Tuesday, April 9, 2019
The past month in Pictures.
Catching up ...Living the Dream!
So here we are in April and like stated, we are having so much fun at living life that it seems we have forgotten to add to our blog. Everything we had heard about the Exumas is so true. The water is so beautiful and more extremely colored than we have ever seen. It is so clear that no mask is needed to see bottom. But here's the recap before we got here.
Spent a few nights anchored at Rose Island.....outside Naussau. We could see the "Atlantis" resort and reminded us of the (many) times we spent there...gambling away our children's inheritance! HAHA.....At this anchorage the young man on the boat next to us, proceeded to strip naked and swim in the crystal clear water. There were several others on his boat, so I guess this was ok with them....AND it certainly was OK with me 👍😁.
Then we went into Naussau…...I said I was NOT going, but was assured that this marina on the "other end" from the city was safe. Well it turned out to be a beautiful place....very secure. (they even chain off the entrance to the harbor at night, and the road in is gated and secure. So there was no feelings of apprehension for coming here. Palm Cay is the name, and we took a courtesy car to a near by groc store. Probably the BEST grocery store we have seen since the states. Marina also had a spa which we both took advantage of, and a beautiful pool area and bar (extra charge....to get into the bar to pay for the drinks, and nothing in the Bahamas is cheap!)
Onward to the Exumas…...noting the marinas are getting smaller, more rustic, and so are the "towns"......
From here we cruised to Highbourn Cay...a beautiful, clean island....all that's here is the marina. We dinghied to another island where the Iguanas come racing toward you once you land.....looking for the food people feed them....NOT me, I wouldn't get out of dinghy! They are U G L Y! We rented a golf cart here and got some excellent photos....will post separately. Oh ya, they also have TONS of nurse sharks roaming around here, looking for food....I am TOLD they do not hurt humans. Don't plan on being the one they didn't like the looks of, so stay far away from where they are swimming.
After a couple nights, we took off for Warderick Wells. This is part of the Exuma National Sea Park system. Our FIRST mooring ball experience. With the help of our fellow boaters we secured a ball and had a beautiful view of this beautiful area (plus only $30 a night on a ball)...a LOT less than the marinas charge. Here, once again, our foreign friends next to us, striped down naked and swam and sunbathed.....this crew was NOT young....not nearly enjoyable as last time👴 👎. This is were Johnny Depp owns an island....he apparently forgets who makes him famous, as his signs on beach are NOT at all welcoming.....and does not have a friendly reputation here either. Someone said he lost the island in his last divorce...and no one is sad!
On 3/27 we left our mooring ball to anchor out in a nearby cove...should have stayed on the ball...It was VERY windy all night. Capt Bob was concerned that a nearby sail boat was getting closer as the night progressed. Early the next morning the sailboat woke up and got out of there quickly as they almost were part of our crew. He did find us at the next marina and apologized. I guess that is why we sleep better when we know we are secure to a dock.
3/28....We arrive at Compass Cay.....after the wind storm we are happy to get here......HA, tongue in cheek....This is a natural harbor that is very secure....with HUGE boats....They tell us to come IN BETWEEN 2 very large YACHTS....VERY large. Thankfully we were pulling our dinghy which made for a great bumper between the BRAND new one on our port side....the Captain of that SHIP was glad also and was very gracious to help us NOT hit his boat. It was quite an experience, but Capt Bob pulled it off once again!! You are packed in like Sardines here and the only thing here is their shack which they sell burgers (when THEY feel like cooking) for $20 Each. I do have to say, they were delicious!...think we had them both days for lunch. Here also is where dozens of tour boats bring people in (they pay a fee of $10 each to step foot on island, in addition to tour fee)….and then they SWIM WITH THE SHARKS. Not me (once again). Our docking fees were $750 for 2 nights....with a additional electric fee of $85 per day!....plus water, by the usage. I thought this was a fun place to watch tourist, and hob nob with the big boat CAPTAINS....(you rarely see the owners of these large ships) but been there, done that, as far as I am concerned about a repeat visit.
