heading to the Park office to pay for our mooring balls
the North Field where Snowbird and Paper Bird are
and here they are … Snowbird in dinghy and Paper Bird on dock
on a mooring ball later that day at Cambridge Cay .. waiting for the storm
conch lined path to the ocean
don't know the fruit name
but it is not human editable
peanut snail shells
in the park you are asked to pick up garbage on the beach and bring it
up to high water level and the park staff will take it away and burn it
dinghy park
we had a cruisers happy hour
see me in the black and white top with ball cap
my first ever date squares in the round
heading off to Honeymoon Ocean Beach
a very private and secluded beach, looking out to the ocean
termite mound
one of the many sand bars that you have to miss on your way into Cambridge Cay, this is
at low tide
the peace before the storm
Andrew, Andante up the mast
patching another pin hole in the dinghy
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Joe is up early again 6:30 to catch Chris Parker and the weather. Right now this is the only option for weather up dates. We have no wifi coverage in the northern islands… and another strong low with high winds is coming and we need to move again.
We rushed to the Park Office to pay for the night $20, we met Snowbird, and Paper Bird in the office for about 3 minutes. Then we rushed back to the boat and headed out, south, about 10 miles to Cambridge Cay and a mooring field. We managed to get the 2nd last ball. We know these are maintained because the park owns them and they are regular checked.
The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park begins at Wax Cay Cut (where we entered the Exumas), in the north and stretches southward some
22 miles to Conch Cut, (where we are now). It is approx. 8 miles wide and it encompasses 176 square miles.
Here is some of the rules, there is no fishing, conching, lobstering or shell taking. No feeding fish or wildlife, no dumping of food scraps in the water, there is no garbage disposal. Pets are only allowed on the beach and not on the trails, and all boats at anchor or on mooring balls must use there anchor light at night.
We got the motor on the dinghy and headed to the nearest beach and found the trail lined with conch shells to the ocean beach. There is mostly sea weed on shore, with small pieces of shells in very fine sand.
One of the boaters organized a Happy Hour on the beach for 5pm. It was
well attended and Joe and I rushed back to Modaki with a leaking dinghy. We found a pin hole leak, deflated it a bit and patched once again.
Friday, February 5, 2016
The dinghy got pumped up and it was not leaking in the latest patch.
We got our snorkelling gear ready and headed a short distance to Cairn Garden, with lots of corals and tropical fish. We had this area all to ourselves. see pictures … then back to the boat for lunch and then headed to another beach and a pathway through very short palm trees (no soil on this island, only sand) to another ocean beach.
Later in the day we hoisted Andrew (Andante) up his mast to fix his anchor light, with no luck … (57 ft off the water)
We saw a shark swim by at 4:15 pm and a Eagle or Spotted Ray, jump 3-4 ft out of the water and landing with a big splash .
Saturday February 6, 2016
The winds just about died over night, you know what that means a change in the weather.
In dinghy convoy we headed a bit north to the Airplane Reef, a downed smuggling plane in 25 ft of water … then went past Johnny Depp's vacation home. He wasn't there because we understand, he flies a pirate flag when he is there, and the boat The Black Pearl is moored on the west side of the island, also not there. This is strange, that he bought this place only about 5 years ago, right in the middle of the Park, but the Park says that that is not allowed … I guess money talks !!
Then off to snorkel the Sea Aquarium on O'Briens Cay. We saw a Remora, (Sharksucker or Suckerfish) my first …. and a hundred very curious fish. After about 1/2 hour of swimming around in a fish aquarium, we found another beach to walk to the ocean side.
Once back on the boat we washed down our gear in fresh water and got better shoes on to climb a near by hill to get wifi connection.
We took a few pictures looking down on the mooring field and anchorage near Bell Island.
I took my iPad and Joe his phone and we called his mom back in Owen Sound.
Mike on Lagom came over from the anchorage for
happy hour.
Tomorrow the big storm is coming with high winds sand rain squalls.
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