Bellatrix

11 February 2015

Staniel Cay, Exumas

We sailed from Rock Sound around Cape Eleuthera to Davis Harbor. We washed the boat, did laundry, and watched the Sper Bowl at a little local bar. The folks in the bar couldn’t be more accommodating. It was a “Disco Night” and everytime the DJ stared playing music the proprietor had him stop so we could hear the game some of them, I’m sure, were happy when the game was over.

The sail to Davis Harbor was “spirited” and we did catch a Yellowfin Tuna on our clothesline rig, “sushi”.

We left Davis Harbor to Highborne Cay, Exumas. The water keeps getting prettier if that’s possible. We spent two at Highborne then moved to a peaceful anchorage at Long Cay. I tried some Bonefishing while Robin went snorkeling seaching for dinner. She shot at one but came up with a fish scale, chicken for dinner that night.

Sailed from Long to Warderick Wells which is part of the Exumas Land and Sea Park. No fish zone here, “take only pictures, memories and leave only footprints”. We hike the island and visited “Boo Boo Hill” which is named for the ghosts of lost souls of a long ago shipwreck. It is said that you can hear the ghosts at night. This is a place where many cruisers will paint there boat name on a piece of driftwood and leave them there. The next day we sailed to “Little Hall’s Pond Cay” owned by Johnny Depp where he was getting married, well we actually sailed by it. There was a lot of activity by seaplane the last few days we guess preparing for the wedding.

We are now in Staniel Cay, made famous as the location of a couple of James Bond movies, Thunderball being one. We snorkeled the Thunderball Grotto. Robin bravely expired the many inlets and outlets of the grotto. Once inside it is a large open cave sunlit from openings above. Beautiful with many friendly reef fish anxious for a meal. We will visit here again after Robin’s Mom joins us and brings us the underwater camera. We will have pictures then.

We met up with Peter and Steve from “Grace” and Chad and Marsha from “Free Spirit”. We joined the and other cruisers for a Happy Hour on the beach after an embarrassing episode…

We had gone to town for lunch and a visit and while heading back to the boat at a high rate of speed on flat water… Did I mention we had a 20 hp motor and it is cool to stand with a long tiller to keep your pants dry. A slight over correction with the tiller will send the occupants of the dink sailing through the air as the dink motors happily away. As we popped up we noticed the dink heading toward Nassau. We began swimming to shore and two locals at the yacht club came to our rescue, I’m sure everyone at the bar also noticed. As we were picked up we noticed the dink had made turn and ended up abruptly against the rocks about a half a mile away. We retrieved our dink which was surprisingly undamaged. We learned a few lessons… sit down, hook the engine stop lanyard to someone and be careful.

The water is a beautiful emerald green, some call it gin clear.