Staniel Cay 2012 and Daniel's Visit

JANUARY

Here is a map of the Exhuma Chain.  New Providence Island and Naussau, its Capital are to the west,   Florida is northeast.  We crossed from Nassau to Ship Channel, went on to Allen's Harbor, Exuma Land aand Sea Park, Staniel Cay and Black Point Settlement. 



So, you are probably wondering why we chose to get back on Sea Star and head to the Bahamas.  For me one part of the cruising life is spending time in or under the water. The water should be warm, preferably. Well, the Bahamas has the water of anyone's dreams; every shade of blue imaginable from brilliant turquoise, through an entire range to sea green, deep navy and black when  there is grass growing on the bottom, or brown when a coral reef is exposed, glowing blue with pure white sand bottom in graduating rings around each island depending on depth and bottom structure. A camera doesn't usually do it justice, and often photos of the low, sandy islands we see or anchor near don't photograph that well either.

Bottom structure can be of course coral reefs; rock-like mounds containing splashes of color. When one swims in and looks more closely,  floating hair-like appendages, textured swirls ,tubes and fans remind one that all of the reef, attached directly to the bottom or not, are vibrantly alive.  To top off this visual extravaganza a quiet observer is allowed the enjoyment of viewing a variety of flashing sleek silver or unbelievably shaped multi-colored fish.  Water temperature can be cozy warm, allowing a snorkeler to stay in and check it all out until she is tired.

Snorkeling, and for some scuba diving, are good reasons to spend time in the Bahamas; pleasant people is another, and sailing or island exploration in a pretty relaxed atmosphere round out the things we enjoy. In a relaxed atmosphere like the islands, we meet fellow cruisers and exchange information on routes to sail and help each other cope with the daily frustrations that are a part of boating    

Here at Allen's Harbor, Leaf Cay- on this tiny strip of beach off the anchorage this speed boat and others, bring tourists from Nassau to see the endangered Rock Iguana, daily.  They emerge from the noisy boat looking like swarming ants, but in bikinis. Most feed the encroaching  iguanas grapes, lettuce or whatever to entice the long tailed dinosaur-like two foot long creatures to pose for pictures. In one half hour the tourists are back on the boat and heading back to the city.  That day we had hoped to move on the Exuma Park, but wind was 22 to 25kn and we stayed put since our anchor was holding.  Allen's can be a tricky place to be as the strong current changes directions two times each day.  That motion can dislodge anchors and cause a mess in the anchorage.  We were a bit miffed with one sailboat that put out two anchors, taking up a large part of the space.  I think that could have been the reason a later arriving charter sailboat ended up needing a pull off the reef in the center of the anchorage. 

We arrived at Allen's Harbor very near New Years.  The Exuma chain is apparently very popular and there are scads of visitors from Nassau, or Florida for fishing and holidays. The visitors to the Bahamas come by plane or boat. Many boats are private yachts and chartered power boats of impressive size.  This one has its own helicopter.  The people aboard can be seen dining, playing and more through the windows in or out of their new cruise wear or buzzing around just looking fabulous on personal watercraft or other water toys.  Yes, it was the holidays, but all that wealth seems repugnant. I can't imagine what a land-based Bahamian fisherman thinks when he sees the extravagance.  Since the infrastructure is weak in these small islands, the yachts probably carry all their needs for their cruise. They don't rent the local boats because they tow their own dinghies or larger  motored fishing vessels and equipment, some are too large to large to consider a berth at a marina and anchoring is free.  

  We met these nice people at Warderick Wells Park, near Emerald Rock where we also saw and heard many of the big guys enjoying themselves.

This yacht, we were told, belonged to Steven Speilburg and the plane was kept quite busy with guests leaving or arriving.

So what you may ask are these pigs doing here on a sandy  island. beach.  These are two or three of the world famous Staniel Cay swimming pigs.  An important tourist attraction, and we did it too, is to approach the island in a dinghy or small boat with fruit, vegetables, crackers-you name it (they ask it not be meat) and offer it to the pigs who come right into the water off the beach to swim up to your dinghy to eat.  Some folks or tour operators encourage them to swim quite a distance away from shore- you wonder if the pigs will be able to swim back!

How they could deal with mouths and noses full of sand was a mystery to us.

We arrived at Staniel anchorage, anchored and hurried out to see the New Years Day race of the C class Bahamian sloops.  I took a video but we zipped around trying to keep out of the way so the pictures were filmed very poorly.  This one was the winner and is a very famous sloop named Tida Wave.

