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, café 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!