Georgetown, Great Exuma

Georgetown, Great Exuma
There is a Paradise!!!!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Don’t you just love ‘em??? These are the famous swimming pigs of Big Major Spot in the Exumas. They are huge and very fast swimmers! They see your inflatable coming towards the beach and they swim out to see what food you have for them. They have very sharp hooves, so you do not want them to get too close, but it was difficult to out maneuver them. Just look at the size of those ears!! These pigs should be able to fly! We had so much fun watching these wild pigs. There were about 7 in all, and we were amazed by their stamina, and by how far out they could swim. Definitely one of the highlights!!

Now back to where I left off in Nassau. The Saturday before we left, we decided that everyone should get together for one last dinner together before some boats in the group parted ways. Fourteen of us piled into a taxi van and headed to what they call “the Fish Fry”. It is a group of restaurants all built around the port where the fishing fleet comes in. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner, then went outside and found that the catholic church was having an outdoor carnival. We strolled through the booths and danced to the music, and watched as the kids danced to the beat. A good time was had by all!

By Monday morning, the high winds had subsided, and we had a terrific sail down to Shroud Cay. We arrived there in mid afternoon, and soon after, we dropped the dinghy down in order to do some exploring. There is actually a well on this desolate limestone island, along with lots of shrub height trees. The rain, slowly over the millennium, dissolves the limestone, creating an intricate labyrinth of pockets and tunnels that collect and hold the rain, thus providing the fresh water needed by the plants. After a bit of exploring, we were able to find the well. Dave took a drink, and hasn’t died yet, so I guess it was okay!

The next day, we moved on down to the Exuma Land and Sea Park at Warderick Wells. This is a much bigger island than Shroud, and is covered with trails. It is a protected area, and you are not allowed to remove anything from the park. No fishing or shelling, etc. You must leave everything as you find it. There are three mooring fields. We stayed in the middle of the three, known as Emerald Rock. The rock is so named because it looks like a mushroom, and is covered with green plants. We did take the time to go snorkeling near the rock, and saw some colorful fish. Not a lot, but enough to get a taste of it.
In order to register in the park, we had to take a long dinghy ride up to the northern mooring field, where you are absolutely astounded by the colors of the water. It is a very shallow bay that has a ribbon of deep blue water running around the outside edges. All of the boats are moored in this ribbon. In contrast, you have the white sand under the very shallow turquoise water. Just north of the park headquarters, is a white sand beach with a grass hut covered picnic table. This was just perfect for a couple of sundowner parties. Also on the beach is the skeleton of a big grey whale. HUGE!

We spent the next few days hiking the many trails. First up was the hike to Boo Boo Hill. At the top, all of the cruisers who have been there in the past have left a token with their boat name on it. Usually a piece of driftwood or a shell, but some are a bit more creative. We did not leave one this time, but did find a piece of driftwood to use. When we go back on our way north, we will deposit it then. We also took a small side trip to the Blow Holes. Dave called them “the nostrils of the sea”! Two small holes that get the surge of the sea, and blow sea water up for quite a distance. You can definitely feel it! It also sounds really spooky; like ghosts saying “Boo, Boo”. Hence, the name for the hill.

We were eager to do some snorkeling, so we dinghied up to the north mooring field to meet with Gene and Gail, from Nightengale. Wherever the snorkeling is supposed to be good, buoys are placed for you to tie up to. The current was still running a bit strong, but we finally got tied up and in to the water. Then it seemed really strong! I was afraid if I let go, I wouldn’t get back to the boat. We finally tied a cushion onto a line, and I floated on that, but I couldn’t see anything in the water. We gave up and decided to try Emerald Rock. This time, there was no current, and there was a lot to see. So many vibrant colors! Fish of every shape and size, and colorful coral. We spent about an hour with the fishes, then went back to the boat to relax and read for awhile. The snorkeling was not near as good as in the British Virgin Islands, but we still enjoyed the experience!

That night we had a get together on the beach. There were probably about 30 or so people there, lots of good food, and Rich from Dolphin brought his guitar and amplifier. We talked, sang, and rocked the night away. And oh my God, the sunsets we’ve seen!! One of the traditions here in the Bahamas, is to blow conch shells immediately after the sun goes down. So of course, Dave had to try that! He actually is very proficient at it! Of course, all those years of playing the trumpet helped. So, every night the conch shells are blown, and then Dave plays “Taps” on his pocket trumpet. We always hear lots of cheers afterwards, and have had an occasional caller on the VHF with praise.