This one is the Lady Murial, another well known and supported sailor from Staniel Cay

                                                                           
            This sailboat is the Courageous.  In this picture you can see well that these boats are balanced by people-weight hanging over the ships gunnels because their sails are soo impressively large.

                                                                           
             The sailors and "weights" all had a great time.  For cruisers and other tourists who were given the opportunity to sail on these sloops the cost was they bought the beer!                                                        
                                                                               

The Staniel Cay Yacht Club bar and restaurant.  A fun place to people watch; good food, too.

Look what we passed moored at the Club- another larger version of Sea Star having a barbecue on their stern.

                                                                               

                                         A few more pictures of the New Years crowd.

Moored at Thunderball Grotto where 007 James Bond was filmed

                                                                                                                       
                                This motorboat's dinghy is a 40 foot center console fishing boat                                      

               Hooray! A visitor!  A few days after New Years Daniel arrived to spend almost a week with us before he headed back to California and college.  We picked him up at the Staniel Cay airport- an easy way to have guests fly in, by the way. We picked him up in our dinghy, stuffed his bag into a big garbage bag and headed the half mile out to the anchorage on a blustery afternoon.

                                                                   
                                          Getting reacquainted back on Sea Star.  We hadn't seen Daniel since he and his father Steve, my husband's nephew, helped us sail Sea Star out of Provincetown, MA to Halifax, NS in 2008. Daniel was glad to be back aboard and we were excited to have him.

                                                    Scenes of exploring Staniel Cay
                                     

 We had met this couple, relatively new cruisers, in Nassau where they were having BiG engine issues and help was marginal at best. Dan commiserated, helped them set up their SSB radio so they could call us from their long distance radio- and a few days later we left just a few days before Christmas. They had finally sailed out of Nassau after New Years--but on arriving to the Staniel Anchorage, their engine just quit.  Dan and I pulled them into the anchorage with our dinghy until they could safely drop their anchor.  Still with engine issues, they were so glad to be safely anchored and out of Nassau that they beamed us these beautiful smiles.

                                                                           
                        Sometimes it can be rough at anchor but we cope in ingenious ways, I think.

With Daniel aboard, our first short trip was a sail to Black Point Settlement only about six miles south of Staniel Cay but in pace of living, slower and much more to our liking.  Sea Star anchored in Black Point Harbor, a nicely sheltered bay.  We were waiting for the weekly mailboat as we had ordered a new Yamaha 15hp dinghy motor from Nassau.  In Black Point there are many wonderful people.  One of the best is Lorraine from Lorraine's Cafe, our very favorite place to eat.  Her desire to assist cruisers in any way she can is legend. We had to provide an address to receive our ordered motor from Nassau.  Lorraine offered to meet the mailboat for us, cover any shipping charge and store the engine until we got there.  The problem is she explained, is often it is not known when exactly the mailboat will "reach" meaning get there. She did not want us inconvenienced or worried about our shipment.

Amazing!  Just because we had eaten a few meals with Lorraine and chatted, she would provide any help requested.  It turned out the boat was arriving earlier than expected, but Daniel had already arrived and we could make it to Black Point to pick up the order.  All went well and Dan was quite happy to have young, strong Daniel to help lug the motor and tank in its big square cardboard box off the mailboat and onto the dock, then down in our dinghy and out to Sea Star where they raised the old motor onto its storage bracket and installed the new motor on the dinghy. Why I took no pictures of the exciting procedure I just don't recall.  Sorry.

We took Happy Hour at Scorpio's Bar, ate at Lorraine's, the next day explored the settlement and prepared to sail off for Cambridge Cay and Warderick Wells in the Exuma Land and Sea Park so Daniel, a California surfer dude, could enjoy some snorkeling in the Bahamas and relax in the sun. (He had flown to us from New England, brrr!)     

Blue, calm water at the dock in Black Point

The sign and doorway of Lorraine's Cafe.  Lorraine's Mom cooks in the Cafe with Lorraine and bakes the delicious Coconut bread the Islands are known for. She supplies cruisers with bread with one day of notice. It can be very busy in the harbor (and restaurant) when at times there are as many as thirty boats. A hard working and charitable family.

There is a small airport on Black Point also.  The ticket holder can decide to land or leave from either Staniel Cay or Black Point with the same ticket. They hop over on the same plane that stops in Nassau.

Ahh, more lovely, graceful Bahamian sailboats.

These are much smaller than the ones we saw at Staniel, but speedy when they have the wind.  This is a race between a father, the current sailing champion, and the son.  Father and son built the new boat together.

