Exumahhhs!

Well, we have enjoyed the past month in our favourite part of the Bahamas – the Exumas.  The area, also known as the ‘Out Islands’, is a 90 mile chain of small cays and islands.  The waters of the Great Bahama Bank are on the west side and the Exuma Sound (essentially the Atlantic) are to the east. Life moves slowly and nature is at its best here.

We were well sheltered in the Cave Cay Marina harbour. Hot showers...yah !

This year we arrived in the Bahamas in early March, which is later in the cruising season than usual. This meant that as we worked our way south through the Exumas we met friends who were on their way home. We had hello/farewell visits at the same time and enjoyed a Mahimahi meal with each boat before moving on.

 We met our friends Joannie and Keith from Minnesota on the way and enjoyed five days of sailing and snorkelling together.  Keith spent his high school years in Nassau and is an excellent spear fisherman so Kim was very happy to fish with him and pick up some new techniques. Cathy and Joannie were happy to not be watching for shark or Barracuda ‘company’ during the fishing time.  One afternoon they brought back two Lionfish and a crab that they had speared.  After consulting Google we decided that Keith had speared a Clinging Channel Crab (aka Bahamian King Crab). Kim removed the poisonous barbs from the Lionfish and we steamed the crab in a large pot and enjoyed a wonderful dinner.

Keith and Joannie from Pelican

Clinging channel crab. No points for beauty, but those hairy legs were delicious.

The crab and lionfish waiting to be dispatched.

After enjoying such tasty gifts from the sea we thought our fishing run might be over but we had more excitement ahead during Corinne’s visit.  We spent a few laid back days with Corinne at Lee Stockin Island, a retired marine research station.  On our return run to Georgetown, where the airport is, Kim had a pretty good fight with a 30 pound yellow fin tuna and won!  These fish immediately dive after taking the ballyhoo bait. After three or four good runs with the drag set at about 15 pounds they were both finally tired out. We named him ‘Ted’ to reflect his strength and dignity.  Corinne was our official photographer for the occasion so there are plenty of pictures.  We only take as many fish as we can eat (and we have plenty for the rest of our trip) so the fishing rod has been cleaned and stored awaiting next season! 

Not sure who was more tired.  He took one more dive and run after this shot.

Getting ready to tie the fish to the boats stern

We bleed and drag the fish to the anchorage and deal with it there.

At the calm of the anchorage Kim will fillet the fish.  Pictures first !

These tuna are very thick !

20 pounds of sashimi

 It was great to have Corinne visit for a relaxed week – too short for all of us though. (We hope to see Cal and Megan down here next winter!)  Here are a few shots of island life.

It is a tough life but …

Corinne at Lee Stocking

Bathing beauties! We wear wet suits for snorkelling so we can stay in the water for a longer time

Just wandering another deserted beach

A sea slug sunning on the beach?

A girl and her dad

The trees on the small cays don't grow very tall

Walking the beach at Red Shanks

A rare day in George Town at the Driftwood Café … and very good coffee!

The view from Georgetown across to Monument anchorage

Bimini at last!

The conditions for our Gulf Stream crossing were ‘power boat perfect’ which means calm seas and NO wind.  We were happy to finally be on our way even if it did not include sailing.

The highlight of the trip for Kim so far was catching a 20lb mahimahi (we call her Suzie II after our first mahi in 2014 – which was a larger version).  Both freezers and the fridge were pretty full when we left Florida so the 17 meals that she provided required some creative storage.  We caught her trolling while under sail on the NW Providence Channel on the way to Nassau. Of course we had sizable 15-20 knot winds and moderate seas but that added to the challenge and satisfaction of the catch!

The pressure is off Kim now that the freezer is full of fish.

Catch of the day for dinner

 It has been very windy since our arrival in the Exumas, which is our favourite part of the Bahamas, but the sun shines endlessly and it is nice and warm.  Windy conditions whip up waves and plenty of salt spray so we are always wishing for a rain cloud to rinse the salt from the boat. Highborne Marina provided a rare stay at a dock for two nights as it was difficult to find a calm anchorage.  As always we have met a number of cruisers from the US to keep us company along the way.

These “dock” birds would sit and stare at you in the cockpit until you were guilted into feeding them.

 

Just another secluded beach.  This one is on the sound (ocean) side of Highborne Cay.

We are currently anchored at Normans Cay where you can snorkel on a DC3 plane that crashed in the bay during the drug running days of the 80’s.  There is a Beach Club on shore where we can have two burgers and a coke for $75 US. Yikes ! We think we hear our mahi calling….

Waiting for the Bahamas

“Life is what happens when you’re making plans” pretty much sums up our cruising season so far.  Although we left home on January 7th it took until March 2nd to arrive in Bimini in the Bahamas.  Cathy fractured a few bones in her foot just before leaving home so has been sporting a walking cast. By the time her foot could handle extended sailing it was February 15th.  It then took until March for a decent weather window for crossing the Gulf Stream.  Spending two winter months in Florida still beats dealing with snow, especially when your toes are exposed in a cast.  Here are a few highlights of our ‘sunshine state’ time.
As usual countless hours and dollars are spent preparing the boat for the season. In the Bahamas you need to be prepared for anything with spare parts and a shocking amount of food and other supplies.  You know you’ve spent too much when suppliers start reserving parking spots in your honour.

Spend enough and you get your own personalized parking spot

 We spent a record 10 days in West Palm Beach and enjoyed the free trolley service instead of our usual walking. We are in mega-yacht company as you can see from our neighbors.

One of the smaller boats......

Indeed the streets are lined with Royal Palms and with year round good weather, bike paths are complete with repair tools. Kim ran errands around the city on a rented City Bike and discovered this bike repair station along the waterfront in West Palm Beach.  Every hand tool one would need to effect minor repairs to your bike, including a hand pump.

Broken bike repair station

We always enjoy the Saturday Farmers Market that is a two minute walk from where we land the dinghy.  The produce is very fresh and lasts far longer than the supermarket foods.  Orchids of all kinds are amazing to see.  Martha Stewart came shopping too – it seems she was staying at her Palm Beach mansion.

Orchids at the farmers market

Not all of our days were sun bathing temps. On the day we left for Ft. Lauderdale it was 6 degrees C. Nothing that a t-shirt, turtle neck, down vest, blanket and driving gloves didn’t fix.

Boy was it chilly this morning. Florida can get cold !

We don’t sail much in Florida but did get in a motor sail to Miami where we do enjoy anchoring in a multi-million dollar neighbourhood in South Beach.  We attended the Miami Boat Show and admired the inside of a Hylas 63 and an Amel 54-wow!

We also discovered the Botanical Gardens and have included some of the plants we saw.

Spiny tree...ouch !

Clown fig

Ponytail palm

Orange flower palm

Mangrove tree

Along the canal where we dock the dinghy to go into town Kim spied a beautiful iguana with colours we never see in the Bahamas.  The iguanas we usually see are huge but definitely much more ugly.

He seemed to be protecting his space. We were worried he might jump into the dinghy.

Now we are waiting for a weather window to cross the gulf stream…stay tuned