We anchored outside of Staniel Cay, our next destination for a night (save $$) and dinghy in to the grocery store....(a nice word for a room about the size of a walk in closet) with available items....AND, as I was deciding if I needed bread, someone takes the LAST loaf off the shelve in front of me. Thank goodness for the bread machine on board....and I have discovered that you can use regular flour as trying to buy bread flour here is a lost cause....(along with bean sprouts in a can----so much for chop suey until we get back to USA)...oh well, will stick with Lobster and Mahi!
NOW.....here's an exciting event......we go into Staniel Cay Marina.....another expensive marina, but at least they have a town and a bar. We spend considerable amount of time in the bar....watching the Final Four basketball on TV......WHO comes in, wearing old T shirt, shorts, not shaved, etc....looks like the rest of us (maybe worse)...but GOV CHRIS CHRISTIE (former gov of New Jersey)......We holler out, "hey gov" and he comes over and shakes our hands, poses for pics, chats with us (we tell him about our "republican" son in Michigan ❤😁) Very gracious....apparently better manners than Johnny Depp!
So now, all of a sudden, it is April.....we take off for anchorage at Black Point. I liked this anchorage very much. Shallow waters, calm, town close, good eats.....and EVERYONE was at funeral in Naussau…(not sure who died, but figured the eulogy was cut short, because all the boaters were waiting for "Lorainne" to come back) She makes her famous coconut bread....out of her house and people line up for it (just like in US, ya, haha....she would be so regulated that we couldn't afford it) Anyway, bright and early (think she was baking all night) we arrive in her kitchen and pick the loaves we want off the counter. It IS delicious....think I am going to try to duplicate in my bread machine. Lorainne is in her bathrobe and hairnet....Gotta love this life.
On we go to Farmers Cay.....Our boat buddies love this place....I thought it was gastly!...for only $350 a night to dock our boat on some worn out dock with rusted junk all around....It was then that I had flash backs of the river ride a year ago! However there was a town...we had a beer, swam with turtles and put in an order for conch salad to be delivered "tomorrow"......this is a reoccurring theme here, as we have ordered conch salad almost every day, and it never gets delivered.....think it is easier for them to promise, just in case they do decide to make some!! I have had a craving since the BEST EVER way back in Feb in Treasure Cay...but so far, nothing to compare it to! The HIGHLIGHT of this island was the beach bar opposite side of Cay from marina.....the owner (?) bartender "enjoys" his own bar very much, as he was quite the entertainment (think we could probably bought anything we needed from him in way of illegal items!?)...we just opted for rum punch, which he proceeded to "TIGHTEN"....."need a tightening?" he asked....???...so we say sure, to which he brings out the bottle sets it on the table and we pour more booze into the punch. we now use the term "tightening" whenever we decide to pour a cocktail at our roving happy hours on our boats.🎉 Its times like this that will be forever in our memories.
From here we go on to anchor out for 3 nights at Williams Cay. The water is rougher than we would like and something is wrong with our batteries that will not be fixed till USA.....but we can run generator for power.....off and on. I don't like the idea of turning all off for several hours.....but that's boat life. We attempted to dinghy to see the sunken piano that David Copperfield sunk about 15 miles from here.....but never had a day calm enough for that long a dinghy trip, so will just marvel at the pictures in the guide book! We hiked the lands behind the beaches and are seeing sites that we could only imagine before. Sharp cliffs, wide open ocean, caves and always beautiful sandy beaches. We see sharks and turtles and numerous fish....
Once again, we are off, into the wide open ocean.....to Georgetown. The trip was a little rocky but only 10 miles, but still happy to get to marina here. It is a nice place....beautiful beaches (getting tired of them?......no way!!!) beach bars, etc. We rent a car and go into town....not as much as we expected, but more than we have seen....(IE: beauty shop/fish store all in one....why didn't I think of that!...not sure what smelled worse....the fish or the perms!) The people here are SO friendly and so happy to have you visit. We bought a day pass to a nearby Sandals Resort....spent Sunday laying in a pool cabana, eating and drinking. We have never been to an all inclusive, this gave us a one day pass to experience it....we enjoyed it and met a lot of people who were there for the week. We, of course, got our monies worth and ate way too much! But it was good to get off the boat for a day. Will probably NEVER take another vacation after we get down with this trip, but if so, might consider a Sandals.