Taking down the incredible sails 

This is the home and life-long project of  a man from Black Point. He has collected interesting driftwood that appealed to him in some way.  In his "museum" he guides and says, "This looks like a........," and sure enough  , a tourist can see the resemblance. All shapes and sizes are shown. 

This Bananaquit slipped in for a look around Sea Star

After a four hour sail and motor we have passed some homes, well, actually islands of the rich and famous; Johhny Depp has an island right next to a Shaw from somewhere who seems to be rebuilding his island from the ground up. He bulldozed a road right through the center of his mountain and down to the sea on the other side which just happens to be the Land and Sea Park- an effort by Bahama's government at a reserve to replenish fish stock and keep the corals and natural areas undeveloped and pristine.  How these islands within Park boundaries have been sold at all is a mystery and unconscionable according to some local Bahamians. Not only have the island been sold but they have been sold to foreign interests.  People say, and we could see that the Shaw intends to have a marina right in the Park,  Others say the marina is for his own yachts and those of friends and he has agreed to help preserve the Park.  Time will tell how this develops. 

From the right of this lovely picture of Dan, Daniel and I taken by a friend in Cambridge Cay, in different light the blight of the road and dredging on the Shaw's private island can be seen, and at times, heard.  Tonight, though, everything is still.

Just a gorgeous sunset

Geeze, what a bright anchor light on that yacht outside the mooring field.

Umm, no I guess not.

Goodnight from Cambridge Cay

                                                                           

After another few days at Cambridge where we three snorkeled the places named Aquarium, (you can guess why I'll bet), Airplane, an underwater plane said to have been carrying drugs that now is growing a reef around it and others and it was time to head back to Staniel Cay.  We took Daniel to feed the pigs, then to a shoreside local restaurant for conch and walked him up the hill to the airport to see him off.
                                                   Have a great second semester Daniel!

 These planes can be pretty small and the weight must be distributed well.  Daniel and a few other lighter-weight people were placed in the tail.  It's about 40 minutes to Nassau.

At the anchorage at Staniel we noticed that our genoa sail was ripping out in a few places.  You saw my pictures of beautiful Bahamian sailboats with massive sails. We figured it would be easy to find a person to repair ours.  Not so.  Our only recourse was to send the sail out for repair. Despite suggestions to send the sail back to Florida on the small airplane from the company Watermakers, we found that too costly and sent it by mailboat to Nassau.

It was a struggle to pull the sail down and flake it (fold) and shove it into a big sailbag. It made a lump about four feet by three feet and weighs quite a bit.  Since we were at anchor we slid the huge sail into the dinghy over the gunnels and lifelines, (whew, plop!) and ferried the lump to Isles General Store where we lugged it up to their store out of the dinghy.  That's where we left it for inclusion in the freight to be sent to Nassau from all the out islands.  See ya someday, sail we thought.

As  February approached we had more guests to look forward to.  Hope we get it back so sailing will be possible!
                                                                             

DECEMBER 2011

DECEMBER 2011

We will soon need to leave for the Bahamas.  Most others on E dock this year are staying put and are looking forward to family and Christmas. Sometimes when you are a traveler, special times happen, (birthdays and such) but not on their proper days. We could not stay in New England for Christmas and also make this trip, so after many hugs and kisses we returned to Florida and really went into high gear.  

Lots of stuff needed to be on the boat that we had put into storage. It had to begin coming back.  What navigational charts and guidebooks did we need- and what if we decided to go on, rather than return to Florida right away? Most charts and guidebooks came back aboard.  Clothing- what had I removed?  What needed to come back? 

 We had additional property storage issues, too.  We now had the additional "burdens" of a car, motorcycle and trailer to deal with.  How long would we need to store them and where would be safe?  Historic Storage in Titusville where we had already put some gear was crowded and bursting its seams. We had put our spare sail and canvas boat cover in storage, so out they came.

Historic Storage is climate controlled and we wanted that feature for the motorcycle. Dan was already going through serious withdrawal symptoms leaving his new baby behind.  Aha! We were able to rent a larger storage bin on the first floor, large enough for the bike and the items that would remain behind when we left. That worked out well. At the last minute Dan would drive  into the large building with a four foot wide hallway, then jockey the bike in backwards with all our other gear around. Our air conditioning unit was stuffed in after that. 

The last item we grabbed back out as we locked the shed was our tiny camp stove and two fuel canisters, as a back-up for Sea Star's propane stove.