The following day, we set out with two other couples, and went for a looooong hike to the other side of the island, where the third mooring field is located. The entire island is made of limestone, with sharp crags and deep holes. It was very slow going, and there were times where we were unsure of where the trail was, but fortunately there were faded yellow arrows to help keep us on track! Lots of scrubby brush lined the trail, as well as a tree called Poisonwood. It looks just like a ficus, only it is as dangerous as poison ivy. Touch the leaves or the bark, and you will get a rash. We had to be extremely careful.
On our way, we discovered the remains of an old 1700’s settlement. The homes were all made from limestone and sand, and the fences were piles of limestone rocks. What a rough life they had!! It reminded me of the prison setting in “Papillion”, where all of the prisoners are sent to an island to eke out a living. All of the way, we were kidding each other about being on “Survivor”, and we were greatly surprised to get to our final destination, an area called “Pirate’s Lair”, and see that it made a very fitting “tribal council”! It was a clearing in the middle of a grove of palm trees, that was lined with conch shells, and had a fire pit in the center and a fresh water well. This was where the pirates would gather for a little rest and relaxation, hidden in the trees. Then we walked out to the beach, and were stunned to see the beautiful white sand and the gorgeous turquoise bay! You just have to see it to believe it!! After the hot hike, I went right into the cooling water, while the others combed the beach for shells. We then had a picnic lunch at a carefully concealed table, that had a hammock along side. We decided that we did not want to negotiate the same trail again, so we opted to walk up the eastern shoreline which became rugged rocks just north of the bay. It was still easier walking than on the other trail. When we got back to the settlement fence, we crossed back to the other side of the island. It had taken us 2 hours to get to the pirate’s lair, and a little over an hour to bet back to our starting point. By the time we got done, I was so tired and sooo sore!!

While Dave and I were resting up, we noticed a trawler near to us, trying to lower their inflatable into the water from their upper deck. Suddenly we heard a big crash sound and looked over to see their inflatable, upside down in the water. It was a much large one than ours, about 14 feet, and had a 40 horse motor and a steering station. This was not good!! The owner was most worried about the motor leaking gas, and was anxious to get it overturned. Dave went over to help, and they decided they would need to tow it to shore, for a better chance of flipping it over. Once there, they had some difficulty, but with the help of another willing man, and his wife, they got it flipped. We found out that one of the tackle blocks on his hoist had broken, causing the inflatable to drop. He lost a few items that were in the tender, and the last we heard, 2 weeks later, the engine still won’t start. In the Bahamas, your dinghy is your car, and without it, you are at the mercy of others.

On Sunday March 13th, we set sail for Big Major Cay, home of the famous pigs. The wind was so good that we actually sailed, no motor!! It was probably the best passage we have had, and absolutely made us glad to be alive, and thankful to be able to experience this adventure!! We set the anchor and then sped over to Staniel Cay Marina in the dinghy. It was a bit farther than we had anticipated, but a glorious day to cross the beautiful waters. As we pulled up to the dock, we spied our friends Joy and Joe on High Spirits. We spent some time talking with them, and were invited to come back the next night for a fish dinner. Afterwards, we explored the marina. We were amazed to see nurse sharks and sting rays all over in the water surrounding the dinghy dock. Every afternoon, the fishermen clean their catch on the rocks next to the dock. All of the excess is then thrown to the sharks, and they are not willing to miss a meal, so they hang out a lot! The marina is attached to a small resort that offers a bar and restaurant, a lovely swimming pool (the smallest I’ve ever seen!), and several guest cottages. If you rent a cottage, you are provided with a Boston Whaler to use, as well as snorkeling gear, and if you like, you can sign up for a meal plan, and eat all of your meals in the restaurant. It is a very nice little resort that gives you the real feel of the Bahamas.

The next day, Joe and Joy invited us to join them on an excursion around the Staniel Cay island in a golf cart. We gladly accepted and had a great, although dusty, time. To wash away the dust, we took a swim on one of the beaches we passed. Joy and I were having a great time, when suddenly, we saw a big black ray in the water. He passed right by us and headed for the shoreline. He was followed by another smaller ray. I looked around to see if the sharks had followed them, but they were nowhere to be seen, thank goodness!! Afterwards, we went back to their boat and had a fine fish dinner. We were joined by our friends Tammy and Jerell from Osprey, and Marnie and Doug from Close to Home. Good food and good times were had by all, then we made a beeline back to the anchorage at Big Major.

