Monday, April 30, 2012

CRUISING TO THE EXUMAS


CRUISING TO THE EXUMAS


(This post starts on April 22 - the end of the Outer Reef Rendezvous...)

There are five of us (boats) who plan to travel together to the Exumas.  The weather forecast for the next couple of days is for 20-30 knot winds which means we will stay in Boat Harbour probably until Tuesday afternoon.  We use the extra day to run some errands and go to Maxwells, the large supermarket in town, to pick up a few fresh provisions.  On Tuesday morning we found out that there is a local farmer who brings various provisions to the center of town at 10:30 a.m.  You never know what she will have, but we take a chance.  When we got there, she did not have much because there is a large farmers market coming on Friday, but I managed to get some grape tomatoes, cucumbers and homemade bread and butter pickles.

We left about 12:30 and headed to Lyford Cay to anchor for the night.  Still lots of wind, but it is supposed to lay down a bit tomorrow.
Colors have NOT been retouched in this photo!
That's the color of the water !


Here are some shots of the Outer Reef boats at Royal Island...










Wednesday, April 25, we all headed to Royal Island and a small anchorage there.  Royal Island is 430 square acres strung out over 4.5 nautical miles. It is .5 nautical mile wide at its widest point.  Roger Staubach had backed the construction of a very exclusive, super high-end development named Montage of Royal Island, but all work has been halted.  There were great plans here for a large harbour with over 200 slips, a Marina Village with shops, cafĂ© and club house and an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course situated amongst homes and villas and a five-star hotel.  It seems many of these islands have grand plans for upscale resort and residential communities, but they sit undeveloped.






The other three boats left Thursday morning for Highbourne Cay and we decided to stay at anchor for another day.  Fred and I dingied with the dogs in to Spanish Wells on St. Georges Cay, stopping along the way for the dogs to romp on the beach.  This little island, St. Georges Cay, is just off the northern tip of Eleuthera and is the epicenter of the Bahamian commercial lobster, conch and fishing industry.  Spanish Wells supplies over 50 percent of the total gross production of the Bahamas. 





Gus trying to decide if he wants to try to get
back in!
We found a concrete dock where we could tie up and as Fred and I were securing the boat, the nimble Pepper bounded the 2’ up to the dock and get onshore.  Mr. Gus decided he could certainly follow, and before we had time to get to him, his front feet landed on shore but his weak back legs did not hoist him high enough to get all the way up and – you guessed it – down he went into the water between the dingy and the dock.  Hoisting a 65-pound wet dog back into the dingy was not easy, but Fred and I managed to get him back in. 






Wandering in Spanish Wells among the pastel houses





Fred cannot resist heading to a Real Estate office!


Ya think these people like frogs????!!!!!




Wi fi...Island style!






We were looking for a place to get a cold beer and pick up some internet.  First of all, the island is dry (YIKES!) and then we were told that, in order to get internet service, "head up to the top of the hill, sit in the shade of the water tower, let the dogs roam in the grass and you can get all the internet service you need."  Yes, indeed, when we got to the top of the hill and settled in the grass we were able to log on to someone's wi fi and check emails!  Ahhhhhh, the islands!





More tales coming soon...as we get internet service!




OUTER REEF RENDEZVOUS 2012

OUTER REEF RENDEZVOUS 2012

Here is Jambo on the right...

By Thursday (April 19) nine Outer Reef boats has descended on the marina at Abaco Beach Resort at Baot Harbour, Bahamas:  Jambo, Ginger, Private Idaho, Gator, Copeing, SeaBright, Risky Business, De Onions, and Freedom.








The festivities started with a “Docktail Party and Yacht Hop stationed on the dock right behind Jambo.  Besides the boats and owners, there was a couple, Peter and Angela, who have a yacht under construction.  They are just getting ready for their first trip to Taiwan to see their “creation” and were sponges for any and all information regarding the build process.  Also in the group was the staff from Outer Reef.





The music was by a duo named Conchy Joe who used his iPod connected to a synthesizer and speakers and played the saw (yes, saw) with a knife!  Made me think of Jazz Fest in New Orleans.  Anyway, it was great fun and all were in good spirits (literally and figuratively!)





This is Dawn, the Insurange "guru", and our crew, Kevin




This is our second rendezvous.  Last year they held it in Key West and we attended.  Jambo was under construction and we were like Peter and Angela, taking in all the information we could.  There were several ideas I got at the gathering that we incorporated into our boat.  It is such a great opportunity to share ideas plus getting to know this great group of people.  And this time we have the added bonus of getting to travel with several other boats after the Rendezvous.

Sunset over the marina
The first morning we came up from our cabin to find two baskets of small loaves of fresh Bahamian bread – three in each basket.  We had pineapple and banana.  This was repeated each day of the Rendezvous, so now we have lots of small loaves of bread in our freezer.  This Bahamian bread is going to ruin me………

The weekend was filled with activities starting with 8 a.m. yoga on a pavilion at the resort.  It was very windy, which made any balancing moves very challenging, but it felt great!   Especially when you turn you head and feel the morning sun on your face. 





 The morning schedule included seminars ranging from the newest in electronics to insurance concerns.  Then on Friday noontime we all took our dingies to another 
island and a restaurant named Cracker P’s for good fish sandwiches and conch prepared in many different ways, including marinated in coconut milk and rum. 

Signs greeting us at Cracker P's
This is one of the resident dogs the sign refers to..
Homemade hot sauce -- Yum






After lunch and a couple of beers we went over to Tilloo Sand Bar for general hanging out at the beach.  




John Coyle doing anchor duty for us...



Fred and I were anxious to do some snorkeling so we took out swimming.  The water was only about 2 feet deep and the bottom was grass.  We kept heading out to get to the deep water and perhaps see something besides short-spined sea urchins.  We swam…and we swam…and we swam.  The bottom was still right under us.  After about 30 minutes, we gave up and headed back.  I finally found an area that deepened and saw a few fish, but the best snorkeling would have been on the outside, and it was impassable from where I was.  Anyway, we got some good exercise (and maybe worked off those two beers!)



Saturday started with yoga again – we selected a place that was more protected – followed by seminars.  For the afternoon, we took a ferry to Elbow Cay to visit the famous red-striped lighthouse and lunch at Garbanzo Beach. 







101 steps to the top (we counted them!)


Love this sign!!!


Golf carts were the transportation for the island


Caught her!  Jen, our yoga instructor, dives into Key Lime Pie!








"Lizard Lodge"  Curlytail lizards are all over the islands.




"Wyannie's Landing"
We had a bit of time after lunch for some shopping and wandering in the cute settlement. On this island, there are no house numbers.  Each house has a name and that is the only way to give an address.







"Yellow Bird"

"Cozy Villa"

"Bhaven" -- that's a good one!






Dis be de Islands, Mon!!!
Breadfruit Tree planted by Captain Blligh on the HMS Providence.
His first voyage was the famous Mutiny on the HMS Bounty!
Waiting for the ferry...island time!





Saturday night was the “Bahamas White Night Beach Bash” at the resort.  (Unfortunately, I forgot my camera…)  It was a fun evening with cocktails and buffet dinner with live music.  (It was supposed to be on the beach and include a bonfire, but the weather turned against us with rain and 30+ knot winds!)  Fun auction, silent and live, and we raised almost $14,000 for the Wounded Warrior project.  Fun way to end the festivities. 

Sunday morning was a farewell breakfast and all ended around 10 a.m.  We will all have fond memories of Rendezvous 2012.  Where next year??!!!