Through Historic Storage we found Affordable Storage and reserved that for the car and trailer. We explained that we might be back in a few months,  or maybe not.   

                                          
 Here is picture one half of the port lazarette; spare anchors, lines, extra autopilot, diesel jugs and water jugs, spare antenna, the sail, baja filter for fuel filtering, oil siphon for when we change the oil.... 

a picture helps to remember what is where-sometimes.

We found stuff we would need to replace

Items to have spare parts for,

Checked all systems and fluids- did an oil change

Repacked everything and...

Totally enjoyed our dockmates decorations and last evenings together on the dock.

Food was a big issue to.  All food that there is in the Bahamas is quite a bit more costly than the US, and there are many items that we would be unable to buy on the outer, smaller islands where we like to anchor.  I had learned that the last time we passed through the Bahamas.  This time we were not going to the Abacos where grocery stores are stocked more like in the US.  I pulled out a few "boat stocking lists' made by other cruisers and stocked accordingly.  We packed the boat full of non-perishables--thinking through our typical diet for a month and multiplying for at least four months. I filled our generous freezer with meats from our local meat market in Mims including a turkey and a ham.  We picked up more foods and vegetables and fruit in Lake Worth as we traveled the Intracoastal  Waterway for two days before heading across the Gulf Stream.

December 16th we dropped the car into storage and left the dock to anchor out to get an early start in the morning.

Made it to Vero Beach on the ICW

Where we were moored with another IPY for a night and off to Lake Worth the second night.

Great weather and wind brought us to Government Cut, an inlet near Miami where I noted in my log that the lights were confusing.  All the large ships converge there to enter Miami -- we simply turned east for Gun Cay instead of going into the Government Cut  anchorage as planned.  The weather was with us, but winds were expected to become higher in a few days, so we felt it was better to push on.  One overnight through the Gulf Stream and we safely arrived a Gun Cay for a little rest. Gun is so pretty and has clear, clean water.  We stayed to the channel on the chart but our measured depth of 21feet did not mesh with what our eyes thought, maybe five feet! We put down an anchor and Dan went overboard to check our steering because he felt it not working as it should- but we touched the bottom in the soft sand as we drifted.  We then got ourselves back on track and he went over the side to check on any damage from grounding.  Apparently none so we kept going. 

That night, we and many other saiboats, we heard at least nine on the VHF, and some larger ships ventured into the North Channel toward Nassau and the Tongue of the Ocean, a very deep and sometimes turbulent area where many fisherman converge.

It was a bit squally and rainy and a little windy and right on the nose, so we were motor sailing when we heard a motor that seemed to be close to us.  It was!  Out of the mist and fog emerged a fishing boat.  Lucy for us they saw us when we put on our deck lights, and veered around us.

After another overnight we arrived early at Nassau Harbor where we could slip in through the lines of cruise ships.I think we counted six in our view at the Naussau Harbor.  In Naussau we would check into the country and take a marina for the expected windy weather to come.

Lots of cruise ships got there at the same time.

Nassau, Bahamas Yacht Haven. We motored through the harbor, looking at the marinas and calling some.  We fueled at a Texaco station and took our berth at Nassau Yacht Haven. Check-in to the Bahama Islands, about $300.00 for our size boat for six months, was easy and completed right in the marina office by pleasant officials.

We stayed five days in Nassau.  After tying up, meeting our very nice marina neighbors on sailboat  Barbara Ann and resting a bit, we went exploring the area of the marinas up to the mall and Starbucks where there was wifi. This picture is of a market under the bridge where we spent some time another day.  We also crossed the road to a boaters supply store with just about everything we could need.

Dan drooled a bit and priced a new Yamaha 15 engine, but for the moment we passed that by. Recall this phrase in next month's entry.  We could have purchased the motor and carried it on the sailboat and did not.

I had whole fish and plantain.

After the five days Dan and I headed out to anchor at Rose Island  where Barbara Ann tried her first SSB radio contact, and it worked beautifully. By the next night we had sailed to Ship Channel Cay, part of the Exuma chain.  This was our view Christmas morning. We were alone, but we now felt the passage from Florida was over, and  we were in the part of the Bahamas we wanted to be in; the Exuma chain.  We called family from our SAT phone and talked a few minutes- comparing notes on weather in New England vs where we were and promising to call as soon as we could get our phone set up for calls on the islands. Dan and I snorkeled a few likely spots and had a ham dinner for Christmas.  Our gift of course was a trip to the Bahamas!

Next up January 2012!