Monday, February 24th to Wednesday, March 12, 2014
After days without internet connectivity we are finally back online today! The islands, the scenery, the water, the fish and the people of the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas are all fantastic, but services are scarce — and where they are available they tend to be very expensive. Regardless, we are having a wonderful time and enjoying the sailing life.
After Little Farmers Cay, we make the ocean passage to Georgetown. The weather is good and that puts us there a few days before our friend Fritz arrives from Switzerland for his visit. Georgetown is sailing central down here. We have never seen so many boats in one place. It’s a bit crazy-busy, so as soon as Fritz is onboard we head out.
Randy at the bar at Farmers Cay with the owner Roosevelt
So many boats in Georgetown!
Dingy dock mayhem in Georgetown as all the people on sailboats come into town
Randy entering the Georgetown sailors’ watering hole
We run into Kathy and Jules from Haidi Girl (who we met back in Spanish Wells) at the Chat n Chill
Fritz arrives from Switzerland! Randy picks him up in Georgetown and brings him by dingy to where we are anchored.
Leaving Georgetown requires an ocean passage. Unfortunately, it’s a very rough day so we give up after a few hours of pounding and pull behind Lee Stocking Island and into an anchorage there to wait out the weather. We are holed up for two nights. Once the weather settles down we head back out. It’s a much better day and we have a good trip to Black Point, where we run into our friends Jodi and Dauphin (on Monarch).
Fritz settles in to the sailing life
Sunrise at Black Point with Jodi and Dauphin’s boat ‘Monarch.’
During our week visit with Fritz, we travel to Staniel Cay and swim the Thunderball Grotto to see the amazing number of fish there. We also visit Bitter Guana and find the Iguanas. Later, we head to Compass Cay, where they have sharks in the harbour that you can pat. At Big Major, we see the pigs that swim out to your boat to get a carrot. Very cute!
Endangered Exuma Iguana on Bitter Guana Cay
Fritz and Randy with their new iguana buddies
Fritz, Randy and Lee on Bitter Guana Cay
Randy and Lee with Silver Maple in the background
Silver Maple in the crystal clear waters of the Exumas
Lee and Fritz enjoying the ride
Pigs swim out to greet you to get a carrot on Big Major
Randy patting the sharks at Compass Cay
Lee at the beach on Compass Cay
It’s a very fun week and we really enjoy having Fritz aboard. On Saturday, March 8th we head back to Staniel Cay so Fritz can catch his flight back. Silver Maple is again a two person crew, and we head to Cambridge Cay. At Cambridge Cay, which is back in the Exuma National Land and Sea Park, there is a snorkeling spot called the Sea-quarium. Incredible number of fish there by a small island with a small reef. We spend the afternoon there enjoying all the underwater wildlife. Cambridge Cay is a beautiful spot — one of our favourites in the Bahamas. After a lovely night at Cambridge, we sail to Hawksbill Cay. Hawksbill is also gorgeous. It has some of the most beautiful water we’ve seen yet. Lovely.
Fish at sea-quarium by Cambridge Cay
Dinner onboard at Cambridge Cay
Silver Maple anchored at Hawksbill Cay
View of Hawksbill Cay from the top of the hill on the island
Sunset at Hawksbill Cay
Leaving Hawksbill at sunrise and heading out for the ocean crossing to Eleuthera
Captain having his afternoon nap during ocean crossing from Exumas back to Eleuthera
In the morning, we make the ocean crossing back to Eleuthera leaving the Exumas and heading back north towards the Abacos. We have a flight booked for mid-April to head back to Canada. Hopefully, spring will have arrived there by then. Fingers crossed!
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