Tuesday March 15th 2011

Hooray!!! The big day finally arrived. My sister, Judy, was flying in to Staniel Cay from Seattle. Around noon, we hauled up the anchor and motored over to The Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Should have been an easy trip, right?? Well, you know us, it’s always an adventure! The water around the marina was about 8 feet deep, except as you get nearer to the beach. The dockmaster told us to bring the boat to the inside dock (close to the beach), and dock in front of the HUGE catamaran and between our friends on High Spirits and Close to Home. Okay! I was very skeptical that we could get around the HUGE cat, since that would bring us even closer to shore, so I listened very carefully to the dockmasters instructions. But not closely enough! With only 5 feet between us, I carefully turned past the catamaran, and promptly ran aground. I started to back up, but the dockmaster said no, forward, forward, get closer to the cat. Closer???? I went forward, through the sand and we passed with only one foot between us, then slipped by High Spirits, and very carefully nuzzled in to the dock. Whew!!

After that thrilling experience, we headed for the bar and had a beer and some grouper fingers (like chicken, only fish). Then it was time to head for the airport. We had arranged to have a taxi bring us back from the airport, but to get there, we would have to walk. So we did. We passed the graveyard, the school, the clinic, the bakery (which is actually a house where they bake bread in their kitchen), the old marina, the government dock, the Baptist Church, and General Isle store, and finally reached the airport. It took us about 10 minutes. It is actually only an airfield, with a small open air seating area with a thatched roof. Samantha, the airport official, pulled up in her golf cart, with about 2 minutes to spare, and we soon heard an airplane make its approach. The plane landed and taxied right up to where we were waiting. It was a small 9 passenger plane, with the luggage compartment in the nose in front of the cockpit. Thank goodness Judy brought small bags!(giraffe, of course!) It was soooo good to see her! She not only brought herself, but she brought a small piece of home-our mail. Unfortunately, the taxi never showed up, so we walked back to the marina. Since Judy had been on airplanes for most of the previous 18 hours, she was glad to stretch her legs, and see the sights!

We got her settled on the boat, and immediately changed to swimsuits and headed for the swimming pool. It is set in the middle of the rental cottages, and has a nice patio area surrounding it, complete with comfy plush lounge chairs, palm trees and exotic flowers. The pool itself is about the size of a large hot tub/spa. It is an L shape, and along the bottom of the L is a seating area. It is also the deep end. It didn’t matter. It felt wonderful!!!! We spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool area, swimming, reading, and drinking those great island drinks (Pina Colada, Judy, Pina Colada! She could never remember the name). We also introduced her to our cruising friends, who welcomed her with open arms. We later dressed and went to dinner at the restaurant. When you make your reservation, you also pick which entrée you want. Then at 7:30pm, everyone is seated, and the meal begins with soup. On this day, lobster chowder. Mmmmmmm! Then salad, followed by the entrée, dessert, and coffee. It was delicious!!! Especially the lobster chowder!

On Wednesday, we got a slow start, then took the dinghy over to the 007 Thunderball cave. This is where they filmed a very small portion of the movie, but the entire movie was filmed in the Bahamas. We had a fabulous snorkeling adventure. There is a small cave opening that you can enter at low tide, and then proceed into the main area of the cave. It is quite large, but not as large and cavernous as my mind had envisioned. I thought there would be stalagmites, etc., but the roof of the cave was quite boring. It did have a hole in the top, so sunlight could get through and keep it from being dark. There were A LOT of fish. Every size and shape. There seemed to be more just outside the entrance, than there were in the cave itself. We spent about an hour mingling with the fishies, then went back to the marina to rinse off in the swimming pool, and enjoy another afternoon of laziness. Exactly the kind of vacation Judy wanted and needed! We had a late lunch at the bar, and that evening we watched a movie.

Thursday, ST. Patrick’s Day!! The marina was all a buzz, because they would be hosting a big green party! Green beer, 2 for 1 rum punches, and corned beef and cabbage for dinner. We needed to do some boat errands. We filled up with water, then used the dinghy to take the dirty laundry to the wash woman at Isle’s General store. For $10.00 a load, she would wash, dry, fluff, and fold the laundry. Yahoo!!! We left our large pile of laundry, bought ice cream and a few other items, and headed back for another afternoon of lounging by the pool. We were entertained by a group of vacationers from Michigan. A group of 5 couples, vacations together every year. On this day, they were having an “Amazing Race” on the island. The last few clues, and the finish line, were at the pool, so it was really quite fun to watch.