So all caught up as far as time now....will attempt to post pics....from here we go to Long Island....good news there is we pick up Rob and Jennifer for a few days. We are so glad they decided to come visit.....will drop them off at Cat Island after Easter.....then start heading back. It has been and continues to be the trip of a lifetime!
Spent a few nights anchored at Rose Island.....outside Naussau. We could see the "Atlantis" resort and reminded us of the (many) times we spent there...gambling away our children's inheritance! HAHA.....At this anchorage the young man on the boat next to us, proceeded to strip naked and swim in the crystal clear water. There were several others on his boat, so I guess this was ok with them....AND it certainly was OK with me 👍😁.
Then we went into Naussau…...I said I was NOT going, but was assured that this marina on the "other end" from the city was safe. Well it turned out to be a beautiful place....very secure. (they even chain off the entrance to the harbor at night, and the road in is gated and secure. So there was no feelings of apprehension for coming here. Palm Cay is the name, and we took a courtesy car to a near by groc store. Probably the BEST grocery store we have seen since the states. Marina also had a spa which we both took advantage of, and a beautiful pool area and bar (extra charge....to get into the bar to pay for the drinks, and nothing in the Bahamas is cheap!)
Onward to the Exumas…...noting the marinas are getting smaller, more rustic, and so are the "towns"......
From here we cruised to Highbourn Cay...a beautiful, clean island....all that's here is the marina. We dinghied to another island where the Iguanas come racing toward you once you land.....looking for the food people feed them....NOT me, I wouldn't get out of dinghy! They are U G L Y! We rented a golf cart here and got some excellent photos....will post separately. Oh ya, they also have TONS of nurse sharks roaming around here, looking for food....I am TOLD they do not hurt humans. Don't plan on being the one they didn't like the looks of, so stay far away from where they are swimming.
After a couple nights, we took off for Warderick Wells. This is part of the Exuma National Sea Park system. Our FIRST mooring ball experience. With the help of our fellow boaters we secured a ball and had a beautiful view of this beautiful area (plus only $30 a night on a ball)...a LOT less than the marinas charge. Here, once again, our foreign friends next to us, striped down naked and swam and sunbathed.....this crew was NOT young....not nearly enjoyable as last time👴 👎. This is were Johnny Depp owns an island....he apparently forgets who makes him famous, as his signs on beach are NOT at all welcoming.....and does not have a friendly reputation here either. Someone said he lost the island in his last divorce...and no one is sad!
On 3/27 we left our mooring ball to anchor out in a nearby cove...should have stayed on the ball...It was VERY windy all night. Capt Bob was concerned that a nearby sail boat was getting closer as the night progressed. Early the next morning the sailboat woke up and got out of there quickly as they almost were part of our crew. He did find us at the next marina and apologized. I guess that is why we sleep better when we know we are secure to a dock.
3/28....We arrive at Compass Cay.....after the wind storm we are happy to get here......HA, tongue in cheek....This is a natural harbor that is very secure....with HUGE boats....They tell us to come IN BETWEEN 2 very large YACHTS....VERY large. Thankfully we were pulling our dinghy which made for a great bumper between the BRAND new one on our port side....the Captain of that SHIP was glad also and was very gracious to help us NOT hit his boat. It was quite an experience, but Capt Bob pulled it off once again!! You are packed in like Sardines here and the only thing here is their shack which they sell burgers (when THEY feel like cooking) for $20 Each. I do have to say, they were delicious!...think we had them both days for lunch. Here also is where dozens of tour boats bring people in (they pay a fee of $10 each to step foot on island, in addition to tour fee)….and then they SWIM WITH THE SHARKS. Not me (once again). Our docking fees were $750 for 2 nights....with a additional electric fee of $85 per day!....plus water, by the usage. I thought this was a fun place to watch tourist, and hob nob with the big boat CAPTAINS....(you rarely see the owners of these large ships) but been there, done that, as far as I am concerned about a repeat visit.
