Jan. 6 The kids left almost bright and early. You never quite know when the Flamingo flight is going to arrive but they all made their connections ok.
Jan 7-10 The weather continued to be wonderful and kayaking became the sport for the ladies.(Susan from No Agenda, Susan from Exodus, and myself.) Everyday, we went to check out another boat or island gabbing as we went. We went to Exodus for cocktails one night and went to the beach for cocktails another.
Jan. 11 Another beautiful day in paradise. we took the dinghy to Staniel and got rid of the garbage. I went to the bakery to get a photo of Rhonda with her bread for my Passagemaker magazine article and on to the Blue store for a few things. Later that afternoon, our 5 trawlers joined up on the beach for a fish fry. Ray and Jim had caught some wahoo and mahi mahi ,which was fried on Jim’s camping stove, and everyone brought something to round out the dinner. Afterwards, we all sat by the fire in our wonderful fire pit.
Jan. 12 Susan from Exodus and I decided to kayak circumnavigate Fowl Cay. We made it through the narrow cut by the resort with no trouble as the current was with us. Paddling up the back side was also no problem as we stayed mostly out of the current which was now against us. At the western end of the island was a shallow spot that we had to go around and get into the current. I was able to paddle around and get back to shore to rest but Susan got caught in the strong current further out and couldn’t make it. I turned around and waved to her to get closer to shore which she did. Back along the island we went till we got to the narrow cut which we couldn’t push through. I had our radio and called John to come rescue us. He tried to tow both of us on either side of the dinghy but my kayak flipped in the current and I went for a swim. He got my kayak up on the dinghy and tried to tow Susan in her’s but her painter (bow line) broke and she flipped too. John got Susan and me into the dinghy and loaded my kayak as well. Our hero! He took us to Pirate beach and we paddled the rest of the way back to our boats. Susan lost her prescription sun glasses when she flipped so John and I went back later to the cut to try to find them but had no luck. As I was swimming near the dinghy and looking for them, a 4ft baracuda came swimming into the cut and swam right by me! When we got back to our boat to take another swim, he was under the boat enjoying the shade! A photo is attached.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Jan. 2 The weather could have been better but this gang was not to be deterred in their mission of ultimate adventures. Michael and I sailed the Laser to Twin Cays which is about 3 miles from our anchorage while John brought Chris and Corey in the dinghy. John enjoyed listening to music on the beach while the rest of us went snorkeling for shells. The take was excellent! Then we all had a picnic on the beach. Chris and Corey then sailed the Laser back. After we got the dinghy, kayaks, and Laser up on the top deck, everyone got hot showers followed by cocktails, dinner and a movie.
Jan. 3 A storm blew all day but luckily from the NW which meant we were partially protected from most of the waves. All of the boats in the anchorage closed up and tried to stay warm and cozy but still bounced around. We all had hot homemade vegetable soup, bread, and cheese and played Mexican Train dominoes all afternoon.
Jan. 4 The wind was down but a cold wind. Our first outing was to Sampson to get some groceries then to Little Majors and our favorite shelling beach which was not a disappointment. Everyone got a good bunch of shells. Then, we went to Staniel and had lunch at the Yacht Club- Christopher’s treat. It was too cold for most of us to go snorkeling at Thunderball Grotto but Mike braved it and saw lots of good fishies. Back to the boat for hot chocolate, and later, dinner and a movie.
Jan. 5 The weather got progressively better during the day. Lunch, this time, was at Sampson- two for one pizza day and Michael’s treat. After stuffing our faces with great pizza, we took the dinghy to Thomas Cay and walked over the hill to another good shelling beach. Our luck held and we all brought home more goodies. John stayed in the dinghy guarding it and playing spades on his ipad and listening to music. Not bad for the middle of nowhere! Once back to the dinghy, we motored down the island to the cut where the kids went snorkeling. There were many large spotted eagle rays and a few black tipped sharks which Mike said were not dangerous. Back on the boat the shells got cleaned, we got cleaned, played cards and had dinner and a movie.
Jan. 3 A storm blew all day but luckily from the NW which meant we were partially protected from most of the waves. All of the boats in the anchorage closed up and tried to stay warm and cozy but still bounced around. We all had hot homemade vegetable soup, bread, and cheese and played Mexican Train dominoes all afternoon.
Jan. 4 The wind was down but a cold wind. Our first outing was to Sampson to get some groceries then to Little Majors and our favorite shelling beach which was not a disappointment. Everyone got a good bunch of shells. Then, we went to Staniel and had lunch at the Yacht Club- Christopher’s treat. It was too cold for most of us to go snorkeling at Thunderball Grotto but Mike braved it and saw lots of good fishies. Back to the boat for hot chocolate, and later, dinner and a movie.