In honor of ST. Patrick’s Day, we invited our resident Irishman, Evan from Anna Livia, to join us for dinner, as well as Gene and Gail from Nightengale. We joined the throngs of partiers, most dressed in green, for a fabulous dinner outside on the upper deck. There was also a band playing music. The music wasn’t bad, but the vocals were terrible. Karaoke would have been better. Oh well. We were still in paradise with friends, family, good food and drink, and watched another beautiful sunset. It doesn’t get much better than that! (As a side note – Evan said that he never ate corned beef and cabbage in Ireland, that it is an American tradition)

On Friday, it was time to move the boat back to Big Major Spot, to avoid the hefty moorage fees at the marina. The departure was just as interesting as the arrival. The HUGE catamaran had left, but, there were now three other boats in the way. The dockmaster assured us that they would all be asked to move for our departure. The first to leave was a 120 foot yacht that had been sticking out past the end of the dock about 30 feet. He went forward and immediately went aground in the shallow sand. Using all of his bow and stern thrusters, he was able to get free and backed on to the gas dock for refueling. One of the other boats left, and the third backed off about 10 feet and wanted to know when we were leaving. As soon as they were out of the way! We then backed the boat down the length of the dock, and with the help of our friend Buddy from CanFlor Girl, we made the turn and headed out of the marina. Judy rode on the bow pulpit all the way to the anchorage. The wind blowing gently against her. As we lowered the anchor, we could see the swimming pigs on the beach. While we read in the cockpit of the boat, we had fun watching the inflatables and small boats that went to feed the pigs.

First thing Saturday morning, we headed for piggy beach, armed with bread for the hog armada. We weren’t even close when they first ventured out. I tried to throw the bread far enough away that they would have to swim away from us, but those guys are quick!! Our friends from Nightengale and Big Easy joined us, and we had fun watching the pigs on the attack. We laughed so hard! We heard a scream and turned to see Big Easy Gail jump to the other side of the dinghy to avoid being bitten in the butt by a feisty pig! Their yellow lab, Kassee, was going nuts, barking at the pigs.

After that wild adventure, we took our dinghies on a long ride up to Sampson Cay, the next island to the north. They have a very nice marina there, with a store, a restaurant and bar, a laundry, showers, and many palm trees. We enjoyed a delicious meal at the restaurant, then headed back to the anchorage. It was low tide, so the water got a little shallow in places, but the colors of the water were spectacular! We spent a quiet evening on the boat, watching “Thunderball” and eating popcorn.

On Sunday, we accepted an invitation from Big Easy to come over and watch the Huskies play North Carolina in the NCAA tournament. They have a satellite TV dish and Sirius radio. Frank and Gail are from northern Mississippi. They live on 160 acres, in a log home. Gail was born in Memphis, and has a beautiful southern accent. Frank was born in Holland and it is interesting to listen to his Dutch accent. Kassee is a beautiful white lab, and we had a great time spoiling her! It was so much fun to watch the Huskies, and we certainly did our part to cheer them on, but unfortunately North Carolina came out on top. Later that evening we went over to Nightengale for sundowners. Frank brought his conch shells, and he, Gail, and Dave blew them when the sun went down. Then Dave hauled out his trumpet and played Taps. The sun didn’t let us down. It gave Judy, one last gorgeous sunset for her trip.

Judy’s week went extremely fast!!! Monday morning the wind had picked up. It was going to be an interesting and wet ride over to the marina. We decided to go early and lounge one last time around the pool, have lunch, and then head for the airport. We loaded up the dinghy and set out for Staniel Cay. It was pretty rocky and rolly, but doable, until we passed around the point of Big Major. We had just put on the rain coats, and were now headed directly into the wind and waves. Very soon, the water was spraying over the bow, drenching us, and filling up the boat. We decided that we wouldn’t be able to bail fast enough to get there safely, so we turned around and headed back to the boat. We put out a call to the Island Taxi, and found that they would pick us up and return us for $100.00 round trip, so we split the cost and decided to ride over in comfort and safety. The taxi picked us up about 10 minutes after we arrived back at the boat, so we headed on over to the marina, wet clothes and all. We spent the afternoon having lunch at the bar, drying out by the pool, and having one last Pina Colada. Then, it was time to head for the airport. Fortunately, the Taxi man had a golf cart that he wasn’t using, so he offered to let us use it. With a little extra time, we took Judy on a brief tour of the island, before pulling up to the airfield. Before we knew it, it was time to say good bye. If only we had had more time! We thoroughly enjoyed having her with us, and I know she enjoyed it too! You can’t go wrong coming to this beautiful place in the world. Dave and I took the golf cart back to the marina, by way of the store. Thank God we did. The cold Dave had when Judy first got there, was now transferred to me, and little did I know how bad it would get. We were fortunate to find a bottle of Nyquil in the store, that would help me through the next few nights. We had an uneventful ride back to the boat in the water taxi, and I immediately laid down for a nap.

