ships pull into a shopping center. We do not need anything from Prada or Chanel but have heard of the straw market and think that might be a worthwhile adventure. Very disappointing. We thought there would be all things, well, straw. It is a glorified market of counterfeit purses. Take a cruise to a glamorous location but if you want a fake purse, let me suggest Sam Moon's!!

Admidst it all, we find a Starbucks. The evil empire can not penetrate the Florida Keys but their tentacles have stretched deep into the heart of the Caribbean. Perfect. We need a bigger coffee press anyway. As eurotrash, frenchy and fruity as it is, the press is a truly superior and magnificent item with which to make coffee.

As we were walking back, we kept noticing people sitting in their cars along the side of the street. What is up with that?? We finally figure it out when we come upon a parade staging area. Today was Mothering Day for the Anglican Church, a local celebration of Christian education and for reuniting all the local churches with the "mother" church.

The parade marshal.

Bad Boy!!

Back to the boat after a full day. Monday, we will pull back into a marina so Brad can reassemble the remains of our generator and so we can prep for the next leg of our adventure, the Exumas.