Jan. 5 The weather got progressively better during the day. Lunch, this time, was at Sampson- two for one pizza day and Michael’s treat. After stuffing our faces with great pizza, we took the dinghy to Thomas Cay and walked over the hill to another good shelling beach. Our luck held and we all brought home more goodies. John stayed in the dinghy guarding it and playing spades on his ipad and listening to music. Not bad for the middle of nowhere! Once back to the dinghy, we motored down the island to the cut where the kids went snorkeling. There were many large spotted eagle rays and a few black tipped sharks which Mike said were not dangerous. Back on the boat the shells got cleaned, we got cleaned, played cards and had dinner and a movie.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Dec. 30 Some friends had told us of a new snorkeling spot just south of Staniel Cay so after a leisurely breakfast, we headed down there on our first expedition of the day. This new spot proved to be wonderful. Two rock islands with an underwater gorge in between them made for interesting topography and there were lots of fish. Most of the reefs around here are more sea garden with soft corals, sea fans, and a few brain corals. This was the same but covered an extensive area. John sat in the anchored dinghy enjoying a cigar and listening to music on our new tiny speaker that connects to our ipod! He was in seventh heaven. On our way back, we went ashore at Staniel and collected some debris wood for our bonfire and delivered it to our pirate beach. Staniel was having an auction and free dinner that night for everyone so we headed there to feast and bid on items in the auction. The place was jammed but we managed to find a spot to sit and eat on the dock.
Dec. 31 This morning’s adventure was to watch the Bahamian sailboat race off of Staniel. Everyone loaded into their dinghies and motored over to the start. This year there were three boats entered which made it a bit more exciting. The Bahamian crews on each boat gave team t shirts to the cruiser members. They all start lined up at anchor with their sails down. On the whistle, they all raise their sails and pull up the anchors and they are off. For the last few years, the crew has been a mixture of Bahamians and cruisers which adds to the fun. The course is a triangle so they can sail different points of sail to test their skills. We brought along some lunch to eat while we watched. I got some good photos of the action. In the afternoon, we took a long swim to the cut by Fowl Cay and did some shelling. Late in the afternoon, many of the cruisers in the anchorage met on pirate beach for cocktails, shared nibbles, and a bonfire to ring out the old year. Our friends on Pirate had brought a new wooden picnic table and faux thatched umbrella to add to the scene and some of the men had built a buffet table too. The kids enjoyed meeting all the characters.
Back on the boat, we had a duck dinner and watched a movie to try to stay awake. The kids managed to stay awake long enough to watch the fireworks over Staniel from the flying bridge.
Jan. 1 The first day of the new year was a good day! We got the laser down and Chris and Corey took it to Sandy Cay which is a deserted island at the entrance to our bay. Michael and I toodled around on it in the afternoon and John circumnavigated Big Majors again! He only flipped once. I love being on that little sailboat when ever I can- the freedom to go wherever you want-feeling the wind in your hair and the sense of speed without an engine.
Dec. 31 This morning’s adventure was to watch the Bahamian sailboat race off of Staniel. Everyone loaded into their dinghies and motored over to the start. This year there were three boats entered which made it a bit more exciting. The Bahamian crews on each boat gave team t shirts to the cruiser members. They all start lined up at anchor with their sails down. On the whistle, they all raise their sails and pull up the anchors and they are off. For the last few years, the crew has been a mixture of Bahamians and cruisers which adds to the fun. The course is a triangle so they can sail different points of sail to test their skills. We brought along some lunch to eat while we watched. I got some good photos of the action. In the afternoon, we took a long swim to the cut by Fowl Cay and did some shelling. Late in the afternoon, many of the cruisers in the anchorage met on pirate beach for cocktails, shared nibbles, and a bonfire to ring out the old year. Our friends on Pirate had brought a new wooden picnic table and faux thatched umbrella to add to the scene and some of the men had built a buffet table too. The kids enjoyed meeting all the characters.
Back on the boat, we had a duck dinner and watched a movie to try to stay awake. The kids managed to stay awake long enough to watch the fireworks over Staniel from the flying bridge.
Jan. 1 The first day of the new year was a good day! We got the laser down and Chris and Corey took it to Sandy Cay which is a deserted island at the entrance to our bay. Michael and I toodled around on it in the afternoon and John circumnavigated Big Majors again! He only flipped once. I love being on that little sailboat when ever I can- the freedom to go wherever you want-feeling the wind in your hair and the sense of speed without an engine.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Dec. 25-29 The Xmas dinner at Sampson was a hit. They had it early enough in the afternoon so we cruisers could get back to our boats before dark. Slowly during the week, more boats came into the anchorage to be here for the New Year’s festivities. The mail boat finally arrived and everyone was able to get fresh food. We went over a bit early and were able to help unload and place the vegetables and fruits which was a different experience. It felt good to be able to help. One night, we hosted our friends on No Agenda (Ray & Susan) for a vegetarian recipe sampling dinner. They had recently become vegetarians for health reasons and we have been trying to do the same so it was fun for me to make some new recipes and have them critiqued. Everything passed muster and was enjoyed. On the afternoon of the 29th, my two sons, Chris & Mike and Christopher’s fiancé, Corey, arrived from the States. After a nice swim and dinner, they got into their pirate costumes and went with No Agenda to Staniel Cay Yacht Club for the Pirate Party. Our friends on their boat called Pirate arrived with their pet macaw and it was a great addition to the party.
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