We anchored outside of Staniel Cay, our next destination for a night (save $$) and dinghy in to the grocery store....(a nice word for a room about the size of a walk in closet) with available items....AND, as I was deciding if I needed bread, someone takes the LAST loaf off the shelve in front of me. Thank goodness for the bread machine on board....and I have discovered that you can use regular flour as trying to buy bread flour here is a lost cause....(along with bean sprouts in a can----so much for chop suey until we get back to USA)...oh well, will stick with Lobster and Mahi!
NOW.....here's an exciting event......we go into Staniel Cay Marina.....another expensive marina, but at least they have a town and a bar. We spend considerable amount of time in the bar....watching the Final Four basketball on TV......WHO comes in, wearing old T shirt, shorts, not shaved, etc....looks like the rest of us (maybe worse)...but GOV CHRIS CHRISTIE (former gov of New Jersey)......We holler out, "hey gov" and he comes over and shakes our hands, poses for pics, chats with us (we tell him about our "republican" son in Michigan ❤😁) Very gracious....apparently better manners than Johnny Depp!
So now, all of a sudden, it is April.....we take off for anchorage at Black Point. I liked this anchorage very much. Shallow waters, calm, town close, good eats.....and EVERYONE was at funeral in Naussau…(not sure who died, but figured the eulogy was cut short, because all the boaters were waiting for "Lorainne" to come back) She makes her famous coconut bread....out of her house and people line up for it (just like in US, ya, haha....she would be so regulated that we couldn't afford it) Anyway, bright and early (think she was baking all night) we arrive in her kitchen and pick the loaves we want off the counter. It IS delicious....think I am going to try to duplicate in my bread machine. Lorainne is in her bathrobe and hairnet....Gotta love this life.
On we go to Farmers Cay.....Our boat buddies love this place....I thought it was gastly!...for only $350 a night to dock our boat on some worn out dock with rusted junk all around....It was then that I had flash backs of the river ride a year ago! However there was a town...we had a beer, swam with turtles and put in an order for conch salad to be delivered "tomorrow"......this is a reoccurring theme here, as we have ordered conch salad almost every day, and it never gets delivered.....think it is easier for them to promise, just in case they do decide to make some!! I have had a craving since the BEST EVER way back in Feb in Treasure Cay...but so far, nothing to compare it to! The HIGHLIGHT of this island was the beach bar opposite side of Cay from marina.....the owner (?) bartender "enjoys" his own bar very much, as he was quite the entertainment (think we could probably bought anything we needed from him in way of illegal items!?)...we just opted for rum punch, which he proceeded to "TIGHTEN"....."need a tightening?" he asked....???...so we say sure, to which he brings out the bottle sets it on the table and we pour more booze into the punch. we now use the term "tightening" whenever we decide to pour a cocktail at our roving happy hours on our boats.🎉 Its times like this that will be forever in our memories.
From here we go on to anchor out for 3 nights at Williams Cay. The water is rougher than we would like and something is wrong with our batteries that will not be fixed till USA.....but we can run generator for power.....off and on. I don't like the idea of turning all off for several hours.....but that's boat life. We attempted to dinghy to see the sunken piano that David Copperfield sunk about 15 miles from here.....but never had a day calm enough for that long a dinghy trip, so will just marvel at the pictures in the guide book! We hiked the lands behind the beaches and are seeing sites that we could only imagine before. Sharp cliffs, wide open ocean, caves and always beautiful sandy beaches. We see sharks and turtles and numerous fish....
Once again, we are off, into the wide open ocean.....to Georgetown. The trip was a little rocky but only 10 miles, but still happy to get to marina here. It is a nice place....beautiful beaches (getting tired of them?......no way!!!) beach bars, etc. We rent a car and go into town....not as much as we expected, but more than we have seen....(IE: beauty shop/fish store all in one....why didn't I think of that!...not sure what smelled worse....the fish or the perms!) The people here are SO friendly and so happy to have you visit. We bought a day pass to a nearby Sandals Resort....spent Sunday laying in a pool cabana, eating and drinking. We have never been to an all inclusive, this gave us a one day pass to experience it....we enjoyed it and met a lot of people who were there for the week. We, of course, got our monies worth and ate way too much! But it was good to get off the boat for a day. Will probably NEVER take another vacation after we get down with this trip, but if so, might consider a Sandals.