The next morning, we hauled up the anchor and sailed down to Black Point. By the calls we heard on the radio, everyone was headed for Black Point. Our friends on High Spirit were already there, and decided to host a dinner party at Lorraine’s, the local café. The guest list topped out at 20 cruisers. We arrived about 5:00pm and chatted, then a shrimp platter was passed around the room. A while later, Lorraine set up a buffet that included ribs, chicken, fried conch, fried lobster, cole slaw, potato salad, mac & cheese (not like the US version. It is more like stacked macaroni, and then baked. Not a lot of cheese sauce, and they add peppers), and chocolate and white cake for dessert. We all ate more than we should have, but we had a great time (in spite of my cold).

On Wednesday, we decided to check out the iguanas on a nearby beach. Just like the pigs, as the dinghies approached the beach the iguanas came out to see what we had to feed them. The biggest one was about 3 feet long, but most of them were much smaller. You had to keep a careful watch, as the buggers tended to sneak up on you. After the feeding frenzy, we took a walk on the beach, looking for shells, and then headed back over to Black Point.

Our group decided to go sightseeing on the island, so we inquired to see if we could rent a couple of golf carts. Because there are a limited amount of paved roads, they had only one golf cart with the proper tires to use on the unpaved roads. We decided we would go in shifts to the Castle home and the nearby beach. Dave and I were in the first shift. We got about 3 quarters of the way to the Castle, when we blew a tire. Luckily, we had a VHF radio with us, so we called the rental shop for help. We were informed that the cargo ship had just docked, and he would not be able to assist us until the ship was unloaded, which would be about 2 hours. He suggested we call the Castle for assistance. So, I called the Castle, but no one responded. Fortunately, their neighbor called back to say that he was on his way to town and would be happy to assist us. He arrived about 20 minutes later and gave us all a ride back to the dock.

The cargo ship was tied up at the dinghy dock, so we would not be able to leave for several hours. We watched the ship unload for awhile, then we walked to a nearby restaurant that was famous for its homemade pizza. We ordered two of the specials and washed it down with ice cold beer. It seems we have gone to having 2 meals a day – a late breakfast, a late lunch, and then appetizers with our sundowners. I should be losing weight. Yeah, right!!

The decision was made that our cruising group would all venture down to Georgetown. This will be our southernmost destination. So, Thursday morning we set sail for Cave Cay and anchored just inside of the channel we will use to go out into Exuma Sound on the eastern side of the islands. The wind was making it pretty rocky when we anchored, but by bedtime the sea was nearly flat and the stars were out in full force.
Bright and early on Friday morning, March 25th, we headed out the channel and into Exuma Sound. There was not much wind blowing, so it was a slow ride, but it gave 2 of the boats a chance to troll for fish. We had only been out about 20 minutes or so, when Gail from Big Easy announced that Frank had a strike. He hauled in a 3 foot Mahi Mahi. Yum!! Fresh fish for dinner. The rest of the trip was uneventful. We did pass many boats already heading north, including Osprey, who we hoped we would see again in Georgetown.

In the early afternoon, we arrived in Georgetown and took a mooring ball off of Volleyball beach. Soon after, we dinghied ashore for a cold drink at the Chat n’ Chill bar. They call Georgetown “Adult Daycare” and I can see why. In the height of the season there will be over 300 boats here. They have scheduled activities such as volleyball, poker, yoga, bridge, etc. You can swim, snorkel, or just lounge on the white sand beach. People come here and don’t leave for months.

But, I must leave you now. I will tell you all about our adventures in Georgetown when I get the chance to write another blog and get it posted. I need to get to town now, just to get this much posted. Rest assured that we are having the time of our lives.

Hope all is well at home. Say hello to those who know us. Stay safe!

Love & Hugs,

The Admiral

1 comment:

Unknown said...

sounds like a whole lot of fun in paradise. miss you and keep the updates coming when you can.

Austin.