Nassau to Exuma Land and Sea Park

02/06/12
Back into internet realm though I would not say into civilization. We are well. It’s not exactly hot here -- seems to always be in the seventies with a strong breeze -- but we’re not complaining. 

Policeman directing traffic in Nassau

Enjoying lunch at a stand overlooking Nassau Harbour

On Wednesday Dave and I showed Don and Jan our favorite sights (hmm...both were places to get food) and a couple of new sights that we'd read about.  At the stand above, Don is having a conch burger, and Dave is having red snapper.  Jan and I are having conch salad which is raw conch marinated in lime and orange juice with a touch of goat (habanero) pepper chopped up with tomatoes and green peppers.  Yum!

Don and Jan picking out some produce from the market

Crab, anyone?

Jan and Don ascending the Queen's Staircase

We were going to leave Nassau on Friday, but the weather shifted making Thursday a better bet.  So we (Plane to Sea, then us) got to the Nassau Harbour Central Marina right when it opened at 7am.  Of course, no one showed up till 7:20.  Ahh, well.   Chill, mon.  We added water to our tank and filled a five gallon plastic jug.  The water was orange!  We stopped filling the tank but had already added many gallons.  (Turns out it was rust as a reddish-brown powder has settled on the bottom of the jug leaving the water virtually clear two days later.)  At 8:15, after filling up with diesel and gas for the dinghy, off we went.  We were able to sail just after leaving Nassau Harbour in an east wind the whole way across the Yellow Banks to Allens Cay.  It’s strange to be sailing in 10 to 20 feet of water with the sandy bottom in view below for miles upon miles.  I’m getting used to judging the depth, but it is a little unnerving at first after being in deep waters.  In the middle of the Banks, it gets to be 8 feet (we draw 5 feet) and coral heads are dotted about.  Fortunately they are dark black and can be spotted if the sun is overhead.  When clouds float by, though, they are harder to see.  We made it over the banks just fine and anchored in a lovely spot between two islands at Allens Cay.  The adjacent island, Leaf Cay, is home to Bahamian iguanas that scramble out of hiding when a boatload of tourists comes round doling out tasty morsels.  It was quite windy and rolly in this anchorage, so we stayed onboard on Friday and listened to the weather reports. 

Iguanas on Leaf Cay

On Saturday we sailed to Shroud Cay.  Chris Parker, who gives the Caribbean weather report Monday through Saturday at 6:30am on the SSB radio said we’d be in for a “brisk sail” in our neighborhood, and brisk it was.  A lot of fun though a bit damp.  The anchorage was lovely and just a little rolly.  After settling in, we picked up Don and Jan and all dinghied into the nearby lagoon on the island.  So beautiful!  We landed and walked along the beach and rocky shore.  So much vegetation – small palms, shrubs and mangroves.

Yesterday we motored for three hours to get to the Exuma Land and Sea Park on Warderick Wells Cay.  The four of us dinghied to the visitor’s center/gift shop where we picked up a small map of hiking trails.  We thought we’d be able to sign up for internet, but it is only available to those who take a mooring ball and not to those anchored out.  We walked up the beach and took the trail across the neck of the island over to the ocean side.  We passed over BooBoo Hill where a monument of weathered driftwood with the names of various visiting boats is piled.  We sat on the hill and breathed in the glorious 360 degree view while we picnicked.  The island itself is considered a dessert island as it does not get much rainfall.  It is fairly green with plants that have various adaptations for collecting or saving water.  Some plants “drink” salt water and emit salt on the bottom sides of their leaves.  The mooring field is a thin crescent-shaped channel, and beyond that are the anchorage and another mooring field.  On the other side of the island is a shallow bank that leads out to the open ocean.  The water’s bands of color do not seem real:  light aquamarine to dark turquoise to cobalt blue with all shades in between.  As we enjoyed our snacks and the view, all four of us expressed our disbelief that we were really here as well as our gratitude for being able to take this journey.     

Across Warderick Wells Cay are Plane to Sea (l) and Wayward Wind (r)

Overlooking the ocean from BooBoo Hill

Mooring field at Warderick Wells Cay