So all caught up as far as time now....will attempt to post pics....from here we go to Long Island....good news there is we pick up Rob and Jennifer for a few days. We are so glad they decided to come visit.....will drop them off at Cat Island after Easter.....then start heading back. It has been and continues to be the trip of a lifetime!
How Much Better Can It Get?...
We left the Abacos and caught up with our buddy boats....Puttzing Around and Job Site...they were waiting in Lynard Cay at a beautiful anchorage. We spent the night here and early the next morning headed out for Spanish Wells in Eluthera. We were familiar with this marina as we spent some time here last year and really enjoyed it. This is where you buy the GIANT crab claws and Lobster tails in the hardware store.....Yup, they still have the cooler full....prices have gone up in a year, but still a bargain. We rented a 6 person golf cart and proceeded to the grocery store, department store (or as close to one as you get here) for clothing, bathing suits and all kinds of stuff we didn't need. Bob even found a birthday card for me in there.... And of course we had to go to all the favorite eating places. The night before my birthday we went out and they served me dessert with candles and sang the traditional happy birthday song. Of course on my big day we celebrated on our boat with happy hour goodies and drinks. I received very nice homemade gifts and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. It was great.
We spent 3 nights in Spanish Wells as the winds blew a little more than we like, but it is such a nice place, I didn't mind at all that we spent one more night than "planned". The flies tried to eat us alive here, but we fought them off with candles, spray and screens. After a fuel stop to take advantage of cheap diesel ($3.89 per gal)..we were off again to the next beautiful anchorage at Egg Island, (still Eluthera) It is great to be with boats that have been here before, they know all the great places.....we just follow along. We spent 2 nights here and dinghied all over the place …….Little "Nightmare" worked just great for us.....better than she ever has....we are almost happy with her. Haha. We drove over to Royal Island and viewed (from afar) a beautiful retreat with 5 cabins, pools, 2 main buildings, etc....it was not in use at this time....we did look it up on google and found it rents for $19,000 per night.....more "in season". It is trying to make a come back after the financial crash and perhaps one day will be the huge resort with golf course and marina that was originally planned.
Every day the weather is warm and sunny and the water gets more beautiful the further south we venture.....where is was a beautiful aqua, I know think it is a darker, almost turquoise color and you can see the bottom and think you can reach over and touch it, but, of course, it is way deeper than you think.....no need to snorkel here....you can just look over the side of boat.
This post was started in mid March.....here it is April already and I never finished this one or shared pictures.....so I will post this late and try to continue on in a new post.
We are having the time of our lives.....and seems no time to write....just enjoying this beautiful place.
We spent 3 nights in Spanish Wells as the winds blew a little more than we like, but it is such a nice place, I didn't mind at all that we spent one more night than "planned". The flies tried to eat us alive here, but we fought them off with candles, spray and screens. After a fuel stop to take advantage of cheap diesel ($3.89 per gal)..we were off again to the next beautiful anchorage at Egg Island, (still Eluthera) It is great to be with boats that have been here before, they know all the great places.....we just follow along. We spent 2 nights here and dinghied all over the place …….Little "Nightmare" worked just great for us.....better than she ever has....we are almost happy with her. Haha. We drove over to Royal Island and viewed (from afar) a beautiful retreat with 5 cabins, pools, 2 main buildings, etc....it was not in use at this time....we did look it up on google and found it rents for $19,000 per night.....more "in season". It is trying to make a come back after the financial crash and perhaps one day will be the huge resort with golf course and marina that was originally planned.
Every day the weather is warm and sunny and the water gets more beautiful the further south we venture.....where is was a beautiful aqua, I know think it is a darker, almost turquoise color and you can see the bottom and think you can reach over and touch it, but, of course, it is way deeper than you think.....no need to snorkel here....you can just look over the side of boat.
This post was started in mid March.....here it is April already and I never finished this one or shared pictures.....so I will post this late and try to continue on in a new post.
We are having the time of our lives.....and seems no time to write....just enjoying this beautiful place.
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